# prism-download-manager (FortoGraphy/prism-download-manager)
> A free, open-source download manager for Windows, macOS and Linux that splits each file into up to 32 parallel connections and resumes after crashes.
- GitHub: https://github.com/FortoGraphy/prism-download-manager
- GitHub.Locker page: https://github.locker/FortoGraphy/prism-download-manager
- Stars: 713
- Language: Rust
- License: MIT
- Last push: 2026-11-01
## Questions and answers
Written by GitHub.Locker from the README and the repository; check the README below for details.
**Is it a standalone app or a browser add-on?**
Both: a desktop app built with Rust and Tauri, plus a browser extension that hands clicked downloads over to the app.
**How do I get it running?**
Download the installer for your system from the latest release; on Windows the x64 setup.exe is recommended and needs no admin rights. Then add the extension from the Chrome Web Store (Chrome, Edge, Brave, Opera, Vivaldi, Helium). Firefox has its own steps in the guide.
**Do I need to install anything else first?**
No separate tools for video: Prism installs yt-dlp and ffmpeg itself and keeps yt-dlp up to date.
**Will Windows or macOS block the installer?**
Probably, because the installers are not code-signed. On Windows choose More info then Run anyway; on macOS allow it in System Settings or remove the quarantine flag once with xattr.
**Which systems are supported?**
Windows 10 and 11, macOS 11 or later on Apple Silicon and Intel, and Linux via deb, rpm or AppImage.
**Does it send my data anywhere?**
No telemetry and no accounts; the browser extension talks only to the app on your own computer.
**Is it really free?**
Yes: MIT-licensed, with no ads, no trial and no account. Bundled and downloaded components keep their own licenses.
**Can it download AI models from Hugging Face?**
Yes: paste a model name like Qwen/Qwen3-8B or its link, pick the files you need, and Prism checks each one against its SHA-256. Gated models need an access token in Settings.
**Does it recover after a crash or a power cut?**
Yes: progress is saved only after data is flushed to disk, and on resume Prism checks the file's size, ETag and Last-Modified before continuing.
**Which sites can it grab video from?**
YouTube and over 1,800 sites, as MP4 up to 8K/HDR or MP3 only, with subtitles, chapters and SponsorBlock support.
**Can I use it alongside IDM?**
Yes, but disable the other manager's browser extension, because two extensions fighting over one download means neither works reliably.
---
## README (checked against GitHub 2026-11-03)
Source: https://github.com/FortoGraphy/prism-download-manager/blob/main/README.md
Prism
One beam. Many rays.
The fast, beautiful, open-source download manager for Windows, macOS and Linux.
⬇ Download ·
Website ·
▶ Watch the film ·
Install guide ·
Browser extension ·
☕ Buy me a beam
---
Prism splits every download into up to **32 parallel connections**, keeps them all busy until
the last byte, and survives crashes, sleep and pulled cables. Click a link in your browser and
Prism takes over; hover a video and grab it as **MP4 in the quality you want — or just the MP3**.
All of it in a calm, liquid-glass interface with dark and light themes.
Free, open source, no ads, no accounts, no telemetry.
## ✨ Why Prism
| | |
|---|---|
| ⚡ **Up to 15× faster** | On servers that throttle each connection, Prism's multi-connection engine is up to 15× faster than a normal browser download ([benchmarks](#-benchmarks)). |
| 🔁 **Never start over** | Pause, close the laptop, lose power — Prism resumes exactly where it stopped and checks that the file on the server hasn't changed. |
| 🌐 **Lives in your browser** | Chrome, Edge, Brave, Opera, Vivaldi and Firefox. Downloads jump into Prism in about a quarter of a second. |
| 🎬 **Video & music** | YouTube and [1,800+ sites](https://github.com/yt-dlp/yt-dlp/blob/master/supportedsites.md): MP4 up to 8K/HDR or MP3 only, with subtitles, chapters and SponsorBlock. |
| 🧲 **Every protocol** | HTTP(S), FTP/FTPS, HLS and DASH streams, BitTorrent and magnet links. |
| 🤖 **AI models** | Download models from [Hugging Face](https://huggingface.co) by name, link or search. Prism picks the files you need (one GGUF version, the weights in one format), downloads them over many connections and checks each against its SHA-256. Gated models, mirrors like hf-mirror.com and LM Studio's folder work too. |
| 🗂 **Organised** | Categories, queues with schedules and speed limits, "shut down when done", site grabber, batch downloads, clipboard monitor. |
| 🌍 **Your language** | English, Czech, German, Spanish, French, Italian, Indonesian, Turkish, Simplified Chinese and Arabic. Prism follows your system's language, or pick one in Settings. |
| 🎨 **Gorgeous** | Liquid-glass design, dark & light themes, six accent colours, a mini window — and fast with thousands of downloads. |
## ⬇ Download
Grab the file for your system from the **[latest release](https://github.com/FortoGraphy/prism-download-manager/releases/latest)**:
| System | File |
|---|---|
| **Windows** 10 / 11 | `Prism__x64-setup.exe` — recommended, no admin rights needed
`…_x64_en-US.msi` for all users · `…-windows-x64-portable.zip` for USB sticks |
| **macOS** 11+ Apple Silicon | `Prism__aarch64.dmg` |
| **macOS** 11+ Intel | `Prism__x64.dmg` |
| **Ubuntu / Debian / Mint** | `Prism__amd64.deb` |
| **Fedora / openSUSE** | `Prism--1.x86_64.rpm` |
| **Any Linux** | `Prism__amd64.AppImage` |
> **First start:** the installers are not code-signed (certificates cost money).
