Comparison Of Bittorrent Clients
The following is a general comparison of BitTorrent clients, which are computer programs designed for peer-to-peer file sharing using the BitTorrent protocol.
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.
Bram Cohen, author of the BitTorrent protocol, made the first BitTorrent client, which he also called BitTorrent, and published it in July 2001.
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. Xunlei is included in the comparison tables.
Applications
General
| Name | Developer | Platform | Latest release | License | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Version | Date | |||||
| BitComet | BitComet Development Group | macOS | 2.05  | 2023-11-28 | Proprietary, Adware | |
| Windows | 2.05 | 2023-11-28 | ||||
| BitLord | House of Life | macOS | 2.4.6-348 | 2019-10-24 | Proprietary, Adware | |
| Windows | 2.4.6-358 | 2022-08-26 | ||||
| BitTorrent | BitTorrent | Android | 8.2.1 | 2024-03-20 | Proprietary, Adware | |
| macOS | 7.4.3.45549 | 2020-05-20 | ||||
| Windows | 7.11.0.46555 | 2022-11-22 | ||||
| Deluge | various | BSD | 2.1.1 | 2022-07-10 | GPL-3.0-or-later | |
| Linux | ||||||
| macOS | ||||||
| Solaris | ||||||
| Windows | ||||||
| FlashGet | Trend Media | Windows | 3.7.0.1220 | 2013-05-17 | Proprietary | |
| Free Download Manager | alervd | Android | 6.19.0.5156 | 2023-03-13 | Proprietary | |
| Linux | ||||||
| macOS | ||||||
| Windows | ||||||
| FrostWire | The FrostWire Project | Android | 2.6.2(708) | 2022-10-19 | GPL-3.0-or-later | |
| Linux | 6.9.10(315) | 2022-10-27 | ||||
| macOS | 6.9.10(315) | 2022-10-27 | ||||
| Windows | 6.9.10(315) | 2022-10-27 | ||||
| KGet | KDE | BSD | 22.12.0 | 2022-12-08 | GPL-2.0-or-later | |
| Linux | ||||||
| KTorrent | Joris Guisson, Ivan Vasić | BSD | 23.08.3 | 2023-11-09 | GPL-2.0-or-later | |
| Linux | ||||||
| macOS | ||||||
| Lftp | Alexander V. Lukya | BSD | 4.9.1 | 2020-01-15 | 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 | 2013-04-05 | GPL-2.0-or-later | |
| macOS | ||||||
| Windows | ||||||
| MLDonkey | MLDonkey Project | BSD | 3.1.7 | 2020-06-21 | GPL-2.0-or-later | |
| Linux | ||||||
| macOS | ||||||
| MorphOS | ||||||
| Solaris | ||||||
| Windows | ||||||
| μTorrent | BitTorrent | Android | 8.2.2 | 2024-03-21 | Proprietary, Adware | |
| macOS | 1.8.7.45548 | 2020-01-30 | ||||
| Windows | 3.6.0.47006 | 2024-01-11 | ||||
| Opera 12 | Opera Software | FreeBSD | 12.16 | Proprietary | ||
| Linux | ||||||
| macOS | ||||||
| Solaris | ||||||
| Windows | 12.17 | |||||
| qBittorrent | Christophe Dumez | BSD | 4.6.4 | 2024-03-23 | GPL-2.0-or-later | |
| Linux | ||||||
| Haiku | ||||||
| macOS | ||||||
| OS/2 | ||||||
| Windows | ||||||
| rTorrent | Jari Sundell | BSD | 0.9.8 | 2019-07-19 | GPL-2.0-or-later | |
| 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 | 2017-09-18 | GPL-2.0-or-later | |
| Tixati | Kevin Hearn | Linux | Proprietary | |||
| Windows | ||||||
| Tonido | CodeLathe | BSD | 14.90.0.34030 | 2017-01-13 | Proprietary | |
| Linux | ||||||
| macOS | ||||||
| Windows | ||||||
| Transmission | various | BSD | 4.0.5 | 2023-12-06 | GPL-2.0-only or GPL-3.0-only MIT | |
| Linux | ||||||
| macOS | ||||||
| OpenWrt | ||||||
| Solaris | ||||||
| Windows | ||||||
| Tribler | The Tribler Team | Android | 7.14.0 | 2024-04-24 | GPL-3.0-only | |
| Linux | ||||||
| macOS | ||||||
| Windows | ||||||
| Vuze | Vuze | Android | 5.7.6.0 | 2017-11-02 | Proprietary (platform) GPL-2.0-or-later (core engine) Adware | |
| Linux | ||||||
| macOS | ||||||
| Windows | ||||||
| Xunlei | Thunder Networking Technologies | Android | 7.53.0.8245 | 2022-10-11 | Proprietary, Adware | |
| iOS | 1.5.8 | 2022-09-29 | ||||
| macOS | 5.0.2.65551 | 2022-06-16 | ||||
| Windows | 11.3.16.1974 | 2022-10-10 | ||||
| Name | Developer | Platform | Latest release | License | Notes | |
| Version | Date | |||||
Operating system support
| 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 | 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 | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Unix-like z/OS Solaris OS/2 eComStation ArcaOS |
| 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 | No |
| Opera 12 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes[citation needed] | Solaris |
| qBittorrent | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | OS/2 FreeBSD Haiku |
| Robert | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No |
| rTorrent | Yes | 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 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Solaris |
| Tribler | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No |
| Vuze | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No |
| Xunlei | Yes | Yes | No | No | Yes | Yes[citation needed] | No |
| Name | Windows | macOS | GNU/Linux | BSD | iOS | Android | Other |
Interface and programming
| BitTorrent client | GUI | Remote | CLI | Other | Programming language | Based on | IPv6 | μTP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BitComet | Yes | Yes | Partial | 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 |
| 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 |
| KGet | Yes | Yes | Partial | No | C++ | - | Yes | No |
| KTorrent | Yes | Yes | Partial | No | C++ | - | Yes | Yes |
