Internet Download Managerfor Windows

Internet Download Manager is software that collects and manages downloaded files. It incorporates a smart download accelerator and technology that downloads multiple files at the same time so that files are segmented and in turn, download a lot faster. This software is good for a variety of different types of users - users that download files every once in a while, and those that are consistently downloading. Ideally, the user interested in IDM would be one that is looking for a way to download multiple files at the same time without having to wait and also be able to download large files as well. This software is a big help for those looking for a solution to the issue of their computer slowing down when downloading files, and possibly not being able to use their computer at all until the download has completed. The user would be looking for software that is able to do most of the file organizing for them.

User-friendly program with download speeds that are hard to beat

When looking for a way to download multiple files quickly without having to wait, Internet Download Manager excels.

From documents that are smaller and only take up a few megabytes worth of space to larger files like other software or even games, the download is nearly instant each time. According to the IDM website, the technology used to segment files and provide an accelerated download speed increases the downloading time by nearly 500 percent.

The process of actually downloading and setting up IDM is a few steps too many. In Chrome, once you've downloaded the software you're prompted to enable the IDM Integration Module extension in order for the program to work, and a screenshot is provided for efficiency's sake. Before you're able to do any of this, you have to close out the browser you're using, which can be frustrating if you're in the middle of something and just wanted to be able to use the software immediately. Once the extension has been added, a window appears informing you of some changes that it is making to Chrome, including being able to read and change all data on websites that are visited. For those that are worried about privacy and data sharing, this could be a cause for concern. In IDM's privacy policy, it says that the browsers that use the software do not collect any data besides what is absolutely necessary to run the integration module. In this case, that includes things like internet addresses, cookies, and encrypted credentials. The data collected is stored on the user's computer until IDM is deleted. IDM does not send information to third party sellers.

Once the extension is ready to go and a file is downloaded, a window pops up to alert the user of how exactly IDM works. IDM immediately captures the file from the link and sends it to the program on your desktop. At this point, it gives you the option to stop downloads of that file type if you would like and shows you how to exclude downloads from certain websites in the program. IDM supports a large variety of different file types including but not limited to .exe, .rar, MPEG, MP4, JPEG. For more information, a download manual is included.

Fantastic user experience

Besides the incredible speed of downloading files, IDM has other cool features that make the experience great, like being able to pause and resume downloads. If there is ever an issue during the process of downloading a file like loss of internet connectivity, the manager will continue where it was stopped. You can drag and drop files from IDM into other folders or onto your desktop to customize as you'd like. If there are multiple files on a page, you can download them all from the link at the same time. IDM also has a built-in antivirus that will automatically scan the files before download.

Internet Download Manager is software that collects and manages downloaded files. It incorporates a smart download accelerator and technology that downloads multiple files at the same time so that files are segmented and in turn, download a lot faster. This software is good for a variety of different types of users - users that download files every once in a while, and those that are consistently downloading. Ideally, the user interested in IDM would be one that is looking for a way to download multiple files at the same time without having to wait and also be able to download large files as well. This software is a big help for those looking for a solution to the issue of their computer slowing down when downloading files, and possibly not being able to use their computer at all until the download has completed. The user would be looking for software that is able to do most of the file organizing for them.

When looking for a way to download multiple files quickly without having to wait, Internet Download Manager excels. From documents that are smaller and only take up a few megabytes worth of space to larger files like other software or even games, the download is nearly instant each time. According to the IDM website, the technology used to segment files and provide an accelerated download speed increases the downloading time by nearly 500 percent.

Download and install

The process of actually downloading and setting up IDM is a few steps too many. In Chrome, once you've downloaded the software you're prompted to enable the IDM Integration Module extension in order for the program to work, and a screenshot is provided for efficiency's sake. Before you're able to do any of this, you have to close out the browser you're using, which can be frustrating if you're in the middle of something and just wanted to be able to use the software immediately. Once the extension has been added, a window appears informing you of some changes that it is making to Chrome, including being able to read and change all data on websites that are visited. For those that are worried about privacy and data sharing, this could be a cause for concern. In IDM's privacy policy, it says that the browsers that use the software do not collect any data besides what is absolutely necessary to run the integration module. In this case, that includes things like internet addresses, cookies, and encrypted credentials. The data collected is stored on the user's computer until IDM is deleted. IDM does not send information to third party sellers.

Once the extension is ready to go and a file is downloaded, a window pops up to alert the user of how exactly IDM works. IDM immediately captures the file from the link and sends it to the program on your desktop. At this point, it gives you the option to stop downloads of that file type if you would like and shows you how to exclude downloads from certain websites in the program. IDM supports a large variety of different file types including but not limited to .exe, .rar, MPEG, MP4, JPEG. For more information, a download manual is included.

Besides the incredible speed of downloading files, IDM has other cool features that make the experience great, like being able to pause and resume downloads. If there is ever an issue during the process of downloading a file like loss of internet connectivity, the manager will continue where it was stopped. You can drag and drop files from IDM into other folders or onto your desktop to customize as you'd like. If there are multiple files on a page, you can download them all from the link at the same time. IDM also has a built-in antivirus that will automatically scan the files before download.

Where can you run this program?

Internet Download Manager is currently only available for Windows on PC, but it will run on a number of different browsers including Chrome, Internet Explorer, Firefox, Netscape, MSN, AOL, Avant, and more. The Quick Update feature scans IDM once a week, so the software will always support the most recent version of all the popular browsers and updates automatically.

Is there a better alternative?

IDM is an incredible download manager, but unfortunately, it only runs on Windows and after the 30-day trial it costs $11.95 monthly. As for alternatives, the first would be JDownloader. It's available for Windows, Mac, and Linux, is completely free and has some similar features to IDM like the ability to pause and resume downloads. Free Download Manager is another good option. It is available for Windows and Mac, can resume errored downloads, has accelerated download speeds and more. Lastly, there's uGet. Similar functions to IDM are pausing and resuming downloads, scheduling downloads, and multi-connection downloads. The layout is a bit more modern and it has more options to customize the aesthetic of the program than most others. Light and dark modes help with extended viewing time. uGet is available for Windows, Mac, Linux, and Android.

Our take

IDM is a great program to have. It's incredibly user-friendly and there are a ton of functions that make this program go above and beyond what is expected. Anyone can use it, and the download speed cannot be beaten. It would be an incredible asset to many types of users.

Should you download it?

Yes, we absolutely recommend Internet Download Manager. It is simple, updates consistently, and the available functions don't leave much to be desired. Having this program is guaranteeing a boost to productivity and would be good to have at both the office and at home. The only downsides to IDM are that it is limited to Windows, and $11.95 is a bit expensive to charge monthly especially if you're a light user and don't download many files, but this software would be a really big help if you download music, pictures, and documents, games, and more even a few times a week.