The world might be gravitating to online streaming, but peer-to-peer file sharing through torrents remains ever-popular. It's important to stay safe while torrenting by using a virtual private network (VPN), even when sharing something entirely legal, but which clients are the best for the job?
ProPrivacy has compared several BitTorrent clients out there to find the cream of the crop, so you don't have to! Keep reading to discover which one is best for you.
What are the best BitTorrent clients?
Fortunately, there are a few reliable, paid as well as free, torrent clients. In the list below, we are noting down our top picks of the best torrent clients that you can use for downloading torrents in 2019. Best Torrent Clients 2019 1. Last update: January 2020. The Best torrent clients 2020 for P2P file sharing (Windows, mac & Linux) free. E ven though streaming services are becoming the norm, a lot of users still prefer to use P2P methods to download data, as it is an open network based on sharing already downloaded files. Veteran torrent site The Pirate Bay (TPB), again leads the 2020’s top torrent sites list while running on its original domain. The remarkable website wore the crown last year after the complete elimination of KickAssTorrents. Top 10 Mac Torrent Sites to Download & Stream Torrents – 2020 Edition No matter what the regulations torrent sites are facing, the number of users are constantly booming. Everyone seems to be using torrent websites for various reasons.
There are many BitTorrent clients out there to choose from and not all of them were built equal. Take a look at what ProPrivacy considers the best of the best to torrent with:
qBitTorrent
qBitTorrent is the best torrenting client out there, being both open source and full of features
PROS
- Open source
- Lightweight
- Efficient
- Can bind to VPN
- Fully featured
CONS
- Can't think of any
As a long-term Vuze fan, it took quite something for this lightweight open source BitTorrent client to replace Vuze on my desktop. One reason I stuck with Vuze for so long is the ability to bind the torrent client to my VPN interface.
Although not strictly necessary if your VPN software features a kill switch, I have always appreciated this extra layer of security. It prevents the client downloading torrents when the VPN is not active.
qBitTorrent not only supports this feature, it makes it much easier to implement. This was a big factor in me making the change, as was qBitTorrent’s lean-and-mean 100 MB or less install size (exact size depending on platform). There is no bloat with qBitTorrent!
Despite this, qBitTorrent features just about everything most torrenters will need. This includes BitTorrent protocol encryption, torrent prioritization, torrent querying, selective content download, torrent creation, remote access, and RSS subscription. You can search for torrents from within the client, and the built-in media player is handy.
qBitTorrent is 100% free and ad-free. It is available for Windows, macOS, and Linux. For a more detailed look at this excellent software, including instructions on how to bind qBittorrent to your VPN interface, please check out 5 Best VPNs for qBittorrent.
Transmission
Transmission has overcome older problems to build a reputation for itself as a great torrent client
PROS
- Open source
- Lightweight
- Tons of features
- Pretty
- Available natively on many obscure OSs
CONS
- Not much (vulnerability should be fixed by the time most of you read this)
Transmission started life as a Mac and Linux-only BitTorrent client, where it built up a formidable reputation. Windows users can now also get in on the act. Although a very capable BitTorrent client, the main draw of Transmission is its beautiful user interface, complete with Growl notifications for Mac users.
But it’s not all about looking pretty. Transmission features webseed support, BitTorrent protocol encryption, watch directories, tracker editing, global and per-torrent speed limits, and more. It also supports optional add-ons that can expand its feature-set. These include RSS subscription tools and a Kodi plugin.
Transmission has recently hit the headlines thanks to a vulnerability that can be exploited by hackers. I discuss this a little later in the article, but a patch is available, and the issue is very easy to fix yourself, anyway. I have therefore decided to not let this problem affect Transmission’s ranking in this 5 Best guide.
Transmission is 100% free and open source. It is available for Windows, Mac OSX/macOS, Linux (many distros), FreeBSD, Gentoo, and more.
The Transmission Vulnerability
A security researcher discovered a flaw in Transmission that could allow hackers to execute malicious code on targets’ computers. In theory, this could allow them to completely take over the infected system.
