We have no shortage of torrent clients to choose from---the difficulty is choosing the best one for your needs. Some can be malware-ridden; others have a vast number of features that occasional users will rarely use.

If you want to know about the best torrent downloaders in 2020, keep reading.

1. qBittorrent

Available on: Windows, Mac, Linux

The best torrent client is 2020 is arguably qBittorrent. Here are some of the app's key features:

  • Can handle magnet links
  • Supports BitTorrent extensions like Distributed Hash Table (DHT), Peer Exchange Protocol (PEX), Local Peer Discovery (LSD), Torrent Queueing, and Encryption, which you can set up under Tools > Options > BitTorrent > Privacy
  • Search engine
  • RSS feed support features advanced download filters such as regex
  • Web user interface to remote control the client
  • IP filtering
  • Sequential downloads
  • Advanced control over torrents, trackers, and peers, including queueing and prioritizing
  • Bandwidth scheduler
  • Torrent creation tool under Tools > Torrent Creator

Widely considered the best uTorrent alternative, qBittorrent is a free open-source torrent client, available for Windows, Mac, and Linux. While open source software isn't automatically safer, the ability to review the code does make it more trustworthy. Moreover, qBittorrent is free from bloatware and ads, which leads to a smooth installation experience.

The qBittorrent interface is clean and organized. And if you've used uTorrent, it will seem familiar, which is not a coincidence. qBittorrent set out to be an open source alternative to uTorrent.

At a glance, you can see the status of all your downloads, and you can view them by category, tags, or trackers. Through the menus at the bottom, you can bring up background information about peers, your downloading and seeding speed, and more.

You can drag-and-drop torrent files and magnet links onto the tool to initiate the download. If you don't want the download to start automatically, head to Tools > Options > Downloads and check the box next to Do not start the download automatically.

qBittorrent includes a Search Engine that comes pre-loaded with a selection of Torrent sites that you can search simultaneously. Note that this tool requires a Python Interpreter; the installation files are included. You can enable the Search Engine through View > Search Engine.

You can add additional Torrent sites: open Search, click on the Search plugins button in the bottom right, click Install a new one, and either click Local file if you want to add a qBittorent search plugin you've downloaded or Web link if you'd like to add a URL. Use the Search Engine to avoid overblown search websites.

2. Tixati

tixati download speed

Available on: Windows, Linux

Another top torrent program worth considering is Tixati. Key features include:

  • Supports Magnet links and DHT.
  • Encryption under Settings > Network > Connections.
  • IP filter.
  • Scheduler.
  • RSS-based auto torrent downloader.
  • Web interface under Settings > User Interface.

Tixati has no spyware, no adware, and no-nonsense guarantee. Unlike the other clients on this list, however, Tixati is not open source. The installation takes a moment, but it's free from third-party offers and appears clean.

When you first launch Tixati, you'll have to confirm your initial configuration, which mainly concerns the download folder, incoming port, and bandwidth throttle.

You can switch between different interfaces, including Transfers, Bandwidth, and DHT. The Home tab displays Tixati's log file and a summary of all your transfers and incoming connections. Like qBittorrent, Tixati comes with an internal search engine, which lets you avoid potentially spammy torrent sites.

Among the clients covered in this article, Tixati's interface is the most complex, which is also reflected in Tixati's comprehensive options. Nevertheless, it's one of the more lightweight Torrent clients.

3. Transmission

transmission torrent on linux

Available on: Windows, Mac, Linux

The next torrent app to investigate is Transmission. Here are some key features:

  • Encryption, set preferences via Edit > Preferences > Privacy > Encryption.
  • Support for Magnet links, DHT, PEX, and more.
  • Web interface.
  • Webseed support.
  • Watch directories.
  • Edit tracker.
  • Limit global and per-torrent speed.
  • Add bad peer blocklists via Edit > Preferences > Privacy > Blocklist.

Like uTorrent, the open-source client Transmission has had bouts of malware infections. Having overcome these unfortunate setbacks, however, it remains the default BitTorrent client on many Unix and Linux distributions, including Solaris, Ubuntu, Mint, Fedora, Puppy, and GNOME. This means it's no surprise that we picked it as one of the best torrent clients for Linux.

One of Transmission's benefits is that it's a lightweight BitTorrent client. The installation is fast, free from nag screens, and concludes with a brief notification about the tool's file-sharing nature. The interface is functional and minimal.

Note that you have to start a local or remote session before you can download anything. Go to Edit > Change Session to launch a new session. When you first start a Transmission session on Windows 10, the Windows Defender Firewall will pop up to let you know it blocked some features. Click Allow access to give Transmission permission to communicate on your network.

4. Deluge

Available on: Windows, Mac, Linux

Deluge is a popular torrent downloader across all operating systems. Key features include:

  • Encryption, set preferences via Edit > Preferences > Network > Encryption.
  • Support for Magnet links, DHT, PEX.
  • Web seeds.
  • Global and per-torrent speed limits.
  • Web interface.
  • Plugins.

The app is a free and open source BitTorrent client that heavily draws features from the libtorrent library. By adhering to the freedesktop standards, it can "work across many desktop environments."

The installation took a little longer and several more clicks than any of the other clients. Fortunately, Deluge is free from bloatware, toolbars, or ads. The interface is similar to qBittorrent, though slightly more crowded.

You can add additional details to the download section of the client through View > Columns.

5. Vuze

vuze torrent app

Available on: Windows

Vuze had a spell in which it was less trustworthy than some of the other apps on our list, but a recent re-release has once again made the app recommendable.

Here are some of the app's best features:

  • Quick and uncluttered installation wizard.
  • Feature-heavy.
  • Beginner, intermediate, and advanced user interface layouts.
  • Large library of plugins.
  • Support for RSS feeds.
  • Customizable upload and download restrictions.

During the installation process, make sure you keep an eye on potential bloatware. Sadly, it's a common problem among torrent clients.)

You also need to be aware that Vuze is ad-supported. You can remove the ads by paying for Vuze Plus ($4/month) or by heading to Tools > Plugins > Uninstallation Wizard, checking the box next to Promo View, and hitting Remove.

Finally, consider that Vuze's large number of apps and extensions can weigh on the app's download speed.

Don't Forget the Law!

Unfortunately, downloading torrents isn't as simple as installing a client and cracking on.

There are two important things you need to consider when grabbing torrents off the web:

  • The law in your country of residence.
  • The prevalence of malware.

Laws vary from place to place. You may get in trouble if you download copyrighted material. The best way to stay safe is to use a VPN. Here at MakeUseOf, we recommend CyberGhost and ExpressVPN.