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The 10 best free torrent clients for Linux

by Abraham
Published: Last Updated on
torrent clients linux

For internet users who are often involved in downloading large documents such as movies, games, and motion pictures, a torrent is an excellent choice to opt for. This is because torrent helps to transform ones’ computer into a part of a host. By doing so, the information is downloaded and shared amongst other individuals, thereby assisting people in downloading the bits you have already acquired.

The outcome of using Torrents is that it is incredibly reliable and has a quick and frequent approach towards acquiring colossal documents. Therefore, you do not need to keep installing and checking each random torrent client you encounter on the internet. Instead, this article tutorial will highlight some of the available open-source clients for Linux.

The 10 best free torrent clients for Linux

With lots of eminent torrent clients in the market already, it sets a challenging quest to figure out those equipped with the best features. This article saves you all the trouble of researching yourself, as I have already reviewed a few torrent clients. So, have a look at the top 10 best free torrent clients for Linux.

1. QBittorrent

This is a free and open-source torrent client for Linux, Windows, and the Mac OS operating systems. It is a lightweight torrent client equipped with advanced cross-platform features, making it a friendly graphical user interface. This torrent client also has a well-integrated search engine, an RSS feed reader, and a downloader. QBittorrent is capable of fulfilling the needs of its users with minimum use of their CPUs and memory.

For one looking for a user-friendly interface connection at any moment, then this torrent client will fulfill your needs. In addition, it is equipped with other features such as the capability to download multiple files simultaneously, an integrated torrent search engine, fast and small, capable of offering easy and advanced configurations, and it supports DHT, PeX, UPnP, NAT-PMP, and Encryption.

Installing QBittorrent in Ubuntu Linux:

To install qBittorrent onto our Linux operating system, two methods can be used as shown below:

  1. Using the Linux Software Center
  2. Using the Terminal

The methods mentioned above will be reviewed in this article. Therefore you will choose the one that suits you.

Method 1: Using the Linux Software Center

The first method we deem to be the easiest and quickest is installing the qBittorrent client from the Linux Software Center. We believe this method to be the easiest and fastest because it entails using a graphical user interface that most of you are familiar with compared to a terminal.

To download the application, navigate to your all applications folder by clicking the windows button on your keyboard, then search “Software Center” on the search bar. Once you are done, click “Enter” on your keyboard. Click on a similar app to the one shown below:

software

software

Once the Linux Software Center has launched, locate the search bar and search for “qBittorrent” as shown. Now click on the application shown to download.

search for qbittorent

search for qbittorent

Note: At some point, you might be required to enter your credentials to authenticate the process. Suppose asked, key in your password to proceed.

enter password to authenticate.png

enter password to authenticate.png

The Linux Software center will do all the work for you. It will download and install the application into your Linux operating system. All you have to do is wait until all the processes are complete, then enjoy this fantastic qBittorrent.

Method 2: Using the Terminal to download and install qBittorrent

Linux torrent client fully supports repositories from Ubuntu official. As seen in method one above, we downloaded and installed the qBittorrent from the Linux Software Center. In this method, we shall use the terminal to run and execute some commands to install the qBittorrent client onto our Linux operating system.

The first step in method 2 is to launch the terminal. You can use the shortcut command keys “CTRL + ALT + T” or follow the process we used above to open Software Center to open the terminal. In the search bar, type terminal and launch it.

Download the source code for qBittorrent from either ‘SourceForge‘ or ‘GitHub’. After downloading, install the software now using the official qBittorrent PPA, which contains all the vital derivatives of Ubuntu. Use the following command to add the PPA. On your terminal, copy and paste the following command to avoid falling into errors while typing them on your own.

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:qbittorrent-team/qbittorrent-stable
add repository

add repository

Since we ran the command as sudo (administrator/root), you must provide the password to authenticate the system. After authenticating, the terminal will execute the command.

Next, execute the commands below to update the system and install qBittorrent on your Linux operating system, respectively:

sudo apt update

sudo apt install qbittorrent
update your system and install qbittorrent

update your system and install qbittorrent

Features

  • It contains a media player
  • Has file and torrent prioritization
  • It includes an integrated search engine

Pros

  • Provides faster download speeds
  • Provides better search options via the thousands of plugins integrated into it
  • It is easy, fast, and straightforward to download and setup
  • It has no Ads, thus being user friendly
  • It enables one to manage torrents remotely
  • It supports bandwidth scheduling

Cons

  • Contains additional features that might pose challenges to newbies
  • qBittorrent lacks extensions

Note: you can also download qBittorrent easily by clicking this link

Official Website

2. Deluge

This is open-source software for the torrent client. Its advantages are that it is straightforward, powerful, and lightweight. It is specifically equipped with powerful tools primarily essential for downloading heavy tasks. It is also improved to enable it to be used as an add-on to browsers such as Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox. Being used as an add-on to the browsers makes it extremely easy to download media files as it is both straightforward and extendable.

