What Happened to AnyDVD and TOP 5 Best AnyDVD Alternatives

I used AnyDVD for accessing and backing up DVDs, HD DVDs, and Blu-ray discs. After SlySoft shut down in 2016 and RedFox went offline in June 2024, many users were left wondering what happened to AnyDVD HD. As of March 2026, AnyDVD is still discontinued, its official services remain unavailable, and it is no longer a reliable choice for users who need support for newer disc protections.

In this guide, I will briefly explain that background and review 5 reliable AnyDVD alternatives for DVD and Blu-ray decryption and backup. I will compare their main differences and help you decide which one is right for your needs.

Quick Answer: What Is the Best AnyDVD Alternative in 2026?

The best AnyDVD alternative depends on what you need most: support for newer DVD, Blu-ray, and 4K releases, background decryption, free use, or lossless ripping. Some tools focus on real-time decryption, while others are better for backup or format conversion. Here are the tools I tested and reviewed as the best AnyDVD replacements.

What Happened to AnyDVD HD?

AnyDVD HD was originally developed by SlySoft as a Windows tool for removing copy protection and playback restrictions from DVDs and Blu-ray discs. In 2016, SlySoft announced that it had ceased operations. Soon after that, some of the original team continued the project under the RedFox name and kept releasing updates for AnyDVD.

That situation changed again in June 2024, when the RedFox website went offline and users could no longer access its official services. As of 2026, there has been no clear public explanation from RedFox. Some reports have linked the shutdown to legal pressure around DRM circumvention tools, but there is no detailed official statement confirming the exact cause.

As a result, many users have turned to other tools for DVD and Blu-ray decryption, backup, and format conversion. That is why choosing a stable and up-to-date AnyDVD alternative has become the main concern for current users.

Top 6 Best AnyDVD Alternatives for DVD and Blu-ray Decryption

Since AnyDVD is no longer available, a lot of people are looking for other ways to decrypt DVDs and Blu-rays. And now, here are the top 5 alternatives to AnyDVD.

DVDFab All-In-One

• Platform: Windows & macOS
• User Rating: 4.6/5 (Trustpilot)
• Free Trial: Yes (30 days)

DVDFab All-In-One is one of the best AnyDVD alternatives for users who need broad support for newer DVD, Blu-ray, and 4K UHD releases. In my view, it is a strong option for anyone who wants decryption, backup, ripping, and disc conversion in a single workflow. DVDFab also offers an exclusive Cloud Decryption Service that is continuously updated to handle the latest protections.

It is a better fit than simpler tools when the goal is not just to unlock a disc, but also to copy it, rip it to video, or convert it into another disc format. I see DVDFab as less of a single-purpose decrypter and more of a complete replacement for older AnyDVD-based workflows.

Key Features:

• Lossless Ripping for Home Theater: Rip to lossless video and audio (MP4, MKV, M2TS) with high-definition audio (TrueHD, DTS-HD, Atmos).
• Lossless Video Compression for Mobile: Convert to a mobile-friendly format such as MP4 for HD playing on any mobile phone (iPhone and Android) without sacrificing quality.
• Support for 1000+ Formats: You can rip DVDs, Blu-rays, and UHD to over 1000 video and audio profiles (MKV, FLAC, MP4, MP3, etc.) for playback on 245+ devices with customizable settings for resolution, audio, and video.
• Remove Cinavia Protection & Output High-Quality Audio: DVDFab can remove Cinavia Message Code 3 from audio and produce lossless AAC, DTS-HD, and TrueHD audio.
• Built-in Video Editor: Use one simple interface to crop, trim, merge, rotate, and add subtitles.
• Convert Video to DVD/Blu-ray/UHD Disc Format: With full editing capabilities, you may convert your video to DVD, Blu-ray, or UHD while maintaining high-quality image and sound.
• Backup or Convert Discs: Backup or convert DVD, Blu-ray, or UHD discs without losing quality, ensuring long-term data security.

DVDFab All-In-One includes 26 modules. Here, I'll use DVDFab DVD Copy as an example to show you how to back up your DVDs in a few simple steps.

