Streamza.com review

Streamza

Overview: Great service in the past, but lately it should be avoided. The service is very unreliable. Most torrents you try to download will not be downloaded. On the other hand, Streamza already has many downloaded torrents waiting for you.


Streamza was created in 2009 and managed to gather a large user base. A few years ago, a new team took over Streamza, and it has gone downhill from then. Although the quality has gone down significantly, they are still trying to save a part of it.

Sections

  • Torrent Client
  • Torrent Fetching
  • Downloading Offline
  • Cloud Storage
  • Video Player
  • Features
  • Payment Options
  • Personal Observations
  • Summary

Torrent Client

It is very difficult to insert any new torrent into Streamza. There are some major problems with the torrent client. Most of the magnet links simply cannot be downloaded. Also, there is no option to enter a link to a torrent file. Same, you can’t upload your torrent from your PC. These are serious issues, which make the service unusable. 

Streamza-instant

There is another solution which is partly saving this whole project. Streamza offers you already downloaded torrents by other users. Search for the torrents you are looking for. There is a good chance that another user has already downloaded it. We tested ten torrents, and we found three that were already downloaded. The search is extremely slow, but its better than nothing.

Private torrent downloads are not possible since there is no way to upload torrents from your PC. 

Torrent Fetching

We tried a couple of trackers, and we were constantly getting a pop “Correct Magnet URL is required.” This issue is why we could not try to download the same torrents that we tested in other clients. We managed to download other torrents, so our comparisons might be slightly off. 

Torrent sizeType  Time
700 MBPublic tracker3 minute 43 seconds
700 MBPrivate trackerUnable to download
5.1 GBPublic tracker23 minutes 33 seconds
5.01 GBPrivate trackerUnable to download

(Tested on torrents from well-known sources torrent files. Seeders 50+.)

There is a warning in the Admin Notice section that if a user downloads 2 Tbs of torrents per month, their account will be flagged. There also is no antivirus check integrated into Streamza.

Downloading Offline

Secure downloading is no problem. Streamza has servers located in Arizona. Therefore the downloading speeds in the USA are relatively good. For Europe and Asia, they are extremely slow. 

Testing file sizeUSA ChicagoEU BerlinSG Singapore
5.01 GB⌀ 198.2 Mbps⌀ 142.1 Mbps⌀ 95.2 Mbps

(Tested on VPS servers from OVH connected to spine network, average speeds. Speeds on regular ISP can vary.)

Cloud Storage

Design is absolutely terrible, lousy background, small and big text. You can share your downloaded file, but nothing happens when you click the option.

Managing your files is not a simple task. It all looks very confusing. If you download a torrent, you can find it in the My Downloads section. You can manage whole folders but not single files. It seems that there is unlimited cloud space.

If you are using Streamza on your smartphone or a PC with a big screen, the design starts to fall apart. The design becomes too stretched, and some texts are too small to read.

The cloud storage section is also filled with unimportant tools and toggles. For example, you can rate the downloaded torrent, but why is that important. Also, you can upload your photo into your account info, but why would you do that with a service that is protecting your privacy. 

Streamza Title

We believe this was originally supposed to be a social network to share torrents with your friends.

Video player

The video player is included in Streamza, but it is very limited. As a free user, you can play only the first 30 seconds of a video. It is a very basic video player. There is no option to toggle between low quality and high video quality. Also, there is no support for subtitles. The video player seems to be a side feature.

A useful feature is the support of Roku players. 

Payment options

The only option of payment is via card where you have to put in personal information. There is no PayPal and no cryptocurrencies. On Twitter, they mention that they accept Etherium, but we did not see that as an option. Also, they offer a lifetime discounted license. 

Personal observations

Streamza is a major let down with some features that do not make sense. It seems that the company did not have a clear goal in mind and tried to do multiple things at the same time. This one is a no-no for me. 

Pros & Cons

ProsCons
Roku supportUnreliable servers
Social featuresNo provate tracker support
Slower torrent downloading
Bad design

Torrent application for iPhone

Public domain torrents

Download Torrents on iPhone: No jailbreak required.

