utorrent vs bittorrent

A torrent is a file that is shared through a peer-to-peer network and torrenting is a method of sharing files over the web.

uTorrent and BitTorrent are the two top torrenting clients. Though the two clients are similar, they are not the same and there are differences between the two. This article explains the differences between the two clients. It also will help you understand how a VPN will help you stay secure while using these torrenting clients. Torrenting is not legal in all countries and you might want a VPN to download torrents if you live in a country where torrenting is not allowed. Read on to know which torrenting platform is the best when it comes to speed.

uTorrent and BitTorrent look similar as the two clients are owned by BitTorrent, Inc and they are almost the same. The BitTorrent client was developed in order to implement the BitTorrent protocol. uTorrent was developed later and it was acquired by BitTorrent in 2006. Now, both the clients are owned and run by the same company. However, there are differences between the two clients.

Using a VPN is the best way to safely download torrents. A VPN will also let you stay away from trackers of all kinds. You can stay away from your ISP’s prying eyes and download as much as you wish. However, as not all VPNs are the same, you will need to carefully choose a VPN to download torrents. We have listed the top VPNs that will let you browse the web and also download files safely and quickly. Read on to know more.

uTorrent and BitTorrent – Interface

BitTorrent and uTorrent have identical interfaces. Except for the colors and the name, the two platforms are almost similar.

You will most likely see ads as both the clients make money by displaying ads. If you do not wish to see ads, you will need to go for the pro version. Though many do not opt for the pro version, BitTorrent and uTorrent both offer the following features with the pro versions.

uTorrent vs BitTorrent – Pro Version Features

uTorrent BitTorrent
Advanced malware protection Protection from virus
File converter File converter
No ads Free of ads
Stream files instantly Stream files instantly
Premium support HD player
Use less bandwidth Extra library of content and bundles

If you wish to go for the premium plan, you can compare the features and choose a platform of your choice. We would go for uTorrent as it uses less bandwidth.

uTorrent vs. BitTorrent Pricing

While uTorrent offers four different plans, including the free basic plan, BitTorrent offers just two plans, the basic free plan and the pro plan. Here are the details of pricing.

Client Ad-free Pro Pro+VPN
uTorrent $4.95/year $19/95/year $69.95/year
BitTorrent $19.95/year

What are the major differences between uTorrent and BitTorrent?

As mentioned above, uTorrent and BitTorrent have a lot of features in common. Here are the differences between the two clients.

  • Device compatibility – uTorrent is compatible with Windows, Mac, Linux, Android mobile devices, but BitTorrent is compatible only with Mac, Windows, and Android mobile devices and not with Linux.
  • Size – When compared to BitTorrent, uTorrent is lighter at around 1 MB, while the size of BitTorrent is 3 MB.
  • Updates – BitTorrent does not release new versions often, but uTorrent releases newer versions frequently. Though there are frequent updates, you may not know if the security features are strong enough.

uTorrent vs. BitTorrent – Which is Faster?

The speed of the client depends on how fast your internet connection is. Similarly, it also depends on the number of seeders the torrent file you are looking to download has. This means it is hard to say BitTorrent is faster than uTorrent and vice versa. You can speed up your torrent downloads by using a VPN. This way, you can download faster, no matter which client you use.

Though both the clients are similar in almost all aspects, uTorrent is more popular when compared to BitTorrent.

If you are looking for a torrent client for your Android device, you will see that both the clients have similar reviews. But when it comes to the number of reviews, uTorrent with have more reviews than BitTorrent, which shows that uTorrent is more popular among torrent users.

Remember, if you are looking for a torrent client for your iPhone, you may not find the uTorrent or BitTorrent app, as torrent clients are unavailable for iOS as it does not support them.

How Can I Speed Up My Torrent Downloads?

There is a way to speed up your torrent downloads, no matter which device you use. At times, you will experience slow speeds because of ISP throttling. ISPs throttle bandwidth when they notice their users downloading torrents or streaming videos as torrenting will take up a lot of bandwidth.

The only way to stay away from your ISP’s prying eyes while you torrent files is by using a VPN. A VPN will hide all your online activities from your ISP and all other third parties, including the government, by assigning you a different IP address. This way, your ISP will not be able to see what you do online. This applies to torrenting, as well. They will not be able to see that you are torrenting files. In turn, they will not be able to throttle your bandwidth. This way, you can download anything you wish at fast speeds.

Apart from bandwidth, VPNs offer strong encryption and security features so that you can be secure online. They offer anonymity and privacy so that you can be assured that you can be protected from hackers online. Likewise, accessing content blocked in your location will be a breeze as you can connect to the VPN’s server in a location where the blocked content is available and watch it seamlessly.

This applies to geo-blocked streaming services like Netflix US, BBC iPlayer, Huu, HBO GO, ESPN, and more. This way, you can watch all your favorite shows, play blocked games, and also download torrents securely and without any limitations.

Here are the top five VPNs that are great for torrenting.

Top Five VPNs for Torrenting

  • NordVPN
  • Surfshark
  • ExpressVPN
  • IPVanish
  • IvacyVPN

Check out our detailed article on The Best VPN for Torrenting to know more about the VPNs that are great for torrenting.

Summary

Comparatively, both BitTorrent and uTorrent come with similar features and they also look identical. It is hard to say which one is faster as the download speed will depend on your internet speed. When it comes to popularity, uTorrent is more popular. No matter which client you use, we recommend using a VPN to download faster.