Ventoy vs Rufus

Ventoy9.4Visit Rufus8.8Visit

Higher score Ventoy #1 in Bootable USB Software 9.4/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 4 of 5 features Visit Ventoy

vs

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

• Ventoy fits best

  Multiboot users needing broad image support

• Rufus fits best

  Windows users needing deep boot-media controls

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Side by side

Feature	Ventoy 9.4/10 Visit ↗	Rufus 8.8/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	9.4	8.8
Ranking	#1 in Bootable USB Software	#5 in Bootable USB Software
Best for	Multiboot users needing broad image support	Windows users needing deep boot-media controls
Pricing model	Free	Free
Starting price	Free plan	Free plan
Free plan	✓	✓
Free trial	—	—
Deployment	Desktop	Desktop
Platforms	Windows, Linux	Windows
Support	Email, Community	Email, Tickets, Docs
Features Ventoy 4/5 · Rufus 2/5
Windows app	✓	✓
macOS app	—	—
Linux app	✓ (best)	—
Multiboot support	✓ (best)	—
Persistent storage	✓	✓
Specs
Image downloads	Local_only	Both
Partition schemes	Both	Both
Our review
Pros	Boots ISO, WIM, IMG, VHD(x), and EFI files directly Supports multiboot, Linux persistence, MBR/GPT, and Secure Boot Offers Windows and Linux GUI and CLI installation methods	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
Cons	Does not provide a macOS application Image downloads are local-only Compatibility depends on the image files and boot hardware	Available only on Windows Does not provide multiboot support Its broad controls may exceed simple USB creation needs
Our verdict	Ventoy is an open-source utility for creating bootable USB drives on Windows and Linux. It is designed for users who need one drive to hold multiple ISO, WIM, IMG, VHD(x), or EFI files. After Ventoy is installed, users can copy image files… Read the review →	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 →

Strengths and trade-offs

• Ventoy — where it wins

  • Boots ISO, WIM, IMG, VHD(x), and EFI files directly
  • Supports multiboot, Linux persistence, MBR/GPT, and Secure Boot
  • Offers Windows and Linux GUI and CLI installation methods

  Where it doesn't

  • Does not provide a macOS application
  • Image downloads are local-only
  • Compatibility depends on the image files and boot hardware

• 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

• Ventoy9.4/10 · Free plan

  A free, open-source multiboot USB utility with broad image and boot-mode support.

  Visit VentoyFull verdict →
• Rufus8.8/10 · Free plan

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

  Visit RufusFull verdict →