The Best Rufus AlternativesTop Bootable USB Creators and other similar apps like Rufus

Rufus creates bootable USB drives from ISO images with support for both BIOS and UEFI boot modes. This lightweight, portable Windows tool handles formatting and bootable media creation efficiently.

Ventoy leads as the top-ranked alternative, eliminating the need for reformatting by letting users copy ISOs directly onto USB drives and boot them without extraction. Users report keeping 20+ ISOs on a single flash drive with its multiboot approach. balenaEtcher ranks third with cross-platform support and a user-friendly interface that validates flashing, though some users note it struggles with Windows ISO files. UNetbootin ranks second with built-in Linux ISO downloads but focuses primarily on Linux distributions.

WoeUSB targets Linux users who need Windows installer USBs, while iVentoy enables network-based OS deployment to multiple machines via PXE boot selection.

filter to find the best alternatives

Rufus is a bootable usb creator, and the alternatives landscape divides between simple image flashers and multiboot managers. For open source transparency, Ventoy, balenaEtcher, and UNetbootin are popular choices among the 42 open-source alternatives available.

Linux users have native options in Ventoy and balenaEtcher, while WoeUSB specializes in creating Windows installer USBs from ISO or DVD on Linux systems. Windows users can choose multiboot-focused tools like Ventoy, YUMI exFAT, and WinSetupFromUSB for building installer and utility collections. macOS users have UNetbootin and balenaEtcher support, with macUSB targeting legacy macOS bootable drives without Terminal knowledge.

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Alternatives list

  1. Ventoy icon

    Ventoy

     379 likes
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    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.

    55 Ventoy alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Linux
    Ventoy screenshot 1
     
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    8
    87
    Comments about Ventoy as an Alternative to Rufus
    Top Positive Comment
    Barrett
    5

    I have over 20 ISOs on one flash drive because of this utility. It's my favorite software for multiboot USBs. Keep in mind, however, that it doesn't work on any Mac hardware.

    Guest
    Positive
    3

    It allows simple drag & drop of ISO files to a USB drive and then offers a Grub-style menu to select which ISO to boot from, as opposed to having to outright "burn" the ISO to a drive.

    Not 100% compatible, but 99.999%.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    Matheus Bastos
    Positive
    2

    Create a separate partition for booting and a special one for placing OS ".iso" files easily.

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    3 of 8 comments
    Rufus Icon
    Ventoy icon

    • Almost everyone thinks Ventoy is a great Rufus alternative.

    • Ventoy is the most popular Windows & Linux alternative to Rufus.

    • Ventoy is the most popular Open Source & free alternative to Rufus.

    • Ventoy is Free and Open SourceRufus is also Free and Open Source
  2. UNetbootin icon

    UNetbootin

     758 likes
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    Cross-platform tool for making bootable USB and Live USB drives, featuring a built-in downloader for Linux ISO images and rescue disks, supporting BSD and various utilities. No installation required, it runs directly and offers compatibility and community support for many distributions.

    57 UNetbootin alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Alerts

    • Discontinued

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • PortableApps.com
    Welcome screen
     
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    13
    585
    Comments about UNetbootin as an Alternative to Rufus
    Comment summary: Users note that UNetbootin is primarily for Linux distributions, whereas Rufus is more versatile in creating bootable USBs across different operating systems. Many find Rufus superior, especially for creating Windows bootable drives, as some highlight difficulties with UNetbootin for the same task. Additionally, while some users appreciate the ease of use and GUI of UNetbootin, limitations such as issues with UEFI mode, supporting only Linux, and compatibility problems are common criticisms.
    Top Positive Comment
    Kandi
    18

    Easy to use. Supports a huge variety of platforms

    Top Negative Comment
    Guest
    13

    does not do UEFI mode does not recognize external hdd/ sdd does not do windows bootable drives and have issues even with some linux distros does not do multiple booting images on single drive

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    Guest
    Negative
    1

    UNetbootin is for Linux Distributions. Rufus is for creating bootable USBs in general, independant from the target OS.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
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    3 of 13 comments
    Rufus Icon
    UNetbootin icon

    • Most users think UNetbootin is a great Rufus alternative.

