Downloading large files through browsers is time-consuming. Besides, you never gain a decent download speed. Most of the time, you need to re-download the file if you interrupted a download in the middle.

Using a decent download manager is recommended for this reason. Download managers can significantly speed up the downloading process. Thankfully, almost all the download managers support pausing and resuming downloads too.

Here is a list of the best download managers for Windows that will help you download large files in no time.

1. Internet Download Manager

Internet Download Manager Overview

Internet Download Manager (IDM) is the most popular premium download manager for Windows. It can handle multiple downloads at once and even let you choose from different download queues. IDM can also help you download streaming videos from websites such as YouTube or Vimeo.

You can preview zip files, plan your downloads ahead of time, and even sync with a VPN to keep your downloads private. IDM also works with proxy servers, firewalls, and HTTP and FTP protocols.

The best thing we liked about IDM is that it allows you to connect to the Internet at a specified time and then disconnect the internet after downloading files. The software also has a full-featured site grabber that lets you download files like all images from a website.

One of the reasons why users may not prefer IDM despite its many benefits is that it comes at a cost. But, it offers a 30-day trial period so that you can try it once before making a purchase.

Download: Internet Download Manager ($11.95, free trial available)

2. JDownloader

JDownloader2 Software Overview

JDownloader is a completely free and open-source download manager for Windows. The good news is that you can monitor your downloads or even pause or resume them from anywhere using the MyJDownloader website.

You can automatically avoid AdFly and similar advertising links while downloading files. It also copies any link you copy to the clipboard and pastes it right into the software, so you can start a download right away.

Additionally, it has an integrated setup to download YouTube videos for offline play. When you enter a YouTube video link into jDownloader, it parses the URL and displays all the available download formats. Then you can choose to download the video in MP4, WEBM, or MKV format.

If you need to download many parts of a huge file, you can add all the links in bulk. After all parts of the file have been downloaded, the tool will extract and merge the files automatically.

Note: You've to install the Java Development Kit (JDK) from Oracle's Downloads website before installing JDownloader.

Download: JDownloader 2 (Free)

3. Free Download Manager

Free Download- Manager Home

Free Download Manager (FDM) is a well-known open-source Windows download manager. It divides the downloaded files into many different parts and then downloads them together for ease.

You can create any number of batch downloads, grab torrents, download entire websites, and scan downloaded files for viruses. You can even plan downloads to occur only on specific days.

It can also download specified files from different archive formats, such as Zip, 7z, and RAR. FDM also has options for limiting traffic to control bandwidth, so you can browse the web without interruptions.

Additionally, you can continue any interrupted downloads instead of re-downloading the broken files. You can preview the ZIP files before downloading them, as well as uncheck files that you do not want.

Download: Free Download Manager (Free)

4. Motrix

Motrix Download Manager Home

Motrix is an open-source download manager that supports HTTP, FTP, BitTorrent, and Magnet links for downloads. It can handle up to 10 downloads at once and 64 threads per task, which makes downloads go faster.

Motrix also allows you to mimic various user agents. So, you can spoof your computer as an Android or iOS phone to download device-restricted files at any moment.

Like other download managers, it provides download limit features to help you limit bandwidth and data usage. However, it has a unique feature that is particularly handy while downloading torrent files: the upload limit options.

Overall, Motrix has all the features you could expect in a download manager, together with a modern user interface. So, if you're looking for a modern and feature-rich download manager, Motrix won't disappoint you.

Download: Motrix (Free)

5. Aria2

Aria2 Tool Overview

In contrast to the other download managers on this list, Aria2 is a command-line download tool. It means it lacks a GUI, i.e. a graphical user interface, and you can only access this tool using a command prompt.

Despite being just a command-line utility, Aria2 supports downloading files from many different sources. It supports almost all kinds of download links, like HTTP/HTTPS, meta links, torrent links, FTP, etc.

Aria2's main advantage is that it requires less CPU and memory time. Thus, you can use this command-line utility even if your computer has 2 GB of RAM. In addition, it is a BitTorrent client with full functionality. So, you can use it to easily download any torrent file.

To get started with Aria2, you've to first download it using the link given below and open the command prompt on Windows. Then, you need to use the "aria2c [URL]" format in the command prompt to start the download process. Make sure to replace [URL] with the download link to avoid errors.

Download: Aria2 (Free)

6. Ninja Download Manager

Ninja Download Manager Home

The Ninja Download Manager is among the few download managers that allow sequential file writing. With this feature, you can listen to or watch a video or audio file before the download is finished.

Additionally, you can manage the number of simultaneous connections for a single download. Ninja Download Manager also features a built-in video downloader that works with YouTube and Vimeo, as well as a video converter.

Sequential downloads are one of the features we appreciate most. It means that files will be downloaded from the beginning to the end. It comes in handy when you want to examine the video quality of a file that is currently downloading.

After upgrading to the pro version, you can schedule file downloads, use a password manager, and manage download queues. Besides, you also receive options to control the speed of download.

Download: Ninja Download Manager (Free) | Ninja Download Manager Pro ($19)

Manage Your Downloads With Ease

Surprisingly, there's not only a single download manager to be titled the best. You may use any of the mentioned download managers based on your needs.

If you're not in the mood to spend money, for instance, you can use Free Download Manager or JDownloader 2. If not, IDM would be an option when selecting a premium-priced download manager.

Besides that, if you do not wish to install dedicated software, you can also use Chrome extensions for this purpose.