If you are looking to spend some time torrenting online, the safest way to do this is with a reputable VPN. With a tried-and-tested VPN, you can torrent with fast speeds, a private connection, and reliable leak protection to ensure you are protected at all times online.
While torrenting is not inherently illegal, there are a lot of risks associated with visiting torrenting sites. If you find yourself accidentally downloading or sharing any files online that are copyrighted, you could wind up in trouble with content owners, your ISP, or even the authorities. If you visit a torrenting site unprotected, you are vulnerable to hackers, malware, and prying eyes.
There are many risks associated with torrenting, but all it takes is a reputable Virtual Private Network (VPN) to counteract almost all of these threats.
Unfortunately, not every VPN on the market will work well when it comes to torrenting, and some will even make it more difficult and riskier to access your torrenting sites. We have tested over 3 dozen VPNs and have come up with the top 5 VPNs on the market that will fulfill your torrenting needs.
Some of the features that we looked for in our top VPNs for downloading torrents were unlimited bandwidth, a no-logs policy, leak protection, a Kill Switch, a clear privacy policy, and fast download speeds.
Keep on reading to learn more about the top 5 VPNs on the market that will work the best with your torrent client and will help you download torrents with fast download speed, top privacy and security, and affordable prices.
*VPN Brains does not condone any illegal activity, such as downloading pirated or copyrighted files.
In a Hurry? Here Are the 5 Best Cheap VPNs for Torrenting
How to Choose the Top VPN for Torrenting
When you are looking for the best choices for safe and effective VPNs for your torrenting needs, here are the important features to take into consideration when choosing the best product:
Location:
It is hard to think about privacy without taking into consideration the 5/9/14 Eyes Alliance. This Alliance is made up of a network of countries that help spy on its citizens collaboratively.
If you are looking for a VPN that is private and offers you the best protection, it is important to use one in a privacy-friendly jurisdiction, outside of the 5/9/14 Eyes Alliance.
Countries that participate in these alliances are Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Spain, Sweden, UK, and the US.
ExpressVPN, NordVPN, and Surfhsark are our go-to choices for torrenting because they are in privacy-friendly locations. ExpressVPN and Surfkshark are based in the British Virgin Islands, and NordVPN is based in Panama. CyberGhost is also a privacy-friendly option, as it is based in Romania.
VPN Kill Switch:
A Kill Switch is an important feature that is necessary for any VPN you are using for torrenting. With a Kill Switch, if your VPN connection cuts out for some reason, even for a split second, this switch cuts your Internet traffic until your VPN connection is re-established so your unencrypted Internet traffic is never exposed to other people who are torrenting on your site or to hackers or prying eyes. On ExpressVPN, this switch is called Network Lock.
Leak Protection:
When you are using a virtual private network for torrenting, one of the main goals is to keep your actual IP address and location private online. Some VPN services may inadvertently leak this actual IP address through WebRTC, IPv6, or DNS leaks.
The solution to this problem is to get an undetectable VPN that also offers DNS leak protection so no one is able to tell what you are torrenting.
No-Logging:
A good VPN for torrenting is one that will not log or store any of your traffic and information. If your VPN stores your information, it could potentially be used against you if it is demanded by the government or authorities. A no-logging policy combined with a privacy-friendly location is the best combination when looking to do any P2P sharing.
Fast Speeds and No Bandwidth Caps:
Since you use a lot of data when torrenting, it is important to have a VPN with unlimited bandwidth and fast speeds. Without adequate speed and endless bandwidth, your downloads will be very slow and ineffective, and torrenting will become a frustrating ordeal.
Support for P2P Sharing:
It is a common misconception that all VPNs support P2P sharing and torrenting. The reality is that not all VPNs do, and if you use a VPN that does not allow torrenting on its servers, or does not have designated P2P servers, you can find yourself blocked from the VPN service or in trouble with the law. ExpressVPN supports P2P sharing on all 3000 of its servers in 94 countries around the world, while NordVPN has hundreds of specialty servers designated for P2P sharing.
5 Best VPN Services for Safe and Private Torrenting
While there are many VPNs on the market, not all of them are the best options for torrenting. After an in-depth look at the important features that make a VPN good for P2P sharing, we have come up with this list of the best VPNs for torrenting in 2024:
1. ExpressVPN
ExpressVPN is the best VPN for torrenting in 2024.
