7 Great alternatives to uTorrent and BitTorrent – Hotspot Shield
The BitTorrent network is among the most popular avenue of sharing files since the emergence of torrent networks. While the validity of the files being transferred are often cast into doubt (read: illegally downloaded music and movies), there’s no doubt that torrents are an important part of internet sharing.
There are a couple of popular clients that are usually used to download these torrented files – uTorrent and the BitTorrent client itself being the foremost of these. However, if you find yourself needing another client, here are some options you can consider.
Vuze
Formerly known as Azerus, Vuze has become one of the more popular clients to run torrents through. Coming with a plethora of features such as an in-client torrent browser, media playback support and integration with Android and Itunes, it’s a good client to run for your general torrents.
qBittorent
This client is more suited to those who want to download torrents with minimal fuss, as well as some sort of security while doing so. With several security features like password protection, anonymous mode and the ability to define which network you want to join for particular transmissions of data, this client does the job with little trouble.
Technically speaking, Filestream isn’t a client – it’s a site that allows you to upload torrents you’ve found and download them through your web browser, saving you the installation space. While the free version has some limitations such as limiting torrents up to 300 MB, it can serve as a useful tool when you need to download a small file in a pinch.
Transmission-qt
Transmission is a client that makes the fullest use out of the features you can get with Mac and Linux systems. Services like the Mac Daemon process are useful when you need to keep torrents running on a specific OS while also doing something else, and the open-source base of the client can lend itself to some imaginative coding by any talented programmer.
Deluge
Yet another Linux client (but with Mac and OS versions), Deluge’s greatest strength arguably lies in its plug-ins. Features like an email notified and scheduler make downloading torrents much easier to keep track of, while the auto RSS downloader can help with keeping your files up to date (if you’re following a specific RSS feed. )
FrostWire
FrostWire’s in-client search capabilities allow it to scan several websites for a specific torrent at once. This client is also available on multiple devices and operating systems, which will come in handy if you happen to listen to the many internet radio shows it also streams.
BitComet
With remote access and virus scanning, BitComet remains one of the most secure and versatile torrent clients. With the function to turn off the client once the files you’re downloading are done, as well as accelerate downloads and long-term seeding, it remains one of the best torrent programs out there.
Those are some of the clients you can use for downloading files from torrents. It can also help to have the best security VPN installed on your device, to make sure that your browsing and torrenting is as private and as secure as you can get.
Hotspot Shield, the best security VPN
Hotspot Shield uses the latest developments in data encryption processes to help create a safer online experience for you. Not only is Hotspot Shield the best security VPN for your device, it is also free!
Download the best security VPN today through this link, or visit our website to learn more about the program and what it offers. For more blogs like this, you may read through all our blogs here.
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.
BitTorrent Alternatives and Similar File Sharing Apps
84 alternativesPopular filtersNonePlatformsWindowsLinuxMacAndroidBSDAndroid mGoogle ChromelibtorrentWineHaikuXfceFirefoxPythonSelf-HostedInternet ExplorerWindows PhoneSafariF-DroidFeaturesFile sharingPeer-To-PeerIntegrated SearchSupport for eD2K/eDonkey protocolLightweightPortableTorrent searchDownloaderSupport for MAGNET linksExtensible by Plugins/ExtensionsAd-freeBuilt-in playerBuilt-in Torrent clientFile transferResume interrupted downloadsMultiple languagesYoutube downloaderTorrent StreamingSupport for Multiple protocolsMedia StreamingLicense FreeOpen SourcePaidThe qBittorrent project aims to provide a Free Software alternative to µTorrent. Additionally, qBittorrent runs and provides the same features on all major platforms (Linux, Mac OS X, Windows, OS/2, FreeBSD). qBittorrent vs BitTorrent opinions Transmission has the features you expect in a BitTorrent client: encryption, a web-based interface, peer exchange, UPnP and NAT-PMP port forwarding, web seed support, watch directories, tracker editing, global and per-torrent speed limits, and more. Transmission vs BitTorrent opinions µTorrent is a lightweight BitTorrent client that includes standard features such as bandwidth prioritization, scheduling, RSS auto-downloading and Mainline DHT. Additionally, µTorrent supports the Protocol Encryption joint specification and peer exchange. Deluge is a full-featured BitTorrent client for Linux, Unix and Windows. It is written in python, uses. FDM accelerates downloads by splitting files into sections and then downloading them simultaneously. aria2 is a multi-protocol & multi-source, cross platform download utility. The supported protocols are HTTP(S), FTP, BitTorrent (DHT, PEX, MSE/PE), and Metalink. Tixati is a peer-to-peer file sharing program that uses the popular BitTorrent protocol. This protocol allows many peers to form a cooperative swarm and download very large files with great efficiency. Tixati vs BitTorrent opinions RetroShare is a open source cross-platform, private and secure decentralized communication system. It lets you to securely chat, share photos, videos, and more, using OpenPGP to authenticate peers and… RetroShare vs BitTorrent opinions LibreTorrent is a Free as in Freedom torrent client for Android, based on libtorrent. Download and share files directly on your device. BiglyBT is a feature filled, open source, bittorrent client based on the Azureus open source project, now Vuze. Features: Showing 10 of 84 alternatives
Frequently Asked Questions about sites like bittorrent
What is similar to BitTorrent?
The best alternative is qBittorrent, which is both free and Open Source. Other great apps like BitTorrent are Transmission (Free, Open Source), µTorrent (Freemium), Deluge (Free, Open Source) and Free Download Manager (Free).
Is BitTorrent or qBittorrent better?
qBittorrent vs BitTorrent: the best torrent client is… When looking at the overall qualities of both clients, BitTorrent appears as the far better value. BitTorrent’s free service has a nearly identical interface to qBittorrent, if not a bit more intuitive and aesthetically pleasing.Dec 23, 2020
Is BitTorrent illegal?
There is nothing inherently illegal about BitTorrent. It is just like any other computer program out there that moves files. But BitTorrent users start to get into trouble when they use the file-transferring program for illegal purposes like downloading and uploading copyrighted materials.Jan 7, 2013