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

Rufus is described as 'Utility that helps format and create bootable USB flash drives, such as USB keys/pendrives, memory sticks, etc' and is a leading bootable usb creator in the os & utilities category. There are more than 50 alternatives to Rufus for a variety of platforms, including Windows, Linux, Mac, Flathub and Flatpak apps. The best Rufus alternative is Ventoy, which is both free and Open Source. Other great apps like Rufus are UNetbootin, balenaEtcher, YUMI exFAT and dd.

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Rufus alternatives are mainly Bootable USB Creators but may also be Disk Imaging Tools or Disc Burners.  Other popular filters includes Windows + Free and Windows + Free + Create bootable USB and Mac + Create bootable USB. Filter by these or use the filter bar below if you want a narrower list of alternatives or looking for a specific functionality of Rufus.
Rufus iconRufus
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Rufus is a utility that helps format and create bootable USB flash drives, such as USB keys/pendrives, memory sticks, etc.

More about Rufus
Rufus alternatives page was last updated Dec 21, 2024
  1. Ventoy icon
     322 likes

    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.

    47 Ventoy alternatives
    Ventoy screenshot 1

    License model

    • FreeOpen Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Linux

    Properties

    1.  Lightweight

    Features

    1.  Multi boot
    2.  Create bootable USB
    3.  Multiboot USB
    4.  Create Multiboot USB
    5.  UEFI Support
    6.  Persistent Storage
    7.  Portable
    8.  Multi-windows
    9.  VHD Boot
    10.  Command line interface
    11.  Ad-free
    Ventoy iconRufus Icon

    Ventoy VS Rufus

    Is Ventoy a good alternative to Rufus?
     
    Comments about Ventoy as an Alternative to Rufus
     
       
    Barrett

    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.

    Top positive commentNov 24, 2021
    5
    Guest

    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%.

    Positive commentDec 8, 2021
    3
    Matheus Bastos

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

    Positive commentSep 19, 2021
    2
    Show more comments
    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
    • Ventoy is LightweightRufus is not according to our users
  2. UNetbootin icon
     746 likes

    Cross-platform tool to create bootable USB drive or create Live USB drives with built-in downloader for Linux ISO images and rescue disks.

    56 UNetbootin alternatives
    Welcome screen

    License model

    • FreeOpen Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • PortableApps.com

    Properties

    1.  Privacy focused
    2.  Lightweight

    Features

    1.  Create bootable USB
    2.  Persistent Linux
    3.  Automatic downloading
    4.  Download ISO Images
    5.  Portable
    6.  Windows To Go
    7.  Ad-free
    8.  Portable Linux
    9.  Burn iso
    Discontinued

    Last commit to the repository was on Jun 28, 2023, and latest version is from Feb 4, 2021.

    UNetbootin iconRufus Icon

    UNetbootin VS Rufus

    Is UNetbootin a good alternative to Rufus?
     
    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.
    Kandi

    Easy to use. Supports a huge variety of platforms

    Top positive commentMay 16, 2017
    18
    Guest

    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

    Top negative commentMar 15, 2020
    13
    Guest

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

    Negative commentFeb 3, 2020
    1
    Show more comments
    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
    • UNetbootin is Privacy focused and LightweightRufus is not according to our users
  3. balenaEtcher icon
     624 likes

    balenaEtcher is a 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.

    52 balenaEtcher alternatives
    balenaEtcher screenshot 1

    License model

    • FreeOpen Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux

    Properties

    1.  User friendly
    2.  Lightweight

    Features

    1.  Create bootable USB
    2.  Graphical User Interface
    3.  Write ISO to SD card
    4.  Portable
    5.  Burn iso
    6.  Create bootable Image
    7.  Validated Burning
    8.  Material design
    9.  Electron based
    10.  Persistent Storage
    11.  Support for S.M.A.R.T. data
    12.  Convert installation CD/DVD to USB
    balenaEtcher iconRufus Icon

    balenaEtcher VS Rufus

    Is balenaEtcher a good alternative to Rufus?
     
