torrent client no download Top 10 Free Torrent Clients – Which Free Torrent Clients Are The Best? Are you looking for a reliable torrent client to download files online? To help make things easier for you, we’ve put together a list of some of the best free torrent clients. In case you’re in a hurry, these are our picks for the best free torrent clients: Also, always make sure you stay safe when using a torrent client. A good option for this is a VPN (such as NordVPN). A VPN will protect your data and keep you anonymous. That being said, always check to see that you’re only downloading files you’re allowed to download in your country, or else you will risk getting fined or worse. We do not support the illegal downloading of copyrighted files. For more information about these torrent clients, or to learn more about torrent clients in general, continue reading the full article. When you download or upload files or folders through a torrent network, that’s called torrenting. What makes torrenting different from other types of downloading is that you download files from another users’ device on the network rather than from a central server . Also, users upload files from their devices for other people to download. Torrenting is the leading form of peer-to-peer file-sharing online. If you want to download or upload files through this sort of system, you need to download a torrent client . These downloads are referred to as torrents and contain metadata about the files and folders, as well as information about the network location of trackers. A torrent client is software that lets you download files and folders from other people who are sharing those files from their devices. People who are sharing the files are called seeders . The more seeders that are available, the faster the download will finish. For more information about torrenting, check out our article on what torrenting is. In the current article, we’re going to go over our top 10 best free torrent clients you can use to download and upload torrent files. We’ll also go over some of the most common questions you have about torrents and the legal-side of downloading or uploading files through the peer-to-peer network. Is Torrenting Legal? Torrenting itself is not illegal . However, downloading copyrighted files can be illegal. What this means is that the act of peer-to-peer file sharing through torrenting is perfectly legal but where you can get in potential trouble is when the file you download is unsanctioned copyright material. While torrenting isn’t illegal, it’s your responsibility to make sure the torrent file you download is legal. Copyright is a type of intellectual property that gives the owner of the material the sole right to make copies of the work for a set period of time. Figuring out what content is illegal to download because of copyright laws can be difficult. That’s why there are so many grey areas when it comes to downloading files through torrent clients. Even within a single country, there are different laws in place depending on what you’re downloading. If you’re unsure if you can legally download a file, make sure you do the proper research first. The Top 10 Best Free Torrent Clients. Below are our picks for the top 10 free torrent clients. While some are best for new users, others have advanced features more experienced people may want to explore. There are also some that are only available on Windows or macOS which could be an issue if you use a Linux-based operating system. Without further delay, let’s get into the pros, cons, and features of the best free torrent clients you can download today. 1. qBittorrent. Features. Integrated torrent search engine Media player Torrent and file prioritization. qBittorrent is a free, open-source torrent client that provides you with an easy way to download torrents without having to deal with aggressive ads and bundled bloatware. The interface is simple to navigate and use, with more advanced settings available if you need them. A potential limitation of qBittorrent is that the advanced features take some getting used to in order to have them set up properly. Some of the benefits of using qBittorrent include scheduling computer resource limits on downloads and watching videos while they’re downloading. Pros Cons No ads taking up the interface space Lack of extensions No software bundled with the torrent client Additional features can be challenging for beginners Extra tools are useful. 2. BitTorrent. Features. Set priority levels for downloads Schedule downloads for different times Built-in search feature. BitTorrent is a torrent client that you can use on various operating systems including Windows, macOS, Linux, as well as iOS and Android devices. This free torrent client is one of the longest-running options on this list that’s still being supported today with new updates. The downsides of this torrent client are that they bundle bloatware into the download and the free version has ads built into the software. Bloatware refers to software you don’t need to download to use the program but is bundled into the download process. Some of the most useful features of this client include built-in search functionality, magnet link support, and encrypted connections. Pros Cons Lightweight software Includes ads with the free version Easy to set up and use Bundled software can be annoying Option to schedule downloads. 3. uTorrent. Features. Schedule speed cap for different times of the day Set a cap on maximum bandwidth for downloads Manage downloads remotely using a smartphone. With millions of downloads across Android and desktops, uTorrent is the most popular torrent client on this list. This torrent client has a number of useful features included in its free plans such as speed cap scheduling, bandwidth limiting, and remote client management. Some of the biggest limitations of uTorrent include bundled software during the initial download, invasive advertising on the application, and being resource-heavy despite the company calling the program lightweight. Pros Cons Download scheduling Security concerns Lots of useful features Closed source software Some features locked behind a paid account. 