10 best uTorrent alternatives in 2024
Torrenting has seen a resurgence in recent years as privacy and security concerns become more prevalent for users accessing content online.
The ongoing problems with Kodi and some of its third-party add-ons are only helping to push people back to torrenting.
However, given the nature of torrenting and the wealth of content it can provide, a reliable torrenting website is hard to find these days. Until recently, we depended on uTorrent to meet our torrenting needs, but with its recent spate of issues, the quest for decent uTorrent alternatives is upon us.
But before you move back to P2P activities, make sure you protect yourself and your data with NordVPN – the best VPN for torrenting.
We’d also like to point out that we don’t condone online piracy – this article focuses on security and privacy concerns first and foremost.
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Best VPNs for torrenting in 2024
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How to get the top VPN for torrenting
- Get a VPN that allows torrenting. We recommend NordVPN, now 74% off
- After installation, connect to a server in your chosen country
- Start torrenting safely!
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Why do we need to consider uTorrent alternatives?
uTorrent has had several issues recently that have impacted users. Users of Windows 10 PCs, for example, report that they can’t even open the software on their computers.
Additionally, Russian and Ukrainian users complain about being tricked into downloading the Yandex browser when they attempt to install uTorrent. Other users have talked about rootkit malware that is installed on your system when you upgrade. There have also been reports of hacking, inability to download, and general discontentment with the software.
For these reasons, we need to look for the most reliable uTorrent alternatives, which is not easy, as reliable torrent clients are increasingly hard to come by with the growing restrictions on torrent usage worldwide. That’s one of the reasons why we recommend downloading only with a top P2P VPN turned on.
However, if you are a torrent user, you don’t need to worry! In this article, we’re going to tell you all about uTorrent alternatives that you can use. These have all been tested, so we know that right now, they’re working just fine.
It was quite challenging finding these uTorrent alternatives – we often got stuck installing bogus programs stuffed with advertisements. Some programs that we did find weren’t accessible everywhere. Some were unreliable.
This is why we ended up creating a set of criteria for all of the programs we tested. The uTorrent alternatives below are sorted according to the following criteria:
- Reliability
- Flexibility
- Storage space
We’re also weighing in the pros and cons of each, and then we’ll provide you with a final verdict with our recommendation as well. So, if you’re looking for safe and reliable uTorrent alternatives, read on!
Top 10 uTorrent alternatives
And here we are! After extensive research, we’ve compiled a list of the ten best uTorrent alternatives in 2024. Let’s begin!
1. Tixati – uTorrent replacement with surprising features
Tixati filled all of our requirements and even surpassed them, making it an excellent alternative for uTorrent users.
- Reliability. Tixati is quite secure even though its user interface isn’t all that impressive. It might look like the hundreds of useless torrent clients on the internet but don’t fall for that. It’s actually pretty good, and you can always change the way it looks.
- Flexibility. Tixati can be very customizable, much like uTorrent used to be, so you can change its interface as you see fit. This is probably why not much emphasis has gone into its default interface. The users will change it however they want to.
- Storage Space. Like uTorrent, Tixati is pretty lightweight, meaning that not much of your storage will be used for this program.
Additionally, it has great encryption and includes all standard torrenting features like anti-throttling, bandwidth management, and others that you’ve grown accustomed to. Furthermore, it also includes a chat box to improve communication between users.
Verdict: We recommend Tixati for those looking for quick, lightning-fast torrenting, as well as those who love to customize their torrent software according to their preferences.
2. Deluge – a replacement with support
Deluge made it next to our list because, like Tixati, it offered an exciting combination of resources that will benefit you while torrenting.
- Reliability. Deluge is available across Windows, Linux and Users of all three operating systems sing praises for it. Additionally, it also comes with third-party and official support plugins as well. There’s also a Deluge support plugin available to download, which will look at issues that you might be facing with Deluge.
- Flexibility. Deluge is very flexible. You can download it however you like – with the original source code if you want. You can even leave out RSS support if you don’t want it. You can easily mix and match your favorite features, and it’s very customizable.
- Storage Space. Deluge is lightweight with a straightforward, user-friendly interface.
Additional features also include remote access features.
Verdict: It’s a great cross-platform torrent that you can to get your hands dirty.
3. qBittorrent – uTorrent substitute that doesn’t disappoint
qBittorrent is very similar to uTorrent, making it our personal favorite. Here’s why:
- Reliability. qBittorrent is safe, with a search engine available that supports both torrent files as well as magnet links. It also has an installer available for downloading extra plugins.
- Flexibility. Similar to uTorrent, qBittorrent has customization features that allow you to create personalized variants of the torrent. Additionally, it also includes smart features like hibernating your desktop after downloads have finished.
