The Best VPN for Torrenting Anonymously & Safely in 2020

Torrenting is generally pretty risky, and is considered as a violation to copyright laws in most parts of the world. Despite these restrictions, the popularity in downloading some of the latest videos, movies, or music through P2P file sharing is still growing overnight. However, it’s always recommended that to skip these restrictions, while staying safe online, the only reliable way is by using the best VPN for Torrenting.

I’ve put countless of VPN services to the test, but finding one that’s the best for torrents, is a little more of a task. There are many risk factors that come with P2P activities, which is why the VPN you choose has to be able to protect your privacy and data, providing safe access.

After the tests, only 5 providers performed the best. Just in case you’re short on time, here’s a quick list for the best torrenting VPN services:

Torrenting – A general insight

You must understand that if simple internet surfing can put you at risk, imagine torrenting without any precautions! Further on, I’ll be discussing why a VPN is a necessity for torrenting, and what could happen if you find yourself on platforms like BitTorrent or uTorrent, without any protection.

Now, since Torrenting or P2P platforms are blocked or not accessible in most parts of the world, I mentioned that the safest way to access these services is by using the best VPN for it.

But, of course, not every VPN supports torrenting, and not many VPN providers are reliable in general. So, to choose the best torrent VPN, I shortlisted 5 based on certain attributes that contribute to the VPNs overall performance and reliability.

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  – Top recommended VPN for Torrenting

It’s known as one of the best providers in the VPN industry, with being located in the British Virgin Islands, it’s also one of the safest for torrenting. Since the Surfshark location is best for privacy and anonymity, you won’t need to worry leeching a movie or two from a renowned torrenting platform.

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. You’ll find 256-bit AES encryption, and a Kill Switch feature on majority of the apps.

Other than that, it offers Perfect Forward Secrecy, GPS spoofing, NoBorders, and protection against DNS and IP leaks, making these some of the best features for torrenting. You’ll also be able to get faster torrent speeds and anonymity.

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 or take a wider and extended approach using its 30-day refund.

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2. NordVPN – VPN with the best security for torrenting

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 is what makes it the best VPN for torrenting. This Panama based provider also maintains the privacy of its users by observing strict no-data retention policies.

To protect you on torrenting platforms, NordVPN offers security features like 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. All of these NordVPN features are required for smooth torrent access.

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

NordVPN offers its users a 7-day free trial, along with a 30-day refund. You can ask for a refund or account cancellation if not happy with the performance. For more details on this VPN, take a look at my NordVPN review.

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3. ExpressVPN – Fastest download speeds for BitTorrent

If fast download speeds and torrents are you main target, then ExpressVPN is the best for it. Just like Surfshark, Express too is from a privacy-friendly region in the British Virgin Islands. Where anonymity over torrenting platforms is concerned, ExpressVPN offers a strict no-data retention policy.

Coming to its performance, it supports both torrenting and streaming, delivering some of the fastest speeds, and 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. This is great, considering you’re going to need to keep a low profile while torrenting.

You’ll be able to torrent on a number of devices, since ExpressVPN offers apps for multiple supported platforms that are great for P2P activities. A few of them include Windows, iOS, macOS, Android, Smart TVs, Firestick, 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. ExpressVPN is not only the best torrent VPN, but also unblocks multiple streaming services and websites worldwide. A few of these services include the US Netflix and other 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. If you don’t like the service during the refund period, ask for your money back or delete your account!

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4. CyberGhost – User-friendly VPN with P2P optimized servers

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 attribute that sets CyberGhost apart from the other VPN services 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, all of what makes CyberGhost one of the best VPN services for torrents.

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 torrent compatible devices and apps, some of which include Windows, Android, iOS, macOS, Fire TV, and others.

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

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5. Private Internet Access – Feature-rich VPN for Torrenting

Private Internet Access is a US-based VPN, and even though that falls within the 14-eyes regions, it all depends on its no-logs policy at the end of the day. This provider is known as one of the best torrenting VPN services for a number of reasons, with its strict no-logs policy being one of them.

PIA, short for Private Internet Access, has a huge network coverage. If you take a look at the list above, you’ll see the amount of servers it offers, with which around 3500+ servers are dedicated towards torrenting. However, the speeds aren’t all that steady as compared to Surfshark and ExpressVPN, but are still fast enough.

Coming to its security, it runs with military-grade 256-bit AES encryption, which is the best in the industry. PIA supports a huge platform of protocols including OpenVPN/WireGuard, and Port Forwarding, all of which help make the speeds faster or more consistent.

Then, there are other advanced features like DNS and IP leak protection, split-tunneling and a Kill Switch and an Ad-Blocker. There’s a lot more to this provider, and for that you can look into my PIA review, for more details.

You’ll be able to connect up to 10 devices, which is great since PIA supports multiple that are compatible with torrenting platforms. A few of them include Windows, Android, iOS, macOS, Linux, Routers and browser extensions.

You’ll be able to test the VPN for a while using the free trial or run it directly on the 30-day money-back guarantee.

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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 Private Internet Access), 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 required to test and shortlist the best VPN services, and that’s exactly how I chose these P2P VPN services. Here’s how:

• 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.

FAQs

Can I use a free VPN for torrenting?

No!

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?

There are a few free VPNs that are reliable, but I wouldn’t suggest them for torrenting.

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

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.

What kinds of illegalities of Torrenting are there 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.

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.

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 has 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:

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”.

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 and you’ll have to use a Popcorn Time VPN for it. 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 that needs to be accessed with a VPN. 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. This is why we use the best Kodi VPN to access it, keeping online activities and data safe.

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 Private Internet Access) mentioned on my list are capable of providing services to more than just one platform.

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 the VPN, 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 Private Internet Access), 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.

To Summarize, the Best VPNs for Torrenting are…..

Rank	Provider	Our Score	User Rating