    • UNetbootin is the most popular Mac alternative to Rufus.

    • UNetbootin is Free and Open SourceRufus is also Free and Open Source
  4. balenaEtcher icon

    balenaEtcher

     652 likes
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    A free, open-source tool for burning images to USB and SD cards. Compatible with Windows, macOS, and Linux. Features validated burning, avoiding accidental wipes, offers a sleek interface, is lightweight and portable, making it ideal for users at any skill level.

    55 balenaEtcher alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    balenaEtcher screenshot 1
     
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    36
    405
    Comments about balenaEtcher as an Alternative to Rufus
    Comment summary: Rufus is praised for its reliability and ability to create bootable USB drives for Windows and Linux, succeeding where balenaEtcher sometimes fails, especially with Windows ISOs. BalenaEtcher, despite its sleek interface and ease of use, struggles with Windows boot disks but is commended for its performance with Linux distros and other OS. Users appreciate its open-source nature, cross-platform capability, and speed, making it a preferred choice for many, though Rufus is favored for specific tasks like Windows installations.
    Top Positive Comment
    espectalll
    9

    It's simple, it's easy, it's slick, and it's multiplatform, May not be for everyone, but surely is for most people.

    Top Negative Comment
    Guest
    59

    Cannot select between gpt and mbr partition styles

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    Sebastian
    Positive
    0

    I love this software! Easy to use and works great.

    Show more comments
    3 of 36 comments
    Rufus Icon
    balenaEtcher icon

    • Most users think balenaEtcher is a great Rufus alternative.

    • balenaEtcher is Free and Open SourceRufus is also Free and Open Source
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    BurnAware

    Feature-rich disc burning software offering intuitive interface, bootable disk creation, ISO image production, versatile audio, video, and data disc support, alongside efficient resource usage and comprehensive file format burnin...

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  6. YUMI exFAT icon

    YUMI exFAT

     285 likes
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    The YUMI exFAT (Your Universal Multiboot Installer) media creation tool can be used to automatically create an exFAT bootable USB flash drive containing multiple operating systems, antivirus utilities, disc cloning, diagnostic tools, and more.

    48 YUMI exFAT alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • PortableApps.com
    • Wine
    • WineBottler
    YUMI exFAT screenshot 1
     
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    4
    148
    Comments about YUMI exFAT as an Alternative to Rufus
    DiGiTaL_CORE
    Positive
    10

    YUMI now has (albeit alpha) support for UEFI. I have yet to need anything while making multiboot USBs. I love the fact I can make a single partition bootable without having to reformat my entire EHD.

    Lehuga ntaps
    Positive
    0

    It has all of it, support even Linux in one flashdrive

    Guest
    Positive
    0

    Multiboot abilities that are useful in making a useful debugging bootable usb

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
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    3 of 4 comments
    Rufus Icon
    YUMI exFAT icon

    • Most users think YUMI exFAT is a great Rufus alternative.

    • YUMI exFAT is Free and Open SourceRufus is also Free and Open Source
  7. dd icon

    dd

     99 likes
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    dd, that stands for ‘data duplicator’, is a command-line utility for Unix mainly used for copying and converting data.

    39 dd alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Linux
    • BSD
     
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    6
    112
    Comments about dd as an Alternative to Rufus
    Top Positive Comment
    Guest
    3

    It's the only one that seems to be able to create BSD flash drives

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    cvanelli
    Negative
    -15

    crappy command line only program.

    Guest
    Positive
    1

    Considering this has been developed since 1974, it is very good at what it does.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
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    3 of 6 comments
    Rufus Icon
    dd icon

    • Most users think dd is a great Rufus alternative.

    • dd is Free and Open SourceRufus is also Free and Open Source
  8. Universal USB Installer icon

    Universal USB Installer

     180 likes
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    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...

