7 Best & Free DVD Menu Creators in 2026: How to Make a DVD Menu on Windows & Mac
Summary: We tested 7 top DVD menu creators for Windows, Mac, and Linux to find the best tool for turning video files into professional discs. DVDFab DVD Creator is our top pick for its advanced customization features, effectively filling the gap left by discontinued software like Adobe Encore. This guide provides a full comparison of these tools and a tutorial on how to make a custom DVD menu.
Table of Contents
Burning a disc in a streaming era is a deliberate choice, and the menu is a big part of why. I recently came across a discussion on the Reddit r/dvd community that captured this perfectly: "Menus are the soul of physical media." This observation highlights the real problem with most free tools. You spend weeks editing a treasured wedding video, only to have the final disc load a generic, pixelated interface. A proper, customized menu is what transforms that raw footage into an official release.
In the sections below I walk through how I tested the best and free DVD burning software that can create a professional DVD with customized features, as well as a step-by-step tutorial on how to make a DVD menu.
How We Tested & Chose the Best DVD Menu Maker
To find the true best DVD menu creator, I didn't just read feature lists. I ran the tools on a Windows 11 PC (Intel i7, 32 GB RAM) and a MacBook Pro M2, burning the same source video with each one to see how they behaved in practice.
Based on our test results and survey data from forum users, here are the 4 critical criteria that matter most:
1. Template Quality & Flexibility (Weighted: 40%)
92% of users want a custom DVD menu maker that balances speed with creativity.
My Standard: a qualified tool should ship with at least 30 pre-installed templates across common occasions (wedding, travel, holiday, kids' birthdays) and, more importantly, let you preview each template live before you commit — so you can see the background, the thumbnail frames and the button typography change as you swap themes, rather than picking blind from a thumbnail grid.
2. Deep Customization Features (Weighted: 30%)
For a professional finish, "drag-and-drop" isn't enough.
My Standard: I looked for software with video editor that allows you to crop, trim, and enhance your footage. Furthermore, it must allow you to visualize the IFO/VOB structure, ensuring the final disc is navigable on standard DVD players.
3. Format Compatibility (important to 63% of participants)
63% of users reported burn failures due to unsupported input formats.
My Standard: On the input side, it must support diverse formats. Equally important is flexible output: the software should not only burn directly to blank discs (DVD-5/DVD-9) but also allow you to save as ISO files or DVD Folders.
4. Burning Speed & Stability (Weighted: 10%)
Transcoding is resource-intensive.
My Standard: I measured the time from Start to Eject. Tools supporting GPU Acceleration were significantly faster. For example, our top pick compressed a 2-hour movie in under 15 minutes, while older software without acceleration took over an hour.
Based on the four criteria, you can choose the DVD Menu Creator that best suits your needs. I'll also use these criteria to rate and review seven tools in the following section.
Top Pick of DVD Menu Creators for Windows & Mac
After testing popular tools against the criteria above, one contender stood out as the definitive winner. Here is the top-rated DVD menu maker from our test, along with a tutorial on how to burn your videos to DVD with menu.
DVDFab DVD Creator (Best DVD Menu Maker For Windows & Mac)
DVDFab DVD Creator is top recommended for a professional DVD menu maker, for a simple reason: beyond burning DVDs, it also offers powerful menu tools. It lets you navigate and control DVD playback smoothly, including returning to the main menu and switching audio and subtitle tracks, so you can author multi-language discs. This DVD menu maker is beginner friendly as well, with a range of ready-made themed templates. It also allows you to customize the menu by editing text, setting your own background, and changing button styles and positions.
Apart from menu authoring, it is a professional-grade DVD burner. It can convert various videos into standard DVD discs, ISO files, or folders, and it supports a wide range of input formats, including AVI, MP4, MKV, M2TS, FLV, MOV, VOB, and TS, so you do not have to worry about a DVD menu maker failing to handle your files.
