Downloading a video from Dzen takes a couple of minutes in a browser: copy the video link, paste it into Skachok and pick a quality. Dzen (dzen.ru) is a large Russian content platform with articles, channels and video, similar in spirit to a mix of Medium and YouTube. There is no "Download" button on dzen.ru, and foreign downloaders do not know the platform at all. Skachok delivers Dzen videos as MP4 up to 1080p, with no software, extensions or sign-up, on a computer or a phone. Below we cover which links work, how Dzen differs from Yandex Video, why the download goes through a server and what to do if the video is not found.
Dzen and Yandex Video: what is the difference
The naming confusion comes from the platform's history. For several years Dzen was a Yandex service living at zen.yandex.ru. In 2022 it moved to VK and to the dzen.ru domain. The videos, articles and channels stayed; only the address changed. Old links like zen.yandex.ru/video/watch/… still turn up in bookmarks and chats, and Skachok accepts them just like the new ones.
Yandex Video (yandex.ru/video) is not a video host but a video search engine. It shows clips from YouTube, Rutube, VK, Dzen and other platforms in an embedded player, but it does not store the files itself. So "download from Yandex Video" in practice means finding where the video really lives and downloading it from there.
Here is how: open the clip in Yandex Video and look under the player or in its corner for the source name with a link. Go to the original page, copy the address there and paste it into Skachok. The service supports every major platform Yandex pulls video from: YouTube, Rutube, VK Video, Odnoklassniki and Dzen itself.
Which links work
Skachok accepts Dzen video links in any form:
dzen.ru/video/watch/abc123…is the regular link from the address bar;zen.yandex.ru/video/watch/abc123…is the old address and works the same way;- a link from the "Share" button under the player or in the Dzen app.
A Dzen video ID is a long string of letters and digits after /watch/. Copy the whole link. Trailing parameters like ?share_to=… or &t=… can stay.
A link to a channel or an article will not work, even if the article embeds a video. Open the clip on its own page: click it, and the address in the browser bar changes to dzen.ru/video/watch/…. That is the one to copy.
Why the download goes through a server
From some platforms Skachok serves the file directly: they store a ready MP4, and we just pass it on to you. Dzen, like Rutube and Odnoklassniki, delivers video over HLS: the clip is cut into short segments, and the player loads them one after another. Dzen has no finished file you could grab with a single link.
That is why for Dzen the service starts a server job: it downloads the segments at the chosen quality, stitches them into a single MP4 and only then hands the file over. After you click "Download", a progress bar appears in the interface. For a few-minute clip that takes seconds; an hour-long show may take a couple of minutes. When it finishes, the download starts on its own.
Jobs run in a queue. Paid plans are processed ahead of free ones, and Max has priority, which is noticeable on long videos at peak hours.
Step by step on a computer
- Open the video on dzen.ru. Make sure the address bar contains
/video/watch/, then copy the link. You can also click "Share" under the player and choose "Copy link". - Go to the Dzen page on Skachok or the home page. Paste the link into the field and click "Find".
- Within a few seconds a card appears with a preview, title and duration. Below it are quality buttons in the "Video" block and MP3 in the "Audio" block.
- Pick a quality, for example 720p, and click "Download". On the free plan an 8-second timer runs first.
- Wait for the progress bar to reach the end. The file is saved to your browser's Downloads folder.
Each quality shows an approximate file size next to it, so you know in advance how much space the clip will take.
How to download a Dzen video on a phone
Copy the link. In the Dzen app, open the clip, tap "Share" and choose "Copy link". In a mobile browser, just copy the page address.
Android. Open Skachok in Chrome or another browser, paste the link, tap "Find", pick a quality and download. The file goes to the Download folder, and the gallery picks it up on its own.
iPhone. Use Safari. The file lands in Files → Downloads. To move the video to Photos, open it in Files, tap "Share" and choose "Save Video".
Do not paste the link inside the built-in browser of the Dzen app or a messenger: file downloads often fail there. Open regular Safari or Chrome. While the merge is running, it is better not to close the tab.
Quality and plans
Dzen serves video up to 1080p, and Skachok takes the maximum the author uploaded. Without signing up you get up to 720p for free, 3 downloads a day (5 on a free account), up to 3 links at a time. That is enough for a phone or for sending to a messenger.
Full HD 1080p unlocks with the Lite plan at $1.99 a month: 20 downloads a day, 5 links at a time, a 3-second timer instead of 8. Pro at $3.99 removes the timer and raises the limit to 50 downloads; Max at $5.99 gives 100 downloads a day and queue priority. The full comparison is on the Pricing page. Dollar prices apply to cards issued outside Russia (Visa/Mastercard); from Russia you pay in rubles (99, 249 and 399 ₽ a month) via SBP (Russia's instant payment system) or a Russian bank card.
After signing up we give you 2 days of Pro for free with no card, so you can test 1080p and the priority queue before paying.
You can also pull just the audio out of a clip. MP3 is available on paid plans (from Lite at $1.99/mo; 99 ₽ in Russia) and suits the interviews, lectures and podcasts Dzen has plenty of: the file is several times smaller than the video.
If you want to save several episodes from one channel, paste the links in bulk, one per line. Skachok shows a card for each clip, and the "Download all videos" button starts them all at once. The free plan takes up to 3 links at a time, Lite 5, Pro 10, Max 50.
One batch can mix links from different platforms: Dzen, Rutube, VK. The service sorts them by platform on its own. How things work on the neighboring platforms is covered in separate articles: VK Video, Rutube and Odnoklassniki.
If the video is not found
- The link leads to an article or a channel. Open the clip on its own page and copy the address containing
/video/watch/. - The clip is from Yandex Video. Find the source platform and copy the link from there.
- The video was deleted or hidden by the author. Check whether the link opens in an incognito window.
- A live broadcast is running. Only the recording can be downloaded, after the stream ends.
- A temporary platform error. Wait a minute and try again.
If nothing helps, write to us on the support page and attach the link.
FAQ
Do old zen.yandex.ru links work?
Yes. Skachok accepts both new dzen.ru addresses and old zen.yandex.ru ones: it is the same platform after the move.
Can I download video from Yandex Video?
Yandex Video does not store clips; it shows them from other platforms. Open the source, copy the link there and paste it into Skachok.
Why does a progress bar appear after I click "Download"?
Dzen delivers video in segments over HLS. The server assembles them into a single MP4, and the progress bar shows how much is done. When the merge finishes, the download starts on its own.
Do I need to sign up to download a Dzen video?
No: you do not have to log in to Dzen or to Skachok. Without signing up you get 3 clips a day up to 720p; after a free sign-up it is 5 a day plus 2 days of Pro as a gift. A paid plan is only needed for 1080p and bigger limits.
What quality is the video delivered in?
Whatever the author uploaded, usually up to 1080p. Up to 720p is free; Full HD starts with the Lite plan.