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 | Software license | Latest stable software release | Operating system | Year (not dynamic, but easier for sorting) | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
BitComet | BitComet Development Group | Proprietary, Adware | 1.87 (March 28, 2022[±][5] | )Windows, macOS | 2020 | ||||||
BitLord | House of Life | Proprietary, Adware
installs WhenU adware |
Windows: 2.4.6.356 (January 13, 2022[±] )macOS: |
Windows, macOS | 2017 | ||||||
BitTorrent | BitTorrent | Proprietary, Adware |
|
Windows, macOS | 2020 | ||||||
Deluge | various | GPL-3.0-or-later[Note 1] | 2.0.5 (December 15, 2021[±] | )Windows, macOS, Linux, BSD | 2019 | ||||||
FlashGet | Trend Media | Proprietary | 3.7.0.1220 (May 17, 2013[9]) [±] | Windows | 2013 | ||||||
Free Download Manager | alervd | Proprietary | 6.13.4.3616 (February 9, 2021[±][10] | )Windows, macOS, Android | 2020 | ||||||
FrostWire | The FrostWire Project | GPL-3.0-or-later | 6.9.7 (build 311) (January 9, 2022[±] | )Windows, macOS, Linux, Android | 2019 | ||||||
KGet | KDE | GPL-2.0-or-later | 4.14.38 (November 7, 2017[±][11] | )Linux | 2019 | ||||||
KTorrent | Joris Guisson, Ivan Vasić | GPL-2.0-or-later | 5.2.0 (June 6, 2020[12]) [±]
|
Linux | 2020 | ||||||
Lftp | Alexander V. Lukya | GPL-3.0-or-later | 4.9.2 (August 13, 2020[13]) [±] | Linux | 2018 | ||||||
LimeWire | Lime Wire LLC | GPL-2.0-or-later | 5.5.16 (September 30, 2010[±] | )Windows, macOS, Linux | 2010 | ||||||
Miro | Participatory Culture Foundation | GPL-2.0-or-later | 6.0 (April 16, 2013[±][14] | )Windows, macOS, Linux | 2013 | ||||||
MLDonkey | MLDonkey Project | GPL-2.0-or-later | 3.1.7 (July 6, 2020[15]) [±] | Windows, macOS, Linux, MorphOs | 2020 | ||||||
μTorrent | BitTorrent | Proprietary, Adware [a] | 3.5.5 (build 46200) (2 February 2022[±][16] | )Windows, macOS, Android | 2018 | ||||||
Opera 12 | Opera Software | Proprietary | Windows (Presto) – 12.17 Linux, FreeBSD, macOS – 12.16 |
Windows, macOS, Linux | 2016 | ||||||
qBittorrent | Christophe Dumez | GPL-2.0-or-later[Note 1] | 4.4.2 (March 24, 2022[±][17] | )Windows, macOS, Linux, BSD | 2021 | ||||||
rTorrent | Jari Sundell | GPL-2.0-or-later[Note 1] | rTorrent 0.9.8 / libTorrent 0.13.8 (July 19, 2019[±][19] | )Linux | 2019 | ||||||
Robert | Sponge, co-developer of I2P | GPL | 2009 | ||||||||
Shareaza | Shareaza Development Team | GPL | 2.7.10.2 (September 18, 2017[20]) [±] | Windows | 2017 | ||||||
Tixati | Kevin Hearn | Proprietary | 2.89 (March 18, 2022[21]) [±] | Windows, Linux | 2022 | ||||||
Tonido | CodeLathe | Proprietary | 14.90.0.34030 (January 13, 2017[±] | )Windows, macOS, Linux, BSD | 2012 | ||||||
Transmission | various | GPL-2.0-only or GPL-3.0-only[Note 2][Note 1]/MIT[22] | 3.00 (May 22, 2020[±][23] | )Windows, macOS, Linux, BSD | 2020 | ||||||
Tribler | The Tribler Team | GPL-3.0-only | 7.11.0 (January 1, 2022[±][24] | )Windows, macOS, Linux, Android | 2022 | ||||||
Vuze (formerly Azureus) | Vuze | Proprietary (platform), GPL-2.0-or-later (core engine), Adware | 5.7.6.0 (November 2, 2017[±][25] | )Windows, macOS, Linux, Android | 2017 | ||||||
Xunlei | Thunder Networking Technologies | Proprietary, Adware | Microsoft Windows: 11,3,3,1842 (9 November 2021 ) [±][26] macOS: |
Windows, macOS, Android, iOS | 2017 | ||||||
Name | Developer | Software license | Latest stable software release | Year |
BitTorrent client | Windows | macOS | Linux | BSD | iOS | Android | Other |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
BitComet | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No | No |
BitLord | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No | No |
BitTorrent | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | Yes[30] | 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[31] | Yes[31] | Yes[31] | Yes[31] | No[31] | Yes[31] | Unix-like,[31] z/OS,[32] Solaris, OS/2, eComStation, ArcaOS[33] |
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[34] | No |
Opera 12 | Yes[Note 3] | Yes | Yes[Note 3] | Yes[Note 3] | No | Yes[citation needed] | Solaris |
qBittorrent | Yes[35] | Yes[35] | Yes[35] | Yes[35] | No[35] | No[36] | OS/2 (including eComStation and ArcaOS), FreeBSD, Haiku[35] |
Robert | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No |
