Downloading files from the internet can be a tiring task – especially if you have a slow or unstable connection. Large files, in particular, can take a lot of time to download. Additionally, if you have an unstable connection, your downloads are susceptible to being interrupted. As a result of lost connections, or network problems, downloads may be interrupted.
Moreover, if your network is being used by a large number of devices, then you might not be able to download your files with maximum attainable speed. Likewise, a large number of background applications using your bandwidth also results in slow download speeds. As a result, a lot of your precious time goes to waste just waiting for a file to download.
This is because Internet browsers are made for browsing only. Therefore, it is not recommended to download large files directly from a web browser, as that might result in extremely slow downloading speed or even unfinished downloads in some cases. Fortunately, you can use some of the best download managers for Windows to manage your downloads. These download managers handle your file downloads efficiently, offering you pause and resume capability, accelerated downloads, and much more features.
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8 Best Download Managers for Windows
There are some of the best download managers for Windows out there that are available for you to use. Each one of them comes with its unique set of features. In this article, we will discuss eight best download managers that are available for Windows. These download managers are guaranteed to make your file downloads smooth and effortless.
1. Free Download Manager
Free Download Manager, also known as FDM, is the best download manager that is available for Windows. In addition to Windows platform, FDM also offers support for Mac OS X. Free Download Manager provides a number of powerful features paired up with an easy-to-use and user-friendly interface, and most importantly, as the name suggests, it is free!
The modern user interface of Free Download Manager makes managing downloads smoother than ever. Additionally, Free Download Manager helps you to download files considerably faster as compared to your web browser with the help of download acceleration. Using Free Download Manager, you can bid farewell to broken downloads in the future. Because FDM comes with the capability to pause and resume broken downloads.
Other features of the Free Download Manager include support for Torrent downloads, audio and video files conversion support, download scheduling support, support for scanning downloaded files for viruses and spyware, and much more.
Moreover, Free Download Manager also comes with a Lite version that takes up minimum storage space on your PC. So, if you want seamless file downloading and manageability, FDM is worth giving a shot, as it’s the best free download manager that is available for Windows.
2. Internet Download Manager
Internet Download Manager is even more remarkable than the Free Download Manager, but there’s a catch. The Internet Download Manager comes with a price tag of $29.95. This is the main reason why IDM falls behind the Free Download Manager.
If you are not satisfied with the free goodies that come with the Free Download Manager, then Internet Download Manager is the way to go for you. Because it comes with some useful and handy functionalities.
Internet Download Manager offers a seamless downloading experience by integrating with almost all the popular web browsers out there and handling all your file downloads by itself. IDM increases your download speeds by 3 to 5 times with the help of download acceleration support.
Internet Download Manager also offers support for downloads over a proxy server. There’s a nifty download scheduler which helps you to schedule and automates your downloads and even shut down your PC upon download completion.
Moreover, Internet Download Manager also enables you to download videos directly from popular video streaming websites such as YouTube, Vimeo, and much more. Other features of IDM include improved virus protection, easy-to-use user interface, and much more.
Hence, if you’re willing to spend some bucks to get the best download manager for Windows out there, you should stick with IDM instead of trying out any other option. If you’re hesitant to spend 30 bucks on IDM, you can also opt for a 30-day free trial from their website.
3. JDownloader
JDownloader is the most simple, yet one of the best download managers available on the internet. It is a free and open-source download manager that brings basic download management features in an easy-to-use and minimalist package.
It is not as feature-rich as some of the other download managers for Windows. But still, it offers convenient and smooth downloading experience.
JDownloader offers the capability to pause and resume downloads, limiting bandwidth usage, and other basic download management features such as, categorizing files based on their file types, download queuing, etc.
Being an open-source download manager developed in Java framework, users can benefit from many plugins. Over 300 plugins that are available thanks to the active developer community. Hence, if you’re looking for basic download management software, then perhaps you should go for JDownloader.
4. Orbit Downloader
Orbit Downloader is a free download manager for Windows that comes with a broad range of features. It provides you the ability to download multiple files with increased speed and flexibility. Along with the capability to pause and resume downloads as the users prefer, users also get to download files at the maximum attainable download speed.
In addition to these features, Orbit Downloader offers the capability to download videos from almost all the popular streaming websites that use different protocols such as, RTMP, MMS, and RTSP. These sites include YouTube, Pandora, MySpace, and much more.
Orbit Downloader offers unparalleled download management flexibility with the help of the Tag function. The Tag feature allows users to group different file downloads via tags which you assign. In short, Orbit Downloader is a great option if you want something with a simple and light interface, yet with full-fledged functionality and flexibility.
5. Flashget
Flashget is a fantastic download manager that comes with a spiced up UI and a whole lot of features. It packs the ability to speed up your downloads marginally over direct browser downloads.
Flashget comes with support for various downloading protocols, which include HTTP, FTP, etc. Additionally, Flashget also offers support for Torrent downloads using a BitTorrent client which allows you to manage all your downloads in one place.
In addition to that, Flashget comes with a broad range of skins which you can install to jazz up the UI and the support for a large number of add-ons that allow you to add more functionality to Flashget.
Despite packing some features for download management, Flashget is free to use and comes in a light package that utilizes minimum resources of your PC.
6. Download Accelerator Plus
Download Accelerator Plus is an excellent download manager that offers a broad range of features, in addition to download acceleration. DAP comes in a free and paid version.
Although the free version is packed with a broad variety of features, you can opt for the Premium features. The Premium version comes with a price tag of $24.95 if you want to avail the full functionality.
In addition to offering increased download speeds, DAP offers the capability to stream video files while downloading, convert video files, scan the downloaded file for viruses, and a lot more features.
Aside from these functions, the Premium version of DAP offers a lot more features as compared to the Free version.
7. Internet Download Accelerator
Internet Download Manager is another fantastic piece of software that comes with a broad range of exciting features. With exceptional flexibility and ease of management, Internet Download Accelerator helps you to manage your downloads very efficiently effectively.
Along with a simple design and user-friendly UI, Internet Download Accelerator comes with powerful features. These functions include FTP Explorer, ability to pause and resume downloads, accelerated downloads, support for streaming videos while downloading, online ZIP preview, and much more.
8. Microsoft Download Manager
Microsoft Download Manager is a simple and light tool that comes with basic file download functionality. It weighs less than 2MB. It helps you to manage your downloads effectively by enabling you to restart broken downloads and pause downloads as you prefer.
Microsoft Download Manager is available for Windows 7 and later. Although it lacks the functionality of a complete download manager, it helps you manage and keep tracks of all your downloads if that’s all you need.
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Because each download manager offers its unique set of features, the choice of the best download manager is a matter of your preference and requirement. Whatever the case, it is still much better to use a dedicated download manager to manage your file downloads instead of your web browser.