We’ve all been tempted to download a torrent file at some point in our lives. Even though torrenting seems like a pretty straightforward task, it can have serious repercussions unless you’re using a Virtual Private Network (VPN) for torrenting.
Keeping this in mind, I have reviewed over 160+ VPNs and shortlisted the 6 best VPNs for torrenting, which can obscure your identity from law enforcement agencies, ISPs, and copyright owners. You can also check out our detailed VPN comparison table for 2021.
Feeling lazy? Here are the 6 best VPNs for torrenting anonymously. If you don’t wish to go through our detailed provider description, you can quickly jump to our overview of the best torrenting VPNs.
- ExpressVPN – Best Torrenting VPN for Travelers
- Surfshark – Best Torrenting VPN for Affordability
- NordVPN – Best Torrenting VPN For Privacy
- PureVPN – Best Optimized P2P Servers
- CyberGhost – Best Torrenting VPN for Mac
- PIA VPN – Best Torrenting VPN for Windows Software
If I had to recommend one VPN that I would personally use for torrenting, it has to be ExpressVPN. It’s probably the best VPN for downloading torrents because of its fast connection speeds, impressive privacy policies, and security features for torrenting / P2P sharing.
Breakdown of our Top VPNs for Torrenting
With so many VPNs on the market, it was hard to know which was best for our purpose of torrenting without testing them out ourselves, so that’s what we did. Here’s a breakdown of features included in our favourite VPNs for torrenting:
| VPNs | ExpressVPN | Surfshark | NordVPN | CyberGhost | Private Internet Access | PureVPN |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jurisdiction | The British Virgin Islands | The British Virgin Islands | Panama | Romania | USA | USA |
| Servers | 3,200 | 3,200 | 5,410 | 7,057 | 33,429 | 6,500+ |
| Countries | 94 | 65+ | 59 | 91 | 74 | 140+ |
| Does VPN log Files of IP addresses and web activity? | No | No | No | No | No | No |
| Simultaneous Connections | 5 | Unlimited | 6 | 7 | 10 | 10 |
| Internet Kill Switch | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Encryption | IKEv2, IPSec | AES-256-GCM | IKEv2, IPSec, SHA2-384, PFS | AES-256 | AES-256 | AES-256 |
| More Info | ExpressVPN Review | Surfshark Review | NordVPN Review | CyberGhost Review | PIA Review | PureVPN Review |
Why are VPNs necessary for Torrenting?
While torrenting itself is completely legal, it can still be a risky business. Many people use this technology to share and download copyrighted content, which means it is always a wise decision to hide your identity from your Internet Service Provider and any other local authority.
A quality VPN will not only mask your actual IP address but also encrypt your internet traffic to keep your online activity private. This is essential when you are torrenting so that no one can see what you are downloading. If you downloaded something you’re not supposed to – you don’t have to worry about legal repercussions.
Also, in many countries torrenting websites are blocked, so you can unblock them with the help of a VPN and also bypass any restrictions set up by the Internet Service Provider.
Because torrenting is a risky business, using a VPN should be your absolute priority. A Virtual Private Network (VPN) masks your original IP address and assigns you a different IP address that many users share. This makes it impossible for anyone, including your Internet Provider, to identify your online activities uniquely.
Best VPN Services For Torrenting 2021
Now that you know why you should be using the Best VPN for P2P/torrenting, here are some of the best torrenting VPNs you should use in 2021.
1. ExpressVPN – Best Torrenting VPN for Travelers
| Based in | BVI [SAFE] |
| Prices | $6.67/mo |
| Servers | 3000+ (94 Countries) |
| Log | No Logs |
| Multi Login | 5 Devices |
| Refund | 30 Days |
| Recommended | Yes |
| Website | ExpressVPN.com |
ExpressVPN is one of the most secure VPN for torrenting right now. It covers all the bases you should expect from a top-rated VPN, supporting torrenting on all of its networks of 3,000+ servers. ExpressVPN offers 24/7 live chat support to its customers and unlimited bandwidth.
ExpressVPN is completely P2P compatible and works best with uTorrent, BitTorrent, and other clients to keep it short and simple. This provider position in the best torrenting VPN list is no surprise considering it has so much to offer at the highest quality.
Is ExpressVPN Safe for Torrenting?
Yes, ExpressVPN is totally safe for torrenting. In terms of jurisdiction, this VPN company is based in the British Virgin Islands (BVI), a state favored by privacy advocates for its lack of mandatory data retention laws.
ExpressVPN even has an excellent logging policy, which is famous for keeping no logs. To be exact, the provider keeps no records whatsoever of the highlighted data below:
Not only that, ExpressVPN’s zero-knowledge DNS feature, strong encryption such as AES Encryption, and ultimate leak protection is unlike any other VPN service in the industry and perfectly hides your torrenting activities from snoopers. ExpressVPN also uses perfect forward secrecy for added security, which wipes your session data right after it ends. With perfect forward secrecy, you’re assigned a new dynamic encryption key every 60 minutes (session end), so no one can identify your previous session activities even if your device gets compromised.
P2P Performance & Speed ExpressVPN is equipped with powerful features to deliver blazing fast speeds and security every time raw performance is concerned.
Their robust server park managed to deliver consistent 26 Mbps speeds on my 30 Mbps connection. These speeds are on an international server of ExpressVPN, far away from my home. The excellent combination of a privacy-friendly jurisdiction, great logging policy, IP leak protection, advanced security, and fast speeds establishes this VPN as the best VPN for torrenting.
| Country | Download Speed | Upload Speed | Ping |
| Canada | 29.32 Mbps | 22.32 Mbps | 59 ms |
| United Kingdom | 21.85 Mbps | 21.45 Mbps | 51 ms |
| France | 23.56 Mbps | 27.65 Mbps | 53 ms |
| Germany | 24.47 Mbps | 25.41 Mbps | 57 ms |
| Australia | 20.19 Mbps | 28.93 Mbps | 46 ms |
| Italy | 25.98 Mbps | 20.46 Mbps | 49 ms |
Due to its great speed, it’s also the best VPN for streaming on Kodi, Firestick, and more. Check out our other ExpressVPN links on our site for more information.
