BitComet
BitTorrent, FTP and HTTP client
title: "BitComet" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["bittorrent-clients", "software-programmed-in-c++", "windows-only-freeware", "2003-software"] description: "BitTorrent, FTP and HTTP client" topic_path: "technology/operating-systems" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BitComet" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::summary BitTorrent, FTP and HTTP client ::
::data[format=table title="Infobox software"]
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| name | BitComet |
| logo | BitComet logo.svg |
| screenshot | BitComet screenshot.png |
| caption | BitComet client version 1.40 running on Windows 10 |
| developer | BitComet Development Group (China) |
| released | |
| ver layout | stacked |
| latest release version | {{Multiple releases |
| branch1 | Windows |
| version1 | |
| date1 | |
| branch2 | macOS |
| version2 | |
| date2 | |
| operating system | Windows 2000 and later, Android, macOS |
| programming language | C++ |
| language count | 52 |
| language footnote | |
| genre | BitTorrent client |
| license | Adware |
| :: |
| name = BitComet | logo = BitComet logo.svg | screenshot = BitComet screenshot.png | caption = BitComet client version 1.40 running on Windows 10 | developer = BitComet Development Group (China) | released = | ver layout = stacked | latest release version = {{Multiple releases |branch1 = Windows |version1 = |date1 = |branch2 = macOS |version2 = |date2 = | operating system = Windows 2000 and later, Android, macOS | programming language = C++ | language count = 52 | language footnote = | genre = BitTorrent client | license = Adware BitComet (originally named SimpleBT client from versions 0.11 to 0.37) is a cross-protocol BitTorrent, HTTP and FTP client written in C++ for Microsoft Windows and available in 52 different languages. Its first public release was version 0.28. The current BitComet logo has been used since version 0.50.
Features
The BitComet program is a multi-threaded multi-protocol hybrid download manager and BitTorrent peer-to-peer (P2P) file-sharing application. It supports simultaneous download tasks. To complete a particular download, it can draw parts of files from many sources across different P2P and client–server protocols.
BitComet's main features include an embedded Internet Explorer window to let users search for torrents. Along with the features typical of contemporary BitTorrent clients, it supports UPnP gateway configuration, bandwidth scheduling, Webseeding, selecting only certain files for download inside a torrent package, NAT traversal (removed in v.1.03),{{cite web | title = What is NAT Traversal in BitComet?? | date = 2009-11-24 | url = http://wiki.bitcomet.com/Understanding_BitComet#What_is_NAT_Traversal_in_BitComet.3F | access-date = 2010-02-23 | archive-date = 2019-08-18 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20190818123222/http://wiki.bitcomet.com/understanding_bitcomet#What_is_NAT_Traversal_in_BitComet.3F | url-status = live | title = PEX in BitComet. | date = 2010-02-21 | url = http://www.bitcomet.com/doc/changelog.htm | access-date = 2010-02-23 | archive-date = 2010-12-17 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20101217053502/http://www.bitcomet.com/doc/changelog.htm | url-status = live
When downloading, BitComet provides the option to prioritize the first and last portions of media files so that files may be previewed before they are completely downloaded. It also has a "Preview Download Mode" in which all pieces of the torrent will be, basically, downloaded sequentially thus allowing the user to play a media file while downloading (provided that the downloading speed and piece availability stay ahead of playing bitrate). BitComet also allows users to share their .torrent files, on a searchable P2P network, with other BitComet users through the torrent sharing feature, named "Torrent Share" in previous versions and renamed to "Torrent Exchange" since v.1.17.{{cite web | title = Torrent Share and Torrent Exchange | date = 2010-01-01 | url = http://wiki.bitcomet.com/Torrent_Exchange | access-date = 2010-01-01 | archive-date = 2013-10-05 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20131005065144/http://wiki.bitcomet.com/Torrent_Exchange | url-status = live
An optional plugin is available to connect to the eD2K network. The plugin is a modified version of the GPL eMule program. When installed, it connects automatically to a server.{{cite web | title = eMule Plugin for BitComet | date = 2008-03-27 | url = http://www.bitcomet.com/doc/plugin-emule.htm | access-date = 2008-05-13 | archive-date = 2008-05-13 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080513233148/http://www.bitcomet.com/doc/plugin-emule.htm | url-status = live
::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f5/Bitcomet_FLV_Player.JPG" caption="BitComet FLV Player version 1.3"] ::
The software includes an application to play Flash Video files (.flv and .swf files).{{cite web | title = BitComet FLV Player (Flash Video Player) | date = 2008-03-27 | url = http://www.bitcomet.com/tools/flvplayer/index.htm | access-date = 2008-05-13 | archive-date = 2008-05-13 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080513233203/http://www.bitcomet.com/tools/flvplayer/index.htm | url-status = live
In February 2011, BitComet launched an anonymous downloading feature to its VIP customers. Using this feature, downloads will be handled by BitComet VIP servers and the real IP address of the user will be hidden.
Optional standalone software
BitComet.com offers a BitTorrent tracker available for download from the official site.{{cite web | title = BitComet Tracker | date = 2008-03-27 | url = http://www.bitcomet.com/tools/tracker/index.htm | access-date = 2008-05-13 | archive-date = 2008-04-30 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080430051206/http://www.bitcomet.com/tools/tracker/index.htm | url-status = live
Search engine
The search site is google.atcomet.com
Controversy and criticism
Hash reporting
Since version 0.86 BitComet includes discussion and stat-tracking features which send information about torrents to the Bitcomet.com servers, including the torrent hash.
