NTFS-3G, a free and open source read/write file system driver for the
Windows file system NTFS. This document will explain what NTFS-3G is, how to install it and use
it, and how to perform certain other operations.
This version of NTFS-3G has been adapted to Mac OS X, and can be used with both PowerPC
Macs and the newer Intel Macs. It requires Mac OS X 10.4 (Tiger) or 10.5 (Leopard), and the free
library MacFUSE in order to work.
Mac OS X has a kind of plugin-based file system interface, where anyone can extend the operating
system with new file system bundles, to make the operating system recognize, mount, create and
repair other file systems than the built in types. This is what this NTFS-3G package uses to glue
together the operating system independent NTFS-3G driver with Mac OS X.
Usually file systems drivers live in the kernel of the operating system, which makes writing them a
risky business as they can easily crash the whole system if the developer makes mistakes. This is
not the case with NTFS-3G. Instead, it lives in “user space”, where all other programs run, and is
linked to the kernel through the file system bridge MacFUSE (a Mac version of FUSE, “Filesystem
in Userspace”, originally created for the Linux kernel).
This approach makes NTFS-3G a lot more portable, and safer, since system stability won't be
affected in the event of a file system driver crash. The only theoretical downside is that CPU usage
will be slightly higher due to increased kernel/user space communication, which can result in
slower read/write speeds. In practice, however, it has been shown that the speed of NTFS-3G can
easily compare with kernel-based drivers (see: http://www.ntfs-3g.org/performance.html).
NTFS-3G for Mac OS X is currently released in two different versions for each new source release,
the stable build and the ublio build. The reason for this is to make it possible for people to choose
between data safety and performance.
NTFS-3G was originally written for Linux, which successfully, and with high performance provides
caching for the hard disk devices that NTFS-3G accesses. Mac OS X and FreeBSD does not have
that kind of efficient caching layer, so something similar must either be provided by NTFS-3G
itself, or not at all. Ublio is the name of the caching layer provided by NTFS-3G through a patch. It
was originally written by Csaba Henk for the FreeBSD port of NTFS-3G.
When only using internal drives, with ATA/SATA connections, you normally won't notice any
difference in performance between the ublio build and the stable build. It is when using USB drives
that the performance boost is most noticeable. When using a USB hard disk the transfer speed of the
ublio build can be up to 20 times the speed of the stable build.
Windows file system NTFS. This document will explain what NTFS-3G is, how to install it and use
it, and how to perform certain other operations.
This version of NTFS-3G has been adapted to Mac OS X, and can be used with both PowerPC
Macs and the newer Intel Macs. It requires Mac OS X 10.4 (Tiger) or 10.5 (Leopard), and the free
library MacFUSE in order to work.
Mac OS X has a kind of plugin-based file system interface, where anyone can extend the operating
system with new file system bundles, to make the operating system recognize, mount, create and
repair other file systems than the built in types. This is what this NTFS-3G package uses to glue
together the operating system independent NTFS-3G driver with Mac OS X.
Usually file systems drivers live in the kernel of the operating system, which makes writing them a
risky business as they can easily crash the whole system if the developer makes mistakes. This is
not the case with NTFS-3G. Instead, it lives in “user space”, where all other programs run, and is
linked to the kernel through the file system bridge MacFUSE (a Mac version of FUSE, “Filesystem
in Userspace”, originally created for the Linux kernel).
This approach makes NTFS-3G a lot more portable, and safer, since system stability won't be
affected in the event of a file system driver crash. The only theoretical downside is that CPU usage
will be slightly higher due to increased kernel/user space communication, which can result in
slower read/write speeds. In practice, however, it has been shown that the speed of NTFS-3G can
easily compare with kernel-based drivers (see: http://www.ntfs-3g.org/performance.html).
NTFS-3G for Mac OS X is currently released in two different versions for each new source release,
the stable build and the ublio build. The reason for this is to make it possible for people to choose
between data safety and performance.
