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Ntfs For Mac Trial

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By Juno | Posted to NTFS for Mac Tips, updated on May 29, 2020

Paragon NTFS for Mac is fully compatible with Apple's new security policy ensuring fast, hassle-free and safe access to NTFS partitions from macOS 10.12 Sierra. Compatible with Apple Boot Camp. Microsoft NTFS for Mac by Paragon Software is fully compatible with Apple Boot Camp software and provides direct read and write access to Mac partitions from Windows installed on Boot Camp. Compatible with 3rd party software. The solution is here. Tuxera NTFS for Mac is our commercial read/write NTFS software for Mac users. It builds and extends upon the proven stability of Tuxera's popular open source NTFS-3G to deliver a full featured, commercial grade NTFS driver for your Mac. With Tuxera NTFS for Mac you can access your Windows disks as easily as any Mac disk.

Before you are led to the introduction of free NTFS for Mac, here is some background information in case you don't know.

You can read Windows NTFS drives on Mac. But Mac can't write to NTFS drives, including create, edit, copy, paste, delete, or transfer files on NTFS drive on Mac desktops and laptops. Do you know why?

One of the strongest contenders for macOS is Microsoft NTFS for Mac by Paragon, which offers a ten-day free trial of its features. Once installed, the app will mount your Windows drives allowing.

NTFS is a file system developed by Microsoft, the competitor of Apple. NTFS is used by default on Windows platform, especially for system drive. Additionally, if you use Boot Camp to create a Windows partition on your Mac, you will find you can't mount BOOTCAMP partition with read-write access either. Up to now, Mac operating systems, including macOS Catalina/Mojave/High Sierra/Sierra and Mac OS X El Capitan, only provide NTFS read support but deny NTFS write support.

You know the business, but for users, is there any way to let Mac write NTFS drives? Can you make the NTFS drive fully compatible with macOS or Mac OS X? Sure. The easiest method is to use NTFS driver for macOS software.

If you are looking for a totally free NTFS for Mac software, there are four options: Mounty for NTFS, NTFS-3G, FUSE for macOS and SL-NTFS.

Top 4 NTFS for Mac free software

Some Mac users may have upgraded to macOS Catalina and are digging around for an NTFS driver for macOS 10.15. But it's hard to find a Free NTFS for Mac that supports macOS 10.15 yet. Fortunately, iBoysoft has upgraded their software iBoysoft NTFS for Mac to be compatible with macOS Catalina.

If you are using a Mac running macOS 10.14 and earlier, you can try the NTFS for Mac below and share NTFS drives between Windows and Mac.

1. Mounty for NTFS

Mounty for NTFS is completely NTFS for Mac free software to enable write ability to NTFS drives on your Mac. It has simple design to help users mount NTFS drives with write support on Mac.

As a free utility, Mounty for NTFS does have some highlights:

  1. Totally free.
  2. Fast download and installation because it is less than 1MB.
  3. One-time installation and no additional driver needed.

But Mounty for NTFS dose get complaints because:

  1. The write speed to NTFS drive is rather slow.
  2. It can't mount the NTFS formatted drives in read-write mode automatically.
  3. It can be unstable and fails to mount NTFS drives.
  4. It can cause data loss problems.
  5. It doesn't provide tech support.
  6. The software is not compatible with the latest macOS Catalina or Mojave.

2. NTFS-3G

NTFS-3G is an open-source project from Tuxera, so the public can download this NTFS for Mac free software to write to Windows NTFS drives on your Mac computers

Set aside its advantage for being free, NTFS-3G is complained a lot because of its poor performance. Some main drawbacks of this free NTFS for Mac are listed below:

  1. Complicated installation. You have to know how to use Terminal or have already downloaded FUSE for macOS, Homebrew or Xcode.
  2. Poor usability. Users have to use the software by command lines in Terminal instead of an interface.
  3. Poor compatibility. NTFS-3G only supports macOS 10.12 or earlier. It doesn't support the latest macOS 10.15 and macOS 10.14.
  4. Slow write speed. The file transferring is noticeably slow.
  5. Tuxera stops maintaining this utility.
  6. No technical support. As freeware, no technical support is available when issues occur.

3. FUSE for macOS

FUSE for macOS (was OSXFUSE) is another open and NTFS for Mac free software that can enable write support to NTFS drives on Mac. In fact, FUSE is a file system extension that allows user to read and write disks with the formats that are not fully supported by Apple.

