balenaEtcher Alternatives

balenaEtcher is described as 'free and open-source image burner with support for Windows, macOS and GNU/Linux. It makes USB and SD card image burning as simple and fast as possible' and is a leading bootable usb creator in the os & utilities category. There are more than 25 alternatives to balenaEtcher for a variety of platforms, including Windows, Linux, Mac, PortableApps.com and Android. The best alternative is Rufus, which is both free and Open Source. Other great apps like balenaEtcher are Ventoy, UNetbootin, YUMI and dd.

balenaEtcher alternatives are mainly Bootable USB Creators but may also be Disk Imaging Tools or Hard Disk Diagnostic Tools. Filter by these if you want a narrower list of alternatives or looking for a specific functionality of balenaEtcher.

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balenaEtcher

566

Free • Open Source
Bootable USB Creator

Mac
Windows
Linux

balenaEtcher is a free and open-source image burner with support for Windows, macOS and GNU/Linux. It makes USB and SD card...

Learn more about balenaEtcher

Rufus
Do you think this is a good alternative?
Yes
No
Free • Open Source
Bootable USB Creator
Windows
PortableApps.com
63 alternatives to Rufus
Rufus is a utility that helps format and create bootable USB flash drives, such as USB keys/pendrives, memory sticks, etc.
Suggest and vote on features
Rufus Features
1. LightweightRufus consumes less device resources compared to similar apps.
2. PortableRufus can be used from a USB stick or similar with no prior installation.
Burn iso
Windows To Go
UEFI Support
Write ISO to SD card
Create bootable Image
Create BIOS bootable drive
Create UEFI bootable drive
GNU/linux-libre
USB to FAT
Install DOS to USB
Rufus vs balenaEtcher opinions
Almost everyone thinks Rufus is a great alternative to balenaEtcher.
all • positive • negative relevance • date
DL300
I am convinced BalenaEtcher is recommended by people who have never used it. I have never even witnessed it successfully complete a write. Rufus has always worked.
Top positive comment•
0

aidan_mullen23
Flashes quickly and works flawlessly almost every time.
Top positive comment•
0

Guest
It works best and has features needed most.
Positive comment•
0

Luismart89
The thing I love from Rufus is the possibility to customize the platform target i.e BIOS O UEFI, so this let me use and EFI Image for BIOS Based computer. a good example of this is using Windows 10, by default is UEFI based computers, but Rufus can convert the image file to hybrid, so you can install windows 10 on both BIOS and on UEFI based pcs with the same stick. Rufus also can be used to write linux distros to USB sticks. It is the best option we can find on Windows.
Positive comment•
2

POX
Probably the best software to burn an OS image on a USB drive if you're using Windows.
Positive comment•
1

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5 of 10 comments
Ventoy
Do you think this is a good alternative?
Yes
No
Free • Open Source
Bootable USB Creator
Windows
Linux
41 alternatives to Ventoy
Ventoy is an open source tool to create bootable USB drive for ISO files. With ventoy, you don't need to format the disk again and again, you just need to copy the iso file to the USB drive and boot it.
Suggest and vote on features
Ventoy Features
1. PortableVentoy can be used from a USB stick or similar with no prior installation.
2. LightweightVentoy consumes less device resources compared to similar apps.
Multi boot
Multiboot USB
Create Multiboot USB
UEFI Support
Persistent Storage
Multi-windows
VHD Boot
Ventoy vs balenaEtcher opinions
pros, cons and recent comments
Aas
balenaEtcher had some privacy issue in the past. Ventoy doesn't "phone home". Why an USB image creator needs to send some data out anyway?
Positive comment•
2

leik1jd
Ventoy is a great tool. I had used YUMI extensively before Ventoy came out. What is great about Ventoy is the cross-platform support and the fact that your ISO image stay intact on your USB stick. Being able to have a large 256GB USB stick with Ventoy on it also gives it an edge against tools like Balena Etcher (one image per USB) or Rufus (ISO images are not intact).

