Better Than Utorrent
The best free torrent clients of 2021: faster, safer downloads
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The best free torrent clients are perfect for downloading exceptionally large files – such as a video or a large piece of software – quickly and managing them such large files, downloading directly from a host server will likely lead to a slow experience, particularly if other people are trying to grab the same file. But with a free torrent client, you can download pieces of the files you want from different people who already have them, leading to faster download times. It will do all the hard work for you as well, piecing together those files like a of the best free torrent clients will have their own strengths, with varying features to help manage these large files. With this in mind, we’ve collated all the biggest names and put them to the test to see which of the best torrent clients on the market would best suit your needs. Whether you need something that just gets the job done, or something more advanced that can be extended through the use of add-ons, you’ll definitely find something here. Our ranking for the best free torrent clients considers everything from user experience and adverts, through to how well it can integrate with other applications so regardless where your preferences lay, we have you covered with our in-depth reviews. A YouTube downloader for PC will let you save your YouTube playlists on your PC. Are torrents legal? Torrents have a bad reputation due to piracy, but they aren’t illegal in themselves and have lots of legitimate uses, including downloading open source software and material that’s in the public all depends on the content you’re downloading. Provided the copyright holder has given permission for the file to be shared this way it’s fine, but using torrents to download content you’d otherwise have to pay for is not best free torrent clients at a glanceqBittorrentVuzeDelugeuTorrentBitTorrentWe strongly advise you get a great VPN for torrenting
The only way to keep yourself safe and anonymous when torrenting is to use a VPN. A VPN encrypts all your internet activity and passes it through a secure tunnel so that no one can see what you’re reading or downloading – not even your ISP or the VPN service itself. One click and you’re protected. This also allows you to unblock sites like The Pirate Bay, or access foreign versions of Netflix. The best VPN service according to our tests is ExpressVPN which effectively costs just $6. 67 per month and has a risk-free 30-day money back guarantee.
View Deal(Image credit: The qBittorrent Project; Shutterstock)1. qBittorrentA balance of speed and simplicity: the best free torrent clientOperating system: Windows, macOS, LinuxNo advertisementsHandy extra toolsNo bundled softwareFewer extensions than someSome torrent clients offer every function imaginable. Others keep things as simple as possible. qBittorrent sits right in the middle, aiming to “meet the needs of most users while using as little CPU and memory as possible” boasts an integrated torrent search engine, media player, encryption, prioritisation of torrents and the files within those torrents, IP filtering and torrent creation, and it’s the closest open source, junk-free equivalent to you’re looking for a cross-platform torrent client that covers the essentials without getting overly complicated, qBittorrent is our full qBittorrent review(Image credit: Azureus Software Inc; Shutterstock)2. VuzeA feature-packed torrent client if you don’t mind the adsOperating system: WindowsClear, well designed interfaceExpandable via pluginsContains adsBundled antivirus trialVuze (formerly Azureus) claims to be the most powerful BitTorrent client on Earth. We’re not sure how it ranks on other planets, but it’s certainly a serious contender for that are two flavours: the stripped-back Vuze Leap, and the fully fledged Vuze Plus. Both offer torrent download, media playback and support for magnet file links, but Vuze Plus adds integrated virus protection and the ability to preview media of Vuze’s key selling points is its interface, which slices through jargon and makes even the more advanced features accessible to new also offers bandwidth limiting, IP filtering, and all the other features you’d expect from a robust torrent client. Definitely one of the first options to our full Vuze review(Image credit: Deluge; Shutterstock)3. DelugeA customizable client that can be as lean or powerful as you wantOperating system: Windows, macOS, LinuxCross platformExpandable via pluginsBrowser integrationInterface is a little sparseDeluge has been around forever, and it can be as simple or as powerful as you want it to be, making it one of the most versatile free torrent clients out there. That’s because it’s extendable via plug-ins, which effectively enable you to build your own personalised version of something that resembles uTorrent without the unwanted software? No problem. Want to add alphabetical downloading, move downloaded files to specific directories according to the file type, adjust speed according to network conditions, create pretty graphs, schedule everything, integrate with Chrome or Firefox, or batch-rename downloads? That’s not a problem our full Deluge review(Image credit: BitTorrent; Shutterstock)4. uTorrentAn incredibly lightweight client maintained by BitTorrent itselfOperating system: Windows, macOS, AndroidDownload schedulingVery smallRuns on the webContains adsAdditional bundled softwareuTorrent, also known as µTorrent, has been around since 2005 and it’s the most widely used free torrent client outside China. It’s attracted some criticism over the years, however: it’s ad-supported and many users argue that the most recent versions are a little too heavy on the advertising and bundled software front. Make sure you read each step of the installer carefully and uncheck any software you don’t want to aside, uTorrent is useful, effective and doesn’t gobble up too much of your system’s resources: the entire app mainly runs in your web browser. Although it isn’t the official BitTorrent app, it’s been maintained by BitTorrent for the last ‘s worth noting that uTorrent has a record of security problems, the most recent of which had the potential to let hackers control key functions of the client and spy on users’ downloads. BitTorrent has since released a patch for the our full uTorrent review(Image credit: BitTorrent; Shutterstock)5. BitTorrentBitTorrent’s own client, with web-based seeding and commentsOperating system: Windows, macOS, AndroidSimple to configureDownload schedulingVery smallContains adsYou might be wondering why BitTorrent has its own torrent client when it also maintains uTorrent – especially when the BitTorrent app is a rebranded version of uTorrent. Are you still following us? However, while the apps are functionally identical there are a few key differences: BitTorrent offers web-based seeding, commenting and reviewing, and you may find that the BitTorrent client is welcomed by private trackers that don’t like ‘s very simple to use as well, and could be a good choice if you’re new to torrenting and want a client that will give you an easy our full BitTorrent reviewJust want videos? See our guide to the best free YouTube downloadersWindows 11 is hereStay anonymous online with the best torrenting VPN
Daryl had been freelancing for 3 years before joining TechRadar, now reporting on everything software-related. In his spare time, he’s written a book, ‘The Making of Tomb Raider’, alongside podcasting and usually found playing games old and new on his PC and iPad. If you have a story about a newly-updated app or one that’s about to launch, drop him a line.
