ImgBurn

If you're looking for a multi-talented CD and DVD burner that's not only easy to use and feature-rich but also free, you can try ImgBurn. It's widely considered one of the best in the business, despite the fact that it hasn't received any updates since 2013, whether we're talking about looks or functionality.

Besides burning images to discs, it can write files to discs, as well as create images from discs or files. All of these options are lined up in the main app window which, to the delight of older ImgBurn users, keeps a classical appearance, refusing to adapt to modern standards.

In addition to the previously mentioned options, it's possible to check data integrity after disc burning as well as to discover discs inserted into the PC unit from the main menu. A wide range of image filetypes is supported by the application, including BIN, CUE, DVD, IMG, ISO, MDS and NRG.

The steps necessary for burning discs are as simple as they get: pick the source image file, destination disc, write speed, and the number of copies. If you're unsure of the settings and fear the disc will be compromised, you can switch to test mode to see if ImgBurn encounters any errors.

Advanced users looking for more control can configure settings if they have BenQ, Lite-ON, Pioneer, Plextor or Samsung burners (like the OEM). If you're planning multiple burning sessions, you can ask the tool to show a dropzone on the desktop in order to speed things up by just dragging and dropping the files and folders you wish to write to the disc.

Additional tools can be used to change ISO volume labels, create CUE, DVD and MDS files, search for SCSI / ATAPI devices, set the disc writing speed automatically, and reset the DMS. To get an overview of all configuration options provided by the software program, you can head over to the settings panel (e.g. sounds, file locations).

Taking into account the plethora of options and configuration settings, ImgBurn turns out to be a complete disc burning tool. As a bonus, it shows random, funny messages in the status bar, which are too good to skip reading.