Comparison of file-sharing applications

File sharing is a method of distributing electronically stored information such as computer programs and digital media. Below is a list of file sharing applications, most of them make use of peer-to-peer file sharing technologies.

This comparison contains also download managers that can be used as file sharing applications. For pure download managers see the comparison of download managers, and for BitTorrent-only clients the comparison of BitTorrent clients.

Table
Name Network[1] Anonymous P2P Link system compatibility Price Platform License Programming language Free Spyware-Adware Latest release year Extra information
aMule eDonkey, Kad No eD2k, magnet Free GNU, macOS, Windows, Linux GPL C++ Yes 2016, 2.3.3 (February 7, 2021 (2021-02-07)[2]) [±]
BitComet BitTorrent, eDonkey, Kad;[3] HTTP/FTP download No ed2k,[3] magnet Free Windows Proprietary C++ Yes 2015, 1.94 (September 11, 2022 (2022-09-11)) [±][4] Exploits SuperSeeding and thus is often banned by trackers and peers. Compatible with e2DK links through an eMule plugin which gives access to eDonkey and Kad networks and cross-network sharing abilities with BitTorrent network.
DC++ Direct Connect No magnet Free Windows GPL C++ Yes 2017, 0.866 May 20, 2017 (2017-05-20) Many modifications exist, for example: LinuxDC++, EiskaltDC++, FlylinkDC++, etc.
eMule eDonkey, Kad No ed2k Free Windows GPL C++ Yes 2010, 0.50a (April 7, 2010 (2010-04-07)[5]) [±] Supports protocol obfuscation
Filetopia Filetopia No (except when using a bouncer) No Free Windows Proprietary Java No 2018
Flashget BitTorrent, eDonkey; HTTP/FTP download No ? ? Windows Proprietary ? ? 2012
Free Download Manager BitTorrent; HTTP/FTP download No metalink Free Windows GPL C++ Yes 2015, 6.13.4.3616 (February 9, 2021 (2021-02-09)) [±][6]
Freenet’s FProxy Freenet Yes No Free GNU, macOS, Windows GPL Java Yes 2020, 0.7.5 (Build 1497) (February 28, 2023 (2023-02-28)[7]) [±]
Frost Freenet Yes No Free GNU, macOS, Windows GPL Java Yes 2011
FrostWire BitTorrent No magnet Free GNU, macOS, Windows GPL Java Yes 2015, 6.9.8 (build 312) (April 26, 2022 (2022-04-26)) [±] Fork of LimeWire, with no copyrighted-material blocker planned.
GetRight BitTorrent; HTTP/FTP download No ? ? Windows ? ? ? 2011
giFT OpenFT and, with plugins, Ares, Gnutella, FastTrack No No Free GNU, macOS, Windows GPL C Yes 2004, 0.11.8.1 (2004-11-27) [±]
GnucDNA / Gnucleus Gnutella, Gnutella2 No No Free Windows GPL C++ Yes 2005, 2.2.0.0 (June 17, 2005 (2005-06-17)) [±]
GNUnet / gnunet-fs GNUnet Yes ECRS Free GNU, FreeBSD, macOS, Windows GNU AGPLv3 or later[8] (Free software) C Yes 2019, 0.19.4 (April 1, 2023 (2023-04-01)[9]) [±] Latest preview release: 0.11.0pre66 / June 6, 2018 (2018-06-06)[10]
gtk-gnutella Gnutella No magnet Free GNU, Windows, Linux GPL C Yes 2018, 1.2.2 (February 25, 2022 (2022-02-25)) [±]
I2Phex I2P (protocol Gnutella) Yes magnet Free GNU, macOS, Windows GPL Java Yes 2011 Need I2P to run.
iMule I2P (protocol Kad network) Yes ed2k, magnet Free GNU, macOS, Windows GPL C++ Yes 2013, 2.3.3.3 (June 1, 2016 (2016-06-01)) [±] needs I2P to run
Jumpshare Jumpshare No No Free or US$9.99/month Windows, macOS Proprietary Various Yes 2015 Real-time file sharing with built-in utilities for screenshots, screencasts, notes, and voice clips
KCeasy Ares, Gnutella, FastTrack, OpenFT No No Free Windows GPL C++, Object Pascal (Delphi) Yes 2008 Uses integrated giFT file sharing daemon as back-end.
KGet BitTorrent; HTTP/FTP download No ? Free part of KDE on Windows GPL C++ Yes 2012 ?
MLDonkey BitTorrent, eDonkey, FastTrack, (Gnutella, Gnutella2), Kad; HTTP/FTP download No ed2k, magnet, sig2dat Free GNU, macOS, Windows, Linux GPL OCaml Yes 2014, 3.1.7 (July 6, 2020 (2020-07-06)[11]) [±] P2P application, telnet / web-interface / GUI interface, complete and complex remote usage. Sancho GUI makes automatic SSH tunnels.
Nodezilla Private Yes No Free GNU, Windows core proprietary, GUI GPL Java Yes 2010 Most is proprietary, GUI is GPL.
Perfect Dark Perfect Dark Yes No Free Windows Proprietary C++ Yes 2015 Boards. Auto update.
Retroshare Retroshare Yes Own format Free Windows, GNU, macOS GPL C++ Yes 2021 Uses PGP for friend authentication. Decentralized F2F network type.
Robert I2P (protocol BitTorrent) Yes magnet Free GNU, macOS, Windows GPL Python Yes 2012 needs I2P to run
Share Share Yes No Free Windows Proprietary Object Pascal (Delphi) Yes 2006 Anonymous developer; tries to be Winny successor
Shareaza eDonkey, BitTorrent, Gnutella, Gnutella2, Direct Connect; HTTP/FTP download No ed2k, magnet, Piolet/MP2P, gnutella Free Windows GPL C++ Yes 2017, 2.7.10.2 (September 18, 2017 (2017-09-18)[12]) [±] Uses a powerful files library; maintained by volunteer group
StealthNet RShare Yes No Free GNU, macOS, Windows GPL C# Yes 2011 Evolution of the RShare client with many functions.
Soulseek Soulseek No No Free, donations for privileges Windows, Mac, Linux Proprietary C++, QT Yes 2015, SoulseekQt build 2021.02.06 (February 6, 2021 (2021-02-06)) [±] Folder downloads, browse users with folder trees, no multi-source downloads
Tribler BitTorrent and its own Yes magnet Free Windows, GNU, macOS GNU LGPL v2.1+[13] Python, C++ Yes 2019, 7.12.1 (September 20, 2022 (2022-09-20)) [±][14] Unlike most other torrent clients, Tribler is decentralized (as well as anonymous) and does not rely on any trackers or any other indexing service to discover content.[15] Also features a built-in video streamer.
Vuze
(formerly Azureus)		 BitTorrent and I2P No (except when using I2P) magnet Free GNU, macOS, Windows GPL Java No 2016, 5.7.6.0 (November 2, 2017 (2017-11-02)) [±][16]
WinMX WinMX Peer Network (independent, now user-operated), OpenNAP, chatrooms supported No No Free Windows Proprietary C++ Yes 2004 Official development has ceased due to RIAA coercion. Versions 3.53, 3.54 beta 4 and older are available from 3rd parties.
Winny Winny Yes No Free Windows Proprietary C++ Yes 2003
WireShare Gnutella, BitTorrent No magnet Free GNU, macOS, Windows GPL Java Yes 2016 Forked from Limewire pro
Name Network Anonymous P2P Link system compatibility Price Platform License Programming language Free Spyware-Adware Last release year Extra information

