balenaEtcher (formerly called Etcher) is a free, open-source USB flash drive and SD card flashing (image writing) tool for Windows, Mac and Linux platforms, written using the Electron software framework (JavaScript, HTML, Node.js). It makes it easier and safer to make USB flash drive and SD card based bootable disks for various operating systems.
balenaEtcher has a simple, clean interface, foolproof operation, supports for multiple image formats (BIN, IMG, ISO, ZIP, BZ2, DMG, DSK, ETCH, GZ, HDDIMG, RAW, RPI-SDIMG, WIC, XZ, etc.), can automatically detect whether a file is bootable image, can automatically identify a variety of USB storage devices (including Raspberry Pi devices that support USB device boot mode), can write multiple SD cards or USB drives at one time, and supports command line operations.
balenaEtcher's distinguishing feature is that it is easier to use than similar software. All it takes is three steps: first select the image file to burn, then select the USB device to burn to (it automatically recognizes and selects it if you plug in only one), and finally click the 'Flash!' button to burn. It is worth mentioning that balenaEtcher can protect you from accidentally writing the OS image to your local hard drives, which results in system crash or data loss (and cannot be recovered).
Key Features
| Feature | Description |
| Validated Flashing | No more writing images on corrupted cards and wondering why your device isn't booting. |
| Hard Drive Friendly | Makes drive selection obvious to avoid wiping your entire hard-drive |
| Beautiful Interface | Who said flashing SD cards has to be an eyesore. |
| Open Source | Made with JS, HTML, node.js and Electron. Dive in and contribute! |
| Cross Platform | Works for everyone, no more complicated install instructions. |
| More on the way | 50% faster flashes, simultaneous writing for multiple drives. |
Download URLs
| License | Version | Download | Size |
| Freeware | Latest |  |
n/a |