Quick answer: The Best VPN for Torrenting in 2024 is NordVPN!
NordVPN |
ExpressVPN |
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www.nordvpn.com NordVPN Price: Servers: 6000+ in 111 countries Simultaneous connections: 6 Jurisdiction: Panama Payment: PayPal, AmazonPay, Crypto, Google Pay, Klarna Torrenting: OK Unblocks US Netflix: Yes Encryption: IKEv2/IPSec, AES-256, OpenVPN, NordLynx Dedicated IP: $3.69/month TrustPilot Score: 4,2/5 Money-back: 30 days Extra: Double VPN, Obfuscated servers NordVPN review |
www.expressvpn.com ExpressVPN Price: Servers: 3300+ in 105 countries Simultaneous connections: 8 Jurisdiction: British Virgin Islands Payment: PayPal, Crypto, AliPay, Klarna, Torrenting: OK Unblocks US Netflix: Yes Dedicated IP: Not provided TrustPilot Score: 4,4/5 Money-back: 30 days ExpressVPN review |
Torrenting risks and regulations have grown recently, exposing your IP and P2P activity, making you vulnerable to cyber threats.
ISPs can throttle or block your connection if they detect P2P file downloads. Therefore, using a VPN for torrenting is essential to maintain privacy and secure internet activity, while also ensuring fast and reliable downloads.
1. Best VPN for Torrenting & P2P
Not all VPNs support peer-to-peer (P2P) networks, making finding a good VPN for torrenting challenging. The ideal VPN combines speed, security, and a wide server selection to ensure high online privacy and a great user experience.
We’ve selected the best VPNs for torrenting, offering essential features and unlimited bandwidth for downloads. These VPNs enable fast, secure torrenting on any primary platform.
1.1 NordVPN – Best Overall VPN for Torrenting
Based in |
Panama |
Split tunneling |
Yes |
SOCKS5 proxy |
Yes |
NordVPN offers several features that make it an excellent choice for torrenting:
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Dedicated P2P Servers: NordVPN provides dedicated servers that support peer-to-peer (P2P) traffic, which is essential for torrenting. These servers are optimized for high-bandwidth activities like downloading torrents, ensuring efficient and fast performance.
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Kill Switch for IP Leak Protection: The VPN includes a kill switch in its clients, which is a crucial security feature. This switch automatically cuts off your internet connection if the VPN drops, preventing your real IP address from being exposed. This is vital for torrenting, as a single IP leak could reveal your identity to your Internet Service Provider (ISP) and potentially lead to consequences.
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Wide Server Network: With over 5100 servers in 60 countries, NordVPN offers a vast selection of servers. This global presence means you can almost always find a fast server nearby, which is important for maintaining high download speeds while torrenting.
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Split Tunneling and SOCKS5 Proxy: NordVPN offers split tunneling, allowing you to encrypt only your P2P traffic and not your entire connection. This can lead to better speeds while maintaining privacy for torrent activities. Additionally, the availability of a SOCKS5 proxy provides an option for those who prioritize speed over encryption.
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Strict No-Logs Policy: NordVPN has a strict no-logs policy, audited by PwC, one of the world’s largest accounting firms. This means it doesn’t keep records of your online activities, ensuring your torrenting activity remains private. The fact that this policy has been independently audited adds credibility to their claims.
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RAM-Only Servers: Most of NordVPN’s servers are RAM-only, which means they don’t have mechanical hard drives that could store data. This is beneficial for privacy as any information is wiped out on reboot, reducing the risk of your data being compromised.
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Advanced Encryption with NordLynx Protocol: NordVPN utilizes the NordLynx protocol, a next-generation technology that offers robust encryption without compromising on speed. This is particularly beneficial for torrenting, as it provides both security and performance.
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DNS Leak Protection: Ensuring that your DNS requests are also routed through the VPN, NordVPN prevents DNS leaks, which could otherwise expose your browsing activities, including torrenting.
The only notable con is that the best deals for NordVPN are typically available only on long-term subscriptions, which might not be ideal for those seeking short-term solutions. However, the benefits offered make it a strong choice for users who are serious about torrenting with privacy and performance in mind.
1.2 PrivateVPN – Fastest VPN for Torrenting
Based in |
Sweden |
Split tunneling |
No |
SOCKS5 proxy |
Yes |
The features and characteristics of PrivateVPN as described make it a strong choice for torrenting for several reasons:
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High Speeds: The reported download speed of 15MB/s is quite impressive, especially for torrenting, where speed is a critical factor. Faster speeds mean quicker downloads, which is essential when dealing with large files.