FUSE for macOS is worth trying because:

  1. It is free of charge.
  2. It is compatible with Mac operating system from Mac OS X 10.6 to macOS 10.14.
  3. Multiple languages are available.

As a free NTFS for Mac, FUSE for macOS has some obvious limitations:

  1. It can be unreliable sometimes such as file size being reported as 0 bytes.
  2. It has no technical support when issues occur.

4. SL-NTFS

SL-NTFS means Snow Leopard NTFS. As a matter of fact, writing to NTFS drive on Apple is possible since Mac OS 10.6 without any third-party NTFS driver, but the NTFS writing support is disabled by default. Therefore, SL-NTFS is used as an interface on the Apple NTFS driver to enable writing to NTFS drives on Mac.

As a NTFS for Mac free app, SL-NTFS has some pros as followings:

  1. It is free.
  2. It is simple to install.

However, SL-NTFS has some cons to prevent people from using it.

  1. It has limited access to a large number of files and a large volume of data.
  2. It can't enable NTFS write on some NTFS external hard drives.
  3. It can cause conflicts if you have another NTFS enabler installed.
  4. It has no technical support.

Generally speaking, despite of being free, those NTFS for Mac free software have various flaws, making them very risky to use.

If you are afraid of using a risky free NTFS utility for Mac, there are two cost-effective alternatives for you. Even though they are not completely free, they can provide a lot of merits that NTFS for Mac free software on't have.

Best NTFS for Mac software

Ntfs For Mac Trial

NTFS for Mac free software can be troublemakers because of their low write speed, poor compatibility, no technical support, etc. Nevertheless, you don't have to pay a fortune to get enough reliability, stability and simplicity from a cost-effective NTFS for Mac - iBoysoft NTFS for Mac or iBoysoft Drive Manager.

1. iBoysoft NTFS for Mac

iBoysoft NTFS for Mac is an ultimate NTFS for Mac solution in macOS and Mac OS X that can easily help you mount NTFS volumes on Mac desktops and laptops as regular drives in read-write mode.

iBoysoft NTFS for Mac has quite a few advantages you can take into account:

  1. It can mount NTFS volumes in read-write mode automatically.
  2. It can unmount and eject NTFS volumes with one click.
  3. It can repair NTFS file system errors.
  4. It can erase NTFS volumes for data cleanup.
  5. It can reformat other file system (except APFS) into NTFS.
  6. It is fully compatible with macOS 10.15/10.14/10.13/10.12 and Mac OS X 10.11/10.10/10.9/10.8.
  7. It is easy to install and use.
  8. Free technical support is provided.

2. iBoysoft Drive Manager

Another great alternative to NTFS for Mac free software is iBoysoft Drive Manager. It is a handy Mac tool that can enable full read-write access to NTFS drives on Mac and help manage multiple external drives/network drives with one click.

iBoysoft Drive Manager is a great replacement of a free NTFS for Mac because:

  1. It is extremely affordable and offers 7-day free trial.
  2. It is fully compatible with macOS 10.15/10.14/10.13/10.12 and Mac OS X 10.11/10.10/10.9/10.8.
  3. It is fast to write to NTFS drives and transfer files between NTFS drives and Mac.
  4. It is easy to install and use.
  5. It provides lifetime free upgrades.
  6. Free technical support is provided.
  7. Besides powerful NTFS writing support, it can manage external drives and map network drives as local drives in the Finder.

If you want to know any disadvantages that iBoysoft Drive Manager might have, I would say the only one should be - it is not free. But it is really cheap compared with other commercial NTFS for Mac programs, such as Paragon and Tuxera.

We also provide a table to help you find the most preferable NTFS driver:

