Choose Default Download Folder for separate files, ZIP archive for one package, or Choose a folder when you want to pick the destination yourself. All three save modes in Simple Mass Downloader work with free credits. Select your files first, choose a mode, then click Start download.
A reading pack may belong in one archive; a set of large assets may be easier to save individually. The modes share a selection workflow, but their background behavior and limits differ.
Compare the three modes
| Mode | Useful for | Where files go | Keep Dashboard open? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Default Download Folder | Individual files and larger collections | Chrome’s download location and permitted subfolders | No; keep Chrome running |
| ZIP archive | A manageable group that belongs together | One locally created archive | No; keep Chrome running |
| Choose a folder | Writing directly into a chosen directory | A folder you authorize | Yes |
Your initial allowance is 300 credits without an account. The credit rules apply to successful files, regardless of the save mode.
Closing the Dashboard is not the same as quitting Chrome. None of these modes is a promise that a task keeps running after the browser exits.
Choose standard downloads for flexibility
Standard downloads use Chrome’s download management. They are a useful starting point for separate documents, large files or a collection that does not need compression.
Pause and resume depend on Chrome’s actual download state and the source server. A server must support the required continuation behavior; the extension cannot guarantee resumption for every file.
If Chrome asks for a destination for each item, review the “Ask where to save each file before downloading” setting. Turning it off allows automatic saving to your configured download location, so make that choice consciously. Chrome’s official guide describes location controls.
Choose ZIP for a compact handoff
ZIP packages selected resources locally in the browser. The files must first be fetched from their source sites, so local compression does not mean there are no network requests.
ZIP is useful for a set of course handouts or a moderate image collection. It introduces count, input-size and browser-memory constraints that do not apply in the same way to separate Chrome downloads.
The current protection rejects a ZIP when known input reaches 750 MiB or the count exceeds 2,000 resources. Runtime input is also capped at 750 MiB. These are safeguards, not targets: smaller jobs can fail because of memory pressure, inaccessible files or expired links.
If the interface recommends standard downloads or folder saving, follow that recommendation or split the batch.
Choose a folder for direct organization
Direct-folder saving writes to a directory that you explicitly authorize. This can be convenient for a project that needs a predictable location and subfolder organization.
It requires File System Access API support and permission to write to your folder. Keep the Dashboard open until saving finishes; that page owns the operation’s folder access. It is not a cloud background task.
Preview the destination and filenames first. If folder permission is denied or later revoked, resolve that permission before retrying. Do not assume that renaming a destination in the interface creates permission to write anywhere on the computer.
Count resources, not containers
A ZIP containing 20 successfully saved resources uses 20 credits. The same selection saved as individual files also counts successful resource items. Failed, canceled and skipped items are not charged as successful downloads. Canceling a batch does not reverse the charge for files already saved successfully.
A positive balance allows a batch to begin; reaching zero during that batch does not truncate it for quota reasons. Once the balance is zero, another batch requires login or an upgrade. Technical limits, accessible resources and plan conditions still apply.
Lifetime’s unlimited allowance removes a download-credit ceiling under that plan; it does not remove browser-memory limits, source-site restrictions or the need to keep the browser running.
Recover according to the failure
For a failed standard transfer, check the browser and server state before assuming it can resume. For a ZIP, unfinished compression is not guaranteed to restart at the same point after browser exit. Folder writes likewise do not promise arbitrary-point resumption.
Review the successful and failed items, resolve access or size problems, and retry only what is necessary. The troubleshooting guide helps distinguish permission failures from rate limits and quota issues.
For a first batch, standard downloads are straightforward. Move to ZIP when packaging is the goal, or choose a folder when the destination matters more than a single archive.
