Comparison of BitTorrent clients

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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.

Applications

General

More information Name, Developer ...
Name Developer Platform Latest release License Notes
Version Date
BiglyBT Bigly Software Linux 4.0.0.0[5] Edit this on Wikidata 2023-09-22 GPL-2.0-or-later
macOS
Windows
Android 2023-09-22
BitComet BitComet Development Group macOS 2.10[6] Edit this on Wikidata 2024-10-09 Proprietary, Adware [a]
Windows 2.10[6] Edit this on Wikidata 2024-10-09
BitLord House of Life macOS 2.4.6-348 Edit this on Wikidata 2019-10-24 Proprietary, Adware [b]
Windows 2.4.6-358[7][8] Edit this on Wikidata 2022-08-26
BitTorrent BitTorrent Android 8.2.1[9] Edit this on Wikidata 2024-03-20 Proprietary, Adware
macOS 7.4.3.45549[10] Edit this on Wikidata 2020-05-20
Windows 7.11.0.46555[11] Edit this on Wikidata 2022-11-22
Deluge various BSD 2.2.0[12] Edit this on Wikidata 2025-04-28 GPL-3.0-or-later[13]
Linux
macOS
Solaris
Windows
FlashGet Trend Media Windows 3.7.0.1220[14] Edit this on Wikidata 2013-05-17 Proprietary [c]
Free Download Manager alervd Android 6.30.3.6518[15] Edit this on Wikidata 2025-10-31 Proprietary
Linux
macOS
Windows
FrostWire The FrostWire Project Android 2.9.4[16] Edit this on Wikidata 2024-12-26 GPL-3.0-or-later
Linux 6.13.4-build-324[17] Edit this on Wikidata 2024-10-16
macOS 6.13.4-build-324[17] Edit this on Wikidata 2024-10-16
Windows 6.13.4-build-324[17] Edit this on Wikidata 2024-10-16
KGet KDE BSD 24.12.3[18] Edit this on Wikidata 2025-03-06 GPL-2.0-or-later
Linux
KTorrent Joris Guisson, Ivan Vasić BSD 25.08.0[19] Edit this on Wikidata 2025-08-14 GPL-2.0-or-later
Linux
macOS
Lftp Alexander V. Lukya BSD 4.9.3[20] Edit this on Wikidata 2024-11-08 GPL-3.0-or-later
Linux
macOS
Windows
LimeWire Lime Wire LLC Linux 5.5.16 Edit this on Wikidata 2010-10-26 GPL-2.0-or-later
macOS
Windows
Miro Participatory Culture Foundation Linux 6.0[21] Edit this on Wikidata 2013-04-05 GPL-2.0-or-later
macOS
Windows
MLDonkey MLDonkey Project BSD 3.2.1[22] Edit this on Wikidata 2024-08-20 GPL-2.0-or-later
Linux
macOS
MorphOS
Solaris
Windows
μTorrent BitTorrent Android 8.2.2[23] Edit this on Wikidata 2024-03-21 Proprietary, Adware [d]
macOS 1.8.7.45548[25] Edit this on Wikidata 2020-01-30
Windows 3.6.0.47006[26] Edit this on Wikidata 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] Edit this on Wikidata 2025-11-19 GPL-2.0-or-later[13]
Linux
Haiku
macOS
OS/2
Windows
rTorrent Jari Sundell BSD 0.16.5[28] Edit this on Wikidata 2025-12-02 GPL-2.0-or-later[13] [f]
Linux
macOS
Solaris
Windows
Robert Sponge, co-developer of I2P BSD 0.0.40 Edit this on Wikidata 2013 GPL
Linux
macOS
Windows
Shareaza Shareaza Development Team Windows 2.7.10.2[29] Edit this on Wikidata 2017-09-18 GPL-2.0-or-later [g]
Tixati Kevin Hearn Linux 3.31[30] Edit this on Wikidata 2024-12-11 Proprietary [h]
Windows
Tonido CodeLathe BSD 14.90.0.34030 Edit this on Wikidata 2017-01-13 Proprietary
Linux
macOS
Windows
Transmission various BSD 4.1.1[31] Edit this on Wikidata 2026-02-20 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] Edit this on Wikidata 2024-12-16 GPL-3.0-only [i]
macOS
Windows
Vuze[j] Vuze Android 5.7.6.0[36] Edit this on Wikidata 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] Edit this on Wikidata 2022-10-11 Proprietary, Adware
iOS 1.5.8[38] Edit this on Wikidata 2022-09-29
macOS 5.0.2.65551[39] Edit this on Wikidata 2022-06-16
Windows
Name Developer Platform Latest release License Notes
Version Date
Close

Operating system support

More information BitTorrent client, Windows ...
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
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Interface and programming

