Alternatives to Free Download Manager
Free cross-platform downloader
Free Download Manager ranks #4 of 11 in Download managers, with an Alt Score of 75. It is proprietary, free from Free and available on Windows, macOS, Android and Linux. 7 of 9 checklist rows are verified against a public source.
People who regularly download large files, torrents, or online videos and want faster, more reliable downloads across Windows, macOS, Android, or Linux.
A free, open-source download manager that splits files into segments to download them in parallel for up to 10x faster speeds. It includes a built-in BitTorrent client for torrents and magnet links, automatic resume of interrupted downloads, and add-ons for grabbing video from web pages. Browser extensions for Chrome, Firefox, and Edge let it intercept downloads automatically.
FDM detects downloads via browser integration or lets you paste a URL/magnet link directly, then accelerates transfer through multi-part segmented downloading and manages queuing, scheduling, and bandwidth limits from a desktop app.
Why people leave Free Download Manager
Dashed reasons are sourced facts; the rest are opinions. Vendors can dispute.
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Ranked alternatives
Ordered by Alt Score. Click any score to see the breakdown.
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 stre.
Xtreme Download Manager (XDM) is a free, open-source download accelerator for Windows, macOS, and Linux that splits files into segments for multi-threaded downloading and captures video/audio links fr.
yt-dlp is an open-source command-line tool for downloading video and audio from YouTube and over a thousand other sites, with format selection, playlist handling, and post-processing via ffmpeg.
Folx is a paid macOS-native download manager and BitTorrent client from Electronic Team (formerly Eltima) that splits downloads into up to 10 threads, schedules tasks, and includes browser integration.
Persepolis is a free, open-source download manager built as a graphical front-end for the aria2 download engine, available on Linux, Windows, and macOS.
4K Video Downloader is a commercial desktop app for Windows, macOS, and Linux that downloads videos, full playlists, channels, and subtitles from YouTube and other sites in up to 8K resolution.
Feature comparison
How Free Download Manager compares with its alternatives, feature by feature.
| Download managers checklist | Free Download Manager | Download Master | Internet Download Manager | Xtreme Download Manager (XDM) | yt-dlp | aria2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | ||||||
| Starts at | ||||||
| License | ||||||
| Platforms | ||||||
| Segmented downloading | ||||||
| Browser integration | ||||||
| Video grabbing | ||||||
| Scheduler | ||||||
| Resume support | ||||||
| Open source | ||||||
| No bundled adware | ||||||
| Speed limits | ||||||
| CLI |
Every fact and feature listed for Free Download Manager is verified against its own pages. Each alternative is sourced on its own page.
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License Proprietary verified 2026-07-08
Current v6.x is closed-source freeware (v3.9 was open source).
Free Download Manager is completely free and has no ads.
https://www.freedownloadmanager.org/features.htm -
Pricing model Free verified 2026-07-08
Free Download Manager is completely free and has no ads.
https://www.freedownloadmanager.org/features.htm -
Starts at Free verified 2026-07-08
Free Download Manager is completely free and has no ads.
https://www.freedownloadmanager.org/features.htm -
Platforms Windows, macOS, Android, Linux verified 2026-07-08
Cross-platform support: For Windows, macOS, Android, and Linux.
https://www.freedownloadmanager.org/features.htm -
Status active verified 2026-07-08
Free Download Manager 6.34 Released
https://www.freedownloadmanager.org/blog/?p=720 -
Segmented downloading Yes verified 2026-07-08
FDM splits files into several sections and downloads them simultaneously, so you can use any type of connection at the maximum available speed.
https://www.freedownloadmanager.org/features.htm -
Browser integration Yes verified 2026-07-08
Official browser extensions — Required for the best browser integration. [Chrome] [Firefox]
https://www.freedownloadmanager.org/download.htm -
Video grabbing Partial verified 2026-07-08
Via add-ons, not a native built-in grabber.
Use add-ons to download files and videos from supported websites.
https://www.freedownloadmanager.org/features.htm -
Scheduler Yes verified 2026-07-08
The smart scheduler lets you start and pause downloads, launch applications, and connect or disconnect from the internet at specific times.
https://www.freedownloadmanager.org/features.htm -
Resume support Yes verified 2026-07-08
If a download is interrupted, you can resume it from where it stopped without starting over.
https://www.freedownloadmanager.org/features.htm -
No bundled adware Yes verified 2026-07-08
Free Download Manager is completely free and has no ads.
https://www.freedownloadmanager.org/features.htm -
Speed limits Yes verified 2026-07-08
'Adjust traffic usage' bandwidth control.
Choose from several traffic usage modes so you can browse the internet and download files at the same time.
https://www.freedownloadmanager.org/features.htm
FAQ
Yes. Xtreme Download Manager (XDM), yt-dlp and aria2 have a free tier or are fully free. Free-tier limits in the comparison table are verified and dated.
Xtreme Download Manager (XDM), yt-dlp and aria2 — every license claim links its source.