Torrent Clients Comparison
Comparison of BitTorrent clients – Wikipedia
“BitTorrent client” redirects here. For the software application by Bram Cohen, see BitTorrent (software).
The following is a general comparison of BitTorrent clients, which are computer programs designed for peer-to-peer file sharing using the BitTorrent protocol. [1]
The BitTorrent protocol coordinates segmented file transfer among peers connected in a swarm. A BitTorrent client enables a user to exchange data as a peer in one or more swarms. Because BitTorrent is a peer-to-peer communications protocol that does not need a server, the BitTorrent definition of client differs from the conventional meaning expressed in the client–server model. [1]
Bram Cohen, author of the BitTorrent protocol, made the first BitTorrent client, which he also called BitTorrent, and published it in July 2001. [2]
Many BitTorrent programs are open-source software; others are freeware, adware or shareware. Some download managers, such as FlashGet and GetRight, are BitTorrent-ready. Opera 12, a web browser, can also transfer files via BitTorrent.
In 2013 Thunder Networking Technologies publicly revealed that some of their employees surreptitiously distributed a Trojan horse with certain releases of Xunlei, the company’s BitTorrent-ready download manager. [3][4] Xunlei is included in the comparison tables.
Applications[edit]
General[edit]
Name
Developer
Software license
Latest stable software release
Operating system
Year (not dynamic, but easier for sorting)
BitComet
BitComet Development Group
Proprietary, Adware
1. 76 (April 8, 2021; 6 months ago) [±][5]
Windows, macOS
2020
BitLord
House of Life
installs WhenU adware
Windows:
2. 4. 6-354 (July 29, 2020; 14 months ago) [±]
macOS:
2. 6-348 (October 24, 2019; 23 months ago) [±]
2017
BitTorrent
Windows7. 10. 5. 46075 / August 17, 2021; 52 days ago[6]Mac7. 3. 43797 / September 4, 2019; 2 years ago[7]Android6. 7 / September 9, 2020; 12 months ago[8]
Deluge
various
GPL-3. 0-or-later[Note 1]
2. 0. 3 (June 12, 2019; 2 years ago) [±]
Windows, macOS, Linux, BSD
2019
FlashGet
Trend Media
Proprietary
3. 7. 1220 (May 17, 2013; 8 years ago[9]) [±]
Windows
2013
Free Download Manager
alervd
6. 13. 3616 (February 9, 2021; 7 months ago) [±][10]
Windows, macOS, Android
FrostWire
The FrostWire Project
GPL-3. 0-or-later
6. 8. 4 (build 292) (January 31, 2020; 20 months ago) [±]
Windows, macOS, Linux, Android
KGet
KDE
GPL-2. 0-or-later
4. 14. 38 (November 7, 2017; 3 years ago) [±][11]
Linux
KTorrent
Joris Guisson, Ivan Vasić
5. 2. 0 (June 6, 2020; 16 months ago[12]) [±]
Lftp
Alexander V. Lukya
4. 9. 2 (August 13, 2020; 13 months ago[13]) [±]
2018
LimeWire
Lime Wire LLC
5. 16 (September 30, 2010; 11 years ago) [±]
Windows, macOS, Linux
2010
Miro
Participatory Culture Foundation
6. 0 (April 16, 2013; 8 years ago) [±][14]
MLDonkey
MLDonkey Project
3. 1. 7 (July 6, 2020; 15 months ago[15]) [±]
Windows, macOS, Linux, MorphOs
μTorrent
Proprietary, Adware [a]
3. 5 (build 46090) (7 September 2021; 31 days ago) [±][16]
Opera 12
Opera Software
Windows (Presto) – 12. 17 Linux, FreeBSD, macOS – 12. 16
2016
qBittorrent
Christophe Dumez
GPL-2. 0-or-later[Note 1]
4. 7 (August 3, 2021; 2 months ago) [±][17]
[18]
2021
rTorrent
Jari Sundell
rTorrent 0. 8 / libTorrent 0. 8 (July 19, 2019; 2 years ago) [±][19]
Robert
Sponge, co-developer of I2P
GPL
2009
Shareaza
Shareaza Development Team
2. 2 (September 18, 2017; 4 years ago[20]) [±]
Tixati
Kevin Hearn
2. 84 (June 24, 2021; 3 months ago[21]) [±]
Windows, Linux
Tonido
CodeLathe
14. 90. 34030 (January 13, 2017; 4 years ago) [±]
2012
Transmission
GPL-2. 0-only or GPL-3. 0-only[Note 2][Note 1]/MIT[22]
3. 00 (May 22, 2020; 16 months ago) [±][23]
Tribler
The Tribler Team
GPL-3. 0-only
7. 0 (July 7, 2021; 3 months ago) [±][24]
Vuze (formerly Azureus)
Vuze
Proprietary (platform), GPL-2. 0-or-later (core engine), Adware
5. 6. 0 (November 2, 2017; 3 years ago) [±][25]
Xunlei
Thunder Networking Technologies
Microsoft Windows:9. 43. 938 (10 November 2017; 3 years ago) [±][26]
macOS:3. 3266 (27 October 2017; 3 years ago) [±][26]
iOS:5. 20 (18 June 2016; 5 years ago) [±][26]
Android:5. 33 (28 February 2017; 4 years ago) [±][26]
Windows, macOS, Android, iOS
Year
a: The option to disable ads is included in the settings. [27]
Operating system support[edit]
BitTorrent client
macOS
BSD
iOS
Android
Other
Yes
No
Yes[28]
Solaris
Frostwire
Yes[29]
No[29]
Unix-like, [29] z/OS, [30] Solaris, OS/2, eComStation, ArcaOS[31]
Yes[specify]
Solaris, MorphOS
Web
Yes[32]
Yes[Note 3]
Yes[citation needed]
Yes[33]
No[33]
No[34]
OS/2 (including eComStation and ArcaOS), FreeBSD, Haiku[33]
Yes, through Cygwin[35]
Yes [Note 3]
Yes, through Cydia
Solaris, OpenWrt
Yes[36]
Mac OS X
Interface and programming[edit]
GUI
Remote
CLI
Programming language
Based on
IPv6
μTP
Partial[37]
C++
–
Python, C++
libtorrent (Rasterbar)
BitTorrent 5, Mainline
Partial
Python
BitTorrent 6
Daemon
Yes[38]
No??