More information BitTorrent client, GUI ...
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
Close

Features I

More information BitTorrent client, Protocol version ...
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)		 Local Peer Discovery
(BEP 14)		 Proxy server
BiglyBT 1, 2 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
  • HTTP(S)
  • SOCKS4-4a-5
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 1,2[69] 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 No HTTP, SOCKS4-5
LimeWire 1 Partial No Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes No No
MLDonkey 1 Yes[70] No No Yes Yes Yes No Yes No No Yes No No
μTorrent 1 Yes Yes[71] Yes[72] Yes[73] Yes[74] Yes Yes[75] Yes[u] Yes[v] Yes[76] Yes Yes[77] HTTP(S), SOCKS4-5
Opera 12 1 No No No Yes[78] No No No No Yes[79] No No No No
qBittorrent 1, 2[80] Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes HTTP(S), SOCKS4-5[w]
rTorrent 1 Yes[81] No Yes No No No No Yes Yes Yes Yes No[82] 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[83] Yes Patch available[84][85][86] No No Yes Yes No[87] Yes Yes[aa] Yes Yes Yes No[88]
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 Local Peer Discovery Proxy server
Close

Features II

More information BitTorrent client, Cache ...
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[89] 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[90] No Yes Partial[ag] via PMS No
μTorrent Yes Yes[91] Partial [ai] Yes[92] Yes[93] 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 [94] Yes Yes No No No Yes No via PMS No
Shareaza Yes Yes No No Yes Yes[an] in mod client No Yes
[ao][95][ap]		 Yes Yes Yes No
Tixati Yes Yes Yes[96] 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[97] No No No Yes No Yes No
Tribler Yes No No Yes Yes Yes No No No Partial Yes (DHT)[98] Yes No
Vuze[j] Yes Yes[99] Yes Yes Yes in paid version [100] Yes No Plugin[ar] Yes Yes Yes[101]
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
Close

Libraries

General
More information BitTorrent library, Initial release ...
BitTorrent library Initial release Platform Latest release License Notes
Version Date
libtorrent (Rasterbar) 8 September 2005; 20 years ago (2005-09-08)[102] Linux 2.0.9,[103] 1.2.19[104] Edit this on Wikidata
2.0.11[105] Edit this on Wikidata		 2023-05-22
2025-01-28		 BSD-3-Clause
macOS
Windows
MonoTorrent September 2006; 19 years ago (2006-09) Linux 3.0.2[106] Edit this on Wikidata 2024-08-04 MIT
macOS
Windows
rTorrent (libTorrent Rakshasa) 15 July 2004; 21 years ago (2004-07-15)[107] Linux 0.16.5[108] Edit this on Wikidata 2025-12-02 GPL-2.0-or-later[as] [at]
macOS
BitTorrent library Initial release Platform Latest release License Notes
Version Date
Close
Operating system support and programming language
More information BitTorrent library, GNU/Linux ...
BitTorrent library GNU/Linux Windows macOS API Programming language
libtorrent (Rasterbar) YesYesYesYes C++
MonoTorrent YesYesYesYes C#
rTorrent (libTorrent Rakshasa) YesNoYesYes C++
BitTorrent library Linux Windows macOS API Programming language
Close
Supported features 1
More information BitTorrent library, Protocol version ...
BitTorrent library Protocol version Super-seeding Tracker UPnP[au] NAT Port Mapping Protocol NAT traversal[av] DHT[aw] Peer exchange Encryption UDP tracker Local Peer Discovery Fast extensions Magnet URI μTP
libtorrent (Rasterbar) 1, 2[109] YesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYes Yes[110]YesYesYes[111]
MonoTorrent 1, 2 YesYesYesYesNoYesYesYesYesYesYesYesNo
rTorrent (libTorrent Rakshasa) 1 YesYesNo??YesYesYesYesYesNoYesNo
BitTorrent library Protocol version Super-seeding Tracker UPnP NAT Port Mapping Protocol NAT traversal DHT Peer exchange Encryption UDP tracker Local Peer Discovery Fast extensions Magnet URI μTP
Close
Supported features 2
More information BitTorrent library, Cache ...
BitTorrent library Cache[ax] Web seeding[ay] WebTorrent Broadcatching (RSS) Prioritization Selective downloads SOCKS Remote control via web Engine
libtorrent (Rasterbar) YesYesYesNoYesYesYesYes?
MonoTorrent YesYesNoYesYesYesNoYesNo
rTorrent (libTorrent Rakshasa) PartialNoNoNoYesYesNoYesNo
BitTorrent library Cache Web seeding WebTorrent Broadcatching (RSS) Prioritization Selective downloads SOCKS Remote control via web Engine
Close

