18 Best Torrent Clients or Software for Downloading Torrents

Downloading files through torrents is the most convenient way to get movies, shows, books, or even games. But which torrent client is the best in providing better speed, lightweight structure, and better privacy?

Choosing a torrent client is crucial for privacy and security; it’s also important in fast downloading and device performance. However, you must ensure that the client you choose does not contain or spread any harmful malware injection and doesn’t annoy you with background ads. You must also check the company history to ensure these guys can be trusted.

But don’t worry; here, you can find all the experts’ recommended and best torrent clients that provide better speed, privacy, and downloading features. So, let’s read along to discuss this in detail.

Why do you need a safe torrent client? 

Downloading torrents is always risky. The torrent files and the torrent clients can have malware embedded within them. Downloading such malicious files can also infect your device with malware, and you can face problems such as data theft, hardware failure, or system slowdowns.

Using a secure torrent client can save you from all these problems. The best torrent clients mentioned in this article protect against malware, adware, and ISP tracking, so do use these.

What are the best torrent clients for Android and iOS?

The best torrent clients for Android and iOS include qBittorent, BitTorrent, and uTorrent. These clients are typically lightweight and offer excellent features that boost the user’s experience. Unfortunately, you cannot download nor install torrent software on iOS, but you can use the web-based versions of the listed clients.

Which torrent client is the fastest?

It is impossible to regard a torrent client as the fastest because speed is determined by many factors that differ amongst torrent clients. However, to enhance your speed when downloading torrents, use a reputable VPN service, NordVPN, to conceal your IP address. This prevents your ISP from throttling your internet speed because it cannot see you using a high bandwidth in your online activities.

Moreover, the greater the number of seeders in your torrent client, the faster it downloads. Also, the speed of your online connection influences how fast your torrent client will be.

18 best Torrent Clients – better Privacy and Speed

Without further delays, let’s dive into the brief review of the best torrent clients that are reliable to download.

1. BitTorrent

• Website URL: qbittorrent.org
• Supported devices: Windows, Linux, FreeBSD, macOS, OS/2
• Price: Free

If you are looking for a multi-platform torrent client that provides all the essential features, there is no better choice than qBitTorrent. It is a free and open-source torrent client that is reliable to use. It is among the few torrent clients that don’t deal with advertisements. The torrent client is compatible with all major operating systems and devices.

qBitTorrent offers some impressive features that further make the torrenting experience worth excellent such as follows:

• Allows category-based searches with a built-in search engine.  
•  It has a UI lock that prevents unauthorized access to the software. 
• It provides an easy way to download torrents, and you can control it remotely too.
• It also supports RSS feeds, proxies, private torrents, and encrypted connections.

The downside of qBitTorrent is that you won’t find downloaders’ comments. Thus, deciding the downloaded file’s relevance would be tough.

2. BitTorrent 

• Website URL: bittorrent.com
• Supported devices: Windows, macOS, Android
• Price: Free and Paid for both

BitTorrent is one of our list’s oldest yet most popular torrent clients. It is the most extensive decentralized P2P protocol for sharing large files. It has a clean and intuitive user interface and offers beginner and advanced-level users a wide range of features.

BitTorrent comes with a search box that allows users to search for their desired files based on categories. By configuring the setting, you can:

• schedule downloads
•  limit the bandwidth
•  manage the paired devices
• cap the downloading and uploading speed

The user interface is simple, clean, and appealing, with several customizable options. Its minimal design is its best feature. The torrent client is safe because the client code is a closed source. It is up to the developers to develop a security patch or the latest update.

The software offers both free and premium versions. But remember that the free version includes ads that disturb your entire user experience. The paid version is of different categories, and each feature also varies.

3. Vuze

• Website URL: vuzu.dstv.com
• Supported devices: Windows, macOS, Linux
• Price: Free and $3.99 per month

If you want the best torrent client for the Windows platform, Vuzu should be your first choice. It is closed-source and provides strong searching capabilities. It makes the searching and downloading process hassle-free.

