Firelink vs Motrix
Firelink
github.com
Motrix
motrix.appSide by side
| Figure | Firelink | Motrix |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | — | Yes |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| Self-hosted | — | Yes |
| Plans published | 2 | 1 |
| Spec score · Download Manager Software | 8.6 (#7) | 7.9 (#27) |
| Browser integration | Firelink Companion sends browser downloads, selected links, media pages, magnet links, and torrent metadata to the desktop app for review. | The browser extension sends downloads to Motrix and is available for Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Firefox, and Safari. |
| Purpose | Firelink manages direct downloads, browser captures, media, playlists, queues, and scheduling in one desktop app. | Motrix is a download manager for regular downloads, BitTorrent, and magnet links. |
| Security | Companion handoff requests are signed with HMAC-SHA256, verify desktop identity, and send handoff data only to the paired Firelink app on localhost. | Paired Motrix connections use the MBP1 protocol with application-level encryption for task content; the policy recommends WSS for remote servers on the internet or untrusted networks. |
| Support | The maker directs users to GitHub Issues to report bugs and request features. | The project lists [email protected] and GitHub discussions or issues as contact options for privacy questions and concerns. |
Plans
In their own words
Firelink
Firelink is a free desktop download manager for direct files, browser handoffs, media, playlists, torrents and scheduled queues. It supports segmented HTTP and HTTPS downloads with retries, speed limits, connection controls and adaptive mirror selection. Queues can be paused, resumed, retried, redownloaded and scheduled. Bundled yt-dlp, FFmpeg and Deno support media and playlist downloads, including direct HLS, DASH and Smooth Streaming manifest URLs; DRM and other protected-key workflows are not supported, and subtitle or multiple-audio-track selection is not exposed in the current phase.
The Firelink Companion can send browser downloads, selected links, media pages and torrent information to the desktop app for review. It supports Firefox and Chromium Manifest V3, with Edge installation through Microsoft Edge Add-ons and a release ZIP for other Chromium browsers. The extension says download data stays local. Firelink is available for macOS, Windows and Linux under the MIT License. The macOS package is ad-hoc signed and not notarized, the Windows installer is unsigned, and the current Linux AppImage requires glibc 2.35 or newer.
Motrix
Motrix is a free download manager for regular downloads, BitTorrent and magnet links. It supports HTTP, FTP, BitTorrent, magnet links and Metalink, with controls to pause, resume, retry and prioritize tasks. A browser extension can send downloads to Motrix from Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Firefox and Safari. Plugins can add site resolution, post-processing and automation; they declare permissions in a JSON manifest and run sandboxed inside Motrix. Motrix can also run headless as a Docker server on a NAS or server. Core task data and settings are stored locally, and no account is required. The project describes Motrix as MIT-licensed and open source. Its download page lists version 2.0.0-beta.44, released September 29, 2026, and notes that beta builds may be less stable. BitTorrent use shares the app's IP address with trackers, DHT nodes and peers; DHT is enabled by default but can be disabled in settings. For remote servers on public or untrusted networks, the project recommends WSS.