NTFS for macOSiBoysoft Drive ManageriBoysoft NTFS for MacMounty for MacNTFS-3GFUSE for macOSSL-NTFS
NTFS writingYesYesYesYesYesYes
Auto-mount NTFS in read-write mode YesYesNoNoYesYes
SpeedFastFastSlowSlowSlowSlow
Supported Mac OSmacOS 10.15/10.14/10.13/10.12 and Mac OS X 10.11 to 10.8.macOS 10.15/10.14/10.13/10.12 and Mac OS X 10.11 to 10.8.macOS 10.13/10.12 and Mac OS X 10.11 to 10.6.macOS 10.13/10.12 and Mac OS X 10.11 to 10.6.macOS 10.14/10.13/10.12 and Mac OS X 10.11 to 10.6.macOS 10.12 and Mac OS X 10.11 to 10.6.
Supported devicesUSB drives, SD cards, HDDs, etc.USB drives, SD cards, HDDs, etc.USB drives, SD cards, HDDs, etc. (not all)USB drives, SD cards, HDDs, etc.USB drives, SD cards, HDDs, etc.USB drives, SD cards, HDDs, etc. (not all)
Supported file systemNTFS, APFS, FAT32, exFAT, etc.NTFS, APFS, FAT32, exFAT, etc.NTFSNTFSNTFS, APFS, FAT32, exFAT, etc.NTFS
Tech supportYesYesNoNoNoNo
Simple installationYesYesYesNoNoYes
Ease of useYesYesYesNoYesYes
Other1.Manage external storage media with one click.
2.Map network drive as local drives.
1. Repair NTFS.
2.Erase NTFS volumes.
3.Reformat other file systems into NTFS.
N/AN/AMultiple languages are available.N/A
Price$29.95$19.95FreeFreeFreeFree
Free downloadDownloadDownloadDownloadDownloadDownloadDownload

Now, you have a few options in your hands. If you don't care the risks and want to try out the free NTFS for Mac programs, generally speaking, Mounty for NTFS and FUSE for macOS are better ones. However, if you care about the reliability, technical support and NTFS write speed a lot, or you are specifically looking for an NTFS driver for macOS Catalina, Mojave or High Sierra, iBoysoft NTFS for Mac is your best choice.

People also ask

Q: Is NTFS for Mac free

Paragon Ntfs For Mac Free Trial

A: There are four NTFS for Mac free software:

  1. Mounty for NTFS
  2. NTFS-3G
  3. FUSE for macOS
  4. SL-NTFS

Q: How can Mac read NTFS for free?

A: By default, macOS Disk Utility can mount NTFS drive in read-only mode.

Q: What is the best NTFS for Mac?

A: There are three best NTFS for Mac software:

  1. iBoysoft NTFS for Mac
  2. Paragon NTFS for Mac
  3. Tuxera NTFS for Mac
Editor's Rating
Features
Overall
Price
Customer Service

Positives

  • Allows Mac to Windows communication
  • Essential for writing files on NTFS drives
  • Decent write speeds
  • Additional features previously accessible through Disk Utility only
  • Easy-to-understand user interface

Negatives

  • Unusual NTFS driver enable/disable feature
  • Paid major updates

If you've ever tried to open a Windows file on a Mac – or vice versa – then you'll already know the frustratingly impossible task that this is, especially if you're using the drive format NTFS or New Technologies File System. Founded by a group of MIPT students in 1994, Germany-based software company Paragon Software Group develops hard drive management tools such as partition managers, boot managers, backup software and system duplication software alongside a driver for Mac that bridges the gap between Mac and Windows devices. Paragon NTFS for Mac promises read/write access to any version of Windows NTFS drives in your macOS for as low as $14.99 if you purchase the five-license pack. But before taking out your credit card, there's up to 15 days for you to decide whether this is a worthy investment thanks to the available free trial. Or, if you jump on the deal and buy a license, your purchase will be protected by Paragon Software Group's 30-day money back guarantee.

Full Interoperability Between a Mac and a Windows PC

Apple and Microsoft developed operating systems using different languages for writing files onto drives. Apple uses HFS+, also referred to as Mac OS Extended or HFS Extended. During WWDC 2017, however, Apple announced that with macOS High Sierra, the default file system for Macs is changing to the new Apple File System (APFS), a file system optimized for flash and solid-state drives. Since the introduction of Windows NT 3.1, Microsoft has used NTFS.

The problem is macOS lacks native support for NTFS: you can read data from drives formatted with the Windows NT file system, but cannot write to it. Just remember that moment when your friend brought their external drive to copy over the movies you promised, and you didn't understand why you couldn't drag and drop the file onto it.

Main ScreenMenu Bar AppNTFS Drive MountedNTFS External DriveRelease License PromptRelease License Prompt 2

Paragon NTFS for Mac Menu Bar


NTFS External Hard Drive Mounted


Paragon NTFS for Mac Release License Prompt 2


Paragon NTFS for Mac solves this problem. Just like its competitor, Finland-based software developer Tuxera, Paragon installs a low-level file system driver based on Paragon UFSD (Universal File System Driver) technology, which was specially developed to bridge incompatibility between Windows and macOS by providing full read/write access to any version of the NTFS file system (Windows NT 4.0, 2000, XP, 2003, Vista, 7, 8 and 10).

