Want to find a free NTFS for Mac software to read-write NTFS disks on Mac running macOS 10.15? In this article, we will introduce three best free NTFS for Mac software to help you make a better decision.
Why do you need an NTFS for Mac software?
Moving from a Windows environment to macOS environment is not easy especially when you need to use Windows apps or Windows files in macOS. A built-in software called Boot Camp can solve the issue by allowing dual operating systems on a Mac machine. However, Using Windows BOOTCAMP partition will take up a big part of Mac’s internal storage and makes the Mac slow or overheated sometimes. Besides, switching back and forth between two OS is not convenient because you need to restart the Mac every time you want to go to the other operating system.
If Boot Camp is not preferred by you, transferring files between a Windows NTFS disk and a Mac will become very difficult. Even though you have options like formatting or uploading files to cloud, none of them is as easy as installing an NTFS for Mac software.
NTFS for Mac software is a third-party program that can extend the macOS’s native file handling capabilities. After it is installed, you will be able to read and write to NTFS successfully in macOS.
Best 3 free NTFS for Mac software in macOS 10.15
Considering the compatibility and usability, we narrow down 3 free NTFS driver for Mac that we believe to be the best:
- iBoysoft NTFS for Mac
- Mounty for NTFS
- FUSE for macOS
Check a full list and download NTFS for Mac.
iBoysoft NTFS for Mac
Microsoft NTFS for Mac by iBoysoft is the easiest to install and operate. It offers 7-day trail and you can enjoy the full capabilities. It also provides commercial solution at a one-time payment of less than $20. It is fully compatible with macOS 10.15.
Besides the NTFS write support, as a disk management tool, iBoysoft app extends Mac’s Disk Utility capability to be able to erase and repair NTFS disks and format non-NTFS disks to NTFS format.
Mounty for NTFS
Mounty for NTFS is an open-source program to help re-mount read-only NTFS volumes in read-write mode in macOS. Its latest version 1.9 finally becomes compatible with macOS 10.15.
The design of this app is very simple and capability is limited in NTFS write support. The software is light-weight to install and after installation it is a tiny menu bar app. But some troubles may arise during the usage such as failure in re-mounting NTFS disk or file disappearance.
FUSE for macOS
FUSE for macOS works as a mechanism to implement a fully functional third-party file system called MacFUSE in macOS. The storage device and macOS can exchange files through that integrated file system. The latest free version 3.11.2 was released on Oct. 5, 2020 and it is compatible with macOS 10.15.
You just need to download the latest version and follow the onscreen instruction to install it. It is a very technical tool and sometimes commands are involved when using it.
Conclusion
Installing an NTFS for Mac software will be a complete solution to write-protected NTFS disks in macOS especially when you have multiple NTFS drives or volumes to write to. A major drawback of totally free software is that they are unable to be compatible with the latest macOS version in a timely manner. For example, another open-source NTFS driver, NTFS-3G, stopped being maintained until macOS 10.13. Therefore, we wonder how long it will take before Mounty for NTFS and FUSE for macOS can work well in macOS 11, the next version of macOS.