4. BitLord. Features. Play on Chromecast while downloading Built-in media player Automatic subtitles. Available on both Windows and macOS, BitLord is an easy-to-use torrent client that includes search functionality and intuitive ways to organize downloads. The software also offers you the option to browse torrents by both category and top torrents organized by year, month, week, and day. Unlike some of the other choices on this list, BitLord is 100% free and doesn’t offer additional paid plans for more features. The only real limitation of BitLord is that you can’t use it on Linux. Pros Cons Easy to use interface Add-ons pushed when downloading Handy download organizer Doesn’t support Linux Password protection feature. 5. Vuze. Features. Built-in search functionality Download subscriptions Vuze remote app for Android phones. Vuze is a great torrent client if you’re looking for an option that has a clean interface with built-in search functionality. This application also includes the ability to play or stream videos while they’re downloading by using the built-in video streaming player. The biggest drawback to the free version of this client is that it is ad-supported. You can use an Android app to manage your downloads and uploads, as well as set schedules and pause torrents. Vuze also tries to sneak an antivirus program into the installation process, similar to what some other torrent clients do with the bloatware they bundle into their installations. Pros Cons Lots of helpful features Bundles antivirus trial Easy interface to navigate Contains ads Not as lightweight as other clients. 6. Deluge. Features. Scheduler for downloads Unique included plugins from Deluge Add-on plugins from other creators for customization. Deluge is an open-source torrent client that offers you a lightweight option for your downloads and uploads. Available on Windows, macOS, and Linux, Deluge includes features like download scheduling, as well as a plugin-system for customization. The plugins are useful for setting up things like notifications, extractors, IP blocklists, and more. The downside to this plugin system is when you run into compatibility issues based on version numbers and Deluge updates. Pros Cons Open-source torrent client Plugin compatibility can be frustrating Available for Linux Installation can be difficult Lightweight software. 7. Tixati. Features. Encrypted chatroom Malware security RSS support. Tixati is one of the most feature-heavy torrent clients on this list. The software includes functions like magnet links, download scheduling, and prioritizing, as well as detailed information about the data you’re sharing. This client will also tell you your bandwidth usage and provides you with an event logger so you can keep track of what the client and torrents are doing. The biggest drawback to Tixati is that it’s only available on Windows. Pros Cons The tutorial system helps with set up Initial downloading can be tricky Lots of customization options Only available for Windows No ads Closed-source client. 8. BiglyBT. Features. Swarm Discovery window Device Support plug-in Remote control with Android app. BiglyBT is a free, open-source client with a clean interface that’s free from any intrusive advertisements. One of the unique features of BiglyBT is the Swarm Discovery window which recommends torrents based on what you’re downloading. You can also use the Device Support plug-in to convert the videos you download to a format that works for your mobile device. The only thing you need to be aware of when using BiglyBT is that it uses more resources than other clients on this list. Pros Cons Open-source torrent client Uses more resources than alternatives No ads Missing DVD burning option Clean interface. 9. Transmission. Features. Download scheduling IP filtering Remote management with app. Transmission is a free torrent client that’s available on Windows, macOS, and Linux. This open-source software is packed with useful features while also being one of the most lightweight options on this list. The interface is simple to use while still providing you with advanced settings if you need them. Some of the features of Transmission include support for encryption, remote management, download scheduling, and faster than average download speeds. Pros Cons Open-source No built-in search engine No ads Missing proxy server support Available for most operating systems. 10. Bitport. Features. Downloads are stored in the cloud Enhanced security features Fast torrent downloads using Bitport server. Bitport is a unique torrent client because it uses cloud storage for your downloads, storing your completed files in the cloud instead of on your computer. The advantage of this is that you can save space on your hard drive by storing your downloads on the cloud instead. Also, if your computer crashes you can still access your files in your cloud account. You also don’t need to download anything to use this service, instead, signing up for the service on their website. The biggest drawback to this client is that you’re restricted to one download a day on the free plan. Pros Cons No need to download software One download a day limit on the free plan Cloud storage included for free No 24/7 live chat support Easy to use the website for downloading torrents The free plan is limited. The Importance of Choosing a Safe Torrent Client. When it comes to downloading torrents, you need to make sure you’re taking the proper precautions to protect your