In today's world, Comparison of BitTorrent clients is a topic of great relevance and interest to a wide spectrum of people. Both in the professional and personal spheres, Comparison of BitTorrent clients has generated debates, discussions and deep reflections on its impact on society. As technology and globalization advance, Comparison of BitTorrent clients has become a central point of discussion in various fields, from economics to politics, culture and psychology. In this article, we will explore the different aspects of Comparison of BitTorrent clients and its influence on our lives, as well as the future implications it could have.
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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.
| Name | Developer | Platform | Latest release | License | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Version | Date | |||||
| BiglyBT | Bigly Software | Linux | 1.3.3[5] |
22 September 2023 | GPL-2.0-or-later | |
| macOS | ||||||
| Windows | ||||||
| Android | 1.3.3[5] |
22 September 2023 | ||||
| BitComet | BitComet Development Group | macOS | 2.10[6] |
2024-10-09 | Proprietary, Adware | [a] |
| Windows | 2.10[6] |
2024-10-09 | ||||
| BitLord | House of Life | macOS | 2.4.6-348 |
2019-10-24 | Proprietary, Adware | [b] |
| Windows | 2.4.6-358[7][8] |
2022-08-26 | ||||
| BitTorrent | BitTorrent | Android | 8.2.1[9] |
2024-03-20 | Proprietary, Adware | |
| macOS | 7.4.3.45549[10] |
2020-05-20 | ||||
| Windows | 7.11.0.46555[11] |
2022-11-22 | ||||
| Deluge | various | BSD | 2.2.0[12] |
2025-04-28 | GPL-3.0-or-later[13] | |
| Linux | ||||||
| macOS | ||||||
| Solaris | ||||||
| Windows | ||||||
| FlashGet | Trend Media | Windows | 3.7.0.1220[14] |
2013-05-17 | Proprietary | [c] |
| Free Download Manager | alervd | Android | 6.30.3.6518[15] |
2025-10-31 | Proprietary | |
| Linux | ||||||
| macOS | ||||||
| Windows | ||||||
| FrostWire | The FrostWire Project | Android | 2.9.4[16] |
2024-12-26 | GPL-3.0-or-later | |
| Linux | 6.13.4-build-324[17] |
2024-10-16 | ||||
| macOS | 6.13.4-build-324[17] |
2024-10-16 | ||||
| Windows | 6.13.4-build-324[17] |
2024-10-16 | ||||
| KGet | KDE | BSD | 24.12.3[18] |
2025-03-06 | GPL-2.0-or-later | |
| Linux | ||||||
| KTorrent | Joris Guisson, Ivan Vasić | BSD | 25.08.0[19] |
2025-08-14 | GPL-2.0-or-later | |
| Linux | ||||||
| macOS | ||||||
| Lftp | Alexander V. Lukya | BSD | 4.9.3[20] |
2024-11-08 | GPL-3.0-or-later | |
| Linux | ||||||
| macOS | ||||||
| Windows | ||||||
| LimeWire | Lime Wire LLC | Linux | 5.5.16 |
2010-10-26 | GPL-2.0-or-later | |
| macOS | ||||||
| Windows | ||||||
| Miro | Participatory Culture Foundation | Linux | 6.0[21] |
2013-04-05 | GPL-2.0-or-later | |
| macOS | ||||||
| Windows | ||||||
| MLDonkey | MLDonkey Project | BSD | 3.2.1[22] |
2024-08-20 | GPL-2.0-or-later | |
| Linux | ||||||
| macOS | ||||||
| MorphOS | ||||||
| Solaris | ||||||
| Windows | ||||||
| μTorrent | BitTorrent | Android | 8.2.2[23] |
2024-03-21 | Proprietary, Adware | [d] |
| macOS | 1.8.7.45548[25] |
2020-01-30 | ||||
| Windows | 3.6.0.47006[26] |
2024-01-11 | ||||
| Opera 12 | Opera Software | FreeBSD | 12.16 | Proprietary | [e] | |
| Linux | ||||||
| macOS | ||||||
| Solaris | ||||||
| Windows | 12.17 | |||||
| qBittorrent | Christophe Dumez | BSD | 5.1.4[27] |
2025-11-19 | GPL-2.0-or-later[13] | |
| Linux | ||||||
| Haiku | ||||||
| macOS | ||||||
| OS/2 | ||||||
| Windows | ||||||
| rTorrent | Jari Sundell | BSD | 0.16.5[28] |
2025-12-02 | GPL-2.0-or-later[13] | [f] |
| Linux | ||||||
| macOS | ||||||
| Solaris | ||||||
| Windows | ||||||
| Robert | Sponge, co-developer of I2P | BSD | 0.0.40 |
2013 | GPL | |
| Linux | ||||||
| macOS | ||||||
| Windows | ||||||
| Shareaza | Shareaza Development Team | Windows | 2.7.10.2[29] |
2017-09-18 | GPL-2.0-or-later | [g] |
| Tixati | Kevin Hearn | Linux | 3.31[30] |
2024-12-11 | Proprietary | [h] |
| Windows | ||||||
| Tonido | CodeLathe | BSD | 14.90.0.34030 |
2017-01-13 | Proprietary | |
| Linux | ||||||
| macOS | ||||||
| Windows | ||||||
| Transmission | various | BSD | 4.0.6[31] |
2024-05-30 | GPL-2.0-only or GPL-3.0-only[32][13] MIT[33] |
|
| Linux | ||||||
| macOS | ||||||
| OpenWrt | ||||||
| Solaris | ||||||
| Windows | ||||||
| Tribler | The Tribler Team | Linux | 8.0.7[34] |
2024-12-16 | GPL-3.0-only | [i] |
| macOS | ||||||
| Windows | ||||||
| Vuze[j] | Vuze | Android | 5.7.6.0[36] |