Java
Yes[39]
Partial[Note 4]
Yes[40]
Third Party[41]
Telnet
OCaml
No[42]
RESTful Web API[43]
C++[44]
Yes[45]
Yes[46]
Yes[47]
Third Party
SCGI
[libTorrent] (Rakshasa)
Yes[48]
Web interface
Yes[49]
Daemon, JSON-RPC over HTTP remote control API
C, Objective-C
libtransmission
Yes[50]
Telnet, XML over HTTP remote control API
Java, SWT
Yes[51]
remote control over internet[52]
Features I[edit]
Magnet URI
Preload Magnet metadata [Note 5]
Super-seeding
Embedded tracker
UPnP[Note 6]
NAT Port Mapping Protocol
NAT traversal[Note 7]
DHT[Note 8]
Peer exchange
Encryption
UDP tracker
LPD
Proxy server
Separate download
HTTP 1. 1, SOCKS4-4a-5
Yes[Note 9]
Yes[Note 10]
HTTP(S), SOCKS4-5
Partial[Note 11]
HTTP, SOCKS4-5
Yes[53]
Yes[54]
Yes[55]
Yes[56]
Yes[57]
Yes[58]
Yes[Note 12]
Yes[59]
Yes[60]
Yes[61]
Yes[62]
Yes[63]
No[64]
Yes[Note 13]
Yes[Note 14]
only with out going without DHT if anonymity required
Patch available[65][66][67]
No[68]
Yes[Note 15]
No[69]
Uses P2P onion routing to provide anonymity.
Yes[Note 16]
Yes[Note 17]
Plugin
HTTP(S)?, SOCKS4-4a-5
HTTP, SOCKS5, FTP
Preload Magnet metadata
UPnP
NAT traversal
DHT
Features II[edit]
Cache[Note 18]
Hash Web seeding
HTTP Web seeding
Broad-catching (RSS)
Prioritization
Selective downloads
Sequential downloading
SOCKS
Tracker exchange [70]
Remote control via web
Search engine
Auto updates
Reviews and Comments
Notes
Yes[71]
Beta
Yes[Note 19]
Built-in Web browser
Portable version available
Partial [Note 20][Note 21]
Partial [Note 21]
Yes[Note 22]
Partial [Note 20]
via PMS
FlashGet (standalone application) is not FlashGot (Firefox Addon)
Optional
3rd party bash script
No[72]
Yes[73]
Yes[74]
Yes[75]
Yes[Note 23]
Yes[Note 24]
built-into Web browser
Windows and Mac OS X only; via PMS on Linux
Web browser
hard-coded as disabled in newer versions
3rd party utility [76]
No built-in disk cache but a delayed sync
Yes[Note 25]
in mod client
Yes[Note 26][77][Note 27]
[Note 28]
Partial [Note 20][Note 29][Note 21]
lightweight client, Portable version available, option to keep all peers unchoked available
Integral encrypted chatrooms that allow streaming audio and video, link sharing and searching
Partial [Note 21][Note 30]
Yes (DHT)[78]
Fully distributed keyword search; integrated anti-spam measures[79]
Yes[80]
in paid version [81]
Plugin[Note 31]
Yes[82]
The only client to bridge between i2p and the clearnet.
Cache
Tracker exchange
^ a b c d With OpenSSL exception.
^ GPL-2. 0-only or any future license endorsed by Mnemosyne LLC.
^ a b c d x86-32 and x86-64 builds available
^ Qdbus interface
^ For a torrent added from a Magnet link, obtain the list of files (and other metadata) before prompting the user for a download location.
^ Automatically configure port forwarding (requires Router with UPnP support)
^ Many clients claim to support this, but just UPnP calls for opening a TCP port is not effective and disabled by factory default in most new hardware. “UDP NAT Traversal” is the proper working solution, supported by just a few.
^ DHT permits use of trackerless torrents (with supporting clients) to resume normal torrents when their tracker is down. However, some trackers that register their users for keeping tabs on fair usage (such as a ratio of bytes downloaded to uploaded) may not reliably measure and update usage for users employing DHT.
^ Tracker included with Linux binaries and with source, but not with Windows binary.
^ a b Exchanging with BT 6 and μTorrent clients (and now MooPolice).
^ This is done manually. Right click an item and select “Force Re-Check”. This will trigger preload. Note, if deluge is restarted before preload finishes, it will continue downloading torrent content.
^ μTorrent’s DHT implementation Archived 18 March 2009 at the Wayback Machine is the same as Mainline and BitComet’s, but unfortunately this is incompatible with Azureus’s implementation.
^ Since Shareaza v2. 0, Shareaza includes Mainline DHT support. Also, Shareaza can use the Gnutella2 network to find other Gnutella2 clients sharing the same torrent. This also includes clients who do not actively seed the torrent in question anymore, as long as file hashes (such as sha1 for example) are known.
^ Since Shareaza v2. 1 r9064.
^ Exchanges with μTorrent and Azureus peers.
^ Since version 2. It’s UDP based, an experimental feature and only supported by other Azureus clients.
^ Has its own DHT, a mainline-DHT compatible implementation is available as plugin.
^ Reduces disk usage, file fragmentation (in case it is not preallocated) and latencies via larger written blocks and cached data for hash checking finished pieces.
^ Called “preview mode”
^ a b c d Does not support HTTP redirection (status codes: 301, 302, 303, 307).
^ a b c d e Does not support HTTPS.
