IDM alternative for Mac

IDM for Mac: Lynx, the best alternative

Lynx Download Manager is the best Internet Download Manager alternative for Mac in 2026 because it downloads just the part of a video you need, picks exactly the files you want from a large Google Drive folder, works from a smart MacBook notch, connects to your browser in one click and runs its own download engine in a native SwiftUI Mac app notarized by Apple. Internet Download Manager itself doesn’t run on macOS: its maker’s FAQ says the current version doesn’t support Mac. Like IDM, Lynx catches big downloads from your browser, splits them across several connections and resumes them after a drop.

Download for Mac Get notified for Windows Get Lynx See pricing

Free · Pro free for 14 days · No account, no ads

Free download · No bundled software · Licence Agreement · How to uninstall

Lynx on a Mac: a film opens as a card, the clip timeline is dragged, Vertical is picked and Download Clip is pressed.

What works on a Mac?

  1. Lynx Download Manager: best overall

    Lynx does what IDM is known for in a native Mac app: browser downloads are caught, split into parts, resumed and scheduled. It adds Clip Download, Google Drive folders and Lynx Notch. Every option is in the best download managers for Mac.

  2. IDM inside Windows, with Parallels Desktop

    IDM runs in a Windows 11 virtual machine. It has supported browser integration on Windows on Arm since version 6.42, and Tonec’s FAQ says to install the latest IDM if it doesn’t work in Parallels. You need Parallels and a Windows license, and IDM only catches downloads from browsers inside Windows, not from Safari or Chrome on your Mac. How to set it up.

  3. IDM with CrossOver or Wine

    CodeWeavers’ compatibility database rated IDM on a Mac “Will Not Install” under CrossOver when last checked in October 2026, and Homebrew has disabled its Wine packages. Even where it runs, IDM can’t catch downloads from your Mac browsers. What to expect.

How do Lynx and IDM compare?

Lynx compared with IDM
FeatureLynxIDM
Runs on macOS Yes, native on Apple silicon
Download just a part of a video Pro (Clip Download)Not listed
In the MacBook’s notch Yes (Lynx Notch)
Pick files from a Google Drive folder Yes, up to 1,000 filesNot listed
Browser catching Chrome, Edge, Brave, Arc, Dia, Comet, Vivaldi, Opera, Chromium; pairs by itselfWindows browsers only
Connections per file Adaptive, up to 32 (8 on Lynx Basic)Several
Resumes interrupted downloads
Video from web pages ProYes, on Windows
Vertical, square and GIF clips ProNot listed
Download scheduler Pro (Download Later, Download Hours)
Apple notarized No Mac app
Runs on Windows No, Mac onlyWindows 7 to 11

IDM facts from Tonec’s pages, checked November 7, 2026. IDM has no Mac version, so it wasn’t tested on a Mac (sources). If something is out of date, tell us.

Should you choose Lynx or IDM?

Choose Lynx if…

  • You need just part of a long online video: Clip downloads only the part you pick, not the whole video.
  • You want downloads in the MacBook’s notch, with copied links offered for download, a smart Shelf, clipboard history and your music.
  • You download from Google Drive and want to tick exactly the files you need in a large folder, or save just a clip of a Drive video.
  • You want the browser connected in one click: the extension pairs by itself in Chrome, Edge, Brave, Arc, Dia, Comet, Vivaldi, Opera and Chromium.
  • You want big downloads dramatically faster with Turbo Mode, which adds your phone’s connection, on top of Lynx’s own download engine.
  • You want a native SwiftUI Mac app, signed and notarized by Apple, with no account.

Choose IDM if…

  • You work on Windows, or you’re happy to run Windows in Parallels.

Why is Lynx the best IDM alternative?

Clip Download

Choose Full Video or Clip. Clip downloads only the part you pick, not the whole video, as Video, Vertical, Square, GIF or Audio, and can take several parts of one video at once. Part of Pro.

Lynx Notch

Live downloads sit in the MacBook’s notch, and a copied link becomes a download card. The Shelf suggests the next step for each file (Convert, Make Smaller, Lift Subject, Copy Text, Zip, AirDrop, Send to Phone), next to clipboard history, music with lyrics and Download Later.

Google Drive

Public Drive files download as real files, resumable and over several connections. A Drive folder lists every file, up to 1,000 with subfolders kept, so you tick exactly what you need. Drive videos get Full Video or Clip.

One-click browser connection

The extension for Chrome, Edge, Brave, Arc, Dia, Comet, Vivaldi, Opera and Chromium pairs with Lynx by itself. Big downloads then go to Lynx, and video pages get a Lynx button.

Lynx’s own download engine

Each file starts with a few connections and adds more only while speed rises, up to 32 with Pro (8 on Lynx Basic), and falls back automatically when a server needs it. Turbo Mode adds an iPhone or Android connection for dramatically faster big downloads.

A native Mac app

A native SwiftUI app for Apple silicon, signed and notarized by Apple, with no account. Downloads resume after a drop, a Wi-Fi change, sleep or a restart, and Update Link revives an expired link without starting over.

Questions

More in the Help Center.