Difference Between uTorrent and BitTorrent (With Table)
For sharing large files, videos, music, TV shows, and other such content, the regular applications take too much time or don’t work. Such files are efficiently transferred, shared, and downloaded with the help of their specific torrenting software. BitTorrent Inc owns uTorrent and BitTorrent. These are the world’s top-most used adware torrents. Both of them allow users to download software and connect with the file owners, that is, peer-to-peer. uTorrent vs BitTorrentThe difference between uTorrent and BitTorrent is that their approaches. uTorrent is a client company of BitTorrent. While BitTorrent is the parent company of around 25 torrenting adware. Although uTorrent provides unlimited file sharing, it has the risk of malware, and more often, ads keep showing up. Because of which slowdowns its performance and working speed. So, it is more useful at a time of less sharing. Importantly, adware has frequent releases and occupies less space. So, mostly it is used on a small approach. Whereas BitTorrent is secured and doesn’t spam ads. It also works faster than its client uTorrent. So, it is a broader approach with faster speed. Comparison Table Between uTorrent and BitTorrentParameter of Comparison uTorrent BitTorrent Description uTorrent is founded in 2005 as adware and owned by BitTorrent from 2006. BitTorrent founded in 2001 as an adware, it also owns uTorrent. The abbreviation is ‘BT. ’ Created by Ludvig Strigeus created Cohen and David Harrison co-created Client company of BitTorrent. Parent Company of uTorrent. Approach Small approach as it’s just a client company. Broader approach as it is the owner of around 25 torrenting firms. Updates It distributes Alpha and Beta updates regularly. It distributes Stable updates and not very often. Market Share 68. 6% of the market it 6. 6% market is secondly covered by it. Popularity Most of the market owned by uTorrent, so it is obviously popular than BitTorrent. BitTorrent is the second most to rule the market. Downloads It downloads slower than BitTorrent. It downloads faster than uTorrent. Linux OS It does support Linux OS with its Web Version. It does not support Linux OS. Security uTorrent has the risk of malware. BitTorrent does not have malicious risks. Ads More and and secured than uTorrent and well-managed. Software Size Up to 1 MB space it takes. 3 MB space it Application Space 51 MB is the size of the application is 67 nguages Availability Available in 67 languages all around the is available in 17 is uTorrent? uTorrent is a licensed Ad-supportive software created by Ludvig Strigeus and released by him on 18th September 2005. Later it was owned by BitTorrent Inc. From 7th December 2006. Microsoft Windows, macOS, and Android devices are compatible with uTorrent. The Web version even supports Linux OS. It gives the classic torrenting experience for its users. This BitTorrent client is accessible in around 67 languages in the world. That is why in the first place, it is the most popular and used torrent. It has engaged the world’s 68. 6% of the market. The uTorrent app offers Web, Basic, Ad-Free, Pro, Pro + VPN products. The software takes less than 1MB of space and reduces CPU drainage. It is a small approach because it works slower than BitTorrent. It also has more ads that might be carrying risks of malware. What is BitTorrent? BitTorrent is a peer-to-peer folder sharing software created by Bram Cohen and David Harrison in 2001. The abbreviation of this communication protocol is BT. It is a broader approach. It also forms several minor content requests across various IP networks to multiple devices. BitTorrent Inc supports only Windows, macOS, and Android devices. It gives high-quality resolutions for downloads and sharing. The transmission speed of the application is faster, and simultaneously, it is the most secured adware. These qualities make it more popular, and it ranks second in the market by covering 6. 6% of it. It helps to share digital audio and video content like music, TV shows, video files, and similar large folders. It is available in 17 languages. BitTorrent offers product plans like BT Web, BT Classic, BT Ad-Free, BT Pro, BT Pro + VPN. It is the owner of the following torrent adware: uTorrent, BitTorrent, Miro, Robert, Transmission, BitLord, Deluge, FlashGet, Tribler, Tonido, Free Download Manager, BitComet, K Torrent, Lftp, MLDonkey, Opera 12, rTorrent, Shareaza, FrostWire, Tixati, Vuze, qBittorrent, LimeWire, Xunlei, KGet, etc. Main Differences Between uTorrent and BitTorrent The approach of uTorrent is smaller than BitTorrent as it’s a client of it. uTorrent is a client company, but BitTorrent is a parent company that is a torrent and has many subsidiary torrents. uTorrent releases update more often as Beta or Alpha versions. Conversely, BitTorrent releases stable versions and fewer times. The software size of uTorrent is just 1 MB and of BitTorrent is 3 MB. uTorrent is more popular with 68. 