List of Torrent Alternative Network

Today the Bit Torrent is one of the biggest and popular P2P file sharing network but torrent is not the end of the world. No matter where you go, there are always a competition so is the case with P2P file sharing. With different company competing for the top spot in the Internet file sharing world, clear winner are end users. Apart Bit Torrent, Internet users today has huge number of choices to make and try out new ways of sharing files over the Internet.

If you feel I have left out any file sharing network from my list then let me know, I will include it. Give the name of the network as a comment (no link please) and I will do the rest!

Ares is a free open source file sharing program that enables users to share any digital file including images, audio, video, software, documents, etc. Ares Galaxy is an open source peer-to-peer file sharing application that uses its own decentralized supernode/leaf network. It was spun-off from the Gnutella network in 2002, and is currently hosted on SourceForge.net. Ares Galaxy has a simple, quick access interface with a built in audio/video viewer. The latest versions also support the BitTorrent protocol.

BearShare is a file sharing program that lets you, your friends, and everyone in the world share files. Built on Gnutella technology, it provides a simple, easy to use interface combined with a powerful connection and search engine that puts thousands of different files in easy reach.

Gnutella is a system in which individuals can exchange files over the Internet directly without going through a Web site in an arrangement sometimes described as peer-to-peer (here meaning "person-to-person"). Like Napster and similar Web sites, Gnutella is often used as a way to download music files from or share them with other Internet users and has been an object of great concern for the music publishing industry. Unlike Napster, Gnutella is not a Web site, but an arrangement in which you can see the files of a small number of other Gnutella users at a time, and they in turn can see the files of others, in a kind of daisy-chain effect. Gnutella also allows you to download any file type.

The first client was developed by Justin Frankel and Tom Pepper of Nullsoft in early 2000, soon after the company's acquisition by AOL. On March 14, the program was made available for download on Nullsoft's servers. The next day, AOL stopped the availability of the program over legal concerns and restrained Nullsoft from doing any further work on the project. This did not stop Gnutella; after a few days, the protocol was reverse engineered, and compatible free and open source clones began to appear. This parallel development of different clients by different groups remains the modus operandi of Gnutella development today.

ICQ File Share is a new and easy way to share your files over the internet. ICQ File Share adds a new dimension to the extremely popular ICQ chat program. Because ICQ File Share is fully integrated into ICQ, it instantly allows you to start sharing all of your files with your online friends, relatives and co-workers. With ICQ File Share, you can share a directory on your harddisk with anyone appearing in your ICQ contact list. When ICQ is not available, you can still use ICQ File Share by providing the IP addresses of your friends.

Unlike other peer to peer file sharing programs, such as Napster, BearShare and the Audiogalaxy network, ICQ File Share allows you to browse the directories your friends make available to you in a direct and easy way. With ICQ File Share, you can search for the music, movies, documents and other types of media you want. Not only can you share directories on your harddisk, you can also share your CDs, CD-ROMs and DVDs. You can share any type of file: mp3, jpg, gif, mpg, avi, asf, wmf, mov, doc, ... you name it ! ICQ File Share is absolutely free !

iMesh is a file sharing and online social network, available to download in 9 languages and uses a proprietary, centralized, P2P network. iMesh is owned by an American company iMesh, Inc. and maintains a development center in Israel.

iMesh operates the first "RIAA-approved" P2P service, which allows users residing in America and Canada to listen to music of their choice from a vast library for a monthly fee in the form of either an iMesh Premium subscription or an iMesh ToGo subscription. A third option is also available for users residing in either country (regardless of whether they have a subscription) to permanently purchase tracks for $0.99 each.

In addition to the paid library, iMesh allows all the users worldwide access to large amounts of "non-copyrighted" music and video for free. A legal ringtone service is also available, allowing users worldwide to purchase songs from various artists for their cellphones.

Kazaa Media Desktop (once capitalized as "KaZaA", but now usually written "Kazaa") is a peer-to-peer file sharing application using the FastTrack protocol and owned by Sharman Networks. Kazaa has had problems with people contacting viruses from their software but Kazaa are trying to sort the problem out and have a FAQ to help users avoid being infected.

LimeWire is a fast, easy-to-use file sharing program that contains no spyware, adware or other bundled software. Compatible with all major platforms and running over the Gnutella network. LimeWire is the fastest, easiest, most advanced file sharing program available and it's completely free of spyware, adware and any other bundled software. LimeWire is offered in dozens of languages and is available in LimeWire BASIC, a free version, or LimeWire PRO, an enhanced version with personalized technical support offered at $21.95. It also has limited BitTorrent support.

Morpheus is a file sharing application that allows users to search for all types of digital media across the MusicCity Network. It was considered a replacement for the temporarily defunct "Napster," the first music file sharing program.

Morpheus uses a proprietary peer-to-peer protocol to share files among users on the network. It includes advanced features, such as playlist creation and media management, to easily organize file collections. It also offers an embedded Microsoft media player for audio and video playback, instant messaging, and CPU utilization throttling.

Mute is an emerging P2P network with one important feature: Mute conceals all of its users identities through virtual addressing, effectively building in the most anonymity of any P2P network in 2006. Especially for torrent downloaders, Mute may be a good alternative means to share files. In terms of speed and size Mute is 5 times slower. But in terms of anonymity, Mute is clearly superior to bit torrent downloading.

Napster Inc. was created in May of 1999 by Shawn Fanning (PC Magazine Technical Excellence Award winner Person of the Year 2000) and Sean Parker, co-founder. In February 2001, a judge ruled that Napster had to stop the distribution of copyright material through its network. Record companies provided the list of over 250,000 song titles for immediate removal of the Napster’s network.

Napster has been reborn in a milder and tamer way as "Napster 2.0", which is now a division of Roxio Inc. Napster 2.0 has cultivated extensive content arrangements with the major record labels. As long as you are willing to pay a user fee of $10USD per month, you can legally download over 500,000 songs from all genres of music at Napster 2.0. Unfortunately, Napster 2.0 is only available to residents of the United States.

WinMX is a freeware peer-to-peer file sharing program authored by Frontcode Technologies that runs on Microsoft Windows operating systems, created in 2001. According to one study, it was the number one source for online music in 2005 with an estimated 2.1 million users. Frontcode itself abandoned development of WinMX in September 2005, but a community of developers brought the service back online within a few days by releasing patches or new host files.

WinMX, by default, will only share Audio and Video files, although, if properly configured, it can share almost every type of file. It is also considered a very safe network.

If you feel I have left out any file sharing network from my list then let me know, I will include it. Give the name of the network as a comment (no link please) and I will do the rest!

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