XDA had a useful reminder this week that not all 4K Blu-rays are created equal. Some are true native 4K masters with Dolby Vision or HDR10+, some are 2K upscales with HDR10 baked on, and the metadata written to the disc decides whether your player, or your ripper, gets any of it right. If you own the drive, the discs, and a Windows or macOS box, seven apps handle the ripping and the encoding without losing what makes a 4K UHD Blu-ray worth the money.
What to look for in a 4K Blu-ray ripping app
- AACS 2.0 support. UHD Blu-rays use a newer encryption than standard Blu-ray, not every ripper handles it.
- HDR passthrough. Dolby Vision and HDR10+ are metadata layers, they need to survive the rip and the reencode.
- Lossless option. MakeMKV-style bitstream copy is the safe first step, encoding comes later.
- Audio. Dolby TrueHD, Atmos, and DTS-HD Master need passthrough, not transcoding.
- Chapter and subtitle handling. Chapters carry over on some tools, get lost on others.
- Drive support. UHD Blu-ray needs a friendly drive, not every Blu-ray drive works.
Quick comparison
| App | Best for | Platforms | Free | Paid | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MakeMKV | Lossless full-disc rip | Win, Mac, Linux | Beta free | $60 lifetime | 4.7 |
| DVDFab UHD Ripper | Menu-driven Dolby Vision retention | Win, Mac | Trial | ~$130/year | 4.4 |
| Leawo Blu-ray Ripper | Preset-based fast encoder | Win, Mac | Trial | ~$50 lifetime | 4.3 |
| HandBrake | Open source reencode after rip | Win, Mac, Linux | Yes | Free | 4.6 |
| tsMuxeR | Stream remux without reencoding | Win, Mac, Linux | Yes | Free | 4.4 |
| AnyDVD HD | Decryption on demand | Win | Trial | ~$70/year | 4.3 |
| MKVToolNix | Metadata edits after the rip | Win, Mac, Linux | Yes | Free | 4.7 |
The seven 4K UHD Blu-ray tools
1. MakeMKV, best lossless full-disc rip
MakeMKV is the ripping tool most home theatre readers land on. It reads the UHD Blu-ray, decrypts AACS 2.0, and writes a lossless MKV that preserves every audio track, chapter marker, and HDR metadata layer. The beta channel is free while UHD support is technically still preview, and the beta key ships publicly.
Where it falls short: Preview status has lasted years. When it ends, the license is $60.
Pricing:
- Free: Beta channel with rotating key
- Paid: $60 one-time lifetime license
Platforms: Windows, macOS, Linux
Download: MakeMKV
MakeMKV for 4K Blu-ray ripping is the safe first step for any collector. Rip to MKV first, encode later.
Bottom line: The default tool. Every workflow on this list starts with a MakeMKV rip.
2. DVDFab UHD Ripper, best menu-driven Dolby Vision retention
DVDFab UHD Ripper is the paid Windows suite most reviewers benchmark against MakeMKV. Menus over command lines, preset profiles for H.265 encoding, and it handles Dolby Vision profile 5 to profile 8 conversion without losing the dynamic metadata.
Where it falls short: Yearly subscription, and the installer bundles extra tools most users do not need.
Pricing:
- Free: Trial with limits
- Paid: Around $130 per year for the UHD suite
Platforms: Windows, macOS
Download: DVDFab
DVDFab UHD Ripper for 4K Blu-ray ripping wins on Dolby Vision handling, especially when you want profile conversion in the same step.
Bottom line: The pick for readers who want a one-app menu-driven workflow with Dolby Vision retained.
3. Leawo Blu-ray Ripper, best preset-based encoder
Leawo Blu-ray Ripper is a paid Windows and macOS app aimed at users who want fewer decisions. Presets for Plex, Apple TV, and mobile devices ship out of the box, and the app handles UHD sources with a Blu-ray drive.
Where it falls short: UHD support requires the higher-tier Blu-ray Cinavia Removal add-on for some discs.
Pricing:
- Free: Trial with watermark
- Paid: Around $50 lifetime for the Blu-ray Ripper module
Platforms: Windows, macOS
Download: Leawo
Leawo Blu-ray Ripper for 4K Blu-ray works for readers who want preset-based rips without touching HandBrake.
