Best BitTorrent Clients 2011

We've reviewed four of the best BitTorrent clients that offer speedy downloads, app stores, and a myriad other features.

BitTorrent gets a bad rap--at least from the likes of the MPAA and RIAA. The peer-to-peer technology speeds the file transfer process by letting users with a downloaded torrent (a small file that contains BitTorrent metadata) draw data from multiple sources rather than a single user. This way, even if each individual seeder (uploading source) only offers a trickle of bandwidth, you can acquire large files in a remarkably short time.

BitTorrent Clients
Downloading and capitalizing on torrents requires the use of special applications such as the official BitTorrent client, Deluge, uTorrent, and Vuze. BitTorrent 7.2 (Free, 3.5 stars) and uTorrent 2.2 (Free, 3.5 stars) are both properties of the BitTorrent company, with the latter serving as the testing grounds for new features that may eventually make their way into the marquee product. Both include rather cool app stores that let you download games, antivirus software, and other software. Deluge 1.3.1 (Free, 3 stars) and the Editors' Choice award-winning Vuze 4.5 (Free, 4 stars) both offer remote torrent management, but we selected the latter as the superior client due to its ease of use, intuitive search engine, and transcoding abilities.

BitTorrent 7.2 Free The official BitTorrent client is the sister app of uTorrent and carries many of the same features: multi-OS support, an intuitive interface, swift downloads, and an Apps Studio. Like uTorrent, BitTorrent 7.2 could use better search results and a splash of visual polish, but as a strict download tool, it's worth consideration.

Deluge 1.3.1 Free BitTorrent clients are a dime a dozen, so one has to be truly special to stand out from the back. Sadly, Deluge doesn't fall into that grouping; it's your standard BitTorrent client that adds a complicated remote management feature (one far more complex than Vuze 4.5's offering) that few will bother to use. You can do better with the likes of BitTorrent 7.2, uTorrent 2.2, and Vuze 4.5.

uTorrent 2.2 Free If you want to quickly download large files, uTorrent (and its sibling BitTorrent) is a solid selection. It may suffer from an unattractive interface, and an unintuitive search engine, but its Labels and App Studio features may make it worth considering. If you want those missing features, however, then the Editors' Choice award-winning Vuze is the BitTorrent client that will appeal to your sensibilities.

Vuze 4.5 Free BitTorrent clients are designed to do one thing, and one thing well; download large files at lightning speed. If you need just that, any of the BitTorrent clients (BitTorrent, Deluge, uTorrent) will get the job done. However, if you want a more feature-rich client, one that lets you transcode files and control your torrents remotely, the Editors' Choice award winning Vuze is the one to choose.

Acquiring BitTorrent Content
Independent content creators have used BitTorrent to distribute their products. The BitTorrent-powered Vodo.net serves as a place for entertainment-seekers to legally download over 50 indie films. Likewise, Clearbits.net offers open-licensed media ranging from games to graphic novels.

That said, it would be silly to pretend that BitTorrent isn't used to illegally obtain content; blockbuster Hollywood movies, porn, computer software, and copyrighted music comprised the majority of BitTorrent downloads in 2010. Note: If you download copyrighted content, be prepared to pay the penalty. The Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) has not only closed down torrent sites, but has sued peer-to-peer server operators and individuals, too. The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) has attempted to protect its properties by sending out nearly 2 million copyright infringement warnings.

BitTorrent Tips
BitTorrent can be tricky for novice users, so here are a few introductory tips to assist in making your experience a pleasurable one.

• Seed—Don't Just Leech
  Don't be selfish. Although it's very easy to simply be a leecher (one who downloads files), you should display common courtesy to the BitTorrent community by acting as a seeder (one who shares data), so don't block others from accessing your file data.
• Cover Your Tracks
  Second, download free software such as BTGuard and TorrentPrivacy that masks your router ID by bouncing it through several nodes should you wish to keep your seeding and downloading private. The tradeoff for this anonymity, however, is slower download speed. It should be noted that these programs don't guarantee 100% invisibility, but they add an extra layer of protection.
• Open The Flood Gates
  Third, you may need to enable port forwarding if you don't believe you're seeing optimal download speeds. By default, routers and PC security software may feature firewalls that slow or block data, so make that they allow incoming TCP and UDP connections.
• Clean Up Your Mess
  Finally, make sure to clean out your client's incomplete download folder should you lose a signal. Although the content may not have fully downloaded, the torrent itself remains—and is the size of what would've been the downloaded file. In other words, even if the 2GB video file didn't fully download, there will be 2GB of hard drive space allotted to it.