With more than 3,000 lightning-fast servers around the world, ExpressVPN will give you the most consistent connection speeds — whether you are connected to a local or long-distance server in any of ExpressVPN’s 94-country locations.
ExpressVPN’s great speed is very useful when trying to download files or access torrenting content on any P2P sharing sites.
P2P traffic is supported on all of ExpressVPN’s servers, and ExpressVPN also offers a split tunneling feature, which can help you customize your online activity for torrenting by sending your torrenting activity through your encrypted server while leaving other activity out of your tunnel.
Using ExpressVPN, you can unblock geo-restricted sites in many countries around the globe — such as Netflix, Hulu, BBC iPlayer, HBO GO, Disney+, and many other streaming platforms.
Users can connect to ExpressVPN for torrenting on all main devices, including Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, and others; and you can connect up to 5 devices simultaneously to a single user account, so you can be connecting to P2P servers for torrenting while other members of your household visit other geo-blocked websites or use a different server for access to gaming content.
In terms of privacy and security, ExpressVPN protects you and your activity with AES 256-bit military-grade encryption, leak protection, split tunneling, an automatic Kill Switch, and OpenVPN across all platforms.
For those of you who want to make sure you use a VPN in a privacy-friendly locale, ExpressVPN is based in the British Virgin Islands, which is outside the 5/9/14 Eyes Alliance; and it also has a strict no-logging policy, so there will never be any chance that your information will be logged or handed over to the authorities.
If you ever have trouble accessing a torrenting site, or any other website, using an ExpressVPN server, you can quickly ask one of the Express 24/7 live customer support representatives who will help advise you on a better server option in seconds.
And if you want to test your BitTorrent client with ExpressVPN before committing to a long-term plan (which is the cheapest of the subscription plans), you can test your sites for a month with ExpressVPN’s money-back guarantee.
- Best download speeds
- Live chat Support
- Best security and privacy features
- 5 simultaneous devices
- 30-day money-back guarantee
- More expensive than the other VPNs
2. NordVPN
If you’re planning on torrenting, NordVPN is one of the best services to use with your torrent client. With more than 5,200 servers in over 59 countries, NordVPN will help you connect to a fast, secure server anywhere in the world with reliable, fast connection speeds.
The NordVPN server network will help you torrent securely on any of NordVPN’s hundreds of specialty P2P servers optimized for P2P sharing. If you’re looking to use NordVPN to access a particular blocked streaming service, you can use NordVPN to unblock 14+ Netflix libraries by changing your Netflix region, or other streaming sites like Hulu, BBC iPlayer, and Amazon Prime Video.
As far as privacy and security goes, NordVPN offers AES 256-bit encryption, a Kill Switch, OpenVPN protocols, and a strict no-logging policy. It also has a built-in ad blocker, CyberSec, to provide an extra layer of protection against malware and dangerous popups that are often on torrenting sites.
It’s good to note that NordVPN is based out of Panama, which is outside the 5/9/14 Eyes Alliance, so this, on top of the no-logging policy, makes it a great choice for users who value privacy.
NordVPN offers unlimited bandwidth and has apps compatible with Mac, Windows, Android, iOS, and Linux; and you connect up to 6 devices to one user subscription without affecting adversely connection speeds.
NordVPN users can connect to a customer support representative in seconds with the NordVPN 24/7 live support option; and if you want to test NordVPN while torrenting before committing to a plan, you can do this with NordVPN’s 30-day money-back guarantee.
- Fast connection speeds
- Strict no-logging policy
- 30-day money-back guarantee
- Specialized servers for P2P sharing
- Works with BitTorrent client
- Speed can be slower in advanced mode
- Does not allow port forwarding
3. Surfshark
Surfshark is one of the best cheap torrenting VPNs in 2024.
While Surfshark isn’t quite as fast as the top two providers, its speeds are plenty good for streaming your favorite content and for torrenting easily.
If you’re taking a break from P2P sharing, Surfshark can also unblock your favorite movies and TV shows on the most popular streaming services, like Hulu, Netflix, HBO GO, Disney+, and Amazon Prime Video (not on mobile devices), and more.
Torrenters can connect to Surfhsark with Windows, iOS, Android, Mac, and Linux; and an unlimited number of devices can connect to a single Surfshark account at once, protecting all of these devices with the Surfshark encryption. This number of permitted devices is more than both NordVPN and ExpressVPN permit.
