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Rufus is a popular free program to create bootable USB drives from a variety of different ISO images. It is useful for making bootable USB drives from Linux or Windows ISOs.
In addition, Rufus is quite fast. For instance it’s about twice as fast as UNetbootin, Universal USB Installer or Windows 7 USB download tool, on the creation of a Windows 7 USB installation drive from an ISO. It is also marginally faster on the creation of Linux bootable USB from ISOs.
Despite its small size, Rufus provides everything you need! It is available in an installer version and a portable version. The installer version includes an uninstaller and automatically updates itself when a new version is available, while the portable version does not.
Rufus is currently available in English, French, Russian, Portuguese, and Chinese.
Does Rufus work on Mac?
According to Rufus official website, Rufus is working exclusively for Windows. Only .exe package is available for download. This means Rufus does not work on Mac directly. However, it can also be run on Linux or macOS with the help of WINE emulator app or virtual machine.
WINE is a program that allows running Windows programs on macOS. In order to use it, you need to first install it. You can do this using a package manager like Homebrew.
How to use Rufus on Mac via WINE
Step 1. You can download Rufus .exe file from its official website.
Step 2. Once WINE is installed, you can use it to run the Rufus program. To do so, open a Terminal window and type the following command:
wine /path/to/rufus.exe
Step 3. Connect a USB drive to your computer and launch Rufus.
Step 4. Select the ISO image you want to use and click the "Start" button.
Step 5. Wait for Rufus to finish creating the bootable USB drive.
Step 6. Reboot your computer and boot from the USB drive.
How to use Rufus on Mac in a virtual machine
WINE app only supports macOS from 10.8 to 10.14. This means you can’t use Rufus on Mac through WINE app on modern macOS release, including Catalina, Big Sur, Monterey and Ventura. However, you can run Rufus on Mac in a Windows virtual machine.
Parallels Desktop is a virtualization software for Mac that allows users to run Windows, Linux, and other operating systems within a virtual machine on their Mac. This allows users to have the best of both worlds, being able to use their preferred MacOS applications while also being able to access and use Windows-only applications.
How to Create a Windows 10 virtual machine with Parallels Desktop app on Mac
Step 1. Launch Parallels Desktop and click on the "+" sign to create a new virtual machine.
Step 2. Select "Install Windows or another OS from a DVD or image file" and click "Continue".
Step 3. In the next window, select "Use Windows from Boot Camp" and click "Continue".
Step 4. In the next window, select the Windows 10 ISO file and click "Open".
Step 5. Parallels Desktop will now start creating the Windows 10 virtual machine.
Step 6. Once the process is finished, click "Finish" to close the wizard.
Step 7. Download and install Rufus software in your Windows virtual machine and start creating bootable USB with Rufus.
Mac Alternatives to Rufus
In case you does not like the two suggestions shared above as they are pretty complicated. And you are looking for a direct way to create bootable USB on Mac, then here is the right section for you. We have a list several alternatives to replace Rufus on Mac for making bootable USB from ISO.
1. UUByte ISO Editor for Mac
This is the best app you could find to create bootable USB from Windows ISO. Currently, it supports the latest Windows 11, Windows 10 and Windows 7 ISO. And it has a well-designed user interface. This is the best alternative to Rufus on Mac.
I have used UUByte ISO Editor on my Mac for numerous occasions and it has always worked flawlessly. The process is very fast and the results are always reliable. I have never had a bad experience with this app.
Pros:
• Easily create Windows 10 and Windows 11 bootable USB on Mac
• Support on all versions of macOS
• Work on Apple Silicon Mac (M1 & M2)
• Magnificent user interface
• Split install.wim file by default
Cons:
• Free trial
• Not support Linux ISO
2. UNetbootin
UNetbootin is a cross-platform utility that can create live USB systems from a wide range of ISOs, as well as bootable disk images. It is available for Windows, Linux, and Mac OS X.
Unetbootin has been my favorite way to create a bootable USB drive for a while now. It is simple to use, and it always seems to work for me. I have used it on Windows, Linux, and Mac, and it has always worked well.
Pros:
• Allows you to create a bootable USB drive from various ISO files
• Work on Windows, Linux, and Mac
• Can be used to create a bootable USB drive for live operating systems
Cons:
• Not work with Windows 11/10 ISO files
• Primitive user interface
3. Etcher
Etcher is an open-source tool that makes burning images to SD cards and USB drives a breeze. The user interface is very straightforward and easy to use. The process is very simple: you select an image file, select the drive you want to burn it to, and click “Burn”. Etcher will then handle the rest.
Etcher is available for Windows, Mac, and Linux. It is open source and free to use.
I highly recommend Etcher to anyone who needs to burn images to SD cards or USB drives. It is a great tool that is very easy to use and produces great results.
Pros:
• Easy to use
• Creates bootable USB drives
• Supports a wide range of file formats
Cons:
• Require an external drive
• Cannot write to NTFS drive
4. dd command
dd is a command-line utility for copying and converting data. It is available for a wide range of platforms, including Linux, BSD, and Mac OS X.
Pros:
• Free
• No installation required
• Detailed user manual
Cons:
• Text mode only
• More difficult than GUI apps
5. Disk Utility
Disk Utility is a built-in utility on macOS for managing disk drives and partitions. It can be used to create and mount disk images, as well as to format and partition disks.
Pros:
• Very simple user interface
• Easily create, format, and partition disks
• Repair most disk problems
Cons:
• Limited functionality compared to other disk utilities
• Cannot create or mount disk images
6. Boot Camp Assistant
Boot Camp Assistant is a utility on macOS that allows you to install and run Windows on a Mac. It includes a bootable Windows disk image and drivers that allow Windows to work with the Mac’s hardware.
Pros:
• Allow installing Windows on a Mac computer
• Create a bootable Windows USB drive
• Easy wizard available
Cons:
• Take much more time
• Not work on Apple M1 Mac
Does Rufus Work on Mac? Quick Summary
For a simple answer, Rufus does not work on Mac. But there are third party apps that helps you run Rufus on Mac such as WINE and virtual machine software. There are also a couple of other apps that act like Rufus and work on Mac perfectly.