Side by side

mkusb vs WindoWriter

Both stand on bootable usb software. Which one you can start free with, which one lets you read the code, and what each costs once you pay.

WindoWriter offers cross-platform command-line creation of Windows UEFI installers, with a macOS GUI and several image and driver options. Its safeguards and verification checks are useful, but platform requirements and the lack of current legacy-BIOS support matter when choosing it.

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The facts

	mkusb	WindoWriter
Free plan	Yes	Not published
Open source	Not published	Not published
Runs on	Linux	Linux, Mac, Windows
Lowest paid plan	Not published	Not published
Plans published	None	None
Maker	Not published	Not published
Website	help.ubuntu.com	github.com
On bootable usb software	#34 of 38	#38 of 38

mkusb: what it does well

WindoWriter: what it does well

Supports UEFI and Secure Boot
Verifies boot-critical files with SHA-256
Handles ESD, SWM, and oversized WIM images
Can add Intel RST/VMD or custom drivers
Includes safeguards before disk erasure

What to know first

GUI is currently macOS-only
Legacy BIOS support is not current
Linux writing requires root access
macOS requires version 13 or newer

Alternatives to mkusb Alternatives to WindoWriter The whole list