Ventoy

Name: Ventoy
Brand: Ventoy

Open-source tool for building multiboot USB drives from ISO files

softwareDisk Utilitiesbootable-usbopen-sourceiso-boot

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Our Verdict

Best for

Anyone who regularly boots from multiple ISO images and wants one reusable USB drive

Skip if

You only ever need to boot a single, fixed ISO occasionally

What is Ventoy?

Ventoy is an open-source tool for creating bootable USB drives that can hold and boot multiple ISO, WIM, IMG, VHD(x), and EFI files at once, instead of reformatting a drive every time a different bootable image is needed. After installing Ventoy once to a USB drive, users simply drag and drop image files onto it and pick which one to boot from a menu at startup. The tool supports a wide range of boot modes including x86 Legacy BIOS and UEFI variants for IA32, x86_64, ARM64, and MIPS64EL, along with Secure Boot support on IA32/x86_64 UEFI systems. It has been tested against more than 1,400 image files and reports compatibility with over 90% of the Linux distributions listed on DistroWatch, alongside support for Windows, WinPE, Unix, ChromeOS, and virtualization platform images.

SpecificationsAI-estimated

deploymentDesktop App

open source✅ Yes

api available❌ No

support optionsGitHub Issues, Documentation

Key Features of Ventoy

Lets a single USB drive hold and boot multiple ISO, WIM, IMG, VHD(x), and EFI files simultaneously.

Requires only a drag-and-drop of image files onto the drive after a one-time Ventoy installation.

Supports both Legacy BIOS and UEFI boot modes across IA32, x86_64, ARM64, and MIPS64EL architectures.

Includes Secure Boot support for IA32/x86_64 UEFI systems.

Tested against over 1,400 image files with compatibility for more than 90% of DistroWatch-listed Linux distributions.

Boots Windows, WinPE, Linux, Unix, ChromeOS, and virtualization platform images from the same drive.

Use Cases for Ventoy

IT technician toolkits

Carry a single USB drive with multiple OS installers and recovery tools instead of several separate drives.

Distro-hopping and testing

Try out many Linux distributions from one USB drive without re-flashing between each one.

System recovery and diagnostics

Keep multiple rescue and diagnostic ISOs ready to boot on demand.

Windows and Linux dual deployment

Store both Windows installation media and Linux live images on the same bootable drive.

Pros & Cons of Ventoy

Pros

No need to reformat the USB drive for each new ISO
Broad compatibility across Linux distributions and Windows
Supports Secure Boot
Completely free and open source

Cons

Occasional individual ISOs may not boot correctly despite broad compatibility
Initial setup requires understanding of BIOS/UEFI boot settings
Primarily a technical tool aimed at IT admins and enthusiasts

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Ventoy free?

Yes, Ventoy is completely free and open source.

Do I need to reformat my USB drive for each ISO?

No, once Ventoy is installed on the drive you can add or remove ISO files freely without reformatting.

Does Ventoy support Secure Boot?

Yes, Ventoy supports Secure Boot on IA32 and x86_64 UEFI systems.

Which operating systems can I boot with Ventoy?

Ventoy supports Windows, WinPE, most Linux distributions, Unix, ChromeOS, and various virtualization platform images.

Pricing Overview

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Free

Detailed plans are not listed. Visit the official website for pricing information.

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