Though torrenting is legal technology, it has generated a lot of negative attention in the past few years. This is because BitTorrent and P2P facilitate access to pirated content, something that is illegal in almost all countries. This has resulted in ISPs banning most torrent sites, and copyright trolls sending out DMCA notices to people who illegally stream or download copyrighted content through torrents.
In a bid to stay private and secure, torrent users have resulted in using VPNs to hide their identity as well as their activities from the ISPs. You, however, need to choose your VPN for torrenting carefully as some VPNs can disable your account for torrenting copyrighted content, and others are just outright too slow.
In this guide, we have drafted a detailed list of the best VPNs for torrents, in a bid to ease the selection process for you.
Here is the best VPNs for Torrents:
1. ExpressVPN
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Editors’ choice 2020
tekcompareExpressVPN wins the first spot as the best VPN for torrenting due to its excellent torrenting network and top-of-the-class speeds. The VPN has a server network of 2,000+ server based in 148 locations across 92 countries.
Their whole server network supports P2P traffic, and the bandwidth is unlimited.
Privacy & Security
ExpressVPN is based in the British Virgin Islands which is a great location for a VPN, and they practice a strict zero-logs policy. As for security, the VPN uses AES 256-bit security, which is the industry standard and can’t be compromised. Other security features include network lock (kill switch) and DNS & IP Leak protection.
Compatibility
The VPN is one of the best in terms of compatibility, and they have native clients for almost all devices that support VPN installation. These include Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, iOS, Firestick, and routers. They also have browser extensions for Chrome, Firefox, and Safari.
However, you can only connect up to 3 devices simultaneously.
Pricing
For the kind of service that it offers, ExpressVPN is one of the highest priced VPNs, costing $12.95 for the monthly subscription. The yearly subscription however brings this cost considerably down, and we even have a special discount to allow you save 35% and get an extra 3 months for the yearly plan. This will also be covered by a no-questions-asked 30-day money-back guarantee.
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Super-fast
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Excellent client apps
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Zero logs & solid security
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Works with Netflix, iPlayer, and other streaming services
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24/7 Live chat support
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30-day money back guarantee
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Relatively costly
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Only 3 simultaneous connection
Tekcompare has scanned and tested this software for malware
All plans are covered by a 30-day money back guarantee
2. NordVPN
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NordVPN is another excellent option for the best VPN for streaming. The VPN is known for its excellent privacy and security, as well as its server network which is the biggest in the industry. It consists of 5,000+ servers that are well distributed across 62 countries.
The VPN groups most of its servers according to tasks, and you can get hundreds of servers in 45 countries dedicated torrenting. All these servers are super-fast, and they offer unlimited bandwidth.
Privacy & Security
NordVPN is based in Panama, a country that doesn’t have any data retention laws. This helps the VPN maintain high privacy standards, and it doesn’t collect any connection or usage logs. In terms of security, you will get to enjoy AES 256-bit encryption and security features like Kill Switch, Anti-DDoS, Onion over VPN, double VPN, CyberSec, and DNS & IP Leak protection
Compatibility
NordVPN has clients for Windows, MacOS, Linux, Android, iOS, Android TV, Chrome, and Firefox. You can also install the VPN manually on routers and other devices, and enjoy a simultaneous connection of up to 6 devices.
Pricing
NordVPN is priced slightly below ExpressVPN for the monthly plan at $11.95. However, there’s a more significant drop in price for the 3 year plan, and you can get a 75% discount with our special deal.
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Super-fast
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Zero usage and connection logs
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Up to 6 simultaneous connections
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Most servers
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24/7 Customer Care
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30-day money back guarantee
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High cost for month-to-month users
3. CyberGhost VPN
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CyberGhost VPN has recently shaped up to become one of the best VPNs in the market. The VPN has more than tripled its servers, upgraded its infrastructure, and released some new and sleek clients that are both reliable and easy to use.
The VPN has a server network of 3,500+ servers well distributed across 58 countries. There are special servers optimized for torrenting, and you’ll always get superb speeds and unlimited bandwidth.
Privacy & Security
CyberGhost VPN is based in Romania and keeps a strict zero logs policy. Security-wise, the VPN uses AES 256-bit encryption coupled with protocols such as OpenVPN, L2TP-IPsec and PPTP. Other security features are an automatic kill switch, DNS & IPv6 protection, ad blocker, and malware blocker.
Compatibility
CyberGhost VPN has great native clients and addons that can be installed on Windows, Linux, Android, iOS, Firestick/ Android Smart TVs, Chrome, and Firefox. You can also manually connect other devices, and you’ll be able to use up to 7 simultaneous connections.
Pricing
CyberGhost VPN hiked its monthly priced to $12.95 after its many improvements, but their 3-year plan lets you use the service at just $2.5 a month. All their plans are covered with a remarkable 45-day money-back guarantee.