6% of market coverage, and BitTorrent is less popular than it with its 6. When it comes to security, uTorrent is less secure than BitTorrent. The web version of uTorrent supports Linux OS. On the other hand, BitTorrent does not. Ads are available more often on uTorrent and are sometimes risky. On the contrary, BitTorrent manages ads and is secured. The uTorrent is available in 67 languages whereas, BitTorrent is available in 17 languages. Conclusion So, both torrents are the best! One has a small approach and the other works on a large scale. One is just a client firm, and the other is the parent company of more than 25 subsidiaries. For small sharing options, uTorrent is preferred. And BitTorrent is used on large-scale transmissions. The first one is available in many languages and the second gives better speed. uTorrent is not secured, but you can use it with a VPN, and BitTorrent is safe from malware. Most of the market is occupied by uTorrent (Not to forget, the client of BitTorrent), and BitTorrent is the second-most. Nord VPN, Express VPN, Private VPN, and Cyber Ghost VPN are the most secure and preferred VPNs. References Contents1 uTorrent vs BitTorrent2 Comparison Table Between uTorrent and BitTorrent3 What is uTorrent? 4 What is BitTorrent? 5 Main Differences Between uTorrent and BitTorrent 6 Conclusion 7 References
qBittorrent vs. uTorrent: Which Is Better (and Safer) in 2021?
Choosing a torrenting client can be overwhelming — there are so many out there, each with its benefits and drawbacks. Even some of the most popular clients aren’t safe bets as they have a history of injecting malware and displaying inappropriate ads.
Testing various programs is the best way to figure out which offers the right mix of features, but that takes a lot of effort. To save you the frustration, I spent some time carefully comparing qBittorrent and uTorrent, two of the most downloaded torrent clients.
To find out which is better, I carefully tested their speed, usability, safety, and features. Let’s compare the two clients in detail so you can determine which one is a better fit for you.
Warning: Even if torrenting is legal in your country, you could get into trouble for accidentally downloading copyrighted material — unless you use a reliable VPN. A VPN protects you from legal trouble by hiding your IP address and allowing you to access files from qBittorrent or uTorrent securely and privately.
Start Torrenting Safely With ExpressVPN!
Quick Overview: qBittorrent vs. uTorrent
Of all the BitTorrent clients out there, qBittorrent and uTorrent are among the most popular. While they share lots of settings and similarities, including embedded trackers, DHT, PEX, NAT-PMP, UPnP, LPD, IPv6 protection, and RSS support, they’ve also got their differences.
qBittorrent — Compatible with Windows/Mac/Linux
qBittorrent is a free, open source BitTorrent client with a clean interface and fast speeds. It doesn’t display ads, supports sequential downloading so you can stream while downloading, can automatically add torrents, preloads metadata, and allows you to set several limits to control things like how much bandwidth you use and the hours the client can operate.
uTorrent — Compatible with Windows/Mac/Linux/Android
uTorrent is also free, but it’s proprietary software that’s ad-supported, so you’ll have to deal with banner ads unless you pay to upgrade or use a VPN to hide them. You also don’t have any access to its code to see for yourself that it’s safe. On the plus side, it has a built-in search engine, uses little RAM so you can keep using your computer for other things, supports file prioritization, allows for super-seeding, and has an Android app. There’s also uTorrent Web for torrenting straight from your favorite browser.
qBittorrent
uTorrent
Free
Yes
(but with limited features)
Fast torrenting speeds
Easy to use
Simplified GUI
Ads
No
(upgrade to remove ads or use a VPN)
IP filtering
Port forwarding
Cross-platform
(Windows, Mac, Linux)
(Windows, Mac, Linux, Android)
CLI
Manage torrents remotely
Supports bandwidth scheduling
RSS (Broadcatching)
Plugin support
Embedded tracker
Proxy server,, SOCKS4, SOCKS5,, SOCKS4, SOCKS5
Speed – qBittorrent Outperforms Every Time
I conducted several tests with video and audio files, and while each client offered similar download times, qBittorrent came out with faster speeds each time.