You don’t need to jailbreak your favourite Apple device to download torrents. Whether it is an iPhone, iPad, iPod touch or any other iOS device, there is a way. While Apple doesn’t allow torrent apps in the App Store, you can still find your way around the restriction. The best part? You won’t have to jailbreak your device.

Nothing is wrong with downloading torrent files as long as they aren’t copyrighted material. Once you start downloading material protected by copyright laws, it becomes risky. So how to download torrents on your iPhone and protect your privacy at the same time?

Protect Your Privacy without VPN

You can use a VPN, but that doesn’t guarantee that your government of ISP isn’t eavesdropping on what you’re doing. Governments are pushing VPN companies to reveal your sensitive data, and nobody knows how long it’ll take until they finally succumb. Not to mention, hackers who sell your data to the highest bidder.

So, what’s a powerful way to download torrents without jailbreak nor VPN?

Download Torrents on Your iPhone using Your Web Browser Alone

All you need to download torrents on your iPhone is a web browser. And while the default browser Safari would do, we recommend UC Browser because it’ll make pausing and resuming your downloads possible.

Step by Step to Download Torrents on Your iPhone

Step 1: Get Magnet Link

For example, you want to download the movie The Satanic Rites of Dracula from Public Domain Movies. You’ll go the website, browse the Horror section, find the film, and long tap on the link to copy the magnet link.

Public Domain Torrents Copy

Step 2: Register a free account on Bitport

Go to Bitport and register a free account. Bitport allows you to download torrents to your iPhone from your browser. Any browser would do. No need for apps, although you may find the Bitport app helpful. Remember you’ll need a valid email to confirm your account. You may sign up with your Facebook account.

Bitport registration

Step 3: Start downloading

Log in into your new account and paste the link you copied in Step 1 and tap “Add New Torrent.” Wait a few seconds for the Bitport server to cache the torrent file.

Step 4: Now you have to wait for the download to complete. Once it is done, you can download it to your iOS device or stream it. We recommend using UC Browser so you can save the file on your device instead of streaming it.

Bitport file detail

Download torrent files on your iPhone safely with a Bitport Premium Subscription

You’ve just learned how to download torrents to your iOS. Bitport works on all iOS device. No jailbreak. No VPN. Everything is done online and without exposing your identity. BitPort is an online BitTorrent client which will change the way you download torrent files. The free account limit is 1GB of download, but the speed is pretty fast. You can also sign up for a premium account for a monthly $5.

What are the Premium Account Features?

For only $5, you can unlock many useful features:

  • No limit on how many torrents you can download every day.
  • No limit for downloading speed.
  • Scanning files for viruses and SSL encryption.
  • Online HD streaming on any device including TV, MAC, iPhone, iPad, iPod, and so on.
  • Up to 30 GB cloud storage.
  • FTP access to your files.
  • You can pay via PayPal, BitCoin, or Credit Card.

What is TorrentFreak?

TorrentFreak logo

The world of torrenting, file-sharing, and privacy is constantly changing. Copyright laws, piracy, and advertising tie-in with torrenting. It is not easy to make sense of it all because it’s an entangled world where the facts can get lost easily. That’s why you need TorrentFreak (TF) in your life.

Out of all torrent websites that you visit, TF is the most important. Although, it’s not for sharing torrent files, it’s serving a noble cause nonetheless. Keeping you connected and informed. If you are participating in torrenting, it must be on your frequently visited website’s list.

Founder

Lennart Renkema, Founder, and Editor-in-Chief

A college professor and media consultant, Ernesto founded TF in November 2005. He writes under the pseudonym Ernesto Van Der Sar.

In 2007, Andy “Enigmax” Maxwell and CTO Ben Jones joined the site. Rickard Falkvinge, founder of the Pirate Party regularly contributes articles on the websites as well.

Furthermore, Andrew Norton who is an activist in the Pirate Party is the lead researcher and community manager at TF.

What is TorrentFreak?

More than a news website in the blog format, TF shares original stories from the p2p world. Dedicated to bringing you news stories about the BitTorrent protocol and file-sharing. It’s an indispensable source for anybody interested in torrents.

