The Best VPN for Torrenting – Anonymity & Privacy on BitTorrent & uTorrent

The government in most parts of the world has strictly blocked off many torrenting platforms due to copyright laws. Downloading some of the latest videos, movies, or music through P2P file sharing is far more difficult to access. The only way to skip through these restrictions is with the best VPN for Torrenting.

These include:

1. Surfshark – Best for torrenting on unlimited devices with great speeds and privacy.
2. NordVPN – Best for robust security features and P2P optimized servers.
3. ExpressVPN – Best for keeping no-logs, strong security, and great speeds for P2P platforms.
4. CyberGhost – Best for providing privacy and anonymity on torrenting platforms.
5. FastestVPN – Best budgeted VPN for torrenting with the best security features and speeds.

Torrenting – A general insight

In general, how many hours a day do you spend online, regardless of the type of activities you carry out? For instance, streaming on Netflix, gaming on PS4 Pro with the friends, or even downloading some of the latest movies on BitTorrent. Everything and anything you do on the internet, still puts you, your data, and your devices at risk.

Have you any idea how much trouble you can get into, by just looking up costume ideas on Google, without having your device or data encrypted? It might seem funny at first, but a lack of awareness can just about get your account hacked!

Bearing that in mind, if simple internet surfing can put you at risk, imagine torrenting without any precautions! I’m really not trying to scare you, but yes, you should be scared!

Later on, I’ll be discussing just why you need a VPN for torrenting, and what could happen if you find yourself on platforms like BitTorrent or uTorrent, without any protection.

Now, since Torrenting or P2P at large, is blocked or not accessible in most parts of the world, I mentioned that the safest way to access these platforms is only by using the best VPN providers. But, of course, not every VPN supports torrenting, and not many VPN providers are reliable in general.

So, to choose the best VPN for Torrenting, I shortlisted 5 based on certain attributes that contribute to the VPNs overall performance and reliability.

How I chose the best VPN for Torrenting

To jump right to it, the main reasons I picked 5 of these particular VPN providers for torrenting (Surfshark, NordVPN, ExpressVPN, CyberGhost, and FastestVPN), is because they ticked all the right boxes where safety, security and speedy accessibility to multiple platforms are concerned.

There’s always a certain criterion to follow to get the best of the best. So, I chose these VPNs based on:

• Firstly because they all are P2P compatible.
• Since Torrenting isn’t allowed in most countries, you’ll need a VPN from a safe jurisdiction, with the best privacy and no-logging policies.
• A strong security base and other torrenting related features, like military-grade encryption, split-tunneling, WebRTC, DNS and IPv6 leak protection, Port forwarding for bypassing tough firewalls, and a fully functional Kill Switch. This will make sure your physical IP and identity are fully masked.
• Fast speeds and unlimited bandwidth are a big factor. The VPNs enlisted all produced good to fast speeds and no bandwidth caps.
• Ample server locations and shared IPs are other factors, important for torrenting. If more people use the same IP address, the better chances they have for full anonymity.
• A reliable yet available support chat. Come in handy just in case access to torrenting with the VPN isn’t functional.

The best VPNs for Torrenting

As mentioned, there are many VPNs in the industry that offer the best features for multiple purposes, but, not all are great for torrenting. Below you’ll find a detailed insight into the main reasons why I chose these 5 as the best VPNs in the business that also supports P2P or torrenting. We being with:

1. Surfshark

Best all-rounder VPN for Torrenting

It’s known as one of the best providers in the VPN realm, with being located in the British Virgin Islands. Its location is best for privacy and anonymity. You never have to be overly paranoid about torrenting ever again, since you’ll be completely anonymized.

Surfshark among the other providers sport some really good download speeds and provides unlimited bandwidth. Being a feature-rich VPN, it is solid on the security front.

With 256-bit AES encryption, a Kill Switch, a Split-Tunneling feature called Whitelister, Perfect Forward Secrecy, GPS spoofing, and protection against DNS and IP leaks, making it a top contender for torrenting.

It is compatible with a wide platform of devices and apps, some of which include Windows, iOS, Android, macOS, Firestick, and more; allowing unlimited device connections. For a wider scoop, you can dive into my detailed Surfshark review.

Surfshark not only supports BitTorrent but also works great for streaming. It has managed to unblock many mainstream platforms. Some of these include Netflix, HBO Go, Hulu, Fox News, HBO Go, and other bigger platforms.

You can test out the torrenting speeds using the Surfshark free trial for Android and iOS smartphones or take a wider and extended approach using its 30-day refund.

