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BitTorrent client and download manager for legal P2P file sharing

BitTorrent client and download manager for legal P2P file sharing

Vote: (973 votes)

Program license: Free

Developer: Bitcomet

Version: 2.01

Works under: Windows

Vote:

Program license

(973 votes)

Free

Developer

Version

Bitcomet

2.01

Works under:

Windows

BitComet is a free BitTorrent download client that also supports magnet links and FTP. It is an all-in-one download manager that hasn't been matched since it released in 2003.

What is BitComet?

This free BitTorrent client also functions as a download manager for HTTP/FTP downloads. It allows multiple simultaneous downloads from the same source with multi-threading.

The primary purpose of the software is to help users manage torrents or FTP downloads. The navigation is relatively clean, and down the left side is a list of Channels with links to popular torrent sites.

Tracker and peer info is found in the bottom panel, along with advertisements. The advertising is enabled by default, but it can be disabled in the Settings. BitComet has been around a long time, with the first version dropping in 2003. Since then, its developers have actively maintained it as a multi-purpose BitTorrent client.

BitComet is also ideal for handling batch HTTP downloads from file locker sites. BitComet can import URLs from a .txt file or the clipboard to begin a batch download. Users can specify which directory the batch download should go to if it is different than the main download directory.

BitComet Features

BitComet features full support for the BitTorrent protocol and multi-tracker torrents. It also supports the DHT network of tracker-less torrents. Users can also preview their files using the 'Preview Download Mode,' which downloads files sequentially.

BitComet is also a full HTTP/FTP download manager with full P2P support. It also supports preview while downloading most multi-media file formats. The download manager handles multi-part downloads with multiple connections for blazing-fast speeds. Stopped download tasks can quickly be resumed with no loss of data – something most browsers can't do.

BitComet also features global and per-task speed limits to stay within limits. A scheduler allows those limits to change based on the time of day for those with bandwidth caps. Users can also globally limit the number of simultaneous connections to limit bandwidth use.

Extension support for Firefox, CometBird, and Internet Explorer are available. BitComet can be used to download audio or video from sites like YouTube using these extensions.

BitComet Pros & Cons

BitComet is a one-of-a-kind blend of a BitTorrent manager and HTTP/FTP download manager. Its multi-protocol support makes it ideal for anyone transferring files across both. BitComet can intelligently allocate space and disk cache to reduce damage during high-speed downloads.

When downloading video files, BitComet will download files sequentially if possible. That means users can watch a video file while it is downloading in BitComet. The eMule plugin is a great companion to BitComet for finding downloads not available on BitTorrent.

Overall, BitComet is a powerful download manager that can handle any download. Its browser extension support in Firefox makes ripping audio or video from any website effortless. Multi-tracker torrents and Magnet links are no match for BitComet.

Here's a quick look at some of the pros and cons of this download manager.

Pros:

  • Very low CPU usage
  • Limit upload and download speeds
  • Intelligent connection to optimize speed
  • Intelligent disk cache
  • Firewall and NAT traversal
  • Improved GUI
  • eMule Plugin supports ED2K network
  • Download audio and video from YouTube
  • Firefox extension support

Cons:

  • May contain third-party offers
  • Interface is pretty basic
  • Not as robust as other FTP clients
  • Feels straight out of the 90s

What are some alternatives to BitComet?

BitComet is a multi-protocol download manager, and there is nothing else quite like it. Torrent downloading alternatives include qBittorent and Halite. Both of these are capable of scheduling torrents, though they lack ED2K integration.

FileZilla and Cyberduck are two FTP clients with more robust features than BitComet. They also support WebDAV, which is useful for developing online projects. All of these programs can replace BitComet, but none can completely replace BitComet without another program.