^ Only available in Pro and web version
^ Only available in Pro and web version 3. 0 this feature is called “Streaming mode”. The number of pieces to download sequentially is configurable
^ Since Shareaza v2. 2 r7924.
^ Since Shareaza v2. 1.
^ Shareaza also uses G2 to transmit download metadata, such as BitTorrent trackers to other G2 clients.
^ Maximum active torrent number depends on respective user settings and is limited to 31.
^ Support only base path (“url-list” path) redirection (message: “HTTP redirect does not match file path”).
^ Provides a Java-based and a simple HTML/JS based WebUI.
Vulnerabilities[edit]
This comparison of unpatched publicly known vulnerabilities in latest stable version clients is based on vulnerabilities reports by SecurityFocus and Secunia. See computer security for more details about the importance of unpatched known flaws.
Known unpatched vulnerabilities
Secunia
SecurityFocus
Extremely critical(number / oldest)
Highly critical(number / oldest)
Moderately critical(number / oldest)
Less critical(number / oldest)
Not critical(number / oldest)
Total(number / oldest)
0
Unknown
BitTorrent DNA
113 August 2008;13 years ago
Libtorrent (Rasterbar)
126 February 2008;13 years ago
15 November 2003;17 years ago
123 February 2009;12 years ago
μTorrent for Mac
μTorrent for Windows
122 June 2006;15 years ago
228 September 2007;14 years ago
117 November 2007;13 years ago
Libraries[edit]
General
BitTorrent library
First public release date
Latest stable
8 September 2005; 16 years ago[83]
2. 4[84] (June 7, 2021; 4 months ago) [±]
BSD-3-Clause
MonoTorrent
September 2006; 15 years ago
2. 0 (May 4, 2021; 5 months ago) [±]
MIT
rTorrent (libTorrent Rakshasa)
15 July 2004; 17 years ago[85]
rTorrent 0. 8 (July 19, 2019; 2 years ago) [±][86]
Operating system support and programming language
Linux/Unix
OS X
API
C#
Supported features 1
Tracker
UPnP[Note 2]
NAT traversal[Note 3]
DHT[Note 4]
Fast extensions
Yes[87]
Yes[88]
Yes?
Supported features 2
Cache[Note 5]
Web seeding[Note 6]
WebTorrent
Broadcatching (RSS)
Engine
No built-in cache-disk cache but a delayed sync
Web seeding
See also[edit]
Anonymous P2P
BitTorrent tracker
Comparison of BitTorrent sites
Comparison of BitTorrent tracker software
Comparison of file sharing applications
File sharing
Open Music Model
Timeline of file sharing
Notes[edit]
^ With OpenSSL exception.
^ Reduces disk usage, file fragmentation (in case it is not preallocated) and latencies due to larger written blocks and cached data for hash checking finished pieces.
^ Recently implemented (unofficial) web seeding feature, see HTTP-Based Seeding Specification
References[edit]
^ a b “Glossary”. BitTorrent User Manual. San Francisco: BitTorrent, Inc. Retrieved 2 July 2013.
^ Cohen, Bram (2 July 2001). “BitTorrent – a new P2P app”. Decentralization · Implications of the end-to-end principle. Yahoo! Groups. Retrieved 2 July 2013.
^ Van Der Sar, Ernesto (14 October 2013). “Google-backed BitTorrent client spread malware to Windows PCs and Android devices”. TorrentFreak. Retrieved 19 November 2013.
^ Gibbs, Samuel (15 October 2013). “Google-Backed File-Sharing Service Spreads Malware”. The Guardian. Guardian News and Media. Retrieved 19 November 2013.
^ “BitComet Changelog”.. 4 November 2019. Retrieved 15 November 2019.
^ “Download BitTorrent: Windows”. Retrieved 27 September 2017.
^ “Download BitTorrent: Mac”. Retrieved 27 September 2017.
^ “BitTorrent®- Torrent Downloads”. Google Play Store.
^ “FlashGet 3. 1220 International, revised version released”. FlashGet. 17 May 2013. Archived from the original on 11 May 2015.
^ “Free Download Manager 6 Forums”. Retrieved 24 February 2021.
^ “KDE Ships KDE Applications and Platform 4. 3”. KDE. 11 November 2014. Retrieved 13 November 2015.
^ Štikonas, Andrius (6 June 2020). “KTorrent 5. 0”. kde-announce-apps (Mailing list). Retrieved 10 June 2020.
^ “LFTP – events”. 13 August 2020. Retrieved 16 November 2020.
^:: Oregon State University Open Source Lab, 7 October 2012, retrieved 4 January 2013
^ “MLDonkey at GitHub”. GitHub. 22 January 2017. Retrieved 15 November 2019.
^
^ qBittorrent Release News,
^, qBittorrent Development Team. “qBittorrent Official Website”.. Retrieved 2 January 2018.
^ Sundell, Jari (25 December 2019), “Releases”, rakshasa/rtorrent repo, retrieved 9 June 2021 – via GitHub
^ “Shareaza download page on sourceforge Web site”. SourceForge. Retrieved 6 July 2019.
^ “Tixati News”. Tixati Software. 24 June 2021. Retrieved 30 July 2021.
^ COPYING in trunk – Transmission
^ Releases – transmission/transmission, retrieved 22 May 2020 – via GitHub
^ “Releases”.
^ “Changelog”. Vuze Community. Retrieved 11 December 2017.
^ a b c d 迅雷产品中心 [Xunlei Product Center]
^ Eric Ravenscraft. “How to Disable Ads in uTorrent”. Lifehacker. Gawker Media.
^ “Download – BitTorrent® – Android torrent app”. BitTorrent (software). Retrieved 22 March 2017.
^ a b c d e f g “Download FrostWire”. Retrieved 26 July 2018.
^ “IBM 64-bit SDK for z/OS, Java Technology Edition, Version 8”.
^ “”.
^ “Android Downloads”. μTorrent® (uTorrent) – a (very) tiny BitTorrent client. Retrieved 22 March 2017.