Best VPN Provider for Torrenting!
ExpressVPN is my ultimate recommendation to torrent with its sophisticated privacy tools, multiple devices support, and blazing fast speeds.
Not only that, powerful features like a built-in kill switch are perfect for dealing with legal risks associated with P2P file sharing. For a complete feature list including pros and cons, check out our all-inclusive ExpressVPN review.
2. Surfshark – Best Torrenting VPN for Affordability
| Based in | BVI [SAFE] |
| Price | $2.49/mo |
| Servers | 3200+ (65 Countries) |
| Logs | No Logs |
| Multi-login | Unlimited Devices |
| Refund | 30 Days |
| Recommended | YES |
| Website | Surfshark.com |
Surfshark is an excellent choice for secure and private torrenting on a budget. If you’re the kind of person who’s looking for an ultra-affordable and strongly encrypted best VPN to torrent with, Surfshark has you covered.
Is Surfshark Safe for Torrenting?
Yes! Since most Surfshark VPN servers support P2P sharing/torrenting, you have nothing to worry about. It is the rightful owner of the third spot in the list of best torrenting VPNs.
Not only that, since Surfshark is also based in the British Virgin Islands, It’s free from any law mandating them to keep user data logs. Similar to ExpressVPN, Surfshark does not collect logs of any data that can be used to compromise your privacy.
Also, Surfshark’s leak protection feature is quite capable and can easily prevent your IP from leaking accidentally.
P2P Performance & Speed
The Windows, Mac, and iOS apps of Surfshark have a kill switch feature that can prevent your data from falling through the digital cracks.
In terms of speeds, in my testing, Surfshark managed to deliver decent download speeds. Surfshark is the fastest VPN service with all the important security, privacy features, and speed factors that any reliable VPN for torrenting should have. It offers the best download speeds and has a network of 3200+ fastest VPN servers.
| Country | Download Speed | Upload Speed | Ping |
| Canada | 23.15 Mbps | 23.25 Mbps | 60 ms |
| United Kingdom | 20.68 Mbps | 22.47 Mbps | 52 ms |
| France | 28.74 Mbps | 21.68 Mbps | 54 ms |
| Germany | 20.95 Mbps | 20.14 Mbps | 58 ms |
| Australia | 22.74 Mbps | 19.65 Mbps | 49 ms |
| Italy | 23.78 Mbps | 23.54 Mbps | 43 ms |
Fastest VPN For Torrenting!
Surfshark is by far the fastest VPN for torrenting that I’ve personally tested. It is also super secure. Ad-blocker (CleanWeb), split-tunneling (WhiteLister), and VPN chaining (MultiHop), powerful encryption, kill switch, and tons of other features are all available in Surfshark by default. This is the only VPN provider on our list that offers unlimited simultaneous connections on a single account.
What’s more, it is currently available at an affordable price of $2.49/mo . Considering affordability, Surfshark is probably the best VPN service for torrenting out there.
Find out what makes this VPN service for torrenting so good in our detailed Surfshark review.
3. NordVPN – Powerful Torrenting VPN
| Based in | Panama |
| Prices | $3.71/mo |
| Servers | 5400+ (59 Countries) |
| Log | No Logs |
| Multi Logings | 6 Devices |
| Refund | 30 Days Money Back |
| Recommended | Yes |
| Website | NordVPN.com |
NordVPN induction to the best torrenting VPN list is due to its fast, secure, and amazing features for a streamlined and safe torrenting experience. The provider has many dedicated servers reserved for P2P networking in its network of 5400+ servers in 59+ countries. Just like ExpressVPN, NordVPN also supports 24/7 live chat support.
Is NordVPN safe for Torrenting?
NordVPN is perfectly safe for torrenting. It’s easy to see why. The provider is based in Panama, a country that does not impose any mandatory data retention requirements on ISPs and VPN providers. The laws in Panama protect user privacy from surveillance and other intrusive activities.
Furthermore, NordVPN has no-log privacy policies as it stores no personally identifiable information of its users:
The combination of a safe jurisdiction and the commitment of NordVPN to protecting user privacy with no logs is what makes this service a great choice for so many torrenters. In other words, it can be regarded as a good VPN for torrenting.
P2P Performance & Speed
NordVPN is free from any IP/DNS leaks and has excellent controls in place to ensure that user identity remains completely hidden:
If we talk about the NordVPN speed test, it managed to reach 22 Mbps on a 30 Mbps connection.
| Country | Download Speed | Upload Speed | Ping |
| Canada | 21.15 Mbps | 20.36 Mbps | 55 ms |
| United Kingdom | 23.68 Mbps | 19.25 Mbps | 47 ms |
| France | 20.74 Mbps | 25.78 Mbps | 49 ms |
| Germany | 24.95 Mbps | 26.78 Mbps | 53 ms |
| Australia | 19.74 Mbps | 25.98 Mbps | 44 ms |
| Italy | 25.78 Mbps | 19.25 Mbps | 38 ms |
Best VPN for Torrenting Anonymously
NordVPN offers a lot of valuable features. Some of these extra features include Double VPN, which is basically the name given to VPN chaining techniques – the process of moving user traffic through 2 distinct VPN servers – for added privacy and encryption. It also makes it one of the best VPN for Tor.
It offers a built-in Kill switch feature on MAC, Windows, iOS, and Android so that your real IP isn’t exposed in the case of VPN disconnection. Not to forget, it offers a handy Split-tunneling feature in case you wish to use two different networks at the same time.
Other than that, it has multiple privacy features, which include a built-in ad blocker (CyberSec) and Onion over VPN to layer your traffic through a maze of nodes and networks for greatly enhanced web anonymity and privacy. It also has some servers primed for obfuscation that enable access to heavily restricted websites or services.
When you sum all these benefits together, it is hard to find a better deal for users seeking a strong privacy solution for their torrenting needs. NordVPN surely proves to be the Best VPN for Torrenting Anonymously. You can try it yourself with its 30-day money-back guarantee. If you want to know more about this VPN, you can check out our NordVPN review.
