Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

aria2 VS qBittorrent

Compare aria2 VS qBittorrent and see what are their differences

aria2 logo aria2

aria2 is a lightweight multi-protocol & multi-source command-line download utility. It supports HTTP/HTTPS, FTP, SFTP, BitTorrent and Metalink.

qBittorrent logo qBittorrent

Lightweight and open source torrent client that runs on all major platforms.
  • aria2 Landing page
    Landing page //
    2018-09-29
  • qBittorrent Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-05-07

aria2 features and specs

  • Lightweight
    aria2 is a lightweight multi-protocol and multi-source command-line download utility that consumes minimal system resources.
  • Versatile Protocol Support
    aria2 supports multiple protocols including HTTP, HTTPS, FTP, SFTP, BitTorrent, and Metalink, making it extremely versatile.
  • Parallel Downloading
    Can download a file from multiple sources/protocols and split it into multiple streams, significantly increasing download speeds.
  • Command-line Interface
    Offers robust command-line interface, enabling advanced scripting and automation capabilities.
  • Low Dependency Requirement
    Requires minimal dependencies, making it easier to install and integrate into different environments.
  • Pause and Resume
    Supports pausing and resuming downloads, which is useful for handling large downloads and intermittent connectivity issues.
  • Open Source
    Being open-source, aria2 allows developers to contribute to its development and adapt it for custom use cases.

Possible disadvantages of aria2

  • Lack of GUI
    Primarily command-line based, which may be a barrier for users who prefer graphical user interfaces.
  • Complex Configuration
    Can be complex to configure optimally, requiring a good understanding of command-line options and network protocols.
  • Limited Community Support
    The user and developer community is smaller compared to more popular download managers, potentially leading to fewer resources and slower issue resolution.
  • Steep Learning Curve
    Users unfamiliar with command-line tools may find it challenging to use and master.
  • No Integrated Search
    Does not support integrated search functionalities for torrents and other media, necessitating separate tools for finding content.

qBittorrent features and specs

  • Open Source
    qBittorrent is completely open source, meaning that the code is publicly accessible and the software is free to use. This promotes transparency and allows contributions from a wide range of developers.
  • No Ads
    Unlike many other torrent clients, qBittorrent does not include any advertisements, providing a clean user experience.
  • Cross-Platform
    qBittorrent is available on various operating systems including Windows, macOS, and Linux, making it accessible to a wide audience.
  • Built-in Search Engine
    The client includes a built-in search engine that enables users to search for torrents directly from the client, saving time and effort.
  • Lightweight
    qBittorrent is known for being lightweight, meaning it uses minimal system resources compared to other torrent clients.
  • Feature-Rich
    The client includes a wide range of features such as RSS feed support, IP filtering, and a built-in media player.
  • Customizable Interface
    Users can customize the interface to suit their preferences, making it easier to navigate.

Possible disadvantages of qBittorrent

  • Limited Plugins
    qBittorrent doesn’t support as many plugins as some other torrent clients, which may limit its functionality for some users.
  • Occasional Performance Issues
    Some users have reported occasional performance issues such as slow speeds or crashes, although these are generally rare.
  • Learning Curve
    While qBittorrent is feature-rich, new users may find it somewhat confusing to navigate and configure all the available options.
  • Default Settings
    The default settings may not be optimized for every user’s needs, requiring manual adjustments to achieve optimal performance.
  • Limited Customer Support
    Being an open-source project, qBittorrent does not have professional customer support, relying instead on community forums and documentation for troubleshooting.

aria2 videos

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qBittorrent videos

How to Use qBittorrent to Search for Torrents?

More videos:

  • Review - Vuze vs qBittorrent vs Deluge vs uTorrent
  • Review - qBittorrent Review - App Reviews

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to aria2 and qBittorrent)
Torrents
29 29%
71% 71
Download Manager
100 100%
0% 0
BitTorrent
21 21%
79% 79
Music Downloader
100 100%
0% 0

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare aria2 and qBittorrent

aria2 Reviews

10 Best Free IDM Alternatives to Try in 2022
aria2 is a command-line download advantage for those who love and appreciate the CLI. Supports FTP, SFTP, HTTP/HTTPS, Metalink and BitTorrent. You can download a file, with aria2 from multiple sources to maximize its maximum download bandwidth.
Source: thetechtian.com
Best Alternatives to qBittorrent 2022
Aria2 runs on the command-line interface making it also one of the most advanced tools out there, although very easy to learn even if you don’t consider yourself technically-inclined. With no GUI and just a clean, lightweight CLI, Aria2 uses up the least amount of system resources for people who prefer to keep their downloads running smoothly and comfortably in the background.
Top 10 Free IDM Alternatives You Can Use
aria2 also doubles as a full-fledged BitTorrent client with features like DHT, PEX, encryption, magnet URI, web-seeding, selective downloads, local peer discovery, and UDP tracker. At just 4MB, aria2 is a lightweight download manager that you should not miss out on.
Source: beebom.com