Successful installation will prompt a restart, and then the Paragon effect takes place: it displays a simple and easy-to-understand application window, which can be laupanched through the Preferences pane, from the Applications folder or by typing 'Paragon NTFS' into Spotlight. To continue using the software, you'll need to either activate it by logging in to the MyParagon Customer Portal or via Facebook.

Features

Double-clicking on the icon opens up the app management interface, where you'll see the physical and virtual volumes attached to your Mac, including mounted DMG images. The application window has two sections: volumes and operations. The latter is where you'll find options such as mount/unmount, verify, erase and startup. Mounting and unmounting is available for any volume or image except the macOS system drive currently in use.

Just like the macOS native app, Disk Utility, Paragon NTFS for Mac has a verify option, enabling users to verify and fix errors on supported file systems. Since the repair requires unmounting the drive, as is the case with a startup drive, be sure to avoid using it with that disk. If you notice any issues with the startup drive, you should use Disk Utility to fix it in Recovery mode.

The 'Erase' option allows users to reformat the attached volume into file systems supported by macOS, while clicking on the startup option will let you select a system startup volume.

Format DriveRead-Only ModeNTFS Drive MountedNTFS External Drive

Mounting NTFS Drive in Read-Only Mode


NTFS External Hard Drive Mounted


The 'Ignore Ownership' (for NTFS drives) option is disabled by default to allow anyone to access data on mounted NTFS volumes, but you can select it to restrict access to a specific user or group.

Since a writing action occurs even when you read a file by default on NTFS files systems, the feature called 'Last Access Time' will keep a record of the last time a folder was opened, read or changed. To keep this default feature enabled, tick 'Save Last Access Time' on the mounted NTFS volume.

There are additional features that should come handy, too, such as 'Dirty volumes processing'. We talk about a dirty NTFS volume if the system suffered a power interruption, an aborted restart or forced shutdown. Paragon NTFS for Mac will check and repair dirty NTFS volumes before mounting them. Of course, the feature can be disabled, but this isn't recommended.

Enabling NTFS Write Mode

Alongside the 'Uninstall' option, Paragon NTFS for Mac will give you quick access to enable or disable the installed driver. However, you need to click on the lock – which will prompt you for an administrator password – to toggle it on or off, though admittedly the situations where you would want to disable it are very limited since you can mount the NTFS drive as 'read only' if needed.

There is an unusual feature due to the level of control that Paragon Software has. During our testing we noticed that if an NTFS drive was mounted while the driver was enabled, disabling the drive didn't prevent writing to it. This is despite the fact that disabling the driver should prevent the user from writing files to any NTFS volume.

You will need to unmount the NTFS disk and then remount it for the setting to take effect. In our testing we were unable to write to the external NTFS drive after doing so, and the same goes for the other way round, too. If you mount an NTFS drive with Paragon NTFS for Mac disabled, the drive will become a read-only volume, and you will need to remount it again after enabling the driver.

This ‘feature' aims to act as an emergency exit for worst-case scenarios, such as having an opened file with changes while the driver is disabled for some reason. This is possible due to the limited access permission to the data that Paragon has on volumes. To enable write mode on an NTFS disk, Paragon provides a low-level API for a Virtual File System. VFS is the link between the macOS kernel and a concrete file system. Since all original access permissions belong to macOS, even disabling the Paragon NTFS for Mac driver leaves writing to an NTFS formatted volume possible.

Paragon NTFS for Mac Speed Test

As advertised, the driver gives users read/write access to any version of Windows NTFS drives in your macOS, but the write speed still compares with the native macOS file system. Along with the built-in SSD of the MacBook Pro (late 2016), we used two external drives to put the Paragon NTFS for Mac to the test: an 8GB Kingston flash drive and a 1TB Seagate Backup Plus 5400 rpm drive.

In our testing we used two methods: copying a 4.11GB MKV file from Mac to NTFS, and the free Blackmagic Disk Speed Test software. We used a late-2008 iMac equipped with SSD to test the software.

Speed TestPen Drive Speed TestExternal Drive Speed TestTuxera Driver: Flash Drive Speed TestTuxera Driver: External Drive Speed TestiMac's Native Write SpeedParagon NTFS for Mac Write SpeedMacBook Pro Native Write Speed

NTFS Pen Drive Speed Test


Tuxera Driver: NTFS Flash Drive Speed Test


iMac's Native Read/Write Speed Test


Paragon Ntfs For Mac Trial Reset

Paragon NTFS for Mac Read/Write Speed Test MacBook Pro (late 2016)

We were able to copy the movie file on the Kingston drive in 9 minutes and 13 seconds, while the same files took 2 minutes and 27 seconds to copy onto the Seagate drive.

