{
  "schema": "tesign-radar/item/1",
  "generated_at": "2026-09-17T01:56:13.055Z",
  "lang": "en",
  "slug": "fluxdown",
  "url": "https://tesign.com/en/item/fluxdown/",
  "alternates": {
    "ko": {
      "html": "https://tesign.com/item/fluxdown/",
      "json": "https://tesign.com/item/fluxdown/index.json",
      "markdown": "https://tesign.com/item/fluxdown/index.md"
    },
    "en": {
      "html": "https://tesign.com/en/item/fluxdown/",
      "json": "https://tesign.com/en/item/fluxdown/index.json",
      "markdown": "https://tesign.com/en/item/fluxdown/index.md"
    }
  },
  "name": "FluxDown",
  "use_label": "Download manager, free IDM alternative",
  "one_liner": "Free, ad-free IDM alternative: HTTP, FTP, torrent, eD2K and HLS/DASH on a Rust engine.",
  "text": {
    "why": "IDM is Windows-only and paid ($24.95 plus renewals, per the README's comparison table); FluxDown offers the same style of dynamic segmentation as AGPL-3.0 open source on Windows, macOS, Linux, Android and NAS (Docker, Synology, QNAP, OpenWrt). Every byte of progress is tracked in SQLite so downloads survive reboots, and Chrome, Edge and Firefox extensions intercept browser downloads. A built-in local MCP server with 12 tools lets AI clients add and manage downloads.",
    "take": "Download managers are an old genre; combining desktop, Android and NAS with torrents, streaming and MCP in one free app is not.",
    "build": [
      "Run the headless server on a NAS with RSS subscriptions as an unattended fetcher, or wire the MCP endpoint so an AI agent queues and monitors downloads for you."
    ],
    "who": [
      {
        "role": "Windows users leaving IDM",
        "situation": "the same segmented downloads through a browser extension"
      },
      {
        "role": "NAS and home-server owners",
        "situation": "a headless Docker/Synology/QNAP server for remote downloads"
      },
      {
        "role": "Researchers and creators pulling large files",
        "situation": "HLS/DASH streams and torrents in one queue"
      }
    ],
    "start": [
      {
        "command": false,
        "text": "1. Get a package from GitHub Releases or https://fluxdown.zerx.dev/#download (Windows setup.exe · macOS .dmg · Linux .AppImage/.deb · Android .apk · NAS Docker ghcr.io/zerx-lab/fluxdown-server)"
      },
      {
        "command": false,
        "text": "2. Install the browser extension (Chrome Web Store · Edge Add-ons · Firefox Add-ons)"
      },
      {
        "command": false,
        "text": "Build from source (Flutter SDK · Rust · Rinf CLI): git clone -b main https://github.com/zerx-lab/FluxDown.git"
      },
      {
        "command": false,
        "text": "cd FluxDown && flutter pub get && rinf gen"
      },
      {
        "command": false,
        "text": "flutter run"
      }
    ],
    "caveat": [
      "AGPL-3.0 licence (modified copies offered over a network must publish source). Windows requires 10 or later (per the website); Linux builds are x64 only; the NAS build is a headless server. No cost, no account. Community channels are GitHub Issues and a QQ group."
