Alternatives to Windows Media Creation Tool

Microsoft's official tool for downloading Windows 11 and writing it to a bootable USB drive. The listings below can replace it for an important use case. Each note says what changes if you switch.

Replacements

Listings that take over the same core job as Windows Media Creation Tool.

  • Rufus

    Writes a bootable USB drive from an ISO, and can strip the Windows 11 install requirements while doing it.

    FreeOpen sourceWindows

    Rufus is open source and writes any ISO to USB, can strip Windows 11 TPM and Secure Boot requirements, but you must supply the image yourself.

  • MediaCreationTool.bat

    Script wrapper around Microsoft's Media Creation Tool for every Windows 10 and 11 build.

    FreeOpen sourceWindows

    MediaCreationTool.bat wraps Microsoft's tool to reach older Windows 10 and 11 releases, downloading from Microsoft's servers, but it is an unsupported batch script with presets that change defaults.

  • Ventoy

    Prepare a USB stick once, then boot any ISO by copying the file onto it.

    FreeOpen sourceWindowsLinux

    Ventoy prepares a USB stick once so Windows and many other ISOs can be copied onto it and picked from a boot menu, and runs on Windows and Linux.

  • WoeUSB-ng

    Create a Windows installer USB drive from Linux.

    FreeOpen sourceLinux

    WoeUSB-ng creates a Windows installer USB drive from Linux with graphical and command-line interfaces, but needs a Windows image you already have.

  • WinToUSB

    A Windows tool that creates portable Windows To Go installations and bootable Windows installer drives.

    FreemiumProprietaryWindows

    WinToUSB creates Windows installer drives and also portable Windows To Go installations, but it is closed source freemium software with some features limited to the paid edition.

  • PowerISO

    A Windows tool for creating, editing, burning and mounting disc images and writing bootable USB drives.

    FreemiumProprietaryWindows

    PowerISO creates bootable Windows USB drives and also mounts, edits and burns disc images, but it is closed source freemium software and needs an image supplied separately.

Similar software

Related functionality, not a direct replacement.