Nectar Mobile Web App Kit Torren
Nolan Guyz
Testing various programs is the best way to figure out which offers the right mix of features, but that takes a lot of effort. To save you the frustration, I spent some time carefully comparing qBittorrent and uTorrent, two of the most downloaded torrent clients.
Of all the BitTorrent clients out there, qBittorrent and uTorrent are among the most popular. While they share lots of settings and similarities, including embedded trackers, DHT, PEX, NAT-PMP, UPnP, LPD, IPv6 protection, and RSS support, they've also got their differences.
qBittorrent is a free, open source BitTorrent client with a clean interface and fast speeds. It doesn't display ads, supports sequential downloading so you can stream while downloading, can automatically add torrents, preloads metadata, and allows you to set several limits to control things like how much bandwidth you use and the hours the client can operate.
uTorrent is also free, but it's proprietary software that's ad-supported, so you'll have to deal with banner ads unless you pay to upgrade or use a VPN to hide them. You also don't have any access to its code to see for yourself that it's safe. On the plus side, it has a built-in search engine, uses little RAM so you can keep using your computer for other things, supports file prioritization, allows for super-seeding, and has an Android app. There's also uTorrent Web for torrenting straight from your favorite browser.
I conducted one of my speed tests by downloading the same 163 MB AVI video file using each client. For context, my internet download speed was 49.5 Mbps, and I ran each program separately so that the apps could have full use of my computer's resources.
There were 3 seeds available at the time of download, and qBittorrent downloaded the file in 1 minute and 53 seconds, with an average download speed of 1.4 MiB/s. Considering how few sources were available, this download completed faster than I expected.
There were 4 seeds for a short while at the beginning of the download before one dropped off. Despite this, uTorrent took 3 minutes and 2 seconds to download the same file, with an average download speed of 859.9 kB/s. While this download was also relatively fast, it still took more than a minute longer than qBittorrent.
uTorrent Web doesn't provide as many details as its desktop version does, so there's no way to tell what its average download speed was during my test. However, I watched it, and I saw it reach speeds of up to 1.9 MiB/s, so it definitely was downloading as fast as qBittorrent. The fact that it took a total of 2 minutes and 10 seconds to download the file also supports this. This was faster than I expected, but still not quite as fast as qBittorrent.
When it comes to ease of use, qBittorrent is the clear winner. I ran into a little runaround with its download link, but after that, qBittorrent's installation process was straightforward, whereas I felt like uTorrent tried to trick me into agreeing to bloatware I didn't need. I also found that qBittorrent's interface was much easier to work with.
I was a bit surprised to see a rather dated-looking page when I arrived at qBittorrent's website. However, the page was clean and easy to navigate, with the download link prominently displayed at the top.
On the downloads page, you'll find information about the client's public key, followed by download links for various operating systems. It's compatible with Windows, Mac, Linux, and a few smaller operating systems like Haiku OS and FreeBSD. I liked that there were also mirror links available; this helps ensure there's always a valid download link available.
Hint: If you're a Windows user and don't know which version to download, type "about" in the Windows search bar and select "about your PC". You'll see your system type displayed with other info about your machine.
I clicked uTorrent Classic, and instead of heading to a download page, I had to choose which version I wanted. There were three paid versions offering things from no ads to premium support, but I went with the free, basic version.
As the next page promised that my download would start automatically, I thought it was going to be smooth sailing. However, I ran into a huge problem: The download would not start. I tried several times, but it seems that uTorrent's server was down. I had to try again the next day to finally download the file. This was an instance where it would have been nice to have access to mirror download links, but uTorrent had none.
qBittorrent is the obvious winner for its streamlined installation process. It took only a couple of minutes, and there were no devious tactics. Utorrent, on the other hand, took longer to install and tried to install bloatware.
Installing qBittorrent was very straightforward. After choosing my installation language, I had the option to choose what components to install. Everything on the list was standard, and I didn't see anything sneaky that I had to uncheck.
Actually, I found it nice that qBittorrent had already unchecked the two options I would have done myself: creating a desktop icon that will clog up my home screen and starting the program on Windows startup (I prefer to launch these types of programs only when I need them and only when I'm protected by a VPN).
From there, I only needed to choose my install location. The program requires just 137 MB of space and took about 15 seconds to finish the installation process. When it was done, I could click to immediately launch the app.
The first screen was a warning about scammers charging for the company's free torrenting client. I'm not sure how this warning was supposed to help me, as I would have already paid for the free version had I downloaded the client elsewhere.
The next two screens prompted me to agree to uTorrent's terms and conditions. This was normal and expected, but the next screens weren't. I was dismayed to see uTorrent trying to sneak in bloatware under the guise of an optional companion.
As if that wasn't bad enough, uTorrent then tried to push a new browser on me. Worse, it appeared I only had the option to go back to the previous bloatware screen or accept the browser. I really had to look to find the tiny checkbox to opt out of the new software.
At this point, I felt that the installation process had already taken too long, so I was not happy to see further installation options broken up into two screens. Nonetheless, these options were safe, and the installation was finally complete 20 seconds later.
Both clients offered clean interfaces and loads of features, but qBittorrent was better because it was ad-free. uTorrent's GUI was clogged with ads, and it tried to make me pay to remove them.
At the top of the window, you'll find a control bar to add, delete, play, pause, and prioritize torrents. On the left side, you can quickly locate and sort torrents using the status, categories, tags, and trackers menu. The center of the screen is where you'll find your torrents list. When you click one, you'll see stats populate in the area below it. This is helpful for seeing how large a torrent is, how fast it's downloading, and how much longer it will take to complete.
I found uTorrent to have a similar clean feel, and it also had a handy control bar and various menus. However, it was hard to ignore that uTorrent also had two large ads at the top and side of the screen.
In addition to the ads, uTorrent further reminds you that it has paid options with a link nestled into its menu on the left. If you're wondering whether a paid version is worth it, take a look at what you'll get:
Personally, I'd suggest that you stick with the free Basic plan and purchase a VPN on your own. You won't enjoy instant streaming, but you won't need it if torrents download in minutes. (Also qBittorrent includes this feature for free; I discuss it in the Features section). CyberGhost is a great VPN and will give you valuable ad blocking and security features, plus here's a secret: You'll pay less for it when you use this coupon.
When it came to adding torrents and monitoring their progress, I found that each client offered a similar experience. Neither was laggy, but I felt that qBittorrent was easier to use since its functions were more prominently displayed and the interface looked cleaner without ads.
In terms of settings, both clients offer plenty. Whether you're a beginner or experienced with P2P, you'll find lots of ways to customize the clients to your needs. You can have the clients launch when you start your computer, have updates automatically install, and set bandwidth limits. You'll find qBittorrent's full list of settings by clicking Tools > Options (or clicking the cog icon on the control bar), while uTorrent's can be found by clicking Options > Preferences (or clicking the cog at the far end of the control bar).
A nice feature you'll find with qBittorrent that its competitor lacks: email alerts when torrents finish. This is helpful for tracking torrent progress when you're away from your computer.
One place where uTorrent comes out on top is its inclusion of a tutorial button for torrenting newbies and a link to its forums under the Help menu. Forums are an easy and convenient way to get help and interact with other users. qBittorrent has its own forums, too, but you won't find a link for them in its client.
qBittorrent wins again when it comes to security and safety. Both clients have a lot going for them, but in the end, qBittorrent's lack of ads and open source code offers enormous transparency.
uTorrent gives you the option to remove ads, but you have to pay for it. Rather than pay the company for its bad behavior, consider using a VPN instead. During my tests, ]CyberGhost removed all of uTorrent's annoying ads.
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