BitTorrent has plenty of excellent, legal uses, so don’t be put off using it. Rob Beattie compares the top torrent software for downloading videos, music and more
uTorrent Free (www.utorrent.com)
Despite some recent bumps in the road – such as rumours about Bitcoin mining and being bundled with unwanted extra software – uTorrent rightly remains a firm favourite, thanks to its handy features, small size (around 13MB compared with 22MB for Deluge and 26MB for qBittorrent), and an interface that looks positively glamorous when compared with the other tools we’ve reviewed here.
We particularly like the functionality of the Download dialogue box, which lets you rename a torrent, direct it to specific folder, automatically create a subfolder and select specific items inside the torrent to download. Usefully, uTorrent includes a built-in media player; offers encryption so that nobody (not even your ISP) can see what you’re downloading; and has the ability to ‘force’ a torrent to start if it’s stuck – Deluge has something similar but it’s tucked away. It also has a simple, global scheduler that’s similar to Deluge’s and much more intuitive than qBittorrent’s.
The program is equally competent at downloading ‘proper’ torrents and magnet links, and it supports RSS subscriptions for automatic downloads. It also displays a pop-up in the notification area when a torrent has finished downloading, in case you want to manually stop it seeding.
The free version is ad-supported, which you may find annoying, but we think the combination of features and performance makes uTorrent worth a few adverts; and if you really can’t stand them, $4.95 (£3.72) a year is a small price to pay to remove them.
You can no longer search from inside the program and, as mentioned above, you have to pay to remove the adverts. More sophisticated scheduling would be welcome, as would the much-promised iOS app for controlling uTorrent from your Apple device.
The features offered by uTorrent aren’t that different from the other services in this test, but the software feels more polished and complete. If you’re new to torrents, it can be run without any configuration, but advanced users will find plenty of tools to enhance their experience.
Deluge (dev.deluge-torrent.org)
As with uTorrent, a beginner can use Deluge immediately without having to fiddle with settings. But if you’re an experienced user, it has more plugins than any of the other clients reviewed here, so you can transform it into a sophisticated BitTorrent client/manager/library application.
The Plugins manager displays eight extras – including a Scheduler that works like uTorrent’s and is more straightforward than qBittorrent’s – and there are dozens more available. Of the available plugins, our favourites are Extractor, which extracts many kinds of compressed files; and Label, which lets you assign custom actions to torrents.
Deluge supports the same level of encryption as uTorrent, understands ‘magnet links’ and isn’t encumbered by bloatware or ads, so the interface is refreshingly clean. This extends to the controls in the notification area that let you pause torrents, and even change the upload and download speed limits.
The interface could do with a polish and the initial download ‘experience’ is pretty basic – it’s just a directory, with no built-in search. We found the Extractor plugin a bit unpredictable in Windows 10, and Deluge doesn’t provide an easy way to control it from a mobile device.
Deluge was pushed into second position because accessing the advanced features meant delving into areas that some users may find overly technical. Close call, though.
qBittorrent (www.qbittorrent.org)
This open-source alternative to uTorrent is ad-free and although it doesn’t have a built-in media player, you can preview files using Windows Media Player, which is a step up from both uTorrent and Deluge.
Like uTorrent and Deluge, qBittorrent has three levels of encryption – ‘prefer’, ‘require’ and ‘disable’. It offers scheduling of sorts, but this is more to do with throttling upload and download speeds between certain hours of the day. By default, it also supports RSS subs and magnet links – just go to Tools, Options, Behaviour and scroll down to make sure the latter option is turned on.
There are lots of interesting plugins for qBittorrent but these are distributed via Github (a sort of programmer’s playground) and can be fiddly to install. The online FAQ, on the other hand, is easy to understand and provides answers to a wealth of torrent-related questions – mostly in jargon-free plain English.
Deluge is bigger and slower than uTorrent, its interface is old fashioned – it includes some rather weird 3D icons – and you have to install Python if you want to use the built-in search engine. Also, previewing a torrent with the built-in media player is a bit flaky.
Our top three tools are all excellent, but qBittorrent lags a little behind the others because it’s not as lightweight or attractive, and the way some features are implemented is unnecessarily techy.
Transmission-Qt Win (www.transmissionbt.com)
Beloved by OS X users and now available for Windows, Transmission would easily make the top three for its fast performance and simplicity, but it struggles with very large files and there have been reports of a worrying memory leak if you leave it running in the background for a long time. Rumours of an updated version are circulating though, so watch this space.
Tixati (www.tixati.com)
There’s plenty to like about this lightweight torrent client, including speedy installation and good bandwidth-management features. However, its terrible Eighties-style interface makes it a real eyesore. That said, you may find it looks pleasingly retro, and the software is certainly technically sound and free of adverts and bundled junk.
Frostwire (www.frostwire.com)
This torrent client also includes good library features and a sophisticated media player. Unfortunately, all that functionality comes at a price – the software’s footprint is a whopping 130MB, even when it’s idle, and its startup slows to a crawl as it loads components and ‘builds’ its interface. It’s a decent tool but probably too heavy for most users’ requirements.