Written by: Shauli Zacks

Get the original (and still popular) torrenting software for free. Created by the same team that invented the BitTorrent protocol, BitTorrent is an easy-to-use program for downloading large peer-to-peer files.

When you use BitTorrent, you connect to a network consisting of more than 100 million users worldwide, all uploading and downloading files. Since the speed is primarily based on the other users sharing the files you want, an extensive network is extremely important.

While there are several different versions of BitTorrent, all you need to download movies, music, tv shows, games, and software with blazing speeds is the free version. Follow the steps below and start torrenting in under 5 minutes.

How to Download BitTorrent for Free

  1. Click on the Download button on the sidebar to go straight to the official BitTorrent download page.
  2. Choose the Basic version of BitTorrent and click on the Download Now button.
    Download BitTorrent for free
  3. After the file is finished downloading to your computer, click on the file to run the installation wizard.
  4. Follow the instructions in the installation wizard and accept the privacy policy.
  5. BitTorrent does have multiple bundled software programs in its installer, and if you’re not careful, you might download them without realizing it. Some ads will have a decline button, and others will have a checkbox that you must uncheck before clicking Next.
    Optional Software with BitTorrent
  6. When you reach the end of the wizard, click Finish, and BitTorrent will be installed on your computer.

How to Uninstall BitTorrent

If you aren’t using BitTorrent or want to try one of the free BitTorrent alternatives, you can easily remove the software from your computer in 3 simple steps.

  1. Type Add or Remove Program in your Windows search bar.
    Add or Remove Program
  2. Scroll through the list of programs until you find BitTorrent and click Uninstall.
    Uninstall bittorrent
  3. This will remove all components of the program, but if you plan on downloading it again in the future, you can choose to save your settings. Don’t worry; it won’t remove any files that you’ve already downloaded.

BitTorrent Overview

BitTorrent is lightweight software, which means that it won’t use up many of your computer’s resources, even while downloading multiple large files. In addition to downloading .torrent files, BitTorrent also makes it easy for you to share files. After you download a file, you can choose to continue sharing everything in the file, or only certain elements. For example, if you download an entire season of your favorite TV show, instead of sharing all 22 episodes, you can select which ones to upload.

Clean and Simple Interface

BitTorrent’s free version boasts an intuitive interface, making it user-friendly even for those new to torrent file downloads. By clicking on the “Options” button, you can easily reach the settings and preferences section. This is where you get to decide the destination folder for completed files, set the maximum number of simultaneous downloads, choose the language for the interface, and more.

All the active downloads and uploads are clearly displayed on the BitTorrent client. You can see how time is remaining until the download is complete, the transfer speed for each file, and the file size.

Download with BitTorrent

A quick glance tells you everything you need to know about the status of your downloads.

The free version does have some ads on the sidebar, but they aren’t intrusive, and after a day or two, you won’t even notice them anymore.

BitTorrent Features

  • Download torrents in bulk: The program is built to handle dozens of files simultaneously. By default, only 5 downloads can run simultaneously, but you can go to Options > Preferences > Queueing and increase the number of downloads. Change number of download BitTorrent
  • Schedule download time: You can set BitTorrent to only run at specific times. This is really useful if you don’t want it running while you’re using the computer. Set it to run at night or while you’re away from your computer.
    BitTorrent Scheduler
  • Built-in search feature: This is really helpful if you don’t know where to search for torrents. Simply type in the name of the file you want to download, and BitTorrent will help you find a site where you can download it.
    BitTorrent search
  • Automate downloads with RSS: Set up an RSS feed, so you never miss a new episode or movie from your favorite sites.
  • Remote control download from Android: If you find a great file that you want to download while on your Android device, you can remotely add it to your BitTorrent downloads on your PC. The BitTorrent Remote is secured with a cryptographic protocol called Secure Remote Password protocol.
  • Assign different priority levels: Get the files you need first, by assigning more bandwidth to priority files.

BitTorrent is Legal – But You Should Use a VPN When Downloading

BitTorrent is a tool that can be used for downloading large files and is 100% legal. There are plenty of legitimate, non-pirated files, such as movies without copyright protection, open-source programs, indie music, and much more that it can be used for. Questions about legality are purely content-related, having nothing to do with the BitTorrent client or protocol.

However, let’s be honest — most people use BitTorrent for downloading music, TV shows, movies, and software. While this is legal in some parts of the world, you should still protect yourself by getting a VPN.

A VPN is a software tool that alters your IP address, rendering it untraceable for both governmental organizations and your Internet Service Provider (ISP). This ensures your online activities and the websites you access remain confidential and undisclosed.

While BitTorrent does offer a premium package that has a VPN, it would be cheaper to get a VPN on your own and stick with the free version of BitTorrent. The online security experts at WizCase have done extensive testing on VPNs and torrenting to find the VPNs that will really protect your privacy.

Free Alternatives to BitTorrent

  • uTorrent: Created by the same team as BitTorrent, uTorrent is one of the best torrenting programs available. It allows for multiple files to be downloaded at high simultaneously, includes a scheduler, and is extremely fast.
  • Popcorn Time: A combination of a streaming and torrenting site, Popcorn Time downloads a temporary torrent file to your computer, allowing you to stream thousands of shows and movies in HD instantly.
  • eMule: An open-source torrenting client, eMule is a great program for those hard to find movies, shows, and software. Use the internal search engine to find files in the eMule network and quickly download them to your computer.

FAQ

Is BitTorrent free?

While there are several membership plans for BitTorrent, each with different features, the free version is good enough that you don’t really need to purchase a membership. However, the free BitTorrent client does have non-intrusive ads on the sidebar. Follow the steps above to download the 100% free version.
Is BitTorrent safe?

The BitTorrent client is safe, although some antivirus software will flag the download file because it includes Potentially Unwanted Applications (PUA) during the installation. However, you can easily decline those offers, and the program itself is safe. That being said, you should always be careful when downloading torrents, and even visiting torrenting sites, since they could be filled with malware and BitTorrent does not come with any protection or detection of viruses and malware. Therefore, I strongly recommend getting a premium antivirus program to block these malicious files.
Do I need a VPN when torrenting?

A VPN is an online security tool that changes your IP address and keeps you anonymous online. Therefore, I strongly recommend always using a VPN, but especially when torrenting. Even if you only use a BitTorrent to download open-source software and never pirate any movies, TV shows, and music, a VPN is really useful. Many ISPs throttle, or slow down, a users bandwidth when they are doing data-heavy work, like large torrenting files. With a VPN, your ISP won’t know you’re downloading large files and, therefore, will have no reason to throttle your internet speed.
What are the best torrent sites?

The top torrenting websites, like The Pirate Bay, EZTV, and Kickass Torrent, often have to change their web addresses to avoid getting shut down by the authorities. WizCase has not only compiled a list of the best torrenting sites, but we constantly update it with the latest working sites and mirror links.
Download BitTorrent now!