# Alternatives to Download Master

Download Master, developed by WestByte, is a free Windows download manager that accelerates transfers via multi-threaded file segmentation, resumes broken downloads over HTTP/HTTPS/FTP, and grabs streaming video and audio from sites via browser integration. It targets everyday Windows users looking for a free IDM-style accelerator with BitTorrent support. It differentiates itself with a long-running (10M+ user) install base and built-in 'play while downloading' media handling.

Download Master ranks #1 of 11 in Download managers, with an Alt Score of 80. It is proprietary, donationware from $9.95 and available on Windows. 8 of 9 checklist rows are verified against a public source.

Source: https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/download-master/
Category: Download managers

## Where Download Master stands out

- **CLI** — 3 of 7 apps with a verified answer have this

## Overview

- **Who it's for**: Windows users who download files, video, music, podcasts, and torrents from the web and want a dedicated manager to accelerate and organize those downloads rather than relying on a browser's built-in downloader.
- **What you get**: A Windows desktop application (also available as a portable build) that accelerates downloads via multi-threaded connections with resume support for HTTP, HTTPS, FTP, and FTPS, plus a scheduler, proxy support, browser extensions for Chrome, Firefox, and Edge, and plugins for grabbing video/audio from over 1,000 sites and downloading BitTorrent/magnet links. The free version has no feature limitations; a one-time paid activation removes the buy-now prompts and supports development.
- **How it works**: You install the program on Windows and add its browser extension so downloads started in the browser are handed off to Download Master, which splits each file into multiple simultaneous connections to speed up transfer and can resume interrupted downloads. Separate bundled plugins (Video Services, External Downloader) handle detecting and grabbing video/audio from streaming sites and downloading torrents/magnet links, while activation is completed by entering an email address rather than a license key.

## Profile

- **License**: Proprietary (verified 2026-07-30)
- **Pricing model**: Donationware (verified 2026-07-30)
- **Starts at**: $9.95 (verified 2026-07-30)
- **Platforms**: Windows
- **Status**: active (verified 2026-07-30)

## Ranked alternatives

| # | App | Alt Score | Licence | Platforms |
|---|-----|-----------|---------|-----------|
| 1 | [Internet Download Manager](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/internet-download-manager.md) | 80 | Proprietary | Windows |
| 2 | [Xtreme Download Manager (XDM)](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/xtreme-download-manager.md) | 80 | GPL-2.0 | Windows, macOS, Linux |
| 3 | [Free Download Manager](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/free-download-manager.md) | 75 | Proprietary | Windows, macOS, Android, Linux |
| 4 | [yt-dlp](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/yt-dlp.md) | 75 | Unlicense | Windows, macOS, Linux |
| 5 | [aria2](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/aria2.md) | 70 | GPL-2.0 | ? |
| 6 | [Folx](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/folx.md) | 70 | Proprietary | macOS |
| 7 | [JDownloader](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/jdownloader.md) | 70 | GPL | Windows, macOS, Linux |
| 8 | [Motrix](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/motrix.md) | 70 | MIT | Windows, macOS, Linux |
| 9 | [Persepolis Download Manager](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/persepolis.md) | 70 | GPL-3.0 | Windows, macOS, Linux |
| 10 | [4K Video Downloader](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/4k-video-downloader.md) | 40 | Proprietary | Windows, macOS, Linux |

Alt Score = Verified coverage (90%) + Visibility (10%). See https://altcatalog.com/how-alt-score-works/

## Feature comparison

Legend: Yes / No / Partial / ? (not verified).

| Download managers checklist | Download Master | Internet Download Manager | Xtreme Download Manager (XDM) | Free Download Manager | yt-dlp | aria2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Donationware | One-time | Free | Free | Free | Free |
| Starts at | $9.95 | €21.50 | Free | Free | Free | Free |
| License | Proprietary | Proprietary | GPL-2.0 | Proprietary | Unlicense | GPL-2.0 |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows | Windows, macOS, Linux | Windows, macOS, Android, Linux | Windows, macOS, Linux | ? |
| Segmented downloading | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Browser integration | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Partial | No |
| Video grabbing | Yes | Yes | Yes | Partial | Yes | No |
| Scheduler | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | ? | ? |
| Resume support | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | No | No | Yes | ? | Yes | Yes |
| No bundled adware | ? | Yes | ? | Yes | ? | Yes |
| Speed limits | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| CLI | Yes | ? | ? | ? | Yes | Yes |

## Sources

Sources for Download Master. Each alternative is sourced on its own page.

- **Platforms**: Windows — <https://downloadmaster.com/download/> (verified 2026-07-30)
  - Quote: “Supported OS: Windows 11 | 10 | 8.1 | 8 | 7”
- **Status**: active — <https://downloadmaster.com/history/> (verified 2026-07-30)
  - Note: Version history shows continuous releases through December 2025, the most recent listed on the site.
  - Quote: “Version 7.3 - December 10, 2025”
- **License**: Proprietary — <https://downloadmaster.com/terms/> (verified 2026-07-30)
  - Quote: “You acknowledge that Download Master is licensed, not sold, to you under this Agreement.”
- **Pricing model**: Donationware — <https://downloadmaster.com/activation/> (verified 2026-07-30)
  - Note: Page tagline: 'Buy now or use for free!' — free activation gives full functionality with no credit card required; paid activation removes buy-now prompts and supports development.
  - Quote: “There are no limitations on the program. Activating a license will not add new features, only remove the offers to buy a license.”
- **Starts at**: $9.95 — <https://downloadmaster.com/activation/> (verified 2026-07-30)
  - Note: $9.95 is the discounted one-time price for a single lifetime activation; list price is $14.95. Volume and family-pack pricing also shown on the page.
  - Quote: “Single Lifetime $9.95 $14.95”
- **Segmented downloading**: Yes — <https://downloadmaster.com/features/> (verified 2026-07-30)
  - Quote: “Dynamic multi-threaded download”
- **Browser integration**: Yes — <https://downloadmaster.com/features/> (verified 2026-07-30)
  - Quote: “Chrome integration; Firefox integration; Edge integration; Other browsers integration.”
- **Video grabbing**: Yes — <https://downloadmaster.com/features/> (verified 2026-07-30)
  - Quote: “Video download from all popular video services (1000+ sites)”
- **Scheduler**: Yes — <https://downloadmaster.com/features/> (verified 2026-07-30)
  - Note: Features page also lists a dedicated 'Advanced scheduller' tool.
  - Quote: “Scheduled operation, PC shutdown, sleep or stand-by after completing download”
- **Resume support**: Yes — <https://downloadmaster.com/features/> (verified 2026-07-30)
  - Quote: “Resumes broken downloads from where they left off from both HTTP, HTTPS, FTP and FTPS servers”
- **Open source**: No — <https://downloadmaster.com/terms/> (verified 2026-07-30)
  - Note: Terms of Service also state the software is 'licensed, not sold' and may not be copied, reproduced, or redistributed — no public source repository exists on the vendor's site.
  - Quote: “You may not modify, reverse engineer, decompile, or disassemble any part of Download Master”
- **Speed limits**: Yes — <https://downloadmaster.com/install/> (verified 2026-07-30)
  - Quote: “specifying the maximum download speed”
- **CLI**: Yes — <https://downloadmaster.com/features/> (verified 2026-07-30)
  - Quote: “Advanced command-line options”

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Ranked by verified data, never by who paid. https://altcatalog.com/trust/