^ a b c d e f “qBittorrent Official Website”. qBittorrent Official Website. Retrieved 11 January 2016.
^ “Android client (not remote/controller) · Issue #4027 · qbittorrent/qBittorrent”. GitHub.
^ “Chris Sutcliffe – Updated: rtorrent-0. 9-1”.
^ “Vuze Torrent Downloader application for Android”. Vuze. Retrieved 22 March 2017.
^ BitComet command line interface see BitComet Command Line – BitComet Wiki
^ Kaba, Martin (27 February 2013). “Deluge BitTorrent client gets uTP support”. Kabatology. Retrieved 17 April 2016.
^ “FrostWire 5. 2”. 11 April 2014.
^ “KTorrent 4. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015.
^ “Gui – MLDonkey”.
^ “uTorrent command line options – Forums – μTorrent – The Lightweight and Efficient BitTorrent Client”. Retrieved 28 November 2009.
^ “Web API”.. Retrieved 6 July 2013.
^ “General – FAQ – μTorrent – a (very) tiny BitTorrent client”.. Archived from the original on 18 March 2009. Retrieved 28 November 2009.
^ “μTorrent 1. 8 released”. 9 alpha 13485″.
^ “qBittorrent 2. 0”.
^ “#507 Ipv6”. 10 October 2016.
^ “Tixati 1. 72”.
^ “Transmission 2. 30”. Archived from the original on 24 May 2015. Retrieved 12 July 2012.
^ “Vuze 4. 0”.
^ “Xunlei remote download”.
^ “MLDonkey 3. 3 release notes”. Forum Retrieved 13 February 2013.
^ “μTorrent 3. 13 Apk For Android”. Retrieved 22 November 2015.
^ “μTorrent 1. 6 released”. Retrieved 28 November 2009.
^ “uTorrent: Make Your Own BitTorrent Tracker”. Retrieved 28 November 2009.
^ “Setting up μTorrent for your internet connection”.. Archived from the original on 15 March 2009. Retrieved 28 November 2009.
^ “μTorrent Community Forums”.
^ “How To Encrypt BitTorrent Traffic”. 16 April 2006. Retrieved 28 November 2009.
^ “Announcements » μTorrent 1. 7 Release Candidate 6”. 28 June 2007. Retrieved 12 December 2009.
^ “Weekly – Desktop Team – by Opera Desktop Team”. 27 February 2007. Retrieved 28 November 2009.
^ “Opera 9. 5 Beta 1 for Windows Changelog”. Retrieved 28 November 2009.
^ Aided with a shell script documented in “That magnet uri ticket thing reincarnated”. Archived from the original on 27 September 2011. Retrieved 4 July 2011.
^ “local peer discovery”. Archived from the original on 13 April 2010. Retrieved 17 April 2010.
^ unofficial build transmission daemon cygwin “Magnet Links – choose what files to download”. Retrieved 27 April 2016.
^ unofficial build Transmission-Qt “Transmission-Qt”. Archived from the original on 25 August 2012. Retrieved 27 April 2016.
^ unofficial build cfpp2p GitHub transmission “magnet download not verified for existing data”. Retrieved 27 April 2016.
^ “transmission/libtransmission/peer-msgs. c”. Retrieved 30 July 2020.
^ Proxy support was removed in version 2. 12: “Ticket #3688”. Retrieved 11 June 2011.
^ Tracker exchange spec: BEP 28
^ Supports the Getright Webseeding spec since v1. 14, see BitComet Wiki
^ See task #4401 SOCKS proxy; however, proxy is supported.
^ “uTorrent 1. 7 Stable Finally Released”. 13 July 2007. Retrieved 28 November 2009.
^ “How to use RSS & BitTorrent to download TV shows”. 14 October 2006. Retrieved 28 November 2009.
^ “uTorrent – Free software downloads and software reviews – CNET” (in Persian). Retrieved 28 November 2009.
^ “Shareaza”. [permanent dead link]
^ “Tribler”.
^ “Truly Decentralized BitTorrent Downloading Has Finally Arrived”. 8 December 2010. Retrieved 16 December 2010.
^ Supports the Getright Webseeding spec in addition to the Bittornado spec “Archived copy”. Archived from the original on 22 August 2011. Retrieved 9 May 2006. CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
^ Play Now feature on official page
^ Additional Vuze Features on VuzeWiki
^ “libtorrent – Browse Files at”. 21 March 2010. Retrieved 15 August 2012.
^ “Releases · arvidn/libtorrent”. Retrieved 7 June 2021.
^ “Timeline – The libTorrent and rTorrent Project”. 15 July 2012. Archived from the original on 4 November 2013. Retrieved 15 August 2012.
^ “libtorrent manual: features”. Retrieved 12 December 2009.
^ “libtorrent-rasterbar 0. 16. 0”.
The best free torrent clients of 2021: faster, safer downloads
Home
Best
Computing
(Image credit: Shutterstock)
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.
10 Best Torrent Clients That Work in 2021 (Safe and 100% Free)
Torrent clients all have different features and characteristics and some are safer options than others. It can become overwhelming to know which is the best option for you.
To help you choose the best one, I shortlisted the 10 best free torrent clients that are safe, fast, and reliable. Whether you’re after a basic interface or a full range of customization options, you’ll find the best client for you in this article. But torrenting can expose your data to cybercriminals, which is why it’s best to use a trusted VPN with your torrent client.
My favorite is ExpressVPN because it effectively hides your IP address, encrypts your data, and prevents bandwidth throttling on a torrent client. On top of that, it has world-class security features and fast speeds. The best part is you can test ExpressVPN out yourself completely risk-free because it’s backed by a money-back guarantee. If you’re not happy with it, you have 30 days to claim a full refund.
Important! Torrenting itself is not illegal in most countries, but downloading torrent files that are protected under copyright is. My team and I don’t condone illegal torrenting, so be sure to check the rules and regulations in your country before you download anything that might be protected under copyright.