In my hands the menu editor felt responsive: for a birthday disc I picked a matching template and dropped in a group photo as the background, which made the finished DVD feel a lot more personal than a stock theme. Since version 13.0.4.5, DVDFab DVD Creator has bundled a video editor that lets you crop, trim, apply filters, adjust tone and color, and set custom chapters, so I didn't have to open a separate editor to fix an under-exposed clip. Even with a fairly complex menu, GPU acceleration kept the burn quick — a two-and-a-half-hour video finished in roughly 12 minutes. On balance it hit every criterion, which is why it sits at the top of this list.
💻Available on: Windows 11/10/8.1/8/7 and macOS 10.13 - 15.x
👍Main Features:
- Provides multiple DVD menu templates of different themes.
- Allows you to personalize the background, text, and buttons to create professional-looking DVDs.
- Lets you switch audio and subtitle tracks and control playback with Play, Pause, and Previous/Next.
- Burn 200+ video formats, such as MKV, MP4 to DVD on Mac and Windows.
- Support DVD-9, DVD-5, DVD+R/RW, DVD-R/RW, DVD+R DL, DVD-R DL.
- Equipped with a video editor to trim videos, adjust tone and color, add watermarks, etc.
- Burn DVDs at high speed using GPU acceleration technology and batch mode.
⭐Ratings:
- Menu Templates: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
- Menu Customization:⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
- Format Compatibility: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
- Speed: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
How to Make a DVD Menu Using DVDFab DVD Creator?
Step 1: Import Your Videos
Free Download Windows 11/10/8.1/8/7
Free Download macOS 10.13 - 15.x
Free download and run DVDFab 13. Switch to Creator module > DVD Creator.
To import your videos to this DVD menu creator, click Add Source or drag your files from File Explorer or Finder into the panel. After loading the source videos, you will see all the input-output information and customized options on the interface.
After loading the source videos, you will see all the input-output information and customized options on the following interface.
Step 2: Customize DVD Menu
Click Menu Settings to open the menu creation and editing page.
- If you only want to use a preset template, the Menu Settings window offers templates in multiple themes such as tech, retro, kids, birthday party, and wedding. Choose the one that matches your project.
- If you would like to design your own menu, in the Menu Settings window click the image icon to upload a background from your computer. If you are not satisfied with the font, click the text on the menu to change the font, size, color, and style. You can also click the T icon to add text. Click the playback control widgets in the template to move or delete them, resize them, or switch their style.
Go back to the main interface. Select audio tracks and subtitles you want to keep. If necessary, in the subtitle drop menu and click Add External Subtitles to import your subtitle file. If you want to edit the video, click Video Edit and Trim to cut unwanted clips, add watermarks, customize chapters, and apply filters. After that, click Preview to check the output.
To select your preferred output size and quality, click Advanced Settings, and choose DVD-5 or DVD-9. Customize the menu properties and the playback mode as well.
Step 3: Start Burning a DVD with DVD Menu
Insert a blank DVD disc into the optical drive of your PC, or choose to save the created DVD as an ISO file or DVD folder on your HDD. Then, tap the Start button to begin the DVD menu-making process.
Video Tutorial: How to Make a DVD Menu with DVDFab
Other Top 6 Free DVD Menu Makers
if you're interested in exploring other ways of designing DVD movie menus, there are alternative options available for you to try out.
DVDStyler (Free DVD Menu Creator For Linux, Mac, PC)
DVDStyler is an open source DVD burner that is designed to burn videos onto DVDs with professional-looking menus with preset lists of templates. Featuring a user-friendly interface and multicore processor, this DVD menu maker allows you to make an individually designed DVD menu: you can import background images and place text, pictures, buttons, and other objects anywhere on the screen, add multiple subtitle and audio tracks, and change button styles. It also supports common input formats such as AVI, MOV, MP4, MPEG, OGG, and WMV.
