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Transmission

Lightweight, open-source BitTorrent client with native apps for Mac, Windows and Linux.

Open sourceSelf-hostableTorrent clients
Visit TransmissionSee 3 alternatives
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5 of 5
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3
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About Transmission

Transmission is a long-running, volunteer-built BitTorrent client known for staying out of the way. It uses very little memory and CPU, sensible defaults mean most people never open the settings, and the advanced options that do exist (watch folders, peer blocklists, speed limits, a web interface) take a few clicks to turn on. Rather than one cross-platform interface, it ships a native macOS app, a GTK app that follows GNOME guidelines and a Qt app for Windows, plus a background daemon. That daemon is why Transmission is built into many NAS devices and routers and is easy to run on a Raspberry Pi or home server. Ubuntu and several other distributions include it by default. It is free and open source, with no ads, no bundled software, no tracking and no paid edition. The trade-off for its simplicity is fewer power features than qBittorrent: there is no built-in torrent search, and RSS automation needs outside tools.

Best for: Mac users and NAS owners who want a light, no-fuss torrent client.

Pros and cons

What works

  • Very low memory and CPU use
  • Genuinely native app on macOS
  • Runs as a daemon on NAS boxes, routers and Raspberry Pi
  • No ads, tracking or paid version

Why people leave

  • No built-in torrent search
  • No native RSS feed automation
  • Fewer fine-grained controls than qBittorrent or BiglyBT

Top Transmission alternatives

See all 3
  1. 1qBittorrent logo
    qBittorrent

    Adds built-in torrent search, RSS download rules and many more controls while staying free and ad-free.

    66.5
  2. 2Deluge logo
    Deluge

    Similar lightweight daemon approach, but extendable with a large set of plugins.

    62.6
  3. 3BiglyBT logo
    BiglyBT

    Far more features, from I2P support to media streaming, for people who outgrow Transmission.

    59.6

Why people left Transmission

In reviewers' own words, from reviews of the apps they moved to. These are their opinions, not ours.

No switching stories yet. If you moved away from Transmission, review the app you switched to and tell us why.

Reviews

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Transmission: common questions

Is Transmission free?

Yes. Transmission is free, open-source software that you can host yourself.

Is Transmission open source?

Yes. The source code is on GitHub at transmission/transmission. You can also run it on your own server.

What platforms does Transmission run on?

Transmission is available for macOS, Windows, Linux and Self-hosted.

What are the best alternatives to Transmission?

The highest-ranked Transmission alternatives right now are qBittorrent, Deluge and BiglyBT. See the full ranked list for pricing, platforms and verified facts.

See all 3 Transmission alternatives