    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.
    Ezra Dulaney

    Fairly fast and works great for flashing Raspberry Pi. It supports validation to make sure the image was successfully flashed.

    Top positive commentMay 7, 2020
    1
    Guest

    Cannot select between gpt and mbr partition styles

    Top negative commentNov 21, 2016
    57
    Sebastian

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

    Positive commentDec 21, 2024
    0
    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
    • balenaEtcher is LightweightRufus is not according to our users
  4. YUMI exFAT icon
     281 likes

    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.

    47 YUMI exFAT alternatives
    YUMI exFAT screenshot 1

    License model

    • FreeOpen Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • PortableApps.com
    • Wine
    • WineBottler

    Properties

    1.  Lightweight

    Features

    1.  Create Multiboot USB
    2.  Multiboot USB
    3.  Create bootable USB
    4.  Can install to internal hard drives/ssds
    5.  Persistent Storage
    6.  UEFI Support
    7.  Portable
    8.  Multi boot
    9.  Multi-windows
    YUMI exFAT iconRufus Icon

    YUMI exFAT VS Rufus

    Is YUMI exFAT a good alternative to Rufus?
     
    Comments about YUMI exFAT as an Alternative to Rufus
     
       
    DiGiTaL_CORE

    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.

    Positive commentJun 26, 2018
    10
    Lehuga ntaps

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

    Positive commentJul 23, 2021
    0
    Guest

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

    Positive commentSep 9, 2020
    0
    Show more comments
    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
    • YUMI exFAT is LightweightRufus is not according to our users
  5. dd icon
     97 likes

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

    36 dd alternatives

    License model

    • FreeOpen Source

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Linux
    • BSD

    dd Features

    1.  Command line interface
    2.  Burn iso
    3.  Write ISO to SD card
    4.  Create image
    dd iconRufus Icon

    dd VS Rufus

    Is dd a good alternative to Rufus?
     
    Comments about dd as an Alternative to Rufus
     
       
    Guest

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

    Top positive commentDec 10, 2019
    3
    cvanelli

    crappy command line only program.

    Negative commentJun 26, 2021
    -14
    Guest

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

    Positive commentAug 16, 2019
    1
    Show more comments
    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
  6. WoeUSB icon
     26 likes

    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.

    30 WoeUSB alternatives
    WoeUSB screenshot 1

    License model

    • FreeOpen Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Linux

    WoeUSB Features

    1.  Bootable Windows Flashdrive's
    2.  Command line interface
    3.  Create UEFI bootable drive
    4.  Ad-free
    5.  Graphical User Interface
    WoeUSB iconRufus Icon

    WoeUSB VS Rufus

    Is WoeUSB a good alternative to Rufus?
     
    Comments about WoeUSB as an Alternative to Rufus
     
       
    Shampuan

    It is the best of windows iso writer on linux.

    Top positive commentApr 15, 2021
    2
    cvanelli

    Does not have a GUI like Rufus

    Negative commentJun 26, 2021
    -4
    Guest

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

    Positive commentAug 6, 2020
    2
    Show more comments
    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
  7. Universal USB Installer icon
     175 likes

    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...

    45 Universal USB Installer alternatives
    Universal USB Installer screenshot 1

    License model

    • FreeOpen Source

    Platforms

    • Windows

    Universal USB Installer Features

    1.  Portable
    2.  No need to format
    3.  Portable Linux
    4.  Persistent Linux
    5.  Multiple languages
    Universal USB Installer iconRufus Icon

    Universal USB Installer VS Rufus

    Is this a good alternative to Rufus?
     
    Comments about Universal USB Installer as an Alternative to Rufus
     
    checholin

    Very simple and easy to use. Supports Persistent Linux.

    Positive commentFeb 10, 2017
    0
    Guest

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

    Positive commentMay 20, 2017
    0
    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
7 of 64 Rufus alternatives