Best Free CD / DVD Burning Software

Despite the technology world’s efforts to eliminate moving parts in computers, optical mediums such as CDs and DVDs are still widely used and most average users still need to burn optical discs. Whether backing up data, preparing an audio mix CD, or creating a bootable Linux disc, finding the right burning software is essential. I have determined what I believe to be the best free solutions available for this purpose. However, no software can be everything to everybody, so try a few different options before you decide on the right one for your needs.

After considering many comments from the readers and investigating various programs, I have chosen four applications to receive spots for the category of Best Free CD / DVD Burning Software. I believe that the combination of these programs will satisfy the needs of all types of users.

Although choosing the one best product was difficult, I have decided that ImgBurn should take the title. ImgBurn is the most powerful burning application I can find, for no other software comes close to its advanced features and options.

ImgBurn includes support for:

• every modern optical disc from CD to Blu-Ray
• more than 10 image formats
• authoring rewritable discs
• producing images from file compilations or discs
• building audio CDs from a variety of file types
• creating video discs on DVD, Blu-Ray, and HD-DVD
• enabling access to drives for restricted users
• endless tweaking of all aspects of the burn process

Unfortunately ImgBurn’s advanced features do come at the cost of a badly organized interface that may confuse users who just want to do a basic burn. The welcome menu provides quick access to some common tasks, but other basic features such as erasing a rewriteable disc are not immediately visible. Playing around with ImgBurn for a while and exploring the menus will certainly reveal most of what you need. However, people who aren’t interested in advanced functionality will most likely want to look at my other recommendations. Although ImgBurn is primarily aimed at advanced users, I still feel that it is the most worthy product for the top spot in this category.

The application that I feel is most suited for average users who want a full feature set without the complications that advanced options bring, is BurnAware Free. Under most circumstances, I wouldn’t choose the limited version of a commercial product as one of the best, but BurnAware Free is too impressive to ignore. It has the best interface I have seen in a burning application, and all of its features are neatly organized in a logical setup that makes any task a painless effort. Despite its simplicity, it does most of what you could want from a burning application. Unlike ImgBurn, BurnAware Free does not include advanced options for adjusting every aspect of the burn, and it lacks a few features that advanced users may find necessary.

BurnAware does not include support for:

• copying discs or saving discs to images
• making bootable discs from a compilation of files

I was unable to determine if dual layer discs are supported because I do not have any to test and because the program’s website does not specify. On the positive side, BurnAware Free supports CDs, DVDs, and Blu-Ray discs. It even allows you to create audio CDs and video DVDs, and you can burn ISO images as well as erase rewriteable media. BurnAware Free is my personal favorite disc burning application, and I will use it for the majority of my burning needs. I highly recommend it for the average user who doesn’t need advanced features, but wants an easy way to burn a disc quickly.

CDBurnerXP, my choice for the third spot, is an admirable burning application that combines functionality with simplicity. It supports all types of optical media including Blu-Ray and HD-DVD. CDBurnerXP matches the majority of ImgBurn’s main features and even includes some extras of its own. It is the only free burning application I have found that includes some support for LightScribe disc labeling. The label designer is pretty basic and not suited for specialized label creation, but it is a decent solution for basic tasks. The program also includes full support for command line operation for those who prefer a terminal over a graphical interface.

Although CDBurnerXP is not as advanced as ImgBurn or as simple as BurnAware Free, it has a respectable interface that makes most burning tasks straightforward and fast. The biggest drawback for some users is the program’s dependency on the .NET framework, which means that running the portable version from a flash drive will only work if the host computer has Microsoft’s .NET Framework installed. I do not personally like CDBurnerXP because I feel that between ImgBurn and BurnAware Free, my burning needs are covered. Nonetheless, I recommend trying it out if you need a full set of features without the troubles of a complicated interface.

I cannot write a fair review of free burning software if I don’t include InfraRecorder, so I am listing it as my fourth choice. InfraRecorder is a stable project that has been popular for quite a long time. It supports all of the common features that a good burning application should have, and it works with all types of CDs and DVDs including dual layer discs. It even includes full command line support like CDBurnerXP. With InfraRecorder, you can burn and create images with support for bootable discs, author rewriteable discs, and create audio CDs and video DVDs. The interface is clean and simple without a lot of extras to make things confusing.

InfraRecorder is a respectable burning program, but it has a few disadvantages as well. It does not support Blu-Ray discs or HD-DVDs. It also does not include many advanced options for tweaking the burn process to perfection like ImgBurn. Its interface isn’t as nice as that of BurnAware Free, and it doesn’t have any extra features like CDBurnerXP. Aside from these possible downsides, it feels like a solid program that definitely deserves a chance at becoming a part of your favored software collection.

This software category is maitained by volunteer editor m.broderick