The best DVD burners still have a place, despite the rise of digital and streaming. When it comes to portability, compatibility, and longevity, burning a DVD is still a fantastic alternative to the best cloud backup providers.
The chances are that when you bought your burner, or a computer with a burner already installed, it came with some default software. However, if that software no longer receives updates, or only came with a short trial period, or simply lacks features, you'll want an alternative to that too.
There are plenty of free and even open source DVD burner options available. We've tested our fair share over the years, and gathered some of our favourites below.
Looking for something to backup your discs quickly and easily? Check out the best free DVD rippers.
The best free DVD burner of 2024 in full:
Why you can trust TechRadar We spend hours testing every product or service we review, so you can be sure you’re buying the best. Find out more about how we test.
Best overall
German company Ashampoo has a huge selection of software to its name, and it's all very impressive. Ashampoo Burning Studio Free keeps the positive trend going. The program can burn and rip audio CDs, data discs and video discs (complete with Blu-ray support), and can help you out with general backup tasks.
Despite the number of options available, the focus here is on keeping things as simple as possible and the interface is approachable and easy to get to grips with. While all of the basics are covered, it's the neat, guided file backup options that help make this free utility stand out from the competition.
Although the software is free, you will need to hand over your email address to obtain a license key, and you will notice references to other Ashampoo software. This is a small sacrifice for an excellent free DVD burner that will serve you well for years to come.
Read our full Ashampoo Burning Studio Free review.
Best for video DVDs
WinX DVD Author is designed specifically for creating video DVDs. There are some tools for burning data files to disc, but if you're looking for audio CD creation, you're going to have to look elsewhere.
WinX DVD Author has everything you need for working with video, including a tool to download videos from YouTube. You can convert video files in to VOBs ready for burning to disc, or collect together a number of VOBs to create a DVD complete with menus.
There's also a DVD authoring component for basic video editing tasks like trimming. You can add subtitles, and there's support for NTSC and PAL, as well as numerous aspect ratio options. Performance is fast, and output quality is high – exactly what you need.
Best straightforward
BurnAware Free might look simple, but there's more to it than meets the eye. There's support for CD, DVD and Blu-ray burning, and it can be used to create everything from a standard data disc, audio CDs, video DVDs and Blu-rays, disc images, bootable discs, and spanned backups.
The interface is sparse, but one of the joys of working with BurnAware Free is that it is so free of distractions – you can just focus on the job at hand without having to hunt high and low for the options you need.
Everything is delightfully straightforward, making the program ideal not only for beginners, but also anyone who just wants a tool to get things done as quickly as possible.
Keep an eye out for bundled software during the installation to ensure you don’t install any unwanted extras.
Best for backups
DeepBurner Free is a very traditional-looking DVD burner, and is a free, cut-down version of the more comprehensive DeepBurner Pro.
Unlike the premium program, DeepBurner Free can't create video DVDs, but you can use it to burn data CDs and DVDs, audio CDs and bootable discs. You also have the option of working with ISO images.
DeepBurner Free has its limitations, but you definitely shouldn't dismiss it out of hand. For everyday burning tasks such as the manual backing up of data and so on, it's a great tool to have in your software arsenal. There's even a portable version of the program so you can pop it on a USB drive and easily take it from computer to computer.
DeepBurner Free might not be the most feature-packed DVD burner, but it's ideal for everyday audio and backup disc burning.
Best for slideshows
If you want to burn videos to disc, DVDStyler is the tool for you. There's no audio and data disc support. Instead focus is purely on the creation of video DVDs and photo slideshows with customizable interactive menus.
There are lots of menu templates to choose from, and the program is available for Windows, Mac and Linux, opening up the possibility of cross-platform work.
DVDStyler is showing its age a little, and its claims of helping you with the create of professional-looking DVDS may be slightly overblown, but it's a solid free DVD burner nonetheless, and a great deal easier to use than some of the alternatives.
The DVDStyler installer includes a bundled copy of Avast Free Antivirus, which is a superb security tool, but you can opt out if you don't want it.
FAQs
How to choose the best free DVD burner for you
You need to make sure that it's compatible with your current operating system. Most of the free ones out there are design for the Windows operating system. So, if you've got a Mac, you need to check if there's a Mac version available. If not, you'll have to find another option.
If it's your first time burning DVDs, user-friendliness is top priority so choose a ripping program that's incredibly simple to use. Ready-made profiles will be useful, allowing an app to remain capable as well as intuitive.
How we test
We put each DVD burner program through its paces, using it much like a regular user would utilizing different sources, ripping options, and formats available.
We also tested its biggest features and user-friendliness. Because some of the free DVD burners are only free for a limited amount of time or have limited functionality, we also want to pass those details on to you.
Read more on how we test, rate, and review products on TechRadar.
Get in touch
- Want to find out about commercial or marketing opportunities? Click here
- Out of date info, errors, complaints or broken links? Give us a nudge
- Got a suggestion for a product or service provider? Message us directly
- You've reached the end of the page. Jump back up to the top ^