Many major news outlet use TF as a reference including The New York Times, The Guardian, and The Wall Street Journal. TF share news stories about issues such as:

  • Net neutrality.
  • Anti-piracy.
  • Safe harbor law.
  • Blockchain technology.
  • Federation against Copyright Theft.

TF has around 75,000 followers on Twitter and 102,273 Likes for their Facebook Page.

In our opinion, you should keep an eye on TF to stay updated with all news related to torrenting. Most assuredly, it is the true pulse of everything torrents, copyright laws, and peer to peer sharing.

FrostWire Alternatives

Frostwire alternatives

FrostWire is an ad-free torrent client that makes file sharing and torrenting a positive experience.

FrostWire has an easy to use interface, it can open multiple local torrent files and as well as magnet links, and allows in-app file search.

However, FrostWire has some issues, and long-time users ditched it for other torrent clients, as a result. If you have had some of the following issues, you too, may be looking for a FrostWire alternative:

  • Although it has a built-in torrent search engine, it doesn’t always turn the best results and it won’t allow you to add your favorite torrent websites.
  • Installs hidden software that may not be necessary for its functions.
  • Corrupted downloaded files.

Here are the best alternatives:

uTorrent

uTorrent - Frostwire alternative

uTorrent is a light torrent client with heavy features. It is the most popular torrent client for a reason. Two reasons to be exact.

  1. RSS Downloader:

Insert your favorite torrent website and let uTorrent download all newly added torrents automatically.

  1. uTorrent Remote:

Access uTorrent anywhere you go to check download progress, add torrents, or shut it down. You’re in control.

Want more Pros? You can create your torrents, hibernate/standby/reboot/shutdown your machine after downloading is finished, and you can install it on your Android device.

But what are the cons? A rumor said that uTorrent install a BitCoin mining software that uses CPU power when the device is idle. It is not ad-free. Older versions erase your download history if the device hangs up.

Deluge

Deluge - FrostWire alternative

Deluge is a free torrent client that provides several usability features with the addition of plugins. So, you install the features you need while discarding the others.

Deluge is also ad-free, lets you create your torrents, and has a simple interface. It has an RSS Reader similar to the feature in uTorrent but you must install the plugin first. And it doesn’t have the built-in search ability found in FrostWire.

Transmission

Transmission - Frostwire alternative

Transmission has a bad history with malware and suspicious behavior as well. But we still recommend it for several reasons. It doesn’t eat up your RAMs or CPU. For a while, it was the reigning torrent client for the Mac. It has cross-platform capabilities, working on macOS, Linux, and Windows.

Here are some of its best features:

  • Encryption support.
  • Creating torrents.
  • IP filtering.
  • Download scheduling.
  • Remote management.
  • Very customizable.
  • Allows download automation.

Cloud Torrent Downloaders

Bitport - Frostwire alternative

A new breed of torrent clients is the cloud torrent client, which allows you to download torrents from your browser. A great example of this type of torrent clients would be Bitport.io, which allow you to torrent without revealing your IP. Thus, it eliminates the need for VPN. It also means that you download the torrent files from the cloud anonymously. Since the files are stored in the cloud, you can access them without even downloading them.

In essence, cloud torrent downloaders will download the files for you and allow you to download them with a direct link. They represent a solid alternative not only to FrostWire but to regular torrent clients. In some countries where ISPs slows down torrenting on purpose, cloud torrent downloaders provide an excellent alternative to normal clients as well.

Nody is another superb cloud torrent downloader that essentially converts torrents to direct links. If you’re stuck behind a college or workplace firewall, cloud torrent is your way out.

Boxopus.com review

Boxopus Logo Main

Overview: One of the oldest cloud torrenting clients. It has the ability to download torrents directly to Google Drive and Box. Unfortunately, after many user complaints about the servers being down, it seems that active development has stopped and the best days of Boxopus are behind them.


Boxopus started in 2011 and during mid 2012, it had a big exposure to mass media. Boxopus was the first cloud torrent client, which supported downloading to Dropbox. Unfortunately, the support was very short, because Dropbox stopped working with them. To register on Boxopus, you can use your email or Facebook.

