14 Rufus Alternatives For Linux, Mac, And Windows

14 Rufus Alternatives For Linux, Mac, And Windows.

If you need to create a bootable USB on Windows, you have to first obtain Rufus. This is a extensively used utility for creating bootable CDs from ISO information. However, it is just out there within the moveable *.exe format for Windows. For a Linux or Mac, it’s essential use different rufus options.

Here we’ll check out 14 various packages that may permit you to make your individual bootable USBs. We’ll focus on their options, their compatibility with completely different working techniques, and whether or not they’re free or not!

Balena Etcher (Windows | Linux | Mac | Portable)

Balena Etcher

Balena Etcher is the preferred cross-platform Rufus options. Their official web site claims over 2 million bootable drives are created each month. They began by making a minimal utility for flashing SD playing cards.

Now, Balena has a number of different options. This consists of cloud, balenaOS, balena Engine, and even their flashing {hardware} known as balenaEtcherProfessional. Balena Etcher is ideal for creating ready-to-go bootable drives. But, It doesn’t present choices for persistence. They nonetheless help a variety of iso images together with Windows iso.

UNetBootin (Windows | Linux | Mac)

UNetBootin

UNetBootin is one other cross-platform various to Rufus. It has the choice to decide on between downloading the newest iso images or selecting your iso file. UNetBootin has an inventory of supported Linux distributions out there on their web site.

It additionally helps you to configure further free house for persistence storage. But, it doesn’t help creating Windows bootable images. UNetBootin additionally gives command-line utility for energy customers.

Universal USB Installer (Windows)

Universal USB Installer

Universal USB Installer is a straightforward instrument to place Operating System on a USB drive. It permits setting persistence storage for storing consumer information even after reboot. It can format fat32 flash drives for a clear set up.

Most different instruments usually use the DD command. But Universal USB makes use of different sooner strategies to realize outcomes. With this utility, you may declare misplaced house on the drive after the method is full. But, this utility doesn’t help including many distributions to the identical drive.

Microsoft’s Media Creation Tool (Windows)

Microsoft’s Media Creation Tool

Microsoft created this utility for Windows 10 for simple set up of Windows. Media Creation Tool can create set up media of Windows on a USB drive. It helps all editions of Windows 7, Windows 8/8.1, and Windows 10 as nicely.

They even help creating the Chinese Language Edition for Windows 8. Media Creation Tool helps creating bootable drives from verified sources solely. So, it should begin downloading as soon as the flash course of begins. It downloads from official sources solely, so no want to fret about file authenticity too. Still, this instrument doesn’t help any Linux or Mac OS or any custom-made Windows editions as of now.

DiskMaker X (Mac)

DiskMaker X

DiskMaker X is an utility constructed to create a bootable drive of the macOS working system. DiskMaker X scans and finds the OS X Install program and lets the consumer begin the construct course of for the image.

Once achieved, the drive has the macOS installer that you just want for full Mac set up. This utility helps you begin recent in your Mac from scratch. Their web site tells us that the appliance helps seven completely different variations of macOS. DiskMaker X 9 wants not less than Mac v10.10 or later. As of now, the appliance has no plans to help Windows or Linux platforms but.

Win32 Disk Imager (Windows)

Win32 Disk Imager

Win32 Disk Imager is a well-liked instrument focused on the Windows platform. Version 0.9 of the instrument also can flash older legacy techniques resembling Windows XP and Vista.

The latest variations supported by this instrument are Windows 7, Windows 8.1, Windows 10, and Ubuntu. Win32 Disk Imager is accessible for the Windows platform solely. Compared to Rufus, it takes longer to create a bootable drive. Win32 Disk Imager additionally helps UEFI boot help for each NTFS and FAT32 file techniques.

Raspberry Pi Imager (Windows | Linux | Mac)

Raspberry Pi Imager

This is the official imager utility developed by the Raspberry Pi basis. Raspberry Pi basis is well-known for its tiny card-sized Single Board Computers. The basis has launched this app on all three Windows, Linux, and Mac platforms. Raspberry Pi Imager helps putting in Raspberry PI OS. This OS on SD playing cards acts as a bootable drive to plug into their raspberry pi {hardware}. Raspberry Pi OS is Linux working system constructed for his or her product.

Apart from that, it has an inventory of supported Linux distributions you could select from. Image information can both be downloaded on-line or chosen from a disk. Apart from that, it will probably additionally set up different utilities resembling EEPROM recovery or format as FAT32. What’s even higher is that it lets you choose customized .img information out of your PC as a supply for bootable drives.

Deepin Bootmaker (Windows | Linux | Mac)

Deepin Bootmaker

Made by the Deepin Technology Team, this app makes deepin OS boot disks in USB drives. Deepin is a Linux working system developed in Wuhan, China. It is the preferred Linux distribution throughout Chinese customers.

