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 | |||||
BitComet | BitComet Development Group | macOS | Proprietary, Adware | [lower-alpha 1] | ||
Windows | ||||||
BitLord | House of Life | macOS | Proprietary, Adware | [lower-alpha 2] | ||
Windows | ||||||
BitTorrent | BitTorrent | Android | Proprietary, Adware | |||
macOS | ||||||
Windows | ||||||
Deluge | various | BSD | GPL-3.0-or-later[5] | |||
Linux | ||||||
macOS | ||||||
Solaris | ||||||
Windows | ||||||
FlashGet | Trend Media | Windows | Proprietary | [lower-alpha 3] | ||
Free Download Manager | alervd | Android | Proprietary | |||
Linux | ||||||
macOS | ||||||
Windows | ||||||
FrostWire | The FrostWire Project | Android | GPL-3.0-or-later | |||
Linux | ||||||
macOS | ||||||
Windows | ||||||
KGet | KDE | BSD | GPL-2.0-or-later | |||
Linux | ||||||
KTorrent | Joris Guisson, Ivan Vasić | BSD | GPL-2.0-or-later | |||
Linux | ||||||
macOS | ||||||
Lftp | Alexander V. Lukya | BSD | GPL-3.0-or-later | |||
Linux | ||||||
macOS | ||||||
Windows | ||||||
LimeWire | Lime Wire LLC | Linux | GPL-2.0-or-later | |||
macOS | ||||||
Windows | ||||||
Miro | Participatory Culture Foundation | Linux | GPL-2.0-or-later | |||
macOS | ||||||
Windows | ||||||
MLDonkey | MLDonkey Project | BSD | GPL-2.0-or-later | |||
Linux | ||||||
macOS | ||||||
MorphOS | ||||||
Solaris | ||||||
Windows | ||||||
μTorrent | BitTorrent | Android | Proprietary, Adware | [lower-alpha 4] | ||
macOS | ||||||
Windows | ||||||
Opera 12 | Opera Software | FreeBSD | 12.16 | Proprietary | [lower-alpha 5] | |
Linux | ||||||
macOS | ||||||
Solaris | ||||||
Windows | 12.17 | |||||
qBittorrent | Christophe Dumez | BSD | GPL-2.0-or-later[5] | |||
Linux | ||||||
Haiku | ||||||
macOS | ||||||
OS/2 | ||||||
Windows | ||||||
rTorrent | Jari Sundell | BSD | GPL-2.0-or-later[5] | [lower-alpha 6] | ||
Linux | ||||||
macOS | ||||||
Solaris | ||||||
Windows | ||||||
Robert | Sponge, co-developer of I2P | BSD | GPL | |||
Linux | ||||||
macOS | ||||||
Windows | ||||||
Shareaza | Shareaza Development Team | Windows | GPL-2.0-or-later | [lower-alpha 7] | ||
Tixati | Kevin Hearn | Linux | Proprietary | [lower-alpha 8] | ||
Windows | ||||||
Tonido | CodeLathe | BSD | Proprietary | |||
Linux | ||||||
macOS | ||||||
Windows | ||||||
Transmission | various | BSD | GPL-2.0-only or GPL-3.0-only[7][5] MIT[8] |
|||
Linux | ||||||
macOS | ||||||
OpenWrt | ||||||
Solaris | ||||||
Windows | ||||||
Tribler | The Tribler Team | Android | GPL-3.0-only | [lower-alpha 9] | ||
Linux | ||||||
macOS | ||||||
Windows | ||||||
Vuze[lower-alpha 10] | Vuze | Android | Proprietary (platform) GPL-2.0-or-later (core engine) Adware |
[lower-alpha 11] | ||
Linux | ||||||
macOS | ||||||
Windows | ||||||
Xunlei | Thunder Networking Technologies | Android | Proprietary, Adware | |||
iOS | ||||||
macOS | ||||||
Windows | ||||||
Name | Developer | Platform | Latest release | License | Notes | |
Version | Date |
BitTorrent client | Windows | macOS | GNU/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[10] | 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[11] | Yes[11] | Yes[11] | Yes[11] | No[11] | Yes[11] | Unix-like[11] z/OS[12] Solaris OS/2 eComStation ArcaOS[13] | ||||||||
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 |- | Miro | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No |
MLDonkey | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | Solaris MorphOS | ||||||||
μTorrent | Yes | Yes | Web | No | No | Yes[14] | No | ||||||||
Opera 12 | Yes[lower-alpha 12] | Yes | Yes[lower-alpha 12] | Yes[lower-alpha 12] | No | Yes | style="background:#9F9;vertical-align:middle;text-align:center;" class="table-yes"|Solaris | |||||||||
