qBittorrent for Mac

qBittorrent on the Mac, and a native way to run it.

qBittorrent runs on the Mac, and qbittorrent.org has its download. OrbTorrent runs the same engine inside a native Mac app: notarized by Apple, in your menu bar, and tied to your VPN if you like. Your qBittorrent downloads come over in one step.

qBittorrent on a Mac today

qBittorrent is free, open source and has more features than most torrent apps. On the Mac, though, it has some rough edges:

  • Its own download page says the macOS version is “barely supported”, because the project has no active macOS developers. (qbittorrent.org)
  • It isn't notarized by Apple. The first time you open it, macOS says Apple could not verify it's free of malware, and you have to allow it in System Settings › Privacy & Security. We checked version 5.2.3.
  • Its window is drawn by Qt, the same on Windows, Linux and the Mac, rather than with the Mac's own controls.
  • New versions of macOS can catch it out. After macOS 26 came out, some people found it stopped downloading until builds made for it arrived in 2026.

The same engine, in a Mac app

OrbTorrent bundles qBittorrent's engine, version 5.2.3 with libtorrent 1.2.20, built from qBittorrent's released source and checked against its signature. The engine runs in the background, and OrbTorrent is the app you see:

  • Native, and notarized. It's written in Swift and SwiftUI, with Liquid Glass, and opens without a warning.
  • In your menu bar. An orb shows how your downloads are doing, and a click shows speeds, downloads and their files.
  • Tied to your VPN, without the fiddling. qBittorrent lets you choose your VPN's network interface, but on a Mac its name can change when the VPN reconnects or your Mac wakes, and downloads stall until you choose it again. OrbTorrent follows the VPN by itself, and stops if it drops.
  • Your VPN's forwarded port, kept in step, from VPNs that forward a port over NAT-PMP and from Private Internet Access.
  • Fake downloads held before they arrive, such as a “film” that's really a program.

What qBittorrent has that OrbTorrent doesn't

qBittorrent has a built-in torrent search, RSS feeds that download new episodes by themselves, a web interface for using it from another computer, and many more settings. OrbTorrent leaves out search and RSS on purpose, and remote access is planned: the roadmap says why. If you rely on them, qBittorrent is the better app for you.

Bringing your downloads over

OrbTorrent imports qBittorrent's downloads in one step, when you first open it or later from File › Import From. They keep their folders, file choices, names, labels and progress, and you choose which of qBittorrent's settings come over.

Side by side

OrbTorrent and qBittorrent, compared.

How OrbTorrent and qBittorrent compare. A dot marks the better of the two, where one is.
OrbTorrentqBittorrent
EngineqBittorrent 5.2.3, with libtorrent 1.2.20qBittorrent 5.2.3, with libtorrent 1.2 or 2.0
The appSwift and SwiftUI, made for the MacQt, the same on every system
Opens without a warningYes: notarized by AppleNo: you allow it in Privacy & Security first
Runs onmacOS 26 or latermacOS 13 or later
Downloads only through your VPNOne switch, and it follows the VPN after sleepChoose the VPN's network interface, and again if its name changes
Torrent search, RSS and a web interfaceNot built inYes
Fake downloadsHeld before they arriveNot checked
PriceFree, no ads, open sourceFree, no ads, open source

The better of the two, where one is.

Switching

The engine you trust, made for your Mac.

Download OrbTorrent and open it. It finds qBittorrent on your Mac and offers to bring your downloads and settings over, progress and all.

Download for Mac

Free · macOS 26 or later · Apple silicon and Intel

Questions

Good questions.

Does qBittorrent work on a Mac?

Yes. qBittorrent 5.2.3 runs on macOS 13 or later, on Apple silicon and Intel. Its download page says the macOS version is barely supported, as the project has no active macOS developers, and it isn't notarized by Apple.

Why does my Mac say Apple could not verify qBittorrent?

qBittorrent's Mac app isn't notarized, so macOS can't check it. If you downloaded it from qbittorrent.org, open System Settings › Privacy & Security, and click Open Anyway next to qBittorrent.

Is OrbTorrent the same as qBittorrent?

It runs the same engine, so downloads behave the same, but it's a separate app, made for the Mac, with its own settings and library. OrbTorrent isn't affiliated with or endorsed by the qBittorrent project.

Can I move my qBittorrent downloads to OrbTorrent?

Yes. OrbTorrent offers to when you first open it, or later from File › Import From. Downloads keep their folders, file choices, names, labels and progress, and you choose which settings come over.

Does OrbTorrent have qBittorrent's search and RSS feeds?

No. Search plugins need constant upkeep and bring legal risk, and people who want downloads from RSS feeds tend to use Sonarr and Radarr. Remote access is planned.

Coming from another app? µTorrent for Mac or Transmission for Mac. qBittorrent is the qBittorrent project's. OrbTorrent uses its engine under the GPL, and isn't affiliated with or endorsed by the project.