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Unless the only thing you with your computer is read web pages and emails, chances are that you’ve already downloaded a couple of files this week. If you are still downloading heavy files using your browser’s in-build download manager, you should know that this isn’t the most efficient way to go about it. When I first switched from Windows to Mac years ago, one of the first apps I searched for was Internet Download Manager for Mac. I was utterly disappointed to learn that that app was only available for Windows. However, I found something much better.
One of the most recommended applications for Mac was Folx. Gladly, I was able to do away with as uTorrent as well because Folx isn’t just a download manager, it is also a full-fledged torrent client for Mac with functionality not found in other torrent clients. Folx can best be described as the ultimate download manager for mac.
Torrent search and download
First, it should be emphasized that you shouldn’t use this feature if isn’t legal in your country of residence. To be on the safer side, you might want to do this through a VPN to hide your activities.
Folx lets you search for any torrent file through the app without the need to visit a torrent site. The search bar at the top of the app basically serves two functions:
- Directly taking a file URL to initiate a download
- Searching for torrent files
It should be mentioned that this torrent feature is a premium feature that can only be unlocked after a license is purchased. Folx is free to use as a download manager. It is free to use and a license isn’t even needed to start using it. However, certain features can only be used after upgrading to the Pro version. These include Password Manager, YouTube download, download splitting, download scheduling, manual speed control, and more.
Folx has received positive reviews and can be described as the best torrent client for Mac. Its intuitive user interface adds to its appeal, and the simple approach to torrenting it employs makes it easy to use for anyone.
Typing whatever you want to download in the search bar combs through different torrent sites to give you a list of torrent files to choose from. Selecting any from the list starts the download
Despite its simple user interface, Folx does put a lot of control in the user’s hands. The settings let you control almost every aspect of the downloader and how it works. For instance, you can determine which torrent sources the application checks when you run a search:
For advanced users, you can control incoming TCP port, choose preferred protocols, limit connections per torrent, choose only encrypted peers, and more.
Downloader features
As mentioned earlier, the basic downloader is free to use and there’s no limit to the number of downloads you can run. As a matter of fact, paying for an upgrade is totally optional. However, to totally take advantage of advanced features that will make your experience even better, upgrading is a necessity. To make downloads a lot faster, Folx is able to split a single download into up to twenty threads.
There is also a download scheduler that lets you determine when to start a particular download. This can be useful when you only want to run downloads during a certain time of the day when the computer is idle. The app also lets you determine if the computer should shut down, quit Folx, or go into sleep mode when all files have been downloaded.
For people with limited bandwidth, there is also a speed limiter feature that greatly helps. No limitation will be the right setting if you’re using an unlimited plan, but manually setting your upload and download speed or using Smart Speed Adjustment should be the way to go if you’re scared of slowing down your connection or blowing through your allocated data in just a day.
Tags assignment lets you organize your downloads into folders, making it easier to find files. Folx has a feature that automatically adds download music to your library.
Other useful features included password management, user agent customization, smart tagging, and several others.
YouTube download
Although it isn’t marketed as a full-fledged YouTube download like VideoDuke, Folx still has this nifty tool that lets you download YouTube videos with ease. Pasting a YouTube video URL into the address bar takes you straight to the YouTube downloader tool. But from my experience, you are unable to choose a specific format or resolution, unlike a dedicated video stream downloader.
Price
As said earlier, Folx is free to download and use as long as you want. The free version is truly free and not a trial version. To unlock Pro features, a license purchase is required to fully take advantage of all features offered by this torrent client for Mac. At this time, the personal license is priced at $19.95 while the family pack costs $39.95. Upgrading isn’t a necessity, but it’s worth every cent.