See also

Other comparisons

Notes
  2. "Download", aMule team, sourceforge.net, 2021-02-07, retrieved 2021-02-07
  3. Compatibility with eDonkey and Kad networks is done via a modded eMule plugin also developed by the Comet team
  4. "BitComet Changelog". www.bitcomet.com. 2022-09-11. Retrieved 2022-09-11.
  5. "The eMule Project at SourceForge.net". eMule.SourceForge.net. 2010-04-07. Retrieved 2010-07-11.
  6. "Free Download Manager 6 Forums". FreeDownloadManager.org. Retrieved 24 February 2021.
  7. "Releases · freenet/fred". github.com. Retrieved 2023-05-02.
  8. "license notice placed at the top in one of the source files of the project's repository, probably in each of its source files". Retrieved June 8, 2018. GNUnet is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the terms of the GNU Affero General Public License as published by the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or (at your option) any later version.
  9. Schanzenbach, Martin (2023-04-01). "GNUnet 0.19.4". gnunet.org. Retrieved 2023-04-03.
  10. "GNUnet download website". Archived from the original on 2018-06-12. Retrieved 2018-06-09.
  11. "MLDonkey at GitHub". GitHub. 2017-01-22. Retrieved 2019-11-15.
  12. "Shareaza download page on sourceforge Web site". SourceForge. Retrieved 2019-07-06.
  13. tribler/LICENSE.txt at devel · Tribler/tribler, GitHub, archived from the original on 2014-12-18, retrieved 2014-12-18
  14. "Releases".
  15. whatIsTribler/2 Archived 2013-07-28 at the Wayback Machine
  16. "Changelog". Vuze Community. Retrieved 2017-12-11.
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