Bottom line: The pick for readers whose end target is Plex, not a lossless archive.
4. HandBrake, best open source reencode after rip
HandBrake does not read UHD Blu-rays directly, it reads MakeMKV’s MKV output and reencodes it. HEVC 10-bit, HDR10 passthrough, tone mapping to SDR when you need a smaller version, and every option scriptable via the command line.
Where it falls short: No native UHD read, requires MakeMKV or tsMuxeR first. Dolby Vision passthrough is limited without third-party patches.
Pricing:
- Free: Open source
- Paid: None
Platforms: Windows, macOS, Linux
Download: HandBrake
HandBrake for 4K Blu-ray is the encoder step everyone else routes through eventually.
Bottom line: The pick for readers who want a smaller file after MakeMKV rips the original.
5. tsMuxeR, best stream remux without reencoding
tsMuxeR is a specialist tool for muxing and demuxing MPEG-TS and M2TS streams. Use it to strip a UHD Blu-ray to just the tracks you want without any quality loss, or to remux MakeMKV’s output into M2TS for hardware players that prefer it.
Where it falls short: UI is dated, and the tool assumes you already know your stream layout.
Pricing:
- Free: Open source with paid GUI extras
- Paid: None required
Platforms: Windows, macOS, Linux
Download: Doom9 forum thread
tsMuxeR for 4K Blu-ray wins when you want a track-level remux without touching video.
Bottom line: The pick for readers who want to drop tracks without reencoding.
6. AnyDVD HD, best decryption on demand
AnyDVD HD is Redfox’s decryption layer for Blu-ray, UHD Blu-ray, and DVD. It runs in the background and hands other tools a decrypted disc, so you can point HandBrake, MakeMKV, or DVDFab at the drive directly.
Where it falls short: Windows only, and Redfox operates from Antigua, which has legal implications in some jurisdictions.
Pricing:
- Free: 21-day trial
- Paid: Around $70 per year
Platforms: Windows
Download: Redfox
AnyDVD HD for 4K Blu-ray wins when you want one background decryptor for a whole toolchain.
Bottom line: The pick for readers who want to use several rippers on the same disc without swapping keys.
7. MKVToolNix, best metadata edits after the rip
MKVToolNix does not rip anything. It edits MKV containers, fixes HDR metadata, renumbers chapters, sets default subtitle tracks, and strips audio you do not want. Every archival rip should end with a pass through MKVToolNix to clean up naming and defaults.
Where it falls short: No ripping, no encoding, purely a container editor.
Pricing:
- Free: Open source
- Paid: None
Platforms: Windows, macOS, Linux
Download: MKVToolNix
MKVToolNix for 4K Blu-ray wins as the last step in an archival workflow.
Bottom line: The pick for anyone building a proper library, not just a copy.
How to pick the right one
- Want a safe archival rip: MakeMKV
- Want a menu-driven paid app that keeps Dolby Vision: DVDFab UHD Ripper
- Want presets that target Plex or Apple TV: Leawo Blu-ray Ripper
- Want a smaller file after ripping: HandBrake
- Want to strip tracks without reencoding: tsMuxeR
- Want one decryptor that all your tools can share: AnyDVD HD
- Want to clean up chapters, subtitles, and metadata after ripping: MKVToolNix
FAQ
Is ripping a 4K Blu-ray legal?
It depends on your country. In the US the DMCA restricts breaking DRM even for personal backups. In much of the EU, personal-use exemptions apply. Check local law before you start.
Do I need a special drive for UHD Blu-ray?
Yes. Standard Blu-ray drives will not read UHD Blu-ray discs. Look for a “UHD Friendly” LG or Pioneer drive on MakeMKV’s compatibility list.
Can I keep Dolby Vision when I rip?
MakeMKV preserves the metadata in a lossless MKV. Encoding with Dolby Vision profile support intact usually needs DVDFab UHD Ripper or a HandBrake build patched by the Dolby Vision community.
How big is a 4K Blu-ray rip?
Lossless full-disc rips sit between 40 and 100 GB depending on the release. HandBrake with a quality 20 HEVC preset drops them to 15 to 30 GB with visually lossless results.
Is MakeMKV really free?
The beta version is free with a public key that rotates every few months. When the beta ends, the paid license is $60 lifetime.
