This is a comparison of
BitTorrent websites that includes most of the most popular sites. These sites typically contain multiple
torrent file
In the BitTorrent file distribution system, a torrent file or meta-info file is a computer file that contains metadata about files and folders to be distributed, and usually also a list of the network locations of trackers, which are compute ...
s and an index of those files.
Features
*
BitTorrent sites may operate a
BitTorrent tracker
A BitTorrent tracker is a special type of server that assists in the communication between peers using the BitTorrent protocol.
In peer-to-peer file sharing, a software client on an end-user PC requests a file, and portions of the requested fil ...
and are often referred to as such. Operating a tracker should not be confused with hosting content.
*A directory allows users to browse the content available on a website based on various categories. A directory is also a site where users can find other websites.
*BitTorrent sites may either focus on certain content — such as
etree
etree, or electronic tree, is a music community created in the summer of 1998 for the online trading of live concert recordings. etree pioneered the standards for distributing lossless audio on the net and only permits its users to distribute the ...
that focuses on
live concerts— or may have no particular focus, like
The Pirate Bay
The Pirate Bay (sometimes abbreviated as TPB) is an online index of digital content of entertainment media and software. Founded in 2003 by Swedish think tank Piratbyrån, The Pirate Bay allows visitors to search, download, and contribute mag ...
. Some sites specialize as
search engines
A search engine is a software system designed to carry out web searches. They search the World Wide Web in a systematic way for particular information specified in a textual web search query. The search results are generally presented in a ...
of other BitTorrent sites.
Google downranking
In October 2014,
Google Search
Google Search (also known simply as Google) is a search engine provided by Google. Handling more than 3.5 billion searches per day, it has a 92% share of the global search engine market. It is also the most-visited website in the world.
The ...
results were affected by anti-
piracy
Piracy is an act of robbery or criminal violence by ship or boat-borne attackers upon another ship or a coastal area, typically with the goal of stealing cargo and other valuable goods. Those who conduct acts of piracy are called pirates, v ...
algorithms, which includes downranking popular BitTorrent sites in search results. The algorithm works when Google users search for movie, music or software titles in combination with terms such as "download", "watch" and "torrent". Popular BitTorrent sites are demoted in the list; the traffic reduction depends on the site, but some sites experienced nearly a 50% reduction in visitors.
Site comparison
The following table compares the features of some of the most popular BitTorrent websites; it is not comprehensive with regard to listing all of the popular BitTorrent trackers, especially private trackers.
Defunct
See also
*
List of warez groups
Warez groups are teams of individuals who have participated in the organized unauthorized publication of films, music, or other media, as well as those who can reverse engineer and crack the digital rights management (DRM) measures applied to co ...
References
{{File sharing
*
BitTorrent sites
Lists of websites