Torrent Safely With ExpressVPN!
Short on Time? Here Are the Best Torrent Clients in October 2021
uTorrent — Lightweight app, easy-to-use interface, and excellent features.
BitTorrent — Drag and drop feature and customizable interface, but shows ads
Deluge — Open source client and plenty of plug-ins for extra customization, but not the easiest to use
qBittorent — Doesn’t display ads and has customizable features, but no plug-in support
Vuze — Simple interface and powerful search engine, but slows your device
5 more great torrent clients | Best VPNs for safe torrenting
The Best Torrent Clients in 2021
1. uTorrent — Lightweight Torrent App That’s Easy to Download and Use
Year founded: 2005
Compatible with: Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, Linux
Price: Free or $19. 95/year (Pro plan)
Pros: Lightweight app, plenty of customizable features, simple interface
Cons: Contains ads and bundled software
uTorrent was developed by BitTorrent in 2005 and is the most widely-used torrent client. Its app is lightweight and uses a simple and organized interface, making it great for beginners and advanced users. When I downloaded and installed it on my MacBook, it only took me about 30 seconds, and I could download torrents straight away.
Just note that you’ll need to download uTorrent Web for Mac Catalina, as it isn’t compatible with uTorrent Classic. uTorrent Web runs entirely off your web browser, which means it won’t consume a lot of your resources. When I used uTorrent Web on my MacBook Pro, I noticed it was much faster than the uTorrnet client on my old Windows laptop.
But what I liked most about it is its wide range of customization options. I could schedule downloads to prioritize files, set bandwidth limits, verify seeds, manage the client remotely, and find torrents with its built-in search engine. Also, I was able to install third-party plug-ins and stream torrents while they were being downloaded, thanks to its media player.
Keep in mind, though, that uTorrent contains ads and comes with bundled software. But it’s possible to opt out of the bundled software when you download and install the app. In addition, you can block ads by using a VPN with an ad-blocker like CyberGhost.
Visit uTorrent
2. BitTorrent — Drag and Drop Feature That’s Great for Torrent Beginners
Year founded: 2001
Compatible with: Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, Linux, FreeBSD,
Pros: Small file size, plenty of customizable features, simple configuration
BitTorrent is a well-established torrent client that’s available in 70+ different languages. I could make my interface as simple or complex as I wanted to. I particularly liked its drag and drop functionality, which made it much easier to download torrents. Also, it consumes less than 20% CPU at all times, meaning it won’t slow your device down.
Its range of features is impressive. Most notably, it comes with a built-in bandwidth booster that lets you set limits on upload and download speeds. This means you can download torrents faster. Other features include being able to schedule torrents, stream torrents, support magnet links, and remotely manage paired devices.
For advanced users, BitTorrent allows IP filtering for added security. It lets you control the IP traffic that runs through your network so you can torrent safely. While this is great for security, it’s still best to pair BitTorrent with a VPN so your own IP remains anonymous to other users.
You can also search for torrents without going to a torrent site, thanks to its intuitive search bar. This reduces your chances of downloading malware or spyware from a dangerous site.
But like uTorrent, its free version contains ads and bundled software. Again, you can decline the bundled packages, upgrade to the Pro plan, or use an ad blocker to overcome these problems. Unfortunately, Mac Catalina users can only use its web client.
Visit BitTorrent
3. Deluge — Highly Customizable Torrent Client With Plenty of Plug-Ins
Year founded: 2006
Compatible with: Windows, macOS, Linux, Chrome, and Firefox
Price: Free
Pros: Supports lots of plug-ins, open-source software, no ads or bundled software
Cons: Takes time to learn how to use it properly
Deluge is an open-source client that’s lightweight and easy to use. It can be used as either a standalone app or through a client-server, which means you can run it in the background or control it remotely. It also works well on old devices since it only uses around 25% CPU. As soon as I added a torrent file, it began downloading right away.
What really impressed me with Deluge is its large number of first and third-party plug-ins. This means you can fully customize your client by adding unique features to boost speeds and security, such as alphabetical downloading, bandwidth adjustment, and IP blocking. Other features include robust encryption, torrent stats, and the ability to discover local peers for faster downloads.
Just keep in mind that using the torrent app’s encryption feature doesn’t protect your entire device. Using a VPN with military-grade encryption adds an extra layer of security that helps keeps your internet connection as a whole anonymous, even in the app.
But having lots of plug-ins means that it can take a fair bit of time to get used to it. On the other hand, it’s a free client and doesn’t come with ads or bundled software, which is a big plus.
Visit Deluge
4. qBittorrent — Open Source Torrent Client That’s Ad-Free
Compatible with: Windows, macOS, Linux, freeBSD
Pros: Open-source software, no ads or bundled software, user-friendly interface
Cons: Limited to simple customizations
qBittorent is an open-source client that is free of ads and malware. This means that it’s transparent with its coding, so you can see exactly how it’s built. Its interface isn’t too simple or complex, so it can serve most needs without consuming many resources. There are also frequent updates, which prevent any bugs or glitches.
I found its customizable features to be handy, too. It enables RSS feed support, extensions, sequential downloading, torrent creation, media playback, IP filtering, bandwidth scheduling, a UI lock, and more. These features help you download torrents faster and manage them better. Another helpful feature is its search engine, which made it easier for me to access and search for files.
But even with all these features, your activity will still be visible to unwanted users. Since this can leave you open to online threats, I recommend using qBittorrent with a top-tier VPN (like ExpressVPN) to stay anonymous. It adds extra encryption to your connection, too.
Where qBittorent falls short is that it doesn’t support any plug-ins, so you’re customization is limited. But this shouldn’t be a problem if you only want to download torrents.