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2. NordVPN

Best for torrenting with tight security

Since torrenting can put you at extreme risk, NordVPN offers not only P2P optimized servers but also generates the best security features for it. This Panama based VPN also maintains the privacy of its users by observing strict no-data retention policies.

Coming to its main attraction; we have its security features. Running over bank-grade encryption with perfect forward secrecy by default, DNS and IP leak protection, TOR over VPN features, and a Kill Switch. There’s also the latest new CyberSec feature. It also has pretty decent download speeds with unlimited bandwidth.

Besides being optimized for torrenting, it also works pretty great with accessing geo-blocked services like the famous Netflix.

Being accessible to a number of devices and apps for Windows, Android, Firestick, macOS, browser extensions, Android TV, and more, you can easily torrent on any one of its supported devices; allowing 6 multiple connections.

NordVPN also offers its users a limited 7-day free trial, along with a 30-day refund. For a more detailed approach to this VPN, you can follow it through in my NordVPN review.

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3. ExpressVPN

Best for speedy downloads and anonymity on BitTorrent

Adding another versatile VPN option to the list, we have ExpressVPN. Just like Surfshark, Express is known to shape a good grounding on privacy and great download speeds. This British Virgin Island VPN is known for keeping its word on its no-logging and privacy policies.

Coming to its performance, it supports both torrenting and streaming with great speeds on all servers, and with unlimited bandwidth. On the security front, it uses watertight 256-bit AES encryption with perfect forward secrecy, a Kill Switch, split-tunneling and runs its own private and encrypted DNS.

It supports all the major devices and apps. Some of these include Windows, iOS, macOS, Android, Smart TVs, FirestickTV, and a lot more. For a greater insight into supported apps and overall performance, have a look at my detailed ExpressVPN review.

The best part about choosing a VPN like ExpressVPN is that it’s a two in one deal. It not only supports torrenting but also unblocks multiple streaming services and websites. A few of these services are the US and other Netflix libraries, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, and more!

ExpressVPN might be slightly overpriced as compared to the other VPNs, but it delivers impeccable features and sound execution that makes the software well worth the money. Besides, if you think it’s overpriced, why not try using the ExpressVPN free trial if you need the VPN for a short time? It also comes with a 30-day refund!

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4. CyberGhost

Best for privacy and good speeds for Torrenting

CyberGhost is known in the industry as being the best for adding privacy and anonymity. This Romanian based VPN observes its no-data retention laws quite religiously. This is what makes torrenting so much safer for you, even though it’s very risky.

The distinct feature that sets CyberGhost apart from the other VPNs is the fact that it has separate servers for streaming and for torrenting. Besides that, it ships some pretty good download speeds for P2P activities.

Speaking of speed, it also provides unlimited bandwidth and other advanced features that are good for torrenting safely. These include military-grade encryption with perfect forward secrecy, Kill Switch, a split-tunneling feature called Exceptions, and more.

For a detailed approach, you can have a full scan of its performance in my CyberGhost review.

Even though CyberGhost has blocked off BitTorrent access, using most of its US and Russian servers, there are ample more torrent compatible servers for you to bank on. Apart from torrenting, you can also unblock many streaming services worldwide. Some of these include BBC iPlayer, Hotstar, Netflix, Amazon Prime, and more!

It also supports multiple devices and apps, some of which include Windows, Android, iOS, macOS, Fire TV, and others.

CyberGhost also comes with a free trial run, giving its users a chance to test its functionality. Along with that, it also offers a reliable 45-day refund period.

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5. FastestVPN

Best for rich security features for Torrenting

For those who haven’t heard of FastestVPN, let it be known that this might make it to your list of best-budgeted VPNs. With origin in the Cayman Islands, it is widely known for its hefty security features and great privacy/no-logging policies.

It not only works great for streaming on Disney Plus but also supports torrenting on all its servers; keeping in light of its Unix-based P2P optimized servers which work smoothly for large file sharing.

However, there are a few locations that might be a little restricted some of which include Singapore, Hong Kong, Australia, South Korea, and India. So, to get the best torrenting experience you should tweak around with other options until you’re settled with the best servers.

Coming to its security, it runs with military-grade 256-bit AES encryption, supports a huge platform of protocols including OpenVPN, DNS and IP leak protection, split-tunneling and smart connect. There’s a lot more to it, for that you can look into my FastestVPN review for extended details.