- Storage Space. qBittorrent is lightweight. It also has no ads, which is really nice considering how many there were on uTorrent.
qBittorrent has everything that uTorrent did at its peak and then some more. This is why we much prefer it over others. It has a very easily accessible toolbar that includes all control features, making it easy to navigate.
Verdict: qBittorrent is perfect for those who are beginning to torrent and those who want uTorrent without the ads issue.
4. Transmission – great once you get the hang of it
Transmission is available across a range of operating systems, including Linux, Mac, and Windows. The reason behind its rise in popularity is that Transmission is a torrent software recovering from past issues.
It used to be rife with security issues and malware, but over the last few years, it has been able to turn around its reputation and has shown that it can be great for torrenting.
- Reliability. Transmission’s team is working hard to make it very reliable. Experience with malware has resulted in it becoming even stronger and more secure. Because of its previous reputation, Transmission is determined to make every user’s experience as positive as possible.
- Flexibility. Unlike the other uTorrent alternatives on this list, we admit that Transmission isn’t the most flexible. Its Windows version, in particular, has only basic features. Its interface is quite unusual, but it manages to get the job done, so you can easily overlook it.
- Storage Space. Transmission allows for superfast torrenting. It isn’t heavy on storage either, so that’s a plus point for Transmission.
However, a major turn-off from Transmission for a lot of users is its interface. As mentioned, its interface is quite unusual, with many ‘hidden’ options in the software, which many find tedious to look for. However, if you’re willing to take the time and learn about these, then you have an excellent uTorrent alternative!
Verdict: Transmission wasn’t our first choice. However, once you get the hang of it, it is quite good, so we suggest that you take the time to learn it.
5. FrostWire – a torrent client you never knew you needed
Another favorite of ours on the list is FrostWire. FrostWire provides a search engine of its own through which you can find any torrent files that you want. This includes extra features for FrostWire itself.
- Reliability. FrostWire is very reliable with its downloading speed. Additionally, it includes all the basic torrenting features you’ll need and more advanced features that other torrent clients might not cover. Furthermore, it is compatible with both Windows and Mac as well and also offers clients for Android.
- Flexibility. FrostWire has a very simple interface that you can’t really alter. That can be quite a nuisance for some people as its design is somewhat off-putting.
- Storage Space. Like most torrent clients on this list, FrostWire isn’t too harsh on the storage space either, making it quite effortless to work with.
FrostWire’s list of features includes the ability to easily discover cloud bases and BitTorrent files on its own search engine. However, it does need some time getting used to, but once you do, it’s a great software to have in your arsenal.
Verdict: FrostWire is great for those looking for a torrent client specifically for audio files. FrostWire has actually been designed with this mind which is why you’ll find an iTunes plugin in the torrent client, something not usually found in other software.
6. CuteTorrent – simple client for your everyday P2P needs
CuteTorrent can do everything that you’d need for your everyday torrenting activities. It also includes a bunch of interesting features such as peer-to-peer exchange and web seeding, as well as other torrenting features like torrent filtering and more.
- Reliability. CuteTorrent has a reputation for being reliable, which is why you can use this for all of your basic torrenting needs. It is actually quite simple to work with and easy to use.
- Flexibility. CuteTorrent is somewhat customizable. Its capacities are limited, but users love this software mainly for its features, such as torrent sharing and more.
- Storage Space. CuteTorrent is very lightweight, making it great to work with. This is why it is liked by torrenters choice and seen as a great uTorrent alternative you should definitely look into.
CuteTorrent has a simple, user-friendly interface that is quite easy to learn. Unlike other software on this list, you won’t be put off by it. The creators of CuteTorrent realized how people react to different interfaces, so they kept it simple and intuitive.
Verdict: CuteTorrent is a torrenting client we definitely recommend to you because of how easy it is to get used to. Furthermore, it also includes a very powerful BitTorrent library at the very core of the software, which is why you’ll be able to find everything that you need.
7. rTorrent – written in C++ for your benefit
Like CuteTorrent, rTorrent uses the BitTorrent library at its very core, making it very powerful. It’s better than uTorrent itself because of the lack of ads and its makers’ consideration for user experience.
- Reliability. rTorrent was designed using C++. This is why the makers were able to focus on things like its speed and efficiency. One of the main selling points of rTorrent has been that it is quite stable and doesn’t freeze while you use it, making it extremely popular in the torrent sharing community.
- Flexibility. It actually is a CLI-based torrent client, so it is quite flexible. As we mentioned before, its creators were very considerate towards the user experience, so you’ll find a simple yet clean user interface at heart and an overall fantastic user experience.
- Storage Space. rTorrent has been designed with performance in mind, so it is actually very light.
Considering how rTorrent has been designed with C++, it’s really no surprise that it has a great algorithm that allows the use of great features such as managing all of the torrent files in a single torrent file downloader. But that’s not all. With rTorrent, you get great speeds with zero ads.