The torrent client offers features like:

•  Magnetic link support
•  An integrated search option
• Control the software remotely through the mobile app. 
• Enables users to check search query details within its tab, ensuring security.

It also shows pop-up ads, which can risk your privacy and hinder your experience. But don’t worry; you can eliminate advertisements by upgrading to a premium version called Vuzu Plus. It offers an ad-free user interface and does have some extra features. These features include built-in antivirus, DVD burning, and playing videos while the files are still in the download phase.

4. Deluge

• Website URL: deluge-torrent.org
• Supported devices: Windows, macOS, Linux
• Price: Free

Deluge is a free and open-source client that has gained immense popularity. It offers several valuable plugins to boost your torrenting experience. You can get these plugins from the official site or third-party plugins. Deluge is the favorite choice of torrent users for providing a variety of plugins.

Other reasons to use Deluge are as follows:

• The torrent client comes with a minimalist design and gives off fast performance. 
• Offers per-torrent bandwidth restrictions and the ability to discover peers locally.
•  Uses encryption tactics such as Message Stream Encryption and Protocol Encryption. 
• It can manage the IPv6 and proxy servers for a better torrenting experience.

The user interface is clean, but users would find it plain and complicated compared to other top names. Since torrent software is open-source, anyone knowing to code can fix the vulnerabilities.

5. uTorrent 

• Website URL: utorrent.com
• Supported devices: Windows, macOS, Linux, Android
• Price: Free, $19.95 per year

BitTorrent first introduced UTorrent in 2005; since then, it has been one of the best torrent clients. It shares a similar user-interface design to BitTorrent. It offers several handful features that ensure a fantastic torrenting experience like:

• Allows limited bandwidth, uploads, and downloads
• Users can schedule multiple torrents for downloading.
• It also lets users remotely manage their downloads. 
• Add the RSS feeds within the client enabling downloads when new torrents are added. 

The biggest drawback of using uTorrent is its record of security vulnerabilities.

A few years back, uTorrent vulnerabilities in the Windows desktop and web platform allowed hackers to control critical functions and spy on users’ downloads. Moreover, it also comes with ads. But again, you can prevent them by switching to the premium version.

6. Tixati 

• Website URL: tixati.com
• Supported devices: Windows and Linux
• Price: Free

If you want a torrent client that provides ultra-fast speed, you should try Tixati. It is a free torrent client with a simple and easy-to-use user interface. Since it is adware-free, this makes it popular among torrent users. One should use this torrent client because:

• It has a minimalist design and provides more configuration options than other torrent clients. 
• Tixati supports RC4 encryption and SOCKS5 proxy.
• There are no previous track records of the torrent client having malware or spyware. 
• It also enables users to manage downloads by limiting the bandwidth.
• Provides torrent files with a seed-to-leech ratio that facilitates fast downloading speed.

 You can benefit from an RSS feed that automatically downloads the torrent files you set up in the RSS feed. Whenever the feed updates new files, they will get downloaded automatically. Another impressive thing about Tixati is its website’s comprehensive help and support section. It also has a live community forum where users offer advice and support to other users.

Since it is a closed-source torrent client, it lacks transparency. The drawback of using this torrent client is that it doesn’t work on macOS and lacks a built-in search function, but it provides encrypted chat rooms where links can be searched or shared easily.

7. BiglyBt

• Website URL: biglybt.com
• Supported devices: macOS, Android, Windows
• Price: Free

For over 15 years of development, BiglyBt is another widely used free and open-source torrent client. Despite being entirely free, it doesn’t interrupt your experience with intrusive ads. With tons of customizable setting options and preferences, it ensures a satisfying downloading experience.

The software supports integration with several first and third-party plugins. Like other torrent clients, it also lets users to:

• Schedule downloading
• Filter out the search results
•  Limits bandwidth
•  I2P support
• Built-in torrent discovery tools
•  Get all the essential information of your downloaded files. 