    ]
  },
  "cta": {
    "type": "install",
    "label": "INSTALL",
    "url": "https://fluxdown.zerx.dev/"
  },
  "ready": "install",
  "categories": [
    "productivity",
    "media"
  ],
  "categories_confirmed": true,
  "tags": [
    "download-manager",
    "bittorrent",
    "rust",
    "flutter",
    "mcp",
    "browser-extension"
  ],
  "platform": [
    "windows",
    "macos",
    "linux",
    "android"
  ],
  "license": {
    "spdx": "AGPL-3.0",
    "scope": "copyleft",
    "scope_text": "Release source if you redistribute or host it as a service.",
    "url": "https://spdx.org/licenses/AGPL-3.0.html",
    "note": null,
    "open_source": true
  },
  "language": "Rust",
  "source_urls": {
    "canonical": "https://fluxdown.zerx.dev/",
    "github": "https://github.com/zerx-lab/fluxdown",
    "huggingface": null,
    "app_store": null,
    "sightings": [
      {
        "source": "showhn",
        "url": "https://github.com/zerx-lab/FluxDown",
        "posted_at": "2026-07-04T11:15:51.000Z",
        "hn_url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48784543"
      },
      {
        "source": "github",
        "url": "https://github.com/zerx-lab/fluxdown",
        "posted_at": "2026-09-06T09:00:00.000Z",
        "hn_url": null
      }
    ]
  },
  "numbers": {
    "as_of": "2026-09-16T21:00:00.000Z",
    "stars": 3052,
    "stars_unit": "GitHub stars",
    "stars_checked_at": "2026-09-15T19:35:21.102Z",
    "stars_observed_since_check": 0,
    "star_delta_24h": null,
    "star_delta_7d": 2,
    "star_delta_30d": 9,
    "star_delta_unit": "GitHub stars gained in the window, GH Archive events summed to as_of",
    "spark_14d": [
      null,
      2,
      null,
      5,
      null,
      null,
      null,
      null,
      null,
      2,
      null,
      null,
      null,
      null
    ],
    "hf_likes": null,
    "hf_likes_observed_at": null,
    "hn_points": 2,
    "hn_points_observed_at": "2026-09-13T15:30:47.729Z",
    "store": null,
    "method": "Star total = the value last checked on GitHub (stars_checked_at) + increases observed via GH Archive since. The 24h · 7d · 30d gains are GH Archive hourly events summed to the reference time (as_of). No score of ours."
  },
  "ranks": null,
  "activity": {
    "pushed_at": "2026-09-09T17:05:00.000Z",
    "owner_type": "User",
    "open_issues": 368,
    "contributors": 16,
    "releases_count": 158,
    "latest_release": {
      "tag": "v0.4.8-rc.6",
      "published_at": "2026-09-06T09:17:09.000Z",
      "prerelease": true
    },
    "checked_at": "2026-09-15T19:35:21.102Z",
    "core_checked_at": "2026-09-15T19:35:21.102Z"
  },
  "signals": [
    {
      "kind": "cross",
      "label": "CROSS-SIGNAL",
      "value": "Show HN + GitHub"
    },
    {
      "kind": "back",
      "label": "BACK CATALOG",
      "value": null
    }
  ],
  "images": {
    "og": "https://tesign.com/img/fluxdown-1cb5a773f0.png",
    "cover": "https://tesign.com/img/fluxdown-1cb5a773f0.png",
    "cover_width": 2400,
    "cover_height": 1260,
    "gallery": [
      "https://tesign.com/img/fluxdown-1cb5a773f0.png"
    ],
    "alt": "FluxDown download manager: three-pane layout with IDM-style segment visualization",
    "tier": 1
  },
  "dates": {
    "first_seen_at": "2026-09-13T09:45:58.161Z",
    "source_created_at": "2026-07-04T11:15:51.000Z",
    "discovery_hours": 1702.5019891666666,
    "launch_signal_at": "2026-07-04T11:15:51.000Z",
    "kept_at": "2026-09-14T19:27:43.564Z",
    "first_published_at": "2026-09-14T19:27:43.743Z",
    "updated_at": "2026-09-15T04:36:56.868Z",
    "ingestion_mode": "backfill"
  },
  "notes": [
    "This file was produced by the same build, from the same data, as the tesign.com item page. The text is editorial; the numbers are stored observations.",
    "null in the JSON means not observed — never zero. The Markdown writes [unconfirmed] for it.",
    "Star total = the value last checked on GitHub (stars_checked_at) + increases observed via GH Archive since. The 24h · 7d · 30d gains are GH Archive hourly events summed to the reference time (as_of). No score of ours.",
    "Reconstructed from archive data, not a live discovery.",
    "A summary, not legal advice."
  ]
}