The best file sharing protocols, according to hackers
3 file sharing protocols were recommended on Hacker News between November 2025 and November 2026. We rank them by how many separate people recommend each one, and 1 earns the Hacker Approved badge.
Top pick
The most recommended file sharing protocol with the badge. Each figure is 5 people. RecommendsCriticizes One comment
Works reliably and is usable
Recommended for moving large files and serving content durably; people say it just works. Critics note it is mostly used for piracy and v1 lacks per-file checksums.
All 3 file sharing protocols, ranked
Select a column heading to sort. Approval share is recommenders out of everyone who gave an opinion; the tick on each bar marks the 2 to 1 line the badge needs. Months counts the months, out of 13, in which someone recommended it.
| Rank | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | BitTorrent | 50 | 11 | 82% | 12 | — | Approved |
| 2 | Gnutella | 9 | 7 | 56% | 2 | — | — |
| 3 | Dat | 5 | 2 | 71% | 4 | — | — |
How we rank
Rank is the number of separate people who recommend a product in a Hacker News comment over the past year. Someone who praises the same file sharing protocol in five threads counts once.
The badge goes to file sharing protocols that at least 10 people recommend, with recommenders outnumbering critics at least 2 to 1, recommended in at least 4 of the 13 months.
Rankings are never for sale. We may earn a commission when you buy through our links. It never changes the order.