Your download speeds are determined by your internet connection speed, the number of seeds a torrent has, and any speed limits imposed by the client.
There are also some things you can do to speed up your downloads:
Enabling port forwarding improves torrenting performance by allowing you to connect to more seeds. Rather than just connecting with peers that your client finds, you can also connect with peers that find you. Both qBittorrent and uTorrent support port forwarding, so I activated it before starting my speed tests.
Some ISPs throttle your speeds, especially when they see that you’re doing high-data activities like torrenting. You can get around this by using a VPN — these programs encrypt your connection so that your ISP can’t see what you’re doing. I use ExpressVPN because it’s the fastest and safest VPN I’ve tested.
I conducted one of my speed tests by downloading the same 163 MB AVI video file using each client. For context, my internet download speed was 49. 5 Mbps, and I ran each program separately so that the apps could have full use of my computer’s resources.
You can see the download on qBittorrent here:
With an average download speed of 1. 4 MiB/s, qBittorrent downloaded this file faster
There were 3 seeds available at the time of download, and qBittorrent downloaded the file in 1 minute and 53 seconds, with an average download speed of 1. 4 MiB/s. Considering how few sources were available, this download completed faster than I expected.
You can see the download on uTorrent here:
uTorrent’s average download speed of 859. 9 kB/s was noticeably slower
There were 4 seeds for a short while at the beginning of the download before one dropped off. Despite this, uTorrent took 3 minutes and 2 seconds to download the same file, with an average download speed of 859. 9 kB/s. While this download was also relatively fast, it still took more than a minute longer than qBittorrent.
You can see the download on uTorrent Web here:
uTorrent Web doesn’t provide file stats, but it did finish the download in about 2 minutes
uTorrent Web doesn’t provide as many details as its desktop version does, so there’s no way to tell what its average download speed was during my test. However, I watched it, and I saw it reach speeds of up to 1. 9 MiB/s, so it definitely was downloading as fast as qBittorrent. The fact that it took a total of 2 minutes and 10 seconds to download the file also supports this. This was faster than I expected, but still not quite as fast as qBittorrent.
Torrent Faster With ExpressVPN!
Ease – qBittorrent Wins
When it comes to ease of use, qBittorrent is the clear winner. I ran into a little runaround with its download link, but after that, qBittorrent’s installation process was straightforward, whereas I felt like uTorrent tried to trick me into agreeing to bloatware I didn’t need. I also found that qBittorrent’s interface was much easier to work with.
Downloading qBittorrent and uTorrent
Both clients faced issued with the downloading process, but qBittorrent’s weren’t as severe.
I was a bit surprised to see a rather dated-looking page when I arrived at qBittorrent’s website. However, the page was clean and easy to navigate, with the download link prominently displayed at the top.
This page doesn’t look modern, but it’s easy to follow
On the downloads page, you’ll find information about the client’s public key, followed by download links for various operating systems. It’s compatible with Windows, Mac, Linux, and a few smaller operating systems like Haiku OS and FreeBSD. I liked that there were also mirror links available; this helps ensure there’s always a valid download link available.
You’ll have no trouble finding the right download link for your platform
As I’m a Windows user, I clicked the first link, which I thought would automatically download the right version for my computer. Instead, I was taken to another download page where I had to choose my download once again — this was repetitive and unnecessary.
It’s frustrating that you have to go through two pages before real download links appear
Hint: If you’re a Windows user and don’t know which version to download, type “about” in the Windows search bar and select “about your PC”. You’ll see your system type displayed with other info about your machine.
I found uTorrent’s website to be much more modern-looking than qBittorrent’s. I was immediately presented with a button to download uTorrent Web, followed by uTorrent Classic.
I like uTorrent’s modern-looking homepage much better than qBittorrent’s
I clicked uTorrent Classic, and instead of heading to a download page, I had to choose which version I wanted. There were three paid versions offering things from no ads to premium support, but I went with the free, basic version.
I don’t see enough value in uTorrent’s paid options
As the next page promised that my download would start automatically, I thought it was going to be smooth sailing. However, I ran into a huge problem: The download would not start. I tried several times, but it seems that uTorrent’s server was down. I had to try again the next day to finally download the file. This was an instance where it would have been nice to have access to mirror download links, but uTorrent had none.
On the plus side, uTorrent automatically downloaded the right installation file for my operating system (it’s compatible with Windows, Mac, and Linux), so I didn’t have to choose myself.
Installing qBittorrent and uTorrent
qBittorrent is the obvious winner for its streamlined installation process. It took only a couple of minutes, and there were no devious tactics. Utorrent, on the other hand, took longer to install and tried to install bloatware.