It supports a wide plethora of devices and apps, some of which include, Windows, iOS, Android, macOS, Routers, Kodi, Nvidia Shield, and a lot more.

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Is Torrenting Legal?

Yes, and no! The thing about the legality of torrenting varies in many cases.

Firstly, have you heard of copyright infringement laws? If torrenting violates any of these laws, it automatically raises many red flags. So, as long as you don’t cross these lines or download any copyrighted content, you’re good to go.

Secondly, it depends on if you’re torrenting content that doesn’t have any copyright laws put on it. But on the other hand, happen to be torrenting within a country like Russia or Canada that doesn’t support it. This too is illegal on another basis.

In short, if you download a free software through a torrent client, you’re good to go. But, if you download copyrighted content like maybe Beyoncé’s “All the single ladies” from The Pirate Bay or Torrent Funk, you’re in for a bumpy ride with the feds. All-in-all, it always depends on how to use torrent clients and where you use them.

What could happen if you’re caught torrenting

Being caught results in punitive measures that are imposed by the government or the ISP. Copyright holders may even drag you to the court demanding triple the charges for the loss that the piracy caused them. And believe me, it’s happened.

According to Emirates 24/7, back in 2016, a man was brought to court asking to pay a huge fine of 50,000 AED to OSN, a TV Network for illegally downloading and uploading content to a pirated website. Along with the fine, he was given 6 months of jail time, along with a sentence of deportation back to his country of origin. Scared yet?

Not saying you’re going to hit the slammer as soon as you download a torrent, if that was the case we’d run out of jail-cells! Ha! You need to be very cautious about downloading copyrighted content and especially taking note of the location you live in. The penalties you receive depends largely on the country you live in and the laws they crop up.

Illegalities of Torrenting around the world

All countries around the globe have different approaches to the torrenting culture. Regulations are diverse and very different for every region around the world. Some countries deal with torrenting very strictly while others overlook a lot of matters that may or may not spark concern.

For example, in the US, if any copyrighted content is shared or downloaded without the authorities’ consent, it is considered illegal. In fact, it is just not the USA; the same rule goes for several other countries. In such regions, it’s a criminal offense and is punishable by law. There are, however, different rules for permissible content which are free to download.

In the UK, downloading content without consent is also illegal, resulting in low bandwidth and legal notices from the owner.

In India, Canada, Germany, Australia, and several other countries, torrenting without consent is illegal. Illegal torrenting in India, are faced with charges of 300,000₹ fine and prison sentencing.

In Canada, for illegal downloads, you’d be forced to pay around $5,000, and those who make money out of illegal downloads will be charged with a fine of $20,000.

Coming to Germany, for illegal torrenting, you could be fined with an average of 900-1000 Euros. There are other laws of being an accomplice to the crime, which states that if someone uses your internet connection to make those downloads, you too could be faced with charges.

Australia is another example where severe consequences are faced by torrent users who download without consent. The Australian Anti-privacy laws are quite strict and unbendable, hence resulting in privacy lawsuits being filed against the torrenteers.

About Torrenting – Why do you need a VPN for Torrenting?

Torrenting, in layman’s language, runs on P2P technology. It allows a large network of people to share or download large amounts of files simultaneously, like movies, music, pictures, games, etc. Even though torrenting is popular worldwide, it’s still completely blacklisted mainly for copyright infringement; in simpler terms, it’s illegal to use.

So, since torrenting is illegal in most countries, you’re going to need one of the strongest or best VPNs that provide an ample amount of features, great speeds, and anonymity. You can even use it for torrent search engines.

So, do I need a VPN for torrenting?

Yes, you most definitely do!

A reliable VPN works to mask your complete identity from your ISP or completely geo-spoof your location.

Do you want to know what torrenting without a VPN is like? Take a gun and shoot yourself in the leg. How does it feel? That’s exactly what torrenting without a VPN or safety net should feel like. So, yes, yes and a million times yes, you need not just any VPN but a torrenting worthy one.

Even though I’m listing the best VPNs to help you Torrent safely and with ease, I by no means condone any activities you choose to run with it, and that includes torrenting illegally. Yes, torrenting is illegal in wider aspects and shouldn’t be considered. But, if you’re going to do it anyway, it’s always better to stay cautious with the safest VPN choices possible.