computer from malicious files. Due to the nature of peer-to-peer file sharing, it can be hard to know what’s safe to download and what isn’t. This is why it’s so important you choose a torrent client that can protect you from malware and other dangerous programs. It’s also a good idea to only use the safest torrent websites. For more information about the best torrent sites, check out our article here. Some of the best torrent clients when it comes to safety are BitPort and Tixati. Both of these options can detect malware automatically, protecting your device from unwanted software or harmful files. It’s also always a smart idea to use a good antivirus program when you’re downloading files from the internet to protect your computer. Check out this link to learn all about antivirus software and why it’s so important. Using a VPN with Your Torrent Client. First off, always make sure that you only download files that you are allowed to download. That being said, using a VPN is essential when it comes to extra protection and security when using torrent clients. While it doesn’t make you untouchable from legal action if you download files you aren’t allowed to, a VPN will hide your activity from your ISP. This is beneficial because some ISPs will throttle your internet speed if you download a lot of large files online on a regular basis. The best VPN to use with a torrent client is NordVPN. The reason we choose this VPN as the top option for torrenting is that it has a large number of specialty servers and comprehensive privacy policies. NordVPN also openly supports peer-to-peer file-sharing through its provided infrastructure. They also have a proven no-logs policy and strong DNS leak protection. How to Torrent Without Seeding – A Quick How-To Guide. Torrenting continues to be one of the best ways to share files. Part of what makes torrenting work is its use of “peer-to-peer” sharing– where everyone on a network who shares bits and pieces of the files to other users. When you share files through a torrent, the process is known as “seeding.” However, sometimes you may want only to download files. If you’re looking for how to torrent without seeding, you can use a few easy methods to stop the flow of information. Below, we’ve provided a quick how-to guide for those looking to torrent without seeding. Our guide will give you a walkthrough on how to stop seeding using different programs and clients. In general, however, you can avoid seeding in mostly the same way with almost any torrent client. A Quick Review of Torrent Rules and Etiquette. There are several reasons why you might want to torrent without seeding. There may be times where you’ve torrented video files that you don’t want shared to the entire network. You may also be seeking to avoid seeding in order to avoid getting your bandwidth throttled by your ISP. For example, if you’re downloading and uploading a large number of video files, you ISP may trigger a slowdown on your bandwidth due to the high volume of traffic. Most reasons why you want to avoid seeding can be avoided with a VPN. When you torrent through a VPN, your unique IP address is anonymized through the VPN. Your ISP will not be able to determine where you’re connecting to as well, and anyone on the torrent network will not be able to trace any activity back to you. Nevertheless, it’s good to know about torrent rules and etiquette before you decide to use any of the below methods. Torrents use what are known as “peer-to-peer” networks. These networks function by having everyone in the network automatically the files they download, as they download them . With torrents, as you download the file, you also start sharing the parts that you’ve downloaded. This is known as seeding. The more seeders there are for a file, the faster the download speed is for everyone on the peer network. Most torrent sites have very strict rules about seeding. If you are leeching, you’re generally required to seed as well. Otherwise, you’re negatively referred to as a “leech,” e.g., the waterborne creatures that suck the blood from other animals and give nothing back. As torrenting is about a symbiotic relationship between peers, leeching is looked upon very negatively within the torrent community as it’s a drain on the system. After all, if everyone downloaded but never seeded, the system would completely crash. Before becoming a “leech,” it’s important to understand that your activities may result in you getting banned from some torrent networks. Additionally, some P2P networks and sites employ a few methods to determine your “ratio,” which is how frequently you and upload. A bad ratio may get your kicked from a P2P community, in which they’ll block the IP address you’re using. Some sites require you to register and create an account to access files, which is one method to more easily identify any users who are leeching. How to Torrent Without Seeding. The following three methods should help you torrent without seeding. If you have found a method not listed here, feel free to leave us a comment in the comments section below! Change Settings in Your Torrent Client. What this will look like might vary, depending on your torrent client. However, the goal here is to change your settings so that your client will effectively not transfer any data to any peers. Here’s how to accomplish this task in the popular torrent client, uTorrent: First, open up your uTorrent client and head over to Options at the top left Next, click on Preferences. Now, click on Bandwidth on the left Where you see Maximum upload rate (kB/s): [0: unlimited] , type the number 1 in the box to the right. ( This is not completely necessary, but is designed to ensure that if seeding does start to occur (this can still happen), it will seed at the slowest possible rate) Where you see Number of upload