9 Best Ubuntu Torrent Client In 2019
As a crazy downloader, what’s your favorite way of downloading?
I’d put my money on torrents.
Applications like µTorrent and BitTorrent are popular (and have a cult-like status) among Windows users. But which torrent client offers great service to Linux users?
The good news is that there are several Ubuntu torrent clients and P2P applications that allow you to download your favorite music, movies, games etc. (I DO NOT promote copyright infringement). On the downside, your options are so many that picking just one may be a bit overwhelming.
Contents
- 1 What Is The Best Ubuntu Torrent Client?
- 2 Tixati – The Best Ubuntu Torrent Client
- 3 Vuze – Feature Rich Ubuntu Torrent Client
- 4 µtorrent – Most Popular Torrent Client
- 5 Deluge – Simple & Fast Ubuntu Torrent Client
- 6 Transmission – Built-In Ubuntu Torrent Client
- 7 Frostwire – Multifunctional Ubuntu Torrent Client
- 8 Qbittorrent – AN Utorrent Alternative
- 9 Miro – A Torrent Media Player
- 10 Ktorrent – AN KDE Torrent Client
- 11 The Final Word
What Is The Best Ubuntu Torrent Client?
Since you are here, how about we help you narrow down your options to one or two of the best torrent client for Linux. There are many feature-rich clients available for Ubuntu users. In this post we will look at 9 best that you can rely on to solve all your torrent downloading issues.
Tixati – The Best Ubuntu Torrent Client
Although there are several torrent clients available, Tixati is the undisputed champ for me. There are many reason why I rate it as the best Ubuntu torrent client.
For starters it’s simple, fast and resource light. You can install it on virtually any computer, despite its specs, and it will download torrents faster than most other clients.
While it’s not an open-source software, Tixati is completely free to download and use. Still, it offers tons of exciting features that give you control over your downloads and uploads. Besides the ability to view peers, pieces and files, Tixati allows you to set limits for outgoing and incoming bandwidths using a bandwidth throttle.
Perhaps the best thing about this Ubuntu torrent client is its data analysis feature. It provides real-time graphs that give a clear concept of your downloads and uploads. You can analyze bandwidth and other statistics in clear and easy-to-understand charts.
The other impressive feature is ability to transfer your files from one partition to another without canceling the download. So if you want to re-install Ubuntu on your PC you won’t have to worry about the client cancelling your downloads, it will resume from where it left off.
Tixati Features
- Small, fast and easy to use
- Detailed view of peers, pieces, and files
- Super-fast chocking/unchocking algorithm
- Highly adjustable bandwidth throttle allows you to control torrents individually or collectively
- Bandwidth throttle also helps you keep track of your internet usage and set bandwidth limits
- Creates graphs to help you understand download/upload situations easily
- Has a built-in file management feature that allows you to move a file from one drive/partition to another when it is downloading.
Positive Side of Tixati
- Simple and lightweight design
- Downloads a lot faster than most other torrent clients
- Completely free of advertisements
- Files can be moved easily when they are still downloading
- Has both torrent and magnet support
- Regularly updated to fix bugs and incorporate latest features
- Available for Ubuntu and non-Ubuntu based distributions.
Negative Side of Tixati
- Doesn’t have the most beautiful interface
Install Tixati On Ubuntu
Although Tixati has no PPA, you need to download and install it manually. Open Terminal or Press CTRL+T and write these commands the press enter:
For 32bit Ubuntu
For 64bit Ubuntu
If you the above method doesn’t work simply download the .deb file by clicking the green button below and proceed to install Tixati with Gdebi Package Installer.
Vuze – Feature Rich Ubuntu Torrent Client
Vuze is not just one of the best torrent client for Linux, it’s also great for Windows, MacOS X and Android operating systems. Its versatility doesn’t end there; it features a built-in search engine that makes it more than just an Ubuntu torrent client. Rather than going to Google to search for torrent files, you can do that straight from Vuze’s fast and powerful search engine.
