Side by side
Boot-US vs OpenCore
Both stand on boot manager software. Which one you can start free with, which one lets you read the code, and what each costs once you pay.
Free plan LinuxWindows
Boot-US combines boot management with partition and disk tools, and supports both BIOS and UEFI systems. Consider its licensing terms and stated lack of warranty before using it on commercial PCs.
Visit Boot-US Free plan LinuxMacSelf-hosted+1
OpenCore combines bootloader capabilities with a development SDK and libraries for UEFI, kernel, and configuration work. Its source is available under BSD-3-Clause, with discussion forums listed in several languages.
Visit OpenCoreThe facts
| Boot-US | OpenCore | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | No | Not published |
| Runs on | Linux, Windows | Linux, Mac, Self-hosted, Windows |
| Lowest paid plan | See the plans | Free or on request |
| Plans published | 9 | 1 |
| Maker | Not published | Not published |
| Website | boot-us.de | github.com |
| On boot manager software | #5 of 29 | #9 of 29 |
Boot-US: what it does well
- Supports both BIOS and UEFI booting.
- Runs multiple independent Windows systems.
- Works with MBR and GPT disks of any size.
- Includes partition inspection and disk backup tools.
- Free use for private PCs and public schools.
What to know first
- Commercial use requires a license after the one-month trial.
- Licenses apply to a specified number of PCs.
- Provided without warranty and used at the user's own risk.
OpenCore: what it does well
- Free and licensed under BSD-3-Clause.
- Includes UEFI and BIOS support.
- Supports boot-entry editing and boot-menu customization.
- Provides plist configuration parsing and a patch engine.
- Discussion forums are listed in four languages.
What to know first
- The project documentation says its kernel-extension list is informational and without warranty.
- The listed release archives are source archives.
Alternatives to Boot-US Alternatives to OpenCore The whole list