If you’re concerned about your privacy and security when torrenting, Surfshark has top security features, like AES 256-bit encryption, double encryption, split tunneling, an automatic Kill Switch, and its built-in CleanWeb suite to block malware and ads on torrenting sites.
Surfshark is based in the British Virgin Islands, which is outside of the 5/9/14 Eyes Alliance, and it has a zero-logs policy, so you should never worry that your online traffic is ever being tracked or stored.
This provider offers access to live-chat customer support 24/7, as well as a money-back guarantee for 30 days, giving users a chance to try Surfshark with no strings attached.
- Great security and privacy protection
- No-logs policy
- Money-back guarantee
- Unlimited simultaneous connections
- Very affordable
- User friendly
- Slower download speeds
- Split Tunnel only on Windows & Android
4. CyberGhost
CyberGhost has an impressively large server network with over 7,300 servers in more than 91 countries around the world.
CyberGhost has P2P-optimized servers to help ensure you are always torrenting securely, and unlimited bandwidth to make sure you can download files seamlessly with no lag.
With CyberGhost’s servers located in over 91 countries, you can easily get IP addresses that will allow you to unblock content all around the world, including popular streaming sites, like Disney +, HBO GO, Hulu, Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and more.
CyberGhost is compatible with Mac, Windows, Android, or iOS-based devices, and you can connect and secure Internet traffic on as many as 7 devices simultaneously.
If you plan on accessing a P2P website from a heavily censored country, it is good to know that your P2P activity is always private with CyberGhost, which is headquartered in the privacy-friendly Romania and has a strict no-logs policy.
CyberGhost also offers AES 256-bit encryption, a Kill Switch, and its own ad blocker, which is very useful when browsing torrenting sites that tend to be full of ads.
Unique from its competitors, CyberGhost offers its users a longer 45-day money-back guarantee, giving them lots of time to try out CyberGhost with no strings attached.
In terms of a cheap option for torrenting, CyberGhost is the cheapest provider on this list, making it a great option for torrenting on a tight budget.
- Specialty P2P servers
- Strict no-logs policy
- Cheap VPN for torrenting
- Money-back guarantee for 45 days
- 7 devices simultaneously on an account
- Compatible with all major platforms
- Slower long-distance speeds
5. UltraVPN
While UltraVPN is smaller than the top 4 providers on our list, its speed is good, and it is a reliable and affordable option for visiting P2P sites in 2024.
We wish there was more information that was readily available on the UltraVPN website regarding P2P connections, but we did verify that UltraVPN does allow unlimited torrenting on almost all of its servers.
If you aren’t torrenting, UltraVPN is also able to unblock top streaming sites like Hulu, Netflix, and HBO GO, but, unfortunately, it is not able to consistently unblock BBC iPlayer or Disney+.
UltraVPN is compatible with Mac, Windows, Linux, Android, and iOS, and you can connect up to 6 devices simultaneously to a single account.
UltraVPN offers the best standard in encryption, with AES 256-bit encryption, as well as a strict no-logs policy, and an automatic Kill Switch that will protect your unencrypted data in the event that your secure connection cuts out.
If you are concerned about surveillance, it is good to note that UltraVPN is based in the US, which is in the 5/9/14 Eyes Alliance. While UltraVPN does not log user activity, it does collect the user‘s IP address, location, and device information.
- 6 simultaneous device connections
- 30-day refund guarantee
- Strict no-logs policy
- 24/7 technical support
- Military-grade encryption
- Keeps some logs
- Slower download speed
- In the privacy-unfriendly USA
- Limited features
5 Best Cheap VPNs: Quick Comparison
Take a look at this chart that compares the top providers for torrenting on the market today: ExpressVPN, NordVPN, Surfshark, CyberGhost, and UltraVPN.
While all of these providers offer services at a slightly different price, they all have a zero-logs policy, good download speed, IP address protection, and leak protection, so you are always torrenting safely and securely with your BitTorrent torrent client.
Can I Use a Free VPN for Torrenting
Although it may be tempting to use a free VPN for torrenting, it is best to avoid this temptation.