As a bonus, Ventoy can create USB sticks that will work with BOTH UEFI and BIOS.
Positive comment•
1

Guest
Everything balenaEtcher can do Ventoy can do better and more. Plus they 'ignore' Mac, haha.
Positive comment•
2

Guest
Everyone who wants to try linux from windows. Ventoy is the best option. Why? Because Ventoy will let you put two iso on the drive. No Burning or wiping out entire disk. Only direct iso copy and paste. If you want to try linux, simply put linux iso and for safe back to windows put a windows 10 iso.
Positive comment•
1
UNetbootin
Do you think this is a good alternative?
Yes
No
Free • Open Source
Bootable USB Creator
Linux Distro
Mac
Windows
Linux
PortableApps.com
50 alternatives to UNetbootin
UNetbootin (Universal Netboot Installer) is a cross-platform utility that can load Linux and other distributions to a partition or USB drive. It loads distributions either by downloading listed Linux and BSD like distributions, a variety of system utilities and rescue disks ISO...
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UNetbootin Features
1. PortableUNetbootin can be used from a USB stick or similar with no prior installation.
2. Ad-freeUNetbootin doesn't contain any form of external advertising.
3. Privacy focusedUNetbootin is considered a privacy friendly alternative.
4. LightweightUNetbootin consumes less device resources compared to similar apps.
Persistent Linux
Automatic downloading
Download ISO Images
Windows To Go
Burn iso
Portable Linux
UNetbootin vs balenaEtcher opinions
Most users think UNetbootin is a great alternative to balenaEtcher.
Guest
It doesn't appear to just write images to disk
Negative comment•
0

Guest
I cannot choose Winshit 10
Negative comment•
0
YUMI
Do you think this is a good alternative?
Yes
No
Free • Open Source
Bootable USB Creator
Windows
PortableApps.com
Wine
WineBottler
42 alternatives to YUMI
YUMI (Your Universal Multiboot Installer), is the successor to our MultibootISOs. It can be used to create a Multiboot Bootable USB Flash Drive containing multiple operating systems, antivirus utilities, disc cloning, diagnostic tools, and more.
Suggest and vote on features
YUMI Features
1. LightweightYUMI consumes less device resources compared to similar apps.
2. PortableYUMI can be used from a USB stick or similar with no prior installation.
Create Multiboot USB
Multiboot USB
Can install to internal hard drives/ssds
Persistent Storage
UEFI Support
Multi boot
Multi-windows
YUMI vs balenaEtcher opinions
Most users think YUMI is a great alternative to balenaEtcher.
dd
Do you think this is a good alternative?
Yes
No
Free • Open Source
Bootable USB Creator
Mac
Linux
BSD
28 alternatives to dd
dd, that stands for ‘data duplicator’, is a command-line utility for Unix mainly used for copying and converting data.
Suggest and vote on features
dd Features
1. Command line interfacedd either have CLI support or is a CLI-only app.
Burn iso
Write ISO to SD card
Create image
Add a screenshot

dd vs balenaEtcher opinions
Almost everyone thinks dd is a great alternative to balenaEtcher.
Guest
It's application free, and already, always installed in system !
Positive comment•
0

sharmaganesha2
It's command line. That means it does not have garbage inside the program. But it might freak some people out. But Literally, you have Git Bash so you can use DD on Windows.

The usage:

$ lsblk /dev/sdb 28G /dev/sda 931G $ dd if=popos.iso of=/dev/sdb bs=1M status=progress

It's really nice.
Positive comment•
0

POX
A good command-line alternative that comes with Unix-based operating systems. It's what I use on my MacBook to burn Linux ISO images on my USB drive.
Positive comment•
1
Win32 Disk Imager
Do you think this is a good alternative?
Yes
No
Free • Open Source
Disk Imaging Tool
Bootable USB Creator
Windows
36 alternatives to Win32 Disk Imager
A utility that can write a raw backup image of your hard drive to a removable device or vice versa.
Suggest and vote on features
Win32 Disk Imager Features
1. PortableWin32 Disk Imager can be used from a USB stick or similar with no prior installation.
2. LightweightWin32 Disk Imager consumes less device resources compared to similar apps.
Disk to image file conversion
Win32 Disk Imager vs balenaEtcher opinions
Most users think Win32 Disk Imager is a great alternative to balenaEtcher.
TheDcoder
A lot smaller and more native to the Windows platform than Etcher
Positive comment•
1