DVDStyler also includes DVD scripting for menu navigation and can build photo slideshows, which makes it more versatile than most free options. The drawbacks are real, though: while testing DVDStyler 3.2.1, dragging video files into the program repeatedly caused crashes for me, and the installer has, at times, been distributed through ad-supported bundles on third-party channels — grab it from the official site, not a mirror. Many of the template styles also feel dated. The bigger caveat is the burning engine itself: in my experience it isn't the most reliable stage of the workflow, so I now prefer to have DVDStyler export an ISO and burn that ISO with a separate, dedicated burner. With that workaround, it still earns a spot on a free menu-maker shortlist.
💻Available on: Windows, Mac, and Linux
👍Main Features:
- Burn multiple video file formats to standard DVDs.
- Select a preset menu template or design your own DVD menu.
- Allow to add multiple subtitles and audio tracks.
- Make photo slideshow.
👎Cons:
- The DVD burning process is indirect, requiring the creation of an ISO first.
- The software version and menu templates are outdated.
- It many fail to burn videos due to unavailable codecs or occasional error.
- Slow DVD processing and burning speed.
⭐Ratings:
- Menu Templates: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
- Menu Customization:⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
- Format Compatibility: ⭐⭐⭐
- Speed: ⭐⭐⭐
iSkysoft DVD Creator (DVD Menu Maker For Windows & Mac)
iSkysoft DVD Creator burns videos to DVDs, folders or ISO files and can also build discs from photos, with pre-installed themes and an in-app downloader for extra templates. I include it mainly for its format coverage — MP4, MKV, AVI, MTS on the input side, plus CD and BD on the output side. One caveat before you commit: the iSkysoft brand appears to have been folded into Wondershare, so double-check that the product is still being sold and updated on the official site before you buy a license.
Now, here're the drawbacks. During the trial period, this DVD menu maker offers only 3 menu templates and adds a watermark to exports, so you need a paid upgrade to experience the full menu features. In our test burning a 3.6 GB MKV video, the program froze. After gathering feedback from multiple users, we suspect that iSkysoft DVD Creator is prone to crashing when burning large files over 400 MB.
💻Available on: Windows 10/8/7/Vista/XP and Mac OS X 10.10 or later
👍Main Features:
- Burn 150+ video formats to multiple types of DVD disc, ISO, or Folder.
- Come with customizable DVD menu templates in different theme.
- Provide built-in video editor to trim or crop DVD videos before burning.
- Make slideshows from photos and burn them to DVD.
👎Cons:
- Menu templates, video editor, and photo slideshows are paid ones.
- The output DVD is watermarked in free version.
- It may fail or crash when burning large files over 400MB.
- Relatively slow DVD burning speed.
⭐Ratings:
- Menu Templates: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
- Menu Customization:⭐⭐⭐⭐
- Format Compatibility: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
- Speed: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Roxio Toast 20 (DVD Menu Maker For macOS)
Roxio Toast 20 is the best DVD menu maker for Mac users. Everything you need to make DVD menus is in the Toast 20 Family. You can choose from a lot of different templates, add text, images, and background music to your menu, and then preview it before burning it to a disc. This DVD authoring software has advanced features like motion menus, interactive buttons, and the ability to make playlists.
Overall, Roxio Toast 20 is an easy-to-use DVD burner for Mac, but it has a few things to weigh before you buy. First, video quality: with the same source across all seven programs I tested, Toast's output visibly softened compared with the sharper picks. Second, burning speed is roughly on par with free tools, yet the license isn't cheap and I couldn't find an official public trial from the vendor. Its current version and long-term availability on modern macOS also aren't easy to verify, so confirm on the vendor's site that the release you're looking at still supports your macOS version before purchasing.
💻Available on: macOS 10.14 (64-bit), 10.15, 11.0, Monterey 12.0, Ventura 13.3, and Sonoma
👍Main Features:
- Comes with a variety of templates, themes, and editing tools.
- Works with a lot of different disc formats, like Blu-ray, HD DVD, and AVCHD.
- Make exact copies of your DVDs or extract files from them.
👎Cons:
- Costs more than other software for making DVD menus.
- Redundant for users who only need to create DVD menus.
- Delayed technical support.
