NordVPN is our top pick for its proven dedication to privacy protection and cybersecurity protocols. On top of that NordVPN has top speeds and servers optimized for P2P sharing.
If you’d like to learn more about safe torrenting with a VPN, we take a deep dive into each of our picks below.
Torrenting has become more popular than ever. People worldwide are downloading millions of files every month. Most torrenters, however, may not be aware of the dangers that lurk on even the best torrent sites.
Between hackers and malicious uploaders, your private data is always at risk. Governments are also clamping down on torrenting with fines and domain seizures. With so many risks involved, keeping your location hidden, your data encrypted, and your IP address masked is essential. In other words, you need a VPN you can trust.
But which VPN is the best choice for you? We have listed our top 5 VPNs for torrenting right here.
Why Is a VPN Essential for Torrenting Anonymously?
VPN benefits for torrenters are almost too many to count. Here are some of the most important ones:
Increased online privacy: VPNs replace your IP address with an anonymous one and prevent malicious third parties, your ISP, and even your favorite torrent sites from tracking your activity.
No ISP throttling: Your ISP can detect torrenting and might throttle your speed and might share your data with law enforcement.
Increased online security: VPNs encrypt your traffic to protect you from data theft and other attacks.
Bypassing geo-restrictions: VPNs will unblock torrenting sites for you anywhere on the globe.
What To Look for in the Best VPN for Torrents
In a nutshell, a good torrenting VPN should be fast, secure, and easy to use. Below you can see what to look for in the best VPN for torrents.
Speed: fast servers ensure fast downloads.
Large server network: preferably with dedicated P2P servers for smooth downloads.
Security: a good torrent VPN has AES-256 encryption, a kill switch and strict no log policy.
Ad blocking: to keep out annoying ads from torrent sites.
Ease of use: it is nice if everyone can use the VPN app without any problems.
Value for money: saving a little money is always nice.
What Is the Best VPN for Torrenting in 2024?
We tested dozens of VPNs to find the best options for your peer-to-peer (P2P) needs.
The result? We discovered the top five best VPNs for torrenting. Here’s a quick overview of their main features:
Note: While torrenting isn’t illegal, downloading copyright-protected data or files, or illegal media, is punishable by law in many countries. A VPN can mask your real IP address and encrypt your online traffic, but that should never be seen as a license to steal.
Let’s take a closer look at our top VPNs for torrenting.
In our opinion, NordVPN is the best VPN for torrenting. It makes anonymous downloading easy with its stability, blazing speed, and bulletproof security. We’d also say it’s one of the best VPNs currently out there.
On top of its vast server network, NordVPN also offers servers optimized for P2P file sharing. Its unique protocol offers top-level security, quick downloads, and seamless P2P streaming.
NordVPN ensures uninterrupted torrenting traffic in countries with heavy internet censorship, all while hiding P2P activity from your ISP and malicious third parties. It achieves this through the so-called “obfuscation,” which allows you to conceal your VPN connection. Unlike other VPNs, NordVPN can block malware and remove annoying ads from torrent sites.
With double encryption, a firm no-log policy, and an auto-kill switch to boot, it’s no wonder NordVPN is our top torrenting VPN. It’s a fantastic P2P tool for experienced torrenters and beginners alike.
NordVPN’s subscriptions start low, as you can see in the box below. Just click on the link below and test this VPN service yourself.
NordVPN
Our choice
Deal
Save big with up to 72% off a two-year subscription!
You can use their 30-day money-back guarantee as a free NordVPN trial. Do you want more information on this VPN? You can read our comprehensive NordVPN review with hands-on testing to learn more about this service and its features.
2. Surfshark: Fast Torrenting With Unlimited Connections
Features:
3200+ servers in 100 countries
Torrenting allowed on all servers
The fastest VPN on the market
Protection against malware and phishing
Private DNS servers
Obfuscation
Unlimited simultaneous connections
WireGuard, OpenVPN, and IKEv2 protocols
People usually view Surfshark as a “streaming VPN,” but it’s also an excellent torrenting tool. Its high-powered speeds will make short work of any file and guarantee smooth P2P streams. Privacy-wise, we’ve found solid encryption, zero privacy leaks, and a strict no-log policy.
Surfshark can protect an unlimited number of devices at the same time, making it ideal for large households with a lot of torrenters and other users — a feature even NordVPN can’t match. It has fewer servers than some of our other picks, but it’s on par with them in terms of speed and online security.
Surfshark can also help you bypass censorship anywhere in the world. You don’t even have to worry about ads, trackers, or malware, thanks to its neat “CleanWeb” feature.
Surfshark
Deal
Save 86% and pay only $ 2.19 a month!
