uTorrent vs BitTorrent: Which Is Faster in 2024

uTorrent and BitTorrent are two veteran clients with huge, loyal followings. But what makes one better than the other? Is it a greater variety of settings, or a richer package of features? Maybe speed or practicality is the deciding factor?

While uTorrent and BitTorrent are in fact very much alike, there are some key distinctions between the two. This article will help you understand the similarities and differences, so you can make an educated choice.

It will also teach you how using a VPN (virtual private network) can increase your download speeds, and protect you from the dangers of downloading torrents.

While researching the differences between uTorrent and BitTorrent, we went the extra mile and actually tested the best VPNs that work with both. I got the best results with ExpressVPN thanks to its P2P-friendly servers, excellent performance, and strong privacy features. More importantly, you can test ExpressVPN completely risk-free for 30 days to see if it's right for you. Editor's Note: Transparency is one of our core values at vpnMentor, so you should know we are in the same ownership group as ExpressVPN. However, this does not affect our review process.

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uTorrent and BitTorrent Have Nearly Identical Interfaces

If you’ve used both uTorrent and BitTorrent, you’ve probably wondered why their interfaces are almost identical. Indeed, if it wasn’t for the name and colors, you could easily mistake one for the other.

uTorrent Interface:

Both interfaces follow the same format

BitTorrent Interface:

You can see that they use the same software

That’s because they’re virtually the same software. Both clients are owned by BitTorrent, Inc.

BitTorrent (the client) was developed in 2001 to implement the BitTorrent protocol. At that time, uTorrent hadn’t yet been designed — in fact, initially it wasn’t even BitTorrent’s product. It started out as a one-man project in late 2004, and it was first released in September 2005. BitTorrent, Inc. acquired uTorrent in December 2006.

So, while BitTorrent was the first to implement the protocol, today both clients are run by the same company and use the same code. This doesn’t mean there aren’t any differences, but you won’t spot them at first glance.

So How Are They Different?

BitTorrent and uTorrent are closely related products and, consequently, they possess numerous shared characteristics — such as the interface, settings, limitless downloading, complimentary and premium versions, and so on.

However, they are not exactly the same. Here are the differences:

1. Size: uTorrent is much lighter than BitTorrent. At less than 1 MB, uTorrent is much less taxing on your operating system than many other torrenting clients. By comparison, BitTorrent is almost 3 MB.

2. Frequency of Updates:  uTorrent is constantly being developed, with alpha and beta versions being released, while BitTorrent only releases stable versions. That means that while you’ll get more cutting edge features with uTorrent, it might be at the expense of reliability.

3. Platform Compatibility: BitTorrent is compatible with Windows, Mac, and Android, but uTorrent is also available on Linux.

4. Cryptocurrency Mining: Both uTorrent and BitTorrent have partnered software offers during installation (often called “bloatware” by the less charitable). However, uTorrent has been known to have had a few slip ups in the past, including silently dropping crypto miners on computers, which drain users’ CPU without their permission. This was obviously off-putting to many, so to avoid something like that happening to them, many users have gone as far as installing older versions of the client, despite the security risks of using outdated software.

But Which One is Faster? Does it Matter Whether I'm Using Windows or a Mac?

Yet, you probably still have a pressing question: which client delivers the best speed?

To that we’ll say that there’s no one torrent client that will make your downloads blazing fast, regardless of which operating system you use.

Speed depends on your internet connection and the number of seeders a torrent file has. BitTorrent isn’t faster than uTorrent, or vice versa.

However, combining a VPN with uTorrent or BitTorrent can dramatically increase your download speeds.

Which is Faster for Android, and Which for iOS?

As we've already said, when it comes to speed, there isn't a real difference between uTorrent and BitTorrent, and the same is true for your Android device. The two clients even have the exact same rating in Google Play (4.5 stars).

Nevertheless, with over five times the number of reviews as BitTorrent, uTorrent is worlds more popular than BitTorrent. So if you believe in the wisdom of crowds, uTorrent will be your best bet.

uTorrent Reviews:

You can see uTorrent's popularity based on the volume of reviews

BitTorrent Reviews:

BitTorrent has less reviews, but similar positive scores on average

As for your iPhone, the question of which is faster isn't so relevant, since iOS doesn't support torrent clients.

If you're really committed to finding a workaround to this issue, you're going to have to jailbreak your device, which will allow you to download apps unavailable in the Apple App Store.

How to Speed Up Your Torrent Downloads

Regardless of which device or operating system you use, there's still a way to improve your torrenting speeds.

That's because – due to the fact that torrenting can use up a lot of bandwidth – your internet service provider may be throttling your connection during downloads.

The best way around this is to install a VPN. A VPN will encrypt and reroute all your internet traffic through a remote server, so your ISP won’t be able to throttle your bandwidth.

And if they can’t throttle your bandwidth, then they won’t be able to slow you down.

Plus, VPNs have uses beyond torrenting as well. Because of their encryption capabilities, they can protect you from hackers, and because they use remote IP addresses, they can give you access to geo-restricted web content like American Netflix.

For high speeds, airtight security, and unmatched access to geo-restricted content, here are some of the best VPNs:

Editor's Note: We value our relationship with our readers, and we strive to earn your trust through transparency and integrity. We are in the same ownership group as some of the industry-leading products reviewed on this site: Intego, Cyberghost, ExpressVPN, and Private Internet Access. However, this does not affect our review process, as we adhere to a strict testing methodology.

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1

9.9 /10

9.9 Our Score

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2

9.2 /10

9.2 Our Score

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3

9.7 /10

9.7 Our Score

Save 84%!

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And if you’re interested in checking out different BitTorrent clients or finding out which torrent websites are the most reliable, we’ve got you covered there too.

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