The research shortlist
Page updated
AB Download ManagerTop pick
Modern open-source manager for direct downloads
Metadata checked Aug 18, 2026
Best overall match for Folx's direct-download workflow: active 2026 development, a current macOS ARM64 build, browser integration, queues, and scheduling; it gives up Folx's torrent features.
A cross-platform desktop manager for ordinary file transfers, with multi-connection downloading, queues, scheduling, speed controls, and browser handoff.
- 01Multi-connection downloads with pause and resume
- 02Queues, scheduling, and speed limiting
- 03Browser extensions and native messaging
- 04macOS ARM64 DMG and Homebrew cask
- The checked sources do not document BitTorrent or magnet support.
- The latest verified macOS asset is ARM64; Intel macOS availability was not confirmed.
Evidence sources (11)
- AB Download Manager official repositorySource available ·
- AB Download Manager Apache License 2.0License ·
- AB Download Manager releasesRelease ·
- AB Download Manager v1.10.1 macOS release assetsFree at review time ·
- AB Download Manager official homepageWebsite ↗ ·
- AB Download Manager home screenshotScreenshots ·
- AB Download Manager download screenshotScreenshots ·
- GitHub REST repository APISource available ·
- GitHub license metadataLicense ·
- Latest macOS release assetFree at review time ·
- Project homepageWebsite ↗ ·
Persepolis Download Manager
Feature-rich free download manager for macOS
Metadata checked Aug 18, 2026
Best direct-download and video feature fit after AB Download Manager, backed by a long-running GPL project, a current 5.2.0 release, and documented macOS packaging.
Full review — capabilities, 2 caveats, evidence
A mature GUI download manager with segmented transfers, queues, scheduling, browser integration, and a video finder, distributed as a macOS app bundle.
- 01Segmented downloading with up to 64 connections
- 02Download queues and scheduling
- 03Video finder powered by supported video sites
- 04Firefox and Chromium integration
- 05Standalone macOS .app package
- The checked sources do not document a BitTorrent or magnet client.
- The macOS guide uses a manually copied app bundle and warns about Gatekeeper friction.
Evidence sources (12)
- Persepolis official repositorySource available ·
- Persepolis GPL-3.0 licenseLicense ·
- Persepolis releasesRelease ·
- Persepolis Download Manager 5.2.0 releaseFree at review time ·
- Persepolis macOS installer guideDocumented macOS path ·
- Persepolis official homepageWebsite ↗ ·
- Persepolis project iconScreenshots ·
- Persepolis product screenshotScreenshots ·
- Persepolis product screenshotScreenshots ·
- GitHub REST repository APISource available ·
- GitHub license metadataLicense ·
- Latest macOS release assetFree at review time ·
qBittorrent
Mature open-source torrent alternative for Folx
Metadata checked Aug 18, 2026
Strongest torrent-side replacement: mature volunteer project, active releases, official macOS 13+ DMGs, search, RSS, and scheduling; it does not replace Folx's ordinary direct-download or video workflow.
Full review — capabilities, 2 caveats, evidence
A Qt BitTorrent client for magnets and torrents, with search, RSS filters, queueing, bandwidth schedules, peer controls, and a browser-accessible Web UI.
- 01Magnet links and private torrent support
- 02Extensible search across torrent sites
- 03RSS feeds with advanced download filters
- 04Queueing, prioritization, and bandwidth scheduling
- 05Official macOS 13+ DMG downloads
- Torrent-focused; no general direct-download manager or video finder is documented.
- The official download page labels macOS support as barely supported and requires macOS 13 or newer.
Evidence sources (11)
- qBittorrent official repositorySource available ·
- qBittorrent license termsLicense ·
- qBittorrent latest releaseRelease ·
- qBittorrent official downloadsFree at review time ·
- qBittorrent official homepageWebsite ↗ ·
- qBittorrent FAQ on free availabilityFree at review time ·
- GitHub REST repository APISource available ·
- Latest GitHub releaseRelease ·
- Latest macOS release assetFree at review time ·
- qBittorrent changelogRelease ·
- qBittorrent 5.2.3 macOS DMGFree at review time ·
Specifications, side by side
| Attribute | 1 · AB Download Manager | 2 · Persepolis Download Manager | 3 · qBittorrent |
|---|---|---|---|
| License | Apache-2.0 | GPL-3.0-only | GPL-3.0-or-later |
| Platforms | macOS, Windows, Linux | macOS, Windows, Linux | macOS, Windows, Linux |
| Status | Checked | Checked | Checked |
| Version | v1.10.1 | v5.2.0 | vrelease-5.2.3 |
| Stars | 17.3k | 7.4k | 39.5k |
| Last push | |||
| Caveats | 2 | 2 | 2 |
About Folx
Folx — Speed up your Downloads on Mac. Manage torrents, split Downloads into multiple streams, and save time.
Setapp listing: Download videos and torrents