2017-11-02 | Proprietary (platform) GPL-2.0-or-later (core engine) Adware |
[k] |
| Linux | ||||||
| macOS | ||||||
| Windows | ||||||
| Xunlei | Thunder Networking Technologies | Android | 7.53.0.8245[37] |
2022-10-11 | Proprietary, Adware | |
| iOS | 1.5.8[38] |
2022-09-29 | ||||
| macOS | 5.0.2.65551[39] |
2022-06-16 | ||||
| Windows | ||||||
| Name | Developer | Platform | Latest release | License | Notes | |
| Version | Date | |||||
| BitTorrent client | Windows | macOS | GNU/Linux | BSD | iOS | Android | Other |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BiglyBT | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No |
| BitComet | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No | No |
| BitLord | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No | No |
| BitTorrent | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | Yes[40] | No |
| Deluge | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | Solaris |
| FlashGet | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | No |
| Free Download Manager | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | Yes | No |
| Frostwire | Yes[41] | Yes[41] | Yes[41] | Yes[41] | No[41] | Yes[41] | Unix-like[41] z/OS[42] Solaris OS/2 eComStation ArcaOS[43] |
| KGet | No | No | Yes | Yes | No | No | No |
| KTorrent | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No |
| Lftp | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No |
| LimeWire | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | Yes [specify] |
| Miro | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No |
| MLDonkey | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | Solaris MorphOS |
| μTorrent | Yes | Yes | Web | No | No | Yes[44] | No |
| Opera 12 | Yes[l] | Yes | Yes[l] | Yes[l] | No | Yes[citation needed] | Solaris |
| qBittorrent | Yes[45] | Yes[45] | Yes[45] | Yes[45] | No[45] | No[46] | OS/2[m] FreeBSD Haiku[45] |
| Robert | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No |
| rTorrent | Yes[n] | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | Solaris |
| Shareaza | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | No |
| Tixati | Yes | No | Yes | No | No | No | No |
| Tonido | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No |
| Transmission | Yes [l] | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes[o] | Yes | Solaris |
| Tribler | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No |
| Vuze | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes[48] | No |
| Xunlei | Yes | Yes | No | No | Yes | Yes[citation needed] | No |
| Name | Windows | macOS | GNU/Linux | BSD | iOS | Android | Other |
| BitTorrent client | GUI | Remote | CLI | Other | Programming language | Based on | IPv6 | μTP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BiglyBT | Yes | Yes | No[p] | Telnet, XML over HTTP remote control API | Java, SWT | Vuze[j] | Yes | Yes |
| BitComet | Yes | Yes | Partial[50] | No | C++ | - | Yes | No |
| BitLord | Yes | No | No | No | Python, C++ | libtorrent (Rasterbar) | Yes | No |
| BitTorrent 5, Mainline | Yes | No | Partial | No | Python | - | No | No |
| Deluge | Yes | Yes | Yes | Daemon | Python, C++ | libtorrent (Rasterbar) | Yes | Yes[51] |
| FlashGet | Yes | No | No | No | ? | ? | No | No |
| Free Download Manager | Yes | Yes | Partial | No | C++ | libtorrent (Rasterbar) | No | No |
| Frostwire | Yes | No | No | No | Java | libtorrent (Rasterbar) | No | Yes[52] |
| KGet | Yes | Yes | Partial[q] | No | C++ | - | Yes | No |
| KTorrent | Yes | Yes | Partial | No | C++ | - | Yes | Yes[53] |
| lftp | No | No | Yes | No | C++ | - | Yes | No |
| LimeWire | Yes | No | No | No | Java | libtorrent (Rasterbar) | No | No |
| Miro | Yes | No | No | No | C++ | libtorrent (Rasterbar) | No | No |
| MLDonkey | No | Third Party[54] | Partial | Telnet | OCaml | - | No | No |
| μTorrent | Yes | Yes | No[55] | RESTful Web API[56] | C++[57] | - | Yes[58] | Yes[59] |
| Opera 12 | Yes | No | No | No | C++ | - | Yes | No |
| qBittorrent | Yes | Yes | Partial | No | Python, C++ | libtorrent (Rasterbar) | Yes | Yes[60] |
| rTorrent | No | Third Party | Yes | SCGI | C++ | libTorrent (Rakshasa) | Yes[61] | No |
| Shareaza | Yes | Yes | Partial | No | C++ | - | No | No |
| Tixati | Yes | Yes | No | Web interface | C++ | - | Yes | Yes[62] |
| Tonido | No | Yes | No | No | C++ | libtorrent (Rasterbar) | No | No |
