Being the primary system software installed on a computer, an Operating System has to take care of a lot of things, such as allocation/de-allocation of memory to programs, management and optimization of hardware resources, and then some more. But as crucial as these operations are, probably the most important function of any OS is to act as a bridge between the user and the computer hardware. Consequently, an Operating System should be efficient, and most importantly, easy to use.
Thankfully, Windows 10 certainly doesn’t disappoint in this regard, given the freshly minted awesomeness that it is. So whether you’re a power user who prefers to work with multiple virtual desktops at all times, or just a casual web surfer who likes to spend hours glued to the Internet, downloading all games, applications, and what not; Windows 10 has got your back.
Speaking of downloads, I’m sure that’s something we all love. And for trouble free downloads, a great download manager is a must. But with so many of them out there, it’s certainly not easy to choose the best download manager for Windows 10.
But fret not, as that’s exactly what this blog post is meant for. Can’t wait to find out more? Let’s find out which are the 5 best download managers for Windows 10.
Download Accelerator Plus
Arguably the most popular download manager application out there, Download Accelerator Plus, better known by its acronym DAP, is a powerhouse application, having a truckload of impressive features. DAP lets you download all kinds of files (audio, video, applications etc.) rocket fast, thanks to patented technologies that accelerate the download speeds (hence the name). Apart from that, DAP can look for faster mirror servers even as the files are being downloaded, and automatically switch to the fastest ones for maximum download speeds. Download Accelerator Plus also supports a number of useful add-ons that enhance its capabilities even further, and can be used to add features like automatic malware scanning and security reports, to an FTP browser to it. And, of course, then there are all the regular download manager features such as the ability to resume broken downloads and automatic categorization as well. Overall, Download Accelerator Plus is a pretty solid download manager, even the free version of it. And if you want more, you can always make a paid upgrade to the premium version.
Orbit Downloader
For a free download manager application, Orbit Downloader packs in some serious goodies. At just about 5 MB in size, Orbit Downloader lets you download all your files with minimum fuss. You can download multiple files at a time, and add tags to your downloads for better grouping and management. Just like DAP, it also includes a handy speed acceleration feature for improved download speeds. Orbit Downloader supports a number of web protocols including HTTPS, FTP, and RTSP. You can also configure it to download files via proxy server configuration. However, the highlight feature of Orbit Downloader is its capability to download media (music, videos etc.) from a variety of social networking and file hosting websites such as MySpace and RapidShare. Orbit Downloader is compatible with all major web browsers and includes all standard download management features, such as pausing/resuming of downloads and categorized downloads.
Free Download Manager
If you’re looking for a free yet powerful application for taking care of all your downloading needs, look no further than Free Download Manager. Incredibly feature laden, Free Download Manager is (obviously) gratis, something that its name instantly makes clear. FDM also features download acceleration but does a different take on it. It automatically splits the file to be downloaded into smaller chunks, and then downloads these pieces simultaneously, thus increasing the overall download speed. Apart from that, Free Download Manager has enhanced video/audio support, and lets you preview them even when they’re partially downloaded. It can even download only some specific parts of a ZIP file, leaving those that are unnecessary. But the highlight feature of Free Download Manager is its BitTorrent protocol support, which means that it can also replace your torrent client. There are also a ton of other goodies, such as remote administration of downloads over the Internet, automatic download management and scheduling, the ability to download entire websites, and a heck of a lot more. This thing is really good.
GetGo Download Manager
Searching for a download manager that can manage your downloads without requiring you to jump through a bunch of hoops? GetGo Download Manager is what you need. This versatile yet easy to use application includes a built-in web browser (aptly named GetGo123), that you can use to quickly go to the web page that has the stuff that you want to download, and then quickly start with the downloads. GetGo Download Manager can automatically detect multiple videos playing on a web page, and can download all of them in one go, thanks to its efficient batch download capabilities. It also includes a Multi-Threaded Download engine that intelligently splits the file into multiple threads and downloads them simultaneously, just like FDM. One very interesting feature of GetGo Download Manager is its download scheduler, which can be used to start downloads automatically according to a scheduled time. To round things off, GetGo Download Manager includes all standard download manager features such as automatic resumption of broken downloads, browser integration, and automatic categorization.
FlashGet
Last, but definitely not the least is FlashGet, a simple and straightforward download manager that places special emphasis on the security of your downloaded files. That’s because the most important feature of FlashGet is that it can be configured to automatically invoke the anti-malware program (provided you have one installed on your system) to automatically scan a file the moment it finishes downloading, to check whether it’s safe or not. That’s pretty cool. Apart from that, FlashGet includes all the goodies that you’d expect from any regular download manager. You can create unlimited download categories, and downloads can be moved amongst categories via simple drag and drop operations. It is also designed to use the minimum of system resources, so the chances of it slowing down your work are next to none. FlashGet supports all modern web protocols, such as HTTP, FTP, and eMule. And, of course, then there’s also the multi-server hyper-threading technique to ensure that you get the best download speeds.
Conclusion
Downloading stuff from the Web is one of the most popular (if not the most popular) activities performed on just about any computer, and a robust download manager application is absolutely needed for it. That’s where these powerful download manager applications come into play. And combined with the beast of an Operating System that is Windows 10, your download experience is bound to be a better one. Try them all, and let me know which one(s) you like the most.