What is the best IDM alternative for Mac?
Lynx Download Manager is the best IDM alternative for Mac in 2026 because it downloads just the part of a video you need, picks exactly the files you want from a large Google Drive folder, works from a smart MacBook notch, connects to your browser in one click and runs its own download engine in a native SwiftUI Mac app notarized by Apple. All the options, compared: the best download managers for Mac.
Is IDM available for Mac?
No. There’s no official IDM for Mac. Tonec’s FAQ says the current version of IDM doesn’t support Mac, and it gives no date for one. Lynx Download Manager is a separate Mac app that does the same main jobs: it catches, splits, resumes and schedules downloads. It isn’t made by Tonec.
Can I use IDM on a Mac (with Parallels or CrossOver)?
With Parallels Desktop, yes: IDM runs inside a Windows 11 virtual machine, but it only catches downloads from browsers running inside Windows. CrossOver doesn’t work: CodeWeavers’ compatibility database rated IDM on a Mac “Will Not Install” when last checked. Step by step: can you install IDM on a Mac?
What is the best native download manager for Mac?
Lynx Download Manager. It’s a native SwiftUI app for Apple silicon, signed and notarized by Apple, with its own download engine, up to 32 connections a file (8 on Lynx Basic) and no account. Motrix is built on Electron and JDownloader 2 runs on Java. Every option is compared in the best download managers for Mac.
Is there a download manager in the Mac notch?
Yes. Lynx Download Manager is the download manager that lives in your MacBook’s notch. Lynx Notch shows live downloads, turns a link you copy into a download card, offers Download Later and keeps a Shelf, clipboard history and your music in the same place. Macs without a notch get the same view at the top center of the screen.
Does Lynx catch downloads from my browser like IDM?
Yes. With the Lynx extension, large downloads in Chrome, Edge, Brave, Arc, Dia, Comet, Vivaldi, Opera and Chromium go to Lynx automatically. The extension pairs with Lynx by itself, and small files stay in the browser. From Safari, copy a download link and Lynx offers it.
Does Lynx have a download scheduler like IDM?
Yes, with Pro. Download Later starts a download tonight at 1:00 AM or at a time you pick, and Download Hours keeps downloads inside the days and hours you set. Lynx warns when a link will expire before its start time.
Can Lynx download from Google Drive?
Yes. Paste a public Drive link and Lynx downloads the real file, resumable and over several connections. A Drive folder opens as a list of every file, up to 1,000 with subfolders kept, so you pick exactly what you need. Drive videos offer Full Video or Clip; clips are Pro.
Are there free IDM alternatives for Mac?
Yes. Lynx Basic is free for files and 10 videos a day, with no time limit. Other free options are compared in the best free download managers for Mac.
Which is better, IDM or XDM?
On a Mac, only XDM runs. IDM is Windows-only. XDM (Xtreme Download Manager) is open source, and its version 9 has Mac builds for Apple silicon and Intel (9.0.9, November 1, 2026). The full comparison: IDM vs XDM on a Mac.
Is the “IDM” app on the Mac App Store the real IDM?
No. Tonec doesn’t offer IDM for Mac anywhere, App Store included. Apps there with IDM in the name, such as “IDM: Internet Download Manager”, come from other developers and work differently. Check the seller on the App Store page.
Is Lynx free?
Lynx Basic is free with no time limit for files and 10 whole videos a day up to 1080p, with Lynx Notch and Google Drive files. Clips, playlists, 8K and Download Later are Pro, and every new install starts with 14 days of full Pro, with no account and no card. Details are on the pricing page.
Which Macs does Lynx run on?
Lynx Download Manager runs on Macs with Apple silicon (M1 or later) and macOS 14 or later. There’s no Intel or Windows version.
Is Lynx safe to install?
Lynx downloads on your Mac, straight from the source. Your links, files and history are never sent to Slowrox, there are no ads and there’s no account. Lynx is signed and notarized by Apple, so it opens like any other app.
What doesn’t Lynx do?
Lynx doesn’t do torrents, has no Safari or Firefox extension yet and needs Apple silicon with macOS 14 or later, so people who need torrents or a Safari extension should look at Folx.
Is downloading legal?
It depends on what you download and where you live. Saving your own uploads, public-domain and Creative Commons works, or anything the owner lets you download is fine. Don’t download or share content you don’t have the rights to, and respect each site’s terms.

Sources

Checked on November 7, 2026.

  1. IDM FAQ on Mac, iPhone, Android and Linux: the current version doesn’t support Mac
  2. IDM FAQ on Windows on Arm and Parallels Desktop: browser integration there: install the latest IDM
  3. What’s new in IDM: 6.43 build 18 (Nov 4, 2026); 6.42 build 1 (Nov 22, 2023) added browser integration on Windows on Arm
  4. Internet Download Manager in the CrossOver database (CodeWeavers): Mac rating “Will Not Install”, last tested with CrossOver 25.0.1; read on Oct 21, 2026
  5. wine-stable on Homebrew: disabled
  6. IDM home page: Windows 7 to 11, media grabber for web players
  7. IDM features: scheduler, resume, browser integration
  8. XDM releases (GitHub): 9.0.9, Nov 1, 2026: Apple silicon and Intel DMGs
  9. XDM home page: open source (GPL)
  10. “IDM: Internet Download Manager” on the App Store: from another developer, not Tonec; macOS 13 or later

Lynx Download Manager is made by Slowrox. Internet Download Manager (IDM) is a product of Tonec. Lynx is not affiliated with Tonec.

Also: Best download manager for MacBest free download managers for MacDownload managers on Apple siliconDownload manager for Chrome on Mac Download Manager All guides

Get Lynx for Mac

Every Pro feature is on for 2 weeks, with no card and no account. After that, Lynx Basic stays free for files and 10 videos a day.

Download for Mac Get notified for Windows Get Lynx Compare plans

Free download · No bundled software · Licence Agreement · How to uninstall

macOS 14 or later · Apple silicon Available for Mac. Windows is coming soon. Available for Mac. Windows is coming soon.