Installing qBittorrent was very straightforward. After choosing my installation language, I had the option to choose what components to install. Everything on the list was standard, and I didn’t see anything sneaky that I had to uncheck.
Actually, I found it nice that qBittorrent had already unchecked the two options I would have done myself: creating a desktop icon that will clog up my home screen and starting the program on Windows startup (I prefer to launch these types of programs only when I need them and only when I’m protected by a VPN).
All of these components are exactly what I expected to see
From there, I only needed to choose my install location. The program requires just 137 MB of space and took about 15 seconds to finish the installation process. When it was done, I could click to immediately launch the app.
After uTorrent’s shaky download start, I was hoping for a smoother installation. Unfortunately, the client didn’t come through.
The first screen was a warning about scammers charging for the company’s free torrenting client. I’m not sure how this warning was supposed to help me, as I would have already paid for the free version had I downloaded the client elsewhere.
This warning would be more helpful on the uTorrent homepage
The next two screens prompted me to agree to uTorrent’s terms and conditions. This was normal and expected, but the next screens weren’t. I was dismayed to see uTorrent trying to sneak in bloatware under the guise of an optional companion.
It was very disappointed to see bloatware bundled with this installation
As if that wasn’t bad enough, uTorrent then tried to push a new browser on me. Worse, it appeared I only had the option to go back to the previous bloatware screen or accept the browser. I really had to look to find the tiny checkbox to opt out of the new software.
uTorrent tried to make it more difficult to bypass this installation
At this point, I felt that the installation process had already taken too long, so I was not happy to see further installation options broken up into two screens. Nonetheless, these options were safe, and the installation was finally complete 20 seconds later.
Thankfully, the rest of the installation process was straight-forward
Hint: If you’re not in the habit of always having a VPN running, be sure to disable the “start uTorrent when Windows starts up” option during this part of the installation process. This will allow you to start the program only after activating your VPN. If you don’t already have a VPN, I suggest trying ExpressVPN— it’s safe and affordable, and you can try it risk-free with its money-back guarantee.
Using qBittorrent and uTorrent
Both clients offered clean interfaces and loads of features, but qBittorrent was better because it was ad-free. uTorrent’s GUI was clogged with ads, and it tried to make me pay to remove them.
I was pleased to see that qBittorrent has a lightweight and minimalistic interface. If you’re new to P2P sharing, you’re not going to be overwhelmed by too many buttons or commands.
I really like how clean and uncluttered qBittorrent’s interface is
At the top of the window, you’ll find a control bar to add, delete, play, pause, and prioritize torrents. On the left side, you can quickly locate and sort torrents using the status, categories, tags, and trackers menu. The center of the screen is where you’ll find your torrents list. When you click one, you’ll see stats populate in the area below it. This is helpful for seeing how large a torrent is, how fast it’s downloading, and how much longer it will take to complete.
I found uTorrent to have a similar clean feel, and it also had a handy control bar and various menus. However, it was hard to ignore that uTorrent also had two large ads at the top and side of the screen.
It’s hard to miss the large ads on uTorrent’s interface
Aside from being unsightly, ads can be dangerous because hackers can easily inject them with malicious programs that download in the background without your knowledge. While you can disable ads by upgrading to a paid plan, I have a better solution: Use a VPN with an ad blocker. I connected to CyberGhost with its ad blocker enabled, and it blocked every ad — I couldn’t even click on them.
Don’t pay to remove uTorrent ads — use CyberGhost instead
Try CyberGhost Risk-Free for 45 Days!
In addition to the ads, uTorrent further reminds you that it has paid options with a link nestled into its menu on the left. If you’re wondering whether a paid version is worth it, take a look at what you’ll get:
Ad-Free
No ads
Less bandwidth usage
Premium support
Pro offers the above and:
Security against viruses and other malware
Play files while they’re downloading
Pro + VPN offers the above and:
CyberGhost VPN subscription
Personally, I’d suggest that you stick with the free Basic plan and purchase a VPN on your own. You won’t enjoy instant streaming, but you won’t need it if torrents download in minutes. (Also qBittorrent includes this feature for free; I discuss it in the Features section). CyberGhost is a great VPN and will give you valuable ad blocking and security features, plus here’s a secret: You’ll pay less for it when you use this coupon.
When it came to adding torrents and monitoring their progress, I found that each client offered a similar experience. Neither was laggy, but I felt that qBittorrent was easier to use since its functions were more prominently displayed and the interface looked cleaner without ads.
In terms of settings, both clients offer plenty. Whether you’re a beginner or experienced with P2P, you’ll find lots of ways to customize the clients to your needs. You can have the clients launch when you start your computer, have updates automatically install, and set bandwidth limits. You’ll find qBittorrent’s full list of settings by clicking Tools > Options (or clicking the cog icon on the control bar), while uTorrent’s can be found by clicking Options > Preferences (or clicking the cog at the far end of the control bar).
