We may earn a small commission if you choose to purchase from our links (at no extra cost to you!)
Best VPNs for Torrenting
Torrenting without using a VPN could be incredibly risky.
There are also tons of VPNs to claim that their service is the best one for torrenting but that simply can’t be true. Many of these VPNs leak the traffic, some don’t even allow P2P (peer to peer) traffic even if they say they’re the best service for it, and finally, some VPNs can be unbearably slow making them useless.
Companies are starting to crack down torrenters and storing IP addresses from torrent sites. Sometimes you can receive copyright violation notices from your internet service provider (I’ve actually gotten one before), or something far worse.
With so many VPNs on the market, it can take forever to find a decent VPN for torrenting. However, we’ve chosen to take the time and test tons of VPN services all around the web and choose the best ones that follow the following criteria:
- Allows P2P traffic
- Strong encryption
- No-Logs
- Leak Protection
- Track History (no major issues in the past)
Leak protection is single handedly the most important thing that your VPN needs to have if your planning on torrenting. Even if your VPN leaks your information just a little, the monitoring systems that companies run on these websites can pickup and store your real IP address.
That said, what are the best VPNs for torrenting?
ExpressVPN - Best VPN for torrenting
Pros
- Torrenting Allowed
- Superfast VPN speeds
- No log policy
- No IP address leaks
- Works with Neflix, and other streaming services
- Easy to use apps
- VPN browser extensions
- Over 3,000 VPN servers in 94 countries
- Split Tunneling
Cons
- Short-term plans are expensive (but have a 49% currently)
ExpressVPN is currently the best VPN for torrenting.
The VPN offers the fastest speeds with the strongest security standard we’ve seen. ExpressVPN is based in the British Virgin Islands which is outside of the 5-eyes alliance meaning other countries can’t request information. They protect users by using strong encryption methods with a strong no-logs policy, and tons of reliable features and guides. See our ExpressVPN review here!
Peer to Peer downloads and torrenting traffic is allowed on all ExpressVPN’s servers all around the world. Additionally, there is also unlimited bandwidth on all servers.
ExpressVPN is one of the very few VPN services that successfully completed a third-party audit. They also had their no-log policy verified by PWC (see ExpressVPN’s article on this) which audited and concluded that ExpressVPN does have an honest service.
Security is something that ExpressVPN does right. It offers some of the best Encryption that there is to offer in the VPN industry. They also have their own DNS server and multiple VPN protocols (OpenVPN, IKEv2, and Wiregaurd) which users can use freely. The killswitch feature is available and works consistently on both desktop and mobile devices.
In the end, ExpressVPN is honestly a great VPN service that will keep you safe while you’re torrenting.
Pros
- Torrenting P2P allowed
- Superfast same-country speeds
- No logs & no IP, DNS leaks
- Works with Netflix, Disney+, etc
- Large server network (5,300+ servers in 58 countries)
- Apps for many devices such as Windows, Mac, iOS, Andriod, etc
- Third Party audits done for security
Cons
- Big discounts only available for longer subscriptions
- Doesn't accept PayPal in all countries
NordVPN is one of the most secure VPN services in the VPN market. It’s often the first VPN you think of because of its sheer success.
NordVPN is often featured in our other VPN articles because it does such a great job at being an all-around amazing VPN. NordVPN is also great for torrenting since it offers high levels of security and speed.
It also has a lot of servers, and when I say a lot it has over 5,300+ servers located in over 60 countries. This means no matter where you are in the world you can always find a server and torrenting in peace. Full NordVPN guide here!
The VPN is based in Panama, meaning it doesn’t have to comply with the 5/9/14 eyes alliance. Panama itself is a great place with privacy-friendly laws in place. The encryption used is the 256-bit AES encryption and NordVPN offers multiple VPN protocols such as OpenVPN, IKEv2/IPsec, and WireGuard (might top OpenVPN in speed and security).
A great feature to have while torrenting is an automatic kill switch, it works by blocking traffic if your VPN connection is suddenly interrupted or affected.
NordVPN has a unique feature called the CyberSec feature which essentially blocks ads, malware, phishing and more. It provides security but it also decreases loading times for web pages since all the ads and trackers are blocked.
I forgot to mention that NordVPN is one of the few VPNs to have the WireGuard VPN protocol. NordVPN’s servers are also very secure as they only run in RAM-disk mode plus they don’t use virtual locations like many other VPNs. They offer up to 6 simultaneous connections alongside unlimited bandwidth. Not to mention they also have no restrictions on torrenting!
Pros
- Torrenting allowed
- No-Logs policy
- Unlimited connections
- Works with Netflix
- Safe and secure
- Multi-hop & Split Tunneling
- Adblocker
- 24/7 Live Chat support
Cons
- Difficulty with VPN router
Surfshark is a great VPN choice if you’re looking for a good torrenting VPN service. Although it’s fairly new to the VPN industry compared to the other VPNs on this list.
They offer more than 1700+ servers in 63 countries around the world. All the servers are able to support HD streaming, gaming, and other activities. Plus their servers are running in RAM-disk mode meaning they can’t store information on the servers themselves. They also offer special servers that are meant for torrenting. See our full Surfshark review!
Recently Surfshark released the WireGuard VPN protocol. WireGuard is a new VPN protocol, although it’s still being worked on its expected to be better than OpenVPN, currently “the best” VPN protocol on the market. Surfshark also supports the following VPN protocols: OpenVPN, IPSec/IKEv2, and WireGuard all with 256-bit AES encryption.
