Gone are the days when torrents were associated solely with piracy, and if you want to take advantage of the speedy download that the protocol offers, you're going to be looking for a free torrent client. And there are plenty to choose from!
Torrenting is ideal for those occasions when you need to download a very large file. It might be a video file, or it could be a large piece of software, but if you download in the traditional way – direct from a host server – you're likely to find that it is a slow experience, particularly if other people are trying to grab the same file. With BitTorrent, however, you can download pieces of the files you want from different people who already have them. A free torrent client will do all the hard work for you, downloading and piecing together the files, you just need to pick the one that does everything you need it to.
That's why we've put together this roundup so you can select the best free torrent client for your needs while avoiding the once that are simply no good. Whether you need something simple that just gets the job done, or something more advanced that can be extended through the use of add-ons, there's something or you here.
- See how to combine your client with a free VPN
Image credit: The qBittorrent Project
Some torrent clients offer every conceivable function. 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".
It 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 uTorrent.
If you're looking for a cross-platform torrent client that covers the essentials without getting overly complicated, qBittorrent is great.
Image credit: Azureus Software Inc
Vuze (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 title.
There 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 files.
One of Vuze's key selling points is its interface, which slices through jargon and makes even the more advanced features accessible to new users.
Vuze 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 consider.
Image credit: Deluge Team
Deluge has been around forever, and it can be as simple or as powerful as you want it to be. That's because it's extendable via plug-ins, which effectively enable you to build your own personalised version of Deluge.
Fancy 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 either.
Image credit: BitTorrent
uTorrent, 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 install.
That aside, uTorrent is useful, effective and doesn't gobble up too much of your system's resources: the entire app is smaller than a digital photo. Although it isn't the official BitTorrent app, it's been maintained by BitTorrent for the last decade.
It'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 vulnerability.
Image credit: BitTorrent
You 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 uTorrent.
- Just want videos? See our guide to the best free YouTube downloaders
- Stay anonymous online with the best torrenting VPN
Check out our VPNs Explained video below.