In the Blackmagic Disk Speed test, Paragon NTFS for Mac enabled 9.1MB/s write and 35.2MB/s read speeds on the Kingston pen drive. The Seagate drive showed different speeds: 28.2 MB/s write and 36.5MB/s read speeds. Testing the native read/write speeds of the iMac with the same software gave the following results: 89.5MB/s write and 266.4MB/s read speeds, and this changed to 1321.3MB/s write and 2272.9MB/s read speeds on our MacBook Pro (late 2016). Both the read and writing speeds of the NTFS formatted volume of the MacBook Pro matched that of the native HFS+ of the MacBook Pro's internal SSD (PCI-E): 1318.2MB/s write and 2397.0MB/s read.

But there's also an Easter egg that hardcore Mac fans will love: while it is copying a file to the NTFS drive, Finder displays January 24 1984 10:00 as 'Date modified'. That was the date Apple co-founder Steve Jobs took to the stage to show off the very first Macintosh in a live demonstration.

Pricing

Paragon NTFS for Mac retails for a flat fee per license per software version. This includes free updates for registered users and free online support for the lifetime of the version. Enabling write access to an NTFS drive will cost you $19.95 for a single Mac license. Buy five, and you'll get the best value price: only $14.99 per license.

But you don't have to show the money until you are 100% convinced that this is what you need. Paragon Software offers a 10-day trial (which can be expanded by up to a further five days by sharing the software link with your Facebook friends). Combine this with the 30-day money back guarantee and you have plenty of time to make a final decision.

$19.95
  • All features
  • For 1 Mac Only
  • 30-day money back guarantee
$49.95
Ntfs

NTFS for Mac free software can be troublemakers because of their low write speed, poor compatibility, no technical support, etc. Nevertheless, you don't have to pay a fortune to get enough reliability, stability and simplicity from a cost-effective NTFS for Mac - iBoysoft NTFS for Mac or iBoysoft Drive Manager.

1. iBoysoft NTFS for Mac

iBoysoft NTFS for Mac is an ultimate NTFS for Mac solution in macOS and Mac OS X that can easily help you mount NTFS volumes on Mac desktops and laptops as regular drives in read-write mode.

iBoysoft NTFS for Mac has quite a few advantages you can take into account:

  1. It can mount NTFS volumes in read-write mode automatically.
  2. It can unmount and eject NTFS volumes with one click.
  3. It can repair NTFS file system errors.
  4. It can erase NTFS volumes for data cleanup.
  5. It can reformat other file system (except APFS) into NTFS.
  6. It is fully compatible with macOS 10.15/10.14/10.13/10.12 and Mac OS X 10.11/10.10/10.9/10.8.
  7. It is easy to install and use.
  8. Free technical support is provided.

2. iBoysoft Drive Manager

Another great alternative to NTFS for Mac free software is iBoysoft Drive Manager. It is a handy Mac tool that can enable full read-write access to NTFS drives on Mac and help manage multiple external drives/network drives with one click.

iBoysoft Drive Manager is a great replacement of a free NTFS for Mac because:

  1. It is extremely affordable and offers 7-day free trial.
  2. It is fully compatible with macOS 10.15/10.14/10.13/10.12 and Mac OS X 10.11/10.10/10.9/10.8.
  3. It is fast to write to NTFS drives and transfer files between NTFS drives and Mac.
  4. It is easy to install and use.
  5. It provides lifetime free upgrades.
  6. Free technical support is provided.
  7. Besides powerful NTFS writing support, it can manage external drives and map network drives as local drives in the Finder.

If you want to know any disadvantages that iBoysoft Drive Manager might have, I would say the only one should be - it is not free. But it is really cheap compared with other commercial NTFS for Mac programs, such as Paragon and Tuxera.