Step 1: Select Copy Mode

• Open DVDFab 13 and click the Copy mode in the left menu.
• You will then see 6 available copying modes: Full Disc, Main Movie, Customize, Split, Merge, and Clone/Burn.

Step 2: Load the Source and Customize the Disc

• After selecting the Copy mode, load the DVD you want to copy. If you don't want to copy the entire DVD, you can select Main Movie to copy only the longest title or choose Customize to copy specific titles or parts of the DVD.

Step 3: Adjust Settings

You can adjust a few additional settings:

• Change the volume label name.
• Select between DVD-9 and DVD-5 for the output format.
• Choose options to copy non-DVD files or rewind the disc after copying

For more advanced settings, click the three-line icon in the top-right corner and select Settings.

Step 4: Select the Output Location

• You can use the dropdown menu to select your output location, or use one of the two icons nearby to choose whether to save the DVD contents as an ISO image file or an ISO movie folder.

Step 5: Start the Copying Process

• Once everything is set, click the Start button to begin copying the DVD to your hard drive or blank disc.
• Alternatively, click the dropdown arrow and select Start Later to schedule the process for another time.

DVDneXtCOPY DVD Ripper

• Compatible System: Windows PC
• Free Trial: Yes (30 days)

DVDneXtCOPY DVD Ripper is a specialized AnyDVD alternative for users who want to turn protected DVDs into digital files for everyday playback. In my experience, it can decrypt and convert any DVD into MP4, MKV, or another digital format without much setup. You can also edit the video and adjust custom settings if you want. It also handles DVDs, ISO files, and folders well, so the workflow feels straightforward if you want to store movies on a PC, USB drive, or media server.

What I like most is that it focuses on the part many users actually need after decryption: usable output. Compared with tools built mainly around unlocking discs for other software, DVDneXtCOPY feels closer to a day-to-day ripping solution for people who want their collection in a format they can watch anywhere.

Key Features:

• Advanced Decryption: Supports loading all types of DVDs protected by Region Code, Disney X-project, CSS, etc.
• Compress DVD files: Preserves maximum original video and audio quality while compressing DVD.
• Practical Editor: Enable, disable and add subtitle tracks, merge DVD titles, crop clips and more.
• Multiple Output Modes: Lossless movie output or select H.265 high-efficiency encoding with flexible control over bitrate, frame rate, etc.

Step 1: Install and launch the tool

• Follow the on-screen instructions to download and install it on your PC.

Step 2: Prepare your disc

• Insert a DVD into your internal or external drive, or use an ISO file or DVD folder directly. After opening DVDneXtCOPY, you can use the "+Add Source" button or drag it directly to the main window.

Step 3: Choose an output format

• You can set up the default configuration for subsequent use. Also, you can go into the Choose Other Profile window to customize it.

Step 4: Adjust advanced settings and edit video

• Next, you can access the advanced settings to select the subtitle mode and adjust the sample rate and bit rate to ensure that the video size and quality are balanced.
• In the Edit window, you can crop and rotate the video, adjust the contrast, add text as a watermark, remove background noise, and change the default playback speed.
   

Step 5: Start ripping

• Finally, change the output directory at the bottom of the interface and click the Start button.

Passkey All-In-One

• Platform: Windows
• User Rating: 7.5/10 (VideoHelp)
• Free Trial: Yes (30 days)

DVDFab Passkey All-In-One is a close alternative to AnyDVD for background decryption on Windows. Like AnyDVD, it is a lightweight decryption tool that runs silently in the background and supports DVD, Blu-ray, and 4K UHD protections. It also supports ripping DVDs to ISO files.

That makes Passkey especially useful if you want to unlock a disc first and then open it in another tool for playback, ISO creation, or conversion. In my testing, DVDFab Passkey feels closer to the old AnyDVD experience than most full ripper tools do.

Key Features:

• Better Protection Removal: more thoroughly than AnyDVD, removing CSS, CPPM, APS, UOPs, etc.
• Recorded Disc Decryption: Decrypt recorded DVDs and Blu-rays, expanding media compatibility.
• Wide Format Support: Supports all DVD formats, like DVD-R, DVD+R, DVD+RW, and DVD-RW
• Real-Time Decryption: Decrypt DVDs automatically, no user intervention required.

