macUSB vs Etcher
Side-by-side comparison for macOS
macUSB
8.0Tool to create bootable USB installers
Etcher
8.0Tool to flash OS images to SD cards & USB drives
| Metric | macUSB | Etcher |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Utilities | Utilities |
| AI Score | 8.0 | 8.0 |
| 30-day Installs | 223 | 2.6K |
| 90-day Installs | 478 | 8.1K |
| 365-day Installs | 478 | 34.2K |
| Version | 2.1.1 | 2.1.4 |
| Auto-updates | No | No |
| Deprecated | No | No |
| GitHub Stars | 660 | 33.3K |
| GitHub Forks | 24 | 2.3K |
| Open Issues | 1 | 652 |
| License | MIT | Apache-2.0 |
| Language | Swift | TypeScript |
| Last GitHub Commit | 2mo ago | 9mo ago |
| First Seen | Feb 25, 2026 | Aug 9, 2023 |
Reviews
macUSB
macUSB simplifies creating bootable macOS and OS X USB drives, supporting a wide range of macOS versions and both Intel and Apple Silicon Macs. Its ease of use, compatibility with external SSDs, and support for legacy systems make it a valuable tool for users needing to install or reinstall macOS on multiple devices.
Creates bootable USB installers for macOS and OS X.
Pros
- + Supports both Intel and Apple Silicon Macs
- + Works with macOS versions from 10.4 onwards
- + Compatible with external SSDs
Cons
- - No auto-updates available
- - Some users experience installation issues
Etcher
Etcher is a user-friendly tool for flashing OS images to SD cards and USB drives, making it ideal for developers and hobbyists working with embedded systems. Its cross-platform support and ease of use set it apart as a reliable choice for safely handling OS images.
Flashes OS images to SD cards and USB drives.
Pros
- + User-friendly interface
- + Cross-platform support
- + Open-source with Apache-2.0 license
Cons
- - Privacy concerns regarding user data tracking
- - Lack of auto-updates