We also provide a table to help you find the most preferable NTFS driver:

NTFS for macOSiBoysoft Drive ManageriBoysoft NTFS for MacMounty for MacNTFS-3GFUSE for macOSSL-NTFS
NTFS writingYesYesYesYesYesYes
Auto-mount NTFS in read-write mode YesYesNoNoYesYes
SpeedFastFastSlowSlowSlowSlow
Supported Mac OSmacOS 10.15/10.14/10.13/10.12 and Mac OS X 10.11 to 10.8.macOS 10.15/10.14/10.13/10.12 and Mac OS X 10.11 to 10.8.macOS 10.13/10.12 and Mac OS X 10.11 to 10.6.macOS 10.13/10.12 and Mac OS X 10.11 to 10.6.macOS 10.14/10.13/10.12 and Mac OS X 10.11 to 10.6.macOS 10.12 and Mac OS X 10.11 to 10.6.
Supported devicesUSB drives, SD cards, HDDs, etc.USB drives, SD cards, HDDs, etc.USB drives, SD cards, HDDs, etc. (not all)USB drives, SD cards, HDDs, etc.USB drives, SD cards, HDDs, etc.USB drives, SD cards, HDDs, etc. (not all)
Supported file systemNTFS, APFS, FAT32, exFAT, etc.NTFS, APFS, FAT32, exFAT, etc.NTFSNTFSNTFS, APFS, FAT32, exFAT, etc.NTFS
Tech supportYesYesNoNoNoNo
Simple installationYesYesYesNoNoYes
Ease of useYesYesYesNoYesYes
Other1.Manage external storage media with one click.
2.Map network drive as local drives.
1. Repair NTFS.
2.Erase NTFS volumes.
3.Reformat other file systems into NTFS.
N/AN/AMultiple languages are available.N/A
Price$29.95$19.95FreeFreeFreeFree
Free downloadDownloadDownloadDownloadDownloadDownloadDownload

Now, you have a few options in your hands. If you don't care the risks and want to try out the free NTFS for Mac programs, generally speaking, Mounty for NTFS and FUSE for macOS are better ones. However, if you care about the reliability, technical support and NTFS write speed a lot, or you are specifically looking for an NTFS driver for macOS Catalina, Mojave or High Sierra, iBoysoft NTFS for Mac is your best choice.

People also ask

Q: Is NTFS for Mac free

Paragon Ntfs For Mac Free Trial

A: There are four NTFS for Mac free software:

  1. Mounty for NTFS
  2. NTFS-3G
  3. FUSE for macOS
  4. SL-NTFS

Q: How can Mac read NTFS for free?

A: By default, macOS Disk Utility can mount NTFS drive in read-only mode.

Q: What is the best NTFS for Mac?

A: There are three best NTFS for Mac software:

  1. iBoysoft NTFS for Mac
  2. Paragon NTFS for Mac
  3. Tuxera NTFS for Mac
Editor's Rating
Features
Overall
Price
Customer Service

Positives

  • Allows Mac to Windows communication
  • Essential for writing files on NTFS drives
  • Decent write speeds
  • Additional features previously accessible through Disk Utility only
  • Easy-to-understand user interface

Negatives

  • Unusual NTFS driver enable/disable feature
  • Paid major updates

If you've ever tried to open a Windows file on a Mac – or vice versa – then you'll already know the frustratingly impossible task that this is, especially if you're using the drive format NTFS or New Technologies File System. Founded by a group of MIPT students in 1994, Germany-based software company Paragon Software Group develops hard drive management tools such as partition managers, boot managers, backup software and system duplication software alongside a driver for Mac that bridges the gap between Mac and Windows devices. Paragon NTFS for Mac promises read/write access to any version of Windows NTFS drives in your macOS for as low as $14.99 if you purchase the five-license pack. But before taking out your credit card, there's up to 15 days for you to decide whether this is a worthy investment thanks to the available free trial. Or, if you jump on the deal and buy a license, your purchase will be protected by Paragon Software Group's 30-day money back guarantee.

Full Interoperability Between a Mac and a Windows PC

Apple and Microsoft developed operating systems using different languages for writing files onto drives. Apple uses HFS+, also referred to as Mac OS Extended or HFS Extended. During WWDC 2017, however, Apple announced that with macOS High Sierra, the default file system for Macs is changing to the new Apple File System (APFS), a file system optimized for flash and solid-state drives. Since the introduction of Windows NT 3.1, Microsoft has used NTFS.

The problem is macOS lacks native support for NTFS: you can read data from drives formatted with the Windows NT file system, but cannot write to it. Just remember that moment when your friend brought their external drive to copy over the movies you promised, and you didn't understand why you couldn't drag and drop the file onto it.