Guest
Win32 Disk Imager, despite its name, does not "create" disk images: it only writes/mounts pre-existing .img files to flash storage.
Negative comment•
-4
Universal USB Installer
Do you think this is a good alternative?
Yes
No
Free • Open Source
Bootable USB Creator
Linux Distro
Windows
37 alternatives to Universal USB Installer
Universal USB Installer is a Live Linux USB Creator that allows you to choose from a selection of Linux Distributions to put on your USB Flash Drive. The Universal USB Installer is easy to use. Simply choose a Live Linux Distribution, the ISO file, your Flash Drive and, Click...
Suggest and vote on features
Universal USB Installer Features
1. PortableUniversal USB Installer can be used from a USB stick or similar with no prior installation.
No need to format
Portable Linux
Persistent Linux
Multiple languages
Universal USB Installer vs balenaEtcher opinions
Most users think Universal USB Installer is a great alternative to balenaEtcher.
MultiBootUSB
Do you think this is a good alternative?
Yes
No
Free • Open Source
Bootable USB Creator
Windows
Linux
39 alternatives to MultiBootUSB
MultiBootUSB is a software to create multi boot live Linux on a removable media i.e USB disk. It is similar to UNetbootin but many distros can be installed, provided you have enough space on the disk.
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MultiBootUSB Features
1. Command line interfaceMultiBootUSB either have CLI support or is a CLI-only app.
Multiboot USB
Multi OS
Create Multiboot USB
Install Syslinux
Boot HDD Partition
Discontinued
The project seems no longer developed and the official website is no longer available. Last version, 9.2.0, released in April 2018, can be still downloaded from GitHub.

MultiBootUSB vs balenaEtcher opinions
Almost everyone thinks MultiBootUSB is a great alternative to balenaEtcher.
LinuxLive USB Creator
Do you think this is a good alternative?
Yes
No
Free • Open Source
Bootable USB Creator
Linux Distro
Windows
39 alternatives to LinuxLive USB Creator
LiLi USB Creator is a free software for Windows that allows you to create a bootable Live USB key with a Linux on it.
Suggest and vote on features
LinuxLive USB Creator Features
Create UEFI bootable drive
Portable Linux
USB to FAT
Discontinued
The program seems to be no longer updated. Last version, 2.9.4, released in September 2015, can be still downloaded from the official website. The project has officially been abandonned on December, 22nd 2020 (announcement on their blog).

LinuxLive USB Creator vs balenaEtcher opinions
Almost everyone thinks LinuxLive USB Creator is a great alternative to balenaEtcher.
USBImager
Do you think this is a good alternative?
Yes
No
Free • Open Source
Disk Imaging Tool
Mac
Windows
Linux
Raspberry Pi
10 alternatives to USBImager
USBImager is a really really simple GUI application that writes compressed disk images to USB drives and creates backups.
Suggest and vote on features
USBImager Features
Write ISO to SD card
ARM support
Raspberry Pi Development
USBImager vs balenaEtcher opinions
pros, cons and recent comments
prog_uk
Small, simple and does everything it needs to without any unnecessary bells and whistles.
Positive comment•
0

docampoangel
Is like etcher but installed occupies 508,43 KiB in disk, instead 500MB of spyware and electron crap.
Positive comment•
0

rescuezilla
USBImager is a 300 kilobyte download compared to balenaEtcher's 80+ megabyte. They're both cross-platform (Windows/macOS/Linux). The reason is USBImager is a native app while balenaEtcher is an Electron app.

balenaEtcher is still a bit more user-friendly, but USBImager is by far the best cross-platform alternative right now.
Positive comment•
1