NTFS-3G was originally written for Linux, which successfully, and with high performance provides
caching for the hard disk devices that NTFS-3G accesses. Mac OS X and FreeBSD does not have
that kind of efficient caching layer, so something similar must either be provided by NTFS-3G
itself, or not at all. Ublio is the name of the caching layer provided by NTFS-3G through a patch. It
was originally written by Csaba Henk for the FreeBSD port of NTFS-3G.
When only using internal drives, with ATA/SATA connections, you normally won't notice any
difference in performance between the ublio build and the stable build. It is when using USB drives
that the performance boost is most noticeable. When using a USB hard disk the transfer speed of the
ublio build can be up to 20 times the speed of the stable build.
- Download NTFS-3G Safe Read/Write NTFS Driver for free. The NTFS-3G driver is a safe read/write NTFS driver for Linux, Mac OS X, OpenSolaris, FreeBSD, NetBSD, QNX, Windows and Haiku, providing fast and POSIX handling of the Windows XP, Windows Server 2003, Windows 2000, Windows Vista and Windows 7 file system.
- Download NTFS-3G for Mac free. NTFS-3G for Mac OS X is a read-write (finally) NTFS file-system driver.
By Juno | Posted to NTFS for Mac Tips, updated on November 3rd, 2020
Tuxera NTFS 2019 - NTFS driver developed from the popular open-source NTFS-3G driver. Download the latest versions of the best Mac apps at safe and trusted MacUpdate.
The reason we need free NTFS for Mac software is that Mac can't write to NTFS drives by default. Reading Windows NTFS in macOS should not be a problem, but we are unable to create, edit, copy, paste, delete, or transfer files on NTFS drives on Mac without an NTFS driver for Mac.
NTFS is a file system developed by Microsoft, the competitor of Apple. It's for Windows platform, especially used in the system drive. That's why we use Boot Camp to run Windows on Mac but find we can't mount BOOTCAMP partition with read-write access. Up to now, Mac operating systems, including macOS Big Sur/Catalina/Mojave/High Sierra/Sierra and Mac OS X El Capitan, only provide NTFS read support but no NTFS write support.
Business is business, but for users, we need Mac to write to NTFS drives. We want Windows NTFS file system to be fully compatible with macOS or Mac OS X. Sure. That it. We need NTFS for Mac free software.
There are four totally no charge NTFS drivers for Mac : Mounty for NTFS, NTFS-3G, FUSE for macOS and SL-NTFS.
Note: Few free NTFS for Mac software supports the latest macOS. If you are using a system after macOS Mojave, iBoysoft NTFS for Mac is a better NTFS driver for macOS 10.15 and NTFS driver for macOS 11.
Top 4 NTFS for Mac Freeware
If you are looking for an NTFS driver for macOS Mojave edition, macOS High Sierra, and earlier, you can try the way below to share NTFS drives between Windows and Mac.
Tuxera Download
1. Mounty for NTFS
Mounty for NTFS is completely free utility to enable write ability to NTFS drives on your Mac. It has simple design to help mount NTFS drives with the following highlights:
- Allow write to NTFS on Mac gratis.
- Fast and free download for full version and installation because it is less than 1MB.
- One-time installation and no additional driver needed.
But Mounty for NTFS dose get complaints because:
- The write speed to NTFS drive is rather slow.
- It can't mount the NTFS formatted drives in read-write mode automatically.
- It's unstable and may fail to mount NTFS drives.
- It can cause data loss problems.
- It doesn't provide tech support.
- The software is not compatible with the latest macOS Big Sur, Catalina or Mojave.
2. NTFS-3G
NTFS-3G is an open-source project from Tuxera, so the public can download this NTFS for Mac free software to write to Windows NTFS drives on your Mac computers
Set aside its advantage for being free, NTFS-3G is complained a lot because of its poor performance. Some main drawbacks of this free NTFS for Mac are listed below:
- Complicated installation. You have to know how to use Terminal or have already downloaded FUSE for macOS, Homebrew or Xcode.