The most impressive feature of BiglyBt is Swarm Merging. It allows the same file to get downloaded using multiple torrents for a fast download speed.

Also, the software is available for all major platforms and devices, making it one of the best torrent clients. To ensure a safe torrenting experience, users view comments and ratings before adding the torrent file to the torrent client.

The only thing that makes it less than its competitors is its complex interface.

8. Transmission

• Website URL: transmissionbt.com
• Supported devices: Windows, macOS
• Price: Free

Transmission is an excellent choice for a free, lightweight, and feature-packed torrent client. It is available on all major platforms and OS and is among the few torrent clients that offer a solution for embedded hardware such as NAS, Raspberry Pi, and home servers.

The open-source torrent client offers excellent customization options and an appealing and easy-to-use interface. Its extensive range of features also makes it a preferred choice for torrenting. It outperforms other torrent clients and lets users download files from multiple peers and upload their own. Some of the key features include:

•  Scheduled downloading
•  Encryption support 
• Remote management 
• IP filtering 

Another advantage of using this open-source torrent client is protecting the software from malware. The software is known to share harmful installer files from its official site in the past; thus, it can be a reason that the users are away from using it. But it does get some unofficial builds that contain malware payloads. The payloads can create a backdoor for hackers to access sensitive data and even control your system.

Another disadvantage of this torrent client is that it lacks a built-in search engine and proxy server support.

9.BitLord 

• Website URL: bitlord.com
• Supported devices: Windows, macOS
• Price: Free

Another trustworthy P2P downloader is BitLord. Despite being the oldest torrent client, it has many features and exemplary performance. The torrent client works well and doesn’t cause any issues during downloading. The user interface is also intuitive, which ensures easy navigation.

The software also allows users to browse torrents category-wise; the top torrents are organized by days, weeks, months, and years. Some of its valuable features include:

• Password Protection 
• Download organizer
•  Torrent feedback list 
• Automatic subtitle 
• Built-in media player 

The only issue with this torrent client is its outdated easy-to-use interface rarely publishes new updates. Unfortunately, you can only use the BitLord torrent client on Windows and macOS.

10. Web Torrent

• Website URL: webtorrent.io
• Supported devices: Windows, macOS, Linux
• Price: Free

If you want a torrent client that allows you to stream torrents without even downloading them, use Web Torrent. Yet another free torrent client provides seamless integration with multiple operating systems. It is among the best torrent client because:

• It has a minimalist interface that makes it easy to search and download torrent files.
•  It enables downloading process as soon as you paste the URL.
• It has a built-in media play that lets you play audiobooks as soon as they are downloaded. 
• Allows streaming videos on AirPlay and Chromecast.

The concerning thing about Web Torrent is that it is made for media streaming. Nonetheless, you can still download all types of P2P files.

11. BitComet

• Website URL: bitcomet.com
• Supported devices: Windows, macOS
• Price: Free

BitComet is the fastest BitTorrent client designed especially for the Windows platform. It provides all the basic torrent client features along with some additional ones, too like:

• Offers a seeding feature that seizes data from seeders and peers with complete torrent files. 
• Ensures HTTP support
• Provides magnet links
• It is compatible with DHT Network support
• The disk caching feature stores accessed data in the main memory instead of the PC’s hard drive

It is free software that is best for previewing downloaded torrent files. But, the torrent client does come with significant drawbacks. It doesn’t enable users to limit the bandwidth. Even though the installation process is easy, the UI is more complicated than other torrent clients. Also, if you are a Linux user, BitComet is not the right choice.

12. Halite BitTorrent Client

• Website URL: sourceforge.net
• Supported devices: Windows
• Price: Free

Halite is a simple, lightweight app that works exceptionally well on Windows. It is yet another free and open-source software that offers several advanced features, such as:

• Protocol encryption 
• Super seeding
• Disk cache support
•  IP filtering 

You need to download Halite from GitHub, and for beginners, the installation process can be tricky and confusing. The user interface is simple and minimalist. You can add a torrent file, and it starts to download immediately.