| Transmission | Yes | Yes | Yes | Daemon, JSON-RPC over HTTP remote control API | C++ (rewritten from C), Objective-C | libtransmission | Yes | Yes[63] |
| Tribler | Yes | Partial | Partial | No | Python, C++ | libtorrent (Rasterbar) | No | Yes |
| Vuze[j] | Yes | Yes | Partial | Telnet, XML over HTTP remote control API | Java, SWT | - | Yes | Yes[64] |
| Xunlei | Yes | No | No | remote control over internet[65] | C++ | - | No | No |
| BitTorrent client | GUI | Web | CLI | Other | Programming language | Based on | IPv6 | μTP |
| BitTorrent client | Protocol version | Magnet URI (BEP 9) |
Preload Magnet metadata[r] (BEP 9) |
Super-seeding (BEP 16) |
Embedded tracker | UPnP[66] | NAT Port Mapping Protocol | NAT traversal[67] (BEP 55) |
DHT protocol[68] (BEP 5) |
Peer exchange(PEX) (BEP 11) |
Encryption | UDP tracker (BEP 15) |
LPD (BEP 14) |
Proxy server |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BiglyBT | 1, 2 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
|
| BitComet | 1, 2 | Yes | No | Yes | Separate download | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | HTTP 1.1, SOCKS4-4a-5 |
| BitLord | 1 | Yes | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | HTTP 1.1, SOCKS4-4a-5 |
| BitTorrent 5, Mainline | 1 | No | No | No | Yes[s] | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | Yes |
| Deluge | 1 | Yes | Partial[t] | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | HTTP(S), SOCKS4-5 |
| FlashGet | 1 | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | Yes | No | Yes | No | No | No |
| Free Download Manager | 1 | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No |
| KTorrent | 1 | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Partial | HTTP, SOCKS4-5 |
| LimeWire | 1 | Partial | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| MLDonkey | 1 | Yes[69] | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No | No | Yes | No | No |
| μTorrent | 1 | Yes | Yes[70] | Yes[71] | Yes[72] | Yes[73] | Yes | Yes[74] | Yes[u] | Yes[v] | Yes[75] | Yes | Yes[76] | HTTP(S), SOCKS4-5 |
| Opera 12 | 1 | No | No | No | Yes[77] | No | No | No | No | Yes[78] | No | No | No | No |
| qBittorrent | 1, 2[79] | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | HTTP(S), SOCKS4-5[w] |
| rTorrent | 1 | Yes[80] | No | Yes | No | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No[81] | No |
| Shareaza | 1 | Yes | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | No | Yes[x] | Yes | No | Yes[y] | No | No |
| Tixati | 1, 2 | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | [z] |
| Tonido | 1 | No | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No | No |
| Transmission | 1[82] | Yes | Patch available[83][84][85] | No | No | Yes | Yes | No[86] | Yes | Yes[aa] | Yes | Yes | Yes | No[87] |
| Tribler | 1 | Yes | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | [ab] |
| Vuze[j] | 1 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes[ac] | Yes[ad] | Yes | Yes | Yes | Plugin | HTTP(S)?, SOCKS4-4a-5 |
| Xunlei | 1 | Yes | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | HTTP, SOCKS5, FTP |
| BitTorrent client | Protocol version | Magnet URI | Preload Magnet metadata | Super-seeding | Embedded tracker | UPnP | NAT Port Mapping Protocol | NAT traversal | DHT | Peer exchange | Encryption | UDP tracker | LPD | Proxy server |
| BitTorrent client | Cache[ae] | Hash Web seeding | HTTP Web seeding[ambiguous] | Broad-catching (RSS) (BEP 36) |
Prioritization | Selective downloads (BEP 53) |
Sequential downloading | SOCKS | Tracker exchange (BEP 7) |
Remote control via web | Search engine (BEP 18) |
Auto updates | Reviews and Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BiglyBT | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | ||
| BitComet | Yes | No | Yes[88] | Beta | Yes | Yes | Yes[af] | Yes | No | Yes | Partial[ag] | Yes | No |
| BitLord | Yes | No | Partial [ah][ai] | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No | No | Partial[ag] | Yes | No |
| BitTorrent 5, Mainline | No | Yes | Partial [ai] | No | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | No |
| Deluge | Yes | Yes | Partial [ah] | Plugin | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No | via PMS | No |
| FlashGet | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | |
| Free Download Manager | No | Yes | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | Yes | No | Optional | No |
| KTorrent | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Partial[ag] | via PMS | No | |