Visit qBittorrent
5. Vuze — Simple Interface and Advanced Search Features
Year founded: 2017
Compatible with: Windows, macOS, Linux, Android
Price: Free/ $9. 99 per month (Vuze Pro)
Pros: Clean interface, powerful search engine, customizable features
Cons: Contains ads and resource-heavy
Vuze is a new torrent client that descended from Azureus, which is now defunct. It’s mainly focused on providing a clear and easy-to-use interface. Additionally, its powerful search engine gives it an edge. By entering some simple tags and titles, I found the exact torrent files I wanted without having to search through hundreds of similar files. There’s also the option to change your user proficiency to either “intermediate” or “advanced”, should you want increased functionality.
You can also expand your Vuze client by installing plug-ins that add extra features. It also provides bandwidth scheduling, IP filtering, media playback, magnet link support, and the ability to manage your torrents from your mobile. To maximize your safety while using Vuze, it’s best to use it alongside a trustworthy VPN service.
Unfortunately, Vuze comes with ads and uses a lot of resources on your device. Therefore, you shouldn’t use it if you have an older computer because it’ll make it much slower. Also, it’s geared towards power users
Visit Vuze
6. Transmission — Simple Torrent Client for Mac Users
Compatible with: Windows, macOS, Linux, browser
Pros: Optimized for Mac, easy to use, appealing user interface
Cons: Not very customizable
If you’re a Mac user, then consider using Transmission, which is an open-sourced client. As an optimized torrent client for Mac, its lightweight and minimalistic interface resembles the macOS operating system. I downloaded it on my MacBook in under a minute and liked its drag and drop feature. There weren’t any unnecessary toolbars or pop-up ads either, which made using it a pleasant experience.
Its other features include encryption, remote management, magnet link support, webseed support, and the ability to find more peers or block them. You can even set global and per torrent speed limits, too. Another plus is that it doesn’t take up many resources and runs smoothly in the background.
The only issue is that it doesn’t allow much customization, so it’s not suited for advanced users.
Visit Transmission
7. BitComet — Powerful Torrent Client With Intelligent Disk Sharing
Year founded: 2003
Compatible with: Windows, macOS
Pros: Regular updates, files previews, intelligent disk caching
Cons: Very basic and annoying user interface
BitComet is a simple torrent client with a long history. Despite being an old torrent client, it’s very powerful and makes downloading and creating torrents easy.
The main feature of BitComet is intelligent disk sharing. It increases your speed by reducing the need to read and write on your hard drive. BitComet also gives you DHT network support, HTTP support, magnet links, and the ability to preview files while downloading them. Your user experience will also be improved because it enables long-term seeding capabilities.
Even though its interface is simple, I found it to be too basic and annoying to use. It didn’t help that it looked really old either.
Visit BitComet
8. Tixati — Open Source Torrent Client That’s Ad-Free
Year founded: 2009
Compatible with: Windows, Linux
Pros: Simple UI, No spyware or adware, bandwidth management
Cons: Not compatible with macOS
Tixati is a full-featured torrent client with everything you need. These include torrent prioritization, magnet links, IP filtering, encrypted chat rooms, drag and drop capabilities, and event scheduling. It also has its own peer selection system, so I could select local peers to increase my download speeds. I found it straightforward to download, and it didn’t install anything extra when I downloaded it. Also, it’s free of ads and malware, making it a safe choice.
It differs in its ability to provide in-depth data on what you share with your peers and your bandwidth usage. Unfortunately, no versions of it are available on macOS.
Visit Tixati
9. BitLord — Adaptable Torrent Client With Search Engine
Year founded: 2004
Compatible with: Windows, macOS, and Chromecast
Pros: Built-in search engine, password protector, easy to share files
Cons: Outdated UI and lack of updates
BitLord is an old client that still has some neat features. Since it’s highly adaptable, it’s suitable for both beginners and experienced users. Both desktop and mobile versions are available, and it comes with a built-in search engine, download organizer, automatic subtitle feature, and password protector. You can even create torrents, too. I especially enjoyed playing content while my torrent was still downloading. Another plus is that it lists download speeds in the top and bottom menu bars, making it much easier to track.
But be careful when you install it as it sometimes contains unnecessary software. In addition, it took a long time to download and I found its user interface old and clunky.
Visit BitLord
10. WebTorrent — Good Torrent Client for Streaming Media
Year founded: 2013
Compatible with: Windows, Linux, macOS
Pros: Polished AI, watch media while downloading, open-source software
Cons: Too focused on streaming media
WebTorrent has a special focus on streaming, as you can enjoy media while you’re downloading the file. Not only could I play the file, but I could control the volume, adjust playback speeds, add subtitles, and more. I found its interface to be visually pleasing, too, and it’s very lightweight.
The desktop version can connect to other apps like uTorrent, BitTorrent, and Transmission. But its downside is that it’s more focused on streaming than torrenting.
Visit WebTorrent
Tips on Choosing the Best Torrent Clients
While all of the best torrent programs I selected are good options, you’re never fully safe when using them. You should always use a VPN with your torrent downloader to hide your real IP address so that no one can see your personal information and use it to target you. I use ExpressVPN to protect P2P connections since it’s super secure and has fast speeds for downloading big files.
When I tested the best torrent software, I mainly looked at usability and customization. Usability takes into account the app’s interface and considers its appearance and ease of use. Customization refers to the client’s features and the extent to which they can be modified, along with plug-in and extension capabilities.
I ranked the clients highly if I found them to be suitable for beginners and experienced users. The following is a breakdown of the criteria I used, so you can use it to help you choose the best torrent software for you:
Easy to use ー I made sure that none of the clients had a complex interface. A complex interface is okay if you’re a power user, but most people aren’t. Therefore, each client has an interface that’s either easy to use, visually pleasing or both.
Useful features ー I paid particular attention to the features of each client and how they enhanced the user experience. Most clients have a bandwidth adjuster, download scheduler, search bar, and allow files to be played while downloading.
Easy to customize ー Another plus was if the clients supported first or third-party extensions or plug-ins. The benefit is that it allows you to build a unique client that can do more than just downloading torrents.
