15 Internet Download Manager (IDM) Alternatives (free & paid) for 2022 (2024)

Usually, when downloading files from the Internet, your browser opens a single HTTP connection and starts downloading the file or whatever you are downloading.

The above is not a very efficient way to download data and does not fully utilize the Internet line. Moreover, it is possible that your connection gets disconnected unexpectedly for different reasons (ISP problems, computer crashing etc).

An Internet Download management tool can help a lot in minimizing the above limitations of internet downloads.

One of the most popular download boosting programs on the market is Internet Download Manager (IDM).

IDM allows you to continue to download your files, even if the connection between you and the Internet fails. It can resume and schedule downloads or even restart the job when the connection is broken or interrupted.

There are also many IDM alternatives however, which are even free compared to IDM which is a paid product.

Here is a brief overview of Internet Download Manager and several great alternatives that are available online.

Internet Download Manager Overview

IDM is a tool that many people use to enhance and accelerate downloads of files from the Internet. Not only can it resume broken connections, but it can actually increase your download speed up to five times compared to regular downloads by making more efficient use of the connection.

However, keep in mind that no download manager software will increase your Internet line speed. Your ISP speed plan is fixed and does not change with any software program.

However, an Internet accelerator / Internet Manager tool helps you to utilize the Internet line better (by starting multiple concurrent connections for example) so the download completes faster.

IDM can also schedule downloads, and because of its comprehensive recovery system when encountering errors, it will immediately resume downloading once the connection is re-established.

However, IDM is not free. Many people are turned-off by having to pay for a software that just manages your downloads.

That’s why we have collected 15 great alternatives to IDM, with some of them being equally powerful and free.

The list below is in no particular order.

1) Internet Download Accelerator

Internet Download Accelerator is very similar to IDM and is also a paid tool.

It is able to help people downloading files in three different ways. It can accelerate the speed of your downloads, resume broken connections, and can also help you manage all of the files that you are downloading into specific folders.

This works with Mozilla Firefox, Chrome, and IE. It is also compatible with Opera and Safari.

Regardless of your bandwidth, or how reliable it is, you can count on your downloads successfully being completed using Internet Download Accelerator.

This software also comes with many additional features including a scheduler, password manager, FTP Explorer, and the ability to search for specific files.

You can search for music, games, programs, or any type of file that you need to have. Finally, there is a toolbar that will work perfectly if you are using Firefox or IE. It is very user-friendly, and has a pro version aside from the free version that is available.

2) JDownloader 2

If you are looking for a free and open source solution for downloading files from the Internet, JDownloader 2 is something that you should look at.

It is a management tool specifically designed for downloading files quickly and efficiently. As a user, you will have full control over the downloads like start/pause etc or you can set your very own bandwidth limitations.

There is also the ability to auto extract your files and has an easy to use extendable framework configuration.

If you are looking for one of the best free software solutions for downloading files, JDownloader 2 is software that you should consider using.

3) EagleGet

If speed and convenience is important to you, along with reliability and security when downloading files from the web, EagleGet is the perfect solution.

Not only is this application free, it is a very powerful download accelerator that has many different levels of functionality.

Designed to work on the Windows platform, it will work with most web browsers, allowing you to download files and grab links on the web.

It also has a virus scanner that will allow you to feel confident about downloading any file from the Internet.

The best feature is the ability to simultaneously download different parts of the file at the same time. This is how it is able to quickly download images, videos, or any other type of file directly to your PC.

Combined with the drag-and-drop functionality, there are few downloaders on the market today that can compete with its ease of use.

It also uses a total of three different types of download technologies and provide you with a free video grabber. If eliminating the problem of broken connections is important to you, along with fast download speeds, consider using EagleGet today.

4) Xtreme Download Manager

Did you know that it is possible to download streaming videos from websites? There are video downloaders that will allow you to do this, sometimes with a single click. Perhaps you are looking for a downloader that can increase your download speeds up to 500%.

For all of these reasons, and many more, people trust Xtreme Download Manager. XDM is one of the best solutions on the market for downloading streaming videos up to five times faster.

It is compatible with all of the most popular browsers including Opera, Firefox, Chrome, Quantum, Vivaldi etc. If these features seem compelling to you, you should consider downloading XDM today.

5) Free Download Manager (FDM)

Did you need a free download manager to help you manage and accelerate your online downloads? There is one that is aptly named Free Download Manager or simply FDM and works on almost all Operating Systems available (Windows, MAC, Linux, Android).

It is one of the safest, as well as fastest, download software programs on the market. It offers proxy support, video downloading from the most popular websites online, and also has BitTorrent support.

Combined with it’s very easy to use interface, complete with this modern design, you can easily organize your downloads, adjust your traffic usage, and resume broken downloads easily.

This software is also capable of downloading at speeds that are 10 times faster than most of the downloading software programs on the market today.

You can easily use this with IE, Microsoft Edge, Firefox, Chrome, and also Safari. If using a free download manager is something that you would like to do, you should get FDM today.

6) FlashGet

Considered to be one of the best download managers on the market, FlashGet can help you download any files that you need.

