balenaEtcher
6.8#3 in bootable usb softwareFrom $1,720 a yearFree planLinuxmacOSWindows
VisitbalenaEtcher vs Rufus
What both publish
| Fact | balenaEtcher | Rufus |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose | Etcher flashes OS images to SD cards and USB drives. | Rufus formats drives and creates bootable USB flash drives. |
| Support | The documentation directs users with problems to raise an issue on GitHub, where the balena.io team can help. | The project directs users to its GitHub issue tracker to report problems or suggest features. |
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
Rufus plans
- Free SoftwareFree
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 Rufus if…
Rufus suits Windows users who need to format drives or create installation and other bootable media. It also has options for Windows 11 setup and persistent Linux partitions.