HandBrake+libdvdcss

• Platform: Windows, macOS & Linux
• User Rating: 3.5/5 (CNET)
• Free Trial: N/A

HandBrake is a free alternative to AnyDVD for video conversion, especially when decryption has already been handled. I would not treat it as a direct replacement for AnyDVD itself, because HandBrake does not remove copy protection on its own. Its real strength is converting video into clean MP4 or MKV files with solid control over quality, compression, and output settings.

When used with libdvdcss, HandBrake can read and convert CSS-encrypted DVDs, which gives it a place in a free DVD backup workflow. Even so, this setup only helps with CSS-protected DVDs and should not be seen as a complete solution for all types of copy protection.

Key Features:

• DVD Ripping: Convert DVDs to MP4, MKV, and MOV formats.
• Decryption: With libdvdcss, HandBrake can bypass CSS encryption on DVDs.
• Customization: Lots of options for video and audio quality, subtitles, etc.
• Live Static and Video Preview: Includes a preview feature to see static frames or video segments before processing.
• Chapter Markers Support: Retains chapter markers from the original DVD, so navigation is easy and user-friendly.

MakeMKV

• Compatibility: Windows, macOS & Linux
• User Rating: 4.5/5 (TechRadar）
• Free Trial: Yes (30 days)

MakeMKV is a popular AnyDVD alternative for lossless ripping and full-quality backup. I think it is the best fit for users who want to keep the original video, audio tracks, chapters, and metadata without re-encoding.

The trade-off is that MakeMKV is built around MKV output rather than broad conversion presets. So while it is one of the best replacements for AnyDVD in lossless workflows, it is not the most flexible choice if you prefer to get a small file size or device-specific output.

Key Features:

• Decryption: Unlocks DVDs and Blu-rays protected by AACS and BD+, enabling access to encrypted content.
• Metadata Preservation: Chapter points and metadata are preserved for organized playback.
• Complete Track Retention: Preserves all video, audio, and subtitle tracks from the original source.
• Lossless Output: Delivers high-quality output with no loss in video or audio fidelity.

AnyDVD HD vs. AnyDVD Alternatives: A Detailed Comparison

In this section, we'll go into detail, looking at their features, performance, and compatibility to help you choose the best alternative to AnyDVD.

How to Choose the Best AnyDVD Alternative?

After comparing AnyDVD and its alternatives, let's talk about how to pick the best one for you. This section will go through the key things to consider when choosing a DVD and Blu-ray decrypter.

1. Conversion Speed: Look for software that supports hardware acceleration, so you don't have to wait for hours.
2. Ability to Decrypt: Choose software with advanced decryption algorithms that can handle newer DVDs and bypass protections.
3. Features: Choose software that has the features you want, like DVD/Blu-ray ripping, video conversion, or built-in editing tools.
4. Output Quality: Don't choose for poorly designed software, as it may lose quality during ripping or conversion.
5. Platform Compatibility: Make sure the software is compatible with your OS, whether it's Windows, macOs, or other.
6. Ease of Use: Look for software with a user-friendly interface.

FAQs

Is AnyDVD still safe to use?

AnyDVD is safe to use, but since it's no longer supported or updated, it may be vulnerable to new threats. So, look for an updated and supported alternative.

Will RedFox AnyDVD be back?

Not sure. Many users on Reddit say RedFox AnyDVD won't come back due to the ongoing legal issues.

Which AnyDVD alternative is the fastest for decryption?

DVDFab All-in-One is the fastest AnyDVD alternative for decryption with its GPU acceleration, which can process up to 50 times faster.

Conclusion

With AnyDVD discontinued, many users are now looking for other tools to decrypt DVDs and Blu-rays. Fortunately, there are still several solid alternatives available, each with its own strengths. I recommend a specialized DVD ripper like DVDneXtCOPY DVD Ripper, a full solution like DVDFab All-In-One, or a simple free tool like HandBrake with libdvdcss.

When choosing the best option, focus on platform compatibility, decryption support, and conversion speed so you can find the right tool for your media. With the right software, you can still access, back up, and enjoy your media collection without relying on AnyDVD.