The flaw took advantage of lax security in Transmission’s remote web access feature. Note that this is a proof of concept attack, and there has been no evidence of it being exploited in the wild. The current version of Transmission has already implemented a fix.
Alternatively, if you wanted to be sure, the flaw is easy enough to fix for yourself. If you don’t use the remote web access feature, simply turn it off! Go to Preferences -> Remote and uncheck 'Enable remote access.” If you do use the remote web access feature, then change the default password to something secure. Easy!
Note that the security researcher who discovered the flaw has hinted that other BitTorrents clients may also be vulnerable. It is probably a good idea to check similar settings in whatever client you are using.
Vuze
Vuze might not be as lightweight as others in this list, but its feature-packed approach will appeal to some
PROS
- Ridiculously fully featured
- Can bind downloads to VPN
- Lots of plugins available to increase functionality
- Built-in video player
- Great Android apps
CONS
- Somewhat bulky and resource-heavy
- Ads
- Tries to install crapware
- Only partially open source
- Interface could be prettier and more intuitive
Vuze is a granddaddy of BitTorrent clients. It is no longer open source, and it creaks somewhat under the weight of its myriad features. It is, in other words, the polar opposite of lightweight clients such as qBitTorrent.
But who said a shed load of features is necessarily a bad thing? Most torrenters will never use all the tools available, but there is really almost nothing Torrent-related that Vuze can’t do. This includes being able to bind Vuze to your VPN adapter, but also loads more funky stuff such as content discovery through automated subscriptions, having an integrated media player, remote management, and much more.
You can convert files to multiple formats using Vuze’s drag-and-drop interface and analyse your downloads using a wealth of statistics and visualizations. Vuze is a power user’s dream.
On the downside, Vuze is resource-heavy and rather ugly (especially when compared to Transmission!) Its clunky interface is also showing its age. This situation is not helped by the inclusion of ads in the free version, or by the fact that you need to be careful during installation if you do not want to also install a load of crapware.
Although Vuze is primarily free, a premium version is also available for $29.90 USD per year. A Vuze Plus subscription removes the ads and provides built-in anti-virus scanning, a DVD burner, and 'play now' support. It is, admittedly, pretty funky!
This also brings me to the point that, despite its open source roots, Vuze is now closed source proprietary software. It is worth noting that reports of Vuze’s demise appear to be very premature. Vuze 5.7.6.0 was released in October 2017 and is fully functional.
Unlike the desktop client, the excellent Android app is lightweight and ad-free. A pro version is now available via in-app purchase (about $4), but I have been unable to determine what features this adds (and am too skinflint to shell out the money necessary to find out!).
Vuze Remote is a handy app for Android that allows you remote control your desktop torrent downloads.
Vuze is available for Windows, Mac OSX/macOS, Linux, and Android.
Popcorn Time
Popcorn Time has taken a leaf from Netflix's streaming book to present a video-only torrenting service
PROS
- Instant streaming of high quality BitTorrent content!
- Open source
- Very smart interface
- Chromecast, Airplay and DLNA support
- Available on just about every platform
CONS
- Only for video content
All the other programs on this list are BitTorrent clients. You download a .torrent file or click on a magnet link, and the content downloads to your computer where it is stored locally.
Popcorn Time is different; It is an open source app that uses BitTorrent technology to stream high quality video content to all major platforms. This means that unlike with traditional BitTorrent clients, you can watch a film or show without waiting for the download to complete. You might be thinking 'is Popcorn time safe?' While it can be dangerous for your computer, using a VPN can keep your machine secure.
It is notable for having a very slick and intuitive interface, and for providing access to a huge library of up-to-date content.
Although primarily a streaming platform, content can also be downloaded locally (and some content is always cached). Various versions (forks) of Popcorn Time are available, but I strongly advise only using one of the forks recommended in Best VPN for Popcorn Time guide.
Specific features vary a little depending on which fork you use, but steaming to your big-screen TV via Chromecast, Airplay and DLNA is pretty standard.
