Free Windows 8/8.1 Torrent Client App: Torrex Lite

Torrex Lite is a free Windows 8/8.1 Torrent Client app that allows you to parse and download torrent files in the Metro environment of your Windows 8 or 8.1 machine. The app’s interface is very easy to understand with links that allow you to add torrent files via buttons in the control bar at the bottom of the screen. You can choose to add a torrent file from your disk or through magnet URL. You can also access the Settings of the app through the Control bar that allow you to personalize the app’s backgrounds and color schemes to your own taste. In the Settings tab, you can also change the advanced settings for the app that allow you to set parameters like maximum upload rate, maximum download rate, etc. Torrex Lite is available as a free download from the Windows App Store.

app icon

Using the Torrex Lite app on Windows 8/8.1…

When you launch the Torrex Lite app on your Windows 8/8.1 device, you will be presented with an interface which looks like the below screenshot.

main screen

Using the toggles in the control bar, let’s go ahead and add a torrent. I wanted to open a torrent stored previously on my device, and so I clicked on the Add torrent button on the control bar, which is the first button on the control bar from left. Now, I navigated to the location where my torrent was stored, and I selected my torrent. As you can see in the screenshot below, I was immediately taken to the Add Torrent screen.

add torrent

To change the save file location, we have to click on the location link at the top left corner specified next to the Save to label in the top left (just below the “Add Torrent” title of the page). Clicking on the link will open the file navigation screen where you can navigate to the desired location where you want to save the torrent contents, and click OK to set that location. Now, time to start the torrent! To start the torrent, I have to click on the Start button at the top right corner of the screen.

torrent tile

Once started, the active torrent(s) are displayed on the screen in a tiled format. You can right click on a torrent tile to reveal various supported functions for the torrent in the bottom control bar (see below screenshot).

torrent actions

As you can see, on right clicking a torrent tile, we can see various functions at the bottom that allow us to pause, stop, or remove the torrent, move it up or down the queue, etc. What if we do a normal (left) click on the torrent tile?

torrent information

As you can see in the screenshot above, you will be able to see a more detailed view of the torrent where you can see all the information like number of seeds, leeches, etc. You can pause or stop the torrent from this screen as well. The procedure for adding the torrent to the client via magnet URLs is also the same. The only difference is that instead of clicking on Add torrent button, you need to click on the Add torrent from URL button, and paste the magnet URL of the torrent that you want to download. Then press enter, and you will be taken to the same Add Torrent screen where you can choose the save file location, and press the Start button in the top right screen corner to start the torrent download.

You can also search for torrents via the Search button next to the Add torrent from URL button. The search query that you type in the text field will actually open up your web browser with the Google search results of the search term that you entered. When you then click on download button on the torrent in your web browser, you can choose to open the link with Torrex Lite.

Coming to the settings screen of the app. To access the Settings pane, you can either use the Win+I keyboard shortcut, or you can press the Settings button at the bottom of the screen. Preferences and Personalization categories of the Settings pane are what we shall be talking about as other categories are irrelevant to the functionality of this Windows 8 Torrent Client app.

settings

Preferences: This basically allows you to adjust the advanced settings of Torrex Lite. When you click on Preferences button in the Settings menu, you will be presented with a pane that flies out from the right side of the screen containing all the advanced stuff.

preferences

preferences pane

In the above pane, you can basically adjust everything from bandwidth settings, to default save location, etc. You should only mess around with the port number and upload slot settings if you really know what you are doing. It’s best not to mess around with these settings for best functionality of the app. You can, however, change the maximum upload and download rates, default save location etc., safely without jeopardizing the functionality of the app in any way.

Personalization: This tab basically allows to change the appearance of this Windows 8 Torrent client. You can change the language settings, theme settings, etc., of the app through this pane.

personalization

You can easily change the language, color theme and the background of the app. After changing the color theme and the background of the app, this is what my Torrex Lite client looked like.

color theme and background changed!

You can switch back to the Bing wallpaper if you like cool photos to be the backdrop of your Windows 8 Torrent client! You can also check out our review of uTorrent for Windows 8.

The Verdict…

Torrex Lite works extremely well as a torrent client that is able to parse your torrents properly and download them without a hitch. The only drawback that I noted was that the torrents get paused when you minimize the app or allow it to run in the background. The app works properly, however, if you run it maximized or in a snapped mode. Overall, the app provided good download speeds for me, and I was pretty impressed by the performance of this app, especially because this is not a native desktop app, but a Metro app.

I would rate this app a 3.5 out of 5.

Get Torrex Lite.