Installing Deluge in Linux:

To install deluge in Linux, open the terminal using the already mentioned steps the run and execute the following commands:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:deluge-team/stable
add deluge ppa

add deluge PPA

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install deluge
update and install deluge

update and install deluge

Features

  • Has downloads scheduler
  • Contains unique plugins
  • Enables add-on plugins from other sources, thus enhancing customization

Pros

  • It is one of the most customizable torrents available in the market
  • It comes equipped with an impressive minimalist design that is a charm to many
  • It is plugin enabled
  • It is free (open-source); therefore, developers can customize it to their preference.
  • It provides users with enhanced encryption, thus promoting privacy
  • Enhances selective and prioritizing downloading, which is a feature most users tend to look for.

Cons

  • Installation is quite complicated and challenging
  • It has plugin compatibility problems which might be frustrating at times

Official Website

3. Tribler

Tribler is open-source torrent client software that allows peer-peer connection by default. It is designed to use an overlay network for content searching, thereby not requiring external website indexing services to discover content. When downloading, one does not need to download the whole file, and instead, they can choose to stream or download the data simultaneously. Privacy in Tribler is provided using onion routing. This makes it a charm to users who are after confidentiality.

Installing Tribler in Linux:

To install the Tribler torrent client, open your terminal using the shortcut CTRL + ALT + T the copy and paste the following commands:

wget https://github.com/Tribler/tribler/releases/download/v7.10.0/tribler_7.10.0_all.deb
download tribler

download Tribler

sudo apt-get install ./tribler_7.10.0_all.deb
install tribler

install tribler

The commands will install the Tribler torrent client onto your Linux operating system.

Features

  • Anonymity
  • Streaming
  • No need for websites to download

Pros

  • Provides users with improved anonymity while downloading torrents.
  • It also comes equipped with new in-built features for discovering and searching for fresh torrents
  • Contains encrypting and query relays infrastructure.

Cons

  • Immature anonymity

Official Website

4. Tixati

This is a proprietary Linux torrent client specifically designed for systems with light resources. It is used to download internet content through the use of P2P technology. It is user-friendly, lean, and lightweight, making it more of a charm to most users.

Installing Tixati in Linux:

Follow the procedures provided to install this fantastic torrent client onto your Linux operating system.

First, download the tixati torrent client from here.

Next, open the terminal using the already provided procedures in this article.
Next, copy and paste the following commands into the article:

cd Downloads
sudo dpkg-i tixati_2.84-1_amd64.deb
install tixati

install tixati

After running the command, the Tixati torrent client will be downloaded. Now install it onto your system.

Features

  • Provides RSS support
  • It contains an Encrypted chatroom
  • Provides security against malware

Pros

  • Offers users with lots of customization options
  • It is user-friendly because of its simple GUI.
  • No Ads
  • It contains a tutorial that helps new users in setting up the torrent client.

Cons

  • Beta version available for Linux while the stable release is only available for Linux
  • It contains a cloud-sourced client.
  • Newbies can find it tricky to download for the first time.

Official Website

5. KTorrent

Also, an open-source software developed by KDE. It is swift and super light. Ktorrent offers the ability to download a series of multiple threads without putting much pressure on the system. It is written in C++, and both its IPv4 & IPv6 can be used to download the desired content.

Installing KTorrent in Linux:

To install Ktorrent in Linux, open terminal, then run and execute the following commands:

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install –y ktorrent
update and install ktorrent

update and install ktorrent

Features

  • Plugin enabled
  • Contains port forwarding
  • RSS feed support

Pros

  • Fast
  • User friendly
  • Enables users to run multiple torrents simultaneously
  • Offers users advanced configuration options.

Cons

  • It has a minimalist design that might not suit all users
  • Its user interface is quite confusing, making it tricky to use.
  • Due to bad stats, Ktorrent is banned from some private trackers

Official Website

6. Transmission

The Transmission torrent client is entirely open source and free. It also comes with almost minimum configurations and is supported in Linux and Windows, and Mac OS. It helps optimize the system and does not need much of its resources as it is entirely lightweight. It also comes with a neat and straightforward nature which makes it have a plug-and-play model. This software should sort you for users who are focused on downloading torrents only and nothing else.