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P2P Support with Specialized Servers: PrivateVPN’s provision of specialized P2P servers is significant for torrenting. These servers are optimized for file sharing, ensuring a more stable and efficient torrenting experience.
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Port Forwarding: This feature is particularly noteworthy because it’s not commonly found in many VPNs. Port forwarding can enhance the speed and connectivity of P2P networks, making it easier to connect to more peers and, consequently, potentially increasing download speeds.
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Wide Server Coverage: With 200 servers across 63 countries, users have a broad range of options to connect. This diversity can help in finding a server with the best speed and also in bypassing geo-restrictions.
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Proxy Support: The inclusion of HTTP and SOCKS5 proxies offers additional flexibility and security for torrenting. These proxies can provide an extra layer of anonymity, which is vital for privacy during torrenting activities.
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Affordable Pricing: Starting at two dollars per month, PrivateVPN is budget-friendly, which is an attractive point for many users.
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Unlimited Bandwidth and Strong Privacy Features: The promise of unlimited bandwidth is crucial for torrenting, which often involves the transfer of large amounts of data. Additionally, securing personal information and ensuring freedom from surveillance and logging are key privacy features desirable in a VPN used for torrenting.
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Ease of Use and Customizability: With a user-friendly interface and a range of VPN protocols, PrivateVPN caters to both beginners and advanced users. Customizable encryption adds an extra layer of security tailored to the user’s needs.
However, the con mentioned – limited tunneling protocol selection – could be a drawback for users who seek specific types of protocols for enhanced security or specific use cases. Despite this, the overall features make PrivateVPN a good choice for torrenting.
1.3 Atlas VPN – Torrenting VPN With Unlimited Connections
Based in |
USA |
Split tunneling |
No |
SOCKS5 proxy |
No |
Atlas VPN appears to be a good option for torrenting for several reasons, despite not offering dedicated P2P servers:
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Torrenting Capability on Regular Servers: Unlike many VPNs that restrict torrenting to specific servers, Atlas VPN allows torrenting on many of its servers. This flexibility can be convenient for users who want to switch between different activities without changing servers.
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Decent Speeds for Torrenting: The reported speeds of 4-6MB/s are adequate for most torrenting needs. For example, the ability to download a 2.7 GB file in about seven minutes is quite reasonable, ensuring that users can download large files relatively quickly.
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Free Version Supports P2P: This is a significant advantage, as most VPNs restrict torrenting to their paid versions. Having a free version that supports P2P connections makes Atlas VPN accessible for users who are not ready to commit to a paid VPN service but still want to engage in safe torrenting.
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Compatibility with Streaming Services: Atlas VPN’s compatibility with popular streaming services like Netflix, BBC iPlayer, and YouTube adds value for users who want a VPN for both torrenting and streaming.
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Additional Security Features: The inclusion of a malware filter, data breach detector, and kill switch enhances online security, which is crucial for torrenting. The IP address randomization feature in its Windows and Android apps offers additional privacy.
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No-Log Policy: For those concerned about privacy, the strict and verified no-log policy of Atlas VPN is reassuring, as it means the service does not track or store users’ internet activity.
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Affordable Pricing: The low cost, especially with the three-year plan, combined with unlimited bandwidth and the mentioned features, makes Atlas VPN an economically attractive option.
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Unlimited Simultaneous Connections: This is a significant advantage for users with multiple devices or households with several users.
However, there are some drawbacks:
- Limited Number of Servers: With only 700 servers in 31 countries, Atlas VPN has fewer servers than many competitors, which might affect server availability and speed in some regions.
- Jurisdiction within a Five-Eyes Country: This might be a concern for those who are particularly cautious about privacy, as these countries are known for their surveillance agreements.
Overall, Atlas VPN seems to balance affordability, functionality, and security in a way that makes it suitable for torrenting, especially for users who prioritize cost and the convenience of torrenting on regular servers.
1.4 Surfshark VPN – Best Budget VPN for Torrenting
Based in |
The Netherlands |
Split tunneling |
Yes, Android and Windows |
SOCKS5 proxy |
No |
The features of Surfshark VPN make it an excellent choice for torrenting for several reasons:
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Torrent-Friendly Servers: Surfshark allows torrenting on all its servers and offers dedicated P2P servers optimized for torrent clients. This ensures that users have access to high-speed and reliable connections specifically designed for torrenting.
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High-Speed Connections: The VPN is one of the fastest in the market, enhanced by the incorporation of the WireGuard tunneling protocol. This means that users can enjoy quick download speeds without experiencing significant slowdowns due to the VPN.
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Advanced Security Features:
- Kill Switch: Surfshark’s kill switch is a critical security feature. It automatically cuts off your internet connection if the VPN connection drops, preventing your real IP address from being exposed.