4. PureVPN – Optimized P2P Servers
| Based in | Hong Kong |
| Price | $3.33/mo |
| Servers | 6500+ (140+ Countries) |
| Logs | No Logs |
| Multi Logins | 10 Devices |
| Refund | 31 Days Money Back |
| Recommended | yes |
| Website | PureVPN.com |
If we shortlist the top VPN for torrents, the list wouldn’t be complete without PureVPN. In fact, PureVPN has made enough improvements over the years to make it into this list of best torrenting VPNs. It now offers 24/7 live chat support to its customers and unlimited bandwidth.
Is PureVPN Safe For Torrenting?
Well, considering that PureVPN supports P2P filesharing on a wide range of servers, it is perfect for securely downloading torrents. Speaking of servers, PureVPN now offers a network of 6500+ servers all over the world. In addition to that, as per PureVPN’s updated privacy policy, they clearly state that they do not keep any logs.
PureVPN is also free from VPN leaks, making it a perfect VPN to download torrents anonymously.
P2P Performance & Speed
Moving on to performance, PureVPN is an absolute pleasure to use. For instance, the Windows app has a built-in Internet Kill Switch to prevent your IP address from leaking.
Taking a look at speeds, PureVPN managed to deliver exceptional download speeds with slightly compromised upload speeds.
| Country | Download Speed | Upload Speed | Ping |
| Canada | 19.15 Mbps | 20.45 Mbps | 50 ms |
| United Kingdom | 23.97 Mbps | 23.65 Mbps | 45 ms |
| France | 18.74 Mbps | 19.74 Mbps | 43 ms |
| Germany | 24.32 Mbps | 25.36 Mbps | 42 ms |
| Australia | 17.46 Mbps | 19.46 Mbps | 35 ms |
| Italy | 25.23 Mbps | 23.65 Mbps | 40 ms |
Best Optimized Servers For P2P Sharing!
PureVPN made it to our top 5 VPNs list because of its stable P2P compatible servers. Moreover, it doesn’t leave much to complain about, especially on the Windows platforms that include features like a kill switch and built-in ad-blocker that helps you keep your torrent client ad-free whether you’re using Windows Mac. It also provides a port forwarding feature in addition to the enhanced security features.
Moreover, it gives users the ability to make 10 simultaneous connections with one single account and a handy Split-tunneling feature. It also comes with a 31-day money-back guarantee, so you can freely test it out risk-free. After Surfshark unlimited simultaneous connections feature, PureVPN offers the most connection for a single account on this list. With all the security features, optimized servers, and affordable prices, PureVPN surely is one of the best VPN for torrenting.
If we talk about pricing, you can get for only $3.33/mo . Its affordable price makes it one of the best affordable VPNs among its alternatives. For more well-rounded details of this VPN, check out our PureVPN review.
5. CyberGhost – Best Torrenting VPN for Mac
| Based in | Romania |
| Price | $2.25/mo |
| Servers | 6997 in 90 Countries) |
| Logs | No Logs |
| Multi Login | 7 Devices |
| Refund | 45 Days |
| Recommended | YES |
| Website | CyberGhostVPN.com |
CyberGhost has been around for almost a decade and is among the very few reputed services out there to perform P2P activities. It offers 6500+ servers in total, out of which plenty are optimized for P2P. Unlike Surfshark, it doesn’t support unlimited simultaneous connections, but 7 simultaneous connection is also pretty useful. It is a worthy inclusion in our list for the best torrenting VPN.
Is CyberGhost Safe For Torrenting?
As I said, CyberGhost is among the very few safe torrenting VPNs out there. In fact, calling it the best VPN for torrents wouldn’t be an overstatement. If you torrent a lot, go and grab yourself a subscription plan of CyberGhost today.
Not only is CyberGhost fully BitTorrent compatible, but it also offers a dedicated P2P server. Even more impressively, CyberGhost has an entire mode selection feature to help you torrent anonymously, ensuring maximum security. It also has a kill-switch feature, which adds to the already advanced security features it holds. With its torrent anonymously feature, it can bypass blockages in most countries.
Still in doubt about CyberGhost protecting your online anonymity during torrenting? How about you check out its performance against one of the top-tier VPN providers in CyberGhost and NordVPN comparison. You will immediately understand why CyberGhost is a perfect choice for your torrenting needs.
Moving on to jurisdiction and CyberGhost is located in Romania, a country free from data retention la clutches. If you still have any doubts about CyberGhost, or wondering if CyberGhost is safe for torrenting, you can breathe a sigh of relief thanks to their zero logs policy.
Aside from that, CyberGhost boasts strong IPv4, IPv6, and DNS leak protection built into its apps, which is always nice to have.
P2P Performance & Speed
The speeds usually delivered by CyberGhost are noticeably slower than its competitors, but it’s still not too bad. In fact, the speeds are sufficient for performing tasks like streaming and torrent activities.
| Country | Download Speed | Upload Speed | Ping |
| Canada | 19.15 Mbps | 21.25 Mbps | 46 ms |
| United Kingdom | 20.97 Mbps | 24.85 Mbps | 45 ms |
| France | 26.74 Mbps | 23.78 Mbps | 40 ms |
| Germany | 25.32 Mbps | 22.65 Mbps | 38 ms |
| Australia | 18.46 Mbps | 20.97 Mbps | 33 ms |
| Italy | 22.23 Mbps | 29.23 Mbps | 31 ms |
P2P Friendly VPN With A 45-day Refund Policy!
CyberGhost is a capable VPN service that has earned a slot in the top 5 VPNs for torrenting courtesy of its ideal jurisdiction, no logs policy, protective features, and robust 45-day money-back guarantee. Read our in-depth CyberGhost review for more details.
