If you are like most people, you probably would want the best download speeds possible while downloading files and other stuff over the internet.

But if you rely on your web browser’s download manager, you may fail to get the most optimal speeds. That’s because downloading files like video, music, drivers, and programs, using a web browser’s download manager is generally not the fastest.

Another problem with this method that you can’t pause the download process if it breaks. For this reason download big files using a web browser is not recommended.

Thankfully, there’s no dearth of download managers, with Internet Download Manager being the most popular option.

Internet Download Manager – An Introduction

So, what is Internet Download Manager? More importantly, is it right for you? Let’s find out.

The Internet Download Manager (IDM for short) is what is called a shareware software. In simpler terms, it means it is available free of charge for a certain period.

IDM boasts many great features, including the following:

• It can download files and programs with a single click
• A range of apps and browsers are supported
• It has an in-built antivirus check
• It supports drag-and-drop interface
• Different proxy server types are supported
• Users can download many files simultaneously
• Its installation is easy and quick
• It features advanced browser integration
• Increase download speeds by up to 5 times
• You can schedule downloads as per your convenience
• You can customize the interface as per your liking
• You can set download limits

Browser Integration

Right now IDM is only available for Windows operating system. For Windows users, the biggest attraction of IDM is its seamless integration with almost all of the popular web browsers.

Copy a link from the web browser and if IDM supports that file, it will automatically fetch it.

With IDM, you can download the said file at a faster speed. Accelerated downloading works particularly well for video and music files.

So, if you want a software tool for downloading videos from sources such as YouTube, IDM can be a great option.

Organize the Downloads

With IDM, you can organize your downloads in a single place, making it easier for you keep a track on them. That’s because IDM allows you to collect as well as store all the download links.

For power users who very frequently download multiple large files from the internet, the ability to keep the downloads organized in one place is a big advantage.

IDM’s main window shows a list of all files downloaded by you. As a user, you can organize these files however you like.

Flexible Downloads

With IDM, you get accelerated downloading speeds. That’s because this software downloads stuff in multiple streams instead of a standard single stream.

Another advantage is that if, for some reason, the downloading process gets interrupted, you can the IDM resume it exactly from the point it got broken. This is something you can’t do with a web browser. If you are using a web browser and the download process gets broken, then you must start again, which can quite irritating, not to mention time-consuming, in the case of big files. Also, with IDM it is possible to download many files simultaneously. But that’s not all. You can set the number of files you want IDM to download at one go.

Tips for Using IDM

The main interface displays different control buttons.

If you want to download a new file, first click Add URL. Then paste this link to the file which you want to download.

• To start downloading, simply click Start/Resume
• If you delay the downloading a particular file, hit Pause button
• To suspend the downloading of a particular file or all files press Stop/Stop All
• Set when you want to start or stop the download process