A nice feature you’ll find with qBittorrent that its competitor lacks: email alerts when torrents finish. This is helpful for tracking torrent progress when you’re away from your computer.
One place where uTorrent comes out on top is its inclusion of a tutorial button for torrenting newbies and a link to its forums under the Help menu. Forums are an easy and convenient way to get help and interact with other users. qBittorrent has its own forums, too, but you won’t find a link for them in its client.
Safety – qBittorrent is More Trustworthy Overall
qBittorrent wins again when it comes to security and safety. Both clients have a lot going for them, but in the end, qBittorrent’s lack of ads and open source code offers enormous transparency.
Software license — qBittorrent wins with its open source code
qBittorrent easily comes out in front of uTorrent here — all of its code is open source, so anyone can review it to make sure it only offers what the company promises. This means you don’t have to worry about qBittorrent embedding malware, trackers, or other dangerous code.
uTorrent is proprietary software; this means it doesn’t share its code with the public. The problem with this is that it’s impossible to verify which privacy and security features it uses and whether it’s hiding any malicious code.
Ads — qBittorrent wins because it has no ads
qBittorrent is clearly the superior client when it comes to ads because it doesn’t have any.
As explained earlier, ads aren’t just intrusive, they can also be dangerous because they may contain trackers or malware. They can also be inappropriate, as many uTorrent users have pointed out over the years — they sometimes advertise dating sites and other adult-oriented services.
uTorrent gives you the option to remove ads, but you have to pay for it. Rather than pay the company for its bad behavior, consider using a VPN instead. During my tests, CyberGhost removed all of uTorrent’s annoying ads.
Software updates — both stay up to date
BitTorrent clients aren’t renowned for their safety. However, I found that both clients provide regular updates to patch security flaws, implement new features, and ensure you’re using the best possible version of the program. I dug through release reports and can confirm that each client updates several times a year, and sometimes as often as every month.
Security protocols — both offer equal protection
Both apps use PE and MSE protocols, extensions that enhance confidentiality and privacy by making it difficult to identify your BitTorrent traffic. When an ISP can’t tell you’re torrenting, it’s less likely it will throttle your speed and bandwidth.
qBittorrent and uTorrent also both have an encryption setting. When you enable it, you’ll only connect to peers who have also enabled the setting.
While it’s called encryption, what it actually does is obfuscate — it makes your torrenting traffic look like regular web traffic so that your ISP won’t throttle your speeds. If your ISP cares to individually review your traffic, it will see what you’re actually doing.
If you truly want to keep third parties like ISPs, movie studios, and even the government from seeing what you’re doing, you need the real encryption that’s provided by a VPN. Top VPNs like ExpressVPN offer military-grade encryption that even the world’s fastest supercomputers can’t break, so your online data, personal details, and location are always a secret.
Stay Safe While Torrenting With ExpressVPN!
Security breaches — both resolved their issues
When it comes to security breaches, I was happy to see that there have not been any significant problems reported with either client. However, each company has had small problems that do not appear to have been widely exploited because they were fixed in time.
qBittorrent had a minor bug in 2017 concerning its WebUI function. In a security report, developers noted that users of qBittorrent v3. 3. 12 or lower could be susceptible to CSRF attacks where hackers could make changes to a user’s tasks, including adding downloads or uploads to the task list. This issue was immediately resolved by updating to a newer version of the software, and torrenters who didn’t use the optional WebUI functionality were not affected at all.
In 2018, uTorrent’s Classic and Web apps experienced a similar problem. A security researcher found a flaw that could allow third parties to control a torrenter’s system through the same interface that allows users to access their apps remotely. If a hacker had been able to breach a system, he could have executed malicious code. uTorrent created a patch and urged users to upgrade to its newest version soon after learning about the exploit.
Proxy servers — both support this feature
You can set up proxy servers on qBittorrent and uTorrent. The setup process is similar for both and easy, and they both support,, SOCKS4, and SOCK5.
Proxy servers allow you to hide your IP address so that third parties can’t figure out where you are. This is helpful for keeping other users from tracking you down and avoiding infringement notices if you accidentally download copyrighted content.
But remember that a proxy only works with the site or app you’re using. Your internet connection itself isn’t protected, so your ISP can still see and track your online activity. To protect your connection from start to finish, no matter what you do online, you have to use a VPN. My top recommendation is ExpressVPN — it’s fast and secure, and you can try it out risk-free because it’s backed by a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Trackers — both have embedded trackers, but private trackers are out
Both qBittorrent and uTorrent have an embedded tracker for seeding your own torrents.
However, when it comes to using private trackers, you’ll find that most are banning both clients. There are two primary reasons for this: the private trackers fear that these clients may leak their private passkeys or expose their users’ IP information.