- Poor usability. Users have to use the software by command lines in Terminal instead of an interface.
- Poor compatibility. NTFS-3G only supports macOS 10.12 or earlier. It doesn't support the latest macOS 10.15 and macOS 10.14.
- Slow write speed. The file transferring is noticeably slow.
- Tuxera stops maintaining this utility.
- No technical support. As freeware, no technical support is available when issues occur.
3. FUSE for macOS
FUSE for macOS (was OSXFUSE) is another open and NTFS for Mac free software that can enable write support to NTFS drives on Mac. In fact, FUSE is a file system extension that allows user to read and write disks with the formats that are not fully supported by Apple.
FUSE for macOS is worth trying because:
- It is free of charge.
- It is compatible with Mac operating system from Mac OS X 10.6 to macOS 10.14.
- Multiple languages are available.
As a free NTFS for Mac, FUSE for macOS has some obvious limitations:
- It can be unreliable sometimes such as file size being reported as 0 bytes.
- It has no technical support when issues occur.
4. SL-NTFS free for Mac
SL-NTFS means Snow Leopard NTFS. As a matter of fact, writing to NTFS drive on Apple is possible since Mac OS 10.6 without any third-party NTFS driver, but the NTFS writing support is disabled by default. Therefore, SL-NTFS is used as an free interface writing NTFS on Mac before Sierra.
As a NTFS for Mac free app, SL-NTFS has some pros as followings:
- It is costless.
- It is simple to install.
However, SL-NTFS has some cons to prevent people from using it.
- It has limited access to a large number of files and a large volume of data.
- It can't enable NTFS write on some NTFS external hard drives.
- It can cause conflicts if you have another NTFS enabler installed.
- It has no technical support.
![Ntfs Ntfs](/uploads/1/2/4/3/124389976/240129306.png)
Generally speaking, despite of being free, those NTFS for Mac free software have various flaws, making them very risky to use.
Ntfs 3g Mac Download
If you are afraid of using a risky chargeless NTFS utility for Mac, there are two cost-effective alternatives for you. Even though they are not completely free, they can provide a lot of merits that NTFS for Mac free software doesn't do.
Best NTFS for Mac software
NTFS for Mac free software can be troublemakers because of their low write speed, poor compatibility, no technical support, etc. Nevertheless, you don't have to pay a fortune to get enough reliability, stability and simplicity from a cost-effective NTFS for Mac - iBoysoft NTFS for Mac or iBoysoft Drive Manager.
1. iBoysoft NTFS for Mac
Ntfs For Mac Download
iBoysoft NTFS for Mac is an ultimate Paragon NTFS for Mac alternative in macOS and Mac OS X. It can easily help you mount NTFS volumes on Mac desktops and laptops as regular drives in read-write mode.
iBoysoft NTFS for Mac has quite a few advantages you can take into account:
- It can mount NTFS volumes in read-write mode automatically.
- It can unmount and eject NTFS volumes with one click.
- It can repair NTFS file system errors.
- It can erase NTFS volumes for data cleanup.
- It can reformat other file system (except APFS) into NTFS.
- It is fully compatible with macOS 10.15/10.14/10.13/10.12 and Mac OS X 10.11/10.10/10.9/10.8.
- It is easy to install and use.
- Free technical support is provided.
2. iBoysoft Drive Manager
Another great alternative to NTFS for Mac free software is iBoysoft Drive Manager. It is a handy Mac tool that can enable full read-write access to NTFS drives on Mac and help manage multiple external drives/network drives with one click.
iBoysoft Drive Manager is a great replacement of a free NTFS for Mac because:
- It is extremely affordable and offers 7-day trial period, which costs nothing.
- It is fully compatible with macOS 10.15/10.14/10.13/10.12 and Mac OS X 10.11/10.10/10.9/10.8.
