Best Free DVD Authoring Software in 2026: 8 Tools Compared

#1

DVDStyler

Best for: The most complete free authoring workflow, including custom menus

Visit dvdstyler.org

DVDStyler is the flagship free authoring tool, and the one most comparable to paid software. It creates and burns DVD video with interactive menus, lets you design menus from scratch or from templates, builds photo slideshows, and handles multiple subtitle and audio tracks. It accepts AVI, MP4, MOV, MPEG and more, and can even use MPEG files without reencoding, which saves hours on compatible sources.

The project is mature, with version 3.2.1 as the latest stable release, and a community fork on GitHub is keeping it working on modern systems with updated FFmpeg support. Download from the official site or FossHub's clean builds, and check the installer screens carefully on older Windows packages.

#2

DVD Flick

Best for: Windows users who want the simplest path from video files to DVD

Visit dvdflick.net

DVD Flick takes the opposite approach to DVDStyler: minimal fuss. Add your video files, pick a simple menu, and it converts everything to DVD-Video and burns it. It supports 53 container formats, dozens of audio and video codecs, and four subtitle formats, using FFmpeg under the hood. PC World gave it five stars back in the day.

The catch is age: the final release dates to 2009, and the official requirements list only up through Windows Vista. It often still runs on newer Windows, but freezes and failed burns are possible, and modern systems may need compatibility settings. For a one-off simple project on an older PC, it remains charming.

#3

WinX DVD Author

Best for: Converting almost any video format into a menu-driven DVD

Visit winxdvd.com

WinX DVD Author was once a $49.95 commercial product, but Digiarty turned it into totally free software years ago, and it remains free. It converts a huge range of formats (MKV, MP4, AVI, MPEG, H.264 and more) into DVD-Video with chapter menus and subtitles, using a step-by-step wizard that beginners can follow. Digiarty even added YouTube downloading in a past upgrade.

It has not been updated since 2019 and looks like it, with only a few menu templates and an interface from another era. Reviews also note occasional crashes with 4K source files and slow burns on very large projects. On Windows 10 and 11 it still works for straightforward jobs. If you want modern polish, look elsewhere; if you want free and functional, this qualifies.

#4

DeVeDe NG

Best for: Linux users who want to create video DVDs from any files

Visit rastersoft.com

DeVeDe NG is the Linux answer to DVD authoring: a Python/GTK frontend that converts any MPlayer-supported video into video DVDs, VCDs, SVCDs and more, with menu generation, subtitles, two-pass encoding and basic editing like rotation and deinterlacing. The author actively maintains it, with releases as recent as 2025.

It is a practical tool rather than a pretty one, and you will need external tools like MPlayer, FFmpeg and dvdauthor installed (most distros package them, so one command usually handles it). Ubuntu users can install it straight from the repositories. For Linux users who still burn DVDs, it is the natural pick.

#5

AVStoDVD

Best for: Enthusiasts who want control over every encoding step

Visit sites.google.com

AVStoDVD is a flexible conversion and authoring tool that turns many formats into highly compatible single-track DVDs. It uses quality encoders like HCEnc, supports AviSynth-based editing, offers a menu editor with static and animated menus, and builds ISO images with ImgBurn. Experienced users get excellent control over output quality.

It is the most technical tool on this list, and the project is effectively dormant, with its site living on Google Sites. If you know your way around encoding settings and want the best quality a free tool can produce, AVStoDVD is worth the learning curve.

#6

Freemake Video Converter

Best for: Burning video files to DVD with zero learning curve

Visit freemake.com

Freemake Video Converter is a freemium all-in-one that converts 500+ formats and burns videos to DVD or Blu-ray, saving to disc, ISO or folder. It claims up to 40 hours of video on a DVD-DL disc, adds subtitles, and makes photo slideshows with music. For simply getting video onto a playable disc, it is the easiest option here.

It is not really an authoring tool: do not expect custom menus. The free version carries limitations like watermarks and throttled conversion speed, and the installer pushes upsells. Read the free-version terms carefully before depending on it.

#7

Ashampoo Burning Studio Free

Best for: General disc burning that also covers video DVDs

Visit ashampoo.com

Ashampoo Burning Studio FREE is the vendor's full freeware disc burner: data discs, audio CDs, video DVDs, Blu-ray burning, disc copying, backups and ISO handling in one well-organized package. Ashampoo says to download it free and use it forever. It can burn prepared video folders to disc and create VCDs and SVCDs.

It is a burner first and an authoring tool second: menu design is minimal compared to DVDStyler, and video DVD creation works from prepared folders. For users who need one tool that does everything disc-related, and video DVDs only occasionally, it is a solid free choice.

#8

BurnAware Free

Best for: Lightweight video DVD creation and everyday disc burning

Visit burnaware.com

BurnAware Free covers the daily burning tasks: data discs, audio CDs, video DVDs and BDMVs, ISO creation and burning, disc copying and even data recovery. Home users get video DVD creation free, with paid Premium and Professional editions adding extras like disc-to-disc copying.

The authoring side is basic, so use it when the goal is a playable disc rather than a designed one. It is lightweight, straightforward and free for home use, which covers most occasional DVD projects perfectly well.