Run qBittorrent: Fast, Free Torrent Client Setup

// Before you start

What you need

A Windows, macOS, or Linux computer
An internet connection
About 100 MB of free disk space
Administrator or sudo access to install software

Step 1 of 6

Download the official installer for your OS

2 min

Go to the official qBittorrent download page. Always download from the official site to avoid bundled malware. Pick the version that matches your operating system. Windows users want the .exe installer. macOS users want the .dmg file. Linux users have package manager options covered in later steps.

Terminal · mac

$ https://www.qbittorrent.org/download

What you should see

Your browser downloads the installer file (e.g. qbittorrent_5.x.x_x64_setup.exe on Windows or qbittorrent-5.x.x.dmg on macOS).

This might happen

You land on a page with ads that look like download buttons

Only click the download link directly under the 'qBittorrent' heading that matches your OS. The real links are plain text, not big green buttons.

Step 2 of 6

Install qBittorrent on Windows or macOS

3 min

On Windows, double-click the downloaded .exe file and click through the installer wizard — all defaults are fine, there is no adware to uncheck. On macOS, open the .dmg file and drag the qBittorrent icon into your Applications folder. Skip to Step 3 if you are on Linux.

Terminal · mac

$ Windows: double-click qbittorrent_5.x.x_x64_setup.exe and follow prompts.

$ macOS: open the .dmg, then drag qBittorrent to Applications.

What you should see

qBittorrent appears in your Start Menu (Windows) or Applications folder (macOS) and can be launched.

This might happen

macOS says the app cannot be opened because it is from an unidentified developer

Go to System Settings > Privacy & Security, scroll down, and click 'Open Anyway' next to the qBittorrent entry.

Step 3 of 6

Install qBittorrent on Linux via your package manager

3 min

Linux users can install qBittorrent directly from the terminal using their distro's package manager. The commands below cover the most common distros. You do not need to compile anything from source — pre-built packages are available everywhere.

Terminal · mac

$ # Ubuntu / Debian:

$ sudo apt update && sudo apt install qbittorrent -y

$ # Fedora:

$ sudo dnf install qbittorrent -y

$ # Arch Linux:

$ sudo pacman -S qbittorrent

What you should see

The terminal prints installation progress and returns to the prompt with no errors. qBittorrent is now in your application menu.

This might happen

The package manager installs an older version of qBittorrent

On Ubuntu you can add the official PPA for a newer release: sudo add-apt-repository ppa:qbittorrent-team/qbittorrent-stable && sudo apt update && sudo apt install qbittorrent -y

Step 4 of 6

Launch qBittorrent and accept the legal notice

1 min

Open qBittorrent from your Start Menu, Applications folder, or app launcher. The first time it opens, a legal notice reminds you that you are responsible for what you download. Click 'I Agree' to continue. The main window will appear with an empty torrent list.

Terminal · mac

$ Open qBittorrent from your application menu or desktop shortcut.

What you should see

A legal disclaimer dialog appears. After clicking 'I Agree', the main qBittorrent window opens with an empty download list and a toolbar at the top.

Step 5 of 6

Add a torrent and start downloading

2 min

To download something, click the 'Add Torrent Link' button (the chain-link icon) and paste a magnet link, or click 'Add Torrent File' to open a .torrent file you already have. A dialog will show you the files inside and let you choose a save location. Click 'OK' and the download begins automatically.

Terminal · mac

$ In qBittorrent toolbar: click the magnet icon (Add Torrent Link) and paste your magnet link, then click OK.

$ OR: click File > Add Torrent File and browse to your .torrent file.

What you should see

The torrent appears in the list with a status of 'Downloading'. You will see download speed, upload speed, and progress percentage update in real time.

This might happen

Download speed stays at 0 KB/s for a long time

This usually means no seeders are available for that torrent, or your firewall is blocking the port. Go to Tools > Options > Connection and make sure the listening port (default 6881) is not blocked by your firewall or router.

Step 6 of 6

Configure the default save folder (optional but recommended)

2 min

By default qBittorrent saves files to your home folder or Downloads directory. It is cleaner to set a dedicated folder so you always know where your files land. Go to Tools > Options > Downloads and set 'Default Save Path' to any folder you like.

Terminal · mac

$ Tools > Options > Downloads > Default Save Path > browse to your preferred folder > Apply > OK

What you should see

Future torrents will automatically save to the folder you chose. Existing torrents are not moved.

// Status

cooked. baked. worked.

A fully working qBittorrent installation that can download and upload torrents, with files saving to a folder of your choice.

// the honest bit

The honest part

qBittorrent is mature, stable software used by millions — setup almost never fails. What it cannot do: it does not bypass ISP throttling on its own (use a VPN separately if needed), and download speeds depend entirely on how many seeders share the file you want. This guide covers the desktop GUI version only; the headless 'nohui' server mode for remote access requires extra configuration not covered here.