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1-day free premium trial
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Based in Romania and keeps zero logs
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7 simultaneous connections
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Unlimited bandwidth
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Fully-featured
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45-day money back guarantee
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Live Chat not available 24/7
4. Surfshark VPN
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Surfshark is a relatively new entrant in the VPN market, but its service is among the best in the industry. It promises that it’s the “fastest no logs Online VPN,” and its service greatly suits torrenting.
The VPN’s server network of 800+ servers in 50 countries supports P2P on every server, and the bandwidth is also unlimited.
Privacy & Security
Surfshark is registered in the British Virgin Islands, and it’s therefore away from the reach of the invasive UK privacy laws. As for security, the VPN uses AES 256-bit encryption, with either the OpenVPN or IKEv2 protocol. The VPN also has privacy and security features that include a kill switch, CleanWeb (removes ads, trackers, malware, etc.), private DNS and leak protection, and multi-hop.
Compatibility
Surfshark has clients for Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, iOS, Fire TV/ Stick, Chrome, and Firefox. A standout feature of the VPN is that you can use it simultaneously on any number of devices you own.
Pricing
Surfshark’s monthly plan goes for $11.95 which is quite high, but we have an incredible discount for the yearly plan which will let you use SurfShark at just $1.99 a month! This deal is also supported with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
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Super-fast
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Based in the BVI & keeps Zero logs.
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Unlimited simultaneous connections
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Simple but fully-featured apps
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Works with Netflix and other streaming services
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30-day money-back guarantee
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Can’t choose between protocols
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Live chat doesn’t operate 24/7
5. PrivateVPN
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If you are looking for a good but cheaper VPN for torrenting, then PrivateVPN is a good choice. The VPN has been in the industry for almost 10 years now, and just like its name suggests, it’s a great option for protecting your privacy.
The VPN’s whole network allows you to use P2P services, and the bandwidth is unlimited. Though 100+ servers in 80+ locations and 59 countries can’t match the first 3 VPNs in the list, PrivateVPN’s service is still up to standard.
Privacy & Security
PrivateVPN is based in Sweden, and although that is not the best country in terms of privacy, there aren’t laws that require VPNs to keep logs. PrivateVPN therefore promises you a logless service. Their security is also impressive, making use of the popular AES 256-encryption standard.
Compatibility
PrivateVPN offers apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android which are the most popular devices. You can however still connect other devices and enjoy up to 6 simultaneous connections.
Pricing
At $7.67 for the monthly plan, PrivateVPN is very well priced. You can also save an extra 65% with the yearly plan, and use the VPN at just $3.83 a year. All their plans are covered with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
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No logs
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Works with US Netflix and BBC iPlayer
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6 simultaneous connections
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Good speeds and unlimited bandwidth
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30-day money-back guarantee
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Few number of servers
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Live chat is not available 24/7
Why you need a VPN for Torrenting
With ISPs and governments stepping up their monitoring efforts, copyright trolls observing torrents, and other snoopers ready to pounce on your data and online activities, it’s very important to get a VPN for torrenting.
A VPN works by encrypting your device internet traffic and then securely redirecting it to a remote server of your choice. All your requests no longer go through your ISP, but rather through your VPN provider’s server. If your new provider doesn’t keep any logs or monitor your activities, you will then be able to torrent privately. The new shared IP address you’ll get from the remote server will also mean that your activities will remain anonymous to anybody watching.
Generally, here’s why you need to use a VPN for torrenting:
Unblock Torrent Sites
To enforce copyright protection, governments have had ISPs block various torrenting websites. This practice has become very popular in Europe, with the UK leading the line. Most ISPs do this by filtering DNS request and blocking IP addresses, but this can be easily overcome with a VPN.
Hide your online activities from your ISP & government
Since your ISP can always see the sites you access and files you stream or download, you need to hide such from them. Otherwise you might end up with a DMCA notice or having your data connection throttled.
When you connect to a VPN, your ISP can only see that you are connected to a VPN, but not anything you do. All your traffic appears like some garbled mess to them.
Stream & download anonymously
One big flaw of P2P technology is that your peers can always see your IP address, and so can the website owners and any parties monitoring the torrents you access. This is why you should never torrent with your real IP address. To ensure that you don’t reveal your real identity, always confirm if your IP address has changed after connecting to a VPN.
Avoid ISP throttling
ISPs have never been big fans of torrenting, and so most of them tend to throttle your connection when they see you consuming a lot of data with torrents. They can also do that when they see that you are illegally accessing copyrighted content, and the result will be slow stream or download speeds.
Final Words
Sharing content through torrents is quite easy, but it can be very risky at the same time. To avoid ISP blocking, throttling, monitoring, and DMCA notices, you will need to use a VPN. However, not all VPNs are good for torrenting, as others don’t even allow P2P traffic on their network. We have tested the above-listed VPNs, and they are the best for torrenting at the moment. Get yourself one and torrent safely and anonymously.