WebTorrent Desktop 0.24 is a free torrent client for Windows that plays media while it downloads, so a video from the Internet Archive, music under Creative Commons or a Librivox audiobook can start right away. The installer comes from github.com, the official server. The latest update is dated August 29, 2020.
WebTorrent as the developer and the MIT source code
The developer is WebTorrent, and the project is published under the MIT license. The source code sits in the webtorrent-desktop repository on GitHub, which is also the official download host. The package ID is WebTorrent.WebTorrentDesktop, and the app is listed in the p2p-clients category.
Version 0.24 carries a release and update date of August 29, 2020. The app is free.
Playing Internet Archive video and Librivox audiobooks right away
The store description centers on streaming. It names video from the Internet Archive, music under Creative Commons, and audiobooks from Librivox as examples of content you can start playing at once.
Users who want features such as search tools, remote control or scheduling should compare qBittorrent, Transmission, Deluge BitTorrent Client, FrostWire or BiglyBT.
An 80.6 MB installer for Windows
The download is 80.6 MB and targets Windows. Check the GitHub page for system requirements before installing.
WebTorrent Desktop pros and cons
Pros
- Free to download and use
- MIT license with public source code on GitHub
- Streams video and audio while downloading
- Download comes from the official github.com host
- 80.6 MB package is modest in size
Cons
- Last updated August 29, 2020, so recent maintenance is not shown
- System requirements are only on the GitHub page
- Limited feature set compared with other torrent clients
- Feature list is limited to streaming
Is WebTorrent Desktop safe?
WebTorrent Desktop is published by the WebTorrent project under the MIT license, and its source code is public in the webtorrent-desktop GitHub repository, so anyone can read what the player does. Version 0.24 is about 80.6 MB. Check the file yourself before running it, and stream only material you have the right to use, such as Internet Archive video or Librivox audiobooks.
How to install WebTorrent Desktop
- Press the download button to get the official file.
- Run the installer you saved and confirm the Windows security prompt if the publisher matches.
- Follow the setup steps, then start WebTorrent Desktop from the Start menu.