slots per torrent , type in the number 0 in the righthand box Now, click on Queueing on the leftside menu. Where you see Minimum ratio (%) set the number 0 in the righthand box Where you see Minimum number of available seeds set the number to 0 in the righthand box At the bottom, where you see Limit the upload rate to (kB/s): [0=stop] click the lefthand box (this will enable it with a check mark in the box) and put a 0 in the righthand box. You are now done! The above steps will disable your minimum upload/download ratio, prevent you from providing available seeds to others, will cut off your upload slots, and will slow any seeds that still get through to only provide a trickle of bandwidth. As you can see from the example images below, the data tracker at the bottom shows that I have little to no data going out: This is true even with fully downloaded file that would normally start seeding automatically. As stated earlier, this method applies to the uTorrent client, but you may be able to apply a similar method with one of the many other torrent clients available. Check the settings on your preferred torrent client to see whether similar setting options exist. If they don’t, we suggest you utilize uTorrent as your preferred client. Use the BitThief Client. Click here to download BitThief. BitThief works on Windows, Mac OS and Linux. BitThief is a somewhat complex program in how it works. For your average user, the important thing to understand about BitThief is that it allows you to download torrents, but completely blocks any upload requests from the torrent network. Before using BitThief, users should know that BitThief is a somewhat older program, and not particularly well supported. You may also encounter some usability issues with the software. In a 2007 review of the software , TorrentFreak noted some of those issues, which included torrents that simply failed due to the large number of requests BitThief sends out, which can crash the torrent. BitThief was started as more of a research project, which is partially why the program is not as well supported and may or may not work, depending on your operating system. The group behind the program describes how BitThief accomplishes this method in this 2006 research paper . While TorrentFreak found that BitThief’s method for blocking uploads crashed their router within 4 seconds, the Distributed Computing Group who created the program reported in their tests that they were able to download live torrent files with minimal problems, only experiencing some issues with slower speeds in a few cases. Our test on a simple, freely-available file showed that the client does indeed work. Additionally, it provides you with a fair amount of information on the torrent you’re downloading. The client is simple to use otherwise. All you’ll need to do is acquire the magnet link from the torrent site of your choice, plug it into the client under File > Magnet URL , and it will start the process automatically. We did find that there were noticeable hiccups in the torrent process, as the client stopped leeching on several occasions. However, it picked up back up continued the process. In general, BitThief will do best with files that have a lot of seeders. Use Torrent Stream. Click here to download Torrent Stream to your Google Chrome browser. We covered Torrent Stream in our article on How to Stream While Torrenting. Torrent Stream is a Google Chrome plugin that allows you to stream torrents without having to download them. Ostensibly, this means that you can use Torrent Stream to torrent without having to seed, as seeding requires you to seed a file you have downloaded on your computer. Unfortunately, Torrent Stream only exists as a Google Chrome plugin, although you can use it on the Opera browser using Opera’s Chrome extension. Torrent Stream is somewhat limited if you’re looking for a wide variety of files. For example, if you’re trying to torrent image files, you’re not going to be able to use Torrent Stream. Additionally, if you’re actually looking to download the files you’re torrenting instead of just streaming content, then you’re going to want to utilize a different torrenting client. Reasons to Torrent Without Seeding. There are many reasons why you might want to torrent without seeding. These can include: Privacy and security concerns Concerns over ISP bandwidth throttling Concerns regarding torrent seeding legality. Let’s look at why each of these reasons holds value. Privacy and Security Concerns. One major concern with using a torrenting site is with privacy and security. When you use a torrent site, you’re not only sharing downloading data, but also sharing it. This exposes your IP to everyone on the network, who can see what kind of activity you’re engaging in, as well as any files you’re sharing or downloading. Unless you’re protected properly, someone on the network may be able to acquire your IP address and use that information to locate your real identity. Seeding only increases that exposure. One clear solution for this is to utilize a VPN while using a torrent service. However, to better limit your privacy concerns, decreasing or eliminating seeding can help reduce your presence on the torrenting network. The privacy concern extends beyond just individuals on the network. If you’re concerned about others using the torrent network to spy on your internet activity (including your ISP), you’ll better your chances of keeping a low profile if you use a VPN alongside reducing or eliminating your seeding. In some cases, ISPs will throttle data if they see you are using a torrent network at all, a problem that can also be solved through the use of a VPN. ISP Bandwidth Throttling. Alongside keeping your torrenting habits more private and reducing your torrent presence on the network, your seeding habits may draw