It’s 2022, and if you are still using your browser to download files from the internet, you might as well go back to the stone age. Its infuriating having to download files using browsers, as the whole process is clumsy and broken. First of all, you don’t receive good download speeds, and even when you do, your download can break anytime. That’s why you should always use a download manager. A good download manager not only brings faster download speeds but also allows you to pause and resume your downloads and run multiple downloads in parallel. So, it’s time that you switch and here is the list of the 10 best download managers for Windows that you can use today.
Note: Some of the download managers in the list let you download content from platforms like YouTube, Vimeo etc. However, downloading content from these platforms for commercial use or piracy is illegal. So, make sure to read the privacy policy and terms & conditions of these tools before you start using them.
Best Download Managers for Windows in 2022
In this list, we have selected 10 best apps. You can check the entire list by click on the table of content below. You can also jump to specific apps by clicking on their name in the table of content:
1. JDownloader 2
JDownloader is one of the best download managers that you can get for your Windows PC. First of all, the download manager is open source and completely free to use. Unlike the paid download managers which provide a free version which runs with ads, with JDownloader you get everything for free, that too without any ads.
Talking about its features, the downloader manager allows users to start, stop or pause downloads, set bandwidth limitations, auto-extract archives, and much more. Some of my other favorite features of this app include multiple file downloads, support for popular content sites such as Vimeo and YouTube, add-on support, and more.
JDownloader is already a powerful download manager, however, it allows you to make it even more feature-rich and powerful by using a set of more than 300 plugins. For example, one of my favorite plugins is the scheduler plugin which allows met to shcedule my downloads. Whenever I am downloading huge files, I schedule it to download in the night as I get the best speeds then.
With JDownloader’s scheduling feature, I don’t have to remember to start and stop the downloads. This is just the tip of the iceberg and you can enhance JD’s capabilities based on your needs. As you can see, JDownloader is a very capable download manager for Windows and you should definitely try this out.
Pros:
- Completely free without ads
- Multiple file downloads in parallel
- Support for popular video hosting websites
- Huge library of plugins
Cons:
- UI seems outdated
Visit: Website (free)
Pro Tip: Remember to decline installing free antivirus software when installing the app.
2. Internet Download Manager
Internet Download Manager also known as IDM is probably one of the most popular download managers for Windows out there. The biggest feature and probably the USP of Internet Download Manager is its easy integration with all the major browsers out there. I still get surprised by the accuracy with which IDM intercepts all the download links allowing me to easily download the files using its service rather than the browsers’ built-in downloader.
This deletes the extra step where I need to consciously use a download manager as it automatically captures all my downloads. While other download managers also do this, none of them does it as good as Internet Download Manager.
Other features of IDM include the ability to pause and resume downloads, support for downloading multiple files in parallel, faster download speeds, and more. IDM comes with a smart download logic accelerator that features intelligent dynamic file segmentation and safe multipart downloading technology to accelerate your downloads. This also ensures that even when your PC crashes in the middle of a download, IDM will be able to resume the download without having to start from scratch.
Internet Download Manager also supports proxy servers, FTP and HTTP protocols, firewalls, redirects, cookies, authorization, audio and video content processing among other things. It is one of the most powerful download managers out there and you should definitely try this one out.
Pros:
- Great download speeds
- Multiple file downloads in parallel
- Support for popular video hosting websites
- Supports proxy servers, FTP & HTTP protocols, and more
Cons:
- A little pricey
Visit: Website (free 30-day trial, $29.95)
3. Ninja Download Manager
Ninja Download Manager is one of my most favorite download manager apps for Windows. First of all, the app is probably the best looking download managers out there. I mean, while rest of the download manager on this list are functional, none of them is going to win any design award. Since Ninja Download Manager is new in the market, the developers had the chance to create something modern and they did exactly that.
The app looks like a modern Windows 10 app and doesn’t stick out like an eyesore. When you get past its looks, you will find that Ninja Download Manager is one of the best and fastest download managers out there.
