Compare Etcher vs Rufus, top USB tools for creating bootable drives, to determine the best fit for your needs.
Years ago, making a bootable USB drive seemed like a technological challenge out of reach. However, to this day, the task has become a breeze. Now, you can easily create a bootable USB flash drive for both Mac and Windows systems.
This has been transformed thanks to free and powerful software like Etcher and Rufus. What exactly are they?
Rufus, known as Reliable USB Formatting Utility, is an open-source application developed by Microsoft specifically designed to create and format bootable USB drives or Live USB.
BalenaEtcher, often shortened to Etcher, is a free and open source tool that can write image files such as .img or .iso. Etcher can also create zip folders on storage media for compiling Live SD cards and USB drives. The software supports Windows, Mac and Linux operating systems.
In short, both Rufus and Etcher are free utilities for creating bootable USB drives. But which one is actually better? In this article, we'll make an in-depth comparison between Rufus and Etcher, as well as provide another option that is superior to both programs to help you solve the problem better.
The Windows program Rufus is small and powerful, and it can be loaded on more than one operating system on the same device. You can store your important Windows programs on a portable USB drive and use that drive in case your main computer system fails. This is a great tool kit. Rufus has both simple and complex settings that can help you get the most out of your USB files. You can use this tool to turn an ISO file into a Windows 10 UEFI usable USB drive. It also comes in handy when you need to set up or run Windows on Macs or folders.
Related: Cannot Install Windows 10 on UEFI and MBR with Rufus
BalenaEtcher was created by balena and is licensed under the Apache License 2.0. It uses the Electron framework to be built and works with major operating systems like Linux and macOS. You can find the original code online for free and change it. You can burn different types of image files, like.iso,.img, and zipped folders, to USB drives with Etcher.
Related: Balena Etcher Flash Failed: Troubleshooting Guide
After testing Rufus and Etcher, can say that both the software are great, you can create USB drives that can be easily run with Rufuses and Etchers so we thought they were the best.
However, some users think that Rufus is more suitable for USB boot than Etcher because RUFUS has additional features and options:
Rufus has additional features and options for launching external drives. Etcher uses system drivers to detect target drivers, which may put you at risk of losing data. However, Rufus is only compatible with Windows, while Etcher can work with Mac and Linux.
Both Rufus and Etcher have flaws so you need to know your needs and choose the right USB drive startup tool.
AOMEI Partition Assistant is the best freeware for managing disks is also really the best Rufus and Etcher Windows to Go free alternative. It breaks many limitations of the Windows built-in utility "Disk Management". To create Windows to USB flash drives, it provides you with a utility Windows To Go Creator. Apart from formatting and creating Win2GO USB drives, this integrated utility offers a wide range of disk-related features, which means that users can perform various disk operations in one package. For example, you can migrate OS to SSD to improve performance, move installed applications to another drive to expand drive space, recover lost data, and much more.
Using Windows To Go Creator is more flexible than Microsoft’s Windows To Go or Rufus. You do not need to worry about what the edition the computer is, because even it isn’t Windows 8/10 enterprise, you can still do it, and you do not need to worry about whether the USB is or isn’t Microsoft-certified, because even it is an old USB drive, you can use it. Before you do, there are somethings you need to prepare.
The Best Windows Disk Partition Manager and PC Optimizer
Step 1. Insert the USB in and wait for your computer to detect it. If it failed, you can check the solutions here.
Step 2. Install and run AOMEI Partition Assistant Professional. On the top toolbar, click "Tools" > "Windows To Go Creator".
Step 3. Choose “Create Windows To Go” for personal computer and click “Next”.
Step 4. Choose the suitable option "Create Windows To Go with system disc/ISO" or “Create Windows To Go with the current system”. If Windows 11 ISO file isn’t detected automatically, click the folder icon to select it manually. Then, click “Next”.
Step 5. Select a USB drive as a target and click “Proceed”
Step 6. You’ll receive the message that all data on this USB drive will be erased. Click “Yes” to continue.
After that, you can disconnect the USB, and try to boot it on another PC.
Note: If you choose “Create Windows To Go with the current system”, there will be 2 more steps after steps 3 and 4.
1. After you choose the creating way, you’ll see the current system info.
2. After you select a USB, the program will restart into the Windows PE environment to create Windows To Go. Wait until the progress reaches 100%.
Apart from these, the AOMEI software also provides many other useful and practical functions for effective computer management:
Partition Management: AOMEI Partition Assistant enables you to resize, move, merge, and delete partitions with ease. You can also convert partition types, align partitions like 4K Alignment for SSD to enhance system performance, and create new partitions without losing data.
Disk Partitioning: The software allows you to create, delete, and format partitions, as well as convert between MBR and GPT partition styles, which is particularly useful for newer UEFI-based systems.
Disk Cloning: If you are planning to upgrade to a better disk, you can also use it to clone your entire disk or a designated partition. With it, you can quickly transfer the data to the new disk without reinstalling Windows or applications.
Disk Cleanup and Drive Space Expansion: The software can even help you clean up accumulated and hidden junk files, including temporary files, cache, and system restoration points, freeing up storage space on your computer.
Creating a bootable USB drive has become much simpler with tools like Rufus and Etcher. Both are excellent, free utilities for creating bootable USB drives, each with its unique features and advantages. Rufus offers advanced features and is particularly suited for Windows users, while Etcher provides a user-friendly interface and supports multiple operating systems, including Mac and Linux. However, for those seeking a more versatile tool with additional features, AOMEI Partition Assistant is a robust alternative that offers extensive disk management capabilities, including creating bootable USB drives with Windows To Go.
Is Rufus safe to use?
Can Etcher be used on macOS and Linux?
What are the main differences between Rufus and Etcher?
Can I use AOMEI Partition Assistant for tasks other than creating bootable USB drives?
Does Etcher support creating bootable USB drives with multiple operating systems?