gBurner Virtual Drive vs InfraRecorder

gBurner Virtual Drive is a free Windows utility for creating virtual CD/DVD drives and accessing disc images without burning them to physical discs. It can create up to 16 virtual drives and supports formats including ISO, GBI/GBP, DAA, NRG, MDF/MDS, BIN/CUE, UIF, ISZ, DMG, IMG, and VCD. To mount an image, users open the virtual-drive tray menu, choose the mount command, select an image, and confirm. The same menu provides an unmount command. The download page lists Windows support from version 98 through Windows 11, including 32-bit and 64-bit editions. The free utility is listed at free and is described as free for personal and business use. However, the download comparison identifies mounting an image file to a virtual drive as a gBurner Pro feature rather than a gBurner Free feature. Pro costs $39.95, paid once. The maker says game and program images can run at over 200 times the speed of a conventional CD/DVD-ROM.

InfraRecorder is free CD/DVD burning software for Microsoft Windows. It creates data, audio, and mixed-mode projects and writes them to physical discs or disc images, including ISO and BIN/CUE formats. Disc copies can be made directly or through a temporary image. The program blanks rewritable discs using four methods, supports dual-layer DVDs, and can import multisession data before adding more sessions. Audio and data tracks can be saved as WAV, WMA, OGG, MP3, or ISO files. A Windows Explorer shell extension adds context-menu commands for recording images or saved projects and opening or editing them. Documentation describes a customizable Explorer-like interface, drag-and-drop project handling, and a separate Express application. UDF support remains in alpha, so InfraRecorder cannot create UDF-only filesystems. The project is licensed under GPL version 3, while its graphics are outside that license. SourceForge lists the project as Beta, and the files page lists ir053.exe, 4.2 MB, as the latest version. The listed audience is End Users/Desktop.