Many people tout the benefits of private trackers, including access to more content and especially rare media, but most private trackers have strict rules for their use that make them impractical for many torrenters. In addition to dictating which BitTorrent clients you may use, private trackers require you to maintain a high seed-to-leech ratio and use your own IP address. The latter is of great concern because anyone who sees your IP address can track your activity, pinpoint to your location, and even figure out who you are. It is much safer to use public trackers, as well as encrypt your connection and hide your IP address with a VPN
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IP Filters — both have them, but they’re not useful
qBittorrent and uTorrent both have an IP filter setting. The purpose of this setting is to block the IP addresses of users you don’t wish to engage with. This may include users who maliciously upload corrupt files or who report other torrenters for possible copyright infringement.
However, with the advent of proxy servers and VPNs, anyone can mask their IP addresses, including the people you may want to avoid. A much better alternative to IP filtering is to use a VPN yourself — no one will be able to see your IP address and all your online activities will be kept private.
Features – qBittorrent Wins Again
qBittorrent and uTorrent share a lot of features, including file prioritization, NAT traversal, selective downloading, and sequential downloading, but in the end, qBittorrent edged out its competition thanks to better implementation of its features and the fact that it’s 100% free.
Below, I’ll discuss some of the more convenient features that all beneficial to all torrent users, no matter your skill or usage level.
Bandwidth Limits and Scheduling
Both clients allow you to set bandwidth limits and schedule when those limits are enforced. These features help ensure that your downloads don’t cause your internet to slow down at inopportune times.
Scheduling lets you control each client’s bandwidth usage throughout the day
During my tests, I set each client to limit the amount of downloading that would occur during the day when I was using the internet for work and allowed for unlimited downloading at night when everyone was asleep. These settings worked flawlessly.
Immediate Playback
uTorrent offers this option with its paid Pro option, but qBittorrent includes it for free. With immediate playback, you can start watching your content while it’s still torrenting. I tried the feature with qBittorrent on a couple of movies, and it worked with no issues. While I didn’t find this feature very useful because most of my downloads completed quickly, I can see the benefit for people who may have slower internet connections.
Remote Management
Both qBittorrent and uTorrent offer remote management, with qBittorrent calling it WebUI and uTorrent calling it Remote. Remote torrent management allows you to add, cancel, and pause your torrents from anywhere you have an internet connection. This lets you control your downloads and set new priorities, even when you’re away from your computer.
Setting up remote management with each client was a straightforward process, and I was able to start and stop torrents as promised. Between the two clients, I was happier with uTorrent because it also offered mobile apps in addition to its web access. Its Android app was clean and simple, and I could view and manage my torrents with just a few taps.
RSS Feed
qBittorrent and uTorrent both include this helpful feature and make it easily accessible within their respective clients. You do have to do a little work to set up rules for downloading, but after that, the clients take care of everything else.
With RSS feed support, you can automatically download torrents that have been added to your favorite sites. As soon as a new title is added to your RSS feed, your BitTorrent client will add it to your torrents list.
Torrent Creation Tools
With qBittorrent and uTorrent’s torrent creation tools, you can create a torrent file in just a couple of minutes.
While many people use BitTorrent clients to download files, you might find yourself in a situation where you want to share a file instead. After creating mine with each client, I uploaded them to The Pirate Bay, added them to the index, and had some colleagues try downloading them — we were successful with both clients’ output.
Search Function
qBittorrent and uTorrent both have search features built into their respective clients, but they each work a little differently. Having the ability to search for torrents from within a BitTorrent client saves time and reduces your exposure to torrent search engines that might be plagued by ads.
qBittorrent requires that you install Python to use its built-in search engine. Once you do this, you can choose which search engines you’ll comb whenever you conduct a search. If you want to add more, you can install additional plugs. Right now, qBittorrent has more than 40 plugins for various popular torrenting search engines.
uTorrent doesn’t require any additional installations to use its built-in search feature, but the search engine isn’t great without some configuration. That’s because its default setting relies on Google to return results. This means you may receive lots of irrelevant results, such as the IMDB and Rotten Tomatoes listings I got when I searched for a recent blockbuster movie. Under advanced features, you can change the settings to use your favorite torrent search engines instead.
Web Interface
Between the two clients, only uTorrent offers a web interface that allows you to download and play torrents right from your browser.
Downloading uTorrent Web is a simple process, but installation is plagued with the same bloatware issues as the traditional client. Once you’ve completed the installation process, you’ll see uTorrent Web operating in your system tray. When you double-click it, the app will launch in your default browser. It’s compatible with Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Opera, Internet Explorer, and Edge.
The interface is rather simple. If you’re a new user, you’ll see a search field and a button to add torrents at the center of the page; links to torrent activity, BitTorrent Speed, and TronTV on the left, and a huge video player (ads) at the bottom of the page.
uTorrent Web is extremely stripped-down and lightweight
When you add a torrent, the center of the page changes to your torrents list. Like qBittorrent’s and uTorrent’s traditional apps, you can add torrents to uTorrent Web by clicking a button or simply dragging and dropping the torrent files from your download bar.