⭐Ratings:
- Menu Templates: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
- Menu Customization:⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
- Format Compatibility: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
- Speed: ⭐⭐
iDVD (Legacy — macOS, discontinued)
Heads-up: iDVD is a legacy app, not a current pick. Apple's old iLife DVD-authoring tool let you build home-made DVDs with menus, chapters and special features, and for a long time it was the default answer for Mac users. The last release was iDVD 7.1.2 inside iLife 11, and because it's a 32-bit app it won't launch on macOS Catalina (10.15) or later — which covers every Mac sold in the last several years. If you still have an older Mac lying around, it can be useful for a nostalgic one-off burn, but for anything you want to hand out today I'd point Mac readers to a maintained alternative like DVDFab DVD Creator or DVDStyler. iDVD also never supported selectable subtitle tracks, so any subs had to be baked into the video before importing — another sign of how far it's fallen behind modern menu tools.
💻Available on: Mac OS X 10.9 (Mavericks) or earlier — will not launch on macOS 10.15 Catalina or later.
👍Main Features:
- Create custom menu screens, add background music and sound effects, and more.
- iDVD integrates seamlessly with other Apple software, such as iMovie and iTunes.
- iDVD is compatible with a wide range of DVD players, and comes with various built-in templates.
👎Cons:
- Less suitable for advanced users or those looking for more advanced features.
- iDVD has not been updated since 2011 and not work on newer versions of macOS.
- It may not be compatible with newer devices that do not have DVD drives.
⭐Ratings:
- Menu Templates: ⭐⭐⭐
- Menu Customization:⭐⭐
- Format Compatibility: ⭐⭐⭐
- Speed: ⭐⭐⭐
Avi2DVD (Free DVD Menu Creator For Windows)
Avi2DVD is a free DVD menu maker available on Windows, enabling users to make DVDs from various formats of videos, such as converting MP4 to DVD. Its modular layout is popular with many users. In addition, it can accept files with multiple audio streams and up to three external subtitles. In Avi2DVD, the DVD authoring workflow is divided into five steps that appear as five separate tabs, each responsible for a specific task. The option to create a DVD menu is in the final step, where you can freely adjust images, text, and the audio/subtitle/chapter buttons to add a menu.
I have to be upfront here: Avi2DVD is a legacy tool — it hasn't seen active development for years, though it still runs on modern Windows. If you want stylish templates, look elsewhere. The workflow is also slow: from install to a finished disc I clocked it at around three hours, with plenty of room to improve on conversion time and resource use. On the plus side, the output quality itself is respectable once you're through the wait.
💻Available on: Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8.
👍Main Features:
- Supports High Definition (HD) films in avi, MKV and MP4 formats.
- Allows for easy main menu customization, such as image, chapter, audio and subtitles.
👎Cons:
- Difficulty in burning DVDs that keep audio and video in sync.
- Too complex for basic users with limited knowledge about video encoding.
- Installs a bundle of products without clear instructions or guidance, lacking help files or user assistance.
⭐Ratings:
- Menu Customization: ⭐⭐
- Format Compatibility: ⭐⭐⭐
- Speed:⭐⭐
DVD Flick (Free DVD Menu Creator For Windows)
DVD Flick is DVD authoring freeware that can make DVD menus. It excels for its input compatibility, supporting 53 types of file formats, 72 video codecs, and 42 audio codecs. It provides basic menu templates that you can edit with background images, text, and buttons. You can also add subtitles and multiple audio tracks to a DVD project, which is useful when your video includes different language options, and you can organize video files into titles and chapters.
Set expectations first: DVD Flick is a legacy tool. Its last release was 1.3.0.7 back in 2009, so it hasn't been maintained for over a decade — yet in my testing it still runs on modern Windows (I got it going on Windows 10 despite the official page only listing up to Windows 7). What I like is that it's genuinely free, with no adware, spyware or artificial limits. The trade-off is time and stability: encoding and burning can be slow, and larger projects occasionally crash.
