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I download a lot of content online, and managing it can be hectic. Slow speeds, failing to keep track of files, and unstable connections are just a few of the issues I frequently face when downloading content. That’s why I always try to use the best download manager to mitigate these issues.
One of the best download managers available is Free Download Manager, which has a noticeably direct name. This app was initially proprietary and closed-source, but the developers later made it free and open-source.
It’s important to use the website link above (https://www.freedownloadmanager.org/) to download it, as people often mistakenly download botched versions from external sources. Malicious actors can bundle open-source apps with malware programs, so downloading from the official source keeps you safe.
I comprehensively tested the Free Download Manager to give an honest opinion. My review mainly centered on its features and user-friendliness. Read on to learn more about this app and whether it’s a good download manager for you.
Free Download Manager: Versions
The Free Download Manager is compatible with popular desktop and mobile operating systems. You can download it on Windows and macOS directly from the official website. The Windows app is also listed on the Microsoft Store. I used a Mac PC for my test, and installing the app was smooth.
I also downloaded the Android app to test its mobile friendliness. However, there is no iOS app, which I consider a drawback.
Free Download Manager: Features
The Free Download Manager has rich features to help you manage your content downloads. I appreciate that it’s a free, open-source tool with no ads. I’ve encountered a handful of free download managers with excessive ads, and I was happy not to see that here.
I usually download a lot of content via torrents, so I was pleased to discover that this app supports downloads via the BitTorrent protocol. You can upload a .torrent file, and it’ll immediately download the relevant content. The .torrent file contains the metadata of your desired content, which the app reads and immediately fetches from seeders via the BitTorrent protocol.
Apart from uploading .torrent files, many torrenting clients let you download torrents by providing the magnet link or torrent hash. Unfortunately, the Free Download Manager lacks these capabilities. You can only download torrents by adding the .torrent file. However, you can still download standard files (not torrents) by providing a URL.
I appreciated this app’s download acceleration feature, which let me split files into several sections and download them simultaneously. This technique offers faster speeds than downloading the complete file in one package. With files split into smaller bits, you can download them more quickly on slower connections.
Broken downloads are a significant issue for many users. When downloading content via a web browser, a download can progress halfway and fail because of an unstable connection. Then, you’ll have to redownload the file from scratch.
However, the Free Download Manager solves this broken downloads issue. When downloads are interrupted, you can resume them later from the exact spot where the interruption occurred. You’ll no longer have to curse at your computer for restarting bandwidth-heavy downloads from scratch, or at least I’ll no longer do.
I enjoyed previewing audio and video files while downloading them. For example, if you’re downloading the latest episode of your favorite series and are too impatient to wait for it to complete, you can start watching it while the download is in progress.
I also liked being able to automatically convert files after downloads. I have this frequent issue where I download videos in the MKV format, which my native video player doesn’t support. Hence, I immediately converted all MKV videos to MP4 upon downloading them.
The Free Download Manager allowed me to organize downloads neatly and place them in specific folders or subfolders. I liked the remote control feature, which allowed me to create new downloads on my PC from my Android smartphone. While at work, I initiated movie downloads on my home PC, and the movies were available to binge once I arrived home.
Having these features for free gave me a lot to appreciate about the Free Download Manager. Most download managers with similar features charge for their software or make money by showing ads.
Yet, I have a complaint. The Free Download Manager didn’t support YouTube downloads, although it did so sometime ago. Understandably, YouTube has taken more aggressive copyright action against download managers, so many apps turn off YouTube downloads to avoid legal tussles. Yet, I wish I could download educational YouTube videos with this tool.
Free Download Manager: Interface and in-use
The Free Download Manager excelled in the user-friendliness criterion. Its simple interface was easy to understand. To download a file, you can copy and paste the URL or add the .torrent file. It’s that straightforward.
Users can monitor all their downloads from a single dashboard and pause or stop them anytime. I could view the progress of every download along with the thumbnail for easy identification. Before downloading a video or audio, I was constantly prompted to choose a file name, format, and folder to store it in.
You can choose between light and dark modes depending on your preferences. The desktop and Android apps feel modern and responsive. The same applies to the browser extensions for Chrome, Firefox, Edge, and Safari.
If you need help with this tool, you can visit the official community forum where users often exchange solutions to their issues. You can also check the official GitHub documentation to troubleshoot problems yourself.
Free Download Manager: Final verdict
I’ll recommend the Free Download Manager any day and anytime. It makes downloads management easy without paying a dime. Most comparable download managers are freemium or premium, but this one is entirely free and easy to understand.