It comes with a wide array of exciting features that put it among the best Linux torrent clients. Besides the ability to download and upload torrents, Vuze allows you to create an account and subscribe to the accounts of your favorite torrent uploaders. You will easily know whenever they update an existing torrent or upload a new one.
How convenient is that?
Still on matters convenience, Vuze has its own HD network where you can download HD videos with plenty of ease. The premium version of this software allows you to play media files when they are still downloading. Plus it comes with a built-in antivirus to keep your computer safe.
Vuze Features
- Has a built-in meta search engine
- Gives you the option to subscribe to other users
- Can download multiple torrents at a time
- Allows you to share peers to local area networks with ease
- Has a transport encryption feature that keeps you and your computer safe
- Supports offline download mode
- With Vuze Plus you can burn DVD easily after downloading
- Vuze Plus also has a built-in antivirus powered by Bitdefender
- Vuze Plus supports ad-free downloading of torrents
Positive Side of Vuze
- User-friendly torrent download manager
- Search and download functions in one package
- You can subscribe to your favorite torrent uploaders easily
- No third-party application can throttle your download
- Remote web and Android function allows you to control Vuze remotely
Negative Side of Vuze
- The free version has ads
Install Vuze On Ubuntu
Installing Vuze on Ubuntu is not hard. Simply go to Ubuntu Software Center and search for Vuze and click on install. It will take 2-3 minutes. If you want to install Vuze via command line, please follow these steps.
Open Terminal or Press CTRL+T and write these commands then press enter:
If you still can’t install simply download the .deb file from the link below and install it with Gdebi Package Installer.
µtorrent – Most Popular Torrent Client
You’ve probably heard of (or even used) µtorrent before. That’s how popular it is. While it packs a good number of handy features, this torrent client is not continuously updated for Ubuntu operating systems (at least not as many times as it’s updated for Windows). Otherwise it could easily have been the best torrent client for Linux as well.
Still, µTorrent has a wide range of impressive features. A BitTorrent-project, this application is tiny, lightweight and supports both torrents and magnets. Its footprint on disk is just over 2MB. That, combined with the fact that it requires just about 6Mb of RAM, means the app won’t hog your system resources.
Some of its best features include a bandwidth management function that makes it possible to set bandwidth limits and prioritize some files over others. While most torrent clients have that feature, µTorrent is arguably the best because it has unmatched customization options.
You can ‘tell’ it to download in full throttle when there’s minimum activity on your computer (like when you are sleeping – it will sense when you are not using the computer) and slow down a notch when you are likely to be using the computer.
There’s also an option for managing the client remotely on any device (Windows, Mac or Android), as long as you have synced the devices on which you have logged into µTorrent with your account.
Utorrent Features
- ast and lightweight torrent client
- Very tiny and requires minimum computer resources to install and run
- Offers torrent and magnet support
- Advanced bandwidth management feature
Positive Side of Utorrent
- Fast and easy to use
- Has the ability to create torrents too
- You can control your torrents with the remote access feature
- Allows scheduling of uploads and downloads
Negative Side of Utorrent
- Only web version is available for Ubuntu
Install Utorrent On Ubuntu
Installing µTorrent on Ubuntu is slightly different from the rest. Watch the video below for a tutorial on how to install µTorrent on Ubuntu.
Be sure to download the µTorrent file from the link provided below. Click on the green button and choose Ubuntu 13.04 version. Don’t worry, it works Ubuntu 13.04 all through Ubuntu 16.04.
Deluge – Simple & Fast Ubuntu Torrent Client
Deluge is the Ubuntu torrent client of choice, not just for me, but for many Linux users.
Why?
Deluge has some features that you won’t find in other Ubuntu torrent clients. One of them is support for plugins/extensions, the same way that Google Chrome does.
They include Deluge Blocklist, Notification, Scheduler, Auto Priority, Auto Shutdown and YaRSS. These plugins allow you to control your downloads easily. You can schedule downloads, prioritize downloads, automatically shutdown your PC after downloading, get real-time updates about your favorite TV shows and so much more.