While there are many reasons why using free torrenting VPNs is unwise, here are some of the most important factors to take into consideration when deciding whether to take a chance on a free service:
Speed: When torrenting effectively, speed is a crucial factor. If you use a VPN provider that is not proven to have good speeds, you could wind up spending more time than you had bargained for waiting for your files to download. Because free VPNs often have fewer servers than reputable paid VPNs, and these VPN servers tend to be in more populated areas, there is often crowding on servers, which will slow your speeds significantly.
Bandwidth Caps: Most free services only make a limited amount of bandwidth available to users, as they don’t have the budget to offer more. For regular torrenting, this limited bandwidth is not sufficient. The paid VPNs on our list offer unlimited bandwidth, so you never have to worry that your downloads will be incomplete.
Privacy: While most people use VPNs for privacy, free VPNs often serve the opposite purpose, exposing your private traffic to third parties, and even selling you out to advertisers. Because free VPNs are not making a profit from your subscription, they often make ends meet by selling your IP addresses and user information to advertisers, the government, or hackers. (Does that sound like an appealing sales pitch to you?)
Ads: Because free VPNs rely heavily on ads, you may find yourself confronted with ads that you put you at risk for trackers and malware. If you are looking to use a virtual private network for privacy and security, finding that your free service has actually compromised your privacy is a big letdown.
Limited Access: Aside from using free VPNs when torrenting, they are also used for accessing geo-blocked content online. Unfortunately, it is uncommon to find free VPNs that will actually succeed at consistently unblocking any popular streaming sites, like Hulu or Netflix.
Using a VPN that works well when torrenting may cost you a few dollars per month, but it will save you the headache of dealing with all of the above issues, which could wind up costing you much more monetarily if your private information is leaked. A reputable provider, like ExpressVPN or NordVPN, will help you torrent safely and stream blocked content easily from anywhere in the world.
We recommend using ExpressVPN, the best choice for torrenting in 2024.
With ExpressVPN, all 3,000 servers in 94 countries around the world support P2P sharing, and you get the best privacy and security features, like military-grade encryption, and a no-logging policy, so you know you are protected without a doubt each time you access the web.
VPNs You Should Avoid
While some services are great for torrenting, some will put you at risk instead of offering the protection you are seeking. Here are a few of the VPNs that are not recommended for torrenting in 2024:
Hotspot Shield: While this VPN is popular, it is not recommended for torrenting. Although most VPNs have no limits on bandwidth, it is also important to take into consideration whether your VPN logs your bandwidth usage. Unfortunately, Hotspot Shield does log your bandwidth use, and because of the large amount of bandwidth used when torrenting, storing this bandwidth usage is akin to storing your torrenting log.
TunnelBear: While some providers are clearly good options for torrenting, TunnelBear is a bit of an unknown. Because it is so vague in terms of its P2P servers and support for torrenting, we think it is best to avoid this VPN if torrenting is something you plan to do regularly online. There are plenty of providers that openly support P2P sharing, so we recommend going with one of these instead.
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FAQs
In most countries, torrenting itself is not inherently illegal, but torrenting illegal, copyrighted, or pirated files is against the law.
Because torrenting sites are often used for torrenting illegal content, many of these sites have been blocked by certain countries to discourage illegality online.
In order to make sure you don’t wind up in legal trouble torrenting in countries that may frown up torrent sites, using a torrenting VPN is crucial. While the best thing to do is to learn the laws of your own country and to follow them, it is also critical to realize that it is way too easy to torrent illegal files even by accident, and protecting yourself in these instances could mean the difference between your freedom or your imprisonment.
In a country like the US, for instance, you could find yourself in jail for up to 5 years, and with a fine of up to $150,000 for each illegal file downloaded if you are not protected online.
To make sure you always have private Internet access and a secure torrenting connection, always use a reliable VPN for torrenting.
Your actual IP address reveals information like your location and your Internet Service Provider. VPNs are the best way to conceal this identifying information and protect your privacy online, showing your ISP, other torrenters, authorities, or copyright owners only the IP address that reveals your proxy server location — not your actual location.
The security features and privacy criteria to look for in good VPNs for your torrenting needs are a verified no-logs policy, good speeds, unlimited bandwidth, and a Kill Switch that will protect your online activity in the event that your VPN connection drops even for a few seconds, ensuring that your unencrypted traffic is never revealed online.
