Rufus vs RMPrepUSB

Rufus8.8Visit RMPrepUSB8.1Visit

Higher score Rufus #5 in Bootable USB Software 8.8/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 2 of 5 features Visit Rufus

vs

RMPrepUSB #8 in Bootable USB Software 8.1/10 Free plan · pricing on request Free plan✓ 3 of 5 features Visit RMPrepUSB

• Rufus fits best

  Windows users needing deep boot-media controls

• RMPrepUSB fits best

  Advanced Windows USB preparation and testing

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	Rufus 8.8/10 Visit ↗	RMPrepUSB 8.1/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	8.8	8.1
Ranking	#5 in Bootable USB Software	#8 in Bootable USB Software
Best for	Windows users needing deep boot-media controls	Advanced Windows USB preparation and testing
Pricing model	Free	Free plan + paid
Starting price	Free plan	—
Free plan	✓	✓
Free trial	—	—
Deployment	Desktop	Desktop
Platforms	Windows	Windows
Support	Email, Tickets, Docs	Docs
Built for	Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise	Solo, Small business
Features Rufus 2/5 · RMPrepUSB 3/5
Windows app	✓	✓
macOS app	—	—
Linux app	—	—
Multiboot support	—	✓ (best)
Persistent storage	✓	✓
Specs
Image downloads	Both	Local_only
Partition schemes	Both	Mbr_only
Our review
Pros	Supports BIOS, UEFI, DOS, Windows To Go, and persistent Linux media Includes ISO downloads, checksum calculation, and runtime validation Runs portably and adds bad-block checks with fake-drive detection	Supports multiboot drives and several bootloaders Includes QEMU boot testing and fake-capacity checks Creates images and Linux persistence filesystem files
Cons	Available only on Windows Does not provide multiboot support Its broad controls may exceed simple USB creation needs	Windows-only, with no macOS or Linux app Primarily targets MBR/legacy drives; GPT support is limited Commercial licensing requires contacting the developer
Our verdict	Rufus is a free, open-source Windows utility for formatting USB flash drives and creating bootable media from ISO and other disk images. It is aimed at individual users, technicians, and organizations preparing operating-system or… Read the review →	RMPrepUSB is a Windows utility for preparing, repairing, testing, and imaging bootable USB storage devices. It is aimed at Windows users who need detailed control over partitioning, formatting, boot code, boot managers, and multiboot… Read the review →

Strengths and trade-offs

• Rufus — where it wins

  • Supports BIOS, UEFI, DOS, Windows To Go, and persistent Linux media
  • Includes ISO downloads, checksum calculation, and runtime validation
  • Runs portably and adds bad-block checks with fake-drive detection

  Where it doesn't

  • Available only on Windows
  • Does not provide multiboot support
  • Its broad controls may exceed simple USB creation needs

• RMPrepUSB — where it wins

  • Supports multiboot drives and several bootloaders
  • Includes QEMU boot testing and fake-capacity checks
  • Creates images and Linux persistence filesystem files

  Where it doesn't

  • Windows-only, with no macOS or Linux app
  • Primarily targets MBR/legacy drives; GPT support is limited
  • Commercial licensing requires contacting the developer

• Rufus8.8/10 · Free plan

  A free Windows utility with unusually deep controls for bootable USB media.

  Visit RufusFull verdict →
• RMPrepUSB8.1/10 · Free plan · pricing on request

  A deep Windows toolkit for multiboot USB creation, boot repair, imaging, and testing.

  Visit RMPrepUSBFull verdict →