Verdict: rTorrent is very powerful because of the library it holds and the language it was written in. Therefore, if you’re looking for a uTorrent alternate that can withstand huge torrent files, this one’s perfect for the job.
8. Tribler – torrent with 100% anonymity
Tribler is a BitTorrent client that will let you torrent in complete anonymity.
- Reliability. Since it is directly based on the BitTorrent protocol, Tribler is very reliable to use. It is also pretty secure, and since it allows you to remain anonymous while torrenting, there’s no added anxiety about torrenting to begin with.
- Flexibility. Tribler is open-source software. It offers anonymous peer-to-peer file sharing as well, making it a favorite of everyone.
- Storage Space. Tribler isn’t a heavy file at all, so you don’t have to worry about it taking a lot of your storage space.
Tribler has risen to popularity because of how stable the torrenting client is. It allows you to access all of your favorite files online and is available in a wide range of operating systems like Windows, Mac, Linux, and Android.
Verdict: We recommend Tribler because, unlike many other torrent software that gets taken down by governments all over the world, Tribler has never once been the subject of this. This is because the creators of Tribler were quick to announce their intentions for the torrent client wherein that it was created to help people enjoy content by sharing their own content specifically with others.
9. Vuze – very different from uTorrent but just as good
Unlike the other torrents on this list, Vuze is a uTorrent alternative that is not like it all. For one thing, it is locked. However, there are other aspects of the software that you will like.
- Reliability: Vuze offers a safe, user-friendly environment with exciting features like RSS contribution, bandwidth regulators, and more.
- Flexibility: Vuze is source locked. This means that you can’t customize it at all. However, it has its own substitute torrent client called Vuze Leap, which might be more to your taste if you’re one for customization.
- Storage Space: While Vuze is not exactly the lightest torrent client, it will not slow down your computer either. Downloads are possible at a pretty standard pace, so it’s really not that bad.
Vuze also contains ads. However, you can sign up for Vuze Plus, a subscription package that will get rid of those ads and give you access to even more features.
Verdict: Vuze is completely different from uTorrent, but that doesn’t mean that as a former uTorrent user, you won’t be able to use it or like it at all. However, you’ll find that it is actually quite easy to learn how to use Vuze. We highly recommend it, especially if you’re still a beginner in the torrenting game.
10. BitTorrent – from the company that bought uTorrent
We realize that including BitTorrent might seem a bit strange because its acquisition of uTorrent essentially led to its downfall. However, we have decided to give it a chance because, for all its faults, it actually is quite a good torrent client.
- Reliability. If you’re in search of software that does the job- downloads torrents, and nothing more than you’ve come to the right place. BitTorrent is a pretty standard torrenting client with not many extra details.
- Flexibility. Unlike uTorrent, BitTorrent is not flexible at all. However, it supports torrents, magnet links, and search-engine files. It is similar to uTorrent’s bare essentials with the added benefit of creating torrents as well.
- Storage Space. While BitTorrent is actually lightweight, it includes ads that annoy a lot of users. However, if you’re one of those people who just want to torrent and nothing more, this is fine for you.
If you’re looking for even more security while torrenting, then we recommend upgrading to BitTorrent Pro, which has the bonus of no ads.
Verdict: BitTorrent was the original torrent client. It is actually responsible for all of the torrenting software’s existence, so even though it is quite basic and full of ads, we recommend it because it is safe to use without any worries.
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Conclusion
In the end, as you can see, there are actually a few uTorrent alternatives out there. You just have to look for them very hard. However, as we have shown you, all that searching pays off, and we’ve uncovered some great torrent clients that may even overtake uTorrent’s popularity.
Our favorite torrent file, in particular, was qBittorrent.
If you look at qBittorent, you’ll find the perfect match for uTorrent. It is very similar to the software, but it is better. You can say that qBittorrent is the new and improved version of uTorrent.
Some of the torrent clients here need you to learn their interface all over again, which not everyone wants. The perfect answer to that hassle is to simply choose qBittorrent. Finally, remember to protect your torrenting activities with NordVPN, our #1 provider for P2P.
So, which of these uTorrent alternatives listed here today are you using in 2024? Are there any major ones that we’ve missed?
Any ones that we’ve listed that are having problems? Let us know in the comments below!
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FAQ
What can I use instead of uTorrent?
We recommend using BitTorrent. It doesn't offer to install third-party apps, has a similar design, and its Pro version is cheaper. On the downside, BitTorrent is slower than uTorrent.
Is qBittorrent better than uTorrent?
No, it's not, although we still like it. qBittorrent is reliable, fast, and easy to use. Besides, contrary to uTorrent, it doesn't have any third-app apps included in the install.
What is safer than uTorrent?
BitTorrent and qBittorrent are as safe as uTorrent. There are some minor differences between them, but if you use a reliable VPN for torrenting, such as NordVPN, they shouldn't matter anymore.