Popcorn Time is free, and respectable versions are free from ads and other crapware. It available for Windows, Mac OSX/macOS, Linux, and Android. PopcornTime.to even has an iOS VPN App that can be installed without jailbreaking your device.
Deluge
Deluge has no ads, compared to some of the more popular torrent clients out there
PROS
- Open source
- Lightweight
- Lots of features
- Expandable via plugins (incl. RSS)
CONS
- Less fully featured than some other clients
Like qBitTorrent, Deluge is a fairly conventional but lightweight and open source BitTorrent client. Its feature list is not huge, but should be more than enough to satisfy most users. Features include remote web management and support for magnet links.
Functionality can be further extended with a range of both in-house and third-party plugins. Highlights include plugins for RSS support, Growl notifications, streaming while downloading, and more.
Deluge is completely FOSS, with no ads or crapware. It is available for Windows, OSX, Linux (various distros), and FreeBSD.
Check out our 5 best Deluge VPNs page for a list of the best services to use with this BitTorrent client.
Why not uTorrent or BitTorrent?
uTorrent and its almost-identical sibling, the official BitTorrent client, remain the most popular BitTorrent clients in the world. It is, therefore, reasonable to ask why I have not included it in this best 5 BitTorrent list. Please note the different between BitTorrent as a protocol and the BitTorrent client to avoid confusion.
Both uTorrent and BitTorrent are closed source and supported by ads. These ads can be turned off if you delve deep enough into the software’s settings, but this is still very irritating. It is my personal view that this means uTorrent has all the disadvantages of Vuze, but not as many useful features.
So if you want a slightly clunky closed-source ad-supported BitTorrent client, but one that compensates for this by offering a wealth of features, then use Vuze. Other opinions are available.
What is BitTorrent?
BitTorrent is a popular peer-to-peer (P2P) file-sharing protocol. Instead of being stored on a centralized server from which you download, torrented files are shared among many other BitTorrent users. Popular files can easily be shared among hundreds of users in this way.
When you 'download” (which is something of a misnomer when it comes to torrenting) a file using the BitTorrent protocol, what you are actually doing is sharing small pieces of it with everyone else who is downloading that same file.
A file is 'downloaded” once you have all the pieces needed to reassemble that file. It is considered good form to 'seed” (continue sharing) the file for a while after it has been downloaded, in order to help others reach 100% completion.
Why use a Client?
Although still very popular, BitTorrent use has declined somewhat in recent years. This is in part thanks to the wealth of legal streaming options available from providers such as Netflix, Amazon Prime, hulu, and many more. The popularity of illegal options, such as Kodi and streaming websites, is also a factor. For top tips and the best VPN for Streaming, take a look at the guides below:
The more traditional method of downloading using a BitTorrent client, however, continues to offer some major advantages:
- BitTorrent content is downloaded locally, so it is available forever and can be easily physically transferred between devices.
- Literally, any kind of digital content can be download – not just video content. This includes software, images, eBook, games, and… you name it!
- But when it does come to video content, the quality is often considerably higher than streamed content. This is because there is no need to keep file sizes down to avoid buffering issues, since content is played locally.
- BitTorrent is a very efficient and resource-light way to share and promote your own content with others.
Many Linux distros find torrent links are the best way to distribute their software without having to host it on costly servers.
Use a VPN when torrenting
BitTorrent content is shared among multiple home computers. This is not good for privacy because sharing files with a bunch of other random 'downloaders” on the internet is hardly private.
Using the right software (which includes many popular BitTorrent clients), it is very easy to see the unique Internet Protocol (IP) addresses of every other person also sharing ('downloading”) the same file.
Best Torrent App Mac 2020
As demonstrated in Vuze above, I can see the IP addresses of every other person who is downloading the same files as me.
Is torrenting legal?
Yes, torrenting is entirely legal, while the content you share might not be. Torrenting is just a protocol that allows you to share things peer-to-peer. Since laws differ around the world, it's difficult to say what is legal and what isn't, although sharing copyrighted material without the express permission of the owner almost always errs on the side of illegal.
