November 07, 2009 by sharky
The overall cost of a seedbox service really hasn’t changed all that much over the past 18 months, but what has changed is what you can expect to get for your money. Providers that offer seedboxes with torrent limits are being left behind in favor of more robust (and affordable) solutions - with "slices" (VPSes) of a server being a preferred choice among pro seedboxers. Here we review & compare 14 new seedbox providers including a seedbox with 50 GB storage, unlimited torrents, unlimited bandwidth for just $10 a month.
Ed. note: A few providers were purposely omitted from the list, such as those with bad reviews in regards to service (or non-service), multiple PayPal disputes and/or potential scammers.
Provider: http://extremeseed.com
BT Interface: uTorrent WebUI (uTorrent via VNC also available)
Connection: 100 Mbit (shared & dedicated).
Price: Starting at $20/mo (£12 GBP), up to $135/mo.
Hard Drive Storage: 30 GB to 640 GB.
# of Torrents: unlimited for all accounts.
# of User/Box: Shared (9 max); semi-dedicated (2 - 4 users); dedicated (1 only).
Access To Files: FTP, with FXP available.
Setup Time: Varies (read below)
Monthly Bandwidth Usage: unlimited data transfer.
Provider/Host: Mostly Server.lu / Root.lu, with some OVH servers.
Watch out for: Setup time on dedicated servers; uTorrent VNC access is extra.
About: It’s not often you’ll find an unlimited-torrent, unmetered-bandwidth seedbox for £12 - the only complaint is that it comes with a smallish 30 GB storage. Extremeseed already boasts in excess of 100 customers, and has seedboxes divided into three distinct groups (shared, semi-dedicated and dedicated), each with various sub-package options. If we were to pick the best value option, it would be their Shared Seeder C plan which comes with 80 GB storage for $35/mo. Like any seedbox provider, it all depends on how much you’re willing to shell out.
Setup times: For dedicated packages they purchase the server after the order is processed, so setup can take two days or even longer. But for shared/semi boxes, "90% of the time, times can be from five minutes to seven hours" as mentioned in their FAQ.
Provider: http://bytesized-hosting.com
BT Interface: Deluge (default), rTorrent and uTorrent (optional).
Connection: 100 Mbit (shared).
Price: $10/mo & $14/mo
Hard Drive Storage: 50 GB or 100 GB.
# of Torrents: unlimited.
# of User/Box: unknown.
Access To Files: FTP.
Setup Time: "almost no waiting time".
Monthly Bandwidth Usage: unmetered, unlimited.
Provider/Host: Server.lu / Root.lu.
Watch out for: Amazing prices & value!
About: Bytesized Seedboxes sounds too good to be true, but has some solid backing from reputable private tracker members. $10 a month gets you 50 GB storage and unlimited everything - double up on the storage for just $4 more. Very competitive prices and amazing speeds. Also, the support is incredible. There are two dedicated staffers who are in IRC to help and a slew of IRC regulars who are able to help indirectly. All axx come with SSH, VNC and FTP access and your choice of BT client. More info can be found through their Twitter page or IRC channel (regular or web).
Provider: http://seedstorm.com
BT Interface: TorrentFlux-b4rt (on shared); rTorrent/uTorrent/TFlux (dedis).
Connection: 100 Mbit & 1 Gbit.
Price: Shared ($15/mo - $55/mo); Dedicated ($70 - $230)
Hard Drive Storage: 40 GB to 210 GB (shared boxes); 500 GB - 3 TB (dedicated).
# of Torrents: 3 - unlimited.
# of User/Box: unknown for shared seedboxes.
Access To Files: FTP, HTTP
Setup Time: unknown.
Monthly Bandwidth Usage: unlimited, unmetered.
Provider/Host: Obtrix / OVH
Watch out for: Setup fees on high-end dedis; small torrent limits on low-end shared boxes.
About: Seedstorm is an offshoot of Obtrix.net, and offers both shared and dedicated seedbox options. We recommend you avoid their shared boxes Storm 1 & 2, since these have limits on the # of active torrents (although additional torrents can be purchased for $1.50 each).
SeedManager: It’s best to go with either Storm 4 or 5 (starting at $35) or choose from one of their dedicated models. It’s also worth noting that all seedboxes can be upgraded to a 1 Gbit connection for $7/mo. These aforementioned accounts come with a unique SeedManager interface whereby TFlux, rTorrent or uTorrent can be chosen for the BT interface/client, as well as root access and other options.
Provider: www.seedbox.org.ua
BT Interface: uTorrent
Connection: 1 Gbit (shared & dedicated).
Price: Starting at $15/mo to $180/mo.
Hard Drive Storage: 100 GB - 1 TB.
# of Torrents: 3 (2 up / 1 down) to unlimited.
# of User/Box: 10 max (for their $15 plan); most others are 1, 2 or 4 users.
Access To Files: FTP
Setup Time: "within 4-5 days after receiving payment" although usually within 24 hours.
Monthly Bandwidth Usage: unlimited
Provider/Host: Level3 & Telia.
Watch out for: Setup time; expensive for unlimited torrents (it’s a 1 Gbit connection, after all).