> Windows: *More info → Run anyway*. macOS: run `xattr -dr com.apple.quarantine /Applications/Prism.app`
> once (or *System Settings → Privacy & Security → Open Anyway*).
> Step-by-step for every system: **[Installation guide](docs/guide/installation.md)**.
## 🌐 Browser extension (1 minute)
**[Add Prism from the Chrome Web Store](https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/prism-download-manager/mmcdeiglkbfbicdjboocmhehodogilfl)**
— Chrome, Edge, Brave, Opera, Vivaldi and Helium. Click **Add to Chrome**, pin the Prism icon, and it
says **Connected**. The store keeps it up to date.
Prism also walks you through this on first start (and any time from **Settings → Browser
integration**). Firefox, Edge/Opera notes, troubleshooting and privacy details:
**[Browser extension guide](docs/guide/browser-extension.md)**.
## 📸 Screenshots
| | |
|---|---|
|  |  |
| **Click a link** — Prism asks where to save it | **Grab a video** — MP4 + quality, or MP3 only |
|  |  |
| **Queues & scheduler** — download at night, then sleep | **Browser integration** — status and one-click repair |
|  |  |
| **Done** — open, show in folder, verify | **Mini window** — stays out of your way |
## 📊 Benchmarks
Same files, same machine, every result verified by SHA-256
([method & full results](docs/benchmarks.md)):
| Scenario | curl (1 connection) | aria2c | **Prism** |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 GiB from a server that throttles each connection | 4.0 MiB/s | 61.0 MiB/s | **60.9 MiB/s** |
| 2 GiB, no network limit | 672 MiB/s | 324 MiB/s | **1029 MiB/s** |
| Server allows only 4 connections | 2.0 MiB/s | 8.0 MiB/s | **8.0 MiB/s** (max) |
| Server that randomly drops connections | — | ✘ gave up | **37.7 MiB/s** ✔ |
| Real internet, ≈ 200 Mbit/s line | 25.9 MiB/s | 25.2 MiB/s | **25.1 MiB/s** (line speed) |
## 🧠 How it works
* **Dynamic segmentation.** When a connection finishes its part, it takes over half of the
largest part still remaining — so every connection stays busy until the very end and the
slow tail gets split down instead of waiting on one slow socket.
* **Server-aware.** Prism notices when a server refuses extra connections, settles on what it
allows and remembers it per host.
* **Straight to disk.** Data is written directly into the final file (sparse on NTFS,
pre-allocated on Linux) — no slow "assembling" step at the end.
* **Crash-safe.** Progress is checkpointed only after data is flushed to disk; on resume Prism
validates size, ETag and Last-Modified with `If-Range`.
* **Rust + Tauri.** A Rust engine (tokio, rustls), a React UI in a native Tauri 2 shell — small,
fast and memory-friendly.
Deep dive: [ARCHITECTURE.md](ARCHITECTURE.md).
## 🛠 Build from source
```bash
git clone https://github.com/FortoGraphy/prism-download-manager
cd prism-download-manager
npm ci --prefix app && npm ci --prefix extension
npm run build --prefix extension
cd app && npm run tauri:build
```
Prerequisites and platform notes: [BUILD.md](BUILD.md) (Windows, Linux) ·
[docs/BUILD_MACOS.md](docs/BUILD_MACOS.md) (macOS).
```text
crates/prism-engine download engine: segmented HTTP/FTP, HLS/DASH, resume, speed limiter
crates/prism-core app logic: manager, SQLite, queues, scheduler, grabber, browser IPC
crates/prism-video yt-dlp / ffmpeg management, quality choices, muxing
crates/prism-torrent BitTorrent / magnet
crates/prism-native-host browser ↔ app bridge (native messaging) and browser registration
crates/prism-testserver configurable HTTP server for tests and benchmarks
app/ React UI + Tauri 2 shell
extension/ MV3 extension (Chromium + Firefox)
site/ prismdl.site
```
## ❓ FAQ
Is it really free?
Yes. MIT-licensed, no ads, no trial, no account, no telemetry. The extension talks only to
the app on your own computer.
Windows / macOS says the app is unsafe.
The installers aren't signed with a paid certificate. The code is all here and every release
is built by GitHub Actions from this repository, with `SHA256SUMS.txt` to verify your file.
Can I use it together with IDM or another download manager?
Yes, but disable their browser extension — two extensions fighting over the same download
means neither works reliably.
Which sites can it download video from?
Every site supported by [yt-dlp](https://github.com/yt-dlp/yt-dlp), which Prism installs and
keeps up to date for you (together with ffmpeg). Please download only content you have the
right to download.
How do I download a model from Hugging Face?
Click the model button in the toolbar (or paste a model's name like `Qwen/Qwen3-8B`, or its link,
into *Add URL*). Pick a version if the model has several, and click *Download*: the files go into
the *Hugging Face* queue. For gated or private models, add an access token in Settings › AI models
(Prism also uses the one `hf auth login` saved). The token is sent only to Hugging Face, never to
the servers the files come from.
Does it work on Linux Flatpak/Snap browsers?
Flatpak browsers can't talk to desktop apps (a sandbox limitation). Use the deb/rpm version of
your browser for full integration.
## 📄 License
[MIT](LICENSE) for Prism's own code. Bundled and downloaded components keep their own licenses —
see [THIRD_PARTY.md](THIRD_PARTY.md).
Prism is an independent project. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by or derived from
Internet Download Manager or Tonec Inc.; all names are trademarks of their respective owners.