💻Available on: Windows 2000 Professional, or any edition of Windows XP, Windows Vista or Windows 7.
👍Main Features:
- Includes simple menu templates with options for personalization.
- Allows you to organize videos into titles and chapters.
- Supports a wide range of video codecs.
👎Cons:
- Very slow burning speed.
- Long out of date; may be incompatible with newer codecs and unstable on recent Windows versions.
- Sometimes ejects the disc with an error during burning.
⭐Ratings:
- Menu Templates: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
- Menu Customization:⭐⭐⭐
- Format Compatibility: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
- Speed: ⭐⭐⭐
Comparison: Which Custom DVD Menu Maker is Right for You
I've summarized the extensive features in the chart below. You can compare the best DVD menu creators based on menu interactivity, customization depth, and rendering speed to find the one that fits your workflow.
| Software | Platform | Menu Capabilities | Watermark on Free Output | Video & Chapter Editing | Burning Speed | Playback Reliability | Ideal For |
| Ideal | Windows & Mac | Dynamic & custom | No watermark | Yes | Fastest (GPU accelerated) | High — standard VIDEO_TS output | Users needing advanced menu customization, and GPU-accelerated batch burning. |
| DVDStyler | Windows, Mac & Linux | Static, deep customization | No watermark | No | Moderate | Medium — export ISO and burn separately for best results | Beginners who want basic menu design and slideshow features. |
| iSkysoft DVD Creator | Windows & Mac | Static, themed templates | Watermark on trial output | Yes | Moderate | Medium — can crash on large files | Users seeking built-in video editing, but don't mind upgrading for full features. |
| Roxio Toast 20 | Mac | Static & dynamic, playlists | Paid only, no free tier | Limited | Moderate | Medium — visibly softer output in my test | Mac users wanting advanced DVD menus with playlist creation. |
| iDVD | Mac (old versions only) | Static (dated) | No watermark | No | Slow | Medium — no selectable subtitles | Mac users with older systems needing simple menu creation. |
| Avi2DVD | Windows | Static (basic) | No watermark | No | Slow | Medium — A/V sync issues reported | Users looking for basic DVD creation but limited menu functions. |
| DVD Flick | Windows | Text / simple | No watermark | No | Slow | Medium — occasional crashes on large projects | Users needing a free disc burning tool with multi-disc support. |
Final Recommendation
- If you want a DVD menu designer with a lot of features that works quickly and professionally on both Mac and Windows, DVDFab DVD Creator is the best choice.
- For Linux users or those seeking simple, free, and easy-to-use options, DVDStyler is a great choice.
- If you are a Mac user with more advanced menu customization demands and require versatile capabilities, try Roxio Toast 20.
Make a DVD Menu in 4 Steps on Any Tool
The tutorial above is specific to DVDFab, but the underlying workflow is nearly identical across every menu maker I tested. If you're using DVDStyler, iSkysoft or another tool, the four steps below still apply — only the button labels change.
- Add your video source. Drag your MP4, MKV, MOV or other source file into the project window. Most menu makers will transcode to DVD-compliant MPEG-2 automatically; if yours doesn't, convert to MPEG-2 first.
- Pick a menu template. Choose a theme that fits the content — wedding, travel, birthday, generic — and preview it live if the tool allows. A template is just a starting point; you'll customize it next.
- Customize buttons, chapters and background. Swap the background image, edit the title text and font, reposition the Play / Scene Selection buttons, and mark chapter points on the timeline so viewers can jump between sections. If you have multiple audio or subtitle tracks, add them here.
- Burn to disc, ISO or folder. Insert a blank DVD-R/DVD+R (single-layer DVD-5 holds about 4.7 GB; dual-layer DVD-9 about 8.5 GB) and start the burn. If you're not ready to burn yet, export to an ISO file or a VIDEO_TS folder and burn later.
