Whether you use Catalina, Big Sur or Monterey, you have plenty of options when it comes to torrent downloaders. Novice users will appreciate the user-friendly options on this list of the best torrent downloaders for Mac. And power users will find highly sought-after features that make managing their downloads more effortless than ever. No matter your criteria, you’re sure to find the best torrent client for you, so on to the options!

BitTorrent Web

The folks behind BitTorrent, the original client, are now pushing the program’s web-based form. All you need to do is download the client, which will run right in your browser. You have the option to download torrent files and magnet links and can even stream media directly in your browser. It’s certainly appealing for someone who wants the convenience of torrenting and it’s concerned about customizing their experience.

BitTorrent Web is compatible with the company’s unique token system. Seeding files for others to download earns tokens (BTT) that you can in turn bid to other users for increased download speeds. Although no mining is involved, BTT is accessible through a TRON wallet, and balances and exchanges are stored in a blockchain ledger.

You can download the free version of BitTorrent Web if you don’t mind ads. Upgrading for $5 annually removes ads, and you can pay for secure and anonymous torrenting if you subscribe to the more expensive plans. However, if you’re familiar with other torrenting clients, you might feel frustrated that you need to pay to use multiple torrent search engines or view torrent information such as the file size, number of seeders and leeches, and resolution, something that’s default in most clients.

Pros: Convenient for downloading and streaming torrents; runs in the browser

Cons: Lacking customization options; free version has ads and doesn’t show full torrent stats, not compatible with Big Sur and Monterey

Compatibility: Compatible with MAC OS up to Catalina

uTorrent

Another classic and popular torrent client, uTorrent prides itself on having a small footprint. The client offers basic torrenting in an easy-to-use interface. Functions such as choosing which files to download, prioritizing files in the torrent, limiting upload and download speed, or pausing or stopping the torrent are all easily accessible. Plus, you can label torrents, making them easy to find in the program.

Additional features make this the client of choice for users who want more control over their torrenting experience than other torrent downloaders offer. For example, even the free version of uTorrent lets you access your torrents remotely through the browser on another device or the Android app. You can also easily download new episodes of TV shows by adding the show’s RSS feed to uTorrent, which will alert you when new content is added so that you can download it.

uTorrent offers the same subscription services as BitTorrent–they’re made by the same people, after all. So you can pay to boost your speed and privacy.

Pros: Free, customizable, intuitive UI

Cons: Comes with ads and bundled software; lack of integrated search

Compatibility: Compatible up to macOS Catalina version 10.14

Deluge

If this name sounds familiar, that’s because it’s been available longer than some torrent downloaders. However, a recent update brought improved functionality, ensuring it remains a healthy competitor to any of the other options on this list. For example, the client now supports UPnP and NAT-PMP port mapping, IPv6, and proxy servers. On the other hand, the UI didn’t get an upgrade, so it’s pretty barebones and outdated, but it still works.

Deluge isn’t the best app for the uninitiated. There’s no installer. Instead, you’ll need to use Macports or Homebrew to install an older version of Deluge. However, the website and forums provide documentation and troubleshooting. And if you don’t see a function, you just can’t live without, check out the list of plugins available for Deluge that add features, including adding a Web interface to Chrome, RSS for TV shows, alerts, making torrent links in Chrome clickable, searching for subtitles, adding to Plex, and more.

Pros: Free, simple interface, proxy, and IPv6 support, port mapping, plugins add functionality

Cons: Indirect installation, outdated interface, no support for Deluge 2.0 on macOS

Compatibility: MacPorts install works with OSX Snow Leopard 10.6 & Lion 10.7 for Deluge 1.3.x; installation via Homebrew requires macOS Catalina 10.15+

Transmission

You can’t do much better than Transmission for MacOS for several reasons. First, it’s one of the few torrent clients on this list that are free without relying on ads. The simple interface is sleek and easy to use, even for folks new to torrenting. However, you’ll appreciate the ability to sort torrents into groups and alerts about your torrents.

