uTorrent Considers Charging Users

uTorrent, the most popular BitTorrent client in the world with 150 million monthly users, is looking into monetising its services. The free torrent client, which already carries advertisements and bundled software upon installation, could soon become a relic of the past.

“As you know, uTorrent is a free piece of software. To support it, we use bundled software and offers to offset the cost that would otherwise be paid directly by the user,” uTorrent wrote on its forum. “We’ve never been satisfied with this revenue model. It requires compromises that detract from a premium user experience. We want to find a model that adds value to our product and our users. We want to find a better way.”

Though uTorrent doesn’t go into detail regarding what these alternatives could be, it does hint that charging users could be an option, saying it plans to “Provide our users with clear options for supporting uTorrent (with options for every budget).”

While a subscription model for uTorrent could prove to be lucrative for the company, it also risks driving away customers to other free BitTorrent clients, such as Vuze, BitComet, or BitLord.

Thank you TorrentFreak for providing us with this information.

Image courtesy of The Verge.