Overview
This is the desktop client from the people who wrote the protocol, and it is still one of the smallest and lightest available. The installer is a few megabytes, the running client sits in a handful of megabytes of memory, and it saturates a connection without asking much of the processor. On an old machine acting as a permanent seedbox that efficiency is the whole argument.
Transfer control is thorough. Per-torrent and global speed limits, connection and slot caps, upload ratio and seeding time goals, queue positions with automatic promotion, sequential downloading for large single files, and selective file downloading inside a multi-file torrent so only the parts you want are pulled. Bandwidth scheduling changes the limits by time of day.
The network side handles the things that go wrong on a home connection. Port mapping is negotiated automatically where the router supports it, peer exchange and distributed hash table keep swarms alive when a tracker goes down, protocol encryption gets past connection shaping, and IP filtering blocks address ranges from a list.
The Pro tier removes the advertising panels and adds the extras: remote access to the client from a browser or a phone, a built in player for previewing incomplete media, a file converter for common device formats, and an antivirus scan of finished files. Everything else is the standard client, which is exactly what most people want from it.
What it does well
Small and efficient
A few megabytes installed, low memory use and minimal processor load even while saturating a connection.
Detailed transfer control
Global and per-torrent limits, queue positions, ratio and seeding goals, sequential mode and selective file downloading.
Resilient networking
Automatic port mapping, peer exchange, distributed hash table, protocol encryption and IP range filtering.
Bandwidth scheduling
Different speed limits and behaviour by time of day, so the connection is left alone during working hours.
Pro extras
Remote access from a browser or phone, media preview while incomplete, device format conversion, and no advertising panels.
Changes in this build
- Improved peer connection handling on very large swarms.
- Remote access rebuilt with a faster interface and proper mobile layout.
- Fixed a stall on torrents containing very large numbers of small files.
- Scheduler gained per-day rather than only per-week granularity.
- Reduced disk write amplification on transfers to solid state drives.
What is in the package
- BitTorrent Pro installer, 32 and 64-bit
- Remote access module
- Media preview player
- Device format converter
- Multilingual interface files, 34 languages
System requirements
| Processor | Any x86 or x64 processor |
| Memory | 512 MB |
| Graphics | Not applicable |
| Storage | 50 MB plus space for transfers |
| Display | 1024 x 768 minimum |
| System | Windows 7 through Windows 11, 32 or 64-bit |
Installation
- Extract the archive and close any other client using the same port.
- Run the installer and decline any optional component offered.
- Apply the included configuration step to enable the Pro features.
- Set the listening port and allow it through the firewall.
- Point the download and incomplete folders at a drive with space.
Before you start
Use separate folders for incomplete and finished transfers, it saves a lot of fragmentation.
Protocol encryption should be set to enabled rather than forced, forced mode cuts you off from unencrypted peers.
Remote access needs a port reachable from outside, which on most home connections means configuring the router.
Questions about this title
Is the advertising removed?
Yes, the panels are not present in the Pro configuration.
Can I control it from my phone?
Yes, remote access serves an interface that works in a mobile browser.
Does it support magnet links?
Yes, magnet links and torrent files are both handled.
Can I download only part of a torrent?
Yes, select the files you want inside a multi-file torrent and the rest is skipped.
About this listing
This entry was checked on a clean install of Windows 7 / 8 / 10 / 11 before it was published, and it is rechecked whenever the package is rebuilt. The figures on this page come from the site index rather than from the publisher, so the download count is what people here have actually pulled.
If a mirror stops answering, use the contact form and it gets replaced. Reports about a specific title are handled faster than general messages because they name the file, the mirror and the point at which the transfer stopped.
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