Top 6 Free NTFS for Mac Users in 2024

As you probably already know, the NTFS file system built into Windows can't be written on Mac. Though, it can only read NTFS drives. 

However, using NTFS for Mac, you can allow MacOS to read and write drives, SSDs, and USB thumbs formatted for Windows systems. NTFS for Mac can smoothly format NTFS file systems suiting your Mac environment. 

NTFS for Mac seems like some expensive tool? 

Well, no. There are many free NTFS for Mac available that can help you format NTFS external as well as internal drives. 

Excited? So, let's check out the seven awesome free NTFS to write in MacOS.

Quick Access:

1. EaseUS NTFS for Mac
2. Paragon NTFS for Mac
3. Mounty for NTFS
4. Tuxera NTFS for Mac
5. NTFS-3G
6. FUSE for macOS

1. EaseUS NTFS for Mac

EaseUS NTFS for Mac is a robust and simple utility tool to read, copy, move, edit and write NTFS drives in macOS. This free software can let you do everything with Windows drives on your Mac. 

With the tool, you can mount and unmount your Windows NTFS volume right from your Mac's status bar. Additionally, it is fully compatible with M1 Mac devices. 

EaseUS NTFS for Mac Highlights 

• Fast speed to save or copy files between your drives and Mac. 
• Supports many other file systems, including APFS, HFS+, FAT, exFAT, etc. 
• The software works for macOS Big Sur 11 - MacOS Sierra 10.12. 
• It can also free 100 MB or more disk space. 

Pros

• Easy to use. 
• Interactive user interface. 
• Supports all the leading MacOS  
• 24 hours email support. 

Cons

• Limited free trial. 

Download Size: 18.5 MB

Steps to Use EaseUS NTFS for Mac：

Step 1. Launch and activate EaseUS NTFS for Mac. Click "I already have a license" to unlock this software.

Step 2. Connect an NTFS drive to Mac, EaseUS NTFS for Mac will automatically detect the device. Select your drive and you'll see it's now marked as 'Read-only". Click "Enable Writable" to add read and write rights to the drive.

Step 3. When the state of NTFS drives turns into "Writable".

Step 4. EaseUS NTFS for Mac will pops up a window to help Mac get access to the NTFS drive:

1. 1. Select "Full Disk Access", click the Lock icon and enter admin password to unlock it.
2. 2. Select the two icons of NTFS for Mac.
3. 3. Drag them to the "Full Disk Access" list.
4. 4. Click " Quit & Restore" to re-launch EaseUS NTFS for Mac.

Step 5. When EaseUS NTFS for Mac restarts, you can then open to check, read, write, and even modify saved data on the NTFS device.

2. Paragon NTFS for Mac

Paragon NTFS for Mac is also fully compatible to read, write, move and edit Windows NTFS on Mac. The software is based on a special UFSD technology that provides magnificent speed to NTFS partitions as macOS native. 

Pros 

• 10-day free trial. 
• Friendly UI. 
• Compatible with Apple Silicone M1 Mac. 
• Easy to use. 

Cons 

• Hard to use for novice users. 
• Charge for every upgrade. 
• Advertising updates. 

Download Size: 57.0 MB

Steps to Use Paragon NTFS for Mac 

Step 1. Download Paragon NTFS for Mac and launch it. 

Step 2. Locate the file > Double-click on the dmg. 

Step 3. Click on the Install NTFS for Mac button and follow the on-screen prompts. 

Step 4. Restart your Mac, and then you can start editing your NTFS drives.

 

3. Mounty for NTFS

Mounty for NTFS is free software that you can access via DMG installer and Homebrew. The tool is specifically designed to share files between Windows and macOS platforms. Also, Mounty for NTFS won't install third-party drivers on your disk; it only uses the mechanism available in macOS.  

Pros 

• Fully free. 
• Supports M1 Mac devices. 
• Good speed. 

Cons 

• Write speed is slower than other NTFS for Mac. 
• No technical support. 
• Unsecure program. 

Download Size: 5.67 MB

Steps to Use Mounty for NTFS

Step 1. Download and install Mounty for NTFS on your Mac. 

Step 2. Once the software is downloaded, you can click on the Finder windows to manage the content of the mounted drive. 