6. PIA VPN – Powerful Torrent VPN
| Based in | United States |
| Price | $2.19/mo |
| Servers | 33,429 (74 Countries) |
| Logs | No Logs |
| Multi-login | 10 Devices |
| Refund | 30 Days |
| Recommended | YES |
| Website | PIAVPN.com |
One the last place in the list of best torrenting VPN, we have the PIA VPN. Private Internet Access offers highly optimized VPN servers (22719+ servers) that use 256-bit strong encryption such as AES Encryption with fast uploading speed.
Is PIA VPN Safe for Torrenting?
Yes! PIA VPN is perfectly safe for torrenting. It does not store any kind of user logs, i.e., no usage logs or connection logs. This way, you will have no privacy issues when downloading torrents from anywhere in the world.
P2P Performance and Speed
Private Internet Access VPN’s speeds are exceptional when it comes to torrenting. On my 30 Mbps internet connection, I found their servers decent, with 20.32 Mbps speed.
| Country | Download Speed | Upload Speed | Ping |
| Canada | 21.15 Mbps | 21.25 Mbps | 53 ms |
| United Kingdom | 19.97 Mbps | 24.85 Mbps | 52 ms |
| France | 22.74 Mbps | 23.78 Mbps | 41 ms |
| Germany | 18.32 Mbps | 22.65 Mbps | 49 ms |
| Australia | 24.46 Mbps | 20.97 Mbps | 42 ms |
| Italy | 16.23 Mbps | 29.23 Mbps | 36 ms |
Its kill switch feature is amazing too. It automatically prevents your IP from leaking in case PIA VPN stops working. When I performed the leak test, I did not notice my IP or DNS leaking, which is always reassuring.
It offers the most number of servers!
PIA VPN offers the most number of servers in the entire industry. In addition to that, it offers a 30-day money-back guarantee and 10 multi-logins as well.
Overall the Best VPN in terms of performance when Downloading Torrents.
As I said earlier, NordVPN is my top choice because it brings fast speed, P2P optimized servers, industry-standard encryption, Kill Switch, and other important features into the table for maximum online security, which makes it the top VPN for torrenting & P2P.
Most importantly, it has a super-affordable price that not many VPN providers in the industry are currently offering. The 30-day money-back guarantee means that you can virtually use it for free for the initial 30 days. This makes it the best free VPN for torrenting as well. It also provides 10 simultaneous connections to users with one single account.
To know more about this service, you can look at our NordVPN review. And if you’re looking to save money on VPNs, check out our amazing VPN deals and select the good VPN apps.
Video Review of The Best VPN for Torrenting
If you don’t want to go through the whole blog, here’s a video review of the best VPNs for torrenting safely and anonymously.
How to choose a good Torrenting VPN?
Below is a list of my 5 step testing criteria for choosing a torrenting VPN:
- Torrenting policy – Whether a VPN allows torrenting on their servers?
- Jurisdiction – Is the VPN provider located in safe and data retention-free jurisdiction?
- Logging Policy – The VPN logs what types of data?
- IP leaks – Does it leak a user’s real IP address?
- Speed – Is the VPN fast?
Note: The above-mentioned VPNs for torrenting are tested much more rigorously on a wider range of parameters in our dedicated guide on the best VPN for 2021.
VPNs that are NOT recommended for torrenting
While there are plenty of VPNs online, not all of them are safe for torrenting. Some VPNs don’t support P2P file-sharing or keep intrusive logs, making them not ideal for torrenting. Here are some VPNs that are nowhere near the best torrenting VPNs and should be avoided:
- Hola VPN – Doesn’t support torrenting and blocks BitTorrent traffic.
- TunnelBear – Based in Canada, which is part of the 5 eyes alliance.
- Turbo VPN – Compatible only with mobile devices and doesn’t support torrenting.
- Hoxx VPN – Logs information about your browser, pages viewed, IP address, and more.
Why do you need a VPN for Torrenting?
Yes, you definitely need the Best VPN for your torrenting activities. Getting caught downloading torrents red-handed can have repercussions far worse than simply receiving legal notices. Some individuals have been penalized with hefty fines in the USA and other countries for downloading torrents without using a VPN for torrenting. Thus, it’s hazardous to torrent without a VPN.
Opting for the best VPN software for torrenting routes all your traffic to a remote server and hides your torrenting traffic from third parties looking to hack or track your activities, and helps you secure your activities.
Here are a few powerful features that torrenting VPNs offer:
DNS, IPv6 & WebRTC leak protection
Even though VPNs are supposed to mask your IP address, some VPNs are known to suffer from leaks. If your DNS, IP address, or WebRTC gets leaked, your identity will be exposed to your ISP. This is why premium VPNs offer built-in leak protection that prevents such eventualities.
Port forwarding
Port forwarding is a powerful feature that is used for bypassing firewalls. This feature is also helpful in improving the count of peers on a P2P network. With more peers, it basically means that your downloads will be faster and more efficient.
Note: We strictly discourage any activity involving copyright infringement and urge readers to ONLY download legal torrents.
How does a VPN protect you when torrenting?
When torrenting, using a VPN protects you in one of two ways. Firstly, if you use a VPN, it’ll prevent your ISP and anyone else from knowing what you do online. Everything you search, download, or upload will get encrypted. This way, you’ll be able to download anything freely, and no one in the same swarm as you will know your identity.
Secondly, a reputable VPN keeps no logs of your online activities. This way, if law enforcement agencies or copyright holders were to ask your VPN provider to disclose any information, they’ll get nothing. With powerful encryption like AES Encryption and IP masking, you’ll never have to deal with any DMCA notices ever again.
The dangers of not using a good VPN for torrenting?
Downloading torrents is a risky business, so you will definitely want to protect your online identity while torrenting if you do not want to receive any DMCA notices. If you leave your online protection to a not-so-good VPN, then you may face trouble. Here are few dangers of not using a good VPN for torrenting.
Legal issues – By far, the biggest risk of downloading/uploading torrents is that majority of the content under consideration is copyrighted material. Hence, you may get entangled in legal issues if you don’t properly hide your identity. Any trace of downloading illegal torrent files or copyrighted material can lead to legal consequences. The resultant legal actions may include the issuance of DMCA-like notices, cancellation of ISP’s license, and the imposition of huge fines.