rTorrent | Yes, through Cygwin[37] | 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 [Note 3] | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes, through Cydia | Yes | Solaris, OpenWrt |
Tribler | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No |
Vuze | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes[38] | No |
Xunlei | Yes | Yes | No | No | Yes | Yes[citation needed] | No |
Name | Windows | Mac OS X | Linux | BSD | iOS | Android | Other |
BitTorrent client | GUI | Remote | CLI | Other | Programming language | Based on | IPv6 | μTP |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
BitComet | Yes | Yes | Partial[39] | 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 |
BitTorrent 6 | Yes | Yes | Partial | No | C++ | μTorrent | Yes | Yes |
Deluge | Yes | Yes | Yes | Daemon | Python, C++ | libtorrent (Rasterbar) | Yes | Yes[40] |
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[41] |
KGet | Yes | Yes | Partial[Note 4] | No | C++ | - | Yes | No |
KTorrent | Yes | Yes | Partial | No | C++ | - | Yes | Yes[42] |
LimeWire | Yes | No | No | No | Java | libtorrent (Rasterbar) | No | No |
Miro | Yes | No | No | No | C++ | libtorrent (Rasterbar) | No | No |
MLDonkey | No | Third Party[43] | Partial | Telnet | OCaml | - | No | No |
μTorrent | Yes | Yes | No[44] | RESTful Web API[45] | C++[46] | - | Yes[47] | Yes[48] |
Opera 12 | Yes | No | No | No | C++ | - | Yes | No |
qBittorrent | Yes | Yes | Partial | No | Python, C++ | libtorrent (Rasterbar) | Yes | Yes[49] |
rTorrent | No | Third Party | Yes | SCGI | C++ | [libTorrent] (Rakshasa) | Yes[50] | No |
Shareaza | Yes | Yes | Partial | No | C++ | - | No | No |
Tixati | Yes | Yes | No | Web interface | C++ | - | Yes | Yes[51] |
Tonido | No | Yes | No | No | C++ | libtorrent (Rasterbar) | No | No |
Transmission | Yes | Yes | Yes | Daemon, JSON-RPC over HTTP remote control API | C, Objective-C | libtransmission | Yes | Yes[52] |
Tribler | Yes | Partial | Partial | No | Python, C++ | libtorrent (Rasterbar) | No | Yes |
Vuze (formerly Azureus) | Yes | Yes | Partial | Telnet, XML over HTTP remote control API | Java, SWT | - | Yes | Yes[53] |
Xunlei | Yes | No | No | remote control over internet[54] | C++ | - | No | No |
BitTorrent client | GUI | Web | CLI | Other | Programming language | Based on | IPv6 | μTP |
BitTorrent client | Protocol version | 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 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
BitComet | 1 | 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[Note 9] | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | Yes |
BitTorrent 6 | 1 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes[Note 10] | Yes | Yes | Yes | HTTP(S), SOCKS4-5 |
Deluge | 1 | Yes | Partial[Note 11] | 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[55] | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No | No | Yes | No | No |
μTorrent | 1 | Yes | Yes[56] | Yes[57] | Yes[58] | Yes[59] | Yes | Yes[60] | Yes[Note 12] | Yes[Note 10] | Yes[61] | Yes | Yes[62] | HTTP(S), SOCKS4-5 |
Opera 12 | 1 | No | No | No | Yes[63] | No | No | No | No | Yes[64] | No | No | No | No |
qBittorrent | 1, 2[65] | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | HTTP(S), SOCKS4-5 |
rTorrent | 1 | Yes[66] | No | Yes | No | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No[67] | No |
Shareaza | 1 | Yes | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | No | Yes[Note 13] | Yes | No | Yes[Note 14] | No | No |
Tixati | 1 | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | only with out going without DHT if anonymity required |
Tonido | 1 | No | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No | No |
Transmission | 1 | Yes | Patch available[68][69][70] | No | No | Yes | Yes | No[71] | Yes | Yes[Note 15] | Yes | Yes | Yes | No[72] |
Tribler | 1 | Yes | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | Uses P2P onion routing to provide anonymity. |
Vuze (formerly Azureus) | 1 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes[Note 16] | Yes[Note 17] | 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[Note 18] | Hash Web seeding | HTTP Web seeding | Broad-catching (RSS) | Prioritization | Selective downloads | Sequential downloading | SOCKS | Tracker exchange [73] | Remote control via web | Search engine | Auto updates | Reviews and Comments | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