Bandwidth settings allow you to determine things like upload and download speeds, total number of torrents to download at a go, number of simultaneous connections, connection attempts per second and more.
Despite the options of features and settings, Deluge is pretty simple. On first look it might pass as an excessively basic Ubuntu torrent client; whether that’s a good or bad thing depends on how you like your Linux torrent download manager. Still, it has an intuitive interface that you can find your way around.
You can find all plugins from Deluge Plugins.
Deluge Features
- Simple, fast and easy to use
- Available for both normal desktops and client servers
- Supports LSD (Local Peer Discovery), PEX (Peer Exchange) and Proxy
- Has both built-in and third party plugins
- It’s an open-source, cross-platform torrent client
Pros of Deluge
- Uses low resource
- Automatic priority feature lets you organize torrents hassle-free
- Can shut down your PC automatically once all downloads are complete
- Download scheduler makes it possible to organize downloads based on time
Cons
- Doesn’t have an appealing interface
- A little hard for beginners
Install Deluge On Ubuntu
Installing Deluge on Ubuntu is not very hard. Head over to Ubuntu Software Center, search for Deluge and click ‘Install’. It will take 2-3 minutes. If you want to install Deluge via command line, please follow the steps below.
Open Terminal or Press CTRL+T then write these commands and press enter:
Transmission – Built-In Ubuntu Torrent Client
Transmission is one of the most used BitTorrent Client in Ubuntu.
Originally designed for Linux and Mac users only, but now there’s a version for Windows as well. Anyway, since it was created with Linux in mind, it performs exceptionally well on the OS. As a matter of fact it is the default BitTorrent client for most Linux and Unix distributions such as Ubuntu, Fedora, Mint, Solaris, Gnome and Puppy.
That aside, Transmission is among the best torrent 2018 because of its multiple benefits. It has a minimal interface, installs fast and supports fast downloading and uploading of torrents.
Although it experienced several bouts of malware attacks previously, Transmission overcame the setbacks and has since become one of the safest and best torrent client for Linux.
Transmission Features
- Simple, minimalist interface that is easy to use
- Supports torrents, magnets, DHT and PEX
- It’s an open-source and cross-platform client
- Allows editing of tracker
- You can add bad peers to a blocklist by going to Edit > Preferences > Privacy > Blocklist
Positive Side of Transmission
- Requires low resources to install and run
- Very safe for use, especially on Linux computers
- It’s a cross-platform client
- Has a simple interface that is self-explanatory
Negative Side of Transmission
- Little effort made to make the user interface appealing
Install Transmission On Ubuntu
Although Transmission comes with some Ubuntu distributions by default, others do not have it. If yours falls in the latter category you may have to install it. It’s a straightforward process; simply head over to Ubuntu Software Center and search for Transmission then click on ‘Install’. It will take 2-3 minutes to completely install.
If you want to install Transmission via command line, please follow these steps. Open Terminal or Press CTRL+T and write these command then press enter:
Frostwire – Multifunctional Ubuntu Torrent Client
Frostwire is a free Ubuntu torrent client that bundles several functions in one application, a multifunctional client you might say. Besides being a torrent download manager, it’s also a local media player, search engine, streaming media player and multi-tab torrent browser.
The search engine and media player are arguably the handiest features of Frostwire. When you search for a file (audio, video, document etc.) the program will pull results from all the popular websites such as archive.com, YouTube, Soundcloud and tons of torrent sites.
The built-in media player allows playing of local files as well as streaming of content. That means you can play (or sample) videos and audios even before you start downloading them. To make your work easier, Frostwire can automatically import downloaded music to iTunes. And if you are a fan of radio you will be glad to know that Frostwire supports hundreds of online radio stations.
