Use Rufus when you want to write one bootable image to a USB drive for a specific installation. Choose Ventoy when you want a reusable drive that can hold several images: install Ventoy once, copy supported image files to the drive, then select one from its boot menu. Neither is a universal compatibility winner; the image, computer firmware, boot mode, and Secure Boot configuration all matter.
Rufus or Ventoy: which fits your job?
| Your need | Better starting point | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Create one Windows or Linux installer USB from an image | Rufus | Rufus writes bootable media from an image. Choose settings for the computer you intend to boot; creating the drive repartitions and reformats it. Rufus |
| Keep several installers or rescue images on one drive and swap them by copying files | Ventoy | Ventoy installs a boot menu and scans its data partition for supported image files. Which images boot successfully still varies. Ventoy guide |
| Save changes between boots in a Linux live session | Ventoy, if the distribution supports persistence | The live distribution must provide a persistence boot option, and Ventoy needs persistence configuration and a persistence file. This mechanism does not apply to Windows installer ISOs. Ventoy persistence guide |
| Boot an older or specially configured computer | Check the exact firmware mode and image first | BIOS/UEFI settings and image-specific behavior affect booting. Neither tool can guarantee every computer-and-image combination. Rufus FAQ · Ventoy guide |
| Keep Secure Boot enabled | Check the computer-specific instructions for either tool | Ventoy’s Secure Boot path can require firmware settings or key enrollment and has policy tradeoffs; Rufus may warn about images with revoked bootloaders. Ventoy Secure Boot guide · Rufus FAQ |
How the workflows differ
Rufus writes an image to the drive
Rufus is designed to create bootable USB drives from bootable ISO images. It lists Windows, Linux, and UEFI among its use cases. You select the USB device and image, then configure the target system and partition scheme for the computer you intend to boot. The resulting drive is for that image and configuration rather than a library of images you switch among by copying files. Rufus
Rufus’s website reports version 4.15, dated June 30, 2026; releases and available options can change. Rufus can offer an ISO download option, but its FAQ says that option depends on the update setting and network access to its remote script, so it may not always appear. Rufus · Rufus FAQ
Ventoy keeps a data partition for image files
Ventoy’s workflow is to install the tool on a USB drive, copy image files to its data partition, and choose an image from a menu at boot. Its guide lists ISO, WIM, IMG, and VHD(X) among supported file types. Ventoy searches the first partition, and you can organize images in folders. Compatibility depends on how each image is built and expects to boot. Ventoy guide
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Ventoy’s firmware support list includes x86 Legacy BIOS, IA32 UEFI, x86_64 UEFI, ARM64 UEFI, and MIPS64EL UEFI. The computer’s firmware determines which mode is used; support for a mode does not mean every image will boot on every device. Ventoy guide
Check BIOS and UEFI mode before creating media
Boot mode is a setting to match to the target computer, not a simple feature-count contest between the tools. Rufus explains that a Windows ISO capable of BIOS and UEFI boot may be configured to boot in one target mode according to the selected partition scheme and target system. For Ventoy, the firmware chooses the mode. If you are troubleshooting a boot failure, confirm the target computer’s firmware mode and the image’s requirements before recreating the drive. Rufus FAQ · Ventoy guide
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Secure Boot involves more than a yes-or-no setting
What to know about Ventoy
Ventoy documents a Secure Boot path that may require enabling “Allow Microsoft 3rd Part UEFI CA” in firmware. Some newer configurations also require key enrollment. Ventoy says its default policy allows EFI files to boot without checks, and cautions that the approach can fail on some computers. That policy tradeoff means enabling Ventoy’s option should not be taken as assurance that every Secure Boot policy expectation remains in force. Ventoy Secure Boot guide
What to know about Rufus
Rufus says it may warn when an ISO uses a bootloader that has been revoked. Its FAQ attributes this to vulnerabilities discovered in Microsoft bootloaders; a warning about a vulnerable bootloader is not, by itself, proof that the ISO is malicious. Revocation status and firmware behavior can change, so use trusted images and consult current project guidance. Rufus FAQ
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Ventoy persistence is for supported Linux live images
Ventoy persistence can keep changes made during a Linux live session, but it depends on the distribution providing a persistence boot entry. You also need Ventoy’s persistence configuration and a persistence file. It is not a method for saving changes made in a Windows installer ISO. After configuring it, follow the guide’s check: make a change during the live session, reboot, and see whether the change remains. Ventoy persistence guide
Back up the USB drive before using either tool
- Rufus: creating bootable media repartitions and reformats the selected drive, destroying its existing partitions. Rufus FAQ
- Ventoy: the project warns that installing Ventoy on a USB drive or other disk erases the target’s data. Ventoy FAQ
Before starting, back up anything you need and check the selected device’s name and capacity carefully. A suitable drive you already own may be enough; carrying multiple Ventoy images can call for more storage, depending on the size of those images. No single capacity or model suits every set of files.
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Questions people ask about Rufus and Ventoy
Why doesn’t Rufus create a Windows installation USB that can boot in both BIOS and UEFI modes?
Rufus’s FAQ explains that the selected partition scheme and target system can configure Windows media for one target boot mode, even when the source ISO itself can boot in BIOS and UEFI modes. Match the media settings to the computer you plan to use. Rufus FAQ
What kind of BIOS does Ventoy support?
Ventoy lists x86 Legacy BIOS as well as several UEFI architectures: IA32, x86_64, ARM64, and MIPS64EL. The firmware selects the boot mode, and the image still needs to be compatible with the target setup. Ventoy guide
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