It's pretty easy to catch those that torrent illegally shared content, because the nature of torrenting means your IP address is on show to anyone else sharing the file. All the copyright holder, or a third party representing them, would need to do is notify your internet service provider (ISP) to take legal action against you.
This is why it is important to use a VPN to protect yourself online.
Why should I use a VPN when torrenting?
A VPN will protect you while downloading because:
- A VPN will hide your IP address from other downloaders. As mentioned in the previous section, torrenting puts your IP address on display for others that are sharing the file. Connecting to a VPN server masks your IP address to protect your privacy.
- A VPN encrypts all internet traffic between your computer and the VPN server. This means that your ISP cannot see what you've been getting up to online. Of course, deep packet inspection will reveal that you have been downloading, but they will be none the wiser as to what.
VPNs with robust logging policies will have nothing to hand over to the authorities, no matter what pressure they may come under. A VPN will also unblock websites if they are censored for any reason.
So as long as P2P is permitted, a VPN is very effective at protecting your privacy while downloading.
For a more in-depth look at how VPNs work, please check out VPNs for Beginners – What You Need to Know. For a more in-depth guide to using a VPN while torrenting, check out Best VPN for Torrenting guide.
BitTorrent protocol encryption
Some BitTorrent clients support BitTorrent protocol encryption. These include Transmission, qBitTorrent, and Vuze. It is a feature designed to hide the fact that you are torrenting from your Internet Service Provider (ISP).
VPNs also do this, as well as hiding your real IP address from other torrent users and anyone else watching on the internet. Furthermore:
Analysis of the BitTorrent protocol encryption has shown that statistical measurements of packet sizes and packet directions of the first 100 packets in a TCP session can be used to identify the obfuscated protocol with over 96% accuracy.
This means that even the most basic Deep Packet Inspection (DPI) techniques can determine that you are using BitTorrent. Now, it is true that DPI can also easily detect VPN use (unless obfuscated), but while there are many legitimate reasons to use a VPN, there is only one reason to use BitTorrent protocol encryption…
Using BitTorrent protocol encryption is therefore probably better than using nothing at all, but using a VPN provides much better protection while downloading.
How do I use a BitTorrent client?
One reason for the popularity of online streaming services (including via the use of Kodi boxes) is the perception that torrenting is a geeky pastime that requires technical know-how. In reality, however, torrenting is very easy:
- Download and install a BitTorrent client from the list above.
- (Optional but strongly recommended) Ensure you have a VPN running. This will bypass censorship of torrent sites, hide your IP from others you fileshare with, and hide your downloads from your ISP. Check out our VPN for Torrents guide for a list of recommended services.
- Visit a BitTorrent website. These websites host links to torrent files. You can browse for content that interests you, or search for something specific. Many websites include user-reviews of torrents, which can help you pick good torrents.
- When you have found the content you want, simply click on the torrent link or magnet link. The torrent will open in your BitTorrent client and begin downloading.
- When the download is 100% completed, enjoy! Some BitTorrent clients have media-players built-in, but VLC will play pretty much any media file you can throw at it.
Seeding
BitTorrent is a decentralized file-sharing platform. In order for it to work, users share files with other users. This happens while you download a file, but it is considered good form to leave your BitTorrent client open after you have finished downloading a file in order to benefit other users.
This is called seeding, and it is considered good netiquette to seed to a ratio of at least 1:1 (i.e. upload the same amount of data you downloaded). Most BitTorrent clients will display the seed ratio of downloaded files.
Other Stuff
Best Torrent Software For Mac
You don’t need to know much more about torrenting than the information provided above. If you ever wish to explore the subject further, however, this glossary is a good introduction to the jargon used.
Movie torrents, in particular, have a great deal of jargon associated with them. To make informed decisions about the content you plan to download, it is useful to familiarize yourself with it.
