gBurner Virtual Drive vs Paragon Image Mounter

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.

Paragon Image Mounter is a Windows utility for mounting disk images during advanced data analysis. It supports RAW, VMDK, VDI, VHD, pVHD, and VHDX image types. Disks can be mounted at the physical level with all partitions, and partitions in known operating-system formats can mount automatically. Users choose read-only or read-write mode. Paragon File System Link drivers let Windows mount and operate Linux, HFS+, and APFS-formatted drives. The minimum listed requirement is Windows 7 SP1 or Windows Server 2008 R2 or above. The maker describes the tool for IT professionals and forensic experts. A free preview version can be requested from sales. A planned advanced version is described as adding E01 and Ex01 forensic formats, APFS read-write support, and automatic mounting at system startup. The paid product has pricing on request; the preview plan is listed at free. Paragon provides support contacts and regional business sales contacts.