the attention of your ISP. Heavy torrent users have been known to have their speed reduced by their ISP. By its nature, a torrent will make you a far heavier data user than if you were just downloading. Your uploading and downloading activities will increase the load on the ISP’s network. Depending on your ISP, this may trigger significant throttling. In extreme cases, your ISP may send you warnings about your data usage habits. If you torrent without seeding, you’ll ensure that you reduce that presence, making it far less likely that your ISP will throttle your speeds. Legal Issues with Torrenting. Is torrenting legal? This is a bit of a difficult question to answer at times, as some aspects of file torrenting are legal and some are not. Much of that has to do with your country or origin, what files you’re downloading, and whether or not you’re uploading anything. For example, torrent streaming of copyrighted material is considered illegal in the US. However, in the US the law is particularly unclear as to whether torrent streaming that does not involve seeding is also illegal. However. A representative from the Electronic Frontier Foundation noted in 2009 Ars Technica article that both downloading and sharing were illegal. However, torrent streaming only involves keeping pieces of the file temporarily in cache, and not continuously. At no point do you have the entire file, making the law a bit unclear. In countries like Canada and the UK, the law is a bit more clearly in favor of torrent streaming as legal, with seeding of illegal copyrighted material almost always considered illegal in every country. The entire subject, however, is hotly debated even now. In general, torrenting is legal . However, issues arise when users attempt to download copyrighted content. Even bigger problems exist for those who also seed copyrighted content as well, something that many torrent users may not realize they are doing. The legal risks, particularly regarding seeding, are why many users many want to consider torrenting without seeding. To learn more about torrenting, including privacy concerns and legal issues surrounding torrenting, check out our article on How to Stay Anonymous While Torrenting . The Best Alternatives to uTorrent on Windows. Chris Hoffman is Editor-in-Chief of How-To Geek. He's written about technology for over a decade and was a PCWorld columnist for two years. Chris has written for The New York Times, been interviewed as a technology expert on TV stations like Miami's NBC 6, and had his work covered by news outlets like the BBC. Since 2011, Chris has written over 2,000 articles that have been read nearly one billion times---and that's just here at How-To Geek. Read more. Remember when uTorrent was great? The upstart BitTorrent client was super lightweight and trounced other popular BitTorrent clients. But that was long ago, before BitTorrent, Inc. bought uTorrent and crammed it full of crapware and scammy advertisements. Screw that. Whether you need to download a Linux ISO or…well, do whatever else you do with BitTorrent, you don’t have to put up with what uTorrent’s become. Use a better BitTorrent client instead. qBittorrent: an Open-Source, Junk-Free uTorrent. We recommend qBittorrent. It aims to be a “free software alternative to uTorrent”, so it’s the closest thing to a junkware-free version of uTorrent you’ll find. qBitTorrent strives to offer the features most users will want while using as little CPU and memory as possible. The developers are taking a middle path–not cramming every possible feature in, but also avoiding the minimal design of applications like Transmission. The application includes an integrated torrent search engine, BitTorrent extensions like DHT and peer exchange, a web interface for remote control, priority and scheduling features, RSS downloading support, IP filtering, and many more features. It’s available for Windows as well as Linux, macOS, FreeBSD–even Haiku and OS/2! Deluge: a Plug-In Based Client You Can Customize. Deluge is another open-source, cross-platform BitTorrent client. Overall, Deluge and qBittorrent are fairly similar and have many of the same features. But, while qBittorrent generally follows uTorrent, Deluge has a few of its own ideas. Instead of being a feature-filled client, like qBittorrent, Deluge relies on a plug-in system to get you the advanced features you want. It starts off as a more minimal client, and you have to add the features you want through the plug-ins–like RSS support, for example. Deluge is built with a client-server architecture–the Deluge client can run as a daemon or service in the background, while the Deluge user interface can connect to that background service. This means you could run Deluge on a remote system–perhaps a headless server–and control it via Deluge on your desktop. But Deluge will function like a normal desktop application by default. Transmission: a Minimal Client Overcome by Security Issues. Transmission isn’t as popular on Windows, mostly known as a client for macOS and Linux. In fact, it’s installed by default on Ubuntu, Fedora, and other Linux distributions. The official version doesn’t support Windows, but the Transmission-Qt Win project is an “unofficial Windows build of Transmission-Qt” with various tweaks, additions, and modifications to work better on Windows. Warning : Since the original writing of this article, Transmission has had some serious security problems. In March 2016, Transmission’s servers were compromised and the official Mac version of Transmission contained ransomware. The project cleaned things up. In August 2016, Transmission’s servers were again compromised and the official Mac version of Transmission contained a different type of malware. That’s two major compromises in five months, which is practically unheard of. It suggests there’s