Lightweight and powerful ー The best torrent downloaders are simple apps and can be easily downloaded and installed. They don’t use a lot of your system’s resources either, which means you can run them smoothly in the background without diminishing your device’s performance.
Compatible with most devices ー Most clients are compatible with both macOS and Windows or are specially optimized for one. Some of them give you the option of a desktop client or a web client, too, and there are even ones with Android and iOS versions.
Free to use ー Every client in my list has a free version suitable for the large majority of users. But some free clients make money through advertising, so I made sure that none of the clients contain any adware, either.
Torrent Safely With ExpressVPN
Quick Comparison Table: Best Torrent Client Features
Usability
Features
Customization
Plans
uTorrent
Excellent
Free and Pro Plans
BitTorrent
Deluge
Good
Free only
qBittorent
Vuze
Transmission
BitComet
Poor
Tixati
BitLord
WebTorrent
Warning! The Risks of Using a Torrent Client
Torrent clients can be a breeding ground for malware and spyware, which is why you need to use them with caution. Several torrent apps have infected whole devices with malware in the past, but luckily this isn’t common these days. You can be assured that all the torrent clients in this article are tried-and-tested and safe to use.
A similar risk is when you download a torrent file that’s infected with malware or viruses. Even the best torrent downloaders can’t protect you from this threat, so I recommend that you only download verified torrents from trusted and well-known torrent sites.
But a torrent app’s biggest risk is to do with privacy. Whenever you download or share a torrent, other people downloading or sharing the same file can see your IP address. This allows them to keep track of you, uncover your identity and location, and target you with malicious attacks. The best way to protect yourself is to use a reliable VPN to hide your real IP address while torrenting.
Best VPNs To Use With Your Torrent Client
VPN — Enjoy Ultra-Fast Speeds on Your Torrent Client
Lightning-fast speeds for downloading torrents quickly
Military-grade encryption, automatic kill-switch, and DNS leak protection keep you safe while connected to torrent software
Strict no-logs policy to keep you anonymous when torrenting
Split tunneling to conserve bandwidth
5 simultaneous device connections
30-day money-back guarantee
Compatible with: Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, routers, Apple TV, and more
ExpressVPN’s superfast speeds will be a great addition to your torrent software. By hiding your IP address from your ISP, your bandwidth can no longer be throttled, which stops your speeds from slowing down. During my speed tests, I downloaded the film Mabel’s Strange Predicament on uTorrent and recorded a download speed of 48. 7 Mbps.
ExpressVPN’s kill switch is great for torrenting
Thanks to its state-of-the-art security features, you can safely use your torrent client. ExpressVPN uses AES-256 bit encryption, which is impossible to penetrate. Meanwhile, its kill switch (called network lock) cuts you from the internet if your connection unexpectedly drops. Therefore, your personal data won’t be exposed through your torrent client.
Another benefit is that ExpressVPN won’t record your activity when torrenting. This is because of its no-logs policy, which ensures that you won’t leave a digital footprint. This means that other people downloading torrents can’t uncover your identity and target you with attacks.
Where ExpressVPN falls short is that it can’t block ads. But you can use it with several ad-blockers that are recommended on its website. And if you head over to its website, then you can get 49% off your subscription.
Since ExpressVPN is backed by a 30-day money-back guarantee, you can test its features risk-free. If you’re not happy with it, you can claim a full refund within the guarantee period. I tested this policy by asking their 24/7 live chat to cancel my subscription after a few weeks. All I had to do was answer 2 questions for their records and I had my money back after 3 business days.
Try ExpressVPN Now!
2. IPVanish — Protect All Your Devices that Run Torrent Clients
Unlimited P2P connections mean no restrictions when torrenting
Military-grade encryption and advanced protocols keep you safe on torrent sites
Strict no-logs policy keeps you anonymous when torrenting
Split tunneling to choose which traffic to encrypt
Unlimited simultaneous device connections
You can simultaneously connect as many devices as you want under a single IPVanish subscription. I tested this out by connecting my MacBook Pro, smartphone, Android tablet, and Windows laptop while downloading several torrents with uTorrent and watching Netflix. There wasn’t any difference at all in speed and everything went smoothly.
To increase your safety on a torrent downloader, IPVanish uses military-grade encryption and advanced protocols. Some of these protocols include WireGuard, OpenVPN, and L2TP/IPSec, which are industry standard protocols that keep you safe. OpenVPN is particularly good for torrenting as it balances speed and security. Its kill switch is handy, too, as it stops any exposure of your data.
IPVanish comes with some robust security features
IPVanish’s servers are all P2P optimized so that you can torrent efficiently without any restrictions. Many VPNs put limits on bandwidth, server connections, and the number of accessible servers, but not IPVanish. It lets you use your torrent app as much as you want without any slowdowns or bandwidth limits.
A minor inconvenience with IPVanish is that it doesn’t accept any cryptocurrency payments, which isn’t great for anonymity. But, you can pay by PayPal, credit card, or gift card, which is handy. It’s even having a sale right now where you can save 71% on your subscription.
You can also try IPVanish for free using its 30-day money-back guarantee. Getting my money back was easy — all I had to do was click the “I wish to cancel my subscription” button on my account’s dashboard and confirm. After 4 business days, I was fully refunded.
Try IPVanish Now!
3. CyberGhost — Effectively Blocks Ads on Torrent Clients and Sites
Ad blocker for Windows and Android that block ads on torrent sites and in your torrent client
7, 290 servers in 90 countries, including optimized servers for P2P sharing
AES 256-bit encryption and multiple security protocols to secure your connection
Split tunneling to conserve bandwidth when torrenting
7 simultaneous device connections
45-day money-back guarantee
Compatible with Mac, Windows, Linux, Android, iOS, Roku, gaming consoles, and more
CyberGhost’s ad blocker for Windows and Android easily blocks annoying ads in your torrent client. As soon as I tested it, I immediately noticed that a couple of ads on my uTorrent client had been removed. It also benefits your privacy too, as third parties can’t use your data to target you with specific ads.