DHT exploit
During version 0.60, BitComet received bad publicity because its implementation of the DHT feature, which was new at the time, could be exploited to ignore the private flag of a tracker. This allowed users to avoid download and upload ratio restrictions, which are common on private trackers. Some private trackers responded to this by blacklisting version 0.60.{{Cite web | url=http://www.slyck.com/story1021.html | title=BitComet Banned | access-date=2007-01-15 | year=2005 | author=Thomas Mennecke | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070124131627/http://www.slyck.com/story1021.html | archive-date=2007-01-24 | url-status=dead | url=http://www.slyck.com/story1030.html | title=BitComet Reverts to Version .59 | access-date=2007-01-15 | year=2005 | author=Thomas Mennecke | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070124132253/http://www.slyck.com/story1030.html | archive-date=2007-01-24 | url-status=dead
The DHT exploit was fixed in version 0.61.{{Cite web | url=http://www.slyck.com/story1094.html | title=BitComet .62 and You | access-date=2006-12-03 | year=2006 | author=Thomas Mennecke | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070518105128/http://www.slyck.com/story1094.html | archive-date=2007-05-18 | url-status=dead | url=http://www.slyck.com/story1152.html | title=BitComet .64 Released | access-date=2006-01-15 | year=2006 | author=Thomas Mennecke | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071008092503/http://www.slyck.com/story1152.html | archive-date=2007-10-08 | url-status=dead
Padding files
Starting with version 0.85 (from early 2007), BitComet added a non-standard option to its torrent maker that ensures that no two data files in a multi-file torrent occupy the same BitTorrent "piece." To accomplish this, BitComet includes in the torrent a collection of empty "padding" files which houses the remainder of each file's last "piece". While these files are transparent to BitComet users, they damage the performance of other clients, because peers must devote resources and bandwidth to the padding files, with no benefit to the non-BitComet users. These files can constitute up to 10% of the total data transferred, creating a substantial drain on the swarm.{{Cite web | url=http://torrentfreak.com/bitcomet-pollutes-bittorrent-with-junk-data/ | title=BitComet Pollutes BitTorrent with Junk Data | date=2007-08-23 | author=Ernesto | publisher=TorrentFreak | access-date=August 24, 2007 | archive-date=2007-08-24 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070824150123/http://torrentfreak.com/bitcomet-pollutes-bittorrent-with-junk-data/ | url-status=live | url=http://wiki.bitcomet.com/align_file_to_piece_boundary | title=align_file_to_piece_boundary [BitComet Wiki] | access-date=May 13, 2015 | archive-date=May 12, 2015 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150512043305/http://wiki.bitcomet.com/Align_File_to_Piece_Boundary | url-status=live
Creation of padding files has been enabled by default since version 0.85, and as of version 1.36 is still enabled by default.
FileHippo controversy
The download site FileHippo ceased carrying new versions of BitComet in April 2008, with this announcement.
::quote
As of April 2008 FileHippo will no longer be updating BitComet. As they have copied the FileHippo site text, files, images and update checker and are passing it off as original work. We recommend you use a different more reputable torrent client such as uTorrent. ::
This occurred after FileHippo reportedly noticed that the design and code of the AppHit.com site was very similar with the one FileHippo used, copying not only icons, but text from FileHippo's website and FileHippo's own original update checking software.
Because AppHit and BitComet were contractual partners, FileHippo decided to stop carrying BitComet. BitComet has since terminated the partnership; by 2015 FileHippo made BitComet available once more.
Torrent file format
According to the official BitTorrent specification, 'All strings in a .torrent file that contains text must be UTF-8 encoded'.{{Cite web | url=http://www.bittorrent.org/beps/bep_0003.html | title=The BitTorrent Protocol Specification | author=Bram Cohen | access-date=2009-08-26 | archive-date=2014-02-08 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140208002821/http://bittorrent.org/beps/bep_0003.html | url-status=live | url=http://www.bitcomet.com/doc/changelog.htm | title=BitComet release notes | author=BitComet | access-date=2010-03-27 | quote=Core Improve: use UTF-8 encoding when making torrent file by default for all language versions of Windows. | archive-date=2010-12-17 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101217053502/http://www.bitcomet.com/doc/changelog.htm | url-status=live | url=http://blog.bitcomet.com/bitcomet/post_413/ | title=BitComet – Torrent File Format | author=BitComet Support Team | access-date=2009-08-26 | quote=In BitComet v0.58 or before, the string is encoded using MSCB (user's code page), and a ".utf-8" key is added for UTF-8 encoded string. In v0.59, the default encoding is changed to UTF-8 if the user's code page is neither Chinese nor Japanese. | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090514092326/http://blog.bitcomet.com/bitcomet/post_413 | archive-date=2009-05-14 | url-status=dead
References
References
- "BitComet Development Group Private Company Information". [[Bloomberg Businessweek]].
- "BitComet".
- "Help_translations_of_bitcomet [BitComet Wiki]".
- (2009-03-11). "Supported Languages in BitComet".
- (2006-05-10). "BitComet BitTorrent Client".
- (2011-06-02). "BitComet Adds Support for "Anonymous" Downloads – TorrentFreak". TorrentFreak.
- (April 2008). "Download BitComet 0.99 – FileHippo.com".
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