something seriously wrong with the Transmisison project’s security. We recommend staying away from Transmission entirely until the project cleans up its act. Transmission uses its own libTransmission backend. Like Deluge, Transmission can run as a daemon on another system. You could then use the Transmission interface on your desktop to manage the Transmission servicerunning on another computer. Transmission has a different interface that won’t be immediately familiar to uTorrent users. Instead, it’s designed to be as simple and minimal as possible. It dispenses with a lot of the knobs and toggles in the typical BitTorrent client interface for something more basic. It’s still more powerful than it first appears–you can double-click a torrent to view more information, choose the files you want to download, and adjust other options. uTorrent 2.2.1: a Junk-Free Version of uTorrent That’s Old and Out of Date. Some people prefer sticking with an older, pre-junk version of uTorrent. uTorrent 2.2.1 seems to be the old version of choice. But we’re not crazy about this idea. Sure, you get to keep using uTorrent and you won’t have to worry about updates trying to install garbage software onto your system, activating obnoxious ads, and pushing BitCoin miners on your PC. But uTorrent 2.2.1 was released in 2011. This software is over five years old and may contain security exploits that will never be fixed. It will also never be updated to contain new BitTorrent features that could speed up your downloads. So why waste your time when you could use the similar and much more up to date qBittorrent? It may have made sense to stick with uTorrent 2.2.1 years ago, but modern alternatives have improved dramatically. Sure, there are many more BitTorrent clients for Windows, but these are our favorite ones that won’t try to install junkware on your system. With the exception of the old versions of uTorrent, they’re all open-source applications. Thanks to community-driven development, they’ve resisted the temptation to overload their BitTorrent clients with junkware to make a quick buck. No downloads via the build-in Transmission torrent client. Why may the problem with downloading torrents via the build-in Transmission BitTorrent client occur? The torrent isn't downloading, no errors are reported, download is in a frozen state. And the same torrent is successfully downloaded via the torrent client program on your computer. In the built-in Transmission BitTorrent client settings, enable the following options: Local Peer Discovery (LPD), DHT, uTP, and Peer exchange (PXE). Enabling these options will help the torrent client to find the seeding (distributing) clients. Enable LDP (Local Peer Discovery) — the protocol is an extension for the BitTorrent file exchange system. It makes it possible to detect local BitTorrent peers and thus reduce the traffic passing through the ISP channel and maximize the use of the local area network (LAN) bandwidth. Enable DHT (Distributed Hash Table) — the protocol allows BitTorrent clients to find each other without using a tracker; it will enable to reduce the load on the tracker, to support participants in periods of inaccessibility of the tracker. DHT provides distribution without a tracker at all. Attention! The Keenetic will use more of its resources with DHT, which can affect its productivity. Enable uTP — the protocol provides faster downloads because it works via the UDP protocol, where data exchange is more rapid than via the TCP protocol. Attention! The Keenetic will use more of its resources with μTP, which can affect its productivity. Enable peer exchange (PEX) — the extension of the BitTorrent protocol to exchange member lists. The 10 Best Torrent Clients in 2021. Can you imagine waiting an hour or more to download a movie? No, right? Well, that’s because we have the BitTorrent protocol which made it possible to share large files between Internet users fast and easy. To use the BitTorrent protocol, you need a torrent client. But how to choose one? It’s not a hard task for people already familiar with torrents, torrent trackers, and torrent clients, but a beginner might get confused by all the options. Or you might not be satisfied with your current torrent client, and you want to know which your best options are. That’s why I’m here. I’m going to talk about the ten best torrent clients which will make downloading torrents easy for you. But first, let’s make a couple of things clear. What’s a torrent client? A torrent client is a software application – a program, which you have to download from the Internet and then install on your device. The torrent client executes the BitTorrent protocol, connects to the torrent tracker, and allows you to download or upload files. Usually, torrent clients support most operating system, but you’d better check the description. Are torrent clients illegal? Having a torrent client on your laptop is completely legal. No one can accuse you of pirating just because you have installed a torrent client. There are legal torrent trackers, which host free content or one with expired copyrights. Moreover, you can use torrents to distribute your original content. However, if you’re using it to download or upload copyrighted content, you can get in trouble with the authorities or your Internet provider. So remember to use a VPN to hide your Internet traffic if you plan on downloading movies or song. Are torrent clients free? Most torrent clients are free, and you don’t have to pay anything to download them. If you stumble on a site which asks you to pay for installing a torrent client, it’s probably a scam. However, some torrent clients have a premium membership which offers you some perks like ads-free experience or malware protection. One friendly advice. Pay close attention throughout the installation process, because