qBittorrent | Yes[15] | Yes[15] | Yes[15] | Yes[15] | No[15] | No[16] | OS/2[lower-alpha 13] FreeBSD Haiku[15] | ||||||||
Robert | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | ||||||||
rTorrent | Yes[lower-alpha 14] | 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 [lower-alpha 12] | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes[lower-alpha 15] | Yes | Solaris | ||||||||
Tribler | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | ||||||||
Vuze | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes[18] | No | ||||||||
Xunlei | Yes | Yes | No | No | Yes | Yes | style="background:#F99;vertical-align:middle;text-align:center;" class="table-no"|No | |||||||||
Name | Windows | macOS | GNU/Linux | BSD | iOS | Android | Other |
BitTorrent client | GUI | Remote | CLI | Other | Programming language | Based on | IPv6 | μTP |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
BitComet | Yes | Yes | Partial[19] | 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[20] |
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[21] |
KGet | Yes | Yes | Partial[lower-alpha 16] | No | C++ | - | Yes | No |
KTorrent | Yes | Yes | Partial | No | C++ | - | Yes | Yes[22] |
LimeWire | Yes | No | No | No | Java | libtorrent (Rasterbar) | No | No |
Miro | Yes | No | No | No | C++ | libtorrent (Rasterbar) | No | No |
MLDonkey | No | Third Party[23] | Partial | Telnet | OCaml | - | No | No |
μTorrent | Yes | Yes | No[24] | RESTful Web API[25] | C++[26] | - | Yes[27] | Yes[28] |
Opera 12 | Yes | No | No | No | C++ | - | Yes | No |
qBittorrent | Yes | Yes | Partial | No | Python, C++ | libtorrent (Rasterbar) | Yes | Yes[29] |
rTorrent | No | Third Party | Yes | SCGI | C++ | libTorrent (Rakshasa) | Yes[30] | No |
Shareaza | Yes | Yes | Partial | No | C++ | - | No | No |
Tixati | Yes | Yes | No | Web interface | C++ | - | Yes | Yes[31] |
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[32] |
Tribler | Yes | Partial | Partial | No | Python, C++ | libtorrent (Rasterbar) | No | Yes |
Vuze[lower-alpha 10] | Yes | Yes | Partial | Telnet, XML over HTTP remote control API | Java, SWT | - | Yes | Yes[33] |
Xunlei | Yes | No | No | remote control over internet[34] | 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[lower-alpha 17] (BEP 9) |
Super-seeding (BEP 16) |
Embedded tracker | UPnP[35] | NAT Port Mapping Protocol | NAT traversal[36] (BEP 55) |
DHT protocol[37] (BEP 5) |
Peer exchange(PEX) (BEP 11) |
Encryption | UDP tracker (BEP 15) |
LPD (BEP 14) |
Proxy server |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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[lower-alpha 18] | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | Yes |
Deluge | 1 | Yes | Partial[lower-alpha 19] | 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[38] | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No | No | Yes | No | No |
μTorrent | 1 | Yes | Yes[39] | Yes[40] | Yes[41] | Yes[42] | Yes | Yes[43] | Yes[lower-alpha 20] | Yes[lower-alpha 21] | Yes[44] | Yes | Yes[45] | HTTP(S), SOCKS4-5 |
Opera 12 | 1 | No | No | No | Yes[46] | No | No | No | No | Yes[47] | No | No | No | No |
qBittorrent | 1, 2[48] | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | HTTP(S), SOCKS4-5[lower-alpha 22] |
rTorrent | 1 | Yes[49] | No | Yes | No | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No[50] | No |
Shareaza | 1 | Yes | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | No | Yes[lower-alpha 23] | Yes | No | Yes[lower-alpha 24] | No | No |
Tixati | 1, 2 | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | [lower-alpha 25] |
