The file-sharing scene is always in a state of upheaval. Torrent sites come and go, and only a few manage to maintain a significant user base. One such torrent site was ExtraTorrent. The original version of ExtraTorrent, however, is no longer available, much to the dismay of its admirers.
ExtraTorrent supporters are left with multiple mirrors of the original site, as well as a slew of other torrent sites that offer much of the same content.
The digital landscape is vast, offering numerous platforms for various forms of entertainment and utility. One such platform that has generated significant interest and controversy over the years is ExtraTorrent.
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This article provides a comprehensive guide on what ExtraTorrent is, its operational status, the mind behind it, its benefits, safety considerations, and associated costs.
What is ExtraTorrent?
ExtraTorrent was a prominent online torrent website, which acted as a hub for users to share and download content, including movies, TV shows, music, software, and more, using the peer-to-peer file-sharing method facilitated by BitTorrent protocols.
10 Best ExtraTorrent Alternatives in 2023
1. The Pirate Bay
The Pirate Bay is one of the internet’s earliest torrent sites, and it has done more to promote file-sharing in general than any other site. For years, its creators have been at odds with law enforcement and copyright watchdogs, with some even ending time in prison.
Despite the wishes of most Hollywood studios to have The Pirate Bay vanish off the face of the earth, the site has stayed online to this day, hosting many torrents in a variety of categories. The Pirate Bay is available in 35 languages, and it can also be accessed through a proxy server.
2. LimeTorrents
Despite the current stagnation of the file-sharing market, LimeTorrents is a general-purpose torrent site that appears to be expanding and evolving. LimeTorrents just unveiled a redesigned homepage, complete with huge buttons for popular categories and a search box that is nearly hard to miss.
Unfortunately, the rest of LimeTorrents isn’t as well-designed as the homepage, but that shouldn’t stop you from having fun with it.
After all, the content is what counts most, and LimeTorrents doesn’t disappoint, with everything from movies to TV series to music to games to applications to anime.
3. 1337x
1337x is now the most stylish torrent site, and it’s certainly how newcomers to file-sharing imagine all torrent sites to look like. Despite its new homepage design, 1337x has been active since 2007, providing new content to many torrent fans all around the world.
The main domain of 1337x is currently 1337x.to, but there are various backup domains available, including:
https://1337×1.unblocked.lol/
https://1337x.unblockall.org/
https://x1337x.ws/
4. Zooqle
Zooqle is rapidly gaining popularity as a viable alternative to ExtraTorrent and other huge torrent sites. Zooqle now has over 3.5 million torrents, with over 1,000 new torrents added every day. Zooqle’s sleek look and superb functionality are undoubtedly contributing to the site’s growing popularity.
You can check the most seeded torrents right on the site, search for torrents by name, or explore freshly added torrents. Zooqle is now available in English and Russian, with more languages expected to be added in the future.
5. YTS
YTS.ag is the replacement for YIFY Torrents. YTS.ag, like its predecessor, is a source of high-quality movies that, thanks to their great optimization, don’t take long to download. Although YTS.ag has the same appearance and feel as YIFY Torrents, it is handled by separate persons.
6. RuTracker
RuTracker is a semi-private Russian torrent tracker with a massive collection of Russian and English torrents. RuTracker does not have any severe seeding criteria, and anyone can create an account for free.
Of course, users are urged to share their downloads with as many people as possible, but that’s just good torrenting practice. We recommend using Google Convert to translate RuTracker into English if you don’t know Russian because the site can be difficult to navigate otherwise.
You’ll be able to use it without any assistance once you’ve gotten familiar with its layout. Ads abound on RuTracker, but you may block them with an adblocker that has a Russian filter.
7. KickassTorrents
KickassTorrents is one of the ExtraTorrent alternatives that doesn’t require much explanation. The website first went up in 2008, and it once had over 1 million daily visitors. Even though the current version of KickassTorrents isn’t as popular as the original, it’s still one of the most popular torrent sites on the internet.
KickassTorrents provides a straightforward search page that resembles Google Search. You may also switch to a different site that shows popular torrents from all of the major categories (movies, TV shows, music, games, applications, anime, books, and lossless music).
The alternate homepage includes its own search bar and allows you to visit KickassTorrents’ community section, where members discuss torrenting in a variety of languages.
