About this release
Free Download Manager does the job of a paid download accelerator without a price attached, splitting each transfer into parallel parts so a file arrives at the full rate of the line rather than trickling from a single stream. It is free and open, and it has quietly become the go to alternative for people who want the speed and the resume behaviour of a proper download tool without the licensing hassle.
It is unusual in handling both worlds in one queue. Direct HTTP and FTP links download with segmentation and full resume, and torrents download in the same window with the same queue and scheduling, so you are not running a separate torrent client alongside it. A browser helper adds a capture button over media on a page, so a video becomes a single saved file, and the scheduler runs a batch overnight with a bandwidth cap for working hours.
Beyond the core it keeps the sensible extras. It organises finished files into folders by type, remembers where a partial download was for a clean resume after a reboot, limits its speed so it does not swamp the connection, and runs light enough to leave in the tray all the time. This is the standard freeware build, prepared as an offline installer.
What it does
- Segmented downloading of direct links for full line speed
- Torrent downloading in the same queue as direct links
- Full resume after an interruption, a pause or a reboot
- Browser helper that captures video off a page as one file
- Scheduler with queues, bandwidth caps and post queue actions
- Speed limiter so a big transfer does not swamp the line
- Automatic sorting of finished files into folders by type
- Remote control of the queue from a phone on the same network
- Proxy support for restricted connections
- Light footprint suitable for leaving in the tray
Changes in this version
- Updated browser helper for the current Chromium releases
- Improved torrent peer connectivity
- Better resume reliability after an unexpected reboot
- Faster handling of very large download queues
- Refreshed the interface language set
What the package contains
- Free Download Manager offline installer
- Browser helper extensions for the supported browsers
- All interface languages
- Readme with the install order written out step by step
- Notes on adding the browser helper by hand
Installation notes
Follow these in order. Most reports of a failed install come from skipping a step rather than from the package itself.
- Close every browser window before you begin.
- Extract the archive to any folder you like.
- Run the installer and complete the wizard.
- Launch it once and allow the browser helper prompt.
- Set your download folder and any speed cap in settings.
- Leave it running in the tray, it resumes a queue after a reboot.
System requirements
| Operating system | Windows 7 or newer, 32-bit or 64-bit |
| Processor | Any 1 GHz or faster processor |
| Memory | 512 MB minimum |
| Graphics | No requirement |
| Storage | 80 MB plus space for what you download |
| Display | 1024 by 768 minimum |
Things worth knowing
- If the browser helper does not appear, add it by hand from the extension store.
- Set a global speed cap so a large batch does not starve everything else on the line.
- It handles torrents itself, so you do not need a separate torrent client running.
Questions about this title
Is it actually free?
Does it do torrents as well as direct links?
Why did my speed not improve?
Can it grab video from a page?
What people are saying
Does everything the paid accelerators do and costs nothing. Direct links and torrents in one queue is the killer bit.
Machine rebooted mid download and it picked up exactly where it left off. That reliability is why I keep it.
Light enough to leave running all the time. Catches videos off pages and sorts my downloads into folders.
Listing information
This entry is catalogued under Internet & Downloaders and carries the tags below. Language coverage is Multilingual, 30 interface languages, and the supported platform list is Windows 7, Windows 8.1, Windows 10, Windows 11. Version 6.34.4.6974 is the current catalogued build, last checked 4 days ago, and the entry has been in the index since it was added 2 years ago.