From
$ 2.19
9.0
Very user-friendly and works with Netflix and torrents
For a long look at this VPN and its features, check out our full Surfshark review. The software comes with a full 30-day money-back guarantee. So, you can test Surfshark for free and see how it complements your favorite torrent client.
3. TorGuard: Ultra Secure Torrenting
Features:
Network with 3000+ servers in 50+ countries
Torrenting allowed on all servers
TrustedServer technology
Excellent download speeds
Obfuscation and dedicated IPs
OpenVPN, IKEv2, and L2TP/IPsec protocols
TorGuard is another provider that allows torrenting across the board. Its server network dishes out great download speeds without any lag or disconnects.
This provider has RAM-only servers and thus cannot store data about your online activities. This also keeps your torrent traffic hidden. The so-called “TrustedServer” technology wipes all data from the servers during every reboot. This means that no one will be able to trace your P2P activity back to you as an individual.
This provider is not suitable for beginners as it has many advanced features. But that is exactly what makes TorGuard interesting for torrenting.
TorGuard is one of the few reliable VPNs that allows port forwarding. With port forwarding, incoming traffic goes around your NAT firewall. Not only does this ensure high speeds, it is also necessary for seeding.
Click on the link below to test TorGuard right now!
Alternatively, you can read our full TorGuard review for more information.
4. CyberGhost: The Most Beginner-Friendly Torrenting VPN
Features:
11700+ servers in 100 countries
Optimized torrenting servers
Good download speeds
Protection against malware and trackers
Private DNS servers
The most beginner-friendly apps
WireGuard, OpenVPN, and IKEv2 protocols
CyberGhost is cheaper than NordVPN but also a bit slower when routing through distant servers. However, the service offers around 1,000 more server locations, so you can almost always find a server close to you. CyberGhost is a VPN with a strict no-logging policy, solid security, and airtight leak protection.
In our opinion, CyberGhost is the best VPN for beginners, thanks to its user-friendly apps. Even avid torrenters will enjoy its P2P-optimized servers. These servers are secure and located in countries with favorable torrenting legislation. You’ll have zero problems accessing torrent sites anywhere on the globe.
CyberGhost also includes an effective ad blocker to remove ads from your favorite sites. Although slower than NordVPN over long distances, CyberGhost is still a high-speed VPN. This ensures quick downloads and streams without any buffering. Military-grade encryption and a kill switch make sure the security follows suit.
If you’ve decided to become a “Ghostie,” you can get in on the cheaper side of VPN subscriptions, as you can see below.
CyberGhost
Deal
Save 83% and get CyberGhost for just $ 2.19 per month!
You can read our full CyberGhost review for more information about this excellent torrenting VPN.
5. Private Internet Access (PIA): Cheap VPN for Torrenting
Features:
Network with 35000 servers in 91 countries
Torrenting allowed on all servers
Decent download speeds
Protection against malware and trackers
Up to 10 simultaneous connections
WireGuard, OpenVPN, and L2TP/IPsec protocols.
Private Internet Access (PIA) might not have Surfshark’s raw speed, but it offers a larg server network . This prevents server crowding and the resulting lag, which makes downloads take so long to complete. Many of its servers are optimized for US performance, making it ideal for US-based torrenters.
PIA’s security package is impressive and complemented by a watertight no-logging policy. Its “Mace” feature blocks malware, trackers, and ads on torrenting sites. The advanced app-level split tunneling allows you to route your P2P traffic through a VPN tunnel while letting trusted apps access the internet directly.
PIA’s subscriptions start around a couple of bucks if you sign up for long-term plans, and there’s also a seven-day free trial for iOS and Android. If you want to give it a go for longer, you can use their 30-day money-back guarantee for a full refund. Click on the link below to test Private Internet Access right now.
If you want to learn more about this VPN before purchasing, read our full Private Internet Access review with extensive feature testing.
How We Picked the Best VPNs for Torrenting
Below we explain how we chose these best VPNs for torrenting and how we tested the VPNS
Essential: Security & Anonimity
For downloading torrents, security and anonymity are essential. We wanted to see AES 256 encryption paired with a reliable kill switch. A strict no-logging policy and zero data leaks were also a must.
Some of the security details are easy to come by. For example, information about encryption and VPN protocols can be obtained through simple online research. On the other hand, we actively had to test the kill switch performance, protection against DNS leaks, and various anti-malware tools.
We tested the kill switch of every VPN provider by using a page refresher tool that also showed our IP address. When we simulated a dropped connection, we could see whether our real IP addresses showed up before the VPN managed to reconnect. If they did, the kill switch wasn’t doing its job.