some torrent clients might install additional software on your computer. Never click “Next” without reading what you’re agreeing to. Now, let’s see which the best torrent clients in 2018 are. Top 10 Torrent Clients in 2020. #1​ qBittorrent. qBittorrent with its clean, user-friendly design takes the rightful first place on our list. Available for multiple operating systems, qBittorrent is fast, easy to use, and has nice features. And it’s all free, so it’s an excellent choice for those looking for a simple torrent client, which won’t gobble up a lot of your CPU and RAM. You’ll probably get a sense of déjà vu the first time you run qBittorrent on your device. The interface is very similar to the old μTorrent, which is great because it will be easy for you to make the transition. And if you’re now to torrenting, there is no chance of getting confused with this simple design. Among its notable features are: Another great thing about qBittorrent is that its open-source software, which means that anyone can expand it and upgrade its features. It’s also completely free from advertisements, and it won’t ask you to install additional software during installation. And you don’t have to pay for add-ons or premium features. Currently, qBittorrent one of the best choice if you’re looking for something like μTorrent but without the advertisements. It doesn’t have as many add-ons or extension as μTorrent, but it’s an excellent choice if you don’t want to pay for extras. #2 Deluge. At first, Deluge might seem too simple for some experienced Internet torrent users, but it offers you fast speed, user-friendly interface, and quick installation. Deluge is available for multiple platforms, and it’s a free program with no premium features to unlock. Just like qBittorrent, Deluge is an open-source software which means no ads will bother you when you run the application. What’s more, the design is very similar to uTorrernt and qBittorrent, so if you have experience with them, you won’t have a problem with Deluge. What’s great about Deluge is that multiple plugins are available for free. You can choose official or third-party ones, including a plugin for Firefox and Chrome. You can download as many or as few of them as you want and customize Deluge to your liking. However, this makes it a little complicated for beginners to torrent clients. Even if you don’t install any plugins, you still have the basic torrent features necessary for day-to-day downloading so that you won’t be disappointed. #3 Vuze. Vuze, known previously as Azureus, is another easy to use torrent client with a great interface and excellent features. It’s available for Windows, Linux, and Mac, and it’s an excellent choice for those of you looking for a powerful torrent client. If Vuze seems too complicated to you at first glance, don’t worry. This torrent client has three settings – beginner, intermediate, and advance so that you can customize it to your level of experience. And there is helpful information available if you don’t know what some of its features are. You can also have multiple plugins at your disposal, which you might use to upgrade the torrent client to your liking. For the more advanced users, you have proxy usage, meta-search, remote control vies a Web, media conversion, and more. What’s also great is that Vuze supports Tor, if you are worried about your security and privacy. However, Vuze offers you to install additional software during the installation process (you can opt out), and it has advertisements. But it’s one of the best torrent clients for experienced users. And if you don’t like ads, Vuze has a paid version. Vuze+ has built-in antivirus protection, no ads, and the option to play media while downloading. #4 Transmission. If you’re using Mac or Linux, you’ve probably heard about Transmission. Well, now this torrent client is finally available for Windows. So, we can’t but include it among the best torrent clients with its clean design and minimum memory footprint. Transmission is an open-source program, and anyone can review the code. You don’t have to pay to unlock any special features or get rid of annoying advertisements, and there are no software offers during installation. What’s more, Transmission is easy to use and has all the basic torrent client features you might need like encryption, peer exchange, magnet links, speed limits and more. The interface shares a lot of similarities with other torrent clients, so you shouldn’t have any issues getting the hang of it. #5 μTorrent. There was a time when μTorrent would have been on top of my list. Sadly, many things had changed for this tiny torrent client created in 2005, which went from open-source to close source when BitTorrent purchased it. But despite its few cons, it’s still one of the best torrent clients for Windows, Mac, Linux, and mobile. What makes μTorrent popular is the user-friendly design, the fast speed, and its small size. Furthermore, it doesn’t take much of your RAM so downloading large files is not going to slow down your computer’s performance. And its free version still has some excellent features like an RSS manager, scheduled downloads, and uploading/downloading limits. But during the years, μTorrent lost some of its users’ trust. First, it was the bundled software in the installation packed, then too many advertisements within the application, and finally the scandal with Epic Scale, a software which mined Litecoin using the users’ computers. According to μTorrent, people could opt out and not install Epic Scale, but many reported that this was not the case and that they installed it without knowing what it was. Since then, μTorrent has removed Epic Scale, but some people still feel betrayed. The conclusion is that μTorrent continues to be one of the most widely used torrent clients. However, its new