balenaEtcher
6.8#3 in bootable usb softwareFrom $1,720 a yearFree planLinuxmacOSWindows
VisitbalenaEtcher vs LibreELEC USB-SD Creator
LibreELEC USB-SD Creator
6.0#19 in bootable usb softwareFree planFree planmacOSWindows
VisitWhat both publish
| Fact | balenaEtcher | LibreELEC USB-SD Creator |
|---|---|---|
| Founded | 2011 | 2016 |
| macOS support | The documentation lists macOS 10.13 and later on Intel and Apple Silicon. | The current app is available for macOS 14 and newer. |
| Purpose | Etcher flashes OS images to SD cards and USB drives. | The app selects and downloads a LibreELEC image for an HTPC device and creates bootable USB or SD card media. |
| Support | The documentation directs users with problems to raise an issue on GitHub, where the balena.io team can help. | The project directs users with app problems to its USB-SD Creator Support forum. |
| Windows support | The documentation lists Windows 10 and later for Intel 64-bit systems. | The current app is available for 64-bit Windows 10 and 11. |
balenaEtcher plans
- balenaCloud FreeFree
- balenaEtcherFree
- balenaCloud Prototype$159 a month
- balenaCloud Pilot$329 a month
- balenaCloud Production$1,439 a month
- balenaCloud Prototype$1,720 a year
LibreELEC USB-SD Creator plans
- LibreELEC USB-SD CreatorFree
Pick balenaEtcher if…
Etcher suits people creating installation media or writing an OS image to an SD card or USB drive on Linux, macOS, or Windows. Users who need persistent storage on a live USB should look elsewhere.
Pick LibreELEC USB-SD Creator if…
The Creator suits people preparing bootable LibreELEC media for an HTPC on supported Windows or macOS versions. It can also write a local .img.gz image instead of downloading one through the app.