They offer a kill switch that blocks traffic if your connection gets interrupted. It’s handy when your torrenting. They also have other features such as CleanWeb (an ad blocker), multi-hop, and they even have split-tunnelling.
The VPN is based in the British Virgin Islands which is known for its privacy-friendly laws and great jurisdiction.
The cost of Surfshark is $1.99 per month (USD) and $2.49 per month CAD. The price of the service doesn’t mean that it’s any less than the other VPNs on the list. Surfshark also works well with Netflix and other streaming services.
Pros
- No logs
- Unlimited number of connections
- Multi-Hop feature (up to 4 servers)
- Advanced ad-blocker
- No DNS Leaks
- Torrenting allowed
- Switerland jurisdiction
Cons
- More expensive
- May not work on some streaming sites
Perfect Privacy has been on many of our lists, it offers many desirable features such as DNS leak protection, ad-blockers, reliable speeds, and more. Their servers are fully dedicated meaning they can provide amazing performance, reliability and they also support IPv6, which not all VPNs do. The biggest feature Perfect Privacy has in my opinion is that they offer up-to 4 multi-hops, which is helpful while torrenting. Read the full Perfect Privacy review
Being based in Switzerland gives the VPN many privacy perks that others simply can’t have. They’re serious about their security, and they have a no-logs policy. They also have their very own built-in ad-blocker called TrackStop filter, it blocks ads, malware, phishing, and tracking.
The VPN offers unlimited simultaneous connections which are great if you want to share, they also offer a kill switch which is handy just in case the connection suddenly drops,
The one issue with the VPN is that it’s more expensive than most of the other VPNs, at $8.95 per month.
Pros
- Based in Switzerland
- Verified no-logs policy
- New WireGuard support directly in VPN
- Secure app with great encryption
- Easy-to-use applications
- Available on a wide range of platforms
- Unique features such as Chameleon protocol
Cons
- not anonymous friendly payment methods (no cryptocurrency option)
VyprVPN is another great VPN, they have lots of history in the VPN industry and have a good reputation for their quality. But long ago they used to punish accounts who were caught downloading illegal material. Read our full VyprVPN review
Since then they have completely reinvented their services by adding and changing policies to be privacy (new no-logging policy), and torrent user-friendly (permitting p2p traffic).
The VPN is based in Switzerland which means users get higher levels of privacy and security since Switzerland has a privacy-friendly jurisdiction.
VyprVPN offers up to 5 simultaneous connections per subscription. This is great if you have multiple devices or want to share with family and friends.
A unique feature that VyprVPN offers is its Chameleon protocol. The protocol is made to bypass VPN restrictions such as on websites, and streaming platforms. This is great for torrenting, and for streaming services as the chances of being detected are reduced.
The cost of VyprVPN starts from $2.50 USD per month (if you purchase the 24-month plan). They also offer multiple different types of payment options such as Credit Cards, Paypal, and Unionpay. They, unfortunately, don’t have an option to pay with cryptocurrencies.
Torrenting With A VPN
Torrenting while connected to a VPN is much safer than torrenting without one. Although there can be some VPNs that won’t work, leak your data, or even sell your data but if you choose a good VPN that is secure, and trusted you can torrent at peace.
We don’t recommend you torrent because it can be dangerous and illegal, but if you’re going to do it might as well be safe.
Torrenting Can Be Costly
Downloading copyrighted material without using a VPN can be very dangerous as there can be serious consequences.
Countries now are trying to crack-down on those who are torrenting without a “good” VPN. Some people who are caught downloading illegal content are forced to face 6-figure tickets. Here are some well-known online enforcements:
- DMCA (US) – Known as the Digitial Millennium Copyright Act. Fees can be as high as $1,000,000 and you could face up to 10 years in jail (most extreme cases).
- The Notice and Notice regime (Canada) – Canada’s ‘version’ of the DMCA.
There are more online enforcement for different countries such as the UK (Digital Economy Act), Australia, and so much more.
Just make sure you’re using a good VPN for torrenting and P2P activities.
Torrenting Can Be Dangerous
Anytime your torrenting without the protection of a VPN all your torrenting history is being recorded and monitored.
There are websites that have huge databases of torrenting activity and history which are all linked to specific IP addresses, and worst of all this information can be seen by literally anyone. The main example of this type of website is I Know What You Download.
These types of websites make it easier for media companies and others to come after you. But if you are using a reliable VPN service it makes anyone who wants to come after you much harder. Plus most of the (good) VPNs are based in privacy-friendly locations with good privacy jurisdiction, so there isn’t much to be worried about.
Could I Use A Free VPN?
The huge downside to free VPNs is that they often don’t work.
They could potentially be even worse than using no VPN at all. Some free VPN services collect their user’s data and sell it to other third-parties.
I wouldn’t especially wouldn’t recommend using a free VPN for torrenting since it can leak your data, sell your data, and sometimes they don’t even work. The best free VPN out there currently is ProtonVPN, but it doesn’t work with torrenting.
Conclusion
You should always be using a VPN if your torrenting. It protects you against the potentially costly fees and penalties. There are other upsides to VPN than just protecting you from copyright issues.
VPNs protect you from your internet services provider. Many ISPs all around the world are allowed to track all your online activities and trade this information with third-parties. These third-parties can be advertisers, governments, or others.
Some Internet Service Providers are cancelling users’ internet services for violating copyright policies. They are also starting to block out torrenting websites, and this is happening all around the world. And the cherry on top is that now there are websites that show anything you’ve torrented on a specific IP address.
In the end, just use a VPN.