 

4. Tuxera NTFS for Mac

Tuxera NTFS for Mac can allow you to read and write NTFS drives with ease. The software uses an enhanced caching technology that can transfer files fast between Windows NTFS on Mac. Also, the program offers a Maintenance option to check and repair errors on the connected disk. 

Pros 

• Offers free trial. 
• Compatible with macOS 11 to MacOSX 10.4. 
• Supports Apple Silicon M1 Mac. 

Cons 

• Slow data transfer rate. 
• Can corrupt users' data. 

Download Size: 98.1 MB

Steps to Use Tuxera NTFS for Mac 

Step 1. Download Tuxera NTFS for Mac installer online from the official website. 

Step 2. Double-click on the Install Tuxera NTFS once the installation package is downloaded. 

Step 3. Click on the open to launch the Tuxera NTFS software on your Mac.

Step 4. Click on the Continue button when the Tuxera package is ready to run and select the trial version. 

Step 5. Now, simply Restart your Mac, connect your NTFS driver to your Mac, and open NTFS drive in Finder to make edits.

5. NTFS-3G

NTFS-3G is an open-source, cross-platform deployment of the Windows NTFS drives. The program uses the FUSE file system interface so it can run unmodified on several operating systems, including macOS. Further, NTFS-3G supports all operations for writing NTFS files on Mac. It also supports transparent compression and system-level encryption. 

Pros 

• 100% free. 
• Compatible with OS X, Snow Leopard, and Yosemite. 
• Supports Linux and Android too. 

Cons 

• Hasn't been updated to support macOS Big Sur. 
• Not compatible with Apple Silicon M1 Mac. 
• Complicated to use and install. 

Download Size: 27.90 MB

Steps to Use NTFS-3G

Step 1. To install NTFS-3G, open the Synaptic Package Manager and type the root password. 

Step 2. Search for the NTFS in the search field and select Mark for Installation. Accept ntfs_config's dependencies and Apply changes to start the installation process. 

Step 3. Once installation is done, Restart your computer, and you can now read-write NTFS drives on your Mac.  

6. FUSE for macOS

Lastly, the free NTFS for Mac is FUSE for macOS. The program might be a bit more cumbersome and less secure to mount NTFS partitions in read-write mode. But if you are comfortable with the command line and need a 100% free solution, FUSE for macOS is a good option. 

Pros 

• Fully free for Mac app. 
• Supports macOS Snow Leopard to Mojave. 
• Available in multiple languages. 

Cons 

• Not compatible with Silicon M1 Mac. 
• Not reliable. 
• No technical support. 
• Hasn't been updated in long. 

Download Size: 5.7 MB

Steps to Use FUSE for macOS 

Step 1. Download the latest version of FUSE, open the .dmg file and click on the FUSE for macOS.pkg to initiate the installation.

 

Step 2. Once the software is installed, Restart your computer and connect the Windows NTFS drive to read-write on Mac. 

Parting Remarks 

All the seven free NTFS for Mac options have been great. Isn't it? 

You must now be confused about which solution to use next time you write Windows NTFS on Mac. Well, here this tabular comparison will help you make the wise decision:

Functions	EaseUS NTFS for Mac	Paragon NTFS for Mac	Mounty for NTFS	Tuxera NTFS for Mac	NTFS-3G	FUSE for macOS
M1 Support	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No
Free or Paid	Both	Both	Free	Both	Free	Free
Price	$14.95/month	Less than $20/month	Free	$15 per license	Free	Free
Ease-to-use	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No
Transfer speed	Fast	Fast	Slow	Slow	Slow	Medium
Sleek UI	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No
Supported macOS	macOS11 - macOS10.13	macOS 11 - 10.12	macOS 11 - OS X 10.9	macOS 11 - OS X 10.4	macOS 11 - OS X 10.4	macOS 10.15 - OS X 10.6

This tabular comparison has clearly stated that 100% free NTFS for Mac is slow and complicated. In fact, some of them don't even support the Apple Silicon M1 Mac. 

On the contrary, paid tools have powerful features, but they are expensive, except for EaseUS NTFS. The software just costs $14.95 per month. And you can even get the lifetime version for only $49.95. 

Additionally, the software is super easy to use and intuitive. Overall, we highly recommend EaseUS NTFS for Mac. Rest the choice is all yours.