One thing to watch out for on public torrent sites is sponsored links. These are often prominently displayed and are deliberately designed to confuse. They typically point to either commercial direct download sites or Usenet services. Look for a link that specifically says 'Torrent” or 'Magnet Link.”
Find the best torrent sites
Findinf the best torrent sites can be quite difficult these days due to the blocks ISPs imposes on these websites. However, check out our best torrent sites article for a list of our favorite in 2021.
Conclusion
If anything, the torrenting crowd is over-served by great BitTorrent clients! Indeed, this top five list hardly even scrapes the surface of the many that are available. The fact that most of them are free and open source software (FOSS) warms the cockles of my heart!
With such a wealth of options available, I’m sure many of you will have a favorite that is not listed here. If so, do please write in to tell me and other readers why you think it is so great!
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Strong presence, no-logs policy
The overall scope of torrent websites is increasing at a very rapid pace day by day and as a result, torrent websites have unlocked its door for Mac users as well. There are millions of Mac users who are willing to access the most popular torrent sites to get their favorite torrent files exclusively for free. But when it comes to Mac torrent sites, the only thing which is a matter of concern for Mac users is privacy. Due to all the privacy norms set up by Apple for their manufactured devices, it has been made impossible for a virus or any suspicious files to penetrate the security layers of Apple devices. That’s why we recommend Mac users to use these sites to get all torrent files in exactly one place.
But before you use them to get your favorite torrent files, we wanted to let you ensure that they have installed a proper VPN product on your Mac device so that you can escape from being caught or fined by ISP. As we all know that accessing blocked or unblocked torrent sites is an offensive task in most countries due to copyrights violation, that’s why we suggest our users install a VPN on their Mac device so that it can behave as a shield to their identity and will provide Mac users an extra layer of security as well. Feel at a loss which VPN to choose? Maybe you can find the answer in the article – Top 5 Best VPN Browsers Online for PC, Mac, Android & iOS 2019. Now let’s show you the list of the 10 best Mac torrent sites and clients in 2019.
Part 1. 5 Best Mac Torrent Sites in 2019
1) The Pirate Bay
Torrent downloading for Mac users is certainly inseparable from The Pirate Bay which commonly appears first in most people’s brains. The way in which this torrent website delivers the content to users is just magnificent. There are separate sections available on this website which contain a lot of different torrent files. Mac users can easily download their favorite torrent files to get some satisfactory results. The graphical user interface is another outstanding feature of this website which can be ignored for no reason. All you need to do is to enable the VPN on your Mac device and access this website to get a personalized experience in accessing the best torrent files.
Tip: Here we recommend you a useful tool called Jihosoft Video Converter you may need when you find the format of your downloaded video not compatible with your media player. Jihosoft Video Converter is very professional in converting video formats between a series of formats, such as P4, M4V, MPEG, MKV, RMVB, TS, VOB, H.264, HD WMV, etc. You can click on it to learn more!
2) EZTV
This Mac torrent website is really a very awesome website which contains millions of different torrent files on its database. Since users are required to login to this website, it is not so popular among Mac users. But as a Mac user, you can easily create your free account to access all the torrent files without any issue. Though the user interface of this website is not pretty much appealing, it can be negotiated if the content availability is the main concern. This torrent website is well known for providing torrent files of the newly released TV series and other TV shows as well.
3) RARBG
RARBG is another very good torrent website for Mac users since it offers a lot of awesome features to its users for free. Like EZTV, this website also requires users to login with the username and password. The presence of a huge database on this website will ensure that you have selected one of the best torrent websites. This website offers a lot of entertaining stuff like torrent files of movies, TV shows, music, and various paid software packages as well. That’s why this website is satisfying all its Mac users with its performance and we hope that the smooth functioning of this torrent website will remain to be the same in the future as well. By the way, there are many alternative sites for RARBG that you can try!
