Best free download manager of 2024 (2024)

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  • Best overall
  • Best for music
  • Best for power users
  • FAQs
  • How we test

The best free download managers make it simple and easy to increase your download speeds and better manage your downloads, without paying a subscription.

Best free download manager of 2024: Quick menu

Best free download manager of 2024 (1)

1. Best overall
2. Best for music
3. Best for power users
4. FAQs
5. How we test

Download managers can be especially helpful when you routinely need to download multiple files, especially large files, such as databases or backups. The ability to organize, prioritize, and streamline your downloads process can be invaluable, especially to avoid time-out errors.

Other features you’ll find on many of these download managers include scheduling, batch downloading, file previewing, BitTorrent support, support for compressed file types, and a number of security features. No matter if you want something that can work as an extension of your browser or as a standalone app, there are plenty of options available to you.

And, to help you decide which one works best for you, we’ve gathered our picks for the top download manager here. We've compared these download managers across numerous aspects, from their download speeds and ease of installation to their interface and learning curve. We also checked if they had solid file conversion tools and privacy features, among other things.

Below we list what we think are the best free download managers currently available.

Also, we've featured the best file managers.

The best free download managers of 2024 in full:

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Best overall

Best free download manager of 2024 (2)

1. Ninja Download Manager

Powerful and well designed – the best free download manager for media files

Reasons to buy

+

Super fast downloads

+

Media previews mid-download

+

Download scheduling

Ninja Download Manager is a relative newcomer to the downloading party, and it looks considerably more contemporary than its, er, contemporaries.

Its interface is simple and modern (if a little dark), and its accelerator can help you get your files 10 times faster. It does this by splitting each file into chunks, then downloading each one using a different server connection, making downloads not only faster, but also more reliable. If you're into music and movies you'll be delighted by its sequential setting, which lets you begin playing a file while it's still downloading.

There's also a built-in video downloader with support for YouTube and Vimeo, and a video converter that changes the file format automatically once it's finished downloading.

There are lots of fantastic options around, but if you love music, films and TV then Ninja Download Manager is the tool for you.

Note that the link to download the free version of Ninja Download Manager is at the very bottom of the developer's homepage.

Read our full Ninja Download Manager review.

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Best for music

Best free download manager of 2024 (3)

2. Free Download Manager

A free download manager full of tools for music and movie lovers

Reasons to buy

+

Bandwidth monitoring

+

One-click torrenting

+

Web-based remote control

Reasons to avoid

-

Pause/resume download feature not reliable

Free Download Manager aims to be all things to all people – and succeeds. It is a download accelerator, a BitTorrent client, an audio and video previewer and a traffic management tool, and because it is open source, it is completely free and receives regular updates from its community of developers.

It includes powerful scheduling features and a very handy remote control that means you can leave your downloads running and check on their progress from any internet-connected device.

It can spider sites to download specific kinds of files, and you can choose to download only the bits of a ZIP file you actually want. It is an exceptional program, and it was tough to choose between this and Ninja Internet Download Manager for the top spot.

Read our full Free DownloadManager review.

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Best for power users

Best free download manager of 2024 (4)

3. JDownloader

An advanced download manager that's ideal for power users

Reasons to buy

+

Completes CAPTCHAs automatically

+

Web-based remote control

Reasons to avoid

-

Installer contains adware

JDownloader is a free, open source download manager with a massive developer community, and it's available for Windows, Linux and Mac.

It's really one for power users, with support for over 300 decryption plugins, automatic RAR extraction, password list searching and OCR to complete some of the captcha 'I'm not a robot' checks you encounter on download sites.

You'll need the Java Runtime Environment to run it, and you'll have to be careful when installing it: the installer contains adware, which will be bundled in with the download manager if you don't specifically deselect it.

Downloading the jDownloaded tool can feel tedious because it's in RAR format, and you'll need to figure out how to decompress the RAR file if you don't have a decompressing tool.

Also beware fake 'download' buttons on the site; the actual download link is a line of text.

Read our full JDownloader review.

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Keep your files secure with the best free backup software.

FAQs

How to choose the best free download managers for you?

When choosing the best free download manager for you, you'll want to start with considering how simple the download process is. Does it happen swiftly in a few steps, or is it an elaborate process that demands file decompressing and extraction?

Next, you'll want to evaluate how reliable and swift the downloads are, whether the download manager has file conversion tools, and how many formats it can convert files to.

Media previews and download scheduling are convenient features, but not all download managers offer this. Look out for privacy protection features and check whether the software comes with pesky adware.

How we test

We tested various free download managers to determine their performance. We looked at the ease of finding and download the manager, the download speeds, interface, learning curve, and privacy features.

We checked what formats users could download files in, and whether the download managers offered reliable file conversion tools that supported various formats.

We also considered additional features on the software, like download scheduling, batch downloading, and media previews, along with checking if they came bundled with adware or other software.

Read more on how we test, rate, and review products on TechRadar.