Main ScreenMenu Bar AppNTFS Drive MountedNTFS External DriveRelease License PromptRelease License Prompt 2

Paragon NTFS for Mac Menu Bar


NTFS External Hard Drive Mounted


Paragon NTFS for Mac Release License Prompt 2


Paragon NTFS for Mac solves this problem. Just like its competitor, Finland-based software developer Tuxera, Paragon installs a low-level file system driver based on Paragon UFSD (Universal File System Driver) technology, which was specially developed to bridge incompatibility between Windows and macOS by providing full read/write access to any version of the NTFS file system (Windows NT 4.0, 2000, XP, 2003, Vista, 7, 8 and 10).

Successful installation will prompt a restart, and then the Paragon effect takes place: it displays a simple and easy-to-understand application window, which can be laupanched through the Preferences pane, from the Applications folder or by typing 'Paragon NTFS' into Spotlight. To continue using the software, you'll need to either activate it by logging in to the MyParagon Customer Portal or via Facebook.

Features

Double-clicking on the icon opens up the app management interface, where you'll see the physical and virtual volumes attached to your Mac, including mounted DMG images. The application window has two sections: volumes and operations. The latter is where you'll find options such as mount/unmount, verify, erase and startup. Mounting and unmounting is available for any volume or image except the macOS system drive currently in use.

Just like the macOS native app, Disk Utility, Paragon NTFS for Mac has a verify option, enabling users to verify and fix errors on supported file systems. Since the repair requires unmounting the drive, as is the case with a startup drive, be sure to avoid using it with that disk. If you notice any issues with the startup drive, you should use Disk Utility to fix it in Recovery mode.

The 'Erase' option allows users to reformat the attached volume into file systems supported by macOS, while clicking on the startup option will let you select a system startup volume.

Format DriveRead-Only ModeNTFS Drive MountedNTFS External Drive

Mounting NTFS Drive in Read-Only Mode


NTFS External Hard Drive Mounted


The 'Ignore Ownership' (for NTFS drives) option is disabled by default to allow anyone to access data on mounted NTFS volumes, but you can select it to restrict access to a specific user or group.

Since a writing action occurs even when you read a file by default on NTFS files systems, the feature called 'Last Access Time' will keep a record of the last time a folder was opened, read or changed. To keep this default feature enabled, tick 'Save Last Access Time' on the mounted NTFS volume.

There are additional features that should come handy, too, such as 'Dirty volumes processing'. We talk about a dirty NTFS volume if the system suffered a power interruption, an aborted restart or forced shutdown. Paragon NTFS for Mac will check and repair dirty NTFS volumes before mounting them. Of course, the feature can be disabled, but this isn't recommended.

Enabling NTFS Write Mode

Alongside the 'Uninstall' option, Paragon NTFS for Mac will give you quick access to enable or disable the installed driver. However, you need to click on the lock – which will prompt you for an administrator password – to toggle it on or off, though admittedly the situations where you would want to disable it are very limited since you can mount the NTFS drive as 'read only' if needed.

There is an unusual feature due to the level of control that Paragon Software has. During our testing we noticed that if an NTFS drive was mounted while the driver was enabled, disabling the drive didn't prevent writing to it. This is despite the fact that disabling the driver should prevent the user from writing files to any NTFS volume.

You will need to unmount the NTFS disk and then remount it for the setting to take effect. In our testing we were unable to write to the external NTFS drive after doing so, and the same goes for the other way round, too. If you mount an NTFS drive with Paragon NTFS for Mac disabled, the drive will become a read-only volume, and you will need to remount it again after enabling the driver.

This ‘feature' aims to act as an emergency exit for worst-case scenarios, such as having an opened file with changes while the driver is disabled for some reason. This is possible due to the limited access permission to the data that Paragon has on volumes. To enable write mode on an NTFS disk, Paragon provides a low-level API for a Virtual File System. VFS is the link between the macOS kernel and a concrete file system. Since all original access permissions belong to macOS, even disabling the Paragon NTFS for Mac driver leaves writing to an NTFS formatted volume possible.

Paragon NTFS for Mac Speed Test

As advertised, the driver gives users read/write access to any version of Windows NTFS drives in your macOS, but the write speed still compares with the native macOS file system. Along with the built-in SSD of the MacBook Pro (late 2016), we used two external drives to put the Paragon NTFS for Mac to the test: an 8GB Kingston flash drive and a 1TB Seagate Backup Plus 5400 rpm drive.

In our testing we used two methods: copying a 4.11GB MKV file from Mac to NTFS, and the free Blackmagic Disk Speed Test software. We used a late-2008 iMac equipped with SSD to test the software.