The software uses multiple simultaneous connections which basically divides the whole file into different chunks and uses different server points to download different chunks, thereby bringing your exponentially faster download speeds. Other features like pausing and resuming downloads, scheduling downloads, multiple downloads, queuing downloads, and more are also here.
One of my favorite features of NDM is its sequential downloads feature which ensures that your files are downloaded from start to finish, thus, allowing you to preview your downloads even before completion. It comes in really handy while downloading big video files, as it allows you to check if the quality of file is good or not before you waste time and data on downloading the entire file. I love NDM and highly recommend this to anyone looking for a good download manager for Windows.
Pros:
- Beautiful and elegant UI
- Multiple file downloads in parallel
- Ability to schedule downloads
- Support for sequential downloads
Cons:
- Parsing of media on non-popular websites is not supported
Visit: Website ($19)
4. Free Download Manager
Free Download Manager or FDM is yet another open-source download manager for Windows which is very powerful. FDM, like other download managers on this list, brings faster download speeds by splitting the downloading files into different parts and then downloading those parts simultaneously. It also supports pausing and resuming of downloads even when a download is interrupted abruptly.
One of the unique features of FDM is its support for torrent files which comes in really handy at times. I also love its bandwidth management features which allow me to allocate bandwidth to downloads thereby allowing me to surf the web without any hindrance in speed. FDM is also one of the best looking download managers on this list and I quite like its modern and clean UI.
All that said, my favorite feature of Free Download Manager is its smart file management and scheduler system. With FDM you can easily organize downloaded files by their type. So, all my files are organized even before they are downloaded. With FDM, all my videos, games, and music downloads are sent to their respective folders.
I love using FDM and it’s one of my most favorite download managers in the market. The fact that it is totally free to use without any ads makes this even better. If you are looking for a free and powerful download manager for Windows, definitely try it out.
Pros:
- Modern UI
- Easy auto organization of downloaded files
- Support torrent downloads
- Free to use
Cons:
- Sometimes it is a bit slow to parse the links
Visit: Website (free)
5. EagleGet
EagleGet is a free all-in-one download manager which can be integrated to Chrome, IE, Firefox, Opera, offering support for HTTP, HTTPS, FTP, MMS and RTSP protocol. What this means is that the software can automatically catch download links from the above-mentioned browsers thereby allowing you to download files without any problem.
Just like the other download managers on this list, EagleGet uses advanced multi-threaded technology to speed up connections so that you get speedier downloads. It also supports all the other features including multiple downloads, the ability to pause and resume downloads, adjusting the priority of downloads, bandwidth allocations, and more.
One of the best features of EagleGet is its built-in malware checker and file integrity verifier. The feature protects users from virus attacks while at the same time ensures that the downloaded file is genuine and original. The software is completely free to download and use, however, you have to either agree to see ads or share your bandwidth with other users who are using this software.
In a way, it acts similarly to a torrent where you have to share your bandwidth for being able to download files. If you like what you read here, download EagleGet by clicking on the link below.
Pros:
- Speedier downloads
- Built-in malware checker
- Support for sequential downloads
Cons:
- Free but with ads
Visit: Website (free)
6. uGet
uGet is yet another open source download manager for Windows which is completely free to use. It brings features such as multi-connection downloads which uses file splitting to increase download speeds, batch download with file queuing, and the ability to resume and pause downloads without having to start the downloads from the beginning. One of my favorite things about uGet is its looks.
The app automatically adjusts its appearance based on the color scheme and icons of the operating system it is installed on. Apart from the normal light and dark themes, uGet also comes with various hybrid themes which really make this app stand out from the rest.
Other features of the app include a clipboard manager which monitors your clipboard for any copied download link and prompts you to ask if you would like to download those files, browser integration with Chrome, Firefox, Chromium, Opera, and Vivaldi, and support for multiple mirrors protocol among other things.
I have used uGet in the past and I quite like its user interface. The download speeds were also great and the app works exactly as advertised. It’s a good option for anyone looking for a free and ad-less download manager for Windows.