There are two significant drawbacks to using the Halite torrent client. Firstly, it is only available to the Windows platform; secondly, the updates are not frequent.

13. KTorrent

• Website URL: apps.kde.org
• Supported devices: Windows, macOS, Linux
• Price: Free but accepts donations

KTorrent is another BitTorrent app that allows users to download torrent files using the BitTorrent protocol. The best thing about this torrent client is that it leads to running multiple torrents simultaneously and comes with extensive features such as:

• Support for private trackers and torrents.
• Built-in media player
• It supports plugins for a better torrenting experience.
• Importing fully or partially downloaded files.
• File prioritization for multi-file torrents.
• Previewing certain file types
• Support for web seeds 

The software is available in ten languages, making it one of the best choices globally. But, despite being free, it does have a donation option on its website.

14. FrostWire

• Website URL: frostwire.com
• Supported devices: Windows, macOS, Android, Ubuntu,
• Price: Free

Another oldest BitTorrent client is FrostWire. The open-source software was released in 2004 as a fork for another torrent client, LimeWire. It operates on all major devices and operating systems.

It comes with the basic torrent client features, but it adds more features and functionalities with time, such as:

• It allows previewing an individual file in a single folder. 
• It has a built-in media player that plays the media files. 
• Sharing options allow users to share their favorite files directly from the computer.

FrostWire is safe because it is free from malware, adware, and viruses that can infect your device. It doesn’t host any content but allows you to connect with other computers to find your desired searched content.

It also supports magnet links for BitTorrent extensions and protocols and Peer Exchange. The platform is mainly designed for content creators, including writers, filmmakers, and other professionals who provide their work accessible to millions of users by hosting their files in FrostWire.

However, the torrent client failed to add custom websites to the search bar. Also, during setup, you might end up installing unnecessary programs.

15. JS Torrent Lite

• Website URL: jstorrent.com
• Supported devices: Windows, macOS, Android
• Price: Free

It is a torrent client extension for Google Chrome. It is simple and easy to use that runs everywhere in JavaScript. It improves the download speed by enhancing peer connection handling. Moreover, it informs the users when there are new app updates.

Unfortunately, it only supports Android and has bugs that cause buffering during downloads.

16. Tribler

• Website URL: tribler.org
• Supported devices: Windows, macOS, Linux
• Price: Free

It is among the best torrent file downloaders that allow anonymous downloading. According to your needs, it will enable you to search the content. You can find various videos using the Tribler torrent client and watch them before the downloads are done.

17. Zbigz

• Website URL: zbigz.com
• Supported devices: Windows, macOS, Linux
• Price: Free, Four different premium plans starting at $5.99 for five days

Another secure torrent client on our list is Zbigz. It facilitates fast and easy downloading of files across multiple platforms. To initiate the downloading process, you need a magnet link. It is among the rare torrent clients that are cloud-based. Since HTTPS protects it, it helps the users stay anonymous while downloading the torrent file. It comes with both free and paid versions. The premium plans are for five days, monthly, and three months.

To download a file from Zbigz, you don’t need any installation or configuration. It allows downloading all types of content, free from network and software restrictions. The free version offers limited features and has ads that ruin your experience.

18. Bitport

• Website URL: bitport.io
• Supported devices: iOS and Android
• Price: Free and three different premium plans starting for $5 per month

Another cloud-based torrent client is Bitport. Since it is cloud-based software, you don’t need any device installation. All your downloaded files are stored in the cloud, and you can access them anytime and anywhere. Like other torrent clients, it also offers a friendly user interface but only functions on Android and iOS. To protect user connections, it supports SSL encryption.

Tips on choosing the best torrent clients

The top torrent clients on our list are excellent options, but they are not entirely secure. A VPN service like ExpressVPN safeguards your P2P connections, conceals your IP address, and provides fast speeds, allowing you to browse torrent sites safely and seamlessly.