8. TorrentDownloads
TV series, movies, music, games, software, anime, books, and other torrents are available on TorrentDownloads, a great-looking alternative to ExtraTorrent. The site is free of irritating advertisements, and the majority of the stuff it provides is legitimate and safe to download.
TorrentDownloads, like any other torrent service, has its share of bad apples, although harmful torrents are extremely rare among popular torrents. When you download a torrent from TorrentDownloads, you will be transferred to iTorrents.org, a free online service for caching torrent files.
This is done by TorrentDownloads to defend itself from a future copyright lawsuit. Many other torrent sites follow suit, and some don’t even allow users to download torrents at all, instead of relying solely on Magnet links.
9. Torlock
Over 7 million verified torrents are available on Torlock, with hundreds of new torrents added every day. The site is quick and responsive, and the layout is familiar enough that it still feels relevant in 2023.
Torlock users can either explore the dozen or so categories, which cover everything from TV series and movies to games and anime, to get a selection of popular torrents straight on the homepage.
Adult content is also available on the site, but it is separated into its own category, so you don’t have to worry about accidentally downloading an adult film. Torlock offers a news section that collects stories on file sharing from a variety of news sources, primarily TorrentFreak.
If you regularly download torrents, we recommend that you check the news section at least once a day to keep up with the latest rules and regulations.
10. SkyTorrents
SkyTorrents is a torrent search engine comparable to Torrentz2. Its index presently has approximately 28 million entries, which is a remarkable figure given how little attention torrenting blogs and news sites pay to the website.
SkyTorrents is available in the following languages: English, Russian, Spanish, Chinese, Japanese, French, and Portuguese.
SkyTorrents offers complex search queries that include numerous positive and negative keywords to make it easier for users to find what they’re looking for. Date, size, seeders, and leechers can all be used to sort search results.
Is ExtraTorrent Still Working?
No, ExtraTorrent voluntarily shut down its operations in May 2017. While there have been several clone websites claiming to be the “new” ExtraTorrent, the original team behind ExtraTorrent has distanced itself from these claims, stating that the platform won’t be revived.
Who is the Founder of ExtraTorrent?
The specific identities of the individuals or team behind ExtraTorrent have never been publicly disclosed, maintaining their anonymity throughout the site’s operational years and even after its shutdown.
Benefits of ExtraTorrent
- Vast Content Library: ExtraTorrent was lauded for its comprehensive content library, spanning various genres, languages, and media types.
- Active Community: With a dedicated community of uploaders and commenters, users could get insights into the quality and authenticity of torrents before downloading.
- Intuitive Interface: ExtraTorrent had a user-friendly design, allowing even novices to navigate the site and find content with ease.
- Regular Updates: The platform was constantly updated with new torrents, ensuring users had access to the latest content.
Is ExtraTorrent Safe?
Like many torrent websites, ExtraTorrent came with its set of safety concerns:
- Malicious Files: Not all torrents were safe. Some contained malware or other malicious software.
- Legal Implications: Downloading copyrighted content without proper authorization is illegal in many jurisdictions, posing potential legal repercussions for users.
- Ads and Pop-ups: The site, like many free platforms, had numerous ads, some of which could be deceptive or lead to suspicious sites.
Always using updated antivirus software and a VPN could mitigate some of these risks, but safety was never guaranteed.
Is ExtraTorrent Free?
Yes, ExtraTorrent was a free platform. Users could search, upload, and download torrents without any fees. However, to sustain the platform and cover server costs, the website was ad-supported.
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Conclusion
ExtraTorrent is one of the few torrent sites that has become as popular as it has. While the original ExtraTorrent is no longer available, there are a plethora of good ExtraTorrent replacements available to file-sharing aficionados all around the world.
Unofficial ExtraTorrent mirror sites exist, but they should be avoided because many of them have been found to distribute spyware, cryptocurrency mining scripts, and harmful software.
The ExtraTorrent mirror sites we’ve identified appear to be safe right now, but there’s no assurance they’ll stay that way in the future. You should instead utilize one of the top 12 best ExtraTorrent alternatives listed above if you don’t want to take any chances.
ExtraTorrent, during its time, was one of the major players in the torrenting world, offering users a vast repository of content. While the platform had its benefits, it also came with potential risks, both in terms of cybersecurity and legal implications.
Though it has ceased its operations, the legacy and impact of ExtraTorrent on the world of peer-to-peer file sharing remain significant. As always, users are advised to tread carefully when venturing into the world of torrents and prioritize their safety and legal obligations.
