Free Download Manager

About this release

Free Download Manager covers both halves of downloading in one program. Direct transfers get segmented across several connections and reassembled, and torrents run in the same queue through a built in client, so there is one list, one set of speed limits and one schedule rather than two applications competing for the same connection.

Browser integration hands off transfers automatically once the extension is registered, and media on most sites surfaces a quality list so a video or an entire playlist can be pulled without copying links by hand. Everything captured lands in the same queue with the same rules for filing, resuming and throttling.

The interface is more organised than the category is used to. Downloads group by type and by site, each entry shows its segments and its history, and finished files can be previewed in place. Traffic limits can be set globally, per download or on a weekly schedule, and the manager can shut the machine down when the queue empties.

Reliability is where it earns its place. Interrupted transfers resume from the last complete segment, files can be verified against a checksum where one is published, and the queue survives restarts intact including torrents mid transfer. Remote control from a browser or a phone lets a machine at home keep working while you are elsewhere.

What it does

Direct and torrent in one queue

Segmented transfers and a torrent client sharing the same list, limits and schedule.

Browser handoff

Extensions capture downloads and media automatically, including whole playlists.

Segmented acceleration

Files split across connections and rejoin on completion.

Scheduling and traffic limits

Global, per download and weekly schedule control over bandwidth.

Resume and verification

Interrupted transfers continue from the last segment and can be checked against a checksum.

Remote control

Manage the queue from a browser or a phone on the same network.

Changed in this version

• Media capture updated for the current browser extension platform.
• Torrent client updated with better peer handling.
• Faster queue rendering with several thousand entries.
• Improved parsing of adaptive streaming manifests.
• Fixed a resume failure on servers with short lived session tokens.

System requirements

Install order

1. Unpack the archive.
2. Run the installer and accept the browser extension prompt.
3. Restart the browser so capture registers.
4. Set download folders, filing rules and traffic limits on first run.

Worth knowing before you start

File details