Ventoy is one of the most popular tools for creating multi-boot USB drives on Windows and Linux. But if you’re on a Mac, there’s bad news: Ventoy does not support macOS, and the developer has confirmed there are no plans to add it.
Here are 5 alternatives that actually work on Mac in 2026.
Why Ventoy Doesn’t Work on Mac
According to the Ventoy developer, macOS support is not planned due to limited development resources. Ventoy relies on low-level disk access patterns that differ significantly between Linux/Windows and macOS.
There is no workaround — you cannot run Ventoy through Wine, Homebrew, or any compatibility layer.
5 Alternatives That Work on Mac
1. MeowUSB — Best for Windows Installation
MeowUSB is a native macOS app designed specifically for creating Windows bootable USB drives.
- Creates Windows 10/11 USB from ISO files
- Handles the NTFS/FAT32 split automatically (required for Windows 11 ISOs over 4 GB)
- Downloads Windows ISO directly from Microsoft
- Drag-and-drop interface — no Terminal needed
- Full Apple Silicon support (M1, M2, M3, M4)
- Formats and partitions automatically
If your goal is to install Windows from a Mac-created USB, MeowUSB is the most reliable option. It handles the install.wim splitting that causes failures with manual methods.
2. Balena Etcher — Best for Linux ISOs
Etcher is a cross-platform tool with a clean graphical interface:
- Three-step process: Select image > Select drive > Flash
- Verifies the write after flashing
- Supports ISO, IMG, and ZIP files
- Works on Intel and Apple Silicon Macs
Etcher doesn’t support multi-boot like Ventoy does (one ISO per USB), but it’s the simplest GUI option for Linux ISOs.
3. Disk Utility + dd Command — Built-in, No Install
macOS includes everything you need to create a bootable Linux USB:
# Find your USB drive
diskutil list
# Unmount it
diskutil unmountDisk /dev/disk4
# Write the ISO (use rdisk for faster writes)
sudo dd if=/path/to/linux.iso of=/dev/rdisk4 bs=1m status=progress
# Eject when done
diskutil eject /dev/disk4Use /dev/rdisk4 instead of /dev/disk4 for 3-5x faster write speeds. No additional software required.
4. createinstallmedia — For macOS Installers
If you need to create a bootable macOS installer USB (not Linux/Windows), Apple provides a built-in command:
sudo /Applications/Install\ macOS\ Sequoia.app/Contents/Resources/createinstallmedia --volume /Volumes/MyUSBThis is the official method for creating macOS recovery/install drives. Download the macOS installer from the App Store first.
5. UNetbootin — Cross-Platform Linux Tool
UNetbootin offers another GUI option for Linux:
- Supports most major Linux distributions
- Can download distributions directly
- Works on Intel and Apple Silicon
- Free and open source
UNetbootin is less polished than Etcher but supports more distributions out of the box.
Comparison Table
| Feature | MeowUSB | Etcher | dd Command | createinstallmedia | UNetbootin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Windows USB | Yes | No | Limited | No | No |
| Linux USB | No | Yes | Yes | No | Yes |
| macOS USB | No | No | No | Yes | No |
| Multi-boot | No | No | No | No | No |
| GUI | Yes | Yes | No | No | Yes |
| Apple Silicon | M1-M4 | M1-M4 | M1-M4 | M1-M4 | M1-M4 |
| Price | Paid | Free | Free | Free | Free |
Unfortunately, none of these tools replicate Ventoy’s multi-boot feature (loading multiple ISOs on a single USB). On Mac, you’ll need one USB per operating system.