qBittorrent Reviews

12 Best uTorrent Alternatives
This software is over five years old and may contain security vulnerabilities that will never be fixed. It will also never be updated to include new BitTorrent features that might speed up your downloads. So why waste time when you could use a similar and much more modern qBittorrent?
Source: thetechtian.com
6 Best BitTorrent Alternatives for Windows PC
If you are an uTorrent user and now making a switch to other alternatives with a similar interface then qBittorrent can be a very good option for you. Like Deluge, qBittorrent is another cross-platform, open-source, and free of any advertisements or adware. This BitTorrent client is loaded with features like UpnP/NAT-PMP port forwarding, upload and download speed management...
Source: thegeekpage.com
Best Alternatives to qBittorrent 2022
Despite being one of the newest additions to the list, qBittorrent is now one of the best and most popular file torrenting clients around the world. Lightweight and open-source, qBittorrent boasts speed and optimization, a ton of great features, and a clean, ad-free user experience to hold its own against clients that have been tried and trusted for years. However, in spite...
9 Best Home Server Apps to Automate Media Management
qBittorrent is compatible with Windows, OSX and Linux, and it's starting to be available as a package for NAS devices. I noticed that after a couple of weeks of uptime, qBittorrent tends to suffer from memory leaks on Windows, forcing you to perform a restart of the service from time to time, but this happens only if you are running more than 200 torrents at the same time.

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, aria2 should be more popular than qBittorrent. It has been mentiond 43 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

aria2 mentions (43)

  • Bypass download limits?
    For sites with limited download speeds I usually use aria2 (via terminal) since it supports segmented/multi connection downloading. But I guess this wouldn't work with 1fichier, since with these sites you usually don't get direct link to the file and/or sites like these limit the number of parallel connections. I also used it for torrents for a while, but I wouldn't recommend doing this anymore. Source: about 1 year ago
  • What actually gets you in trouble with torrenting? Downloading or seeding?
    You could try a tool like https://aria2.github.io. Source: over 1 year ago
  • What is the best and fast way to move 30 TB of data from one site to another side a few block down the street?
    A simple example of parallel transfers of a single file are Byte-range: HTTP requests. An example of one off-the-shelf tool that does this is aria2, but there are many libraries, and it's not difficult to write code from scratch. Source: almost 2 years ago
  • How to download and store 900 3 hour videos in a month?
    Like others here, I also recommend using https://github.com/yt-dlp/yt-dlp to download the videos. Pair it with https://aria2.github.io/ as an external downloader to get the max speed download. Source: almost 2 years ago
  • Video downloader
    I've used "aria2" download application CLI which was good / useful e.g. https://aria2.github.io/ (not sure that's even the right official site), And it LOOKS like there may be some web add on extension someone wrote to use it from firefox, but I've zero experience with browser integration of it. Https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/aria2-integration/. Source: almost 2 years ago
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qBittorrent mentions (18)

  • Qbittorrent: virus detected
    Assuming that you are dl'ing the executable from qbittorrent.org (make sure it's .org, not .com or anything else) - as others pointed out, it's completely safe. Source: over 1 year ago
  • Must have programs for a fresh Windows 10 install.
    qBittorrent - Open-source alternative to clients such as uTorrent and BitTorrent, the former of which is bloated with ads. Source: over 1 year ago
  • Hello, I’m on Mac and using qbittorent v4.4.3
    The current stable version though is v4.5.2. As long as you get the download from the official qBittorrent site (qbittorrent.org) then it should be perfectly safe. Each update's changes can range from fixing small errors, to show stopping errors, to fixing security holes. So it's best to stay up to date for the best performance and best support. Source: over 1 year ago
  • pirating newbie, am I taking the correct steps?
    Download QBT from their official web site, qbittorrent.org. Source: almost 2 years ago
  • I was downloading the installer for windows and once it finished, it said "Download failed virus detected" and the file disappeared from my pc
    If so, were you downloading from https://qbittorrent.org ?? That is the only site you should download QBittorrent from. Source: almost 2 years ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

When comparing aria2 and qBittorrent, you can also consider the following products

JDownloader - JDownloader is a free downloading tool that enables you to download files from over a hundred hosting sites. The tool is compatible with Linux, Mac and Windows operating systems. Read more about JDownloader.

NZBGet.com - Fast, reliable, and feature-packed NZB downloader.

Free Download Manager - It is a powerful modern download accelerator and organizer for Windows and Mac.

NZBGet - The most efficient usenet downloader.

Internet Download Manager - Internet Download Manager is an application that is designed to make downloading, organizing and storing your files a whole lot easier. If you are like many people, you might download a lot of files from the internet on a daily basis.

SABnzbd - SABnzbd is a free/open-source cross-platform binary newsreader written in Python.