Downloading torrent client

But with a free torrent client, you can download pieces of the files you want from different people who already have them, leading to faster download times. It will do all the hard work for you as well, piecing together those files like a jigsaw. All of the best free torrent clients will have their own strengths, with varying features to help manage these large files.

With this in mind, we've collated all the biggest names and put them to the test to see which of the best torrent clients on the market would best suit your needs. Our ranking for the best free torrent clients considers everything from user experience and adverts, through to how well it can integrate with other applications so regardless where your preferences lay, we have you covered with our in-depth reviews. Torrents have a bad reputation due to piracy, but they aren't illegal in themselves and have lots of legitimate uses, including downloading open source software and material that's in the public domain.

It all depends on the content you're downloading. Provided the copyright holder has given permission for the file to be shared this way it's fine, but using torrents to download content you'd otherwise have to pay for is not legal. We strongly advise you get a great VPN for torrenting The only way to keep yourself safe and anonymous when torrenting is to use a VPN.

A VPN encrypts all your internet activity and passes it through a secure tunnel so that no one can see what you're reading or downloading - not even your ISP or the VPN service itself. One click and you're protected. This also allows you to unblock sites like The Pirate Bay, or access foreign versions of Netflix.

Some torrent clients offer every function imaginable. Others keep things as simple as possible. It boasts an integrated torrent search engine, media player, encryption, prioritisation of torrents and the files within those torrents, IP filtering and torrent creation, and it's the closest open source, junk-free equivalent to uTorrent.

If you're looking for a cross-platform torrent client that covers the essentials without getting overly complicated, qBittorrent is great. Read our full qBittorrent review.

Vuze formerly Azureus claims to be the most powerful BitTorrent client on Earth. We're not sure how it ranks on other planets, but it's certainly a serious contender for that title. There are two flavours: the stripped-back Vuze Leap, and the fully fledged Vuze Plus. Both offer torrent download, media playback and support for magnet file links, but Vuze Plus adds integrated virus protection and the ability to preview media files. One of Vuze's key selling points is its interface, which slices through jargon and makes even the more advanced features accessible to new users.

Vuze also offers bandwidth limiting, IP filtering, and all the other features you'd expect from a robust torrent client. Definitely one of the first options to consider.

Read our full Vuze review. Deluge has been around forever, and it can be as simple or as powerful as you want it to be, making it one of the most versatile free torrent clients out there. That's because it's extendable via plug-ins, which effectively enable you to build your own personalised version of Deluge. Fancy something that resembles uTorrent without the unwanted software? 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. 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.

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. 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. 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.

The downsides of this torrent client are that they bundle bloatware into the download and the free version has ads built into the software. Some of the most useful features of this client include built-in search functionality, magnet link support, and encrypted connections. 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.

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.

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. 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. Tixati is one of the most feature-heavy torrent clients on this list. 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.

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. 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.

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.

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. 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. 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 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. In a lot of countries, governments work with ISPs to catch users who distribute copyrighted material through torrenting. Your ISP can be forced to hand over your personal information if they get a subpoena or court order from the government.

Sometimes the government will try and block torrent websites.