We tested the best torrent programs based on customization and usability, as outlined below:

• Lightweight and powerful: The best torrent clients are essential apps that are easy to download and install. They utilize a small percentage of your system’s resources, implying that they can function smoothly in the background without interfering with the performance of your gadget.
• Simple to use: Every client on our top list has an appealing and engaging user interface. This makes it easy to use because all the essential features are well organized, allowing you to find them without any hassle.
• Easy to customize: We considered if the torrent clients supported first or third-party extensions, allowing you to create a distinctive client that can offer more services besides downloading torrents.
• Valuable Features: We examined the vital features of each torrent client and how they improved the user experience. Most torrent clients include features like a search bar, the ability to play files while downloading, a bandwidth regulator, and a download planner.
• Free to use: All clients on our top list include a free version ideal for many users. In addition, the clients are free from ads and pop-ups that may install malware, as many free clients tend to make money through advertising.
• Compatibility with most devices: Most of our best torrent clients are compatible with popular operating systems, including Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android. Some also offer web or desktop clients optimized explicitly for operating systems.

Warning! The risks of using torrent clients

Torrent clients should be used cautiously because they can serve as a breeding ground for spyware and malware. Although rare today, some torrent programs have previously infected entire devices. Fortunately, we have tried and tested our best torrent clients list to guarantee your security.

Moreover, you should download approved torrents from known and trustworthy vendors to avoid downloading torrent files infected with viruses or malware. This is because even the best torrent clients cannot protect you from such attacks. The main threat of using a torrent client is your privacy. This is because other peers downloading or sharing the same material can see your IP address when you download or share a torrent. They can monitor you, target you with malicious attacks, or discover your location and identity. Fortunately, you can protect yourself while torrenting with a top-notch VPN service, such as ExpressVPN, to conceal your IP address.

Best VPNs to use with your torrent client

1. NordVPN

• Over 5,000 servers spread across 59+ countries
• Double VPN
• Kill switch
• Onion over Tor
• Dedicated IP address
• Dark web monitoring tools
• A zero logs policy
• A robust AES 256-bit encryption
• Allows up to 6 simultaneous connections
• 30-day money-back guarantee

NordVPN boasts a global network of over 5,000 servers distributed across 59+ countries. It also offers 3,000+ P2P dedicated servers that enable you to avoid your ISP throttling the bandwidth to ensure fast downloads on torrent clients.

Furthermore, it provides advanced security and privacy features such as military-grade AES-256 encryption, Tor over VPN, a kill switch, split tunneling, and torrent IP leak protection, which protect your real identity and keep you safe while downloading torrents. It also offers a SOCKS5 proxy for any torrent client to improve torrent download speeds and hide your IP address.

A reputable VPN service in the market, with additional meshnet and threat protection features. It also has a Tor over VPN feature, enhancing online safety and anonymity.

It also allows you to connect up to 6 devices simultaneously from a single account. Moreover, it offers a range of user-friendly apps for popular platforms.

2. ExpressVPN

• 3,000+ servers distributed in 90+ countries
• Bullet-proof AES 256-bit encryption
• DNS/IPv6 leak protection
• Zero logs policy
• Automatic kill switch
• Split tunneling
• Allows up to 5 simultaneous connections
• Offers a 30-day money-back guarantee

ExpressVPN offers over 3,000 servers spread across 90+ countries with lightning-fast speeds, which enhances your browsing experience while using torrent clients. It also conceals your IP address, preventing your ISP from throttling your bandwidth and allowing you to maintain fast speeds.

This VPN includes advanced privacy and security features like a robust AES 256-bit encryption that is hard to crack. It also has a kill switch that helps you to disconnect your internet connection if the VPN connection drops, limiting the exposure of your online activity. The VPN guarantees a no-logs policy, which safeguards your identity from cybercriminals.

This VPN service provides blazing speeds for Torrent clients, making it suitable for downloading torrents swiftly. It also has advanced security and privacy features like robust AES 256-bit encryption and a kill switch.

