To download files, one of the most used options are Torrent downloads. There are many programs that allow us to make such downloads but, as usual, there are not so many options available on Linux. However, the options we have available are not lacking in quality, not by a long shot, and offer us everything we could want in a client of .torrent files. But which Torrent client do we choose for our Ubuntu? Two great options are Transmission and Qtorrent and in this article we will put them face to face.
Table of Contents
installation
Both programs are available in the default repositories of Ubuntu, which means that we can install easily and quickly with a simple command from a terminal or look for it in it Software centers (If you have to search I prefer from Synaptic). The command is the same, but with the logical change of the application to be installed.
Transmission
sudo apt-get install transmission
Qtorrent
sudo apt-get install qbittorrent
design
In terms of design, to be honest, neither of these two .torrent file clients has an overly attractive image, but this is a relatively normal thing in many Linux applications. Transmission shows us one very very simple window. As you can see in the following image, once we open it we only see a window with the menus File, Edit, Torrent, View and Help. Just below the menus we have the options to Open a .torrent file, Start, Pause, Delete and .torrent Properties. The image of Transmission does not vary much if we are in a Unity environment (which comes by default in Ubuntu) or Mate (like the likes of Ubuntu Mate).
On the other hand, Qtorrent has more options in sight. In addition, on the left we can also see all the states of a .torrent, tags and trackers. Qtorrent has taken care of the image a bit more, but that’s something that doesn’t matter much, at least from my point of view.
functions
Although Transmission looks very simplified, that doesn’t mean it lacks features. In both Transmission and Qtorrent we can:
- to open a .torrent file.
- Open from one Magnet link (Both by pasting the link and by clicking on the imam icon on any website).
- Create .torrent files to share them.
- Configure the priority.
- Set the speed general maximum and minimum.
- remote control.
On the other hand, and although it may surprise you by its simpler image, Transmission has the possibility to program when to start and when to stop downloads, which is not possible in Qtorrent. Besides, Transmission notifies when a download ends perfectly, which Qtorrent does not (you can send an email when the download is complete).
Ease of use
In this sense there are two readings. On the one hand, Transmission is very simple for users who are just looking to download a .torrent from time to time. The best thing about Transmission is to download it and forget that we are using it. Also, its “claw” design gives it an agility that is hard to match, and by that I’m not saying Qtorrent is going bad, but Transmission is very very light.
On the other hand, Qtorrent is easier to use for users who want to have the most visible options. In reality, almost 100% of the functions that one has have the other, but the difference is that, if we want to consult or perform different actions, Qtorrent has it all on hand than Transmission.
speed
Gone are those p2p programs where we had long queues to download a file like eMule. In those networks there were great differences between one program and another, but this is something that does not happen in the Torrent network, unless we come across a really bad customer. In terms of speed, Qtorrent and Transmission they are tied and, if we were to compare them to uTorrent, for example, I would also say that they all go just as fast. The speed in all three cases will depend on the seeds (seeds) and, although not usually necessary, on whether we have the ports of the application open on our router. I haven’t opened the ports in a long time and I don’t have speed problems.
Which is Better: Qtorrent or Transmission?
As Jarabe de Palo said, «It depends on how you look at it«. For a user like me who just wants a .torrent from time to time and doesn’t want to complicate things, the choice should be Transmission. I click on the Magnet link and forget about it. When the download finishes, it alerts me with a notification and that’s it. I know where all the options are, though it must be acknowledged that they are more hidden than in Qtorrent.
If, on the other hand, you’re a slightly more demanding user and you don’t mind sacrificing very little (minimal) performance, your choice should be Qtorrent. You’ll have more options in sight and fewer clicks away. In fact, you can better manage multiple .torrent files at the same time in Qtorrent than in Transmission.
