Get FreeBSD
FreeBSD is released for a number of hardware platforms, each in number of different formats including USB memory stick images, virtual machine images, SD card images for embedded platforms, as well as CD (disc1), DVD (dvd1), and Network Install (bootonly) sized ISO Disc Images. FreeBSD is also available at Amazon’s AWS Marketplace, Microsoft Azure Marketplace, and Google Cloud Platform. See the Installing FreeBSD Handbook chapter for details.
If unsure, the amd64 memory stick installer is a popular choice.
FreeBSD Deployment Statistics
While FreeBSD does not gather deployment statistics, having statistical information available is essential. Please consider installing the sysutils/bsdstats package, which collects hardware and software statistics, helping developers understand how to best focus their efforts. The information collected is available at the bsdstats.org website.
FreeBSD 13.0-RELEASE
Released April 13, 2021: Announcement : Release Notes : Installation Instructions : Hardware Compatibility List : Readme : Errata : Signed Checksums
| Hardware Architecture | Disk Image | Virtual Machine Image |
|---|---|---|
amd64 Also called x86-64 - runs vast majority of PCs, laptops, and servers |
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aarch64 ARM64 - embedded systems, single board computers, but also some servers and virtual machines |
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armv6 32-bit ARM - older embedded systems and single board computers |
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armv7 32-bit ARM - old embedded systems and single board computers |
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i386 Older PCs |
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powerpc64/powerpc64le IBM POWER 7/8/9 and Apple G5 |
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powerpc/powerpcspe Apple G3/G4 and embedded boards |
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riscv64 RISC-V: The Free and Open RISC |
FreeBSD 12.3-RELEASE
| Installer Images | Virtual Machine Images | SD Card Images | Documentation |
|---|---|---|---|
FreeBSD 12.2-RELEASE
| Installer Images | Virtual Machine Images | SD Card Images | Documentation |
|---|---|---|---|
Development Snapshots
If you are interested in a purely experimental snapshot release of FreeBSD-CURRENT (AKA 14.0-CURRENT), aimed at developers and bleeding-edge testers only, then please see the FreeBSD Snapshot Releases page.
FreeBSD 14.0-CURRENT
FreeBSD 13.0-STABLE
FreeBSD 12.3-STABLE
| Installer Images | Virtual Machine Images | SD Card Images | Documentation |
|---|---|---|---|
For more information about past, present and future releases in general, please visit the release information page. To download past releases, please visit the FTP archive.
For all the possible ways of getting FreeBSD, from HTTP to rsync to purchasing physical media, see the Handbook Appendix A. Try to use a mirror closer to you.
FreeBSD-derived Operating System Distributions
FreeBSD is widely used as a building block for other commercial and open-source operating systems. The projects below are widely used and of particular interest to FreeBSD users.
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TrueNAS is a Network Attached Storage (NAS) software that shares and protects data from modern-day threats like ransomware and malware. TrueNAS makes it easy for users and client devices to access shared data through virtually any sharing protocol.
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GhostBSD is derived from FreeBSD, GhostBSD uses the GTK environment to provide a beautiful look and a comfortable experience on the modern BSD platform offering a natural and native UNIX® work environment.
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MidnightBSD is a BSD-derived operating system developed with desktop users in mind. It includes all the software you’d expect for your daily tasks: mail, web browsing, word processing, gaming, and much more.
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NomadBSD is a persistent live system for USB flash drives, based on FreeBSD. Together with automatic hardware detection and setup, it is configured to be used as a desktop system that works out of the box, but can also be used for data recovery, for educational purposes, or to test FreeBSD’s hardware compatibility.
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pfSense is a FreeBSD based customized distribution tailored for use as a firewall and router.
Applications and Utility Software
The usual way of installing FreeBSD software is by using ports or packages. See the Installing Applications Handbook chapter.
For information about how you can contribute your favorite piece of software to the Ports Collection, have a look at The Porter’s Handbook and the article Contributing to FreeBSD.