RuTor has been a staple of the torrenting community for years. It offers a huge library of movies, music, software, and more without the need for registration. The Russian site has an audience of 24.1 million monthly visitors and has become an irreplaceable asset for many torrenting enthusiasts. However, recent financial troubles have put its future in doubt.
1. What is RuTor and why is it so popular?
RuTor (rutor.org) stands as one of the foremost public Russian torrent sites. It has been a renowned worldwide torrent website for its vast collection of files including movies, music, and software.
RuTor’s reputation as a public torrent tracker is well-founded (established around 2010). Although the site had a rough beginning, it has accumulated a huge loyal fanbase over the span of thirteen years.
RuTor’s popularity can be attributed to the diverse array of content it hosts. It provides an updated and massive library of movies, TV series, music, animation, anime, games, software, books, photos, courses, and more.
In addition, and unlike many other similar sites, RuTor distinguishes itself because it doesn’t require user registration. The public torrent tracker offers a straightforward approach to accessing torrents (no registration and 100% free).
How popular is RuTor?
Boasting an Alexa ranking of 259 and a SimilarWeb ranking of 543, RuTor’s influence and reach are substantial in the torrenting world. These rankings reflect its popularity and huge user base. On average, RuTor receives a staggering 24.1 million visitors per month.
Unfortunately as of 2023, RuTor is running into trouble. They can’t maintain their user-friendly platform the same way it is. And today (Oct 2023) it is likely already losing popularity.
2023 News: RuTor is in trouble.
The Russian torrent tracker has been running mostly on the goodwill of its volunteers and a few small fees. With advertising revenue covering the costs of things like servers, moderators, and editors.
But as of 2023, RuTor is in trouble. The site has been losing money, and its advertisers have bailed. So, they’re asking their users for help. They’re introducing a subscription service that will cost about 3 euros per month— not a bad deal for its millions of users to keep this service afloat. This ‘support’ will help them keep the site running and avoid having to put up annoying ads. Subscribers will also get some extra features, like an online player for movies and TV shows. RuTor staff urges anyone to subscribe to their website and help out.
In detail. As per a news post (Aug 15, 2023) on the RuTor official site:
- Things took a turn for the worse at the start of the year 2023 when partnerships with advertising partners ended in November and January. This left the tracker in a tough financial spot.
- Things got even worse in late February when there was another setback, but they didn’t say what it was. This put even more pressure on their already tight finances.
- The situation has been pretty bad for the past six months. Server costs have been going up due to exchange rate fluctuations, and they had to also spend more money on protection against DDOS attacks.
- To fix the problem, the tracker is asking its user community for help, as other sites and community platforms have done.
- To keep the site clean and free of annoying ads, the tracker only allows users to download torrents after they register and subscribe for a monthly fee of around 3 euros.
- Subscribers also get a sweet bonus: a player for online viewing on distribution pages for films and TV series.
The Future for RuTor.
As of Oct 2023, RuTor isn’t the only torrent tracker facing financial challenges. Similar projects in the Russian-language segment of the internet are struggling with the sudden loss of income, which is prompting some to reduce their activity or even consider shutting down.
While RuTor could persevere for a couple more months, the long-term outlook is uncertain. There is no clear indication of whether RuTor’s situation might improve.
Overall, the RuTor’s team is still unsure what the future holds for them. But they’re committed to continuing their work. They’re hopeful that the current situation is temporary and that they’ll be able to return to normal operations eventually.
Final Words.
RuTor is in a tough spot right now. The things that used to keep it going have fallen apart, so now they’re trying to stay afloat by charging people a monthly subscription of €3. This is a big change for RuTor, and it’s also a sign of the challenges that other Russian torrent platforms are facing.
The future for RuTor is uncertain. But the RuTor team is determined to keep going, and they’re counting on the community to help them.