Pros:
- Beautiful dark mode
- Integration with most popular browsers
- Support for batch download with file queuing
- Theming capabilities
Cons:
- Installation and configuration is a bit hard
Visit: Website (free)
7. Xtreme Download Manager
Xtreme Download Manager is one of the oldest download manager available for Windows and it works great. The app is best for handling downloads of video content as it supports link parsing for most of the major video platforms including YouTube, Dailymotion, Facebook, Vimeo, Google Video and 1000+ other websites. That does not mean to say that it is only good for downloading videos.
On the contrary, just like all the other download managers on this list, Xtreme Download Manager works with all file types. That being said, it is best for downloading video files. One of my favorite features of XDM is the ability to download entire playlists from YouTube without having to input links for individual videos.
The app also seamlessly integrates with Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox Quantum, Opera, Vivaldi and other Chromium and Firefox based browsers. Other features of Xtreme Download Manager include the ability to pause and resume downloads, scheduling of download time using the built-in smart scheduler, speed limiter which helps in managing bandwidth allocation, support for proxy servers, authentication algorithms, and more. As you can see XDM is a powerful download manager and it definitely deserves a place on this list.
Pros:
- Support for all the popular video hosting websites
- Playlist download support
- Support for download scheduling
Cons:
- The UI could have been better
Visit: Website (free)
8. aria2
Unlike other download managers included on this list, aria2 is a command-line download utility. It supports HTTP/HTTPS, FTP, SFTP, BitTorrent and Metalink. One handy feature of aria2 is that it can download a file from multiple sources. You can also use aria2 as a full-fledged BitTorrent client with features like DHT, PEX, encryption, magnet URI, web-seeding, selective downloads, local peer discovery, and UDP tracker. At just 4MB, aria2 is a lightweight download manager that you should check out if you are comfortable with the command line interface.
Pros:
- Lightweight
- Segmented downloading
- Free to use
Cons:
- No GUI
- Command line interface might not be for everyone
Visit: Website (free)
9. Internet Download Accelerator
Internet Download Accelerator is a good download manager program for Windows which aims to solve the three biggest problem people face when downloading files using a browser; download speeds, the ability to resume broken downloads, and the management of downloaded files. Just like the other download managers on this list, Internet Download Accelerator increases the download speeds by splitting a file being downloaded into several parts and then downloading these parts at the same time.
It also resumes broken downloads from HTTP, HTTPS, and FTP servers. The IDA also integrates with all the major browsers including Internet Explorer, Chrome, Firefox, Mozilla, Opera, Netscape, Safari, Yandex.Browser, Vivaldi, and others to give a seamless downloading experience. If none of the above download managers meet your needs, you should give this one a try.
Pros:
- Support for all the major browsers
- Ability to resume broken downloads
- Easy management of downloaded files
Cons:
- Limited multi-threading capabilities
Visit: Website (free, $9.95)
10. Free Rapid Downloader
The last download manager app for Windows on our list is the Free Rapid Downloader which is a fairly good download manager with all the important features. It is is an easy to use Java downloader that supports file downloads from Rapidshare, Youtube, Facebook, Picasa and other file-sharing services, including the new ones like Mega. The ability to download files from file sharing services such as Rapidshare and Mega is one of the best features of this app.
Other features of the app include support for concurrent downloading from multiple services, downloading files using a proxy list, support for streaming videos or pictures, smart clipboard monitoring, and more. If you download a ton of files from file-sharing websites, this is the best download manager for you.
Pros:
- Support for popular video hosting and file sharing websites
- Smart clipboard monitoring
- Streaming support for videos
Cons:
- Link parsing is on the slower side
Visit: Website (free)
Download Files Easily with These Windows Download Managers
That ends our list of the best download managers for Windows that you can use. I have included both paid and free download managers here so everyone can enjoy the benefits of using a download manager. Do check out the list and let us know which is your favorite download manager amongst them all. Also, if you are not keen on using separate apps, you should check out download manager Chrome extensions that bring similar features. They are not as powerful, but they get the job done.
