Using PIA for torrenting in Germany hides your IP address, keeping your location private. Without a VPN, your identity and torrenting activities could be exposed to copyright trolls, rights holders, or your ISP. PIA is essential for staying anonymous while torrenting.
In my VPN reviews in Germany, I found that PIA offers strong security and a no-logs policy, I recommend ExpressVPN because it consistently delivers faster speeds, which is crucial for downloading large files quickly.
PIA offers decent speed, though it’s not the fastest. Its USA base raises privacy concerns, but it still provides useful features for torrenting. This guide will help you explore PIA’s capabilities for secure torrenting.
Key Takeaways
- PIA provides two torrenting options: VPN for privacy and SOCKS5 proxy for faster speeds.
- Setting up PIA for torrenting is easy, with secure encryption and optimized servers.
- PIA offers solid speeds, reaching up to 65.78 Mbps on a 100 Mbps connection.
- PIA ensures privacy with P2P support, a kill switch, and a strict no-logs policy.
- The SOCKS5 proxy boosts speed but sacrifices encryption, offering less security.
- PIA is budget-friendly with multi-device support and a 30-day money-back guarantee.
- ExpressVPN is a strong alternative, offering faster speeds and enhanced privacy.
Quick Summary – PIA for Torrenting in Germany
Private Internet Access offers a range of basic VPN features, but it falls short in some areas. Below is a quick overview of the core features of the service as highlighted in the PIA for torrenting in Germany.
| Torrenting Attribute | Result |
| Average Download Bitrate | 9.6MiB/s (4% loss) |
| Countries with P2P Servers | 91 |
| Logging Policy | No Logs |
| Kill Switch | Yes |
| Port Forwarding | Yes |
How to Use PIA for Torrenting in Germany
The easiest way to use PIA for torrenting in Germany is to simply connect to a VPN server and then perform your torrenting through a BitTorrent client.
Nonetheless, there are two main methods with which you can deploy Private Internet Access to download torrents in Germany:
Setting up a PIA VPN Client for Torrenting in Germany
1. Subscribe to PIA and download it on your device.
2. Turn on your PIA VPN client and click on the vertical dots on the top > Settings
3. Click on Connection in the new Window and make sure you have selected AES-128 and UDP in the respective fields as shown.
4. Now click on Privacy in the left-hand menu and toggle Killswitch to Always.
5. Now connect to a PIA’s Netherlands or Switzerland server.
6. Once successfully connected, you can begin downloading your desired torrents in Germany through uTorrent.
Setup PIA SOCKS5 Proxy with uTorrent in Germany
PIA also offers a SOCKS5 proxy in Germany which has some advantages and some disadvantages. For instance, it can improve your speed at the cost of encryption. So, if speed is your priority, then you might be better off using the SOCKS5 proxy.
Here’s how you can setup SOCKS5 in Germany:
1. Go to Settings in PIA > Connection.
2. Now click on the proxy drop-down menu and select SOCKS5.
3. Connect to Netherlands or Switzerland and start downloading torrents at good speeds.
There’s a manual method for setting the SOCKS5 proxy in Germany as well which may work better than the one mentioned above, but it requires a little more work.
PIA uTorrent Setup with SOCKS5 in Germany [Manual]
1. Log in to PIA’s website account panel.
2. Click on the Regenerate Username and Password button to get the login details for SOCKS5.
3. Copy these account details and launch uTorrent.
4. Click on Options > Preferences > Connection.
5. Under Proxy Server, click on SOCKS5 and enter the following details:
Proxy: proxy-nl.privateinternetaccess.com
Port: 8080
[Your username and password as provided by PIA]
6. Now check all the options against the boxes as shown in the image for step#4.
That’s it! With these PIA settings for PIA, you can download torrents in Germany at good speeds while having better privacy than you would without the use of any VPN/proxy.
Why PIA Is Good for Torrents in Germany
PIA offers several features, both in terms of privacy as well as general performance, establishing it as a dependable VPN when compared to other torrenting VPNs in US. When seeking the utmost security and performance, PIA stands out as a top choice.
You can download desired media files through torrents safely after connecting to one of the PIA servers list in Germany. The provider works well with all popular BitTorrent clients including uTorrent, etc.
When you use PIA VPN for torrenting in Germany, you can attain a list of different features. These various benefits include:
Torrent support:
For any VPN to be considered for torrenting in Germany, it is obvious that it should support p2p filesharing in the first place. Many VPN providers have reservations about torrenting and restricting p2p traffic on their servers.
If you’re facing connectivity issues with this VPN in Germany, see this guide on PIA not connecting in Germany.
Speed:
PIA has an impressive network infrastructure that is expanding rapidly with new server locations added. As one of the most notable brands in the VPN industry in Germany, it is natural to expect the VPN to perform exceptionally.
