View source for Comparison of file-sharing applications

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{{More citations needed|talk=This article needs more references|date=August 2024}}<!-- Please keep the list alphabetized -->

[[File sharing]] is a method of distributing [[electronically stored information]] such as [[computer program]]s and [[digital media]]. This article contains a list and comparison of file sharing applications; most of them make use of [[peer-to-peer file sharing]] technologies.

This comparison also contains [[download manager]]s that can be used as file sharing applications. For solely download managers, see the [[comparison of download managers]]; for [[BitTorrent]]-only clients, see the [[comparison of BitTorrent clients]].

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== Table ==
{{Update|part=section|date=August 2024}}{{Compact ToC|name=no|center=yes|top=yes|x=|z=}}
<!-- In each table, link one instance of terms, in body and notes, remove other WP:REPEATLINK(s). -->
{{sticky header}}
{| class="wikitable sortable sticky-header" style="font-size:smaller; text-align: center; width: auto"
|-
!Name
![[computer networking|Network]]<ref name="number">
*According to the article [[Forbes]], [https://www.forbes.com/2005/06/24/cx_de_fileshareslide.html?this Top File-Sharing Networks], on 22 June 2005
** [[eDonkey network|eDonkey]] had 4,856,554 users
** [[FastTrack]] had 2,548,774 users
** [[Gnutella]] had 1,530,299 users
* [[BitTorrent (protocol)|BitTorrent]] 10 million in March, 2006 according to the [[Business Week]] article  [http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/may2006/tc20060508_693082.htm BitTorrent Goes Hollywood] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090407032920/http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/may2006/tc20060508_693082.htm |date=2009-04-07 }}</ref>
! [[Anonymous P2P]]
! Link system compatibility
! Price
! [[computing platform|Platform]]
! [[Software license|License]]
! [[Programming language]]
! '''No [[Malware]]'''
! Latest release year
! Extra information 
|-
! {{rh}} | [[aMule]]
| [[eDonkey network|eDonkey]], [[Kad network|Kad]]
| {{no}}
| {{yes|[[ed2k URI scheme|eD2k]], magnet}}
| Free
| [[GNU]], macOS, [[Microsoft Windows|Windows]], [[Linux]]
| {{free|GPL}}
| [[C++]]
| {{yes}}
| 2016, {{Latest stable software release/aMule}}
| 
|-
! {{rh}} | [[BitComet]]
| BitTorrent, eDonkey, Kad;<ref name="plugin">Compatibility with eDonkey and Kad networks is done via a modded eMule plugin also developed by the Comet team</ref> HTTP/FTP download
| {{no}}
| {{yes|ed2k,<ref name="plugin" /> magnet}}
| Free
| Windows
| {{Proprietary}}
| C++
| {{yes}}
| 2015, {{Latest stable software release/BitComet}}
| 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.
|-
! {{rh}} class="table-rh" | [[DC++]]
| [[Direct Connect (protocol)|Direct Connect]]
| {{no}}
| {{yes|magnet}}
| Free
| Windows
| {{free|GPL}}
| C++
| {{yes}}
| 2017, 0.866 {{Start date and age|2017|05|20}}
| Many modifications exist, for example: LinuxDC++, EiskaltDC++, [[FlylinkDC++]], etc.
|-
! {{rh}} | [[eMule]]
| eDonkey, Kad
| {{no}}
| {{yes|ed2k}}
| Free
| Windows
| {{free|GPL}}
| C++
| {{yes}}
| 2010, {{Latest stable software release/eMule}}
| Supports protocol [[obfuscation]]
|-
! {{rh}} | {{anchor|F}} [[Filetopia]]
| Filetopia
| {{no }} (except when using a bouncer)
| {{no}}
| Free
| Windows
| {{Proprietary}}
| Java
| {{no}}
| 2018
|
|-
! {{rh}} | [[Flashget]]
| BitTorrent, eDonkey; HTTP/FTP download
| {{no}}
| {{dunno}}
| {{dunno}}
| Windows
| {{Proprietary}}
| {{dunno}}
| {{dunno}}
| 2012
|
|-
! {{rh}} | [[Free Download Manager]]
| BitTorrent; HTTP/FTP download
| {{no}}
| {{yes|[[metalink]]}}
| Free
| Windows
| {{free|GPL}}
| C++ 
| {{yes}}
| 2015, {{Latest stable software release/Free Download Manager}}
|
|-
! {{rh}} | [[Freenet]]’s FProxy
| [[Freenet]]
| {{yes}}
| {{no}} 
| Free
| [[GNU]], macOS, Windows
| {{free|GPL}}
| Java
| {{yes}}
| 2020, {{Latest stable software release/Freenet}}
