Alcohol 52% vs ImgDrive

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.

ImgDrive emulates virtual CD, DVD, and Blu-ray drives for disc image files on Windows. It supports formats including CCD, CUE, ISO, ISZ, MDS, NRG, ASHDISC, CDI, PDI, BWT, B5T/B6T, MDX, and UIF, and can mount folders as virtual drives. CUE files paired with WAV, APE, or FLAC can be mounted as Audio CDs; Pro adds M4A, TTA, and WV. Free editions support up to four virtual drives, while Pro supports up to nine. ImgDrive can create image files from folders and copy discs to image files. It integrates with Windows Explorer and includes a command-line interface. Version 2.x supports Windows 7, 10, and 11; users of Windows XP, 2003, Vista, or 8 are directed to version 1.8.8.7. The free plan is for personal use; commercial use requires Pro. ImgDrive Pro Lifetime costs $12, paid once. A single-user license can be used on any number of computers if only that person uses it. Yubsoft states purchases are not refundable.