Sections

  • Torrent Client
  • Torrent Fetching
  • Downloading Offline
  • Cloud Storage
  • Video Player
  • Features
  • Payment Options
  • Personal Observations
  • Summary

Torrent client

Adding torrents is very simple and without a problem. You can copy and paste a magnet link, link to the torrent file or upload it from your PC. Unfortunately for users on a budget, there is no free trial plan. If you want to add a torrent you need to have a premium plan. It looks like there was a trial plan in the past, but it was removed. In the settings, it says that free users can download torrents up to size of 512mb, but in reality, a free user cannot download anything.

Limited Boxopus

The downloading of torrents works OK, even the ones from private trackers. It was a bit slow, but we will get to that in the next section.

Torrent Fetching

The amount you can download is not unlimited. Boxopus has a recharging system. When the torrent is downloaded, the size of it is deducted from the charge meter. Then plan for free users is recharged by 50 MB per hour and it can hold up to 1gb for downloading. The premium plans are recharging by 1000 MB per hour and they can hold up to 100 GB. The system is rather complicated to understand. No competitor has implemented a weird system like this.

Torrent sizeType  Time
701 MBPublic tracker1 minute 34 seconds
699 MBPrivate tracker8 minutes 43 seconds
5.02 GBPublic tracker12 minutes 48 seconds
5.01 GBPrivate tracker234 minutes 10 seconds

(Tested on torrents from well-known sources torrent files. Seeders 50+.)

The download speed varies. Private tracker speeds were ok but downloading from public trackers was horrible. We waited for a few hours for a 5.01gb torrent. That is way too long.

Downloading Offline

There is no FTP or a similar protocol for easier downloading. So all downloads need to be in the web browser.

Testing file sizeUSA ChicagoEU BerlinSG Singapore
5.02 GB⌀ 162.1 Mbps⌀ 124.8 Mbps⌀ 62.2 Mbps

(Tested on VPS servers from OVH connected to spine network, average speeds. Speeds on regular ISP can vary.)

The speeds are average and downloading from our Singapore server was much worse than average.

Cloud Storage

The design of their cloud storage is very simple. Only the basic functions are provided. The design is mobile friendly so you will not have any problem while using it on your mobile device. They have a mobile app for Android users.

After Boxopus was blocked by Dropbox, they integrated with Google Drive and less known Box.com. Their premium users can download torrents directly into them.

Boxopus presents itself as more of a cloud torrent downloader than storage. You have to download files to your PC within 5 days otherwise it will be deleted from the cloud.

Unfortunately, there is no Video Player whatsoever, so you must download the file to your PC to be able to view it.

Extra Features

There are not many extra features. The most interesting ones are Kodi support and an Android app.

Payment Options

The price list is unpractical. You can buy a plan for a week and then three months, nothing in between. It does not make much sense.  Boxopus has minimal features and a lot of downtime on their servers, and therefore we think the prices are very high. Users can pay by Paypal or by Bitcoin.

Boxopus plans

Personal observations

We were testing Boxopus for a week and there were often problems with their server availability. We were not the only ones who noticed this problem, according to Twitter and other social media, it seems to be a recurring problem.

Pros & Cons

ProsCons
Google Drive supportFetching speeds from private trackers
No video player
Only 5 days for torrent download
Unreliable servers

Seedr.cc review

Seedr.cc Logo Main

Overview: Seedr is not bad, completely the opposite. There are some things that Seedr is absolutely amazing in, like video conversions. Unfortunately, its low quality in a lot of other areas and unreliability has made it drop in our ranking.


Sections

  • Torrent Client
  • Torrent Fetching
  • Downloading Offline
  • Cloud Storage
  • Video Player
  • Features
  • Payment Options
  • Personal Observations
  • Summary

Torrent Client

New torrents are added by putting torrents to the top bar. Adding is a torrent is fast and without any delay, and the download starts immediately. If a torrent has a low amount of seeds, Seedr wil notify you. Downloading is simple, no extra information about the torrent is provided. There is also no detailed information about torrent seeding which is very important to keep torrents alive.

