eMule

eMule

Price: $

eMule is a free P2P file-sharing client available on Windows that is used to share movies, music, photos, and so much more. While originally introduced in 2002, eMule is one of the largest peer-to-peer clients that people use in the world to share their files. With a large following, it allows users to share files directly with each other instead of uploading them on a 3rd party server and then downloading them from there.

How does it work?

eMule is a free and easy-to-use open-source P2P client. It utilizes two protocols made by the company, the ed2k (the old eDonkey protocol), and the Kad. Both of these protocols work in unison to find you the results you are looking for when you want to search for something to download or share. But first, you must connect to a Kad server to start searching and downloading items. 

Furthermore, you have the option to preview while downloading as well as a credit function to reward users who are frequent contributors and uploaders to the servers. Sometimes the servers do not connect, but you should try again if that happens.

Once you do manage to connect to the server and find what you are looking for, you can easily download it using high speeds supported by the server. 

Issues with security

The safety and security are still a question mark though and we advise you to be cautious when sharing files. One of the most common issues faced when users use eMule is the presence of fake files and corrupt files under the pretense of wrong names. You must take caution against that.

Types of content you can download

Similar to torrenting, this application allows you to download the most common file types including photos, videos, music, and applications, but it does not support torrents. When it comes to downloading, your credits also matter. If you are a frequent user of the server/network, your priority is automatically updated by the system and hence you will get a higher position in the downloading queue. 

Another great feature of eMule is the option to add comments against a file. In case the file is fake, corrupted, or dangerous, users may often put comments regarding that.

An ideal P2P file-sharing client

While peer-to-peer file-sharing clients have largely gone out of business, there are a few that still remain functioning perfectly. eMule is one of the larger P2P clients. While the functionality is undoubtedly spot on, the UI might not be. The user interface has barely changed over the years, and as a result, it looks very outdated.

Conclusion

eMule is a great file-sharing platform for those who are fans of P2P networks. You can utilize the Kad and the ed2k protocols to connect to servers and download or upload files that you need. We do advise you to beware of fake files to ensure you and your computers remain safe and sound.