The best driver updaters make it simple and easy to keep your computer drivers up to date using software apps and tools.
Ever since its inception, one of the stickiest issues with the Windows OS has been the need to stay abreast of the latest drivers for the various hardware elements.
Microsoft provides code that enables Windows to install, but that isn’t always the latest or best version that will maximize the performance of the device.
Meanwhile, if you're using tech that isn't particularly common, you might even find functionality is missing from the OS entirely.
The solution is a dedicated driver update application bound to a service where the latest driver releases are tracked and then automatically installed.
Many of these products also bundle drivers into installation packages that can be placed on a USB stick or centralized server for easier distribution.
We’ve weighed up these driver updaters across many aspects, from user interface and ease of installation to the computing resources they used up and the pricing plans. We also evaluated the quality of their scanning, the size of their driver database, and the number of languages they supported, among other things.
Here are a few driver update solutions that we’d recommend for keeping your system in the best possible state.
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The best driver updaters of 2024 in full:
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Best overall
Fortect is a comprehensive optimization platform that, aside from its robust driver updater, includes extras like malware removal, registry cleaning, and virus protection. As such, it is a go-to solution for keeping your system’s drivers up-to-date, improving the device’s performance and stability.
One of its most critical advantages is the intuitiveness of its user interface, allowing for easy scanning of all of the device’s drivers and updating the outdated ones in just a few clicks. And it isn’t just its comprehensive offering and ease of use that makes it ideal.
Fortect also offers advanced driver update options like creating automatic restore points before installing new drivers to allow users to revert if any issues show up, as well as automatic system restarts after updates to ensure that the updated drivers have been applied properly.
On the other hand, Fortect is more expensive than standalone updaters, with a one-device plan and no usage sharing with friends and family costing $33.70 per year. Due to this, it is better suited for users who need a comprehensive optimization suite rather than a basic driver updater.
Optimization for up to three devices is available at $41.35 annually, and you can share it with friends and family. If you require an updater for five devices, it will cost you $58.75 per year. The provider also offers a 60-day money-back guarantee if you’re not happy with it for any reason.
That said, Fortect allows taking its platform out for a test drive during a very limited 24-hour free trial. During this time, however, you can run an unlimited amount of comprehensive scans of your PC and repair any discovered issues to enhance its performance.
Read our full Fortect review.
Best for user-friendly interface
AVG makes a very popular antivirus suite, and exclusively for the PC it also offers a driver management tool, AVG Driver Updater.
As the name hints, this tool scans the system and identifies drivers that are past their best date and replaces them with the latest versions.
It checks with more than 100 hardware makers to get the latest official drivers and also snapshots the working drivers on your system in case they need to be reinstalled for any reason.
AVG has a good reputation for making reliable code, and this utility works tirelessly in the background to keep the computer performing at its best. This comes at a price, with AVG Driver Updater being one of the more expensive options we've reviewed.
AVG provides a trial version to download and install that will scan your system and report those drivers that need an update. But, the trial won’t update them without a purchase.
Read our full AVG Driver Updater review.
Best for coverage
As the title suggests, this is the twentieth version of Driver Genius, by Avanquest Software.
What Avanquest offers is a small but effective tool that manages driver updates on the PC that tracks more than a million hardware drivers to make sure that the right ones are on your computer.
The level of user intervention is very low, as this solution is practically fire-and-forget. Once installed, the application scans the drivers installed and matches these against a driver versioning database, and then downloads and installs the latest ones.
When these activities are scheduled is controllable by the user, so that it doesn’t repeat the typical Windows irritation of initiating a reboot while you are using the system. And, it notifies you of new driver releases.
What makes this one stand out is that it will bundle all the drivers into an executable file for you, a facility that accelerates the reinstalling of a system dramatically. It also purges old drivers, so Windows can’t reinstall them accidentally.
This Platinum release has a few extras, including a system booster that tweaks a system for greater performance and another tool that optimizes SSDs.
Read our full Driver Genius Platinum review.
Best budget
IObit is a software house that has created several enhancement and optimization products, including Driver Booster.
Driver Booster is a driver maintenance tool, which sources its drivers from the official manufacturers’ websites. Before passing those on to your computer, IOBit tests that they’re intact and have passed the Microsoft WHQL tests.
The current version supports Windows 11, 10, 8.1,8,7, Vista and XP, should you still be using the older releases.
Where this product deviates from the norm in driver support applications is that the free version will update drivers, but only two per day. The paid ‘Pro’ version has no limit on use, access to a larger database of drivers, and initiates a backup before installing new drivers, but the free version has plenty of useful features too.
One feature included in both versions that we especially appreciated is the silent mode which means the program won’t interrupt you when applications are in full-screen mode. If only Microsoft were so considerate of its customers.
The free version of Driver Booster will download and install drivers happily, but you avoid adverts and can pay for some additional features with Driver Booster Pro. And, that license covers you for a year on three computers!
Read our full Driver Booster review.
Best for power
Driverfix has one clear purpose: It’s designed to find and update all outdated drivers on a computer of almost any age.