    46 Universal USB Installer alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Windows
    Universal USB Installer screenshot 1
     
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    2
    45
    Comments about Universal USB Installer as an Alternative to Rufus
    checholin
    Positive
    0

    Very simple and easy to use. Supports Persistent Linux.

    Guest
    Positive
    0

    It is complete, with all you need, to put an OS in yur USB

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    Rufus Icon
    Universal USB Installer icon

    • Most users think Universal USB Installer is a great Rufus alternative.

    • Universal USB Installer is Free and Open SourceRufus is also Free and Open Source
  10. WoeUSB icon

    WoeUSB

     28 likes
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    WoeUSB is a simple tool that enable you to create your own usb stick windows installer from an iso image or a real DVD. It is a fork of Congelli501 s WinUSB.

    32 WoeUSB alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Linux
    WoeUSB screenshot 1
     
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    6
    41
    Comments about WoeUSB as an Alternative to Rufus
    Top Positive Comment
    Shampuan
    2

    It is the best of windows iso writer on linux.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    cvanelli
    Negative
    -3

    Does not have a GUI like Rufus

    Guest
    Positive
    2

    Perfect! It is the only one on linux that make bootable usb for windows iso files. Simple and easy to use.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
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    3 of 6 comments
    Rufus Icon
    WoeUSB icon

    • Almost everyone thinks WoeUSB is a great Rufus alternative.

    • WoeUSB is Free and Open SourceRufus is also Free and Open Source
  11. MultiBootUSB icon

    MultiBootUSB

     73 likes
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    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.

    44 MultiBootUSB alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Alerts

    • Discontinued

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Linux
    MultiBootUSB screenshot 1
     
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    1
    52
    Comments about MultiBootUSB as an Alternative to Rufus
    NickFreeman
    Positive
    -2

    support for multiple live linux distros

    Rufus Icon
    MultiBootUSB icon

    • Most users think MultiBootUSB is a great Rufus alternative.

    • MultiBootUSB is Free and Open SourceRufus is also Free and Open Source
  13. UltraISO icon

    UltraISO

     178 likes
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    Directly edit and extract ISO or DVD image files, manage directories and boot info, create images from hard drive or physical media, convert between formats, optimize file structure, integrate with shell, and handle virtual drives and bootable media.

    52 UltraISO alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Pay once
    • Proprietary

    Application types

    Alerts

    • Discontinued

    Platforms

    • Windows
    UltraISO screenshot 1
     
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    4
    21
    Comments about UltraISO as an Alternative to Rufus
    Julien Beauvais
    Negative
    0

    Not made to make bootable USB

    Matheus Bastos
    Negative
    0

    Not for creating bootable drives.

    Mike
    Positive
    0

    Excellent tool for working with ISO images. Reliable, proven by generations of system administrators, so to speak. Remains one of the most sought after, despite many small flaws, which some competitors at the top of the list of alternatives seem to have less of, still remains the best solution for me when I need to work with important data.

    Show more comments
    3 of 4 comments
    Rufus Icon
    UltraISO icon

    • Most users think UltraISO is a great Rufus alternative.

    • UltraISO is the most popular commercial alternative to Rufus.

    • UltraISO is Paid and ProprietaryRufus is Free and Open Source
  15. Deepin Boot Maker icon

    Deepin Boot Maker

     14 likes
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    Deepin Boot Maker is a boot maker developed by Deepin Technology Team. It is simple in interface and easy to operate. It helps users to easily make deepin boot disk.

    46 Deepin Boot Maker alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    Deepin Boot Maker screenshot 1
    Deepin Boot Maker screenshot 2
    Deepin Boot Maker screenshot 3
     
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    1
    20
    Comments about Deepin Boot Maker as an Alternative to Rufus
    Guest
    Positive
    1

    easy to use and run perfectly on mac

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    Rufus Icon
    Deepin Boot Maker icon

    • Most users think Deepin Boot Maker is a great Rufus alternative.

    • Deepin Boot Maker is Free and Open SourceRufus is also Free and Open Source
12 of 72 Rufus alternatives