Xtreme Download Manager (XDM): Free Download Accelerator for Windows, macOS and Linux
Xtreme Download Manager (XDM) is a free, open source download manager for Windows, macOS and Linux. It splits each file into several connections to use your full bandwidth, resumes broken downloads, refreshes expired links, schedules queues and saves HLS and DASH video streams. A browser extension for Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Brave and other Chromium browsers hands downloads from the browser to the desktop app.
This guide covers which XDM version to install, how the browser extension works, what the speed claims mean in practice and where XDM stops, so you can decide whether it should replace your browser's built-in download manager.
What is Xtreme Download Manager?
Xtreme Download Manager is a GPL-licensed download accelerator whose source code is public on GitHub, with official builds on xtremedownloadmanager.com. It takes over downloads that the browser would normally handle and adds the features browsers lack.
Browser download managers are fine when a transfer completes in one go. When the server drops the connection or your network hiccups, the browser often marks the file as failed and you start again. That is the classic case for a dedicated tool for large files. XDM's core features are:
- Dynamic segmentation: each file is fetched over several connections at once.
- Resume after connection loss, power failure or an expired session.
- Refresh link: revives an expired download link so a stalled transfer can continue.
- Batch downloads from pasted lists or from all links on a page.
- A scheduler with speed limits and an option to keep the PC awake.
- Protocol support for HTTP, HTTPS, FTP, MPEG-DASH, Apple HLS and Adobe HDS.
The project states that XDM ships with no adware, no bundled software and no sign-up.
XDM versions: 7, 8 and 9 compared
XDM 9 is the current recommended stable release, and it is the only branch with native builds for all three desktop systems. Older guides, including the original version of this article, describe XDM 7 (also called XDM 2018), so screenshots and menus you find online may not match what you install today.
| Version | Platforms | Status |
|---|---|---|
| XDM 9 (9.0.8) | Windows x64 and ARM64 (MSI), macOS Apple silicon and Intel (DMG), Linux x86-64 and ARM64 (deb, rpm, Arch, tar.gz) | Recommended stable, native app |
| XDM 8 (8.0.29) | Windows and Linux, x64 only | Previous version, replaced when XDM 9 is installed |
| XDM 7 (7.2.11) | Windows, macOS, Linux (Java based) | Legacy branch on GitHub |
Mac users in particular should pick XDM 9, since XDM 8 has no macOS build. The developer says XDM 9 idles at about 30 MB of memory on Windows because it is a native app without Electron or a webview.
How to install Xtreme Download Manager
Installing XDM takes three steps, and the setup window handles browser integration for you.
- Open the official site, xtremedownloadmanager.com, and download the installer for your system (MSI on Windows, DMG on macOS, a package for your Linux distribution).
- Run the installer and start XDM. On first start it offers the browser extension for every browser it finds; accept it for the browsers you use.
- Click a download link or play a video in the browser. XDM catches the download and opens its own dialog with the file name, folder and options.
Get XDM only from the official site or the GitHub project. Popular free tools attract repackaged installers on download portals, so check the source before you run any setup file, and if Windows warns about the file read up on how to judge an "isn't commonly downloaded" warning before you allow it.
The XDM browser extension
The Xtreme Download Manager extension is a bridge, not a downloader: it passes links from the browser to the XDM desktop app, which does the actual work. Without the app installed, the extension does nothing.
According to the developer, the extension talks only to XDM on your own computer, and downloads are handed over together with the cookies the site needs, so files behind a login keep working. Once it is active you choose which file types and sites XDM should take over. The right-click menu adds options to download a link, an image or all links on a page.
The extension supports Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Brave and other Chromium-based browsers. Install it from the XDM setup window or from the official browser extension guide rather than searching store listings, because older listings remain online: the Firefox add-on "XDM Browser Monitor" on Mozilla Add-ons was last updated in January 2021 and is meant for XDM 7. If downloads stop being captured after an update, reinstall the extension from the XDM setup window first.
Does XDM really speed up downloads?
XDM speeds up downloads only when a single connection cannot fill your line. It cannot make your internet plan faster; it opens several connections per file and keeps them busy until the end, which helps when the server limits speed per connection or when latency keeps a single stream from reaching full speed.
In ghacks' original 2019 test with XDM 7, the gains were real but modest. Over a weak Wi-Fi adapter, Firefox averaged about 3 MB/s and XDM about 4 MB/s. Over wired LAN, XDM averaged 18 to 20 MB/s with peaks near 36 MB/s, Firefox averaged 12 MB/s and Internet Download Manager about 22 MB/s.
Look at the average speed, not the peak. Results depend on the server, its per-connection limits and your connection, which is also why a download manager can help with slow or distant servers, for example when you download from China. For fast CDNs that already saturate your line, expect little difference.
Video downloads and their limits
XDM can save streaming video that a site delivers as HLS or DASH, and it merges the separate audio and video streams into one file. With the extension active, a download option appears when you play a video; you pick a quality and XDM fetches it.
There are clear limits. The official site states that XDM does not support YouTube or DRM-protected content, so streaming services that encrypt video will not work. The project also asks users to download only content they have the right to save. Older XDM releases offered a built-in converter to MP3 and MP4 formats; check the current version's download dialog for the options it offers.