versions are not as appealing as it used to be, especially when we have new contenders on the scene. #6 BitTorrent. I already mentioned that BitTorrent Inc. purchased μTorrent a couple of years ago. However, BitTorrent Inc. has its own product called BitTorrent, which was the first torrent client to implement the BitTorrent protocol. That’s why it’s on our list of best torrent clients. It’s on our list of the best torrent client because it’s light, user-friendly, intuitive. BitTorrent offers all the features you need to download torrents and magnet links such as automatic bandwidth management and file prioritizing. In fact, the interface of μTorrent and BitTorrent are almost identical. So, if you’re used to μTorrent, you won’t get any troubles with BitTorrent. But there are a couple of differences between BitTorrent and μTorrent that are worth pointing out. BitTorrent is available for Mac, Windows, and Android, unlike μTorrent which is also available for Linux. Moreover, BitTorrent is not as frequently updated as μTorrent, and it releases only stable versions instead of alpha and beta ones as μTorrent. Nevertheless, BitTorrent is as effective and easy to use as μTorrent, and it’s perfect for novice torrent users. On the negative side, BitTorrent bundles software in its installation package, and it has ads in its free version. However, their paid one offers you the ability to stream torrent as you download them and you can also purchase a package that comes with a VPN included. #7 HaliteBitTorrent Client. If you are looking for a simple torrent client, then Halite is the one for you. It doesn’t have any extra features you might find in other torrent clients, but it has all the basic ones you need to download, manage, and create torrents. Halite also includes full Unicode support, port randomization, and shutdown scheduler. One of the best things about Halite is that it has a small memory footprint and won’t take much of your computer’s memory or processing power. In addition to this, it’s open-sourced software, which is always the best option because you can review the code. On the negative side, Halite is available only for Windows, so you can’t use it on your phone or tablet. Moreover, from what I could see, it was last updated four years ago, so its future might not be as bright as one could hope. #8 Tixati. Compared to other torrent clients, Tixati might look strange to you due to its retro design. However, do not let that mislead you. Tixati has all the basic features of a torrent client, including file prioritization and sequential download as well as magnet links, DHT, and PEX support. What makes me place it on our list of the best torrent clients is the fact that it offers you comprehensive data on a torrent’s peers. You can see not only a peer’s location based on their IP but also how much data you’re sharing with them. In addition to this, Tixati includes detailed bandwidth management, IP Filtering, RC4 connection encryption, and Event Scheduler. It’s completely free and has no ads to bother you while you’re downloading your torrents. Moreover, Tixati has useful tips for new users which can help you get used to Tixati’s interface. The website has some suggestions on how to optimize Taxati’s performance . However, it’s only available for Windows and Linux, so it’s not suitable for mobile devices. #9 BiglyBT. Another torrent client worth looking at is one of the youngest addition in the torrent client family. I’m talking about BiglyBT, an offshoot from Vuze/Azureus torrent project. It was launched in 2017, and it had enough excellent features to earn its place in the best torrent clients list. For starters, BiglyBt is an open-sourced torrent client, and it’s completely free with no ads or malware to worry about. Unlike other torrent clients, it doesn’t come with additional software that might compromise you. Instead, it features a VPN integration and proxy search ability to keep your data safe. In addition to this, BiglyBT offers its users web torrent support, many download limit options, and swarm merging for fast downloads. Moreover, you can control this torrent client remotely through its Android app. Another great thing about BiglyBT is that it’s user-friendly for beginners but has many additional features for more advanced users. I’m talking about swarm discoveries, metasearch, and decentralized public/anonymous chats, among a few. BiglyBT is available for Mac, Linux, and Android as well as for Windows. And if you are using Vuze/Azureus, you can transfer your configuration to BiglyBT. #10 BitComet. One of the oldest torrent clients, BitComet still has a lot to offer to his experienced and beginner users. For once, it features an intelligent disk cache which aims to reduce the wear of your hard disk when you download torrents. BitComet also has long-term seeding for torrents with little or no seeds and the ability to preview the files you’re downloading. It also has an intelligent connection optimization in addition to intelligent disk allocation, which reduces disk fragmentation. Another great thing about BitComet is that it detects mirror servers automatically and uses them to increase the download speed of your files. You also have a bandwidth scheduler and automatic shutdown at your disposal. But more importantly, this torrent client is free, and its interface is similar to that of BitTorrent and uTorrent so that it’s easy to navigate. However, it’s available only for Windows and Mac. Finally, always remember to download your torrent client from the developer’s website to avoid software infected with malware. And don’t be afraid to experiment with different torrent clients until you find the one that you like the most. What do you think about these best torrent clients? Have you got anything to add to our list? Share it with us in the comments.