BitTorrent vs uTorrent — Which is the Faster Option in 2025

BitTorrent and uTorrent are among the most popular torrent clients available, with apps for various platforms. However, I wanted to see which of these is better, so I extensively tested BitTorrent vs uTorrent to determine which torrent client is better.

Upon extensive testing, I found that there isn’t much of a difference between BitTorrent and uTorrent. Aside from a few minor differences, they’re both the same in every way. I’ve done a thorough comparison of their differences in this article so you can see and check for yourself whether the differences are significant.

Quick Summary: BitTorrent vs uTorrent

BitTorrent and uTorrent are owned by the same company, Rainberry, Inc. [1]. Other than the color scheme, both apps are essentially the same. They have the same user interface on all platforms, deliver similar performance, and show the same amount of ads to free users. Plus, they have the same pricing structure for their paid ad-free, pro, and pro + VPN subscriptions.

It’s also worth noting the VPN included in the pro + VPN plan for both these apps is CyberGhost, which delivered impressive performance during our tests.

The only difference between the two is that BitTorrent includes support for BTFS (BitTorrent File System), while uTorrent doesn’t. This decentralized network is for sharing files and managing digital content, but I found that performance remained the same whether turned on or off.

How I Compared BitTorrent vs uTorrent

I compared BitTorrent and uTorrent using the following criteria to determine which of these apps is the better option:

• Ease of use and installation — I compared how easy these apps are to install and use.
• Torrenting speeds — I downloaded the same files using both apps to compare their performance.
• User reviews — I analyzed user reviews across app stores to check which app has had more positive reception.
• Security — I checked whether these torrent clients have had past security incidents that raise concerns.

BitTorrent vs uTorrent: Detailed Comparison

Device Compatibility and Ease of Use

I first checked how easy these apps are to install and use. I found during my tests that both BitTorrent and uTorrent have the same setup process. Whether you get the Windows, macOS, or Android versions, you’ll experience the same setup process.

One thing worth noting is that torrent clients attempt to sideload other apps during the setup process. You’ll manually have to cancel the installation of other apps while installing BitTorrent or uTorrent to ensure no extra bloat gets installed alongside them.

Upon installing theese apps, you’ll see that uTorrent and BitTorrent have exactly the same user interface. Other than BitTorrent having purple accents and uTorrent having green accents in the color scheme, there’s virtually no difference in how these apps look or how you use them.

Upon further investigation, I saw that both torrent clients even share the same settings menu. The layout and available settings options are the same in BitTorrent and uTorrent, so you can make the same configuration changes to either one.

The only difference in the settings menu is that BitTorrent includes the BTFS (BitTorrent File System) option on the left-hand side. Enabling this feature connects you to the decentralized BTFS network for file sharing, but I didn’t experience any performance difference when it was enabled.

Torrenting Speed

BitTorrent and uTorrent maintained the same download speeds in my tests. I tested their performance by attempting to download some movies from the public domain. Both apps used the same connection and the same .torrent file to ensure a fair test. Download speeds peaked at 1.7–1.8MB/s for both apps, and both took the same time to finish the download.

User Reviews

After testing both apps’ download performance, I checked their ratings on the Google App Store. Both apps have similar ratings — uTorrent is rated 4.4 stars on Google Play, while BitTorrent is rated 4.3 stars.

One noteworthy difference is that uTorrent is much more popular based on app store reviews. It has over 5.2M reviews, while BitTorrent has just under 1M reviews. However, this is likely just an indicator of popularity and doesn’t say much about either app’s performance.

Past Safety Concerns

Between both these options, only uTorrent has had significant safety concerns in the past. According to a report by Trusted Reviews[2], users who installed version 3.4.2 build 28913 (32-bit) of the app would also get cryptocurrency mining software installed on their system. This led to significantly increased CPU usage, even when the system was idle.

How to Stay Safe and Get Fast Speeds While Torrenting

Using a VPN is the best way to ensure safety while torrenting. These apps secure your traffic using industry-leading encryption, meaning no one can spy on what you’re doing. Plus, VPNs mask your IP address, keeping you completely anonymous online and preventing any activity from being traced back to you.

Additionally, VPNs can help prevent ISP throttling. Many ISPs can detect torrenting activity and intentionally throttle connection speeds for this purpose. However, since VPNs hide your activity, ISPs can’t know what you’re doing, thus keeping them from throttling connection speeds.

Note that not every VPN can do the above. Some have limited security, while others can actually reduce your connection speeds. However, picking a top VPN from a reputable provider ensures you can get all the above benefits.

FAQs on BitTorrent vs uTorrent

BitTorrent vs uTorrent: Which App Is the Best Overall Choice

All things considered, it’s safe to say that you can’t go wrong with either BitTorrent or uTorrent. Both torrent clients deliver the same experience, regardless of the platform you get them on. Plus, the minor differences, like the BTFS feature on BitTorrent, don’t affect the torrenting experience in any way.

Note that it’s important to use a VPN, regardless of your torrent client. Otherwise, you risk your ISP throttling your connection or your identity getting leaked online. Thankfully, there are many reliable VPNs you can use for torrenting to maintain safety and fast connection speeds.

References

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rainberry,_Inc.
[2] https://www.trustedreviews.com/news/utorrent-silently-installing-bundled-bitcoin-mining-software-2931825