- Encryption Options: The option to switch between Chacha20Poly1305 and AES-256-GCM encryption ciphers offers robust security. These encryption standards are considered unbreakable, even with powerful hardware.
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RAM-Only Servers: The use of RAM-only memory in their servers ensures that no logs are permanently stored. This increases privacy as any stored data is wiped out upon server reboot.
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Enhanced Privacy: The added DNS leak protection further secures your private details, reducing the risk of your activities being traced back to you.
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Global Server Network: With over 3200 servers in 65 countries, Surfshark offers a vast selection of servers, enhancing the torrenting experience by providing numerous options for connection points.
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Whitelist Feature: The split tunneling or ‘Whitelist’ function is particularly useful for torrenting. It allows users to route only their torrent traffic through the VPN, while other activities can use a regular connection. This can optimize speed and efficiency.
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No-Logs Policy: Surfshark’s certified no-logs policy means that your torrenting activity is not recorded, offering an additional layer of privacy.
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Cost-Effectiveness: The affordability of Surfshark, especially with discounts on longer subscriptions, and the provision for unlimited simultaneous connections, offer great value.
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Guarantee and Customization: A 30-day money-back guarantee provides users with a risk-free opportunity to try the service. Customizable encryption methods allow users to tailor their security settings.
However, a potential drawback is the absence of a SOCKS5 proxy, which can be beneficial for torrenting as it offers fast speeds and is easier to set up with torrent clients. The lack of this feature might be a downside for some users.
1.5 Mullvad VPN – Best For Anonymous Torrenting
Based in |
Sweden |
Split tunneling |
Yes |
SOCKS5 proxy |
Yes |
Mullvad VPN is considered a good option for torrenting due to several key features that cater specifically to the needs of torrent users:
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Privacy-focused Account Creation: Mullvad’s unique approach to account creation, where you’re given a random 16-digit code instead of using an email address, enhances privacy. This method ensures there are no direct trails leading back to your personal information, which is crucial for maintaining anonymity while torrenting.
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Support for P2P Traffic on All Servers: The fact that P2P traffic is allowed on all of Mullvad’s servers is significant for torrenters. This allows users to choose the nearest server for the best possible speeds, an essential factor for efficient torrenting, especially for large files.
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No Speed Throttling: Mullvad’s service does not throttle speeds, ensuring that torrenting activities are not slowed down, allowing for efficient downloading of large files.
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SOCKS5 Proxy Included: The inclusion of a SOCKS5 proxy with the membership is beneficial for torrent users. It can be set up on any torrent client, providing an extra layer of privacy and speed when torrenting.
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Split Tunneling on Android and Linux: The split tunneling feature, available on their Android and Linux apps, is particularly useful for torrenting. It allows users to route only their torrent traffic through the VPN while accessing the internet directly for other activities.
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Open-Source Service: Being open-source adds a layer of transparency and reliability, as it allows independent verification of the security and privacy features of the VPN.
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30-Day Money-Back Guarantee: This guarantee provides users with the opportunity to test the service risk-free to ensure it meets their torrenting needs.
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DNS Leak Protection: This feature ensures that your DNS requests are also routed through the VPN, preventing accidental exposure of your real IP address.
However, there are some limitations:
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Limited Server Selection: The relatively smaller number of servers and countries available might make it challenging to find a fast server, depending on your location.
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Non-Flexible Pricing: The flat rate of $6.00 per month, regardless of the subscription duration, might not be the most economical option for everyone, especially when compared to other VPN services that offer discounts for longer commitments.
In summary, Mullvad VPN’s strong focus on privacy, support for P2P on all servers, no speed throttling, and additional features like SOCKS5 proxy and split tunneling make it a good choice for torrenting, despite its limitations in server selection and pricing structure.
2. How do VPN connections help?
Different people use the internet in unique ways. VPNs enhance anonymity by creating a secure “tunnel” to the internet, hiding your IP address and using the VPN’s instead. This means your home IP is concealed when you visit websites. However, VPNs can slow down your device. For both high performance and privacy, choose a VPN that encrypts data, like ExpressVPN, which offers fast, secure, and anonymous browsing.
3. How necessary Is It To Use a VPN for torrenting?
Torrenting without a VPN is risky. Your real IP address is exposed to others in the torrent network, similar to revealing your home address. Also, inadvertently downloading copyrighted material can lead to issues with copyright owners and ISPs, who may not consider your intentions. Plus, scammers can exploit your exposed data on P2P networks for social engineering attacks.