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Best free download manager of 2024 (5)

Carrie Marshall

Contributor

Writer, broadcaster, musician and kitchen gadget obsessive Carrie Marshall (Twitter) has been writing about tech since 1998, contributing sage advice and odd opinions to all kinds of magazines and websites as well as writing more than a dozen books. Her memoir, Carrie Kills A Man, is on sale now. She is the singer in Glaswegian rock band HAVR.

With contributions from

  • Sofia Elizabella Wyciślik-WilsonFreelance writer

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Best free download manager of 2024 (2024)

FAQs

Best free download manager of 2024? ›

If you're looking for an easy-to-use and powerful downloader for Mac, Folx is definitely worth considering. It's extremely user-friendly and is fully compatible with Apple's latest operating system. Folx offers two versions: the free version and a PRO version.

What is the best Free Download Manager? ›

List of Best Download Managers for Windows
  • Ninja Download Manager.
  • JDownloader.
  • Internet Download Accelerator.
  • EagleGet.
  • BitComet.
  • uGet.
  • FlashGet.
  • GetGo Download Manager.

What is the best download manager for Mac 2024? ›

If you're looking for an easy-to-use and powerful downloader for Mac, Folx is definitely worth considering. It's extremely user-friendly and is fully compatible with Apple's latest operating system. Folx offers two versions: the free version and a PRO version.

What is the latest version of Free Download Manager? ›

Supported languages. We are excited to announce the release of Free Download Manager, version 6.22. This latest update is equipped with improvements and bug fixes to streamline download processes and improve the overall user experience.

Is IDM better than Free Download Manager? ›

For All Industries, Internet Download Manager is a better choice. If you are confused between Free Download Manager or Internet Download Manager, you can also check if the software has customizable modules for your industry. Industry-specific functionalities will ensure higher efficiency and ROI.

Is Free Download Manager actually faster? ›

Use a service such as SpeedOfMe or SpeedtTest to determine the actual connection speed. Since Free Download Manager opens multiple download processes in parallel, the download speed is not as limited by a website throttling a data stream -- ten streams, each at 800 kb/s, is equivalent to a total throughput of ~8 Mb/s.

Is it necessary to have a Free Download Manager? ›

Download managers can be especially helpful when you routinely need to download multiple files, especially large files, such as databases or backups. The ability to organize, prioritize, and streamline your downloads process can be invaluable, especially to avoid time-out errors.

Does Apple have a download manager? ›

The Download Manager is a spot that holds the list of your downloads from the web when using Safari. You can see the progress of downloads, view a list of each file you have downloaded, and have easy access to where those files were saved.

Is it safe to download from Free Download Manager? ›

The compromised Free Download Manager website has been replaced. All the Free Download Manager users who downloaded FDM for Linux between 2020 and 2022 should scan their computers for malware. Malwarebytes Browser Guard users will receive a warning when they try to visit this domain.

How do I update my Free Download Manager? ›

Admin Menu >> Downloads >> Settings >> Updates:
  1. Deactivate and Delete free/old version.
  2. Download the latest version from Premium Download Area.
  3. Install and activate the latest version.
  4. Done! ( The process will not harm your old data/settings )
Jan 9, 2019

Is Advanced Download Manager free? ›

Advanced Download Manager is a free download manager for Android phones and tablets, offering features like simultaneous downloads, queuing, download boosts and more.

Why is IDM so popular? ›

IDM is a tool that manages and schedules downloads. It can utilize full bandwidth and contains recovery and resume capabilities to continue downloading files that were interrupted due to a loss of network connection or other unexpected failures.

Is IDM or FDM better? ›

It supports multiple protocols, provides download acceleration, and allows users to schedule downloads. However, unlike IDM, FDM does not integrate as seamlessly with web browsers and may require additional configuration for browser integration.

Is IDM still popular? ›

In 2007, Igloo Magazine observed that "IDM as we knew it is a distant memory, with reminders from the big names now depressingly infrequent, however IDM as we now know it is very much alive, albeit in a less influential and popular, but still respectable form", with a third wave of artist having become active around ...

Is FreeDownloadManager.org safe? ›

It was found that the website freedownloadmanager.org was spreading Linux malware for over three years until 2022. Researchers discovered that the site was intermittently redirecting users to domains that served a malicious version of the Free Download Manager software.

Which browser has the best download manager? ›

List of Best Browsers for Downloading:
  • Opera.
  • Mozilla Firefox.
  • Google Chrome.
  • Microsoft Edge.
  • Brave Browser.
Feb 6, 2024

What is the difference between neat download manager and Free Download Manager? ›

While Free Download Manager supports Web Based deployment; Neat Download Manager is suitable for Web Based deployment. While selecting between Free Download Manager and Neat Download Manager, figure out which one of the two is compatible with your devices. This will help in reducing the hassle after implementation.

What is the difference between Free Download Manager and Xtreme download manager? ›

Free Download Manager includes features like Remote Control, MULTILANGUAGE, Adjust and File Management. Xtreme Download Manager is known for functionalities like Download Invoices, Download Tour Programs, Loyalty Program Support and Download Results.

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