Moreover, it has a 30-day money-back policy that you can use to test its features and then claim a full refund if you are not satisfied with its services. It is also compatible with multiple devices, including macOS, Windows, iOS, Android, Apple TV, Linux, and Routers.

3. Private Internet Access (PIA)

• Over 35,000 servers spread in 83 countries
• A strict no-logs policy
• A customizable AES 128-bit and AES 256-bit encryption
• MACE ad blocker
• Split tunneling
• A kill switch
• Private DNS
• Allows unlimited simultaneous connections
• A 30-day money-back policy

Private Internet Access (PIA) provides an extensive global network of over 35,000 servers in 83 countries. It also includes dedicated IP addresses, which enable you to access geo-restricted content on torrent websites while remaining anonymous.

Furthermore, PIA offers robust security features that safeguard your data while using torrent clients. This VPN employs solid customizable AES 128-bit and AES 256-bit encryptions, ensuring no third party can monitor or see your web traffic. Also, its DNS leak protection and the zero-logs policy ensure that your data does not leak to preserve your privacy.

PIA has an extensive network of servers that have reliable and decent speeds. It also includes a built-in malware and ad blocker known as MACE, which helps block ads while using Torrent clients.

You can test PIA risk-free with the 30-day money-back guarantee. The limitless simultaneous connections are a unique feature, which will be helpful if you have many devices. Furthermore, it is compatible with popular devices such as Windows, Linux, Smart TVs, iOS, macOS, and Android.

4. Surfshark

• 3,200 RAM-only servers spread over 100 countries
•  Tor over VPN
• Strict no-logs policy
• Kill switch
• Split tunneling
• Perfect forward secrecy
• Multihop
• Allows an unlimited number of simultaneous connections
• Offers a 30-day refund policy

Surfshark is a superb VPN for downloading torrents anonymously on popular torrent clients. Also, the service offers unlimited bandwidth, enabling you to download even large torrent files. Moreover, it includes P2P-optimized servers for a fast and secure downloading process.

The VPN offers robust encryption and IP leak protection feature, which conceals your online activity from third parties. It also includes extra privacy and security features such as multihop, 2FA, perfect forward secrecy, kill switch, Tor over VPN, No Borders, split tunneling, and an ad-blocker.

A low-cost VPN with consistent and fast speeds that are adequate for downloading torrents. It also offers robust security and privacy features.

Moreover, you can connect to unlimited devices from a single Surfshark account. The 30-day money-back guarantee allows you to test the service risk-free. Furthermore, it is compatible with popular devices like Linux, Android, macOS, iOS, Windows, routers, gaming consoles, and routers.

Is torrenting legal?

Torrenting itself is not illegal. But, downloading and sharing any copyrighted material for commercial use is unlawful, and you can get caught by the authorities.

The torrenting laws are getting stricter with each passing day, varying from country to country. ISPs and government agencies work together to catch people distributing copyrighted material in the USA. If you are downloading torrents, your ISP can quickly hook you.

Your ISP is the one who is continuously monitoring your network. It can be a warning letter, slowing internet speed, or even imprisonment. They can even take legal action against you for downloading torrents.

Thus, for a safe and secure torrenting experience, it’s recommended to use a VPN.

Conclusion

Torrenting has gained much popularity, but at the same time, it can be risky. You can securely and anonymously download torrents using the best torrent client and a VPN.

However, finding the right torrent client is not an easy task. Several platforms allow users to download torrent files, but you can’t trust them. As mentioned earlier, clients are the industry’s best torrent software with all the necessary features to make your torrenting experience worth amazing. So, do try them, and don’t forget to share your experience in the comments section below.

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About the Author

Rebecca James

Rebecca James is an IT consultant with forward thinking approach toward developing IT infrastructures of SMEs. She writes to engage with individuals and raise awareness of digital security, privacy, and better IT infrastructure.

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