Frostwire Features
- No ads or spyware
- Decently built and comes with plenty of features
- Has a powerful built-in search engine
- Supports sampling and streaming of video and audio files before downloading
- Has a multi-tab browser for searching files before downloading
Positive Side of Frostwire
- Simple to use, can be used by beginners
- Includes a local media player for viewing videos and listening to audios
- Downloads files fast
- Easy to add files to the client and share them
- Doesn’t have any advertisements
Negative Side of Frostwire
- Needs OpenJDK-JRE 8 (JAVA Runtime Environment) for installation
Install Frostwire On Ubuntu
Frostwire has no PPA, so you need to download and install it manually. To do so, open Terminal or Press CTRL+T and write these commands then press enter:
For 32bit Ubuntu
For 64bit Ubuntu
If that doesn’t work simply download the .deb file by clicking the link below and install it with Gdebi Package Installer.
Qbittorrent – AN Utorrent Alternative
In the list of best ubuntu torrent client, Qbittorrent is one of my favorite choice.
Why?
Here is the deal.
At a glance you might mistake qBittorrent for µTorrent. They have plenty of features in common, such as configuration, user interface etc. So if you are a huge fan of µTorrent you can consider installing qBittorrent either as a backup or an alternative.
First off, it’s fully compatible with Ubuntu and its distros. That’s why some users consider it the best torrent client for Linux. That said, qBittorrent is in fact a cross-platform software that works on Windows and Mac systems just as well as it does on Linux PCs.
This torrent client is free, yet open-source. That means you can inspect (and edit) the code, and users with sufficient knowledge can add helpful features that everyone can benefit from for free. Most free apps have ads, but not qBittorrent.
In terms of performance, this Ubuntu torrent client does not disappoint. It is fast, has a built-in search engine and loads both torrents and magnets. It also supports a variety of extensions such as Peer, DHT and Complete Encryption.
Qbittorrent Features
- Simple and fast torrent client
- Requires a small footprint on disk
- All core features included
- Has low system requirements
- Supports all Bittorrent extensions
- Comes with a built-in search engine
- Available in 41 language
- Its IPv6-ready and also supports IP filtering
- Cross-platform and open-source software
Positive Side of Qbittorrent
- Has a polished µTorrent-like interface
- Can create torrent µTorrent
- Allows you to control your downloads remotely with web UI
- You can easily lock the user interface
- Easily Lock The User Interface
Negative Side of Qbittorrent
- Torrents tend to slow when you load too many of them at one time
Install Qbittorrent On Ubuntu
To install qBittorrent on Ubuntu, first go to Ubuntu Software Center and search for qBittorrent then click on install. It will take just about 2 or 3 minutes to install completely.
If you prefer to install qBittorrent using a command line, please follow the steps below:
Open Terminal or Press CTRL+T then write these command and press enter:
Miro – A Torrent Media Player
As we describe a various type of torrent downloader for Ubuntu, Miro is different from them.
Most people know Miro as a media player that lets you download torrent files for free. In truth, its download capabilities are way cooler than its media player features.
For example, it allows you to convert downloaded files into compatible formats (MP3, MP4, MKV etc.). Besides, it doesn’t limit your options to torrents only, you can access other media platforms like YouTube and Amazon, and download or buy files directly from there.
With full podcast support, Miro not only allows you to watch podcasts but you can also download them for offline viewing. The other handy feature is ability to share files. As long as two PCs are on the same network, you can use Miro to stream and/or transfer media from one to another.
Miro Features
- Feature-rich torrent downloader and media player
- Syncs with your local music library
- Built-in YouTube and Soundcloud downloader
- Built-in audio and video converter
- Supports sharing of media on PCs connected to the same network
- Allows buying of music and apps directly form Amazon and Android App store
Positive Side of Miro
- All in one media player and torrent downloader
- Can convert files to your desired formats
- Allows sharing of music and videos within PCs on a network
- Makes it easy to find and listen to podcasts
Negative Side of Miro
- Requires more resource than other Ubuntu torrent clients
- Needs Bonjour Service to run
Install Miro On Ubuntu
Like most other Ubuntu torrent clients that we’ve seen, installing Miro on Ubuntu is not very hard. Head over to Ubuntu Software Center and search for Miro then click on install. It should take no more than 3 minutes.