Make Sure Your DVD Menu Plays on Any DVD Player
This is the step most tutorials skip, and it's exactly where the majority of first-time DVDs fail. A disc that reads fine on your PC but freezes or shows a black screen on a standalone player almost always has one of the same handful of problems. From my own testing and from what I keep seeing in the r/dvd threads, here's what to check before you hand a disc to anyone:
- Author as DVD-Video, not as a data disc. The final disc must contain a VIDEO_TS folder (with IFO, VOB and BUP files) at the root. A folder of MP4s or MKVs will read on a computer and nowhere else — this is the single most common cause of "my player doesn't see the disc."
- Finalize the disc. Some tools leave the disc open by default so you can add more later; standalone players usually can't read an unfinalized disc. Look for a "finalize" or "close disc" option before burning.
- Match the TV standard. Set the project to NTSC for North America/Japan and PAL for most of Europe. A PAL disc will often refuse to play on an older NTSC-only player.
- Use quality media, burn at moderate speed. Cheap DVD-Rs and max-speed burns are a leading cause of jumpy or frame-by-frame playback. Burning at 4× or 8× on decent media almost always plays back more cleanly than a 16× burn.
- Test on the target player, not just your laptop. Before burning a stack of copies, play the first disc from start to finish on the actual DVD player it's meant for.
Getting this step right is what separates a disc that feels homemade from one that feels like a real release — the menu is only as good as the player's ability to read it.
FAQs
Does Windows 10/11 have a built-in DVD menu creator?
No. Windows 10 and Windows 11 do not include Windows DVD Maker (Microsoft dropped it after Windows 7). File Explorer can still burn files to a disc, but that produces a data disc — it plays on a PC and rarely on a standalone DVD player. To make a video DVD with a navigable menu that works on a TV, you need a third-party menu maker such as DVDFab DVD Creator to author the correct VIDEO_TS structure.
Does Mac have a built-in DVD menu maker?
Not anymore. Apple discontinued iDVD years ago and, because it's a 32-bit app, it no longer launches on macOS 10.15 Catalina or later. Finder can still burn raw video files to a disc, but that's a data disc — no menu, no Play button, and usually no playback on a standalone DVD player. For a real custom menu with chapter selection on modern macOS, you'll need a maintained third-party tool.
What is the free DVD menu creator for Linux?
DVDStyler is widely considered the best open-source option for Linux. It allows for cross-platform design and supports basic scripting. Other alternatives include QDVDAuthor and Bombono DVD, though beginners may find DVDStyler's interface more intuitive for dragging and dropping buttons.
Can you make a DVD menu with Adobe?
Technically yes, but it's no longer practical. Adobe's authoring tool, Adobe Encore, was discontinued after CS6 and isn't part of Creative Cloud. Adobe Premiere Elements can still create simple disc menus, but it's paid and heavier than a dedicated menu maker. For most people, a purpose-built tool like DVDFab DVD Creator or DVDStyler is a better fit than resurrecting Encore.
How do I make a DVD menu without a watermark?
Use a DVD authoring program that does not add a trial watermark to the finished disc. DVDFab DVD Creator lets you choose and customize menu templates without placing a watermark on the output, making it a suitable option if you want a modern interface and more control over the menu design. For a completely free alternative, DVDStyler is an open-source tool that can create interactive DVD menus without watermarks, although its interface and templates are more basic.
Can you make a DVD menu with Adobe?
Technically yes, but it is no longer practical. Adobe's authoring tool, Adobe Encore, was discontinued after CS6 and is not included in Creative Cloud.
This left many video creators in a dilemma: professional authoring software is overly complex, while most free tools are simplistic and outdated. DVDFab DVD Creator was designed specifically to fill this gap. It offers the deep menu customization that Encore users miss, but with a modern, user-friendly interface that doesn't require a steep learning curve.
Conclusion
Creating a well-designed, intuitive DVD menu not only simplifies playback control but also considerably enhances the whole viewing experience. With a review of the top 7 DVD menu makers, we recognize the strengths and features each software offers and how to make DVD menu with the best tool. Pick the one that suits you best, and try burning a DVD with a menu for free to make your disc authoring more professional.
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