Malware-related risks – It is one of the more common issues faced by torrent users. Normally, you won’t even get to know that the file you’ve just downloaded consists of a virus. Infecting your computer with any such viruses may even lead to a complete shutdown. Using a VPN that protects against such risk is highly recommendable in these times.
Vulnerability to hacking attempts – It is a fact that if you download one torrent, you expose yourself to the risk of hacking attempts. Although P2P file sharing may not necessarily expose you to any direct threats, there is always a possibility of granting unauthorized access to your data, exposing yourself to online hack attacks. Therefore, hiding your tracks behind VPN protection is the best possible way to protect your data from being exposed to people with malicious intent.
The torrent activity being recorded – If you are not hiding your online identity and activity with a VPN, you can easily be tracked, monitored, and recorded online. Many random giant databases for torrenting activity seem to be appearing over the internet. Such databases publish all torrents under the user’s IP address. This information is logged, published online, and available for everyone to see. Unless you wish to become a target of copyright attorneys and media companies, using a good VPN for torrenting is highly advised.
Is using a VPN for torrenting legal?
Now I know what you’re thinking, can you go to jail for torrenting? Well, no! Considering that downloading torrent traffic cannot be counted as a criminal offense, you can’t be jailed for it.
That said, there are legal penalties for copyright infringement. These penalties vary from country to country. For instance, countries like Switzerland are considered one of the best VPN locations for torrenting, whereas the US is not.
Given the recent trends with copyright violations, torrenting without a good VPN is no longer worth the risk. After all, the consequences of copyright infringement can be severe. Here’s one headline from the United States that shows the dangers of downloading copyrighted material without a good VPN
Let’s see some recent legal cases relating to torrenting and the laws that apply to some of the countries that are the worst places to be download torrents without a VPN for torrenting.
United States
Is torrenting illegal in the US?
Well, in the United States, copyright infringement is penalized by law. Anyone found guilty of downloading copyrighted material without the authors’ permission can be jailed for up to five years and/or fined a maximum sum of $150,000 per file [Source].
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom enacted the Digital Economy Act, which increased the maximum prison sentence for copyright infringement from two years to 10 years.
Canada
According to the Copyright Modernization Act in Canada (aka “Bill C-11”), copyright infringement for non-commercial purposes (which is the case for most people downloading torrent traffic), a copyright owner can press for charges between $100 to $5,000s.
Australia
Online pirates in Australia can face fines up to AUD 117,000 as well as five years imprisonment. The government is now passing an even stricter anti-piracy law to protect copyright holders.
Germany
Online piracy is prohibited in Germany, with first-time offenders legally required to pay $200 in fines, with the maximum penalty being $1,300 for an individual, non-commercially motivated pirates.
Which VPNs Support Torrenting?
Besides the VPN Providers discussed above, I have listed a few other VPN services with p2p support.
To make it easier for you, I have compiled a simple chart below to help you decide for yourself if the VPN you’re using deserves to be labeled as the best VPN for peer to peer downloading:
For a much more detailed view of these services, you can see this detailed VPN comparison table for 2021.
Best VPN server locations for Torrenting
As a general rule of thumb, servers from Switzerland, Netherlands, Spain, and Mexico are considered the best location that allows torrenting. Because as I said earlier, not every country allows torrenting. In fact, the US, UK, and Canada are among the few countries that penalize torrenting to prevent digital piracy.
That said, as long as you’re using a VPN that uses powerful encryption and security protocols to mask your identity, you shouldn’t have to worry about which VPN servers you use.
Popcorn time and Torrenting
Popcorn time might be one of the most popular free media streaming platforms, and it is quite sketchy in terms of content legalities. Since popcorn time sources its contents through torrent, most of the content you’re going to stream will violate copyright laws.
Even though you’re not downloading copyrighted content directly from sources like the pirate bay, you’re still streaming the same content through Popcorn time. This is why most Popcorn time users opt for torrent VPNs. In fact, even the official Popcorn time website recommends torrenting through a VPN.
Check out some of the best VPNs for popcorn time here.
Do VPNs slow down Torrenting speeds?
To be honest, yes! Since VPNs use overhead encryption, your torrenting speeds are going to suffer.
Even though VPN and BitTorrent go hand in hand, these technologies can sometimes impact each other negatively. Slow speeds while torrenting can occur because of many different factors.
However, before delving down into the reasons, it is important that you first check your promised bandwidth to make sure you are getting what you paid for.
Online tools like speedtest.net should help you conduct a thorough evaluation.
Now that we have gotten that out of the way, it is time to discuss the reasons.
Best VPNs For Torrenting Reddit
As I said earlier, torrenting without a VPN can be seriously risky. In fact, here’s one torrent user who has received a “cease and desist or else letter” for downloading torrents:
Even though I’ve suggested NordVPN as the number one VPN for torrenting, Surprisingly enough, most Reddit users have suggested ExpressVPN as the best torrenting VPN without compromising security.
Most torrent users have suggested not to gamble with the best free VPNs for torrenting and only purchase premium P2P compatible VPNs if we talk about the best free VPN for torrenting on Reddit to ensure maximum security online activities.
It is commonly known that free VPN providers are incapable of delivering unlimited bandwidth. Not only that, if you choose the free P2P VPNs, you can’t expect uninterrupted speeds or anonymous connections.
Therefore, I highly suggest choosing one of the best VPN for torrenting suggested earlier in this blog post.
Torrent VPN Alternatives
- ExpressVPN for Torrents
- NordVPN for Torrents
- PIA for Torrents
- PureVPN for Torrents
- Ivacy VPN for Torrents
- Tunnelbear for Torrents
FAQs
Can you use a free VPN for torrenting?
Yes, you can use a free VPN for torrenting. However, we strongly suggest against using one for torrenting. Free VPNs are known for offering a limited number of servers and bandwidth for VPN connection. These limitations can seriously impact your ability to download torrents.
Also, many free VPNs are caught selling their user’s data and internet activities to different third-party organizations. If you value your online privacy, then you’d stay away from them.
What are DNS leaks?
