Quick Answer
- qBittorrent is completely free with no ads or tracking
- Built-in VPN protection stops your IP address from leaking
- Anonymous mode hides what you’re downloading
- Open-source means it’s been checked for security issues
- It’s faster than uTorrent and doesn’t slow down your computer
Why qBittorrent is the Best Choice
qBittorrent is free software that doesn’t spy on you. Unlike uTorrent, which shows ads and tracks your activity, qBittorrent just works without any hidden agenda. It’sdeveloped by volunteers (they have a donation page).
The best privacy feature is VPN binding. I suggest using Private Internet Access because it costs $3 per month and it’s “torrent friendly”.
When you connect to a VPN, qBittorrent locks itself to that connection. If your VPN drops for any reason, qBittorrent automatically stops. Your real IP address never leaks.
Anonymous mode hides what you’re downloading from other people on the network. It removes identifying information from your torrent traffic so it’s much harder for companies to track which torrents you’re downloading.
How to Enable Anonymous Mode
- Open qBittorrent and look for the Tools menu at the top of the window. Click it and select Options. You can also just press Alt+O on your keyboard as a shortcut.
- Once the settings window opens, you’ll see tabs on the left side. Click on the one labeled BitTorrent.
- Scroll down until you find a section called Privacy. You’ll see a checkbox that says “Enable anonymous mode”. Check that box.
- Click Apply at the bottom, then click OK to close the window. That’s it—anonymous mode is now turned on.
Important Things to Know
- If you use private torrent trackers, you might want to keep anonymous mode turned off. Some private trackers don’t work well with it. Public torrents are fine with it enabled.
- While you’re in the BitTorrent settings, look for “Encryption mode” right above anonymous mode. Make sure it’s set to “Allow encryption”. This adds another layer of privacy.
Other Noteable Features
The search engine built into qBittorrent means you don’t have to visit sketchy torrent websites. You search directly in the app instead. No malware risks, no tracking pixels from ad networks.
You can set qBittorrent to only download during certain hours—like overnight when you’re sleeping.
Speed and Reliability
qBittorrent handles huge download lists better than other clients. Users run thousands of torrents at once without the app crashing. It’s also faster—around 20% quicker than uTorrent for the same download.
The Trust Factor
Because qBittorrent’s code is public, security experts can check it for problems. If there’s a flaw, thousands of people spot it and it gets fixed fast. Closed-source apps keep their code secret, so you never know what they’re actually doing in the background.