Transmission also performs well without hogging memory like so many clients on the market. This is due, in part, to the program lacking functions such as a VPN and a native video player. Because of its simplicity, Transmission lacks a torrent search bar, the ability to reload data from a magnet link, and proxy server support. The few options that exist aren’t easy to find. Advanced users may want to consider one of the other options listed, but many people will find the perks of this torrent downloader are well worth it.

Pros: Free without adds, lightweight, simple, includes encryption, multiple file type support

Cons: Lacks proxy server support and search engine, minimal customization options

Compatibility: Needs Mac OS X 10.10 or later (big Sur and Monterey compatible)

qBittorent

Another free option, qBittorent combines several of the great features of the other clients on this list and wraps it up in an intuitive package. If you’ve used uTorrent, then qBittorent’s UI will seem familiar. And if you’re new to torrents, this client doesn’t have much of a learning curve. In fact, the large control buttons at the top of the screen might even be a bit easier to use than uTorrent’s controls!

More advanced users will like that qBittorent isn’t just compatible with torrent or magnet links and supports encryption, distributed hash tables, peer exchange protocol, and private torrents. It’s also IPv6 compliant. qBittorent supports bandwidth capping and torrent prioritization, which work well with the client’s native bandwidth scheduler to ensure qBittorent doesn’t hog your connection. This is all on top of a filterable RSS feed reader and the ability to log into the client remotely through a Web interface.

What really makes this torrent client stand out from the pack is the integrated search engine, a function that some free clients lack entirely. However, qBittorent goes beyond basics, letting you specify the type of content and search engine(s) you’d like to use.

It might be hard to believe that this torrent downloader does all this without subjecting you to ads and is available in around 70 different languages, but it’s true. The developers are still hard at work providing updates for the macOS, Linux, and Windows versions and will gladly accept donations from grateful users.

qBittorent isn’t perfect, however. It hogs ram, struggles when you have too many torrents, and downloads can freeze.

Pros: Extensible search engine, free with no ads, robust features including remote access

Cons: Sluggish and resource hungry

Compatibility: Works with MacOS X 10.14 and 10.15 (Mojave and Catalina), 11 (Big Sur), Monterey.

Folx

The last torrent downloader on this list was designed exclusively for macOS, explaining the attractive interface that blends in with your operating system. Folx is even compatible with Quick Look for easy previewing. However, the torrent client goes beyond form.

You’ll enjoy its essential options, including prioritizing downloads and specifying speeds (upload and download). Tagging downloads makes searching for torrents incredibly easy. Plus, downloads automatically save to folders based on your tags.

Folx goes beyond the basics by supporting proxy servers for privacy. In addition, splitting your torrents into threads cuts download time. And with Folx, you can configure your browser to open torrent links in the client. Unfortunately, you’re limited to trackers and magnet links, so you may want a different downloader if you use advanced link types.

You may have noticed we haven’t mentioned a torrent search option. You’re out of luck with the free version of Folx. But upgrading costs just $19.99 and lets you search for torrents directly from the app. Upgrading offers a few other perks, too.

First, you can split downloads up to 20 threads for even faster downloads. On the other hand, upgrading lets you set a smart speed to ensure torrent traffic never interferes with your other activities. The pro version also conveniently adds anything with the “music” tag to your Music/iTunes library as long as it’s a supported file type, too.

All of these features do make the client a bit bulky, however.

Pros: Attractive UI, integrates seamlessly with macOS, download-boosting functions, impressive pro functions

Cons: Limited link type support, search engine requires upgrade

Compatibility: Requires OS X 10.9 or higher (Big Sur, Monterey)

Best Torrent Client Downloader for Big Sur and Monterey

If you’re looking for a torrent downloader that runs well on Big Sur and Monterey you’ll find that most programs will have more downsides than upsides. Such as limited compatibility, specially with newer M1 macs, ads, bugs, etc.

Transmission is the perfect BitTorrent client for anyone who wants powerful features without the bloat. It has a low memory footprint and runs well on both Monterey and Big Sur systems. Plus, it’s designed for easy use.

– Fast downloads

– Low memory footprint

– Easy to use interface