Alcohol 52% vs Express Burn
Alcohol 52%
alcohol-soft.comExpress Burn
nch.com.auSide by side
| Figure | Alcohol 52% | Express Burn |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | $2.92/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | — | — |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | — | Yes |
| Plans published | 4 | 4 |
| Spec score · ISO Creation Software | 9.0 (#1) | 8.3 (#4) |
| Privacy | Alcohol Soft says it collects site interaction information, operating system, and IP address, and says these details do not contain personally identifiable information. | NCH says its programs may collect anonymous usage data such as how often menus or options are used. |
| Purpose | Alcohol 52% emulates CDs and DVDs by creating virtual drives so users can play discs without the physical media. | Express Burn burns audio, video, and data to CD, DVD, and Blu-ray discs. |
| Support | The maker offers manuals, FAQs, a support forum staffed by its support team, and direct email contact. | Express Burn support offers troubleshooting and how-to articles, a forum, a help manual, and a contact option for technical support. |
Plans
Alcohol 52%
- Alcohol 52% 15 day trialFree
- Alcohol 52% 15-day trialFree
- Alcohol 52% Free EditionFree
- Alcohol 52%$27, paid once
Express Burn
- Express Burn FreeFree
- Express Burn Plus CD Burner Annual Plan$34.99 a year
- Express Burn Plus CD + DVD Authoring Annual Plan$49.99 a year
- Express Burn Plus CD + DVD + Blu-ray Authoring Annual Plan$59.95 a year
In their own words
Alcohol 52%
Alcohol 52% creates virtual CD/DVD-ROM drives so users can play discs without the physical media. It supports up to 31 virtual drives and can mount optical images in formats including CCD, CUE, ISO, BWF, CDI, MDS, and NRG. The listed downloads are for Windows, excluding Windows 98 and ME. A free 15-day evaluation period is available, with capabilities limited only by the number of virtual drives available. The Free Edition is also listed at free and is marked not for business use. A paid single licence costs 27.00 USD once and includes lifetime free upgrades; online activation is required. The maker describes home users backing up game CDs and movie DVDs, as well as librarians and school administrators archiving recordable media. DVD titles protected with CSS cannot be backed up due to legal restrictions. Support options include manuals, FAQs, a support forum, and direct email contact. The privacy policy says users may choose to join the Bright Data network for some premium features and can turn that setting off in the app.
Express Burn
Express Burn burns audio, video, and data to CD, DVD, and Blu-ray discs on Windows and macOS. For audio, it can create MP3 or audio CDs and supports WAV, MP3, WMA, OGG, and FLAC. Video functions include DVD and Blu-ray burning, chapter management, and PAL or NTSC output. DVD authoring provides more than 20 menu templates, with the option to add custom images. Data discs can use ISO/Joliet, UDF, or Hybrid formats, and the software can create and burn ISO images. It supports recordable and rewritable media, dual-layer DVD and Blu-ray burning, bootable data discs, and disc copying. Command-line operation is available for automation and integration with other programs. The free edition does not expire, but is limited to non-commercial use and CD burning. Paid annual plans cost $34.99 a year for CD burning, $49.99 a year for CD and DVD recording, or $59.95 a year for all supported disc types. NCH says the audio and video functions are for users' own content and cannot be used to break copy or region protections.