I was delighted to see PIA deliver spectacular speeds in Germany during our testing. P2p filesharing can become a nuisance if the Internet connection isn’t fast enough. During the speed test, I used a base Internet connection of 100 Mbps and when connected to PIA’s US server, I received 65.78 Mbps of download speeds.
PIA speed test on a 100 Mbps connection using split tunneling feature in Germany.
Kill Switch:
When you are downloading your preferred torrent in Germany and suddenly your VPN connection drops, a kill switch can protect your identity from leaking to the world wide web. This is an excellent protective mechanism to keep you safe from accidental exposure in the event of an unforeseen connection drop.
PIA has a built-in kill switch in its desktop apps which can keep you protected from accidental privacy leaks caused by sudden connectivity drops.
No Logs Policy:
PIA has a no-logging policy that ensures the protection of your personal data. Here’s what PIA collects from its users:
As you can see, none of this involves sensitive information about your identity or activity such as IP addresses or traffic logs. Since PIA keeps no records of your online activities, no one online can learn what you are doing on the web as long as you are using PIA to download torrents in Germany.
This is one of the most critical points that can either make or break a VPN as far as its suitability for torrenting in Germany is concerned.
SOCKS5 Proxy:
PIA VPN for Torrenting in Germany can be made faster using the SOCKS5 proxy. SOCKS5 is a protocol that is quite popular among torrent users since it offers faster speeds than VPNs as a consequence of the fact that it lacks encryption, which has a retardation effect on speeds.
Though it is not as secure as torrenting with a VPN in Germany, if you are experiencing speed issues with PIA’s VPN protocols, you should try using its SOCKS5 proxy. This might give you better results.
Pricing:
PIA is one of the more affordable VPNs out there. For the 2-year plan, it costs $2.03/month. Although there is no PIA free trial, if you’re unhappy with the purchase you can cancel PIA subscription in Germany within 30 days after signing up.
A single PIA account supports 10 multi-logins. This means you can install PIA on Firestick in Germany and also use it PIA with Kodi in Germany and Roku.
What PIA’s Forums Say About Using the VPN for Torrents in Germany
The official PIA forum contains several threads regarding torrenting use with PIA in Germany.
Here is the snapshot of a user comment in the forum who was using Private Internet Access to accomplish torrenting needs:
Another user emphasized that users should always perform IP leak tests before conducting torrenting process.
If you’re facing issues with PIA in Germany, you can try fixing them with the troubleshooting tips in our dedicated guide.
Alternatives to PIA for Torrenting in Germany
From my experience testing PIA for torrenting alongside other top VPNs like Astrill and ExpressVPN, I’ve found that several key factors matter most—logging policies, speeds, and the number of P2P servers. Here’s a breakdown of how they compare:
| VPN |  |
 |
 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Review Summary | PIA VPN summary | Proton summary | ExpressVPN summary |
| Overall Torrenting Rating | 9.7/10 | 9.3/10 | 9.3/10 |
| Logging Policy | No Logs | Some User Logs | No Identifying Data |
| Average Bitrate | 9.6 MiB/s | 10.0 MiB/s | 9.4 MiB/s |
| No. of P2P Servers | 18,651 | 107 | 3,000 |
| VPN Kill Switch | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Cheapest Price | $2.03/mo over 12 months | $12.50/mo over 2 years | - Save 61% With Exclusive 2-Year Plan + 4 Months Free |
| Official Website | piavpn.com | proton.com | expressvpn.com |
More Related Guides From VPNRanks For German Users
- Best Torrent Sites in Germany: Discover seamless torrents with top US torrent sites.
- Best VPN for P2P Support in Germany: Maximize P2P speeds securely with the best VPN.
- Best VPN for Torrenting in Germany: Torrent effortlessly with secure, top-rated VPNs for Germans.
FAQs – PIA for Torrenting in Germany
Does PIA allow torrenting in Germany?
Yes, Private Internet Access allows torrenting on all its servers. However, avoid using it for downloading copyrighted material, as it’s illegal in most countries.
Is PIA the best VPN for torrenting?
PIA is good for torrenting, but I recommend ExpressVPN as a better alternative. It offers faster speeds, better privacy, and stronger security for torrenting.
Why does PIA disconnect while torrenting in Germany?
PIA may disconnect due to server issues. Switching to a nearby server usually helps, or you can try ExpressVPN for a more reliable connection.
Wrapping Up
PIA for torrenting in Germany is a reliable choice with a wide range of servers, good speeds, and strong security. It also provides features like split tunneling, SOCKS5 proxy, and port forwarding, making it ideal for P2P file sharing.
However, PIA is based in the US, which may not be the best for privacy. Its ownership by Kape Technology also raises concerns. If you’re looking for a safer option, I recommend ExpressVPN as the top alternative for secure torrenting.
Have you used PIA for Torrenting? Let us know your experience in the comments!