DNS leaks are a security flaw that occurs when your DNS requests are revealed to your ISP. This means your internet activity will be visible to your internet service provider regardless that you are connected to a VPN. Reliable protection against DNS leaks is an important aspect to consider when choosing a VPN for torrenting. That’s why I strongly recommend ExpressVPN.
Is Kill Switch important for a Torrent VPN?
Yes, a kill switch is an essential feature to have for a torrent VPN. A VPN must have a kill switch feature, so in case of disconnection, your identity stays hidden. The Kill switch will terminate the complete internet connection when VPN disconnects so that your real IP is not exposed over the internet.
Is Torrenting With a VPN Safe?
Torrenting is totally safe with a VPN as long as you mask your IP address with a high-quality VPN. You see, to protect the ownership right of content creators, the US enacted the DMCA (Digital Millennium Copyright Act) in 1998.
Under this law, if you’re the owner of an IP that is being distributed on the web through torrents or any other filesharing method, then you can send a DMCA notice to the concerned parties and ask for a cessation of the activity and removal of the content.
But if you use a VPN to mask your IP, you can potentially avoid DMCA notices and enjoy safe torrenting. Again, I don’t encourage pirating copyrighted material.
Can I download a cracked VPN from torrent sites?
Yes, you can download a cracked VPN from the torrent site, but we highly recommend against it due to several reasons. The reasons include:
- Illegal – As most of the time, these accounts belong to people that have paid for them but lost access to them due to some reason; using such an account without their permission can be considered illegal in the eyes of the law in many countries.
- Accessibility – You can lose access to such accounts at any time. The original owner of the account can change the password anytime, which will ultimately cause you to lose control over the account.
- Functionality – As many individuals usually use these accounts at the same time. It is easily possible for the account to reach its simultaneous connection limit anytime.
- Prices – Most of the popular premium VPN providers are offering subscriptions at a meager cost nowadays. These prices are way lower than what a person may pay for a cracked VPN account.
Can my ISP see what I download if I use a VPN?
The simple answer is no. As long as you’re using a reliable torrent VPN, your IP will be masked, and all of your network traffic will be encrypted. This will prevent your ISP and even law enforcement agencies from knowing what you download.
What are some Mobile VPN apps that allow torrent downloading?
The best VPN for torrenting and p2p on Android is NordVPN and Surfshark. That being said, you can try all of the other VPNs that I’ve recommended as well. All of them offer apps for Android and come with built-in kill switch features.
What is the best VPN for torrenting for beginners?
For beginners, I would recommend Surfshark. Its apps are super easy to use on all platforms. It also offers a live chat support feature and a 30-day money-back guarantee. But don’t just limit yourself to Surfshark. Feel free to test out other VPN providers covered in this blog as well.
Is torrenting harmful for the film industry?
Although it is widely believed that piracy is harming the movie industry, a study proved that low-budget movies or less renowned movie titles actually benefitted from torrenting. After Megaupload was taken down, many small-scale movies failed to gain any hype because they didn’t get enough publicity. Usually, when a movie gets pirated, and many people watch it, it gets shared around even if it isn’t all that good. So, to sum up, torrenting is only harmful to chart-topping blockbuster films and not for small-scale movies.
Conclusion
The penalties and enforcement against online piracy have gradually gotten stricter over the past two decades.
Although every copyright owner has the right to sue an individual who accesses their material for free without their permission, the aggressiveness of certain countries towards anyone who downloads torrents can often spill over to those cases where the downloaded file may actually NOT be illegal.
With the best VPN for torrenting, you enable yourself to keep such eventualities at bay and download legal torrents with the assurance that you are beyond the vigilant eyes of authorities.
I hope you found this blog informative. Do let me know if I should add more best VPN for torrent downloads to my list.
While IvacyVPN is good, NordVPN is also pretty good. I’m using them both, one at my office and one for personal use. For work Ivacy, for home Nord. Just because it works really well with Netflix servers, well it should work well, knowing how many servers they have. As with Ivacy, I’m not using it for torrenting or streaming, so the speeds are not that important for me, but I didn’t get any problems with it.
Hi Aldini,
I’m glad the VPNs you mentioned are doing the job for you. Thank you for sharing your experience!
Have you seen that Surfshark released two new products? I think Hacklock is a brilliant idea. Has you had the chance to test it yet?
Internet security should be especially important for those who download torrents. I am one of those people, so I need to be sure that my connection is anonymous and secure. I tried a few providers, but I came back to Surfshark, because of the speed, multi-hop, and price.
Hello D.Foster,
Thank you for the comment. I’m glad you found Surfshark suited to your needs!
What you say about mullvad? Can I go with this VPN?
Hello Alesha.
Mullvad is a very good VPN from the privacy standpoint. The one problem that various users have reported, however, is slow speeds while torrenting. That can be a dealbreaker as far as torrenting speeds are concerned.
Not many vpns allow torrenting or Netflix blocking but they claim sad part. Be mindful when choosing the service, read reviews before buying. Btw, I am using Surfshark, quite a decent for torrenting.
Hey Bill!
Thanks for sending your feedback.
Reviews can be helpful as second opinions in case you’re having any doubts. I am happy that you found Surfshark useful for your torrenting needs.
Thanks for reaching out!
Cheers!
I often see NordVPN and Express rated very well in different reviews. Are they really that great? I’m thinking between these two but can’t decide 100%, though I’m leaning towards Nord. What do you think?
Hello Tyler,
The reason why NordVPN and ExpressVPN are rated so highly is that they have been consistently performing well over the years and have a great history in terms of keeping our privacy intact.
If you are confused between the two, I’d ask you to look at your budget first and then decide. Personally, my choice would be ExpressVPN if I can afford it. But I would be just as happy with NordVPN, especially if my budget is a little tight.
Hope this helps. 🙂
I really like how Surfshark manages to provide a top notch service for as cheap as 2 quid. Hw come nobody else does that? Why pay 7-8 quid when you get the same or more for 6 times less?
Hello Maria,
I agree. Surfshark has a great pricing model which easily attracts users. The good thing is that it doesn’t compromise on quality in spite of the cheap price tag.