- It is fast to write to NTFS drives and transfer files between NTFS drives and Mac.
- It is easy to install and use.
- It provides lifetime free upgrades.
- Free technical support is provided.
- Besides powerful NTFS writing support, it can manage external drives and map network drives as local drives in the Finder.
If you want to know any disadvantages that iBoysoft Drive Manager might have, I would say the only one should be - it is not free. But it is really cheap compared with other commercial NTFS for Mac programs, such as Paragon and Tuxera.
Ntfs 3g Mac El Capitan Download
We also provide a table to help you find the most preferable NTFS driver:
NTFS for macOS | iBoysoft Drive Manager | iBoysoft NTFS for Mac | Mounty for Mac | NTFS-3G | FUSE for macOS | SL-NTFS |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
NTFS writing | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Auto-mount NTFS in read-write mode | Yes | Yes | No | No | Yes | Yes |
Speed | Fast | Fast | Slow | Slow | Slow | Slow |
Supported Mac OS | macOS 10.15/10.14/10.13/10.12 and Mac OS X 10.11 to 10.8. | macOS 10.15/10.14/10.13/10.12 and Mac OS X 10.11 to 10.8. | macOS 10.13/10.12 and Mac OS X 10.11 to 10.6. | macOS 10.13/10.12 and Mac OS X 10.11 to 10.6. | macOS 10.14/10.13/10.12 and Mac OS X 10.11 to 10.6. | macOS 10.12 and Mac OS X 10.11 to 10.6. |
Supported devices | USB drives, SD cards, HDDs, etc. | USB drives, SD cards, HDDs, etc. | USB drives, SD cards, HDDs, etc. (not all) | USB drives, SD cards, HDDs, etc. | USB drives, SD cards, HDDs, etc. | USB drives, SD cards, HDDs, etc. (not all) |
Supported file system | NTFS, APFS, FAT32, exFAT, etc. | NTFS, APFS, FAT32, exFAT, etc. | NTFS | NTFS | NTFS, APFS, FAT32, exFAT, etc. | NTFS |
Tech support | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No |
Simple installation | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | Yes |
Ease of use | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes |
Other | 1.Manage external storage media with one click. 2.Map network drive as local drives. | 1. Repair NTFS. 2.Erase NTFS volumes. 3.Reformat other file systems into NTFS. | N/A | N/A | Multiple languages are available. | N/A |
Price | $29.95 | $19.95 | Free | Free | Free | Free |
Free download | Download | Download | Download | Download | Download | Download |
![Disk Disk](/uploads/1/2/4/3/124389976/319797870.jpg)
Now, you have a few options in your hands. If you don't care the risks and want to try out the free NTFS for Mac programs, generally speaking, Mounty for NTFS and FUSE for macOS are better ones. However, if you care about the reliability, technical support and NTFS write speed a lot, or you are specifically looking for an NTFS driver for macOS Catalina, Mojave or High Sierra, iBoysoft NTFS for Mac is your best choice.
People also ask
Q: Is NTFS for Mac free?
A: NTFS drivers generally cost $20 around, but there are four completely free NTFS for Mac software:
- 1. Mounty for NTFS
- 2. NTFS-3G
- 3. FUSE for macOS
- 4. SL-NTFS
Q: How can Mac read NTFS for free?
A: Mac can read NTFS drives for free by default. All you need to do is to mount the disk in Disk Utility by:
- 1. Connect the NTFS drive to your Mac for automatically mounting.
- 2. Open Disk Utility if the NTFS drive is not mounted.
- 3. Select the NTFS drive and click on Mount.
- 4. Mac will reads the NTFS drive for free then.
Q: What is the best NTFS for Mac?
A: There are three best NTFS for Mac software:
- iBoysoft NTFS for Mac
- Paragon NTFS for Mac
- Tuxera NTFS for Mac