| LimeWire | Yes | Yes | No | No | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No | No | No | Yes | No |
| MLDonkey | Yes | No | 3rd party bash script | Yes | No | No | No[89] | No | Yes | Partial[ag] | via PMS | No | |
| μTorrent | Yes | Yes[90] | Partial [ai] | Yes[91] | Yes[92] | Yes | Yes[aj] | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Opera 12 | No | No | Yes[ak] | No | No | No | No | No | No | Partial[ag] | Yes[al] | No | |
| qBittorrent | Yes | Yes | Partial [ah] | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Partial[am] | Yes | Yes | via PMS | No |
| rTorrent | Partial | No | No | 3rd party utility [93] | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | Yes | No | via PMS | No |
| Shareaza | Yes | Yes | No | No | Yes | Yes[an] | in mod client | No | Yes [ao][94][ap] |
Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Tixati | Yes | Yes | Yes[95] | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No |
| Tonido | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | Yes | No | Yes | No | |
| Transmission | Yes | No | Partial [ai][aq] | No | Yes | No[96] | No | No | No | Yes | No | Yes | No |
| Tribler | Yes | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | Partial | Yes (DHT)[97] | Yes | No |
| Vuze[j] | Yes | Yes[98] | Yes | Yes | Yes | in paid version [99] | Yes | No | Plugin[ar] | Yes | Yes | Yes[100] | |
| Xunlei | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No | |||
| BitTorrent client | Cache | Hash Web seeding | HTTP Web seeding | Broad-catching (RSS) | Prioritization | Selective downloads | Sequential downloading | SOCKS | Tracker exchange | Remote control via web | Search engine | Auto updates | Reviews and Comments |
| BitTorrent library | Initial release | Platform | Latest release | License | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Version | Date | |||||
| libtorrent (Rasterbar) | 8 September 2005[101] | Linux | 2.0.9,[102] 1.2.19[103] 2.0.11[104] |
2023-05-22 2025-01-28 |
BSD-3-Clause | |
| macOS | ||||||
| Windows | ||||||
| MonoTorrent | September 2006 | Linux | 3.0.2[105] |
2024-08-04 | MIT | |
| macOS | ||||||
| Windows | ||||||
| rTorrent (libTorrent Rakshasa) | 15 July 2004[106] | Linux | 0.16.5[107] |
2025-12-02 | GPL-2.0-or-later[as] | [at] |
| macOS | ||||||
| BitTorrent library | Initial release | Platform | Latest release | License | Notes | |
| Version | Date | |||||
| BitTorrent library | GNU/Linux | Windows | macOS | API | Programming language |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| libtorrent (Rasterbar) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | C++ |
| MonoTorrent | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | C# |
| rTorrent (libTorrent Rakshasa) | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | C++ |
| BitTorrent library | Linux | Windows | macOS | API | Programming language |
| BitTorrent library | Protocol version | Super-seeding | Tracker | UPnP[au] | NAT Port Mapping Protocol | NAT traversal[av] | DHT[aw] | Peer exchange | Encryption | UDP tracker | LPD | Fast extensions | Magnet URI | μTP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| libtorrent (Rasterbar) | 1, 2[108] | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes[109] | Yes | Yes | Yes[110] |
| MonoTorrent | 1, 2 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| rTorrent (libTorrent Rakshasa) | 1 | Yes | Yes | No | ? | ? | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No |
| BitTorrent library | Protocol version | Super-seeding | Tracker | UPnP | NAT Port Mapping Protocol | NAT traversal | DHT | Peer exchange | Encryption | UDP tracker | LPD | Fast extensions | Magnet URI | μTP |
| BitTorrent library | Cache[ax] | Web seeding[ay] | WebTorrent | Broadcatching (RSS) | Prioritization | Selective downloads | SOCKS | Remote control via web | Engine |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| libtorrent (Rasterbar) | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | ? |
| MonoTorrent | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No |
| rTorrent (libTorrent Rakshasa) | Partial | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No |
| BitTorrent library | Cache | Web seeding | WebTorrent | Broadcatching (RSS) | Prioritization | Selective downloads | SOCKS | Remote control via web | Engine |
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