For customers seeking to set up Deepin, the dev crew got here up with their utility for flashing USB drives. Deepin Boot Maker is accessible for all three platforms. It helps putting in Deepin OS variations solely. You do have to obtain the Deepin iso first earlier than using this utility. Along with this utility, the dev crew has labored on different instruments resembling installer, retailer, driver supervisor, and so forth. All these instruments are verified and shipped throughout the Deepin ecosystem.

Dd (Linux | Mac)

Perhaps essentially the most highly effective instrument on this checklist, dd is a command-line instrument for Linux or Mac customers. Also recognized humorously because the quick type of “disk destroyer”, dd helps you to copy the image of 1 disk onto the opposite. Dd works by specifying the enter and output drive places.

It is used for information conversions, wiping block units, exhausting disk backup, compression, and block skipping. Dd command is accessible by default on each Ubuntu and any macOS. To stop unintended wipes, at all times confirm the right enter and output places. Also, you need to confirm the hash integrity of the downloaded iso file as nicely. This ensures the goal disk shouldn’t be corrupted. Once verified, launch the flash course of as follows :

sudo dd if=ubuntu-20.10.1.iso of=/dev/sdb bs=1M standing=progress

  • Sudo to execute the command as the basis consumer
  • If specifies the enter file
  • Of specifies the placement of the goal disk
  • Bs specifies the biggest learn and writes dimension at a time. E.g. 1 MB written as 1M
  • standing=progress exhibits the output as of course of

YUMI (Windows)

YUMI is often known as the successor to the Universal USB Installer. Your Universal Multiboot Installer (YUMI) is a multi-system bootable USB drive creator. It has varied utilization together with boot instruments.

 It can also set up antivirus utilities, disc cloning, diagnostic instruments, and penetration testing. It installs boot information inside a multiboot folder for simple choice when booted. It is available in two variations, 

  • YUMI Legacy for BIOS boot for NTFS/Fat32
  • YUMI UEFI for UEFI boot for FAT32

Same as Universal USB, it additionally helps persistence storage setup. Other options embrace drag-and-drop help, Unlisted ISO help, and Syslinux as a substitute of GRUB.

Ventoy (Windows | Linux)

Ventoy

Ventoy is one other open-source instrument with giant file help. It consists of flashing image information of the next format ISO, WIM, IMG, VHD, and EFI. It can goal drives together with USB, Local Disk, SSD, and SD card. Not solely that, however it additionally has help for UEFI Secure Boot in addition to persistence. Tested with over 700 iso information, it will probably maintain dealing with many Linux, Windows, ChromeOS, and Unix techniques.

Ventoy is accessible for each Windows and Linux. With Ventoy, it gives the choice to repeat the information over to the USB drive. This is a lot better than, say, formatting the disk every time you want a brand new working system as bootable.

Flashboot (Windows)

Flashboot

Available for Windows, Flashboot is a light-weight and low-resource possibility comparable with Rufus. It is suitable with all variations of Windows from Windows XP by means of Windows 10. Flashboot can create a bootable model of the above Windows system.

The professional model additionally has the choice to clone the present setup. Hence, with Flashboot you can too begin taking backups of your system. In case of information loss, Flashboot may also help you restore your information in Windows.

MultiBoot USB (Windows | Linux)

MultiBoot USB helps you to set up many Linux distributions on a single USB drive. Released for Windows and Linux platforms, it detects ISO information and begins including them to the drive. Unlike different options, this app doesn’t format your USB drive throughout set up.

Another particular characteristic consists of testing dwell boots from the included QEMU emulator. This prevents you from having to restart your system to check the bootable drive. MultiBoot additionally helps putting in bootloaders resembling GRUB in addition to Syslinux. The uninstall or set up of 1 OS doesn’t affect the others on the identical drive.

Easy2Boot (Windows | Linux)

Easy2Boot

As per their web site, Easy2Boot or E2B has had over 1,000,000 downloads. It helps three menu techniques for a straightforward bootable course of

  • Easy2Boot is the unique E2B answer
  • agFM is for Legacy/MBR and UEFI32/UEFI64 boot choices with Secure boot bypass
  • Ventoy for E2B based mostly on Ventoy

E2B claims more success in booting newer Linux ISO images than different options. When a brand new Linux comes out, different functions make you watch for an update for bootable help. But with E2B, it will probably use its algorithm to flash bootable drives higher than others. It additionally helps creating bootable variations of Windows in addition to Mac OSX images.

Finally

As you now know, there are loads of Rufus options on the market. Some may match in addition to Rufus. Others could break and even fail to create a bootable USB drive. Some functions additionally present options that Rufus doesn’t have. Omit, your alternative of utility ought to rely on what you are attempting to realize. All the boot instruments listed above are free with paid editions in some. The alternative comes all the way down to which working system you need to make the bootable drive for.


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