The following is a general comparison of BitTorrent clients, which are computer programs designed for peer-to-peer file sharing using the BitTorrent protocol.
The BitTorrent protocol coordinates segmented file transfer among peers connected in a swarm. A BitTorrent client enables a user to exchange data as a peer in one or more swarms. Because BitTorrent is a peer-to-peer communications protocol that does not need a server, the BitTorrent definition of client differs from the conventional meaning expressed in the client–server model.
Bram Cohen, author of the BitTorrent protocol, made the first BitTorrent client, which he also called BitTorrent, and published it in July 2001.
Many BitTorrent programs are open-source software; others are freeware, adware or shareware. Some download managers, such as FlashGet and GetRight, are BitTorrent-ready. Opera 12, a web browser, can also transfer files via BitTorrent.
In 2013 Thunder Networking Technologies publicly revealed that some of their employees surreptitiously distributed a Trojan horse with certain releases of Xunlei, the company's BitTorrent-ready download manager. Xunlei is included in the comparison tables.
Applications General
BitTorrent client Developer Platform Latest release License Notes Version Date BiglyBTBigly SoftwareLinux2023-09-22 rowspan="4" macOSWindowsAndroid2023-09-22 BitComet BitComet Development Group macOS rowspan="2" , Adware Windows BitLord House of Life macOS rowspan="2" , Adware Windows BitTorrent BitTorrent Android rowspan="3" , Adware macOS Windows Deluge various BSD rowspan="5" Linux macOS Solaris Windows FlashGet Trend Media Windows Free Download Manager alervd Android rowspan="4" Linux macOS Windows FrostWire The FrostWire Project Android rowspan="4" Linux macOS Windows KGet KDE BSD rowspan="2" Linux KTorrent Joris Guisson, Ivan Vasić BSD rowspan="3" Linux macOS Lftp Alexander V. Lukya BSD rowspan="4" Linux macOS Windows LimeWire Lime Wire LLC Linux rowspan="3" macOS Windows Miro Participatory Culture Foundation Linux rowspan="3" macOS Windows MLDonkey MLDonkey Project BSD rowspan="6" Linux macOS MorphOS Solaris Windows μTorrent BitTorrent Android rowspan="3" , Adware macOS Windows Opera 12 Opera Software FreeBSD 12.16 rowspan="5" Linux macOS Solaris Windows 12.17 qBittorrent Christophe Dumez BSD rowspan="6" Linux Haiku macOS OS/2 Windows rTorrent Jari Sundell BSD rowspan="5" Linux macOS Solaris Windows Robert Sponge, co-developer of I2P BSD rowspan="4" Linux macOS Windows Shareaza Shareaza Development Team Windows Tixati Kevin Hearn Linux rowspan="2" Windows Tonido CodeLathe BSD rowspan="4" Linux macOS Windows Transmission various BSD rowspan="6" Linux macOS OpenWrt Solaris Windows Tribler The Tribler Team Linux rowspan="3" macOS Windows Vuze Vuze Android rowspan="4" Linux macOS Windows Xunlei Thunder Networking Technologies Android rowspan="4" , Adware iOS macOS Windows BitTorrent client Developer Platform Latest release License Notes Version Date
Operating system support BitTorrent client Windows macOS GNU/Linux BSD iOS Android OtherBiglyBT BitComet BitLord BitTorrent Deluge FlashGet Free Download Manager Frostwire KGet KTorrent Lftp LimeWire Miro MLDonkey μTorrent Opera 12 qBittorrent Robert rTorrent Shareaza Tixati Tonido Transmission Tribler Vuze Xunlei BitTorrent client Windows macOS GNU/Linux BSD iOS Android Other