All your active torrents appear on your activity list
One of uTorrent’s most touted features is that it lets you play your torrented files before they’ve finished downloading. I was unable to play my first two torrents (AVI and MP4 files), even after they were finished downloading. Instead, I received a message that “this file type cannot be played”.
I constantly saw this error message, and it took several tries to get around it
On my third try, I was able to play an AVC file, but only after 56% of the file downloaded (I received the same annoying error message about the file type when I tried any earlier). I deleted the torrent and tried again, and it let me play starting at 8% this time. Unfortunately, this inconsistency with playback means uTorrent Web is not a solid choice for instant watching.
When it came to speed, I also found uTorrent Web to be somewhat disappointing. It took about 14 minutes to download a 2GB file that had over 850 seeds. It took qBittorrent about 5 minutes and uTorrent about 8 minutes to download the same file. During another test, uTorrent Web downloaded faster than uTorrent, but qBittorrent was still faster.
In all, I found that using uTorrent Web was not a satisfactory experience. Instant playback might be beneficial for some, but uTorrent’s consistency in operation and speed was lacking.
And the Overall Winner is… qBittorrent
After a thorough review of each client’s speeds, ease of use, safety, and features, I find that qBittorrent offers a better overall experience.
Speed: Neither client limits speeds, but qBittorrent was faster every time.
Ease of use: Both clients were easy enough to use, but qBittorrent was more straightforward during download and installation (and it didn’t try to sneak in bloatware).
Safety: Both clients offer several security options, but qBittorrent’s open source code offers complete transparency.
Features: Both clients have a range of features, but qBittorrent comes out on top for its better (and free) offerings.
For all of its benefits, qBittorrent does have a few drawbacks. Its website was offputting at first because it seemed so outdated, and downloading the program also took longer than necessary due to repetitive pages. I also had to do a little work to determine which version to choose. If it invested in some web design here, I’m sure the process could be greatly improved.
At the same time, I can’t say that uTorrent was bad. It’s very similar and just as reliable as qBittorrent. But limiting its features on the free version and displaying ads were uTorrent’s most significant letdowns. It frustrated me that I couldn’t improve my security without paying, and I think it’s unfair that it holds users’ security over them by trying to get them to upgrade to the paid version.
qBittorrent Advantages
uTorrent Advantages
Fast, easy download and setup
More remote management solutions
Faster download speeds
More help for new torrent users
Transparent open source code
uTorrent Web for torrenting in your browser
Better search options via plugins
Android app available
qBittorrent Disadvantages
uTorrent Disadvantages
Dated-looking website
Tries to add bloatware during installation
No web-based interface
Ads on the free version
No mobile apps
Must upgrade to unlock all features
Proprietary software, so no open source code
How a VPN Can Improve Torrenting
BitTorrent clients are not generally safe, but one way to make these apps safer is by using a VPN.
When your IP address is revealed, you face many risks. All of your internet traffic can be monitored by your internet service provider (ISP), who may be compelled to work with copyright holders if you accidentally download copyrighted material. If you’re caught, you could face fines or worse. A VPN protects you by encrypting your internet connection and routing you through a new server. This keeps anyone from spying on your online activity and assigns a new IP address so that no one can track you down.
VPNs can also help you defeat website blocks. This is something that some ISPs do to keep you from accessing torrents. They do it because torrenting uses up a lot of data, and they want to control how much you use. When you use a VPN, your ISP can’t see what you’re doing, so it can’t stop you from accessing sites you want.
Another way ISPs can affect your torrenting is by throttling your speed. When they see that you’re doing something that uses a lot of data, they can restrict your connection. This results in big slowdowns. A VPN helps you defeat speed and data throttling by hiding your activity — your ISP won’t know what you’re doing when you go online. Many VPNs also provide access to P2P-optimized servers for even better performance.
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Frequently Asked Questions about better than utorrent
Which app is faster than uTorrent?
BitTorrent is the second most to rule the market. It downloads slower than BitTorrent. It downloads faster than uTorrent. It does support Linux OS with its Web Version.
Is qBittorrent faster than uTorrent?
It took about 14 minutes to download a 2GB file that had over 850 seeds. It took qBittorrent about 5 minutes and uTorrent about 8 minutes to download the same file. During another test, uTorrent Web downloaded faster than uTorrent, but qBittorrent was still faster.Sep 22, 2021
What is safer than uTorrent?
qBittorrent: an Open-Source, Junk-Free uTorrent We recommend qBittorrent. It aims to be a “free software alternative to uTorrent”, so it’s the closest thing to a junkware-free version of uTorrent you’ll find.Apr 4, 2018
