> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://itsfoss.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Varia: A Sleek Open-Source Download Manager With Browser Extensions - URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/varia-download-manager/ - Published: 2024-03-24T06:01:41.000Z - Updated: 2024-03-24T06:01:41.000Z - Description: Take a look at this interesting download manager! - Author: Sourav Rudra - Tags: First Look, News, #Import 2025-11-08 21:15 Thanks to an increase in internet speeds around the globe, we can download files in a matter of minutes or even seconds; depending on the size of the file. So, not everyone cares about the download manager being used. However, in the past, download managers were crucial if you had a slow internet connection, because of features like download speed control, the ability to pause, queue, etc. Guess what, download managers still make a difference! 😎 In my case, for instance, when I use [Vivaldi](https://vivaldi.com/?ref=itsfoss.com)'s built-in downloader, it works fine for smaller files such as images and GIFs, but for larger files like ISOs, it starts to slow down considerably. That is where one of the [best download managers for Linux](https://itsfoss.com/best-download-managers-linux/), Motrix usually comes handy for me. But, being the app hopper I am, I often try to find new apps, even if my existing apps work fine. That is when I came across **Varia**, an open-source download manager for Linux based on [aria2](https://aria2.github.io/?ref=itsfoss.com), a lightweight command-line download utility. Let's take a look at it. **Suggested Read** 📖 [Top 6 Best Download Managers for Linux DesktopExplore some of the best download managers for Linux to make things easy!![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/size/w256h256/2022/12/android-chrome-192x192.png)It's FOSSAnkush Das![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2023/08/best--download-managers-for-linux.png)](https://itsfoss.com/best-download-managers-linux/) ## Varia: Overview ⭐ ![a screenshot of varia about page](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2024/03/Varia_a.png) Written primarily in the Python programming language, Varia takes its name from aria2, and provides many useful features that make it a solid download manager choice. The **key highlights** of Varia include: - **Libadwaita Design** - **Browser Extension Available** - **Support for Multiple Downloads** ### Initial Impressions 👨‍💻 When I started researching about Varia, I found out that it is from the same developer as [Flatsweep](https://github.com/giantpinkrobots/flatsweep?ref=itsfoss.com); which I use regularly to keep my system clean of leftover data from Flatpaks. When I started up Varia, there was an empty screen with a few options around. I used the URL box towards the left to manually add download URLs for different types of files. ![a screenshot of varia home screen](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2024/03/Varia_b.png) After I was done adding, there were handy controls to pause or remove downloads near each download entry. Then there was a sidebar that let me sort through downloads that were in progress, and those that were completed. The header bar housed the preferences' menu, a three-ribbon menu (*more on that below*), the current download speed for all the files combined, a button to pause all downloads, and the usual window controls. Strangely enough, **when I tried pausing downloads, Varia would just continue downloading them silently**, but when I restarted the app, the pause buttons would work fine. I am not sure what happened. Probably a temporary bug. ![a screenshot of varia home screen with multiple downloads in the list](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2024/03/Varia_c.png) The three-ribbon menu had options to run Varia in the background, cancelling all downloads, opening the download folder, and an option to access the about page. ![a screenshot of varia three ribbon menu](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2024/03/Varia_d.png) As for **the preferences menu**, Varia lets you pick the download directory, set a download speed limit, an option related to authentication, and the ability to change the number of simultaneous downloads Varia could do. There was also a “**Remote Mode**” option for remote control via an RPC interface to control the aria2 backend. It supports *JSON-RPC*, and *XML-RPC*. ![a screenshot of varia preferences menu](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2024/03/Varia_e.png) And, that's not it. As illustrated by the screenshot above, there's also a browser extension for Varia 🤯 ![a screenshot of varia chrome browser extension in action](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2024/03/Varia_f.png) And, when you install and enable that for [Firefox](https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/varia-integrator/?ref=itsfoss.com) or [Chrome](https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/varia-integrator/dacakhfljjhgdfdlgjpabkkjhbpcmiff?ref=itsfoss.com), Varia can take over the downloading duties from the browser. When I tested it with Chrome, **there was no consistency in the extension's behavior**; it would sometimes take over the download, sometimes not. As I see it, manually pasting the download link into Varia is a more reliable approach. However, it is still good to see an extension trying to make things easy! If it works better for you, that should be wonderful! 😃 If you ask me, Varia still needs some work before I can comfortably switch to it. But, if it gets the job done for you, it is a simple, elegant, and flexible download manager overall! ## 📥 Get Varia To take advantage of what Varia has to offer, you can grab the latest release from its [official website](https://giantpinkrobots.github.io/varia/?ref=itsfoss.com). You can also head over to the [Flatpak store](https://flathub.org/apps/io.github.giantpinkrobots.varia?ref=itsfoss.com) and [AUR](https://aur.archlinux.org/packages/varia?ref=itsfoss.com) (unofficial) for the same. [Varia (Flathub)](https://flathub.org/apps/io.github.giantpinkrobots.varia?ref=itsfoss.com) If you are interested in the source code, then you can visit its [GitHub repo](https://github.com/giantpinkrobots/varia?ref=itsfoss.com). *💬 Do let me know your experience if you try it on your system!*