Is Surfshark new in the VPN industry? How did you find its performance in your testing?
Hello Karl,
Yes, Surfshark is new in the industry and performs exceptionally well when it comes to torrenting. They have dedicated P2P servers and during our testing we found the downloading speeds to be at par with all other major VPN providers.
can we use free vpn for torrenting ? Its only that their servers are limited but they do provide the same encryption levels such as the paid ones. One such example is ProtonVPN
Hello Alex,
Free VPNs should be avoided because their logging policies are usually very shady. Some even sell your data to third parties.
However, there are some reliable providers like ProtonVPN which are you can trust. But I’d strongly recommend against using some no-name free VPN with poor brand reputation. That can be dangerous.
Is Nordvpn really that good? Looking for a provider for torrenting, many reviews suggest nordvpn! Any opinions?
Dear Emelie,
Yes, you can use NordVPN to fulfill your torrenting needs. Moreover, it offers a huge servers’ network feature that allows you to gain online freedom from anywhere.
Likewise, you can consider other VPN services described in the above list to perform your torrenting activity in a secure manner.
Cheers!!!
I have gone through many Vpn But when it comes to Free Vpn Hotspot Shield Vpn is the best for Torrenting. Really Thanks for the great post.
Dear Jiiva,
Thanks for reaching out to us, we are glad that you found Hotspot Shield VPN helpful to accomplish your torrenting cravings.
keep using Hotspot Sheild and enjoy online freedom hassle-free.
Cheers!!!
How does AirVPN compare to PureVPN…..? please reply. And, Thankyou for reading.
Hi Troy,
Thanks for your comment. As far as comparing AirVPN with PureVPN goes, there’s a lot of difference between the two. PureVPN has servers in over 140 countries whereas AirVPN has only a handful of servers. If we compare the prices, then PureVPN also has an edge over AirVPN. On the contrary, AirVPN and PureVPN offer similar security measures: OpenVPN protocol and AES 256 bit encryption.
However, both VPN providers support P2P file sharing. We tested PureVPN and found its performance to be much better than AirVPN. So, if you’re looking for a VPN to use with torrents, then give PureVPN a try.
Canada is widely acclaimed for a massive number of internet users than any other country. Being a mainstream region for tech geeks, Canadians love to stream videos online. However, popular Canadian channels are geo-restricted outside Canada, meaning that users can’t access Bravo, CBC, Sportsnet and Canal De from outside Canada. To get away with restrictions, Canada VPN provides instant access to all Canadian channels from anywhere in the world. However, I haven’t tried BTGuard yet but I would suggest users to get a decent Canada VPN like Express VPN and Ivacy for top-notch privacy, anonymity and accessibility.
Hello Andressa,
Thank you for the comment.
I am located in New Jersey and torrenting is among my favorite activities. I usually search for torrents of latest movies and Netflix TV shows. And for secure torrenting I selected NordVPN.
But last week when I received copyright infringement notice from my ISP. I was surprised and annoyed at the same time, as VPN didn’t work for me and DNS leak occured. Right now I want to know that does NordVPN provide Internet Kill Switch? and what’re some decent VPN services that offer responsive Internet Kill Switch?
Dear Mathew thanks for commenting,
Usually ISPs send copyright infringement notices when a user is found downloading or accessing licensed material from internet.
When it comes to safe and anonymous torrenting, PureVPN, NordVPN and BufferedVPN comes at top. These VPN services offer strong tunelling protocols to ensure 101% protection against copyright trolls, ISP surveillance and infringement notices. You can freely use any of the specified torrent VPN for safe and secure torrenting.
Torrenting is one of the lovable activities I prefer during weekends. But due to strict copyright laws in Connecticut, I was unable to visit torrent sites. Not to forget, ISPs over here send notices even when a flagged site is visited. Considering the situation, this article helped me a lot into bypassing the imposed geo-restrictions and downloading torrents anonymously from within Connecticut.
Hello Aditya,
Thanks for sharing your story with us. I’m glad you found this article informative.
I like to torrent my favorite TV shows most of the times. However, I do not choose torrents for downloading softwares, due to the risk of getting infected by malwares. So I was searching for a decent torrent VPN and came up with Hide.me. But to be honest, Hide.me didn’t come up to my expectations and eventually I had to request for a refund.
After reading reviews and conducting in-depth research, I came up with PIA. The service satisfied me well with a robust protection and anonymity for secure torrenting. Cheers to PIA !
Hello Christopher,
PIA is indeed a very good VPN. I’m glad it’s serving you well for your torrenting needs! 😉
I use nordvpn and the 28mbps in the article is not accurate…
Downloading a torrent currently with 40mbps.
Hi Jake,
Thanks for your feedback. The download speeds can vary from user to user, and also depends on the server and protocol selected. We tried NordVPN while being connected to a server based in USA and using OpenVPN protocol. Can you please let us the know server location and protocol you used while downloading torrents with NordVPN? Thanks again!
Never go for Ivacy VPN ! They provide a pathetic service.
I subscribed to their services on June 2016 for one year @ $1.83 PM. For six months everything worked well, so I extended their service for 2 more years. Then the problems started, the nearest servers would fail and I had to always rely on distant servers with a very high ping and low speeds. Their P2P services have become terrible ! Their customer service is pathetic ! They tell you to do this and that and probably never understand what our problem is.
And another irritating thing is they do not give refunds, even for the period starting from December 2016 !
I do not know how to get the refund !
Hello
You are requested to kindly email your issue to [email protected]. Rest assured your issue will be looked into with greater care. We are so very sorry for the inconvenience caused to you.
I’m currently using a different VPN, but PIA has been catching my attention for a while. I want to know that if I can use the VPN service without downloading their app, i.e. through manual configuration on mobile or PC.
Hello Olivia Wilde,
You can indeed setup PIA through OpenVPN manual configuration. Check their tutorial section for help.
