Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Balena Etcher VS Active@ Boot Disk

Compare Balena Etcher VS Active@ Boot Disk and see what are their differences

Balena Etcher logo Balena Etcher

Flash OS images to SD cards & USB drives, safely and easily.

Active@ Boot Disk logo Active@ Boot Disk

System can't start normally? Easy way to access you data and repair your PC!
  • Balena Etcher Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-03-22
  • Active@ Boot Disk Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-09-13

Balena Etcher features and specs

  • User-Friendly Interface
    Balena Etcher offers a clean and intuitive graphical interface that makes it easy for users of all levels to create bootable USB drives or SD cards.
  • Cross-Platform Compatibility
    It supports Windows, macOS, and Linux, allowing users to create bootable media regardless of their operating system.
  • High Reliability
    The application performs verification processes to ensure the integrity of the burned image, reducing the likelihood of corrupted media.
  • Wide Image Format Support
    Balena Etcher supports a wide variety of image formats including ISO, IMG, and ZIP files.
  • Open Source
    Being open source, Balena Etcher offers transparency, and its source code is available for review and modification by the community.

Possible disadvantages of Balena Etcher

  • No Advanced Settings
    Balena Etcher is designed for simplicity and lacks advanced settings and options that more experienced users might desire.
  • Resource Intensive
    The application can be relatively resource-intensive, consuming more CPU and memory compared to some other lightweight alternatives.
  • Issues with Large Files
    Some users have reported difficulties when trying to flash very large image files, leading to incomplete or failed transfers.
  • No Multiboot Support
    Balena Etcher does not support creating multiboot USB drives, which limits its functionality for users needing multiple bootable environments on a single drive.
  • Internet Connection for Some Features
    Certain features, such as downloading images directly through the app, require an internet connection, which might be inconvenient for users with limited connectivity.

Active@ Boot Disk features and specs

  • Comprehensive Toolset
    Active@ Boot Disk provides a wide range of tools for data recovery, partition management, disk imaging, and password resetting, making it a versatile toolkit for various system tasks.
  • Bootable Environment
    The software creates a bootable environment independent of the operating system, which is crucial for troubleshooting and recovery on systems that can't boot normally.
  • User-Friendly Interface
    Despite its powerful features, Active@ Boot Disk offers an intuitive interface that is accessible to both novice and advanced users.
  • Secure Data Erasure
    It includes tools for securely erasing data, ensuring that sensitive information cannot be recovered by unauthorized users after deletion.
  • Customizability
    Users can customize the boot disk according to their needs by adding additional drivers and tools, providing flexibility in different scenarios.

Possible disadvantages of Active@ Boot Disk

  • Cost
    Active@ Boot Disk is a paid software, which might be a drawback for users looking for free solutions for system recovery and data management.
  • Limited Free Version
    The free version of Active@ Boot Disk has limited features compared to the professional version, potentially necessitating a purchase to access its full capabilities.
  • Learning Curve for Advanced Features
    While the basic interface is user-friendly, some of the more advanced features and tools may require additional learning or technical knowledge to use effectively.
  • Hardware Compatibility
    There can be occasional issues with the compatibility of certain hardware devices, which might require additional driver installation or updates.
  • Lack of Real-Time Support
    Users may find the lack of real-time technical support challenging, as they might have to rely on online resources or documentation for troubleshooting assistance.

Analysis of Balena Etcher

Overall verdict

  • Overall, Balena Etcher is considered a reliable and efficient tool for creating bootable media, especially given its open-source nature and active community support.

Why this product is good

  • Balena Etcher is popular for its simplicity and effectiveness in creating bootable USB drives and SD cards. It features a clean and user-friendly interface, making it accessible for both beginners and advanced users. The software supports multiple platforms, including Windows, macOS, and Linux, and reduces the risk of accidentally installing the operating system on the wrong drive by displaying a clear preview of selected drives.

Recommended for

    Balena Etcher is recommended for users who need to create bootable drives for installing operating systems or for purposes like system recovery and troubleshooting. It's particularly suitable for those who value a simple, intuitive interface and cross-platform compatibility.