Seedr Cloud

The private trackers are supported, but only for users with a Pro plan or higher. Users with higher plans can use static IP for private trackers. The smallest premium plan offers only 2 slots for downloading. Other torrents are put in queue. The best plan offers up to 25 torrent slots, but costs almost $20 a month. This plan also offers WebDAV Cloud Drive.

Torrent Fetching

Download speeds are average. Finding seeds is sometimes fast, sometimes slower, it depends on many factors. During our testing, Seedr had a problem with downloading a less known torrent with 50+ seeds. The torrent was not downloaded even within a few days. We were not able to test downloading speeds because they are not provided, only some downloaded torrent are displayed when downloading.

Torrent sizeType  Time
701 MBPublic tracker1 minute 54 seconds
699 MBPrivate tracker4 minutes 33 seconds
5.02 GBPublic tracker26 minutes 15 seconds
5.01 GBPrivate trackerUnsuccessful download

(Tested on torrents from well-known sources torrent files. Seeders 50+.)

Downloaded torrents are checked by Kaspersky Virus Scan. The reliability of Kaspersky Virus Scan was not tested because it is difficult to find a torrent containing a virus these days.

Downloading Offline

Seedr, for its premium members, provides a technology called Seedr Ultra Download. It is a network of smaller servers located in highly strained locations. Their solution is working OK without any large issues, but the download speed varies. We downloaded a test file of 5gb from our servers located in various locations and the results were slightly above average in the United States and Europe. In Asia, the speeds are super slow. Our servers are connected to the spine network hub and our speeds can be higher than on average home connections.

Testing file sizeUSA ChicagoEU BerlinSG Singapore
5.02 GB⌀ 143.1 Mbps⌀ 154.7 Mbps⌀ 57.2 Mbps

(Tested on VPS servers from OVH connected to spine network, average speeds. Speeds on regular ISP can vary.)

All connections are encrypted and you use up to 8 parallel connections which is especially handy if you are using internet download managers with multi-thread downloading support.

Cloud Storage

Using their online cloud storage is not easy at times. There are glitches just about everywhere. The loading of the files and folders is ok. Basic file management is provided. Files can be deleted, copied, or downloaded. There is no option to rename files or the ability to move them. File search works well, and the files and folders can be sorted by size and time of last change. Unfortunately, the whole cloud storage looks a bit weird, and it is not easy to understand. It is difficult to explain, the best way is to try it yourself.

File management on a desktop computer is ok, but it is much harder on smartphones. There is also a mobile Android app but this is something we did not test.

Video Player

Seedr has the technology to convert videos during video playback. This is very handy, but it does have its limits and it is not well implemented. We were in the middle of a video, but the progress bar for file conversion was at 20% which does not make sense. If the video was not converted past that point, how were we already halfway through?  Very strange. The video player supports HD, subtitles, and Chromecast. It looks like a Youtube player in a retro style.

Seedr Video Player

Adding subtitles is not automatic, but Seedr offers an option to upload your own subtitles or search for them in external sources.

Extra Features

Seeder can be used on Apple TV using Airplay or on devices using Chromecast. Kodi tutorial is also provided. The great feature is WebDAV which is better than FTP, but it is not so widely used. Unfortunately, WebDAV is provided only for users only with Master plan. FTP is not provided at all. The downloading for external sources like cyberlockers is not provided. Another good extra feature is Chrome addon which helps you to add torrents to Seedr faster.

Payment Options

There are three payment options. Paypal, payment gate and Bitcoin payment. Paypal is the best solution because it is very secure. The least trustworthy solution is paying by their payment gate because you are not redirected to an actual payment processor. Seedr can save all the information you are entering. All person information needs to be provided.

Seedr Payment

Personal Observations

Seedr has too many technical glitches for our taste. For example, after downloading a torrent, the folder is shown two times. These small glitches hurt the overall user experience and lower the quality. Using Seedr on the phone is also very difficult; some buttons show off the screen.