Tonido | 1 | No | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No | No |
Transmission | 1, 2[51] | Yes | Patch available[52][53][54] | No | No | Yes | Yes | No[55] | Yes | Yes[lower-alpha 26] | Yes | Yes | Yes | No[56] |
Tribler | 1 | Yes | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | [lower-alpha 27] |
Vuze[lower-alpha 10] | 1 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes[lower-alpha 28] | Yes[lower-alpha 29] | 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[lower-alpha 30] | 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 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
BitComet | Yes | No | Yes[57] | Beta|software release life cycle#Beta|Beta | Yes | Yes | Yes[lower-alpha 31] | Yes | No | Yes | Partial[lower-alpha 32] | Yes | No |
BitLord | Yes | No | Partial [lower-alpha 33][lower-alpha 34] | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No | No | Partial[lower-alpha 32] | Yes | No |
BitTorrent 5, Mainline | No | Yes | Partial [lower-alpha 34] | No | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | No |
Deluge | Yes | Yes | Partial [lower-alpha 33] | 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[lower-alpha 32] | 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[58] | No | Yes | Partial[lower-alpha 32] | via PMS | No | |
μTorrent | Yes | Yes[59] | Partial [lower-alpha 34] | Yes[60] | Yes[61] | Yes | Yes[lower-alpha 35] | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Opera 12 | No | No | Yes[lower-alpha 36] | No | No | No | No | No | No | Partial[lower-alpha 32] | Yes[lower-alpha 37] | No | |
qBittorrent | Yes | Yes | Partial [lower-alpha 33] | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Partial[lower-alpha 38] | Yes | Yes | via PMS | No |
rTorrent | Partial | No | No | 3rd party utility [62] | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | Yes | No | via PMS | No |
Shareaza | Yes | Yes | No | No | Yes | Yes[lower-alpha 39] | in mod client | No | Yes [lower-alpha 40][63][lower-alpha 41] |
Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
Tixati | Yes | Yes | Partial [lower-alpha 33][lower-alpha 42][lower-alpha 34] | 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 [lower-alpha 34][lower-alpha 43] | No | Yes | No[64] | No | No | No | Yes | No | Yes | No |
Tribler | Yes | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | Partial | Yes (DHT)[65] | Yes | No |
Vuze[lower-alpha 10] | Yes | Yes[66] | Yes | Yes | Yes | in paid version [67] | Yes | No | Plugin[lower-alpha 44] | Yes | Yes | Yes[68] | |
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[69] | Linux | BSD-3-Clause | |||
macOS | ||||||
Windows | ||||||
MonoTorrent | September 2006 | Linux | MIT | |||
macOS | ||||||
Windows | ||||||
rTorrent (libTorrent Rakshasa) | 15 July 2004[70] | Linux | GPL-2.0-or-later[lower-alpha 45] | [lower-alpha 46] | ||
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[lower-alpha 47] | NAT Port Mapping Protocol | NAT traversal[lower-alpha 48] | DHT[lower-alpha 49] | Peer exchange | Encryption | UDP tracker | LPD | Fast extensions | Magnet URI | μTP |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
libtorrent (Rasterbar) | 1, 2[71] | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes[72] | Yes | Yes | Yes[73] |
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[lower-alpha 50] | Web seeding[lower-alpha 51] | 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 |
it:BitTorrent#Client
Original source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison of BitTorrent clients.
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