About: Seedbox.org.ua is first in CIS countries seedbox with 1Gbit unlimited internet links. For every sx20+ (99USD) includes dedicated 1Gbit/s link. Some additional services as: rdp/vnc, dedicated ip, mirc autodownloaders, rss feeds support can be ordered.
Provider: http://dediseedbox.com
BT Interface: uTorrent WebUI
Connection: 100 Mbit.
Price: $15 - $120/mo
Hard Drive Storage: 25 GB to 2 TB.
# of Torrents: 5 to unlimited.
# of User/Box: stats not mentioned.
Access To Files: FTP
Setup Time: "free setup within 24 hours".
Monthly Bandwidth Usage: unmetered traffic, unlimited.
Provider/Host: Both OVH and Server.lu / Root.lu
Watch out for: Torrent limits on lower-end plans.
About: DediSeedbox offers both shared and dedicated seedbox options, although you’ll be paying at least $70/mo for a box with unlimited torrents. That said, $25 isn’t bad for 10 active torrents and 50 GB storage on a uTorrent WebUI seedbox (with the option to add an additional 50 GB for $5). However, an rTorrent "slice" offers much more value than this, such as the provider listed below.
Provider: http://varsbox.com
BT Interface: rTorrent (ruTorrent/wTorrent?)
Connection: 100 Mbit & 1Gbit (shared)
Price: 100Mbit: $35/mo. - $85/mo., 1Gbit: $45/mo. - $85/mo.
Hard Drive Storage: 250 GB to 900 GB.
# of Torrents: unlimited on all accounts.
# of User/Box: 8 - 10 max. (on 100Mbit); 4 - 8 max. (on 1Gbit)
Access To Files: FTP
Setup Time: varies upon availability.
Monthly Bandwidth Usage: umetered (for 100Mbit); 20TB mo. (for 1Gbit)
Provider/Host: FDCServers.net - hosted in the U.S.
Watch out for: Nothing, highly recommended! Seeding to Waffles.fm is not available.
About: Smart shoppers know where the best seedbox value lies, and that’s in "slices" that are beginning to corner a fair share of the market. While much more affordable than purchasing a dedicated server, Varsbox slices are not ’shared seedboxes’, although resources on the server are shared. Where else are you gonna find 250 GB storage, unlimited torrents, unmetered bandwidth - all for just $35 a month? There’s even the option to purchase servers on a weekly rate (from $10 - $13).
Each VarsBox slice is its own self-contained server, or VPS. This means that your slice is completely separated from the others on the server. It also means that you are guaranteed a certain amount of server resources, so you can rest assured that your applications will always perform.
Provider: http://iseedbox.com
BT Interface: uTorrent WebUI & uTorrent VNC
Connection: 100 Mbit (shared & dedicated).
Price: Starting at €13/mo up to €90/mo
Hard Drive Storage: 150 GB to 1000 GB.
# of Torrents: 3 to unlimited.
# of User/Box: 1 - 6.
Access To Files: FTP
Setup Time: not known.
Monthly Bandwidth Usage: unlimited/unmetered.
Provider/Host: OVH
Watch out for: Expensive!!; no known user-service reviews.
About: If you’re looking for a seedbox provider with unlimited torrents, you’ll want avoid iSeedbox. Their most affordable box (with no torrent limit) is a dedicated Kimsufi Celeron D 1.20 Ghz, 1 GB RAM for €38 (EUR) and comes with 250 GB storage. Compare that to DedicatedPros‘ low-end server for the same price but double the HDD storage and double the RAM.
Provider: www.dentoo.info
BT Interface: uTorrent or TorrentFlux.
Connection: 100 Mbit
Price: Starting at €15.50/mo to €149/mo.
Hard Drive Storage: 45 GB to 500 GB.
# of Torrents: 6 active torrents to unlimited.
# of User/Box: not known.
Access To Files: FTP, HTTP
Setup Time: unknown.
Monthly Bandwidth Usage: unlimited (unmetered).
Provider/Host: unknown.
Watch out for: €2 setup fee.
About: You’ll need to dig really deep into the wallet to obtain a seedbox at Dentoo with no torrent limits (it’s a TFlux box for €59 Euros). Oddly, their other dedicated servers come with uTorrent but since they couldn’t be bothered to install uTorrent with Wine on a Linux OS, they pass along the additional cost (to you) for a genuine Windows Server 2003 license. External (non-partial) reviews of Dentoo suggest good customer service and great speeds, although we haven’t tested them.
Provider: www.customseedbox.com
BT Interface: rTorrent/ruTorrent (default); uTorrent & Transmission available.
Connection: 100 Mbit & 1 Gbit (shared & dedicated; varies)
Price: $10/mo to $220 (AUD)
Hard Drive Storage: 75 GB to 1.5 TB.
# of Torrents: no mention of this.
# of User/Box: 1, 2, 6 or 9. (6 for uTorrent servers, 9 for rTorrent).
Access To Files: FTP.
Setup Time: "Orders will be acknowledged within 24 hours, with a 1-hour setup time"
Monthly Bandwidth Usage: unmetered, unlimited
Provider/Host: OVH.
