Compare software

flash vs USBImager: catalog facts
flash	USBImager
Best for: Users preparing SD cards for devices such as Raspberry Pi	Best for: Flashing Raspberry Pi and Linux images to USB or SD cards
Free Free and open source under the MIT license.	Free Free and open source under the MIT licence.
macOS, Linux, Command line	Windows, macOS, Linux
Writes local or downloaded images to SD cards Can set hostname and Wi-Fi settings in supported images All 3 strengths for flash Writes local or downloaded images to SD cards Can set hostname and Wi-Fi settings in supported images Can wait for a card to be inserted	Writes compressed images without unpacking first Runs on Windows, Linux and macOS All 3 strengths for USBImager Writes compressed images without unpacking first Runs on Windows, Linux and macOS Very small and minimal interface
Supports macOS and Linux Progress display requires pv	Deliberately minimal feature set Writing to the wrong drive erases it
Downloadable app	Downloadable app
Open source	Open source
License: MIT	License: MIT
Not stated if an account is needed	No account needed
Not stated if it works offline	Offline features available
Official website Full listing and sources Sources for flash github.com/hypriot/flash Catalog checked October 8, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Sources for USBImager gitlab.com/bztsrc/usbimager Catalog checked September 23, 2026

“Not stated” means we have not confirmed it. Features can vary by device and plan.