| 
|-
! {{rh}} | [[Freenet#Tools and applications|Frost]]
| Freenet
| {{yes}}
| {{no}} 
| Free
| [[GNU]], macOS, Windows
| {{free|GPL}}
| Java
| {{yes}}
| 2011
| 
|-
! {{rh}} | [[FrostWire]]
| BitTorrent
| {{no}}
| {{yes|magnet}}
| Free
| [[GNU]], macOS, Windows 
| {{free|GPL}}
| Java
| {{yes}}
| 2015, {{Latest stable software release/FrostWire}}
| [[Fork (software development)|Fork]] of LimeWire, with no copyrighted-material blocker planned.
|-
! {{rh}} | [[Tixati|Fopnu]]
| Fopnu
| {{no}}
| {{no}}
| Free
| [[GNU]] Linux, Windows 
| Proprietary
| C++
| {{no}}
| 2023
| Fully decentralized network<ref>https://fopnu.com/ {{Bare URL inline|date=August 2024}}</ref>
|-
! {{rh2}} | {{anchor|G}} [[GetRight]]
| BitTorrent; HTTP/FTP download
| {{no}}
| {{dunno}}
| {{dunno}}
| Windows
| {{dunno}}
| {{dunno}}
| {{dunno}}
| 2011
|
|-
! {{rh2}} | [[giFT]]
| [[OpenFT]] and, with plugins, Ares, [[Gnutella]], [[FastTrack]]
| {{no}}
| {{no}}
| Free
| [[GNU]], macOS, Windows
| {{free|GPL}}
| [[C (programming language)|C]]
| {{yes}}
| 2004, {{Latest stable software release/giFT}}
|
|- 
! {{rh2}} | [[GnucDNA]] / Gnucleus
| [[Gnutella]], [[Gnutella2]]
| {{No}}
| {{no}}
| Free
| Windows
| {{free|GPL}}
| C++
| {{yes}}
| 2005, {{Latest stable software release/Gnucleus}}
|
|-
! {{rh}} | [[GNUnet]] / gnunet-fs
| [[GNUnet]]
| {{yes}}
| {{yes|[[GNUnet#File sharing URIs|ECRS]]}}
| Free
| [[GNU]], [[FreeBSD]], macOS, Windows
| {{free|[[GNU Affero General Public License|GNU AGPLv3 or later]]<ref>{{cite web |accessdate=June 8, 2018 |url=https://gnunet.org/git/gnunet.git/tree/src/core/core.h?id=4e2504a967ba09643c6dd7e3b9ce400e30adcb3d |title=license notice placed at the top in one of the source files of the project's repository, probably in each of its source files |quote=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.}}</ref> ([[Free software]])}}
| C
| {{yes}}
| 2019, {{Latest stable software release/GNUnet}}
| Latest preview release: 0.11.0pre66 / {{Start date and age|2018|06|06}}<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://gnunet.org/downloads |title=GNUnet download website |access-date=2018-06-09 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180612141442/https://gnunet.org/downloads |archive-date=2018-06-12 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
|-
! {{rh}} | [[gtk-gnutella]]
| [[Gnutella]]
| {{no}}
| {{yes|magnet}}
| Free
| GNU, Windows, Linux
| {{free|GPL}}
| C
| {{yes}}
| 2018, {{Latest stable software release/gtk-gnutella}}
|
|-
! {{rh}} | [[I2Phex]]
| [[I2P]] (protocol [[Gnutella]])
| {{yes}}
| {{yes|magnet}}
| Free
| GNU, macOS, Windows
| {{free|GPL}}
| Java
| {{yes}}
| 2011
| Need [[I2P]] to run.
|-
! {{rh}} | iMule
| [[I2P]] (protocol [[Kad network]])
| {{yes}}
| {{yes|ed2k, magnet}}
| Free
| GNU, macOS, Windows
| {{free|GPL}}
| C++
| {{yes}}
| 2013, {{Latest stable software release/iMule}}
| needs I2P to run
|-
! {{rh}} | [[Jumpshare]]
| Jumpshare
| {{no}}
| {{no}}
| Free or US$9.99/month
| [[Windows]], [[macOS]]
| [[Proprietary software|Proprietary]]
| Various
| {{yes}}
| 2015
| Real-time file sharing with built-in utilities for screenshots, screencasts, notes, and voice clips
|-
! {{rh}} | [[KCeasy]]
| Ares, [[Gnutella]], [[FastTrack]], OpenFT
| {{no}}
| {{no}}
| Free
| Windows
| {{free|GPL}}
| C++, Object Pascal (Delphi)
| {{yes}}
| 2008
| Uses integrated [[giFT]] file sharing [[Daemon (computer software)|daemon]] as [[Front-end and back-end|back-end]].
|-
! {{rh}} | [[KGet]]
| BitTorrent; HTTP/FTP download
| {{no}}
| {{dunno}}
| Free
| part of KDE on Windows
| {{free|GPL}}
| C++
| {{yes}}
| 2012
| {{dunno}}
|-
! {{rh}} | {{anchor|M}} [[MLDonkey]]
| BitTorrent, eDonkey, [[FastTrack]], ([[Gnutella]], Gnutella2), Kad; HTTP/FTP download
| {{no}}
| {{yes|ed2k, magnet, [[UUHash#Sig2Dat|sig2dat]]}}
| Free
| [[GNU]], macOS, Windows, [[Linux]]
| {{free|GPL}}
| [[OCaml]]
| {{yes}}
| 2014, {{Latest stable software release/MLDonkey}}
| P2P application, telnet / web-interface / GUI interface, complete and complex remote usage. Sancho GUI makes automatic SSH tunnels.