Scheduler, queues and other tools
XDM's scheduler starts and stops downloads at set times, which suits large files you want to fetch overnight. Related tools sit next to it:
- Queues: group downloads and run them one after another or at a scheduled time.
- Speed limit: cap XDM's bandwidth so streaming or calls are not affected.
- Keep awake: prevent the computer from sleeping while a queue runs.
- Batch mode: paste a list of URLs or grab all links on a page.
- Categories: XDM sorts finished files into folders such as Documents, Compressed, Music, Video and Programs by file extension.
If you only need batch link grabbing inside the browser, a lighter extension such as Simple Mass Downloader may be enough.
XDM vs IDM and other download managers
XDM is the free, open source alternative to Internet Download Manager: it covers the same core jobs (segmented downloads, link refresh, scheduling, browser capture, stream saving) without a license fee, and unlike IDM it runs on macOS and Linux. IDM is Windows only and paid, and in the 2019 test it was slightly faster on average.
| Need | Good fit | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Free, open source, all three desktop systems | Xtreme Download Manager | GPL license, native builds for Windows, macOS and Linux |
| Commercial Windows tool | Internet Download Manager | Long-running paid product with deep browser integration |
| Free lightweight alternative | Neat Download Manager | Small app with media grabbing |
FAQ
Is Extreme Download Manager the same as Xtreme Download Manager?
Yes, "Extreme Download Manager" is a common misspelling. The project's official name is Xtreme Download Manager, or XDM, and its official site is xtremedownloadmanager.com.
Is Xtreme Download Manager free?
Yes. XDM is free software under the GNU GPL, with no paid tier, no sign-up and, according to the project, no adware or bundled software.
Does installing XDM 9 keep XDM 8?
No. The official site says XDM 9 replaces XDM 8 when installed, so you cannot run both side by side from the regular installers.
Related: Neat Download Manager review, How to download large files reliably, Simple Mass Downloader for Chrome
Hey, thanks, Video Download Helper has gotten a little lopsided to use.
So about the advertising; anyone seen the page with the explanation? I have a few ad providers permitted in Disconnect, but I’m most impressed by the 33across request count (8 in content? Valid?) and in Advertising for this page, 77 requests, the majority by Freewheel. Is there a page discussing who’s tolerable and this luche policy?
i wondered about IDM after DTA died after mozilla changed extension behaviour, but asking there support desk about checksum support they said no.
Does anyone know if supports this yet? if not won’t use
Neil
How does this work with Vimeo and Wistia?
I too use Internet Download Manager and have been completely happy with it — no problems at all{including large files}.You do have to pay for it,but at only about $12.00 a year{a dollar a month},it is well-worth it.Will definitely continue to use it.
i never use download manager and i am surprised why people think that downloading files with builtin download manager of browsers are impossible!
internet explorer support resume download since version 9, firefox since version 39 and chrome i dont remember the version number.
Not impossible, but the built-in download manager of the browsers most of the times don’t allow to resume. When downloading big files, having to restart from the beggining can be a waste of time, and bandwidth.
Has anyone use Ninja Download Manager?
I’ve used Ver 33 – It’s still good enough. But it hasn’t got Linux Version
I use free download manager. It is stable and compared with internet download manager, in addition it is free
free download manager version 6 is also available for linux now(only officialy support ubuntu stable right now), though it still in “alpha” – [https://www.freedownloadmanager.org/board/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=17900]
Yes indeed Free download manager is still the best and what VilotMoon is writhing in hist comment is not correct because Free download manger its still working in Firefox and Waterfox.
plaster twitter and facebook links over your program and you can be sure i will never give it a try, no matter how good it is or whether or not it is open source. 0/10
Agreed! It’s like there should be a great caucus over there being a filesystem or not (iOS deferring to a task scope instead.) No, I don’t want to discuss the mechanics of what I call files…gah!
Something with a database of what content is there could be useful, but not by micromanaging things and giving them birthdays.
“I’m just going to say this here, the only way to increase your internet speed is by getting a better (more expensive) connection and use a wired connection instead of Wi-Fi.”
There are web sites that throttles the download speed, and that’s where it helps a lot as long they aren’t blocking multi-threaded downloads as well, such as YouTube that goes down to ridiculous 20kb/s after a couple of minutes into the DL process, but a small disclaimer in case they YT have changed because it’s several months ago I used a multi-threaded DL manager.
“Which download manager do you use?”
I use the DownloadThemAll extension. In fact, that extensions like DTA aren’t possible with the new Firefox is one of the big reasons why I use Waterfox.
HTTP Downloader, the best download manager you’ve never heard
https://erickutcher.github.io/#HTTP_Downloader
https://github.com/erickutcher/httpdownloader
>Which download manager do you use?
I use JDownloader 2 (installed using the adware-free installer) for large files and youtube-dl for videos.
Lately I started using Multithreaded Download Manager (Firefox add-on, open source) for medium-large files and it feels really nice being able to do advanced stuff like pause and change the download link or increase the number of connections within my browser.
The author is working on a 2.0 version which will be coming out soon.
Have actually been using Xtreme for nearly one year now after Mozilla eliminated other choices for me. I’ve loved it even though I don’t use it that often.