balenaEtcher vs FlashBoot
balenaEtcher
etcher.balena.ioFlashBoot
prime-expert.comSide by side
| Figure | balenaEtcher | FlashBoot |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | $143.33/mo | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | — |
| Linux | Yes | — |
| Plans published | 9 | 2 |
| Spec score · Bootable USB Software | 8.7 (#1) | 8.3 (#4) |
| Purpose | Etcher flashes OS images to SD cards and USB drives. | FlashBoot installs privacy-enabled Windows to an internal drive or USB, migrates Windows to another PC, and creates portable copies of a computer. |
| Support | The documentation directs users with problems to raise an issue on GitHub, where the balena.io team can help. | FlashBoot support is provided by email at [email protected]. |
Plans
balenaEtcher
- balenaCloud FreeFree
- balenaEtcherFree
- balenaCloud Prototype$159 a month
- balenaCloud Pilot$329 a month
- balenaCloud Production$1,439 a month
- balenaCloud Prototype$1,720 a year
- balenaCloud Pilot$3,588 a year
- balenaCloud Production$15,588 a year
- balenaCloud EnterprisePriced on request
In their own words
balenaEtcher
balenaEtcher flashes operating system images to SD cards and USB drives, and can create USB installation media from bootable ISOs. Its three-step interface requires no command line. After flashing, it confirms completion to help users check that a card can boot and is not corrupted. To reduce the risk of choosing the wrong target, it warns users and hides system drives by default. Flashing erases the entire target drive and replaces its data. Etcher runs on Linux, macOS, and Windows: listed support covers most Linux distributions on Intel 64-bit systems, Windows 10 and later on Intel 64-bit systems, and macOS 10.13 and later on Intel and Apple Silicon. It can directly flash Raspberry Pi devices that support USB device boot mode. Etcher is free and open source. It does not configure persistent storage for live USB drives, and Windows images may need special boot preparation that Etcher is not designed to perform.
FlashBoot
FlashBoot is a Windows utility for preparing Windows installations on internal drives or USB storage, moving Windows to another computer, and creating portable computer copies. The maker lists workflows for Windows 7, 8.x, 10, and 11, with availability depending on edition. FlashBoot Free converts Windows setup media for USB, installs Windows 8.x, 10, or 11 as a full operating system on USB, and saves, restores, or copies USB images while retaining bootability. Pro adds Windows privacy controls, operating-system cloning, and driver integration. Its privacy options include registry tweaks and a DNS proxy for blocking selected Windows network activity; it can also set up Windows 11 without an online account. Pro supports installable clones with apps and data, bootable USB clones, and selected driver integration. For full Windows on USB, USB 2.0 is the minimum, 3.0 is recommended, and at least 16 GB is specified. FlashBoot does not require activation or network access during operation.