| LimeWire | Yes | No | No | No | Java | libtorrent (Rasterbar) | No | No |
| Miro | Yes | No | No | No | C++ | libtorrent (Rasterbar) | No | No |
| MLDonkey | No | Third Party | Partial | Telnet | OCaml | - | No | No |
| μTorrent | Yes | Yes | No | RESTful Web API | C++ | - | Yes | Yes |
| Opera 12 | Yes | No | No | No | C++ | - | Yes | No |
| qBittorrent | Yes | Yes | Partial | No | Python, C++ | libtorrent (Rasterbar) | Yes | Yes |
| rTorrent | No | Third Party | Yes | SCGI | C++ | libTorrent (Rakshasa) | Yes | No |
| Shareaza | Yes | Yes | Partial | No | C++ | - | No | No |
| Tixati | Yes | Yes | No | Web interface | C++ | - | Yes | Yes |
| 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 |
| Tribler | Yes | Partial | Partial | No | Python, C++ | libtorrent (Rasterbar) | No | Yes |
| Vuze | Yes | Yes | Partial | Telnet, XML over HTTP remote control API | Java, SWT | - | Yes | Yes |
| Xunlei | Yes | No | No | remote control over internet | C++ | - | No | No |
| BitTorrent client | GUI | Web | CLI | Other | Programming language | Based on | IPv6 | μTP |
Features I
| BitTorrent client | Protocol version | Magnet URI (BEP 9) | Preload Magnet metadata (BEP 9) | Super-seeding (BEP 16) | Embedded tracker | UPnP | NAT Port Mapping Protocol | NAT traversal (BEP 55) | DHT protocol (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 | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | Yes |
| Deluge | 1 | Yes | Partial | 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 | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No | No | Yes | No | No |
| μTorrent | 1 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | HTTP(S), SOCKS4-5 |
| Opera 12 | 1 | No | No | No | Yes | No | No | No | No | Yes | No | No | No | No |
| qBittorrent | 1, 2 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | HTTP(S), SOCKS4-5 |
| rTorrent | 1 | Yes | No | Yes | No | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| Shareaza | 1 | Yes | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No | No |
| Tixati | 1, 2 | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| Tonido | 1 | No | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No | No |
| Transmission | 1, 2 | Yes | Patch available | No | No | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Tribler | 1 | Yes | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | |
| Vuze | 1 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 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 |
Features II
| BitTorrent client | Cache | 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 | Beta | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Partial | Yes | No |
| BitLord | Yes | No | Partial | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No | No | Partial | Yes | No |
| BitTorrent 5, Mainline | No | Yes | Partial | No | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | No |
| Deluge | Yes | Yes | Partial | 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 | 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 | No | Yes | Partial | via PMS | No | |
| μTorrent | Yes | Yes | Partial | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Opera 12 | No | No | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | No | Partial | Yes | No | |
| qBittorrent | Yes | Yes | Partial | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Partial | Yes | Yes | via PMS | No |
| rTorrent | Partial | No | No | 3rd party utility | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | Yes | No | via PMS | No |
| Shareaza | Yes | Yes | No | No | Yes | Yes | in mod client | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Tixati | Yes | Yes | Partial | 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 | No | Yes | No | No | No | No | Yes | No | Yes | No |
| Tribler | Yes | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | Partial | Yes (DHT) | Yes | No |
| Vuze | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | in paid version | Yes | No | Plugin | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| 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 |
Libraries
- General
| BitTorrent library | Initial release | Platform | Latest release | License | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Version | Date | |||||
| libtorrent (Rasterbar) | 8 September 2005 | Linux | 2.0.9, 1.2.19 2.0.10 | 2023-05-22 2024-02-19 | BSD-3-Clause | |
| macOS | ||||||
| Windows | ||||||
| MonoTorrent | September 2006 | Linux | 2.0.7 | 2022-12-23 | MIT | |
| macOS | ||||||
| Windows | ||||||
| rTorrent (libTorrent Rakshasa) | 15 July 2004 | Linux | 0.13.8 | 2019-07-19 | GPL-2.0-or-later | |
| macOS | ||||||
| BitTorrent library | Initial release | Platform | Latest release | License | Notes | |
| Version | Date | |||||
- Operating system support and programming language
| 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 |
- Supported features 1
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| libtorrent (Rasterbar) | 1, 2 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| 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 |
- Supported features 2
| BitTorrent library | Cache | Web seeding | 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 |
See also
Notes
References
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