Torrenting with any of the providers on the list above — like ExperssVPN or NordVPN — will give you features such as:
Leak protection
Kill switch
Military-grade encryption
Fast speeds
Zero-logs policy
Designated P2P servers
And more
Anytime you are downloading torrents, you are visible to other people who are downloading the same file. Using a BitTorrent client without using any VPN, these people will all have access to your real IP address and your location.
When you torrent with a VPN, your real IP address is masked and you are instead given an IP that corresponds to one of your VPN servers. Aside from hiding your real IP address, a VPN protects your traffic with military-grade encryption, leak protection, a Kill Switch, and a no-logging policy.
ExpressVPN is easy to use for beginners, customizable for advanced users, and it is compatible with all major devices and platforms, like Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS.
The feature that constantly pushes ExpressVPN to the top of the list is its record-breaking speeds when streaming, gaming, torrenting, or browsing the web. While using a virtual private network slows your activity slightly, with a premium provider — like ExpressVPN — this slowdown is barely noticeable.
You can test out ExpressVPN for up to 30 days with its refund policy, and contact ExpressVPN’s stellar customer support if there are any questions or issues that come up with your service.
A SOCKS5 proxy connection sends your online traffic through an online proxy server, which will hide your actual IP address, giving you an IP address from one of its proxy servers instead so that you remain hidden and anonymous on the web.
It is important to realize that a SOCKS5 proxy server will not encrypt your traffic like a VPN does. So, if you use a SOCKS5 proxy for P2P sharing, your torrenting will be faster, but it will also be visible to government officials, third parties, your ISP, or content owners, exposing you to threats online. With this SOCKS5 proxy connection, if you accidentally find yourself downloading a file that is copyrighted, you could wind up in big trouble.
While some people will opt for a SOCKS5 proxy server instead of a VPN server for certain activity that does not need top security protection, forgoing your online protection is a hard decision to make. Thankfully, the top VPN providers these days actually deliver VPN speeds that are very fast, making it unnecessary to forego your VPN connection for the SOCKS5 proxy speed.
Because of the inherent risks involved in torrenting, it is always a better idea to use a VPN server for torrenting instead of just using the SOCKS5 proxy. With a VPN, your traffic passes through an encrypted tunnel, so even if you are torrenting illegally, you are safe. This is not the case with a SOCKS5 proxy.
Some people use port forwarding as a way to get better speeds when torrenting online.
Your network routers have NAT firewalls that safeguard your online network from particular traffic, which might include torrenting traffic. By using port forwarding, you can set up your VPN configuration so your device can get through this NAT firewall without being blocked or slowed, giving you a better, faster connection when you are visiting torrenting sites.
The problem with port forwarding is that this process makes you more easily tracked because you are using more easily-detected open ports, unlike most other users. Because you stand out, you will have less privacy on the web.
If you want to test this port forwarding, you can set this up on some of the above services, like ExpressVPN. NordVPN does not offer this option, so if you want to try out this feature, NordVPN is not the choice for you.
On some VPN apps, this kill switch will be enabled automatically, while on others you will need to go to the settings to enable this switch. Before torrenting, make sure that you have activated the Kill Switch so that none of your activity is leaked on the internet.
Connecting a VPN server in a country that is considered “torrent-friendly” is the best option, but which countries are considered torrent-friendly?
Certain countries are less strict when it comes to file-sharing and also have less strict copyright laws. In these countries, ISPs won’t try to throttle or block torrenting sites, which will make your torrenting activity smoother.
Here is a list of some of the safest countries to connect to for your torrenting:
Mexico
Poland
Spain
Switzerland
While Canada and the USA do have strict laws concerning copyright infringement, they very infrequently enforce these violations, and it is rare to hear of someone who wound up in jail because of file-sharing offenses.
The top providers, like ExpressVPN and NordVPN, offer P2P servers in all of these locations.
Conclusion
If you are looking to make sure your IP is concealed and your privacy is protected every time you are torrenting online, a VPN is the best tool to help you.
A VPN will help you torrent with fast speeds and reliable leak protection, so your activity — no matter how questionably legal — cannot come back to haunt you.
ExpressVPN costs a few dollars more than its competitors at $6.67 per month, but it is well worth those few extra bucks if you need a VPN that is absolutely the most reliable with the fastest download speeds on the market.
ExpressVPN offers all of the important features that make a VPN optimal for downloading torrents, including a strict no-logs policy, a Kill Switch, leak protection, and military-grade encryption.
Get the best deal on ExpressVPN today!