Balena Etcher videos

Wish.com 2000MW Laser Etcher Review

More videos:

  • Tutorial - How to Make Bootable USB in Windows 10 or Bootable SD // Etcher Tutorial
  • Review - Linux App Review / Etcher

Active@ Boot Disk videos

How to make Active@ Boot Disk Suite Bootable USB 2018

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Balena Etcher and Active@ Boot Disk)
Bootable USB
100 100%
0% 0
OS & Utilities
62 62%
38% 38
Utilities
100 100%
0% 0
Backup And Disaster Recovery

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare Balena Etcher and Active@ Boot Disk

Balena Etcher Reviews

7 Best Rufus Alternatives To Create Bootable USB In 2022
So these were some of the best Rufus alternatives that you can try. Suppose youโ€™re still confused about which one to use. In that case, weโ€™d recommend โ€˜balenaEtcherโ€™ and โ€˜Ventoy.โ€™ For Linux users, โ€˜WoeUSBโ€™ for Windows media creation, โ€˜Ventoy,โ€™ โ€˜balenaEctcher,โ€™ and โ€˜Popsicleโ€™ will all do the job.
Source: fossbytes.com
10 Best Rufus Alternatives in 2022 (USB Bootable Tools)
If you are searching for an easy-to-use tool to create bootable USB drives, Etcher might be the best pick. Itโ€™s a full-fledged bootable USB tool available for Windows and macOS. The user interface of Etcher is quite simple to use, and it supports all sorts of system images like DMG, ISO, IMG, etc. Etcher is an open-source tool, and itโ€™s entirely free to use.
Source: techviral.net
14 Rufus alternatives for Linux, Mac, and windows
Now, Balena has a host of other solutions. This includes cloud, balenaOS, balena Engine, and even their flashing hardware called balenaEtcherPro. Balena Etcher is perfect for creating ready-to-go bootable drives. But, It does not provide options for persistence. They still support a wide range of iso images including Windows iso.
Rufus Alternatives โ€“ 8 Best USB Bootable Software For Linux
WoeUSB comes in wherein Etcher falls short. It is compatible with Windows ISO and even recommended by Etcher. Similar to Etcher, even WoeUSB doesnโ€™t show you internal drives. It automatically detects the removable USB drives and you just have to select the appropriate one and click on Install. It handles all the complexities by itself. WoeUSB supports Windows from Vista to...
Source: techwiser.com
8 Free USB Bootable Software For Windows
Etcher is the new kid on the block and the easiest to use bootable software in this list. The main reason to build Etcher was to escape the complexity of selecting multiple options and settings with different Operating-system. It just requires few clicks to convert your SD card or USB into a bootable drive. It supports Windows, Linux based OS and even macOS. Etcher also has...
Source: techwiser.com

Active@ Boot Disk Reviews

We have no reviews of Active@ Boot Disk yet.
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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Balena Etcher seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 15 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Balena Etcher mentions (15)

  • How long does a dd to memory stick write of the img file take?
    Consider using BalenaEtcher.app It usually transfers at the maximum data rate possible and includes checks so you don't accidentally overwrite the wrong disk. Source: over 2 years ago
  • This is my first time installing linux, can someone tell what this can be?
    Tbh if I were you I would just flash the Debian image to a USB with Rufus or BalenaEtcher and boot from the USB. Just make sure to disable secure boot before doing so, otherwise the USB won't boot. Also you should probably uninstall the Debian loader from Windows. Source: about 3 years ago
  • Best way to create a windows install usb stick on macOS Monterey without using terminal
    You can download the iso and use something like https://balena.io/etcher. Source: about 3 years ago
  • Flexible distro for an absolute noob who wants to learn hands-on
    The live mode only works with an USB. You can set it up with Balena Etcher (http://balena.io/etcher/). Source: over 3 years ago
  • Hey guys, I really need some help. I have no idea what to do.
    Ah on mac, that explains a little bit. So rufus does not exist for mac, but you can use something like balena etcher steps are: 1. Download the iso (keep in downloads folder, not on usb) 2. Open etcher and select the iso and the usb stick (verify itโ€™s the right one) 3. Start etching (will ask for admin password) 4. When itโ€™s finished put usb in your new computer and boot it 5. When the monitor displays a logo... Source: almost 4 years ago
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Active@ Boot Disk mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of Active@ Boot Disk yet. Tracking of Active@ Boot Disk recommendations started around Mar 2021.

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Balena Etcher and Active@ Boot Disk, you can also consider the following products

Rufus - Rufus is a piece of software that allows you to transform a portable drive, like a flash drive or other USB drives, into a bootable drive that can be used for a variety of purposes. Read more about Rufus.

UBCD4Win - "UBCD4Win is a bootable recovery CD that contains software used for repairing, restoring, or...

UNetbootin - UNetbootin is a utility for creating live bootable USB drives. The name of the software is short for Universal Netboot Installer, and its most prevalent use has been to create bootable versions of Linux distributions on a USB drive.

Hirens BootCD - Hirens BootCD is a powerful, all-in-one boot disk utility that will help you resolve and make reformatting your computer easily.

YUMI - YUMI (Your USB Multiboot Installer), is a tool that allows you to boot multiple ISO files from one USB drive.

AOMEI PE Builder - Free tool to create bootable USB drive, CD/DVD or ISO file based on Windows PE.