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Utilities · head to head

Rufus vs TreeSize

Rufus logo

Rufus

Utilities

Create bootable USB drives on Windows

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
TreeSize logo

TreeSize

Utilities

Windows disk space analyser whose free edition may be used commercially, with paid tiers for scheduled reporting

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Rufus windows only, with no macOS or Linux build; TreeSize it traverses directories rather than reading the NTFS master file table, so a local drive scan takes noticeably longer than the fastest alternatives.
  • They diverge on capability: Rufus covers Bootable USB creation, TreeSize covers Free edition licensed for business.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Rufus and TreeSize actually diverge.

Attributes where Rufus and TreeSize differ
AttributeRufusTreeSize
Pricing modelOpen source, no licence feequote

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), platforms (Windows), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Utilities).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Rufus

  • Bootable USB creation
  • No installation
  • Partition scheme control
  • Windows install customisation

Only in TreeSize

  • Free edition licensed for business
  • Network share scanning
  • Reports by age and owner
  • Duplicate file search
  • Scheduled scans
  • Exports

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Rufus

  • Writing a Linux or Windows installer to a USB sticknot TreeSize
  • Creating live USB media with a persistent partitionnot TreeSize
  • Recovering a machine that will not boot from its internal drivenot TreeSize

TreeSize

  • Deploying one free disk analyser across a company without a personal-use licence problemnot Rufus
  • Reporting on a file server by owner and file age before an archiving or quota decisionnot Rufus
  • Finding duplicate files spread across departmental network sharesnot Rufus
  • Producing a storage report for someone who will read a PDF but not run a scannot Rufus

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Rufus

  • Windows only, with no macOS or Linux build
  • Single-purpose: it writes drives and does nothing else
  • Some of its Windows setup bypass options work around vendor requirements and may not survive future releases

TreeSize

  • It traverses directories rather than reading the NTFS master file table, so a local drive scan takes noticeably longer than the fastest alternatives.
  • It is Windows only, so file servers running Linux or a NAS appliance need a different tool or a share mounted from a Windows machine.
  • Useful features are spread across three paid tiers, so the single capability a buyer needs frequently sits two tiers above the one they were considering.
  • Scanning large network shares generates significant traffic and takes hours, which means it has to be scheduled rather than run when someone asks the question.
  • Pricing is per licence with separate maintenance, so an accurate total for a team requires a quote rather than a figure from the website.

Pricing, plan by plan

Rufus

Free
  • RufusFree
    • Full functionality
    • No usage limits
    • Community support

TreeSize

Free
  • TreeSize FreeFree
    • Folder size analysis and treemap
    • Licensed for private and commercial use
    • Basic exports
  • TreeSize Personal, Professional and Enterprise$undefined/year
    • File search, duplicate detection and full exports
    • Network share and file server scanning
    • Scheduled unattended scans and stored reports

Which should you pick?

Choose Rufus if

  • You need bootable usb creation.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Windows.
  • You also want no installation.
Rufus review

Choose TreeSize if

  • You need free edition licensed for business.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Windows.
  • You also want network share scanning.
TreeSize review

Questions people ask

Is Rufus or TreeSize better?
Neither clearly leads. Rufus starts at Free and TreeSize at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Rufus or TreeSize?
Rufus starts at Free and TreeSize at Free.
Does Rufus or TreeSize run on more platforms?
Both run on Windows, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use Rufus for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Rufus best used for?
Rufus is most often used for writing a linux or windows installer to a usb stick, creating live usb media with a persistent partition, recovering a machine that will not boot from its internal drive. Of those, writing a linux or windows installer to a usb stick and creating live usb media with a persistent partition are not what TreeSize is typically brought in for.
What can Rufus do that TreeSize cannot?
Rufus covers Bootable USB creation, No installation, Partition scheme control, Windows install customisation. TreeSize covers Free edition licensed for business, Network share scanning, Reports by age and owner, Duplicate file search.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Rufus: Is Rufus free?

Yes, open source under the GPL.

TreeSize: Is TreeSize Free really free for business use?

Yes. JAM Software licenses the free edition for private and commercial use, which is the main reason it appears on corporate machines where other free analysers are not permitted.

Rufus: Does Rufus run on macOS or Linux?

No, it is Windows only. balenaEtcher is the usual cross-platform equivalent.

TreeSize: Why is it slower than WizTree?

Method. WizTree reads the NTFS master file table; TreeSize walks the directory tree, which is slower but works on network shares and non-NTFS volumes.

Rufus: Why choose Rufus over the built-in tools?

It is faster than most alternatives and gives explicit control over partition scheme and target system, which matters when a machine will not boot from default media.

TreeSize: Can it scan a NAS or Linux file server?

It scans them as network shares over SMB, with the speed penalty that implies. There is no agent that runs on the server itself.

TreeSize: What does the Enterprise tier add?

Scheduled unattended scans, stored historical results and reporting across servers, which is the difference between a cleanup tool and a storage reporting system.

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