I prefer torrent for watching TV shows, movies and popular videos. However, I suggest users stay away from torrent software as it can spread malware on your system. So, I was in search of a decent VPN for a reliable protection while torrenting, and eventually I came up with PureVPN. With a range of strong encryption protocols (L2TP\IPSec) and wallet-friendly plans, it is the safest and economical solution for P2P downloads.
Hello Atiqah Hasiholan,
I’m glad you found PureVPN suited to your torrenting needs! Thanks for the comment.
In some cases torrenting is very risky because I personally have received a notice from DMC. However, I won’t go into the details but I would highly recommend that you don’t download torrents with a free VPN. In fact, you should read the detailed policy of torrenting before choosing any VPN because some providers may provide your credentials when asked by authorities. While others burn the records for providing 100% security and privacy to their users. That’s why I am currently using ExpressVPN and I am very much satisfied with its service.
Yes, @Alice i also have to face the similar issue, in fact, i was very annoyed when I received a infringement notice first time in my life, although I usually take proper steps to make my torrenting private and for this purpose I normally use peer block and cyber ghost free vpn whenever I did torrent, well it was very frustrating moment when I received another notice and then my friend tell me that paid vpns provide 9 times much better protection than free ones. However according to above mentioned table I taking account from ivacy and I hope It will work better.
Yeah, I am totally agree with your statement that paid VPNs provide 9 times better protection then free VPNs.
Hello Alice Paul,
The risk associated with torrent is very real, especially if you’re in the US. Free VPNs have a bad history for being shady, and they should be avoided at all costs for tasks such as torrenting.
You are totally correct! Thank you for chiming in!
One of the major reasons why people recommend VPN over proxies is that torrent clients reveal your true location and leak information while using proxy. Although, the latest version of torrent clients are designed to do a better job at this but I personally don’t trust proxy services. They can be unreliable and fail to protect you while using torrents. I would rather stick with a VPN just because of this. Currently, I am using PIA (Private Internet Access) but I have also heard good reviews about PureVPN.
Hello Martin,
That’s music to my ears! Most people don’t realize how unsafe proxies can be for your privacy.
Thank you for contributing your comment!
Several VPN providers permit the best torrenting services and many people use VPN services for downloading torrent with complete anonymity and security. The best part of torrenting with VPN that you can’t tracked or caught anyone because its keep your credential secure / hide so no DMCA notice you will have to receive, however from the above mentioned comparison table I choose PureVPN.
Hello Kailee,
Yep you’re perfectly correct. The jurisdiction and logging policy of VPNs are important factors to consider for safe torrenting.
Before selecting any VPN, it is very important to read the logs and privacy policy of the provider. This is because some providers do not support torrents or P2P file sharing. That’s why it is important to have some knowledge about how a provider might affect your privacy before you use it for torrenting.
Hello Michael Martin,
You’ve hit the nail right on the head! Every VPN user should read the logging policy of the provider before deciding to go with one. This is better for your own privacy.
Thank you for the insightful comment!
It is a perfect list of best torrent VPN. I am living in North America and just a couple of days before I bought a VPN from your website, especially for torrenting, I am very happy to say that it is working like a charm. No drop in speed as you have mentioned in you purevpn review. In fact I am also watching BBC iPlayer with this account.
Hello Robert Brown,
Thanks for the comment. I’m glad this article was helpful for you! 🙂
From the last couple of months I am using Purevpn for torrenting and I am very satisfied with its services. In fact the good things are that it support responds within few minutes after my initial query. But you didn’t mention PIA over here because it is also a good torrent vpn but its prices are high than purevpn.
Hello Richard White,
The problem with PIA is that it is based in the US, so it’s always a risk to use VPNs based in the USA. They are within the jurisdiction of DMCA after all.
VPN is surely most-suitable option to use torrent, it cloaks my original IP address when downloading files from torrent. In this way no one identifies me. Thumbs up to the author ! keep up the good work.
Hello Deborah Jones,
Thank you for the kind words! I’m glad this article could be of help! 🙂
Torrent is like a bucket full of gold. I remember the time when I downloaded Transformers, Wolf of Wall Street and Ironman from the torrent, until I received this copyright infringement notice. I searched the internet to continue using the torrents as I can’t afford spending hundreds of dollar on movies. So, I came up with VPN, VPN has enabled me to download unlimited movies on monthly basis. Thanks for sharing such a good post!
Hello Elijah,
Thanks for sharing your input. I’m glad this article helped you out!
PirateBay is blocked in the place where I live, and it sucks! It’s been months, and unfortunately, I have been trying to find a solution but always leave with little to no success. But today, thanks to this blog I was finally able to access PirateBay with the help of a Torrent VPN. Great work on the blog, gentlemen. I hope you guys keep doing your work straight.
Hello Margaret Allen,
I’m glad you found this article helpful! Thanks for the comment. 🙂
I don’t know if there is any alternate available to this, but this is the best solution for me and my torrennting needs. It is kind of complicated for an average user like me, though you’ll get along with a torrent VPN in no time. Thanks to you guys, I’m now torrenting files like I used to back in the day. Cheers!
Thank you for your Valuable feedback.
Best Regards,
VPNRanks.com
Hi, Thanks for all your help. I chatted with one of the above, inquiring about P2P in the USA.
“P2P/File-sharing is not allowed on servers of countries where it’s illegal by law to do so such as United Kingdom (UK), United States (US), Canada, Australia etc…….
File-sharing is allowed, but only on specific selected servers……..”
Confused now. I will be able to access those specific servers?
Thank you also for the in depth guide for Mac.
Paula
Hi Paula, thanks for the question. File sharing is indeed under fire in countries like the US, UK, Canada and Australia. But you can engage in P2P/File-sharing activity from these countries by connecting to the VPN servers of the countries where File Shharing is legal. As long as you don’t engage in any copyright infringements, you have nothing to worry about. However, anti-file-sharing measures are usually very limited and are usually always preceeded by rather harmless warning notices by the ISP so you have a bit of a margin in case you ever get flagged during a P2P session in the event of a worst case scenario.
I hope I managed to help you out. Do feel free to get back to me if you’ve got any more questions. Cheers!