See also

Notes

  1. [a]
    Portable version available.
  2. [b]
    Installs WhenU adware.
  3. [c]
    FlashGet (standalone application) is not FlashGot (Firefox Addon).
  4. [d]
    The option to disable ads is included in the settings.[24]
  5. [e]
    Web browser.
  6. [f]
    No built-in disk cache but a delayed sync.
  7. [g]
    Maximum active torrent number depends on respective user settings and is limited to 31.
  8. [h]
    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.
  9. [i]
    Fully distributed keyword search; integrated anti-spam measures.[35]
  10. [j]
    Formerly Azureus.
  11. [k]
    The only client to bridge between i2p and the clearnet.
  12. [l]
    x86-32 and x86-64 builds available
  13. [m]
    Including eComStation and ArcaOS.
  14. [n]
    Through Cygwin.[47]
  15. [o]
    Through Cydia.
  16. [p]
    Only has options for launching the GUI[49]
  17. [q]
    Qdbus interface
  18. [r]
    For a torrent added from a Magnet link, obtain the list of files (and other metadata) before prompting the user for a download location.
  19. [s]
    Tracker included with Linux binaries and with source, but not with Windows binary.
  20. [t]
    This is done manually. Right click an item and select "Force Re-Check". This will trigger preload. Note, if deluge is restarted before preload finishes, it will continue downloading torrent content.
  21. [u]
    μTorrent's DHT implementation Archived 18 March 2009 at the Wayback Machine is the same as Mainline and BitComet's, but unfortunately this is incompatible with Azureus's implementation.
  22. [v]
    Exchanging with BT 6 and μTorrent clients (and now MooPolice).
  23. [w]
    v4.6.0 added (experimental) I2P support[60] to provide anonymity.
  24. [x]
    Since Shareaza v2.6.0.0, Shareaza includes Mainline DHT support. Also, Shareaza can use the Gnutella2 network to find other Gnutella2 clients sharing the same torrent. This also includes clients who do not actively seed the torrent in question anymore, as long as file hashes (such as sha1 for example) are known.
  25. [y]
    Since Shareaza v2.5.5.1 r9064.
  26. [z]
    Only with out going without DHT if anonymity required.
  27. [aa]
    Exchanges with μTorrent and Azureus peers.
  28. [ab]
    Uses P2P onion routing to provide anonymity.
  29. [ac]
    Since version 2.5.0.2. It's UDP based, an experimental feature and only supported by other Azureus clients.
  30. [ad]
    Has its own DHT, a mainline-DHT compatible implementation is available as plugin.
  31. [ae]
    Reduces disk usage, file fragmentation (in case it is not preallocated) and latencies via larger written blocks and cached data for hash checking finished pieces.
  32. [af]
    Called "preview mode" Archived 4 October 2013 at the Wayback Machine
  33. [ag]
    Built-in Web browser.
  34. [ah]
    Does not support HTTP redirection (status codes: 301, 302, 303, 307).
  35. [ai]
    Does not support HTTPS.
  36. [aj]
    Only available in Pro and web version.From version 3.0 this feature is called "Streaming mode". The number of pieces to download sequentially is configurable
  37. [ak]
    Opera has a feed aggregator that displays feeds like emails.
  38. [al]
    Windows and Mac OS X only; via PMS on Linux.
  39. [am]
    Hard-coded as disabled in newer versions.
  40. [an]
    Since Shareaza v2.4.0.2 r7924.
  41. [ao]
    Since Shareaza v2.5.3.1.
  42. [ap]
    Shareaza also uses G2 to transmit download metadata, such as BitTorrent trackers to other G2 clients.
  43. [aq]
    Adds HTTP referer header in request on HTTP redirection (useful behavior).
  44. [ar]
    Provides a Java-based and a simple HTML/JS based WebUI.
  45. [as]
    With OpenSSL exception.
  46. [at]
    No built-in cache-disk cache but a delayed sync.
  47. [au]
    Automatically configure port forwarding (requires Router with UPnP support)
  48. [av]
    Many clients claim to support this, but just UPnP calls for opening a TCP port is not effective and disabled by factory default in most new hardware. "UDP NAT Traversal" is the proper working solution, supported by just a few.
  49. [aw]
    DHT permits use of trackerless torrents (with supporting clients) to resume normal torrents when their tracker is down. However, some trackers that register their users for keeping tabs on fair usage (such as a ratio of bytes downloaded to uploaded) may not reliably measure and update usage for users employing DHT.
  50. [ax]
    Reduces disk usage, file fragmentation (in case it is not preallocated) and latencies due to larger written blocks and cached data for hash checking finished pieces.
  51. [ay]
    Recently implemented (unofficial) web seeding feature, see HTTP-Based Seeding Specification Archived 28 October 2008 at the Wayback Machine

References

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