CyberGhost has its own ad-blocker for Windows and Android
Its extensive server network of 7, 290+ servers worldwide includes optimized servers for torrenting. The benefit is that it won’t throttle your bandwidth or expose your identity to prying eyes so that you can torrent anonymously and quickly. I noticed a 20% increase in my speeds as I was using a couple of P2P servers with uTorrent.
You’ll also secure your data while you’re using a torrent client, thanks to its robust security features. CyberGhost uses AES 256-bit encryption, which is trusted by leading security agencies to protect sensitive data. Also, its IP leak protection prevents your IP address from being exposed accidentally.
Its only downside is that its short-term plans are expensive. But its longer-term plans are affordable, and you can get 83% off your subscription with its current sale.
You’ll also be able to test CyberGhost out for free, thanks to its 45-day money-back guarantee. I asked customer support to cancel my subscription over 24/7 live chat on the last day, and they only asked me 1 question before proceeding. After 5 business days, I got my money back.
Try CyberGhost Now!
FAQs on the Best Torrent Clients
What is the best torrent client, and is it safe?
The best torrent client is uTorrent — it’s pretty safe to use and it’s free. However, it’s safer to use it with a powerful VPN. Whenever you use uTorrent or any other torrent client, your IP address is exposed, which means third parties can uncover your location and target you with malicious attacks. A VPN will hide your IP address so that you’re protected from such threats.
What makes uTorrent special is its polished interface and lightweight app, which means it can operate without consuming a lot of resources. Its compatible with Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, and iOS, which covers almost any device. Its features are quite advanced, too, as you can schedule torrents, adjust bandwidth, and find torrents through its built-in search engine. And since it’s the most popular torrent downloader with a 68. 6% market share, you know it’s widely trusted and used.
Is it legal to download torrents?
The act of downloading torrents is legal in most places, but it’s what you download that could be illegal. In other words, it’s only illegal to download torrents that are protected by copyright. But even if you’re downloading legal files, you should always use a reliable VPN when torrenting to keep safe since other users can still see your personal info in the client itself. Please note that we don’t condone any illegal torrenting and that you should abide by the laws in your country.
What are the best torrent clients for iOS and Android?
The best torrent clients for iOS and Android are uTorrent, BitTorrent, and qBittorent. All of these clients are lightweight and come with stellar features that enhance the user experience. Just note that you can’t download and install torrent software on iOS, so you’ll need to use the web-based version for these clients.
What is the best torrent client for Mac Catalina?
The best torrent client for Mac Catalina is uTorrent. It comes with a beautiful interface and a wide range of customizable options so that you can make the most of your torrenting experience. It even allows extensions and plug-ins to be installed too. Just note that you’ll need to use uTorrent Web for Mac Catalina because it’s not compatible with uTorrent Classic.
Which torrent client is the fastest?
Many factors determine the speeds of your torrent client, so there isn’t one that’s the fastest. But if you want fast speeds while torrenting, then it’s best to use a VPN with your torrent client. It’ll prevent bandwidth throttling by hiding your IP address so that you can download torrents faster. This works because your ISP won’t be able to cap your speed since it won’t see that you’re performing high-bandwidth activities.
Other factors that make your torrent client faster are the speed of your internet connection and the number of seeders that are assigned to your torrent (the more seeders there are the faster your file will download).
Do I really need to optimize my torrent client’s settings?
Most torrent clients are already optimized by default, but it’s a good idea to set up a VPN before using your torrent software for full protection. You’ll need to optimize your torrent client if your ISP has restricted P2P traffic, even though your client will usually start to download the file when you open it. But if you learn how to customize your settings, you can connect to more peers, enjoy faster downloads, and enjoy a more enhanced experience.
How do I know if I’m protected by a VPN when using a torrent client?
The first thing to do is to connect your VPN to a P2P-optimized server that’s reliable. If you use a top-tier VPN like ExpressVPN, then every server will be optimized for P2P. When that’s done, then head over to and run an IP leak test. This should reveal the server and IP address you’re using, and if everything matches then you’ll be protected.
What are seeders and leechers?
Seeders and leechers are two kinds of sources of a torrent file. A seeder has a full copy of the torrent file and shares it with others. On the other hand, a leecher is someone who only has part of the file and needs the help of the seeder to obtain the rest of it. You can still download part of a file from leechers. But whether you’re a seeder or a leecher, you should always use a VPN when torrenting to stay protected from online surveillance, malware, and malicious attacks.
What is a P2P network?
A P2P (peer-to-peer) network is a group of 2 or more computers that are connected and share resources. This kind of network can be dangerous since all the people that are downloading and uploading the same file can see your personal information. That’s why you should protect your anonymity with a VPN. However, the main benefit of using a P2P network is that you can download large files faster because you don’t need to go through a separate computer that acts as a server.
Stay Safe on Your Torrent Client
Protect Yourself While Using Torrent Software Now
Even the safest torrent clients come with risks. And with so many to choose from, picking the right one can be difficult. After much testing, I found the safest torrent clients that can enhance your torrenting experience (and they’re all completely free). They are easy to use and have varying levels of customization options, making them ideal for all experience levels.
That being said, it’s still important that you use a reputable VPN with your torrent software for protection. It’ll encrypt your data and keep you anonymous when torrenting. My favorite is ExpressVPN because of its fast speeds and robust security features. It also comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee, so you can test ExpressVPN and all its security and privacy features risk-free. If you’re not happy with it, claiming a full refund is really easy.
To summarize, the best VPNs to use with your torrent client are…
Privacy Alert!
Your data is exposed to the websites you visit!
The information above can be used to track you, target you for ads, and monitor what you do online.
VPNs can help you hide this information from websites so that you are protected at all times. We recommend ExpressVPN — the #1 VPN out of over 350 providers we’ve tested. It has military-grade encryption and privacy features that will ensure your digital security, plus — it’s currently offering 49% off.
Visit ExpressVPN
