First off – download managers aren’t necessary. Your computer can download things all on its own. That said, it can be a helpful tool to make your computer more efficient. If you play video games or perform other bandwidth-intensive tasks, having the ability to automatically throttle any downloads in the background can be great. These programs can also help you keep your downloads neatly organised and can even help you pause and later continue some downloads without having to start all over again. Below are some of the best paid and free download managers we’ve come across!
JDownloader – Free
JDownloader is a free and open-source download manager, no cost and no ads. By default, you can set a bandwidth limit so you can still use other services with minimal effects you can also set it so compressed files automatically extract once they are downloaded. JDownloader includes add-on and plugin support and has a large number of plugins available that add new features such as integration with Firefox. It might look a bit old fashioned but JDownloader is free and very functional.
Internet Download Manager – 30-day free trial, $11.95pa
Internet Download Manager or IDM is well supported and a very reliable product, it can integrate into a whole host of browsers and resume downloads after your internet connection has dropped or your computer has restarted. IDM splits downloads so they can run more efficiently, up to a claimed five times speed improvement. All the features that it has though, come with a cost, just over $10 a year or $24.95 for a lifetime license.
Ninja Download Manager – $19
Ninja Download Manager or NDM again packs in features, downloads can be scheduled for later or paused when needed. Download speeds can be limited to make sure you’ve always got enough to watch Netflix or frag lag-free in video games. NDM supports tunneling through HTTP or SOCKS proxies so you can maintain your privacy. A key feature of NDM is the sequential file writing, this allows you to start listening to audio or watching a video before the file has finished downloading, this can save you from wasting time downloading something that claimed to be HD but was just a pixelated mess. NDM costs a fair bit in comparison to some alternatives, but quality always does.
EagleGet – Free
EagleGet supports an impressive feature set for a free download manager. It can integrate with a small number of popular browsers and schedule download queues by a range of criteria. Impressively, EagleGet can automatically refresh expired download links and resume the download without having to start from the beginning again. Notifications are supported so you can know exactly when your download is complete but a silent mode allows you to game in peace. A minimalistic interface makes EagleGet easy to use.
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