4. How To Choose A VPN For Torrenting?
Torrenting requires privacy and security due to its inherent risks. Choose a VPN with strong encryption and security features, including a transparent, independently verified no-logs policy. Speed is crucial; avoid VPNs that significantly slow down downloads. Ensure the VPN is DNS leak-proof and has a kill switch to protect your real IP if the VPN fails. We’ve selected the best VPNs for torrenting that are fast, secure, and user-friendly.
5. How The Torrenting VPNs Were Selected And Tested
When choosing a VPN for torrenting, consider these key factors:
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Torrent Policy: Select VPNs that allow P2P traffic, as many services restrict it due to the high bandwidth it requires.
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Security: Torrenting exposes your IP address, making you vulnerable to hackers or surveillance. Opt for VPNs with strong security to stay anonymous.
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Logging Policy: Prefer VPNs with proven privacy records, like those that have passed third-party audits, ensuring your data remains private.
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Performance: Fast VPNs enhance torrenting speeds. Higher performance VPNs are preferable for quicker file transfers.
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Value: Look for a balance between cost and features. Avoid overpriced VPNs that don’t offer sufficient value compared to top-tier services.
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6. What Is Torrenting?
Torrenting involves sharing files directly between users on the BitTorrent network, bypassing central servers. This technology, available for various devices, is often used for downloading a wide range of content, from popular music to large data files.
Despite its innovative approach to file sharing, BitTorrent has a mixed reputation. It efficiently handles high demand for large files by distributing the load among users, but its decentralized nature also makes it a tool for illegal distribution of copyrighted content.
Many ISPs and network administrators block BitTorrent traffic due to its association with illegal activities. Using a VPN can help bypass these restrictions and maintain privacy. A VPN encrypts all internet data, concealing activities, including torrenting. However, not all VPNs allow BitTorrent traffic on their servers.
7. Can Free VPN Be Used For Torrenting?
Many free VPNs, safe for general use, don’t support torrenting due to its high bandwidth consumption, often reserving this feature for paying customers. While some free VPNs do offer torrenting, be cautious as they might log and sell your data to compensate for the free service.
Torrenting with a VPN is legal; the legality depends on the content being downloaded, not the method. Using torrenting for open-source software or public-domain films is fine, but downloading or sharing copyrighted material, like a recent movie, is illegal. Legal interpretations can vary, making some seemingly lawful acts subject to different rulings by government agencies or courts.
8. What Are The Risks Associated With Torrenting?
Using a VPN protects you on public internet connections, but you also need to secure other aspects, like the torrent trackers and the torrent client you use. For instance, uTorrent 3.4.2, a popular torrent client, once slowed down users’ computers and installed a Bitcoin mining application without consent. Its recent versions often come with adware.
Safer alternatives include open-source clients like Deluge and qBittorrent, which offer more security. Paired with a reliable VPN, this setup minimizes technological vulnerabilities. Being cautious about clicking links also enhances your safety.
9. Countries With The Best VPNs For Torrenting And P2P Traffic
In some countries, internet downloading laws are more relaxed, making them better for torrenting.
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Poland: Downloading copyrighted materials isn’t explicitly legal or illegal. While there are exceptions for personal use, it doesn’t make Poland a haven for copyright infringement.
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Spain: Known as a torrent-friendly country, Spain’s laws focus more on financial gain than copyright. Torrenting for personal use is legal, but sharing copyrighted content for profit is illegal.
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Switzerland: Highly valuing privacy, Switzerland allows downloading copyrighted content for personal use, provided there’s no intent to sell. However, distributing such content is illegal. You’re safe downloading, but seeding (sharing) is risky.
10. Torrenting P2P VPN FAQ
10.1 Is it safe to torrent with VPN?
Yes, torrenting while using a VPN keeps you much safer. Because your identity is disguised and untraceable, you’re considerably less likely to be fined or have someone try to hack your computer.
10.2 Can a person be jailed for torrenting?
It depends on your country as well as other factors. You will not be going to jail if you download music. However, if you’re in charge of one of the most popular public torrent trackers, you’re breaking the law.
10.3 Does torrenting speed increase if VPN is used?
If you have poor Internet access, it’s unlikely that using a VPN will make things faster. A VPN adds an extra stop to the bus route of your connection, and encryption and decryption require time. If your ISP uses speed restrictions to limit you, you may use a VPN to boost your torrenting speed.
11. Conclusion
Be cautious when downloading via torrents, as it can lead to unexpected complex situations, including legal issues or downloading infected files. Torrenting also exposes your real IP address, increasing your vulnerability to attacks.
Using a trusted VPN can mitigate these risks by protecting your online activities. However, choosing the wrong provider is like jumping from the frying pan into the fire. Research and select a VPN provider that ensures your safety, especially on P2P networks.
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