uTorrent

Overview

uTorrent was created by Ludvig Strigeus and released in 2005, quickly gaining popularity for its unusually small installer size and low resource usage compared to other clients available at the time. BitTorrent, Inc. (the company behind the original BitTorrent protocol and its own BitTorrent client) acquired uTorrent in 2006, and the two clients have since shared much of the same underlying codebase.

Over time, later versions of the Windows build began bundling optional third-party offers and, in some releases, cryptocurrency-mining software during installation — behavior that drew significant criticism and led antivirus vendors to flag some installers as unwanted or potentially harmful software. BitTorrent, Inc. removed the mining component after the backlash, but the client’s free tier continues to display in-app advertising, and the installer has historically included opt-out bundled offers depending on version and platform.

Is uTorrent Open Source?

No. uTorrent is closed-source software owned by BitTorrent, Inc., and its source code has never been publicly released. The free tier is ad-supported, and a paid uTorrent Pro subscription removes ads and adds features like built-in antivirus scanning and file conversion. If you want a BitTorrent client without ads, bundled offers, or a closed codebase, qBittorrent, Transmission, and Deluge are fully open source alternatives.

Key Features

• Small installer footprint — Historically one of the smaller torrent client downloads available
• Remote control — Browser-based remote management of downloads via a companion web service
• Bandwidth scheduling — Time-based upload/download speed limits
• Media features — Built-in media player and, on the Pro tier, file conversion and antivirus scanning
• Mobile app — Official Android client alongside the Windows and macOS desktop builds

Use Cases

• Casual downloading on Windows — Users already familiar with uTorrent’s interface from earlier versions
• Mobile torrent management — The official Android app for managing downloads away from a desktop

Who It’s For

uTorrent is aimed at users who want a free, familiar torrent client and are willing to accept in-app ads (or pay for the Pro tier to remove them) in exchange for not switching software. Its closed-source codebase and history of bundled installer offers are the main reasons many users move to fully open source clients instead.