Suggestions appear as you type. Use the up and down arrows to choose one and Enter to open it.

This page's audience our own tag's counts — open to see them
–Visits
–Page views
–Clicks to vendors
–Time on page
–Reading now
Clicks to vendors, by tool
  • –
Top countries
  • –
Devices
  • –

– · visits, page views and clicks counted by our own tag, which counts more than our checked analytics; every figure rounded down · how we count

Head-to-head · ISO Creation Software

GNU xorriso vs UltraISO

  • Updated Oct 2026
  • Both researched from official sources
  • 6 checks side by side
Higher score GNU xorriso #4 in ISO Creation Software 8.9/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 4 of 5 features Visit GNU xorriso
UltraISO #5 in ISO Creation Software 8.8/10 Paid ✓ 5 of 5 features Visit UltraISO

GNU xorriso leads on 1 check, UltraISO on 0, and 5 are even. Who comes out ahead on the 6 yes/no, price and count checks where we have data for both products. The editor score weighs everything else too.

Our verdict

  • Highest scoreGNU xorriso · 8.9/10
  • Free planonly GNU xorriso
  • Most featuresUltraISO · 5 of 5

GNU xorriso scores higher on our rubric for iso creation software: 8.9 against 8.8 out of 10; our editors rank them #4 and #5.

GNU xorriso offers free plan; UltraISO doesn't. On operating systems, GNU xorriso gives you Cross-platform where UltraISO offers Windows.

GNU xorriso is the better fit for open-source Linux ISO automation. UltraISO is the better fit for paid Windows ISO editing.

  • GNU xorriso fits best

    Open-source Linux ISO automation

  • UltraISO fits best

    Paid Windows ISO editing

Advertiser disclosure: iTechGuides is reader-supported. Vendors can pay for top positions in our rankings and for a place on other products' pages, and we may earn a commission when you click some links. Bought places stand at the number bought; this page and our disclosure say so. Paying vendors may get a fuller, more detailed review from our editors, and that review can change their score. How we rank.

Side by side

Feature GNU xorriso 8.9/10 Visit ↗ UltraISO 8.8/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score 8.9 8.8
Ranking #4 in ISO Creation Software #5 in ISO Creation Software
Best for Open-source Linux ISO automation Paid Windows ISO editing
Pricing model Free Paid
Starting price Free plan $29.95 one-time
Free plan ✓ (best) —
Free trial — —
Deployment Self-hosted Desktop
Platforms Linux Windows
Support Community, Docs Email, Docs
Built for Solo, Small business Solo, Small business
Features GNU xorriso 4/5 · UltraISO 5/5
Disc burning ✓ ✓
Image editing ✓ ✓
Image conversion Not checked yet ✓ (best)
Bootable media ✓ ✓
Checksum verification ✓ ✓
Specs
Image formats ISO 9660; Rock Ridge; Joliet; ISO 9660:1999; HFS+ ISO, BIN, IMG, CIF, NRG, MDS, CCD, BWI, ISZ, DMG, DAA, UIF, HFS
Operating systems Cross-platform Windows
Our review
Pros
  • Creates, edits, and updates ISO 9660 image contents
  • Supports El Torito, MBR, and multisession bootable workflows
  • Records and verifies MD5 checksums and burns CD, DVD, and BD media
  • Edits, extracts, converts, and creates ISO images
  • Preserves bootable images and burns CD/DVD media
  • Includes checksums and command-line automation
Cons
  • Command-line workflows may not suit users seeking a graphical editor
  • Focused on ISO image operations rather than broader deployment management
  • Optical burning is centered on CD, DVD, and BD media
  • Windows-only platform support
  • No free plan
  • Focused on CD/DVD disc-image workflows
Our verdict

GNU xorriso is a command-line utility for creating, loading, modifying, and writing ISO 9660 filesystem images. It is aimed at Linux and self-hosted workflows that need direct control over image contents, boot configuration, file transfer,…

Read the review →

UltraISO is Windows desktop software for creating, organizing, viewing, editing, extracting, converting, and burning CD/DVD disc images. It can create ISO files from files, folders, or optical discs; edit contents by adding, deleting,…

Read the review →
  1. GNU xorrisoISO Creation Software 8.9Free plan
  2. UltraISOISO Creation Software 8.8Paid

Strengths and trade-offs

  • GNU xorriso — where it wins

    • Creates, edits, and updates ISO 9660 image contents
    • Supports El Torito, MBR, and multisession bootable workflows
    • Records and verifies MD5 checksums and burns CD, DVD, and BD media

    Where it doesn't

    • Command-line workflows may not suit users seeking a graphical editor
    • Focused on ISO image operations rather than broader deployment management
    • Optical burning is centered on CD, DVD, and BD media

  • UltraISO — where it wins

    • Edits, extracts, converts, and creates ISO images
    • Preserves bootable images and burns CD/DVD media
    • Includes checksums and command-line automation

    Where it doesn't

    • Windows-only platform support
    • No free plan
    • Focused on CD/DVD disc-image workflows

More comparisons

All ISO creation software comparisons → · Full ranking →

Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026

Last updated · How we research and update