BitComet | Yes | No | Yes[74] | Beta | Yes | Yes | Yes[Note 19] | Yes | No | Yes | Built-in Web browser | Yes | No | Portable version available |
BitLord | Yes | No | Partial [Note 20][Note 21] | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No | No | Built-in Web browser | Yes | No | |
BitTorrent 5, Mainline | No | Yes | Partial [Note 21] | No | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | No | |
BitTorrent 6 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes[Note 22] | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | ||
Deluge | Yes | Yes | Partial [Note 20] | Plugin | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No | via PMS | No | |
FlashGet | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | FlashGet (standalone application) is not FlashGot (Firefox Addon) | |
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 | Built-in Web browser | 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[75] | No | Yes | Built-in Web browser | via PMS | No | ||
μTorrent | Yes | Yes[76] | Partial [Note 21] | Yes[77] | Yes[78] | Yes | Yes[Note 23] | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
Opera 12 | No | No | Yes[Note 24] | No | No | No | No | No | No | built-into Web browser | Windows and Mac OS X only; via PMS on Linux | No | Web browser | |
qBittorrent | Yes | Yes | Partial [Note 20] | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | hard-coded as disabled in newer versions | Yes | Yes | via PMS | No | |
rTorrent | Partial | No | No | 3rd party utility [79] | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | Yes | No | via PMS | No | No built-in disk cache but a delayed sync |
Shareaza | Yes | Yes | No | No | Yes | Yes[Note 25] | in mod client | No | Yes [Note 26][80][Note 27] |
Yes | Yes | Yes | No | [Note 28] |
Tixati | Yes | Yes | Partial [Note 20][Note 29][Note 21] | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No | 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 |
Tonido | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | Yes | No | Yes | No | ||
Transmission | Yes | No | Partial [Note 21][Note 30] | No | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | Yes | No | Yes | No | |
Tribler | Yes | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | Partial | Yes (DHT)[81] | Yes | No | Fully distributed keyword search; integrated anti-spam measures[82] |
Vuze (formerly Azureus) | Yes | Yes[83] | Yes | Yes | Yes | in paid version [84] | Yes | No | Plugin[Note 31] | Yes | Yes | Yes[85] | The only client to bridge between i2p and the clearnet. | |
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 | Notes |
BitTorrent library | First public release date | Latest stable | Software license |
---|---|---|---|
libtorrent (Rasterbar) | 8 September 2005[86] | 2.0.6[87] (April 16, 2022 ) [±] | BSD-3-Clause |
MonoTorrent | September 2006 | 2.0.0 (May 4, 2021[±] | )MIT |
rTorrent (libTorrent Rakshasa) | 15 July 2004[88] | rTorrent 0.9.8 / libTorrent 0.13.8 (July 19, 2019[±][89] | )GPL-2.0-or-later[Note 32] |
BitTorrent library | First public release date | Latest stable | Software license |
BitTorrent library | Linux/Unix | Windows | OS X | 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/Unix | Windows | OS X | API | Programming language |
BitTorrent library | Protocol version | Super-seeding | Tracker | UPnP[Note 33] | NAT Port Mapping Protocol | NAT traversal[Note 34] | DHT[Note 35] | Peer exchange | Encryption | UDP tracker | LPD | Fast extensions | Magnet URI | μTP |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
libtorrent (Rasterbar) | 1, 2[90] | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes[91] | Yes | Yes | Yes[92] |
MonoTorrent | 1 | 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[Note 36] | Web seeding[Note 37] | WebTorrent | Broadcatching (RSS) | Prioritization | Selective downloads | SOCKS | Remote control via web | Engine | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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 | No built-in cache-disk cache but a delayed sync |
BitTorrent library | Cache | Web seeding | WebTorrent | Broadcatching (RSS) | Prioritization | Selective downloads | SOCKS | Remote control via web | Engine | Notes |