|-
! {{rh}} | [[Nodezilla]]
| [[private network|Private]]
| {{yes}}
| {{no}}
| Free
| [[GNU]], Windows
| {{partial|core proprietary, GUI GPL}}
| Java
| {{yes}}
| 2010
| Most is proprietary, GUI is GPL.
|-
! {{rh}} | [[Perfect Dark (P2P)|Perfect Dark]]
| Perfect Dark
| {{yes}}
| {{no}}
| Free
| Windows
| {{Proprietary}}
| C++
| {{Yes}}
| 2015
| Boards. Auto update.
|-
! {{rh}} | {{anchor|R}} [[Retroshare]]
| Retroshare
| {{yes}}
| {{yes|Own format}}
| Free
| Windows, [[GNU]], [[macOS]]
| {{free|GPL}}
| C++
| {{yes}}
| 2023
| Uses PGP for friend authentication. Decentralized F2F network type.
|-
! {{rh2}} | [[Robert (P2P Software)|Robert]]
| I2P (protocol BitTorrent)
| {{yes}}
| {{yes|magnet}}
| Free
| [[GNU]], macOS, Windows
| {{free|GPL}}
| Python
| {{yes}}
| 2012
| needs I2P to run
|-
! {{rh2}} | {{anchor|S}} [[Share (P2P)|Share]]
| [[Share (P2P)|Share]]
| {{yes}}
| {{no}}
| Free
| Windows
| {{Proprietary}}
| Object Pascal (Delphi)
| {{yes}}
| 2006
| Anonymous developer; tries to be Winny successor
|-
! {{rh}} | [[Shareaza]]
| [[eDonkey network|eDonkey]], [[BitTorrent]], [[Gnutella]], [[Gnutella2]], Direct Connect; HTTP/FTP download
| {{no}}
| {{yes|ed2k, [[magnet link|magnet]], Piolet/MP2P, gnutella}}
| Free
| Windows
| {{free|GPL}}
| C++
| {{yes}}
| 2017, {{Latest stable software release/Shareaza}}
| Uses a powerful files library; maintained by volunteer group
|-
! {{rh}} | [[StealthNet]]
| [[RShare]]
| {{yes}}
| {{no}}
| Free
| [[GNU]], macOS, Windows
| {{free|GPL}}
| C#
| {{yes}}
| 2011
| Evolution of the [[RShare]] client with many functions. 
|-
! {{rh}} | [[Soulseek]]
| [[Soulseek]]
| {{no}}
| {{no}}
| Free, donations for privileges
| Windows, Mac, Linux
| {{Proprietary}}
| C++, QT
| {{yes}}
| 2015, {{Latest stable software release/Soulseek}}
| Folder downloads, browse users with folder trees, no multi-source downloads
|-
! {{rh}} | [[Tribler]]
| BitTorrent and Tribler
| {{yes}}
| {{yes|magnet}}
| Free
| Windows, [[GNU]], macOS
| {{free|[[GNU Lesser General Public License|GNU LGPL v2.1+]]<ref name="license-info">{{Citation | url = https://github.com/Tribler/tribler/blob/devel/Tribler/LICENSE.txt | title = tribler/LICENSE.txt at devel · Tribler/tribler | publisher = [[GitHub]] | accessdate = 2014-12-18 | url-status = dead | archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20141218130945/https://github.com/Tribler/tribler/blob/devel/Tribler/LICENSE.txt | archivedate = 2014-12-18 }}</ref>}}
| Python, C++
| {{yes}}
| 2019, {{Latest stable software release/Tribler}}
| Unlike most other torrent clients, Tribler is [[decentralized]] (as well as anonymous) and does not rely on any [[BitTorrent tracker|trackers]] or any other [[BitTorrent (protocol)#Indexing|indexing service]] to discover content.<ref>[http://www.tribler.org/trac/wiki/whatIsTribler/2 whatIsTribler/2] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130728193255/http://www.tribler.org/trac/wiki/whatIsTribler/2 |date=2013-07-28 }}</ref> Also features a built-in video streamer.
|-
! {{rh}} | {{anchor|V}} [[Vuze]] <br /> (formerly Azureus)
| BitTorrent and I2P
| {{no}} (except when using [[I2P]])
| {{yes|magnet}}
| Free
| [[GNU]], macOS, Windows
| {{free|GPL}}
| Java
| {{no}}
| 2016, {{Latest stable software release/Vuze}}
|
|-
! {{rh}} | [[WinMX]]
| WinMX Peer Network (independent, now user-operated), [[OpenNap|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.
|-
! {{rh}} | [[Winny]]
| Winny
| {{yes}}
| {{no}}
| Free
| Windows
| {{Proprietary}}
| C++
| {{yes}}
| 2003
| 
|-
! {{rh}} | {{anchor|L}} [[WireShare]]
| [[Gnutella]], BitTorrent
| {{no}}
| {{yes|magnet}}
| Free
| GNU, macOS, Windows
| {{free|GPL}}
| Java
| {{yes}}
| 2016
| Forked from Limewire pro
|- class="sortbottom"
! Name
! Network
! [[Anonymous P2P]]
! Link system compatibility
! Price
! [[computing platform|Platform]]
! [[Software license|License]]
! [[Programming language]]
! '''No [[Malware]]'''
! Latest release year
! Extra information
|}