Watch out for: No real homepage; no checkout.
About: All plans come with rtorrent + ruTorrent standard, full server support, SSH/FTP/www access, VPN, SSL, and unlimited traffic. All servers are hosted on the OVH network in Roubaix, France.
Provider: http://sboxes.net
BT Interface: rTorrent (ruTorrent GUI).
Connection: 100 Mbit (shared & dedicated).
Price: £15/mo (shared box), up to £80/mo for dedis (+ setup fee).
Hard Drive Storage: 150 GB (on £15/mo plan), up to 6 TB for dedis.
# of Torrents: unlimited.
# of User/Box: Max of 6 on shared plans; other packages are dedicated (1 user).
Access To Files: FTP.
Setup Time: "Setup will be fast (a day or so)"
Monthly Bandwidth Usage: unmetered, unlimited.
Provider/Host: OVH.
Watch out for: Inherited OVH setup fees on dedicated servers.
About: For just £15 at SBoxes you get 150 GB storage and unlimited torrents & bandwidth. SBoxes doesn’t use OVH’s Kimsufi line, and instead opts for OVH Pro servers. All plans (including the dedis) are ready-to-go with rTorrent/ruTorrent installed.
Provider: http://bigsb.net
BT Interface: Deluge or uTorrent
Connection: 100 Mbit (shared).
Price: $17/mo to $120/mo
Hard Drive Storage: 100 GB to 1500 GB.
# of Torrents: unlimited.
# of User/Box: 5 - 14, boxes never oversold.
Access To Files/Server: FTP, SFTP, VNC, SSH.
Setup Time: "generally filled within 24 hours of payment, but up to 72 hours"
Monthly Bandwidth Usage: unlimited (but read the FAQ).
Provider/Host: unknown.
Watch out for: Nothing ill to report; recommended!
About: BigSB is nothing short of professional. Here’s another provider that offers ’slices’ of a server in order to reduce overall costs to each subscriber. By default, Deluge is installed on each slice - with VNC & SSH access included. More info/support can be found at their IRC channel in #BigSB.
Provider: www.wtbox.net
BT Interface: uTorrent WebUI, rTorrent (wTorrent)
Connection: 100 Mbit (shared).
Price: $10/mo to $180/mo
Hard Drive Storage: 20 GB to 2 TB.
# of Torrents: no mention of this.
# of User/Box: no more than 5.
Access To Files: FTP only (for shared).
Setup Time: unknown.
Monthly Bandwidth Usage: unlimited.
Provider/Host: unknown.
Watch out for: Unavailability/sold-out services.
About: At last look, it appears that WTBox is sold out of regular seedbox plans, VPSes and dedis (their forums confirm this) although their (tiny) shared seedboxes are still available.
OVH Resellers (with installed BT Client)
For those who want a reliable dedicated OVH seedbox without the hassle of installing their own BitTorrent client, here are two viable options:
Provider: www.dedicatedpros.com
BT Interface: uTorrent (WebUI and remote desktop/VNC)
Connection: 100 Mbit, up to 2 Gbit (dedicated, not shared).
Price: €40/mo and up.
Hard Drive Storage: 500 GB to 6 TB.
# of Torrents: unlimited.
# of User/Box: 1
Access To Files: unlimited FTP accounts.
Setup Time: unknown (subject to OVH availability).
Monthly Bandwidth Usage: unmetered, unlimited*
Provider/Host: OVH reseller (all models - Kimsufi’s and higher).
Watch out for: Setup fees
About: First and foremost, DedicatedPros is a true OVH reseller that offers nearly every make & model of OVH’s product line. But unlike most popular resellers, DedicatedPros offers the option to use their own custom OS called "Seedbox Out of the Box" which includes uTorrent installation, FTP access and remote desktop - all of which is included for free.
Bandwidth usage: As with many new OVH accounts (especially on Kimsufi’s) there’s a upload limit of 3 TB/month for all non-OVH traffic. Having said that, since an estimated 75% of all seedboxes are hosted by OVH anyways, it will likely be difficult to exceed your monthly quota.
Provider: www.dedisales.com
BT Interface: uTorrent WebUI/VNC or TorrentFlux.
Connection: 100 Mbit & 1 Gbit.
Price: £10/mo to £85/mo (shared); £34 to £160 (dedicated).
Hard Drive Storage: 20 GB to 3 TB.
# of Torrents: 4 to 15 (shared); unlimited on dedis.
# of User/Box: Shared: 7 (for 100Mbit servers); 12 for 1Gbit servers). Dedis = 1 user.
Access To Files: FTP, HTTP.
Setup Time: depends on plan.
Monthly Bandwidth Usage: See "Bandwidth usage" in DedicatedPros above.
Provider/Host: OVH
Watch out for: High setup fees on all dedicated servers (except Kimsufi C-05G).
About: At last check, there were no available ’shared seedboxes’ to be found, or else they were all sold out. However as an OVH reseller, Dedisales has a great offer on a Kimsufi C-05G server for just £34 a month - which includes free installation of either uTorrent or TorrentFlux (your choice).