Pros & Cons

ProsCons
Streaming during convertionOverall quality
Good refferal programLots of technical glitches
Bad usability
Hard to use on smartphone

 

Zbigz.com review

Zbigz.com Logo Main

Overview: Zbigz is a popular torrent downloading service because of its free tier. However, many free users turn away because of overwhelming ads all over the place.

Sections

  • Torrent downloading
  • Downloading Offline
  • Extra Features
  • Personal Experience 

Zbigz is an old dog that has been here since forever to provide you with its torrent downloader and cloud storage space. The whole user interface is rather simple, and you can get the hang of it very quickly. The auto sorting system will show you a short cut to all your video files. Unfortunately, mobile devices are not fully supported, and you will find the user experience bland, bad and overall terrible. Not only you have half of the screen missing and unresponsive, but you also have ads all over the phone (if you are a free user). Responsivity seems like a course word in this development team. Premium tiers can store their file indefinitely, free users have only 7 days. The interesting claim is that they don’t limit storage space for premium users. That can be achieved only if they have shared storages and wipe up actions or some hidden limits, its impossible to have unlimited storage for the whole mob.

Adding new torrents is as easy as a breeze. Simply grab magnet link, direct link or .torrent file and upload it to your Zbigz account.

dashboard  

Torrent Downloading

This leech only service (that is right, no seeding back) packs its own torrent client. As with any torrent downloader, the speed itself depends on the health of this particular torrent file, and that is tied to the number of seeds. While downloading from public trackers is alright, support for private ones is just horrible. Not only is their client widely supported, but also the speed is just slow. This is the result of many attempts from various trackers.

This leech only service (that is right, no seeding back) packs its own torrent client. As with any torrent downloader, the speed itself depends on the health of this particular torrent file. And that is tied to the number of seeds. While downloading from public trackers is alright, support for private ones is just horrible. Not only is their client widely supported, but also the speed is just slow. This is the result of many attempts from various trackers.

[table “39” not found /]

Our tip: Zbigs + private tracker is not the brightest idea. They are slow, unsupported and don’t seed back. Be cautious about this before buying.

Offline download

Zbigz has its only central server farm in Canada (or at least, this is the place of highest measured speed). As with any centralized service, you can expect this speed to drop at regions far from Canada (India, China or Australia are the most significant).

Testing file sizeUSA ChicagoEU BerlinSG Singapore
5.02 GB⌀ 40.4 Mbps⌀ 110.8 Mbps⌀ 31.42 Mbps

Extra Features

Zbigz premium users can use the included Google Drive connection to share their content to the Drive. Chrome users have access to a browser extension that adds torrent with one click. Video player is also a welcomed feature that simplifies the whole experience. Don’t download the file if you can watch it inside of your own browser.

video player

Personal Experience

The premium plans are alright, but I disliked the whole free tier extravaganza. Ads, limited space and downloads that are not what I like. No seeding policy is also a massive reason for turn back.

pricing page

ProsCons
Search FunctionFree Tier
Google DrivePrivate Trackers Support
No Seeding
Buggy Video Player

Megabox.me review

Megabox.me Logo Main

Overview: “Megabox.me can be your choice if you like friendly service and you don’t want too much from it. Its users are attracted by the smooth learning curve, but its issue with stable download can be the reason to leave.”

Sections

  • Torrent downloading
  • Downloading Offline
  • Extra Features
  • Personal Experience 

Megabox.me is friendly cloud storage that fetches torrents on your behalf and then stores them for you. This storage is either 100 GB or 300 GB for premium users, free is limited by the actual file size (you can download only 1 GB files). It is usable on phones. However, the portrait mode has small graphical bugs. The fact you can torrent anywhere with your phone is often overlooked, but you will find it handy. The only thing you should be careful about is that free users have only an HTTP. The HTTP is not encrypted and shows the whole network what you are downloading. But if you buy the premium plan, you are safe and sound. The entire UI is easy to orient yourself in, and the auto sorting by category is something that just rocks. Have you downloaded a video? There is a category only for them. Have you downloaded a music file? Then you are also covered. You will be thanking for this if you download more than 100 files.

landing page megabox.me

Adding new torrent is simple, click at the green upload button and paste your direct link or a magnet link. Another way is to click the grey choose file to upload .torrent files. The sub-bar with text “Upload File” (comming soon (ignore the typo, it was evident that Megabox.me meant coming)) has nothing to do with torrents, it is a function that is currently being developed and which will allow you to add any files to your cloud storage.

