Best Free Download Manager

There comes a time when you are downloading a large file and the download stops part of the way through. If you are using the Windows download applet there is nothing you can do about it; you will just have to start again. A good download manager will allow you to resume the download, picking up where it left off.

Good download managers also allow you to start several concurrent download sessions from available resources for the one file. This works by splitting the file into parts with each part downloaded at the same time from multiple or mirrored resources. At the end the file is re-assembled, like "joining pieces of me to become me" by the download managers.

This can result in dramatic improvements in download speed given a transmission speed limited by Internet service providers.

Below are a few free download managers short listed for review based on the basic requirements including:

• Speed, or lapsed time to download a file
• Interface with clipboard, web browsers and supported protocols
• Management of downloaded files
• Other features 

[2]Free Download Manager is a popular download manager and a good choice for its stability, nice user interface and support for various browsers such as Internet Explorer, Firefox, Chrome, Opera and Safari.

The program offers simultaneous multi-part downloads from several mirrors to increase the download speed, with a powerful scheduler to start and pause downloading files at the preset time.

It also features downloads from RapidShare, prioritized and partial torrent downloads, adjusting traffic usage, flash video download and an upload manager. Management of downloaded files is well supported.

Upon installation of the application, uncheck 'install Software Informer' if you don't need it. A lite version of the program is also available with optional plugins.

[3]A good contender in this category is Orbit Downloader, which is based on p2p and multi-source downloading technology with more efficient mirrors selection algorithm for faster download. It's also devoted to the new generation web to make downloading any social media easy and fast.

Moreover, Orbit Downloader features Grab Pro to facilitate video download from sites using anti-leeching technology like YouTube, Pandora, etc. It also comes with a software updater but it might not be as good as the top pick reviewed in Best Free Software Update Monitor [4].

It integrates with Internet Explorer, Firefox, Opera and Maxthon, supports most streaming media protocols and file-sharing service websites, and includes other features such as general and tagged download management. Advisory: Orbit Downloader is bundled with OpenCandy. More information here [5].

[6]Apart from downloading various types of files, GetGo Download Manager helps download your favorite videos from YouTube and other websites with embedded FLV flash videos with one-click.

It integrates with IE and Firefox browsers. With the program, you can easily set up a batch download using an URL pattern template and rename downloaded files automatically using a filename pattern template. Other features such as download scheduler, resume broken downloads, managing downloaded files, etc., are included.

The program has optional Standard and Search toolbars in the user interface. Upon installation, it adds a GetGo Toolbar into your browser, but that can be disabled.

[7]FlashGet download manager is also worth a try as it is designed for speed and management of downloaded files.

It increases the download speed by applying multi-server hyper-thread technology and supports HTTP, FTP, BT, eMule and other various protocols.

FlashGet provides download monitoring for Internet Explorer and also integrates well with Firefox's FlashGot extension. It supports unlimited categories for managing downloaded files.

Upon first running of the program after installation, it shows a 'recommended message' on the right panel, but that can be easily disabled.

Download Manager for multi-platform

[8]Uget is a cross-platform program designed to be simple, lightweight and easy to use.

It's an open source application written in GTK+. Debian and RPM packages are readily available for download and installation, but for Windows users, the GTK+ runtime environment needs to install separately before running the program.

The program supports pause, resume and queue downloads, and classification of download files, monitors clipboard and integrates with Firefox browser via FlashGot plugin. Other features include batch download and import downloads from html files.

[9]As an alternative, MultiGet is an open source and easy-to-use download manager for multi platforms including Windows and Linux. It runs on most desktops without any configuration.

The program accelerates the download by multi-tasking with multi-threading on multi servers and supports http/ftp protocols which meet the requirements of most users.

It provides management of downloaded files in a good GUI interface, monitors the clipboard well but does not integrate with browsers.

Other useful features include multi-language support, optional auto MD5 check and reconfiguring the thread number without stopping the current task.

Browser Addons

FlashGot [10] is a Firefox's addon which allows you to set your own preferred download manager and integrate it with the Firefox browser for auto download. The addon by itself also helps you to download many files on a web page at one go.

oGet [11], also known as DM Bridge, is a Chrome's extension to integrate the Chrome browser with an external download manager of your choice, with optional settings for the integration mode and context menu.

DownThemAll [12] is another browser extension to add advanced download capabilities to Firefox. This add-on is useful if you are using Firefox and need to download many files on a web page at one go. However, when you need to download a single large file it's much slower than a standalone download manager.

Several other free download managers were brought up in comments here or noted from other sources. As they are not rated in this review, I am listing some of them here with brief descriptions and links to their sites for ease of reference.

• Internet Download Accelerator [13], the free version offers general features of a download manager but comes with an ad panel which cannot be disabled. It also prompts for an upgrade to the commercial Pro version.
• Gigaget [14] utilizes cutting-edge Net Grid technology to tap the unused resources of networked PCs and servers to improve your download speed. This program is no more supported by the developer. It occasionally prompts an 'about:blank' error message after a browser's home page is set to blank.
• Download Accelerator Plus [15] (free) is a toned down version of the commercial DAP Premium, but basic features are available such as multi-connections to download sites, mirror search, etc. It has an active 'information pane' at the right panel which can't be disabled.
• Star Downloader Free [16] accelerates your downloads by splitting files into parts and downloading them from mirror sites. It is also a toned down version without some of the useful features available in the commercial Star Downloader Pro, such as a link leecher.
• MetaProducts Download Express [17], a small application weighing in at about 680 KB, supports IE and Firefox browsers and allows you to download individual files from the Web and FTP sites with multiple channels technology. It features a Projects list without classification of downloaded files. Download speed is slower than the top-picked download manager.
• LeechGet [18] (Personal Edition) is a free download manager for non-commercial use only. It provides common download features and limits the number of simultaneous downloads to one only. The unlimited number of downloads is available to its commercial premium version.
• Fresh Download [19] offers several useful features such as turbo-charged downloads, pause and resume, multiple connections, integration with browsers, clipboard monitoring, categorized download, etc. Upon obtaining the software, you will be asked to enter your name and email address to get free codes to unlock the software. This program does not display the original names of some downloaded files when a download link is manually added.
• SKDownloader [20] is a java based download accelerator for Linux, Windows and other platforms, supports for simultaneous multi-part download, http and ftp protocols, Firefox and IE integration. It comes with an advertisement panel which cannot be disabled.
• JDownloader [21] lacks classification of downloaded files but makes downloading files from One-Click-Hosters like Rapidshare.com or Megaupload.com easier for users with a premium or a free account.
• KooLoader [22], a slimmed down version of the paid for product, lacks classification of downloaded files and encountered couple of download sluggishness when tried.

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