# Alternatives to µTorrent

The once-king, now ad-heavy.

µTorrent ranks #4 of 7 in Torrent clients, with an Alt Score of 75. It is proprietary, freemium from $4.95/yr and available on Windows, macOS, Linux and Android. 8 of 9 checklist rows are verified against a public source.

Source: https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/torrent/
Category: Torrent clients

## Overview

- **Who it's for**: Anyone who wants a free, no-frills client for downloading files via the BitTorrent protocol, from casual users to power users who want granular control over transfer settings.
- **What you get**: A lightweight desktop app (with Mac and Android versions too) for adding torrent files or magnet links and managing multiple simultaneous downloads/uploads. It includes bandwidth scheduling and auto-throttling, remote management via browser, and, in the paid tiers, ad removal plus optional security extras like a built-in VPN. The free version is supported by ads and bundled offers during install.
- **How it works**: Install the client, then add a .torrent file or magnet link to start downloading pieces of the file from other peers/seeders in the swarm while simultaneously uploading pieces to others; the client manages queueing, speed limits, and seeding after the download completes.

## Profile

- **License**: Proprietary (verified 2026-07-09)
- **Pricing model**: Freemium (verified 2026-07-09)
- **Starts at**: $4.95/yr (verified 2026-07-09)
- **Platforms**: Windows, macOS, Linux, Android
- **Status**: active (verified 2026-07-09)

## Ranked alternatives

| # | App | Alt Score | Licence | Platforms |
|---|-----|-----------|---------|-----------|
| 1 | [BiglyBT](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/biglybt.md) | 80 | GPL-2.0 | Windows, macOS, Linux, Android |
| 2 | [Transmission](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/transmission.md) | 80 | GPL-2.0-or-later | Windows, macOS, Linux |
| 3 | [Deluge](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/deluge.md) | 75 | GPL-3.0 | Windows, macOS, Linux |
| 4 | [qBittorrent](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/qbittorrent.md) | 75 | GPL-2.0 | Windows, macOS, Linux |
| 5 | [Tixati](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/tixati.md) | 50 | ? | Windows, Linux, Android |
| 6 | [rTorrent](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/rtorrent.md) | 35 | GPL-2.0 | Linux, macOS |

Alt Score = Verified coverage (90%) + Visibility (10%). See https://altcatalog.com/how-alt-score-works/

## Feature comparison

Legend: Yes / No / Partial / ? (not verified).

| Torrent clients checklist | µTorrent | BiglyBT | Transmission | Deluge | qBittorrent | Tixati |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Freemium | Donationware | Donationware | Free | Donationware | Donationware |
| Starts at | $4.95/yr | Free | Free | Free | Free | Free |
| License | Proprietary | GPL-2.0 | GPL-2.0-or-later | GPL-3.0 | GPL-2.0 | ? |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux, Android | Windows, macOS, Linux, Android | Windows, macOS, Linux | Windows, macOS, Linux | Windows, macOS, Linux | Windows, Linux, Android |
| No ads | Partial | Yes | Yes | ? | Yes | Yes |
| Sequential download | ? | ? | Yes | Partial | Yes | ? |
| RSS automation | Yes | Yes | No | Partial | Yes | Yes |
| Web UI / remote control | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Encryption & proxy support | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Partial | Yes |
| Open source | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | ? |
| Resource footprint | Yes | ? | Yes | Yes | ? | ? |
| Streaming while downloading | Yes | Yes | ? | Partial | ? | ? |
| Cross-platform | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |

## Sources

Sources for µTorrent. Each alternative is sourced on its own page.

- **License**: Proprietary — <https://www.bittorrent.com/legal/eula> (verified 2026-07-09)
  - Note: BitTorrent Limited's EULA explicitly covers uTorrent: "By accepting this agreement or by installing BitTorrent or uTorrent or other software offered by or on behalf of BitTorrent Limited".
  - Quote: “The source code, design, and structure of the Software (excluding the Other Software) are trade secrets.”
- **Pricing model**: Freemium — <https://www.utorrent.com/desktop/compare/> (verified 2026-07-09)
  - Quote: “Free is ad-supported. Ad-Free from $4.95/year.”
- **Starts at**: $4.95/yr — <https://help.utorrent.com/en/support/solutions/articles/29000022714-how-do-i-remove-the-advertising-> (verified 2026-07-09)
  - Quote: “Upgrading to Ads Free ($4.95/year) removes ads from your desktop torrent client.”
- **Platforms**: Windows, macOS, Linux, Android — <https://www.utorrent.com/downloads/linux/> (verified 2026-07-09)
  - Note: Windows, macOS and Android builds confirmed on the sibling /downloads/win/, /downloads/mac/ and /downloads/android/ pages.
  - Quote: “Download torrents on Linux. Supporting 64-bit or 32-bit for Debian or Ubuntu”
- **Status**: active — <https://www.bittorrent.com/legal/eula> (verified 2026-07-09)
  - Note: Current-year copyright plus live pricing and download pages.
  - Quote: “© 2026 BitTorrent Limited All Rights Reserved.”
- **No ads**: Partial — <https://help.utorrent.com/en/support/solutions/articles/29000022714-how-do-i-remove-the-advertising-> (verified 2026-07-09)
  - Note: The free tier is ad-supported; ads are removed only on the paid Ad-Free tier and above.
  - Quote: “Upgrading to Ads Free ($4.95/year) removes ads from your desktop torrent client.”
- **RSS automation**: Yes — <https://www.utorrent.com/desktop/> (verified 2026-07-09)
  - Quote: “Setup µTorrent to automatically download from RSS, either all titles in the feed or specific ones.”
- **Web UI / remote control**: Yes — <https://www.utorrent.com/remote/> (verified 2026-07-09)
  - Quote: “you can now access µTorrent Classic from a browser at https://remote.utorrent.com by using the same computer name and password.”
- **Encryption & proxy support**: Yes — <https://help.utorrent.com/en/support/solutions/articles/29000022716-does-your-software-support-proxies-> (verified 2026-07-09)
  - Note: Protocol encryption is documented in the connection-guide help article.
  - Quote: “Under Proxy Server Type, you can select SOCKS4, SOCKS5, HTTP Connect, and HTTP proxies.”
- **Open source**: No — <https://www.bittorrent.com/legal/eula> (verified 2026-07-09)
  - Quote: “The source code, design, and structure of the Software (excluding the Other Software) are trade secrets.”
- **Resource footprint**: Yes — <https://www.utorrent.com/desktop/> (verified 2026-07-09)
  - Quote: “became popular due to its tiny file size and the small memory footprint required to run on Windows”
- **Streaming while downloading**: Yes — <https://www.utorrent.com/web/> (verified 2026-07-09)
  - Quote: “Play torrents while you download.”
- **Cross-platform**: Yes — <https://www.utorrent.com/downloads/linux/> (verified 2026-07-09)
  - Note: Windows and macOS builds confirmed on the sibling download pages.
  - Quote: “Download torrents on Linux. Supporting 64-bit or 32-bit for Debian or Ubuntu”

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Ranked by verified data, never by who paid. https://altcatalog.com/trust/