Torrent Downloading

It seems that Megabox is a leeching client (or it has slower seeding). Its download speed entirely depends on the exact health of particular torrent which is being downloaded. The health of torrent stands for a number of seeds specific file has in its own swarm. As you can see in the speed table, it is instead a faster client than the usual client in this price range.

Both private and public trackers are supported. While public tracker works great, you should be a little bit careful with private trackers because it seems hard to maintain the ratio with this client.

Torrent sizeType  Time
701 MBPublic tracker4 minute 50 seconds
699 MBPrivate tracker10 minutes 22 seconds
5.02 GBPublic tracker25 minutes 3 seconds
5.01 GBPrivate tracker61 minutes 42 seconds

(Tested on torrents from well-known sources torrent files. Seeders 50+.)

dashboard megabox

Offline Downloading

It seems that Megabox main server centre is in Germany, which is an interesting choice due to the legal difficulties of this country. But if leaving that on the side, it is actually a good location because of the excellent connection to most of Europe and North America. Yes, if you are downloading in Canada, Alaska or California, it is not the same speed as in France, for example. However, it is still lovely. Even places like Singapore are surprisingly good. You can see that for yourself in this table.

Testing file sizeUSA ChicagoEU BerlinSG Singapore
5.02 GB⌀ 60.2 Mbps⌀ 121.3 Mbps⌀ 42.3 Mbps

Extra Features

If you are a premium user, you have access to the media player that can handle both video and music files. Music streaming is quite simple, you have the necessary control options (play, pause, and rewind), and the listening experience is quite enjoyable. Streaming video files works nicely as well, the UI is simple, and the only thing missing from perfection is subtitles support. There are many users (I, for example) that like to learn different language via watching content and subtitles are a crucial part of that.

Personal Experience

There is a reason why I rate Megabox. me as the third-best from all tested services. It has excellent storage with auto-sort, friendly client and attractive streaming options. This service has enormous potential, and with the right steps, they can be even higher on the list.

pricing list of Megabox

ProsCons
Simple UIPoor Seeding
Quick DownloadsPrivate Trackers Support
Streaming OptionsNo Subtitles
Graphical Bugs

 

Bitport.io review

Bitport

Overview: Bitport is probably the best solution at this moment. In comparison to its competitors, it exceeds in downloading speed and extra features. A big plus is the large community behind which creates extra tools and other features. A negative is how it sometimes displays on smartphones.


Bitport.io is a well-known torrent to cloud client established in 2014 in the Czech Republic. Since the very beginning, Bitport was featured on global servers like Gizmodo and Chip. It has since then become a popular solution for torrent lovers.

Sections

  • Torrent Client
  • Torrent Fetching
  • Downloading Offline
  • Cloud Storage
  • Video Player
  • Features
  • Payment Options
  • Personal Observations
  • Summary

Torrent client

Adding torrents is divided into two simple steps. In the first step, the torrent details are loaded and then in the second step downloaded. Bitport supports the adding of magnet links and torrent files via copy and paste of the direct link. You can also upload a torrent file from your PC. We suggest adding a link to the torrent files over magnet files due to the loading speed. Magnet links load a little slower than links to the torrent files.

Support of private trackers is also included. Based on your Bitport plan, you are allowed up to 25 downloading slots. All other torrents would be put in the download queue. You can manage your queue by drag and dropping your torrents. After one torrent is downloaded, the next torrent will start immediately.  All torrents are by default seeded for 24 hours or up to a ratio of 1:1. You can change your seed ratio by contacting tech support. A big plus is that successfully fetched torrents do not occupy downloading slots and are seeded in the background.

Torrent fetching

Downloading torrents via Bitport is fast, very fast. The download speed can vary based on the number of seeds. The top speed I measured while downloading was around 52mb/s. Pretty amazing.

