Top 4 Alternatives for uTorrent and BitTorrent for your needs
For many, BitTorrent and uTorrent are staple programs for file-sharing. There are many concerns over these two software, however. Many users dislike the number of advertisements which it displays. Others point out that these are owned by the same company, and that the Music and Film Industry Association of America actually has ownership in both.
One reddit user mentioned that users with uTorrent versions beyond 1.6 were at risk from being targeted for anti-piracy campaigns.
So for those of us who want to jump ship, what is the best alternative(s) out there for your level of needs?
The most distinguishing factor between great torrenting applications is levels of control over what you are doing. Casual users without much IT expertise prefer simple programs which display the minimal amount of information and does what it needs to. Advanced users may prefer high levels of customisation at the price of higher computer performance requirements.
Casual User – Deluge
For those who want a simple yet efficient torrenting application, look out for Deluge. With minimal features and only the basics, this lets you go straight from download to use without overloading you with options. Deluge is open source, and supports full encryption while torrenting.
Available for Linux, Mac, and Windows for free, you can download it from their website here: http://deluge-torrent.org/
Intermediate User – qTorrent
For those who want additional functionality and miss BitTorrent, qTorrent is a great alternative. Based on code written by Arvid Norberg (Chief Architect at BitTorrent), this application provides all the features of BitTorrent without the trackers. qTorrent is also proudly open-source, with the lowest resource-utilisation compared to the other top 10 torrenting alternative applications available.
Instalation is very easy and fast, and there are no advertising or annoying prompts to buy the premium version. This torrenting application is available for Windows, Macs, and Linux: http://www.qbittorrent.org/
Advanced User – Tixati
Sitting neatly in the middle of qBitTorrent and our next contender, Tixati has additional features and statistics monitoring but does not go as far as Vuze. Instalation takes a little longer, but the interface is neat and uncluttered. While the website does have advertising, the application does not. It is, however, only available for Windows and Linux users only.
Get it here: http://www.tixati.com/
Power User – Vuze
Vuze is the application which converts your computer into a monster torrenting machine it could be. Available on both the Mac and PC, this software has won many awards and works with the higher number of devices. Want your movie in your mobile, mp3 device, or console? No problem- just drag and drop. Want to play and stream as you download, from the application? No problems. Want to control your downloading while you are out at work or away from the computer? No problem. Want your torrents to be automatically optimised based on current traffic in real time? No problem. Vuze is the giant which smiles as other torrenting applications boast of functionality. Vuze is the god who renounced being compact for pure power.
The main drawback of Vuze is that it would be the most resource-intensive software out of the rest. While most computer users would not notice any difference still (if you bought a computer within the last 5 years), older computers may experience a bit of strain. Installation may also take a while (by that I mean more than a minute), as Vuze bundles other applications which you should decline.
Download it now from their website: http://www.vuze.com/
Tags: BitTorrent, Deluge, Downloading, featured, P2P, Peer to Peer, qTorrent, Tixati, Torrenting, uTorrent, Vuze