The publisher describes the network as similar in function to Kazaa's FastTrack network. Ares used to work off the Gnutella network, but six months after its creation, they switched to their own network, consisting of leaves and supernodes.
There are several reasons why people prefer Ares galaxy over other networks such as Kazaa and Gnutella. Proponents of the software claim that it has faster download times, better swarm downloads, no spyware or adware, and faster and more complete searches than other file-sharing programs. Ares also has the additional feature of chat rooms. Also, as of September 2003, Ares is not currently being targeted by the RIAA as Kazaa is. It also doesn't have slow connection times like Gnutella.