Torrent sizeType  Time
701 MBPublic tracker1 minute 33 seconds
699 MBPrivate tracker2 minutes 58 seconds
5.02 GBPublic tracker17 minutes 2 seconds
5.01 GBPrivate tracker20 minutes 46 seconds

(Tested on torrents from well-known sources torrent files. Seeders 50+.)

After each download, all torrent files are checked by the built-in NOD32 antivirus. If the file contains a virus, it will automatically flag it for you. Be careful when downloading a flagged file offline.

Downloading offline

Most important is offline downloading speed, which Bitport excels in. For premium users Bitport has a network of download servers spread all over the world to speed up downloading speeds. To find the best download server for your location, you have to go to Settings and run their Speed Test. The fastest server will be saved and set for you. All connections with Bitport servers are encrypted by SSL so no one can see what you are downloading.

Testing file sizeUSA ChicagoEU BerlinSG Singapore
5.02 GB⌀ 232.5 Mbps⌀ 247.1 Mbps⌀ 145.2 Mbps

(Tested on VPS servers from OVH connected to spine network, average speeds. Speeds on regular ISP can vary.)

Offline downloading can be automated with Bitport’s lightweight Windows sync client which works like Dropbox. If a new torrent is successfully fetched to could, the sync client will download it to your PC in the background. This is a handy feature.

Cloud storage

The design is crisp, minimalistic and purposeful. Cloud storage is divided into three sections. Dashboard, My Files, and Transfers. The Dashboard shows the last downloaded torrents and current downloading status. The My Files shows all users files and works as a file explorer. The last section is Transfers where you can add or manage your torrent downloads.

Managing of files is easy, users can switch between row view or matrix view. Renaming, moving and deleting is done inside the file or folder hamburger menu which could be easily overlooked. You can also manage files via drag and drop on desktop computers. Search option for quick access is also included.

Bitport is mobile responsive so you do not need any app for it. Everything adjusts to your screen size and is therefore convenient to use on your mobile. Sometimes there seems to be a small formatting issue but this has only happened in some cases.

Bitport files

Video player

The true power of Bitport is its online video player. All videos are transcoded to SD and HD versions which you can toggle through during playback. Bitport player can play videos in resolution up to 4k in 60fps. Theplayer is clean, and works fine on smartphones. The video player also supports subtitles, which can be automatically downloaded from external sources or uploaded by the user from their PC. On top of all this, users can adjust the size of their subtitles and add a time delay if there are no available subtitles for your specific torrent. Converting of the videos can usually take some time.

Quick tip: To make converting time shorter, go to settings and check automatic converting. Your torrents will be converted automatically right after they are successfully fetched to Bitport, that way you will almost see no time delay when you check your downloaded torrents.

Extra features

Bitport exceeds in extra features because of its huge community. Bitport provides public API for all users so if you are experience in programming, you can create cool tools and plugins. The best plugin is definitely Windows sync client as mentioned earlier. Torren downloading becomes almost automated when using the sync client and plugins like RSS reader or web browser plug in. Besides watching torrents on PC, users can link Bitport to their Apple TV and Roku via dedicated apps or integrations on Chromecast, Infuse and others. Also , one of their latest additions is the ability to connect and download torrents directly into your Google Drive.

Payment options

According to their website, they provide payments via 50+ methods. Bitport supports payments via debit or credit cards issued by Visa, Mastercard and Diners Club. For security seeing users, Paypal and Bitcoins are available options. Another 50+ methods are provided via resellers. If you are looking for different payment methods than ordinary credit or Paypal, check out their resellers page where they offer even local payments!

Bitport resellers

Personal observations

Personal, I love how easy Bitport makes the torrent download process. It almost seems as if it is all automated. You copy and paste a file link and by the time I move to the couch to watch it on the TV, it is there. The integrations and extra features make it stand out from the rest. Support was also fairly fast in getting back to me.

Pros & Cons

ProsCons
Quality in every waySmall display glitches on mobile
Fast torrent downloadingSome private trackers
Wide variety of plugins
Subtitles support