We used sites like ipleak.net as well as our IP tool to check for DNS leaks. We also tried downloading torrent files infected with malware to see whether the VPN would react or not. Finally, we paid close attention to the number of ads we saw on the best torrenting sites out there.
Speed
With VPN protection, your traffic is encrypted, and no one can see what you’re doing online. So, good VPNs for torrenting can actually boost your download speed.
A lot of VPN services will throttle your speed after detecting P2P traffic. Some VPNs, like NordVPN and CyberGhost, have special P2P servers. This means you’ll torrent on servers optimized for fast, smooth, and safe file sharing.
We put the NordVPN P2P servers to the test and found that they work optimally, delivering great speeds without any throttling. We tested the VPNs in our top 5 extensively. All the VPNs have excellent download speeds.
Torrent Specific Features
Many VPN’s offer special torrent specific features such as P2P servers. This is obviously a big plus if you want to download torrents. All VPN’s from our list of best VPNs for torrenting allow torrenting
Can I Use a Free VPN for Torrenting?
Free VPN services come in two forms:
Free limited versions of renowned premium VPNs
Manipulative and dangerous services that offer zero protection
We don’t advise these free VPN’s for torrenting because you’ll have to deal with some limitations compared to the premium options. If you use dangerous free VPNs you run the risk of high fines and malware such as ransomware disguised as popular content. We therefore recommend choosing a premium and secure VPN.
Should I Use a Free VPN for Torrenting?
We strongly advise against free VPNs for torrenting. Providers also have to support their free versions financially. Since they’re not stealing and selling your data, they have to do this with in-app ads and pop-ups. So you ar the product.
A lot of free VPNs also come with data limits. There are also countless malicious operations posing as free VPNs. They provide zero protection and will steal and sell your data to the highest bidder.
It is better to go for a free VPN trial of a premium VPN to see which one you like.
Is Torrenting Legal?
There are plenty of legitimate files to download on torrenting sites. But there is also plenty of illegally obtained content up for grabs from seeders.
Though some countries have no laws against piracy, it’s considered a crime in many others. It could result in getting huge download fines. We strongly advise against downloading copyrighted content. Having anonymity and amped-up security online shouldn’t be used to break any laws.
Conclusion: Download With the Best VPN for P2P
By using a VPN geared for privacy and security, you can risk-proof all of your downloads and torrenting activity. You can stay anonymous, prevent ISP throttling, and even bypass online censorship. All the picks on our list offer the privacy protection and security protocols you’ll need to torrent without worry.
Want the very best VPN for torrenting? Then we recommend NordVPN. With this VPN you are guaranteed high speeds, rock-solid security and good adblocking.
There are plenty of uploaders with malicious intent, so remember that infected files can lurk even on the best torrent sites. Though some of our picks offer malware protection, you’ll also want to make sure that your device is protected by premium antivirus software.
Best VPNs for Torrenting: Frequently Asked Questions
Have more questions about the best VPNs for torrenting? Below, we covered some of the most frequently asked questions.
What is the best VPN for torrenting?
NordVPN is the best overall VPN for torrenting. It offers solid security, airtight privacy, and dedicated P2P servers. On top of that, you’ll have a giant server network, excellent geo-unblocking capabilities, and even an ad-blocker. Our NordVPN review reveals all that and more.
Is torrenting safe with a VPN?
Yes. A VPN will hide your IP address and encrypt your traffic, making you invisible to online threats. Two of the best VPNs for torrenting on our list will even block malware. However, we strongly advise against illegal downloads and copyright infringement.
Is there a free VPN for torrenting?
Yes, but you’ve got to be picky. Some free VPNs are limited versions of premium services, like Proton VPN, which are totally legitimate and safe to use. However, there are also countless malicious operations posing as free VPNs. They provide zero protection and will steal and sell your data to the highest bidder. You should never use free VPNs from the latter category.
Is NordVPN safe for torrenting?
Yes NordVPN is safe for torrenting. The VPN offers solid security, AES 245-bit encryption and a kill switch.
Do VPNs really work for torrenting?
Yes VPN’s are even essential for torrenting. A VPN encrypts your traffic an can hide your online activities. It wil prevent your ISP from seeing your download activities. Using a good VPN will also provide you with security and protect you from data theft.
What is the fastest VPN for torrenting?
NordVPN is the fastest VPN for torrenting. It offers the best download speeds. NordVPN also offers specialized P2P servers for fast torrenting
What is the best VPN for torrenting and gaming?
NordVPN is the best VPN for torrenting and gaming. NordVPN has high speeds (good for torrenting) but also low pings, even on servers far away (good for gaming).
Djordje is a former VPNOverview writer with an extensive background in law and marketing. His main interests include legal frameworks for censorship on all levels and the place of VPNs and other cybersecurity software on that spectrum.