Tips for a safe torrenting experience

• Get a reliable VPN provider
• Download only legal content
• Choose a reliable torrent client and configure its settings to double-proof your safety
• Torrent from trusted sites

On the flipside – Places where torrenting is legal

Yes, torrenting is illegal all over the world. And each have laws and consequences of their own. But, there still exists a couple of countries that allow torrenting legally with minor restrictions. This is for a number of reasons that fulfill personal gains. They include:

• Switzerland – free to torrent as you please.
• Mexico – doesn’t seem to acknowledge nor heavily monitor the torrenting activities of its citizens.
• Spain – allowing you to share or download torrents without making money out of it.
• The Netherlands – allows torrenting various files without making money, but bans the downloading of software.

Alternatives to traditional torrenting

Since we’re talking about torrenting in general, you should know that it breaks off into different sections.

Popcorn Time

Have you ever heard of Popcorn Time? It’s like the free VPN of the VPN industry. Okay, maybe I’m being a little harsh, but when it comes to free anything, I’m always a little skeptical.

Popcorn Time is similar to Netflix but free. The wide difference between the two is that Popcorn Time is a streaming service that runs on a Torrent client. It works similar to torrenting, noting that when you streaming (download) a movie, it simultaneously uploads the content for others to watch.

It may not run the same way as downloading particular pirated content straight from the source, but since it does run on a torrent service, you’re still going to need a VPN for torrenting to use with services like these.

Kodi

Similarly, we have another open-source media streamer, called Kodi. Even though it isn’t the same as entirely downloading pirated content, its third-party add-ons also get certain stream sources from torrents. This too can alert the authorities if certain material contains copyrights.

Ace Stream

Another new streaming service added to the list is Ace Stream. Since it runs on BitTorrent technology, regularly delivering bootlegged content like live video streams or movies, etc. It is services like these that could shatter your online privacy.

The point is, using the best VPN for torrenting doesn’t only apply to directly downloading or uploading content from direct Pirate Bay sources, but rather for many other streaming services that use or run on torrent technology. All the VPNs for torrenting (Surfshark, CyberGhost, NordVPN, ExpressVPN, and FastestVPN) mentioned on my list are capable of providing services to more than just one platform.

Can I use a free VPN for torrenting?

No!

I’m not going to ask you to shoot yourself in the leg again, but the answer is still no, you can’t. There are many okay-ish to reliable “free” VPNs in the business.

Heck, there are even inexpensive VPN services that are far better in comparison, but I’d never recommend free services, especially for something as big as torrenting. This could just further speed up your path to getting a lawsuit!

Torrenting requires a strong VPN. Free VPN services can never do you justice. All you’ll be experiencing is slow to non-existent speeds, bandwidth caps, stolen data, or hacked devices. Free VPNs come with very limited servers and that too aren’t P2P compatible, so what’s the point?

Free VPNs according to a Reddit-user

As I mentioned, free VPN services aren’t reliable, to begin with, let alone strong enough for torrenting. A question was held on Reddit, asking if there were any free VPNs available for torrenting:

To which someone replied:

However, if you really are on a budget and need a free VPN for extremely limited purposes to download torrents without copyrights, then you can use:

Windscribe

• Allows only a maximum of 10 servers in the UK, Canada, Hong Kong, US, France, Netherlands, Germany, Norway, Switzerland, and Romania
• Allowance of just 10GB a month
• Slow speeds
• 256-bit AES encryption.
• No-logging policies although a part of the 5-eyes
• Comes with Firewall security

Hide.me

• AES 256-bit encryption
• 2GB data/mo.
• Compatible with major devices like Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS
• Said to work smoothly with Amazon Prime and HBO GO.
• All free servers are P2P optimized except for the US locations

Hotspot Shield

• AES 256-bit encryption
• Limited servers inclusive of only one US server
• No-logging
• Supports major platforms like Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS
• 500MB data/day
• Servers come with a malware database by default

A VPN for Torrenting according to a Reddit user

As I said, there are many VPNs that still work, and the ones I listed, seem to work pretty smoothly for other users. Here’s what one Reddit user had to say:

To wrap things up

Torrenting may be the Pandora Box to the fastest way to download all your favorites from torrenting platforms, but it’s also the quickest way to a lawsuit. Downloading or uploading copyrighted content is theft. Continuing with activities like these without using a good VPN provider, could be the worst decision ever.

You definitely need the best VPN for torrenting; which are mentioned on my list (Surfshark, NordVPN, ExpressVPN, CyberGhost, and FastestVPN), to provide the best security, privacy policies, great speeds and also route affordable prices for torrenting. They also deliver other exceptional services, unblocking many other platforms like BBC iPlayer and more; while being compatible with multiple major devices.