TL;DR: Twitch clips expire and full VODs disappear after 7 to 60 days, so streamers need either a downloader to archive footage or an AI highlight maker to turn raw streams into ready to post clips.
Twitch VODs get deleted automatically once a stream ages past its retention window, and clips created from those VODs disappear along with them. That timing problem forces every streamer into one of two workflows: download and archive the raw footage, or run it through an AI tool that finds the highlight moments before the clock runs out.
This article covers seven tools built for that exact split, four for AI powered highlight detection and clip generation, three for straightforward clip and VOD downloading. It is written for Twitch streamers, gaming content creators, and social media managers repurposing stream footage for TikTok, YouTube Shorts, and Instagram Reels.
Eklipse is an AI clip generator that scans a raw Twitch, Kick, or YouTube VOD and pulls out the moments most likely to perform, kills, clutches, multi-kills, and spots where chat spiked. A five hour stream typically comes back as 10 to 20 vertical clips in five to ten minutes, with no manual clip hunting required first.
The differentiator is game coverage. Eklipse supports over 300 titles, and it automatically reframes horizontal gameplay into 9:16 vertical format for TikTok and YouTube Shorts, similar to the auto reframing approach covered in our roundup of AI video editing tools. As of mid 2026 Eklipse moved to a fully paid model at around 12.50 dollars a month on the annual plan, with no free tier remaining.
This fits streamers who play a wide range of games and want the entire clip pipeline, detection through vertical export, handled without touching an editor.
Medal.tv works differently from a VOD scanner. It captures highlights in real time through an in-game hotkey, saving the clip locally the instant something happens instead of waiting for the full stream to finish and process.
The differentiator is that instant, offline capture. Medal.tv is built for players who record locally rather than stream live, which makes it the stronger pick outside a Twitch-first workflow.
This fits non-streaming gamers who still want quick highlight capture without uploading raw footage anywhere first.
Sizzle.gg is a fully browser based AI clip maker, so there is nothing to install. It uses AI driven event recognition to detect highlight moments directly from Twitch and YouTube streams.
The differentiator is that browser only setup, which keeps onboarding fast for creators who want to test AI clipping without committing to a desktop app or a paid account first.
This fits streamers who want a low commitment way to try automated highlight detection before switching to a full paid platform like Eklipse.
Vmaker AI extends past clip detection into a full content pipeline. It reframes gameplay to vertical, trims clips to length, adds captions, and can dub and publish directly, all inside one tool.
The differentiator is that end to end publishing layer. Most clip makers stop at export, while Vmaker AI adds dubbing and direct posting on top of detection, an approach worth comparing against the broader AI tools built for marketing teams covered elsewhere on this site. The free tier works but adds a watermark to downloaded clips.
This fits streamers who want captioning and publishing bundled with clip detection instead of adding a separate editing step afterward.
UnTwitch is a browser based Twitch VOD and clip downloader. It works from a pasted URL and supports several resolution options, from 720p down to audio only, plus a direct video to MP3 conversion.
The differentiator is the MP3 conversion built into the same workflow, useful for pulling a podcast style segment or a music moment out of a longer stream without a separate audio tool. UnTwitch has stayed a consistent option across multiple years of Twitch downloader roundups.
This fits anyone who mainly needs a fast, no install way to save a clip or VOD at a specific resolution.
Clip.Ninja focuses on one job: turning a Twitch clip link into an MP4 file plus a thumbnail JPG. The process is a straightforward paste and download, with no account required.
The differentiator is that thumbnail export alongside the video file, which saves a step for anyone repurposing the clip into a YouTube compilation. It runs over HTTPS with no signup wall.
This fits streamers or editors who batch download individual Twitch clips for compilation videos and want the thumbnail without opening an image editor.
EasyDown handles Twitch clips and VODs alongside YouTube, TikTok, Facebook, and other platforms, so one tool covers the download side of most repurposing workflows. It works on a simple paste the link, hit download pattern with no ad interruptions.
The differentiator is the multi platform reach combined with a genuinely ad free experience, an area where several older Twitch downloader tools listed in roundups still fall short. It supports both short clips and full length VODs at up to 1080p.
This fits creators pulling source footage from more than one platform who want a single downloader instead of switching tools by site.
These two categories solve different problems, and picking the wrong one wastes more time than it saves. The choice comes down to whether the highlight moment already exists as a saved clip or is still buried inside hours of raw VOD.
Raw, unedited VOD footage: Eklipse or Sizzle.gg scan the full stream and surface the highlight moments automatically, without you watching the footage first.
Live, in the moment capture: Medal.tv saves the clip the instant it happens through a hotkey, before the stream even ends.
An existing clip you just need saved: UnTwitch or Clip.Ninja convert a clip link into a downloadable file in under a minute.
Multi platform source material: EasyDown covers Twitch alongside YouTube and TikTok, useful when your highlight pipeline pulls from more than one source, a workflow also worth mapping against the channel by channel approach in our social media marketing roadmap.
Captioning and publishing in one step: Vmaker AI is the only tool on this list that adds dubbing and direct posting on top of clip detection.
Step 1: Decide your starting point Confirm whether you are working from a full VOD, live gameplay, or an existing clip link, since that determines which category of tool from this list fits.
Step 2: Connect or paste your source For AI highlight makers like Eklipse or Sizzle.gg, connect your Twitch account or paste the VOD link. For downloaders like UnTwitch or Clip.Ninja, paste the direct clip or VOD URL.
Step 3: Let detection or download run AI tools typically need 5 to 10 minutes to process a multi hour stream. Downloaders finish in well under a minute for a single clip.
Step 4: Review the output Check the returned clips or downloaded file for accuracy, since AI detection occasionally flags a quiet moment or misses a highlight buried in overlapping audio.
Step 5: Reframe and caption if needed If your tool did not already export vertical format, resize the clip to 9:16 and add captions before posting to TikTok, YouTube Shorts, or Instagram Reels.
Step 6: Export and publish Download the final file, or use built in publishing where available, and post to your target platform while the moment is still recent.
The right tool here depends on where your footage already sits. Eklipse and Sizzle.gg do the heavy lifting on a raw VOD, Medal.tv skips the VOD step entirely by capturing highlights live, and UnTwitch, Clip.Ninja, and EasyDown handle the simple case of saving something that already exists as a clip.
Vmaker AI sits in between, adding captioning and publishing on top of detection for streamers who want fewer tools in their pipeline. Whichever route you pick, download or clip before the retention window closes, since Twitch does not give VODs back once they expire.
Best AI Tools for Digital Marketers — a roundup of AI tools built for marketing teams managing multiple content channels.
7 Best AI Tools for Freelancers — a look at AI tools that help solo creators handle more output without hiring help.
Fliki AI Review — a review of an AI video tool worth comparing against the captioning features in Vmaker AI.
TL;DR: YouTube gives Shorts no native download button, so a dedicated downloader is the only…
Not every video stays where you found it. Tutorials get taken down, playlists go private,…
A great TikTok clip disappears the moment you close the app. No native save button…
Facebook makes saving a video harder than it needs to be. There's no built-in download…
Instagram wasn't built with saving in mind. Reels autoplay and vanish the second you scroll…
Freelancers lose entire days to work nobody pays for. Chasing invoices, writing proposals, taking meeting…
This website uses cookies.