4) 1337X
Another very satisfying option present in this list for all Mac users is 1337X which can complete torrent downloading for Mac users. Inside the trending section of this Mac torrent website, you can access all the latest trending torrent files which are most frequently downloaded by users on a large scale. The content on this website is displayed in the most elegant way and due to this reason, 1337X holds the massive popularity among Mac users. The overall graphical user interface and the presence of a huge database on this site will surely let you feel you have made exactly the right choice. To find more websites similar to 1337X, you can read an article about the best alternatives to 1337X.
5) LimeTorrents
An absolute beauty of this Mac torrent website is providing content for users who are looking for the best source of torrent files for free. On the homepage of LimeTorrents, you will see an input search option box where you can search for the torrent file you are looking for. Moreover, you can easily browse torrent files according to the various sections whose icons are represented at the bottom end of the homepage. This website is also known for getting updated with the latest trends and popularity so that users will get all the related stuff which will satisfy them at the best levels. Though this website lacks a good GUI, still, it is a sure shot choice for every Mac user.
Best Torrent Client Mac 2020 Reddit
Part 2. 5 Best Torrent Clients for Mac in 2019
Torrent clients are another very good source of getting all the torrent files by requesting to the strangers who are online on that client server. Basically, a torrent client will let all users gather on a specific platform where they can share all the resources they have with each other. That’s why it is recommended to get a good torrent client platform which will surely help you get the torrent file not available on the above-mentioned torrent websites. We have gathered 5 different suggestions about the top Mac torrent clients in 2019 which we are going to mention below.
1) uTorrent (Mac)
uTorrent is undoubtedly the best Mac torrent client present in this list which might help you out in getting your desired torrent file. There are lots of incredible features present in this client, which makes it a perfect choice for all Mac users. You can use the “Add Torrent” feature of this app to help you add or upload the torrent file which you have in your system. However, the regular updates of this app might annoy you a bit, but updating the firmware of this app to the latest version will surely allow you to access the premium user experience for free.
2) qBitTorrent (Mac)
qBitTorrent is another fantastic choice as a Mac torrent client which is developed with an excellent user interface. This Mac torrent application is developed with lots of handy tools, making the searching complexity much lower. Moreover, the qBitTorrent app is having one of the best torrent search engines to increase the search efficiency of different results. The essential features present in this torrent client are pretty much good in our opinion and that’s why we like the overall functioning of it. So, just get this application installed on your Mac device to get your desired quality stuff for free.
3) BitTorrent (Mac)
The developers of BitTorrent maintain and operate this Mac torrent client by themselves. That’s why you will see a lot of optimistic features for a better searching process to enhance the user experience. However, in this Mac torrent client application, you will get a lot of ads which are totally annoying, but there is no concern about the content quality issue. BitTorrent official client app for Mac is pretty much smaller in file size which will not take extra space in your Mac device storage. Overall, this BitTorrent official client app seems to be more furnished and well optimized in terms of features if compared with the older version of it.
4) Vuze (Mac)
Packed with lots of extraordinary features, this Mac torrent client is another very good choice for Mac users. Users can easily download torrent files from this client application unlimitedly for free. The user interface of this app is also very good, which makes it a complete all-round choice for users. But the ultimate strong feature of this Mac torrent client application is its powerful search engine. The search engine of this app is really very strong and powerful which is capable of fetching the required torrent files very easily from the web server. There is an integrated virus protection pack available with this Mac torrent client which can reduce the risk of virus attacks up to a great extent.
5) Deluge BitTorrent Client (Mac)
Last but not the least, Deluge BitTorrent Client for Mac is another excellent option available for Mac users who have not been used to the functioning and features of the above-mentioned Mac torrent client applications. This Mac torrent client is having most of the rich features which will make the overall torrenting experience pretty much enhanced. The scheduled downloading of different torrent files is another very excellent option present in this Mac torrent client for an easier downloading task.
Conclusion:
In a nutshell, we can conclude that there are several Mac torrent sites and clients in 2019 for Mac users to download torrents easier. We have mentioned the best suggestions above in this article and hopefully, we can think that you are taking the best advantage of them. And please leave the name of your favorite torrent site below in the comments section.