Best Free Download Manager

Download from majority of file-sharing services (rapidshare, megaupload e.t.c.)
www.dimonius.ru

orbit downloader is now version 2.8.12. It supports google chrome

I tried both: Gigaget and Free Download Manager:

Both are good and Yes, Gigaget seems to be bit fast, but I still love FDM, because of its numbers of features, including the support for plugins, as well as good speed and speed control (Gigaget also have in more customizable way)

FDM Additional Features:
Site Manager,
Site Explorer
HTML Spider
Scheduler
Torrents/Bitorrents
Flash Video Downloader (Youtube etc)

I didn't find Gigaget as rich as FM.

I downloaded Gigaget but was disappointed.

I've been using Leechget for a number of years which on my computer, [hp pavillion and dialup] is twice as fast and has most if not all of the pick up functionality of Gigaget.

You should mention Jdownloader for rapidshare and stuff.
http://jdownloader.org/
JDownloader is open source, platform independent and written completely in Java. It simplifies downloading files from One-Click-Hosters like Rapidshare.com or Megaupload.com - not only for users with a premium account but also for users who don't pay. It offers downloading in multiple paralell streams, captcha recognition, automatical file extraction and much more. Of course, JDownloader is absolutely free of charge. Additionally, many "link encryption" sites are supported - so you just paste the "encrypted" links and JD does the rest. JDownloader can import CCF, RSDF and the new DLC files.

Mike

hmmm
for me, flash get is faster than gigaget...

Worked amazing for me...

I speaking my mind at Gravity Blue www.gravityblue.com

Gigaget is outdate and buggy.

I don't think the No.1 factor for most people whilst choosing a download manager is speed. There are other areas which are probably more important, such as ease of use of course, but also how well it can download (on mass) what you want, to where you want reliably, and with as little user intervention as possible.

Perhaps the biggest factor is not how fast it can download, but what it can download - I'd say Orbit with it's Grab Pro and Grab ++ anti leeching technology would make it the best choice for the average user, as figures from download.com suggest.

I recently downloaded and installed GIGANET. After integrating it into Firefox v3.0.10 it says in Firefox add on management that Giganet is not compatible.

I've tried Free Downolad Manager and Orbit, both are very good and look alike although Orbit is faster and starts downloads immediately which is not the case of FDM.

Huge drawback with Gigaget : fails to restart paused downloads on rapidshare (can't find source download link).
So I switched back on to Orbit which I use with Firefox 3.08 + Flashgot.
For me, way better than Gigaget or Flashgot+Downthemall (though I still use Downthemall occasionnally).

Orbit is the best!
Light , fast, easy!

I don't agree 100% with the FlashGot comment: if used in combination with DTA it's even better than FDM+FF acording to my tests (w/videos, pictures, files...). Currently, FlashGot is an excellent way to enhance DTA and even the FF built-in DL manager, check it out !

Try GetGo Download Manager! So cool!
http://www.getgosoft.com/

Flashget v1.60 is the best. Its not for torrents.

To the fans of GigaGet (or Thunder, or Xunlei, whatever), you are not alone! Try below link for the English MOD of Chinese version Xunlei (Thunder):

http://hehehunter.com/category/xunlei/

The English MOD is clean with no ADs. It's not the most current version, but close.

For Vista users, you have to crack your TCP/IP connection limits if you plan to use Thunder for P2P downloading, otherwise you will get Event 4226 error with connetion block out.

For cracking your TCP/IP limits, try TCP-Z, developed by a brilliant Chinese programmer! Safe and easy! Link:

http://deepxw.blogspot.com/2009/01/tcp-z-center.html

You can get NetTransport here: http://www.aplusfreeware.com/categories/internet/dlman.html

The old version of NetTransport, from when it was still freeware, still works very well. It's also not bloated or loaded with adware. Small, fast and works well.

I've tried Gigaget and Free Download Manager. Both work fine except that sometimes Gigaget gets stucked at the beginning or in the middle of a downlaod which in the end made me choose Free Download Manager since it's fast, reliable and simple to use.

http://www.gigaget.com/ is down... ???

Orbit Downloader is the best I've used for overall it terms of balancing functionality and simplicity. The ability to download just about everything, including streaming media is fantastic.

I attempted several times to download Gigaget, from their home page. the links were highlighted and looked pretty, but that is as far as it went. Clicking on the links didn't do a blasted thing and I tried several ways to download the program, to no avail.

The biggest problem I have with gigaget is that it refuses to download from links already in it's history list. When downloading from a browser, this is a pain as you have to open the main window to redownload.
I have not found away around this.

IDM is the best. Period.

IMHO, Internet Download Manager (IDM) is the best. But unluckily, it's not free.

I have used all of the ones mentioned above, and like everything you will find people that love, live and die for one or the other. My 2 cents are:
- FDM is my number one choice (BUT KEEP READING. i use 2)
* First, some people are talking about version 2.5...hey, they are on version 3. Upgrade!
* This is a note for the writer (Jojoyee). : PLEASE, keep Gizmo's format of listing which ones are portable. FDM is. It actually creates it for you, and the latest version, works with Portable Firefox, which is sweet.
* FDM can do the same thing as DownThemAll, in where it downloads all links of a page, (incluiding filters), and has more flexibility on the naming of files.
- DownThemAll.
* I love FDM. no questions. I use DownThemAll though, because it is "integrated" in firefox (portable). Prior to the latest FDM update, FDM didn't work with portable firefox AND there were issues with SpySweeper and portable FDM. These things are solved now, so i may go back to just FDM. But it is a nice tool
* Note, that downThemAll is not very flexible as far as names, and how many parts you break the file
* Last, there are SOME instances in which FDM will download the PHP or whatever instead of the file, and downthemall works it fine. SourceForge though works fine with either.

Now, if ANYONE knows of how to get FDM, DownThemAll or any, to download BlackBerry OS updates from the BlackBerry site, i would be HAPPPPY. it works for all software on that site, EXCEPT for the OS updates. weird huh?

None of the freebies (in my experience) work as consistently well as Internet Download Manager. It's relatively inexpensive and is regularly updated.

I have used LeechGet for a number of years and find it fast and facile.

http://www.leechget.net/en/

Its apparently German and Patrick Kola recomends it.