Installing Transmission in Linux:

Launch terminal using the previously mentioned methods the run and execute the following commands to install Transmission into your Linux operating system.

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:transmissionbt/ppa
add transmission ppa

add transmission PPA

sudo apt-get install transmission-cli transmission-common transmission-daemon
install transmission

install transmission

Note: Most Linux operating systems come with inbuilt Transmission. Hence you first should check out if it exists before proceeding to the installation phase.

Features

  • Encryption enabled
  • Peer exchange
  • Port forwarding
  • Web interface
  • Tracker editing
  • Provides per-torrent speed limits

Pros

  • User-friendly
  • Lightweight
  • Uses very minimal resources
  • Available for most operating systems

Cons

  • It might be challenging to download heavy torrents since it lacks some advanced features.
  • It does not have a built-in search engine
  • Lacks proxy-server support

Official Website

7. R Torrent

It is also a free, open-source torrent client. What makes it different from others is that it is a text-based app used in a terminal instead of others that use a graphical user interface. It is also written in C++ and relies on significantly fewer resources but offers a larger scale of features.

Installing RTorrent in Linux:

Launch terminal and run the following command:

sudo apt-get install -y rtorrent
install rtorrent

install rtorrent

Features

  • Uses ncurses
  • It contains a built-in daemon mode

Pros

  • Light-weight
  • Fast

Cons

  • It does not have a GUI, thus being hectic for newbies

Official Source Code

8. WebTorrent Desktop

This is utterly one of the best open-source torrent client software available in the market. It is available for Linux, Windows, and Mac OS. It is a streaming torrent application that allows users to play audio and video files without downloading the contents. This makes it more lightweight and fast. Its modern user interface also provides drag and drop support, making it possible to add torrent files and links without much strain.

Installing WebTorrent in Linux:

Download WebTorrent from here.

web torrent download page

web torrent download page

 

after downloading, the web torrent package, run and execute the following command line on your terminal

cd Downloads

sudo apt install ./webtorrent-desktop_0.24.0_amd64.deb
install webtorrent

install web torrent

Features

  • Enables P2P transport
  • Uses WebRTC

Pros

  • Light-weight
  • Supports several operating systems.
  • Allows streaming
  • Provides both desktop and web browser services

Cons

  • It might be slow if the server is overloaded

Official Website

9. libtorrent

This is an open-source upgrade of the torrent protocol. It is also written in C++ programming language, and its mainline consists of features that support DHT, IPv6, Mainline, and HTTP. It gathers its platform interdependence from ‘boost.axio’ and has a primary goal of scalability and satisfactory performance. Besides, it has a reliable memory-efficient atmospheric CPU memory which provides more system stability.

Installing Libtorrent in Linux:

Launch terminal and execute the following commands to update and install the Libtorrent client, respectively.

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install libtorrent-dev
update and install libtorrent

update and install libtorrent

Features

  • Extensions
  • BitTorrent V2
  • Disk management
  • Network
  • Share mode
  • Easy to use API

Pros

  • CPU efficient
  • Memory efficient
  • Easy to use

Cons

  • Still in beta stage, thus contains bugs

Official Website

10. FrostWire

This open-source software is also as powerful as it sounds and supports several operating systems, including Windows, Linux, and even Android. It utilizes its provided resources more efficiently without causing any system strains. It also offers simple configurations, which come with an additional feature for any curious computer wizards. The software also can adjust the system’s settings per its better accomplishment of tasks. A user is offered the ability to open several paths, all to access different torrent files simultaneously.

Installing Frostwire in Linux

Launch the terminal and run the following command to download the Frostwire package.

sudo apt-get update
wget http://dl.frostwire.com/frostwire/6.6.1/frostwire-6.6.1.all.deb
update and download frostwire from terminal

update and download FrostWire from terminal

sudo dpkg -i frostwire-6.6.1.all.deb
install frostwire

install FrostWire

Features

  • In-app search
  • Play/Preview while downloading
  • Built-in player
  • Easy downloads

Pros

  • You have the freedom to choose which downloads to download
  • It contains a media player
  • It contains an in-app search hence no need for a browser

Cons

  • It might be confusing for newbies.

Official Website

Conclusion

This article has covered all the top 10 best free torrent clients you can choose from. All their features have been covered, thus making it easy for you to decide which torrent client best suits you. We hope you found this article helpful. If yes, give a thumbs up via the comments section.

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