balenaEtcher
FreeA free, open-source tool for flashing OS images to SD cards and USB drives with a simple three-step interface.
About balenaEtcher
balenaEtcher writes operating system images to SD cards and USB drives. You pick an image, choose the target drive and start flashing, and the tool validates the write afterwards to confirm it succeeded.
It is widely used for preparing Raspberry Pi cards and other single-board computers, as well as USB installers. The interface hides system drives by default to reduce the risk of overwriting the wrong disk, and it runs on Windows, macOS and Linux.
Etcher suits beginners and professionals who want a straightforward flasher without options to configure. It offers fewer settings than tools such as Rufus, which is part of its appeal. The winget release notes for the latest version are only commit messages, mentioning a macOS hardening patch.
The software is free and released under the Apache-2.0 licence. Flashing erases the target drive, so check the selection carefully. For tasks that need partition tweaks or Windows setup options, a more configurable tool may be better, but for a quick, safe flash Etcher is hard to misuse.
Ideal for Raspberry Pi cards. Choose Rufus instead if you need Windows install customisation.
Version history
1 release tracked- Added macOS hardening patch
- Fixed copyright text
Frequently asked
Is balenaEtcher free?
Yes. It is free and open source under the Apache-2.0 licence.
Does it need an account?
No.
Which platforms does it support?
Windows, macOS and Linux.
Where does the download link go?
Directly to etcher.balena.io or the official app store for your platform. PlanetSofts never rehosts installers or adds wrappers, and these links were last verified Oct 6, 2026.