The lack of native support on Macs is a significant obstacle for users who need to use drives with the NTFS file system. Thankfully, many free software tools make this possible and easy.
This post will examine some of the top free NTFS for Mac tools that allow you to easily transfer and manage your data. Let's get into the details.
This is the new technology file system developed by Microsoft, abbreviated NTFS. It appeared in Windows NT in 1993 and has been used in subsequent operating systems. Compared with FAT, NTFS has made a qualitative leap in metadata, large file support, disk space utilization, security, scalability, etc. Therefore, many external hard drives use it as a standard file system.
However, the only regret is that such storage devices cannot obtain full read and write permissions on Mac.
Based on the above limitations and for the following reasons, you need an additional tool to assist your work.
Is there a program allowing me to freely control NTFS drives on my Apple computer without complex settings or formatting? Of course! Here are 12 of the best options. They differ in functionality, performance, and usability, so it is helpful to understand each other before choosing the tool that suits your needs.
This program will only reside in your Mac's status bar and is focused on high-performance read and write access to the NTFS drive. It is perfect for users looking for an uncomplicated way to manage data across file systems.
It is the only free NTFS software for Mac on the market that supports extended attributes. Its proprietary smart caching technology allows file editing and transfer to be done much faster than other programs.
It acts as NTFS-3G with a user interface and works with the macFUSE library to efficiently remount write-protected NTFS volumes in read-write mode.
Unlike other command-line tools, which require you to type complex commands manually, Nigate will automatically execute these instructions to remove macOS's write restrictions on NTFS-based drives.
If you often need to exchange files between Mac and Windows, Paragon NTFS for Mac won't disappoint you. Without complicated configuration, you can edit, copy, or delete files on drives based on the Microsoft NTFS file system from your Mac.
In terms of reliability and ease of use, it should be a strong contender in this category of tools. You can use the NTFS external drive on Mac just as easily as the native hard drive with just one click.
This option is as fast as a native Mac hard drive when transferring large videos or batch files but requires the installation of additional drivers.
Many users might not be aware of it because it was developed by many programmers in their spare time and released on GitHub. While it doesn’t automatically update nor has technical support, its effectiveness is still commendable.
This open-source solution suits multiple platforms, including macOS, Linux, NetBSD, QNX, FreeBSD, and more. Because users can DIY specific configurations, it has attracted many technology enthusiasts. It is a good choice if you like complete control of the situation.
macFUSE (formerly osxFUSE) allows you to write your own filesystems using its built-in components to manage NTFS drives on your Mac. Given this flexibility, it is a good choice for developers, but for ordinary users, please skip it.
It works as a preference pane that allows users to write data to NTFS volumes. Once you have activated the daemon, when you mount a drive without write enabled, just click on the notification. This is very handy when you managing disks.
Last but not least on our list of the top 12 free NTFS for Mac is Kingshiper. Unlike the other programs, it doesn't have a long trial period. For this reason, we almost omitted it. Luckily, there are other options available!
These tools are undoubtedly very useful for managing files on NTFS drives on a Mac. However, do you want to get rid of these shackles? The most common solution is to convert the file system to a more universally supported format, such as exFAT or FAT32.
However, this alternative solution has the following characteristics that you should carefully consider before deciding.
Please note that you must back up all data on the disk before you begin, as they will be erased during the process.
Tip: If you forget to back up some of your files due to unexpected circumstances, you can retrieve them using the iBeesoft free data recovery app for Mac.
In summary, using free NTFS for Mac is the best option and a must for users who want to get write permissions in NTFS drives quickly. To this end, we have listed 12 top freeware you can consider and highlighted their unique features, advantages, and disadvantages for your reference and decision.
Finally, if you permanently want to eliminate the limitations of the NTFS file system on Mac, please use alternative solutions. No matter what, these options will be helpful to you.
They will install a driver in your macOS that acts as a bridge between your system and the NTFS drive. This allows you to interact with the drive just like you would with a native HFS+ or APFS drive. However, different tools will vary in transfer speeds, so try them out first when considering such apps.
Not all Mac OS NTFS free tools are available for all systems, so check their specifications before using them.
Among such tools, this is an established and well-known one. It claims to be 6 times faster than its competitors in disk read and write speed, but additional steps are required if you want to use it on machines based on Apple M1/M2/M3 chips. It's not completely free; you can only try it for 10 days. If you want to try it, please click here to download Paragon NTFS for Mac.
No, although it works for NTFS drives. However, according to user feedback from the AppStore, it requires the installation of an add-on tool that bypasses Apple App Store protection to run, and there are ads every time it is opened.
First, you should consider its usability and compatibility, and then choose one with fast read and write speeds. If necessary, it should have attachment functionality. In addition, you can refer to user comments.
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