Speed TestPen Drive Speed TestExternal Drive Speed TestTuxera Driver: Flash Drive Speed TestTuxera Driver: External Drive Speed TestiMac's Native Write SpeedParagon NTFS for Mac Write SpeedMacBook Pro Native Write Speed

NTFS Pen Drive Speed Test


Tuxera Driver: NTFS Flash Drive Speed Test


iMac's Native Read/Write Speed Test


Paragon Ntfs For Mac Trial Reset

Paragon NTFS for Mac Read/Write Speed Test MacBook Pro (late 2016)

We were able to copy the movie file on the Kingston drive in 9 minutes and 13 seconds, while the same files took 2 minutes and 27 seconds to copy onto the Seagate drive.

In the Blackmagic Disk Speed test, Paragon NTFS for Mac enabled 9.1MB/s write and 35.2MB/s read speeds on the Kingston pen drive. The Seagate drive showed different speeds: 28.2 MB/s write and 36.5MB/s read speeds. Testing the native read/write speeds of the iMac with the same software gave the following results: 89.5MB/s write and 266.4MB/s read speeds, and this changed to 1321.3MB/s write and 2272.9MB/s read speeds on our MacBook Pro (late 2016). Both the read and writing speeds of the NTFS formatted volume of the MacBook Pro matched that of the native HFS+ of the MacBook Pro's internal SSD (PCI-E): 1318.2MB/s write and 2397.0MB/s read.

But there's also an Easter egg that hardcore Mac fans will love: while it is copying a file to the NTFS drive, Finder displays January 24 1984 10:00 as 'Date modified'. That was the date Apple co-founder Steve Jobs took to the stage to show off the very first Macintosh in a live demonstration.

Pricing

Paragon NTFS for Mac retails for a flat fee per license per software version. This includes free updates for registered users and free online support for the lifetime of the version. Enabling write access to an NTFS drive will cost you $19.95 for a single Mac license. Buy five, and you'll get the best value price: only $14.99 per license.

But you don't have to show the money until you are 100% convinced that this is what you need. Paragon Software offers a 10-day trial (which can be expanded by up to a further five days by sharing the software link with your Facebook friends). Combine this with the 30-day money back guarantee and you have plenty of time to make a final decision.

$19.95
  • All features
  • For 1 Mac Only
  • 30-day money back guarantee
$49.95
  • All features
  • For 3 Macs
  • 30-day money back guarantee
$74.95
  • All features
  • For 5 Macs
  • 30-day money back guarantee

Also, if you already own a previous version of Paragon NTFS for Mac, there are a few upgrade options available:

  • Owners of a commercial license of Paragon NTFS for Mac (not a free upgrade license) receive a Free upgrade to the next version of NTFS for Mac.
  • Owners of a Free Upgrade license of Paragon NTFS for Mac receive 50% discount on the license price.
  • If you own a version that's two versions older than the current one, you'll get 30% off on the license price when upgrading.
  • Paragon Software accepts credit card payments from all of the major payment networks, Visa, Mastercard, American Express and JCB, as well as PayPal and wire transfer.

    Customer Service

    If you have any questions related to activation, the software's features, or you just want to submit your feedback, then there are a few options available: in-app contact, a support forum and a knowledge base. Paragon Software recommends creating a MyParagon account to register the product and receive support via the forum. For activation-related issues, you can contact customer support by clicking in the top-left of the app and selecting 'Contact Support'. As you hit the 'Send Feedback' button, the backend system will create a ticket for your issue, which you can view online in your MyParagon account. Just don't expect a speedy response.

    Customer Support Requests Listed in MyParagon Account


    Also, you can always turn to the support forums with your question, or read the knowledge base for frequently asked questions. Paragon also offers remote support: using TeamViewer a support engineer will connect to your computer to fix the problem manually or to collect data.

    Bottom Line

    Is Paragon NTFS for Mac worth the price? Definitely. Anyone using Boot Camp or dual boot on their Mac (macOS and Windows) will find this software useful. Also, for those dealing with NTFS-formatted volumes frequently, this driver is a worthy purchase since it allows communication between the two platforms. While the slow write speed would benefit from being improved by Paragon Software, it is something that can be lived with, especially when considering that the competing Tuxera software offers no better writing speeds. Without this type of software you cannot write on an NTFS volume on Mac, meaning it will be almost necessary in these situations. And if Paragon deals with the enable/disable NTFS driver bug, it will be reliable software for regular daily use.


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