Why people look for an IDM alternative
Internet Download Manager (IDM) is a popular Windows download accelerator. It is paid after a trial, only runs on Windows, and its code is closed. If you use a Mac or Linux, don’t want to pay, or want software you can inspect, you need something else.
Fuselane and IDM side by side
| Feature | Fuselane | IDM |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free, forever | Paid after a trial |
| Runs on | macOS, Windows, Linux | Windows |
| Open source | Yes, Apache-2.0 | No |
| Splits a download into parts | Yes | Yes |
| Uses several networks at once | Yes: Wi-Fi, Ethernet and a USB-tethered phone together | No, one connection |
| Torrents and magnet links | Yes | No |
| Videos from web pages | Yes, with the free yt-dlp | Yes |
| Browser extension | Chrome, Edge, Firefox | Yes |
| Account, ads or tracking | None | No account needed |
What makes Fuselane different
A download accelerator opens several connections to the server, but they all go over the same internet line, so it can never be faster than that line. Fuselane spreads the parts across every network your computer has. With home broadband and a phone plugged in over USB, a big file comes down over both at once, and Fuselane checks every byte before it joins the parts into one file.
- Resumes after a dropped connection, a pause or a restart.
- Finds and checks published checksums by itself.
- Schedules, speed limits and monthly data allowances per network, so a phone plan isn’t used up.
- A built-in speed test for each network, and sending large files straight to another computer.
Switching takes a minute
- Download Fuselane for your computer and open it.
- Add the browser extension, so big downloads go to Fuselane by themselves.
- Plug in your phone over USB or join a second network, and every download uses it too.