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macUSBbalenaEtcher
Free

Downloaded from GitHub releases or Homebrew, with an optional support link.

 Free

Free and open source under the Apache 2.0 licence. Balena sells separate commercial device…

macOS Windows, macOS, Linux
  • Downloads official macOS installers from Apple inside the app
  • Handles legacy macOS installers on Apple Silicon
  • Hides system drives, so the classic wrong-disk accident is much harder
  • Verifies the write by reading the media back
  • macOS only, and requires macOS 14.6 or newer
  • Licence of the published source is not stated in the research
  • An Electron app doing a job a 200 KB tool could do
  • No persistent storage or multi-boot; one image per stick
Downloadable app Downloadable app
Closed source Open source
License not stated License: Apache-2.0
No account needed No account needed
Not stated if it works offline Works offline

Checked October 1, 2026

Checked September 21, 2026

Catalog facts only. Anything “not stated” is unconfirmed. Check full listings for details.