It scans quickly and efficiently, maintaining a database of over 18 million drivers. Once a driver issue is found, you can then see how the download is progressing. Before updating any drivers, the app will perform a backup as a standard Zip archive you can access later if things go awry or store for safe-keeping. A scheduler means you can scan at optimal times and perform back-ups when it is convenient for you.
The dark mode interface is trendy and cool, and the features available are clear and straightforward. Pricing is good, too, with options to install on 1, 3, or 10 PCs.
This app doesn’t mess around with any add-on features, virus protection, a VPN, or other security tools you maybe don’t really want or need anyway. We recommend it because Driverfix is meant for one purpose only and doesn’t complicate matters.
Read our full Driverfix review.
Best for language support
Driver Reviver is a driver maintenance tool by ReviverSoft, which since 2014 has been a subsidiary of Corel. It makes a wide range of other Reviver-branded software products for both the PC and the Apple Mac, although this one is exclusively for the PC.
What it aims to do is keep the drivers on the system concurrent, and avoid the system accidentally installing corrupt or malware-infected drivers. One feature that we liked was that it creates a restore point before installing drivers. This enables your system to be restored more easily, should the new drivers cause a problem.
It also has a useful option to scan automatically when Windows starts, allowing drivers to be updated before you’ve started working on the computer.
ReviverSoft claims that its driver database contains over 10 million files. However, we assume this includes all versions of many drivers because we don’t think that there are so many hardware devices for Windows.
Whatever the exact truth, its driver database is very comprehensive. And, so is its language support, which includes Danish, Dutch, English, French, Finish, German, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Swedish, Turkish and Traditional Chinese.
Read our full Driver Reviver review.
Best for speed
DriverFinder is a basic tool that scans your Windows system and identifies those drivers that are either missing or need an update. And, it can find the latest versions and install those.
Most drivers it sources come directly from the hardware makers, so they’re generally the ones you’ll want. And, it can also backup all the drivers currently used, which is ideal for those that need to reinstall a system promptly.
However, there are a few weaknesses to this solution that need to be mentioned. It has no install-all option, meaning that if you discover that the system needs twenty updates, you’ll be clicking twenty times to resolve each of them. This could add up to be a significant productivity drain.
Even so, this issue is only a problem initially, as once you’ve run it a few times the likelihood is that it will only find one or two drivers that need updating at each scan. It also doesn’t include a scheduler to run scans automatically, though you can have it run automatically when Windows launches.
DriverFinder has several payment systems, including for a single PC license, which comes with the option of paying extra to protect more computers. Signing up comes with a promise of no automatically recurring payment or auto-billing.
Read our full DriverFinder review.
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FAQs
What is a driver updater?
A driver updater software scans your hardware for old, broken, or missing drivers and updates them. Updating your drivers regularly helps to minimize and stop potential problems from getting worse on your PC. Driver updaters will ensure your PC operates well and prevent serious driver-related issues from damaging your device.
How to choose the best driver updaters for you?
To select the best driver updaters for yourself, you’ll have to assess your driver requirements.
Depending on the computers you’re managing, you’ll want a driver updater that doesn’t use up too much of the computing power and slows the systems. If you’re not too familiar with the digital space and want a smooth driver-updating experience, check for a user-friendly interface and an automatic scanner to detect missing drivers.
Ensure to check how many languages the software supports, and how vast its driver database is. Lastly, check for the pricing options and free trial availability, among other things.
Why should you update your drivers?
Regularly updating your drivers is important to ensure your hardware is performing optimally and you can take advantage of the latest security updates and new features. Updating drivers can extend the life of your device and increase compatibility with the latest software.
If your drivers are outdated, you may notice malfunctions or slow performance. Perhaps more worrying is the fact that drivers that are not frequently updated could be attractive to cyberattackers. Legacy drivers may have vulnerabilities that allow malicious actors to inject malware into a network.
When should you update your drivers?
Drivers should be updated frequently. This is why many driver updater solutions allow you to schedule updates regularly without any manual input required. For instance, many of the driver updaters we've reviewed in this buying guide, check for updates every time your device is switched on. This way, you never have to worry about remembering to look for the latest drivers.
Are driver updaters safe to use?
Driver updaters are generally safe to use, but to ensure you aren't installing a malicious piece of software, be sure to only use an updater that checks for drivers manufactured by legitimate vendors.
While it's true that updating your drivers can create issues with your device, most driver updaters include the option of rolling back your update, which allows you to return your device to its previous state - should any issues emerge after an update.
How we test
When testing the best driver updaters, we evaluated them across numerous points.
We looked at their user-interface, how much involvement it needed for different tasks, and how easy the software was to install and set up. We analyzed the amount of computing resources the tools used and whether they were slowing the systems down significantly.
We considered how large their driver databases were, how well the app scanned for problematic drivers, and how many languages it supported. We also looked at their pricing plans and free trials and assessed how comprehensive the trials were.
Read how we test, rate, and review products on TechRadar.
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