Encyclopedia
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.
01Applications
General
| BitTorrent client | Developer | Platform | Latest release | License | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Version | Date | |||||
| BiglyBT | Bigly Software | Linux | 4.0.0.0 | 2023-09-22 | GPL-2.0-or-later | |
| macOS | ||||||
| Windows | ||||||
| Android | 2023-09-22 | |||||
| BitComet | BitComet Development Group | macOS | 2.10 | 2024-10-09 | Proprietary, Adware | |
| Windows | 2.10 | 2024-10-09 | ||||
| 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 | 2.2.0 | 2025-04-28 | 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 | 6.30.3.6518 | 2025-10-31 | Proprietary | |
| Linux | ||||||
| macOS | ||||||
| Windows | ||||||
| FrostWire | The FrostWire Project | Android | 2.9.4 | 2024-12-26 | GPL-3.0-or-later | |
| Linux | 6.13.4-build-324 | 2024-10-16 | ||||
| macOS | 6.13.4-build-324 | 2024-10-16 | ||||
| Windows | 6.13.4-build-324 | 2024-10-16 | ||||
| KGet | KDE | BSD | GPL-2.0-or-later | |||
| Linux | ||||||
| KTorrent | Joris Guisson, Ivan Vasić | BSD | 25.08.0 | 2025-08-14 | GPL-2.0-or-later | |
| Linux | ||||||
| macOS | ||||||
| Lftp | Alexander V. Lukya | BSD | 4.9.3 | 2024-11-08 | 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 | 3.2.1 | 2024-08-20 | 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 | 5.2.3 | 2026-07-07 | GPL-2.0-or-later | |
| Linux | ||||||
| Haiku | ||||||
| macOS | ||||||
| OS/2 | ||||||
| Windows | ||||||
| rTorrent | Jari Sundell | BSD | 0.16.23 | 2026-09-15 | 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 | 3.31 | 2024-12-11 | Proprietary | |
| Windows | ||||||
| Tonido | CodeLathe | BSD | 14.90.0.34030 | 2017-01-13 | Proprietary | |
| Linux | ||||||
| macOS | ||||||
| Windows | ||||||
| Transmission | various | BSD | 4.1.3 | 2026-06-30 | GPL-2.0-only or GPL-3.0-only MIT |
|
| Linux | ||||||
| macOS | ||||||
| OpenWrt | ||||||
| Solaris | ||||||
| Windows | ||||||
| Tribler | The Tribler Team | Linux | 8.4.3 | 2026-06-18 | GPL-3.0-only | |
| 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 | ||||||
| BitTorrent client | Developer | Platform | Latest release | License | Notes | |
| Version | Date | |||||
Operating system support
| 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 | 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 |
| 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 | 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 | No |
| BitTorrent client | Windows | macOS | GNU/Linux | BSD | iOS | Android | Other |
Interface and programming
| BitTorrent client | GUI | Remote | CLI | Other | Programming language | Based on | IPv6 | μTP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BiglyBT | Yes | Yes | No | Telnet, XML over HTTP remote control API | Java, SWT | Vuze | Yes | Yes |
| 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 |
| 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 | 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 (BEP 28) |
UPnP | NAT Port Mapping Protocol | NAT traversal (BEP 55) |
DHT protocol (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 |
|
| 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 | 1,2 | 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 | No | 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 | 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 | Local Peer Discovery | Proxy server |
Features II
| BitTorrent client | Cache | Hash Web seeding | HTTP Web seeding | Broad-catching (RSS) (BEP 36) |
Prioritization | Selective downloads (BEP 53) |
Sequential downloading | SOCKS | Tracker exchange (BEP 28) |
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 | 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 | Yes | 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 |
02Libraries
- General
| BitTorrent library | Initial release | Platform | Latest release | License | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Version | Date | |||||
| libtorrent (Rasterbar) | 8 September 2005 (2005-09-08) | Linux | 2.0.9, 1.2.19 2.1.1 |
2023-05-22 2026-08-10 |
BSD-3-Clause | |
| macOS | ||||||
| Windows | ||||||
| MonoTorrent | September 2006 (2006-09) | Linux | 3.0.2 | 2024-08-04 | MIT | |
| macOS | ||||||
| Windows | ||||||
| rTorrent (libTorrent Rakshasa) | 15 July 2004 (2004-07-15) | Linux | 0.16.23 | 2026-09-15 | 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 | Local Peer Discovery | 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 | Local Peer Discovery | 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 |
Sources and credits
This article is adapted from the Wikipedia article “Comparison of BitTorrent clients”, written by its contributors and licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Fathomly has changed the layout, removed citation markers, navigation and maintenance notices, and adjusted punctuation. This adapted version is shared under the same license. For references, see the original article.
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