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.
The best free torrent clients on PC and Mac will make downloading so much easier and stress-free. Grabbing files directly from a server can be frustrating as you often deal with long wait times and slow speeds. Not only because you're just dealing with a single source, but also because you might be competing with other users for bandwidth.
Apple Mac Torrent
On the other hand, a torrent client makes faster download speeds and shorter download times possible. That's due to the fact that the client will grab parts of that file from multiple sources and simultaneously download those different bits, then put the file together like a jigsaw to use.
Luckily, there are excellent free torrent clients out there, offering their downloading services without charging you a single penny. And, since we've used, tested, and reviewed many of them, we thought we'd share the best ones in this guide for your convenience. There are options below that are streamlined for those that just want to get started without fuss as well as ones with more advanced features.
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. The best VPN service according to our tests is ExpressVPN which effectively costs just $6.67 per month and has a risk-free 30-day money-back guarantee.
qBittorrent is the perfect compromise. Some torrent clients offer every function imaginable while others keep things as simple as possible. This free torrent client, on the other hand, sits right in the middle, aiming to "meet the needs of most users while using as little CPU and memory as possible."
It boasts an integrated torrent search engine, media player, encryption, prioritization 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. It also offers a minimalist and ad-free user interface, which we found to be easy to use and download content off the internet. During our testing, it's proven to be secure as well, which isn't surprising because it is open-source software. If you're looking for a cross-platform torrent client that covers the essentials without getting overly complicated, qBittorrent is great.
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 flavors: 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 we found during testing to slice through the jargon and make even the more advanced features accessible to new users. In fact, setting up Vuze is extremely easy, even for first-timers. 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.
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. During testing, we found that to be its greatest strength, being customizable with the help of different plugins. That effectively enables you to build your own personalized version of Deluge.
uTorrent, also known as µTorrent, has been around since 2005 and it's the most widely used free torrent client outside China. It's attracted some criticism over the years, however: it's ad-supported and many users argue that the most recent versions are a little too heavy on the advertising and bundled software front. Make sure you read each step of the installer carefully and uncheck any software you don't want to install.
Folx Torrent Client is a free file-sharing software developed by Eltima Software. It's a torrent client that aims to provide users with an easy way to download torrent files through an intuitive user interface that even beginners can learn and use right away.
Like with qBittorrent or Transmission, speed and reliability are the main focus of Folx Torrent Client. It features browser integration, magnet links, and an auto-resume feature for interrupted download. There is also a Pro version available to use if they want more control and advanced features.
The concept of peer-to-peer file-sharing and torrenting has been around for quite a while now, and there is no shortage of client options in the market today. Popular ones like qBittorrent or Transmission are packed with features and customization options to suit all types of users. In comes Folx Torrent Client, which aims to be just as robust, while still being intuitive and easy to use.
Folx Torrent Client can handle both torrent files and magnet links, and integrates with your browser, making it quite easy to add downloads. Also, it supports using proxy servers for added security and anonymity. Speeds are great and take full advantage of your internet connection. You can even split downloads into threads that can help boost speeds even more, or have multiple ones run simultaneously if you want.
At the end of the day, Folx Torrent Client was made with speed and reliability in mind, and it does a great job at both. It's intuitive for users who are new to torrenting, while still offering plenty of features and customization options for veterans. Most of them are locked inside the Pro version, though. It's a solid option all the same and is worth considering.
Folx is a powerful torrent client for Mac. Apart from making torrent download simple and efficient, the app offers a number of benefits: download tasks can be assigned different priorities, you can regulate download and upload speed to optimize Internet traffic allocation, tag downloaded content to make files management and search easier. Magnet links also supported.
Paid PRO version enables search for torrents directly from the application. You do not have to browse through multiple torrent trackers, all you need to do is to enter a keyword in the app and Folx will display a list of relevant results from the extensive list of torrent trackers within seconds.
/Library/Caches/com.bitTorrent.utweb
/Library/Preferences/com.bitTorrent.utweb.plist
/private/var/folders/I8/p97z_hq9581b6b36ps1b824h0000gq/C/com.bittorrent.utweb
Empty the Trash bin; then restart your Mac to complete removing the app.
Please note that the manual way of finding the service files of µTorrent is time-consuming and some files may be spread out in different locations on your disk.
If you've just switched to a Mac, you might no longer be able to use your old favorite Windows BitTorrent client. You might be new to torrents altogether, or simply looking for a rock solid client with the right number of bells and whistles.
Fortunately, there's been no major drama with Transmission for a while, which is reassuring since it's probably the best Mac torrent client out there. Many users favor it for its raw simplicity -- a single list view for torrents, with a few controls and filtering options up top.
There's a rock-solid web interface which makes adding torrents and magnet links from a web browser super easy, even on your smartphone. You can limit how much bandwidth your torrent downloads swallow up, with a simple scheduler for enforcing a speed limit during set times.
If Transmission doesn't do everything you want it to, I'd recommend looking at Deluge next. It lacks the sleek and simple interface, and it's not written natively for the Mac since it's also available for Windows and Linux. However, it does include support for plugins, which really opens up what you can achieve with a torrent client.
Features can be bolted on using the plugin system, with a good number included when you first install. You can set up a schedule for managing bandwidth, enable the web UI to add torrents from other computers, and subscribe to a blocklist to better guard your privacy.
Head to the Deluge plugins list to find all manner of tools for batch renaming or moving files, alternative schedulers, bandwidth managers that stop Deluge from choking your connection, and RSS torrent management for automatic downloading.
Just like Deluge, qBittorent is an open source project based on the libtorrent library. qBittorent lacks the plugins found in Deluge, but I prefer it for its general look and feel. Performance is as expected from a cross-platform client, and it includes a few nice touches like a right-click context menu for adding torrents and changing settings from the Mac dock.
The client makes the list since it's still actively maintained, with Windows and Mac binaries readily available (alongside some unusual alternatives, like Haiku and IBM's OS/2). As far as torrent clients go, it does the job though it lacks the polish of a client like Transmission. 2ff7e9595c
Comments