Torrenting is a common method for sharing files on the Internet. When torrenting, you’re downloading the file on to your computer—it could be a video, music, software, or book—from other torrenters. At the same time, you also help other users download that same file with the pieces that you already have.
While torrenting has legitimate uses, the act gets a bad reputation due to the illegal sharing of copyrighted materials. To start torrenting, you need a few things:
- Torrent source: First, you need to know where to get torrent files. This list of torrenting sites will be helpful.
- Torrent client: As a standalone downloader, a torrent client is a convenient way to download torrents and share files over the Internet. With plenty of client choices, you must pick the fastest torrent client to have a smooth torrenting experience. We list five of the fastest torrent clients in the next section.
- VPN (Virtual Private Network): During torrenting, you need a VPN to protect yourself from law enforcers, your ISP, and prying eyes.
If you have all these three, you should be able to start torrenting in a safe manner. If you want to maximize your torrenting speed, one thing you should consider is to use a fast torrent client.
The 5 fastest torrent clients: uTorrent
One way to ensure good torrenting speed is to use a lightweight torrent client. It is for this reason many users prefer uTorrent. Apart from this quality, uTorrent has all the essential functions expected from a torrent client. It’s lightweight (takes only 1KB of computer space) and efficient (hardly uses any CPU resources). uTorrent also has a built-in bandwidth that maximizes torrenting speed. All these qualities make uTorrent one of the fastest torrent clients out there.
uTorrent is compatible with Windows, MacOS, Linux, and Android. It comes in two types: a classic stand-alone client (available in free and pro versions) and the browser-based uTorrent Web. However, the free, stand-alone client runs with ads which may dissatisfy some torrenters.
BitTorrent
BitTorrent is lightweight—at 2KB in size, it’s slightly bigger than uTorrent. BitTorrent shares various similarities with uTorrent because one company manages both torrent clients. BitTorrent started in 2001 while uTorrent was released four years later. Then in 2006, uTorrent was acquired by BitTorrent, Inc.
Like uTorrent, BitTorrent has a built-in bandwidth, a helpful feature for maximizing torrenting speed. It works with Windows, MacOS, and Android. It also comes in free and paid versions, with the free one filled with ads. Unlike uTorrent though, BitTorrent doesn’t have a browser-based version. Check out this article to know even more about the differences between these torrent clients.
qBittorent
Users like qBittorrent due to its combination of simplicity, CPU efficiency, and low disk space requirement. Developed by volunteers and funded through donations, qBittorrent is entirely free for use. Without distracting ads that also slow down torrenting speeds, qBittorrent has become a junk-free alternative to uTorrent and BitTorrent.
You can use qBittorrent on desktop computers running on MacOS, Windows, and Linux. Unfortunately, the torrent client is not fit for mobile use as it’s incompatible with iOS and Android.
Tixati
Tixati is small, fast, and easy to install. It has a very simple interface—so simple that it may look outdated to some users. Despite the appearance, Tixati sports several advanced features, like support for magnet links, download scheduling, an IP filtering.
Like qBittorrent, Tixati relies on donations, so it runs without ads. However, there is a downside: it only runs on Windows and Linux. So MacOS, iOS, and Android users should look for other torrent apps.
Transmission
Transmission’s biggest draw is that it uses very little system memory. It’s open-source and ad-free. Once installed, you can use it right away—no need for additional tweaks or complex configurations.
Transmission is considered the best torrent client for MacOS, but it will also run on Windows and Linux. However, you can’t use it on any mobile device as there are no available versions for iOS, Android, or Windows Mobile.
The fastest VPNs for the fastest torrent client
You have picked the fastest torrent client from the list above. Great! You also have your list of torrent sources from earlier in the article, so you can start downloading, right? Not so fast! If you want to keep your privacy intact, never download any torrents without a VPN. Why?
- To keep your anonymity. With the bad reputation surrounding torrenting, you need to protect yourself from legal troubles, like getting a DMCA notice. A VPN will hide your local IP address so that authorities can’t track the torrenting act back to you.
- To evade your ISP’s throttling. Know that many ISPs do not approve torrenting. If your ISP is one of them, and it detects that you’re torrenting, it will certainly throttle your connection speed. Though you have picked the fastest torrent client, it will still be useless if you got slow connections. A VPN will hide your activity from your ISP so that you can continue enjoying high downloading speeds.
saw this on my tl… if youre torrenting in the US, you should make sure youre using a VPN that doesnt keep logs. ISPs will choke your internet speeds and send a warning if they catch it. and depending on the policies, you could get into trouble if youre using school wifi.
— abi (@suchadreamm) August 11, 2018
Now that you realize how important it is to have a VPN on while torrenting, don’t rush to choose just any VPN because not all VPNs support torrents. It’s also pointless to have the fastest torrent client if you choose a slow VPN.
It is important to look for a VPN that will not only support torrenting but is also capable of fast downloading. We tested and reviewed lots of VPNs to find the best for your torrenting needs. Check out three fast VPNs from our list of the top torrenting VPNs below!
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