* Note that several applications have had [[adware]] or [[spyware]] tied in during the past and may have it again in the future. The same goes for [[Fork (software development)|forks]] of open source apps, e.g. [[eMule]]. This list attempts to display the current{{When|date=August 2024}} status only.
* No longer available from their websites: Acquisition, [[Audiogalaxy]], [[Bearshare]], [[Bitblinder]], [[CuteMX]], [[edonkey2000]], [[Grokster]], [[iMesh]], [[Kazaa]], [[Kazaa Lite]], [[LimeWire]], [[Manolito]], [[Morpheus (file-sharing software)|Morpheus]], [[Napster]], [[Pando (application)|Pando]] and [[Scour Inc.|Scour Exchange]].
* [[Opera (web browser)|Opera web browser]] no longer includes P2P functionality.

== See also ==
{{columns-list|colwidth=20em|
* [[File sharing in Canada]]
* [[List of file-sharing programs for Linux and BSD]]
* [[List of P2P protocols]]
* [[Open music model]]
* [[Timeline of file sharing]]
}}

=== Other comparisons ===

{{columns-list|colwidth=20em|
* [[Comparison of ADC software|Comparison of Advanced Direct Connect software]]
* [[Comparison of BitTorrent clients]]
* [[Comparison of eDonkey software]]
* [[Comparison of G2 software]]
* [[Comparison of Gnutella software|Comparison of gnutella software]]
* [[Comparison of download managers]]
* [[Comparison of file transfer protocols]]
}}

== Notes ==
{{Reflist}}

{{File sharing protocols}}

[[Category:Network software comparisons|File sharing applications]]
[[Category:File sharing software]]