It utilizes many different protocols and features that can help you accelerate your ability to download anything.

In particular, it is used to download videos directly from YouTube, and you can do this spyware and adware free.

What I like is that is can call antivirus automatically to check the downloaded file before opening it. Moreover, it is light on your system resources.

The tool also comes with a very powerful and unique file management functionality that will allow you to assign categories to whatever directory you are saving this information to.

This easy to use software can help you get videos and target files within minutes. You should consider testing out FlashGet today.

7) Motrix

A top rated and full-featured download manager that you should try is called Motrix. It is not as fancy as other options here but it gets the job done.

It comes directly from GitHub and will allow you to connect directly with torrent files, leading you directly to magnet links.

You can use this when downloading through HTTP, Magnet, BitTorrent and FTP. It is one of the safest and easiest download managers. To try it out, you should visit their website today.

8) uGet

uGet is marketed as the #1 open-source download manager. This powerful and versatile download tool is completely compatible with Windows, Android, and Linux platforms. You can easily install this to your computer and take advantage of its multi-connection capabilities.

You can set multiple downloads in the queue, plus you can pause and resume downloads as well. If you need a file downloader that is completely open source, consider getting uGet today.

9) Ninja Download Manager

Download managers should be designed to operate in a simple yet elegant manner. They should also be extremely fast by downloading portions of each file with multiple connections, thus accelerating the speed at which you get each download.

Ninja Download Manager is one of such tools, accelerating your file downloads by close to 20 times those with similar capabilities.

It allows you to resume and pause downloads, schedule them, and it even has sequential file writing capabilities.

Adding multiple downloads is easy, and with its drag-and-drop functionality, it will be one of the easiest downloaders you will ever use.

If speed and flexibility is important to you with this type of software, consider getting Ninja Download Manager today.

Keep in mind that this is also a paid tool (just like IDM) with $19 for one computer, $29 for 3 computers, and $49 for 6 computers.

10) DownThemAll

DownThemAll is a browser extension for Firefox, Chrome and Opera. It’s easy to use and will work within your browser.

You can download virtually every link that is connected to information or images hosted on websites.

It comes with customizable filters, and a download manager, that allows the user to pause and restart downloads.

If you currently use Firefox this is a “recommended” extension from the mozilla team, to help you get started download your favorite files.

11) Turbo Download Manager

If you are using the Chrome browser, you may want to consider Turbo Download Manager extension.

Within seconds, you will have access to this state-of-the-art downloader that will work directly from the browser.

Some of its best features include a multi thread download capability, plus a built-in tool that will allow you to grab images, audio, and videos.

It can also spider HTML pages, and will fetch multiple segments of the files that you want which can all be downloaded simultaneously.

Combine that with its ability to resume broken downloads, this is really one of the best free download browser extensions for Chrome.

12) aria2

This is one of the hardest utilities to use since there is no graphical interface and is solely based on command line. However, it is very light on resource usage.

It works perfectly for those that are using Metalink, BitTorrent or HTTPS. Some of its best features include segmented downloading, command line interface capabilities, and chunked transfer encoding.

There is also client certificate authentication plus you can download through FTP as well. If you have been searching for a lightweight and powerful utility for downloading files from the web, aria2 is exactly what you need.

13) Ant Download Manager

AntDM is a unique download manager that has free and paid editions as well. You can stream audio and video, from multiple websites, plus it has peer to peer protocols built within.

It supports downloading files from many popular locations, offering access to Premium Link Generators. It is one of the best video downloaders on the market, plus it has a professional version if you want more functionality.

If you have not found a downloader that supports proxy servers, or FTPS, consider getting Ant Download Manager today.

14) Persepolis Download Manager

If you are looking for a GUI and a powerful download manager software combination, the Persepolis Download Manager is the one that you need. It is actually a front-end GUI for the popular “aria2” command line utility.

This open source software was developed to work with Microsoft Windows, Linux, and BSD platforms. You are able to schedule downloads, access multi segment downloading capabilities, and obtain videos from Vimeo, YouTube, and more. You can schedule as many downloads as you want through proxies on multiple browsers. Consider downloading Persepolis Download Manager today if you want a front-end tool for aria2.

15) FlareGet

Do you need a full-featured download manager that is also multi threaded? Would you like to have one that has a built-in accelerator that works with Linux, Apple computers, and also the Windows platform?

If you are, FlareGet should be at the top of your list if you are looking for a very good download manager that has both a free and paid edition.

Supporting all major operating systems, you will experience lightning fast downloads and enhanced browser integrations.

Intelligent file management, combined with all of these features, makes FlareGet one of the best solutions for downloading files quickly from the web.

Final Words

In conclusion, Internet Download Manager (IDM) is one of the most popular download managers on the planet.

However, you are not limited to only this very reliable piece of software. After looking at the 15 alternative solutions above for downloading files, you may find that one of those is better for you.

Once you have installed one of these programs, or several of them, you will quickly decide which one is best suited for your needs. All of them provide you with enhanced capabilities for downloading files from the web at an accelerated pace.