To install Miro via command line start by opening Terminal or Press CTRL+T, type these commands then press enter:
Ktorrent – AN KDE Torrent Client
Ktorrent is a simple torrent client for Ubuntu and other Linux-Based distribution.
KTorrent is a member of the KDE family of software. So as you might expect it’s highly customized for Linux, and that’s what makes it perhaps the best Ubuntu torrent client, especially for KDE-based distros like Kubuntu.
A simple and easy-to-use torrent client, KTorrent features a plugin installer that’s just as simple to use. With tons of Linux-compatible plugins available, you can search and add those that will improve the download performance of KTorrent. Your options include IP Filtering, Magnet Generator, Auto Shutdown and Web Interface plugins just to name a few.
One plugin that you won’t need is a search function because KTorrent comes with its own. Instead of using a browser to find torrents, you can rely on KTorrent built-in search function to locate your favorite torrents.
It’s an open-source torrent client, so you can trust that it will always have the latest updates.
Ktorrent Features
- Very simple to use
- It’s a KDE-friendly app that also works on other Linux desktop environments
- Supports both torrents and magnets
- Has a plugin installer for expanding features
Positive Side of Ktorrent
- Built-in search function makes it possible to find torrents straight from the client
- Has auto shutdown feature that can turn your PC off at a pre-set time
- Has a client as well as web interface
- Works excellently even when loaded with a high number of torrents
- Has a neat and minimal user interface that pretty much anyone can navigate
Negative Side of Ktorrent
- Doesn’t have the best features for expert users
- Requires KDE dependencies
Install Ktorrent On Ubuntu
To install Ktorrent on Ubuntu, go to Ubuntu Software Center and search for Ktorrent then click on install. It will take 2 to 3 minutes to fully install. If you want to install via command line, please follow the steps below.
Start by opening Terminal or Press CTRL+T, then write these command and press enter:
For 32bit Ubuntu
For 64bit Ubuntu
If it fails simply download the .deb file by clicking the green button below and install it using Gdebi Package Installer.
The Final Word
So there you have it, the 9 best Ubuntu torrent clients of 2018. They are all easy to install and use. In the near future I’m going to review the best Linux torrent clients that are not jst based on Ubuntu, so keep reading How to Use Linux for that and so much more.
Be sure to let me know the torrent client that works best for you. In case of any questions or feedback please hit me up in the comments section.
Comments
I like the article, but you English is terrible. Please get a proofreader
Thanks For Your Suggestion Bruno
> I like the article, but you English is terrible. Please get a proofreader
I think you mean *your. As in, *your* English is terrible. It takes some nerve to correct a person like you did. But to do it incorrectly is just… bad.
To the author: Your English is fine. I can tell it’s not your native language, but there was no part of this article that was difficult for me to understand. You provided a great service. Thanks.
You’re Welcome Joe.And also, thanks for the great comment.
Really good article. Thanks
You”re Welcome Ferdynard Kiepski
Why does your Qbittorrent install do an install of deluge? You need to fix that.
Thanks for inform.Already fixed it
Thank you for the article, installing qbittorrent right now!
You’re Welcome Sal
Thank you for the detailed article! Very well written. I installed Tixati on Linux Mint Mate 18 and it’s working like a charm. It managed to get peers and download files from them where qbittorrent failed to do so.
Thanks! Using uTorrent
Looking to change my torrent client. Currently using Transmission only because it was the default. Have come across a few articles so far but this one is the best by far! So many options… I appreciate that you covered resources used by these clients since I’ve always been a fan of powerful yet small and light.
Interesting that Tixati, a non-FOSS client, makes so many lists as a recommended choice. Will certainly give this a go. Also like qbittorrent and deluge from the descriptions.
Deluge is not a good choice for handling large amout of files. It crushes and starts download again which is already downlaoded.