Chromebook Recovery Utility vs LibreELEC USB-SD Creator
Chromebook Recovery Utility
support.google.comLibreELEC USB-SD Creator
libreelec.tvSide by side
| Figure | Chromebook Recovery Utility | LibreELEC USB-SD Creator |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | — | Free |
| Free plan | — | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 0 | 1 |
| Spec score · Bootable USB Software | 7.7 (#14) | 7.9 (#9) |
| Purpose | Chromebook Recovery Utility burns a recovery image onto a separate device, such as a USB drive or SD card, for recovering a ChromeOS device. | The app selects and downloads a LibreELEC image for an HTPC device and creates bootable USB or SD card media. |
| Support | Google directs users to the ChromeOS Flex Help Community and says support for certified devices is available to Chrome Enterprise, Chrome Education, or Google Workspace customers, depending on subscription. | The project directs users with app problems to its USB-SD Creator Support forum. |
Plans
In their own words
Chromebook Recovery Utility
Chromebook Recovery Utility has no write-up on Specifiction yet; its figures are above.
LibreELEC USB-SD Creator
LibreELEC USB-SD Creator prepares bootable USB sticks or SD cards for an HTPC. It can select and download the latest stable LibreELEC image, show older stable releases, or use a local .img.gz file supplied by the user. Writing the image overwrites all data on the selected target device. LibreELEC describes its operating system as a lightweight Linux distribution built for Kodi on popular media-center hardware. The free, open-source Creator currently runs on 64-bit Windows 10 and 11 and macOS 14 or newer. A Linux build for Ubuntu and Debian derivatives is not currently available. The application checks for updates but does not download or install them automatically. Version 1.5 added Arabic and Korean translations. LibreELEC signs the macOS app to help avoid Gatekeeper issues and provides SHA-256 links for Windows and macOS installers. Support is directed to the USB-SD Creator Support forum. The project says its default configuration is intended for home networks, not security-sensitive networks.