JDownloader
| Company type | Donationware |
|---|---|
| Industry | Software development |
| Founded | 2008 |
| Founder | Appwork GmbH |
| Products | Download manager software |
| Website | jdownloader |
JDownloader is a donationware download manager created in Java by Appwork GmbH, designed to automate the downloading of file collections from one-click hosting platforms. It supports premium account integration and blends open-source elements with some proprietary code. By December 2009, its website was ranked among Spain’s top 1000 most visited, highlighting its significant popularity across Europe. In the same year, the German technology publication Chip.de awarded it the title "newcomer of the year" after surpassing 500,000 downloads and securing a position within the 50 most downloaded software applications.
In 2011, JDownloader was succeeded by JDownloader 2, which became the only version officially supported on the developer’s website; however, community forums continue to provide assistance for the original release.
Starting mid-2012, users began reporting that the JDownloader installer bundled adware without explicit permission—an issue acknowledged by developers on official forums. Although a clean installer version was eventually shared through forum announcements, reports of unwanted adware persisted into 2014.
A German court decision in June 2013 declared that JDownloader’s functionality to download copyrighted and protected RTMPE streams—found exclusively in unofficial nightly builds—was unlawful, affecting the software’s legal status concerning content distribution.
License
Although distributed under an open license, certain source files remain inaccessible. The development team has indicated potential license modifications to permit closed-source modules while maintaining the majority of the application as open source.
Features
Key capabilities include:
- Compatibility across platforms (Windows, Linux, Mac) with Java 1.5 or newer
- Concurrent multi-file downloads utilizing multiple connections
- Automated CAPTCHA resolution via an OCR-based module (JAntiCaptcha)
- Automatic unpacking of RAR archives, including searching for passwords in lists
- Decryption support for RSDF, CCF, and DLC container formats
- Approximately 300 decryption plugins covering various services (e.g., sj.org, UCMS, WordPress)
- Support for over 1230 hoster plugins enabling downloads from specific one-click hosting providers (as of 2014)
- Automatic IP switching feature to circumvent download restrictions on compatible routers (around 1400 models)
- Built-in package manager handling modules like Web interface and Shutdown
- Customizable themes and multilingual user interface
Downloads are grouped into packages that can be paused or resumed individually. The software also automatically extracts multipart RAR archives upon download completion.
JDownloader manages wait times and CAPTCHA challenges on numerous hosting sites, enabling batch downloads without manual intervention. Premium account holders benefit from multiple simultaneous connections per file to enhance download speeds. The program also supports Metalink files for managing multiple mirror sources. Updates and patches are delivered automatically during startup. Since 2014, JDownloader utilizes continuous deployment to rapidly update plugins in response to changes in hosting site APIs. Its beta releases incorporate automated error reporting designed to identify plugin malfunctions while safeguarding user privacy by excluding sensitive information.
See also
Further reading
- JDownloader: One-Click-Hoster für jedermann, gulli.com, 29 August 2009 (developer interview)
- JDownloader: un Ares para Rapidshare, El Diario del Centro del País, 12 February 2009