Introduction

I'm sure you're no stranger to IDM. It was once a globally popular downloader, known for maxing out your bandwidth with multi-threaded downloads and intelligent dynamic file segmentation. For a long time, it stood out among countless download tools thanks to these unique advantages.

Its browser extension takes over downloads, automatically grabs links, and splits files into multiple chunks for simultaneous downloading.

But there are drawbacks:

• Not free: While money is certainly a motivation for development, the price is still a bit steep. Although a trial period is offered, long-term use requires purchasing a license.
• Interface (ugly) and relatively fixed features: Compared to some open-source or more modern download tools, IDM's interface and feature updates may not be as frequent, and its support for new features isn't as flexible as some competitors.
• Compatibility issues: Although IDM broadly supports most major browsers, integration or compatibility issues can sometimes arise with specific browsers or after browser updates, requiring manual adjustments or waiting for software updates.

Quoted from Bilibili article

So, this brings us to today's star: AB Download Manager (ABDM for short).

Not only is it open-source and free, but because it's developed with Kotlin, it supports cross-platform use on Windows and Linux, making it a perfect alternative to IDM.

Core Features

Faster Download Speeds

It's incredibly fast. Just like IDM, it uses file segmentation and multi-threaded downloads. In my own tests, it actually reached speeds of over 100 MB/s (my home connection is a gigabit fiber optic network).

Modern, Clean Interface

The interface is clean, beautiful, and quite modern, supporting both light and dark themes.

Download Scheduling

Supports resuming interrupted downloads (well, I guess that's a feature every downloader should have).

Cross-Platform Support

Supports Windows and Linux, which is way better than that old fossil IDM.

Simple and Clear Configuration

Supports setting up download proxies, speed limits, and can integrate with your browser.

Download Queue

You can create and manage a queue of downloads, allowing all files to be downloaded sequentially.

Open Source & Free

Completely open source! If you like a feature, you can submit an issue, or implement it yourself so everyone can benefit. Sharing is caring~

Why This One?

For me, the most important thing is that it's free, and the interface looks way better than that old IDM. Also, the open-source community is a huge draw for me. If there's a problem, we can solve it together and discuss it. For example, the software originally only supported English, but thanks to many contributors, it now supports multiple languages. IDM has a lot of features, but for me, downloading is the most important thing, and ABDM is a software that focuses precisely on that.

In short, ABDM gives me a fresh feeling that other downloaders don't. I hope you'll give it a try!

How to Install and Use?

Github releases: https://github.com/amir1376/ab-download-manager/releases

Official website: https://abdownloadmanager.com/