Interface and programming BitTorrent client GUI Remote CLI Other Programming language Based on IPv6 μTPBiglyBT Java, SWTVuze BitComet BitComet command line interface see BitComet Command Line – BitComet Wiki C++ - BitLord Python, C++ libtorrent (Rasterbar) BitTorrent 5, Mainline Python - Deluge Python, C++ libtorrent (Rasterbar) FlashGet Free Download Manager C++ libtorrent (Rasterbar) Frostwire Java libtorrent (Rasterbar) KGet C++ - KTorrent C++ - lftpC++ - LimeWire Java libtorrent (Rasterbar) Miro C++ libtorrent (Rasterbar) MLDonkey OCaml - μTorrent C++ - Opera 12 C++ - qBittorrent Python, C++ libtorrent (Rasterbar) rTorrent C++ libTorrent (Rakshasa) Shareaza C++ - Tixati C++ - Tonido C++ libtorrent (Rasterbar) Transmission C++ (rewritten from C), Objective-C libtransmission Tribler Python, C++ libtorrent (Rasterbar) Vuze Java, SWT - Xunlei C++ - 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) UPnPAutomatically configure port forwarding (requires Router with UPnP support) NAT Port Mapping Protocol NAT traversalMany clients claim to support this, but just UPnP calls for opening a TCP port is not effective and disabled by factory default in most new hardware. "UDP NAT Traversal" is the proper working solution, supported by just a few. (BEP 55) DHT protocolDHT permits use of trackerless torrents (with supporting clients) to resume normal torrents when their tracker is down. However, some trackers that register their users for keeping tabs on fair usage (such as a ratio of bytes downloaded to uploaded) may not reliably measure and update usage for users employing DHT.(BEP 5) Peer exchange(PEX) (BEP 11) Encryption UDP tracker(BEP 15) Local Peer Discovery (BEP 14) Proxy serverBiglyBT1, 2 BitComet 1, 2 Separate download BitLord 1 BitTorrent 5, Mainline 1 Deluge 1,2 FlashGet 1 Free Download Manager 1 KTorrent 1 LimeWire 1 MLDonkey 1 μTorrent 1 Opera 12 1 qBittorrent 1, 2 rTorrent 1 Aided with a shell script documented in Shareaza 1 Tixati 1, 2 Tonido 1 Transmission 1 Patch availableunofficial build transmission daemon cygwin unofficial build Transmission-Qt unofficial build cfpp2p GitHub transmission Proxy support was removed in version 2.12: Tribler 1 Vuze 1 Xunlei 1 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 CommentsBiglyBT BitComet Supports the Getright Webseeding spec since v1.14, see BitComet Wiki BitLord BitTorrent 5, Mainline Deluge Plugin via PMS FlashGet Free Download Manager KTorrent via PMS LimeWire MLDonkey See task #4401 SOCKS proxy ; however, http proxy is supported. via PMS μTorrent Opera 12 qBittorrent via PMS rTorrent via PMS Shareaza Tixati Tonido Transmission Tribler (DHT) Vuze Supports the Getright Webseeding spec in addition to the Bittornado spec in paid version Plugin Xunlei BitTorrent client Cache Hash Web seeding HTTP Web seeding Broad-catching (RSS) Prioritization Selective downloads Sequential downloading SOCKS Tracker exchange Remote control via web Search engine Auto updates Reviews and Comments
Libraries General
BitTorrent library Initial release Platform Latest release License Notes Version Date libtorrent (Rasterbar) Linux rowspan="3" macOS Windows MonoTorrent Linux rowspan="3" macOS Windows rTorrent (libTorrent Rakshasa) Linux rowspan="2" 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) C++ MonoTorrent C# rTorrent (libTorrent Rakshasa) 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 MonoTorrent 1, 2 rTorrent (libTorrent Rakshasa) 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
Supported features 2
BitTorrent library Cache Web seeding WebTorrent Broadcatching (RSS) Prioritization Selective downloads SOCKS Remote control via web Engine libtorrent (Rasterbar) MonoTorrent rTorrent (libTorrent Rakshasa) BitTorrent library Cache Web seeding WebTorrent Broadcatching (RSS) Prioritization Selective downloads SOCKS Remote control via web Engine
See also Anonymous P2P BitTorrent tracker Comparison of BitTorrent sites Comparison of BitTorrent tracker software Comparison of file sharing applications File sharing Open Music Model Timeline of file sharing
Notes
References
it:BitTorrent#Client