This is a list of utilities for creating a live USB. Only those listed on Wikipedia are included.
Overview
- "Multiboot" means that the tool allows multiple systems on the USB stick, as well as a bootloader on the USB flash drive to choose which system to load at boot time. Multiboot is environmental technology since it requires only a single storage device to boot multiple files.
- "Persistence" is the ability, for a Linux Live distribution, to save the changes (to e.g. software, documents, parameters, etc) in the live USB across reboots.
| Name | Developer | Licensing | Maintained? | Multiboot | Persistence support for Linux distributions | Runs on (OS) | Target OS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| balenaEtcher | Balena | Apache License 2.0 | Yes | No1 | Linux, macOS, Windows | Anything | |
| DasBoot | SubRosaSoft | Freeware | No | No | — | macOS | macOS |
| dd | Various developers | Free software (most vendors) | Yes | No | Unix-like | Anything | |
| Fedora Media Writer | The Fedora Project | GNU GPL v2 | Yes | No | Linux, macOS, Windows | Fedora | |
| GNOME Disks | Gnome disks contributors | GPL-2.0-or-later | Yes | No | Linux | Anything | |
| LinuxLive USB Creator (LiLi) | Thibaut Lauzière | GNU GPL v3 | No | No | Windows | Linux | |
| remastersys | Tony Brijeski | GNU GPL v2 | No2 | No | Debian, Linux Mint, Ubuntu | Debian and derivatives | |
| Rufus | Pete Batard | GNU GPL v3 | Yes | No | Windows | Anything | |
| SliTaz TazUSB | SliTaz | GNU GPL v3 | Yes | No | SliTaz GNU/Linux | SliTaz GNU/Linux | |
| Ubuntu Live USB creator | Canonical Ltd | GNU GPL v3 | Yes | No | Ubuntu, Windows | Ubuntu | |
| UNetbootin | Geza Kovacs | GNU GPL v2+3 | Yes | No | Linux, macOS, Windows | Anything | |
| Universal USB Installer (UUI) | Pendrivelinux | GNU GPL | Yes | Yes4 | Yes | Windows | Linux |
| Ventoy | longpanda | GNU GPL v3+5 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Linux, Windows | Anything |
| Windows To Go | Microsoft | Proprietary | No | No | — | Windows | Windows |
| YUMI (Your Universal Multiboot Integrator) | Pendrivelinux | GNU GPL | Yes | Yes | Yes | Windows | Linux |
See also
References
"Multiple ISO on one USB". balenaForums. 2021-11-15. Retrieved 2023-12-26. https://forums.balena.io/t/multiple-iso-on-one-usb/350128 ↩
"remastersys web page". remastersys.com. http://remastersys.com/ ↩
"UNetbootin - Homepage and Downloads". unetbootin.github.io. https://unetbootin.github.io/#credits ↩
"Universal USB Installer – Boot From USB". 8 February 2010. Retrieved 29 January 2023. ...inherits YUMI's Multiboot bootable USB features. https://www.pendrivelinux.com/universal-usb-installer-easy-as-1-2-3/ ↩
"Ventoy". www.ventoy.net. https://www.ventoy.net/ ↩