- NordVPN: Best for high-speed torrenting
- TorGuard VPN: Best for security features
- ProtonVPN: Best for privacy policies
- hide.me: Best for Windows users
- VPN Unlimited: Best for simultaneous connections
Maintaining secure, high-speed connections is crucial, particularly for file sharing. Many virtual private networks (VPNs) vie for users’ attention, yet only a select few provide the optimum mix of privacy, speed and functionality necessary for torrenting.
Whether you’re spreading open-source software or distributing public domain literature, torrenting can be a powerful tool for legal sharing purposes. To ensure your online activities remain private and secure, employing the right VPN is a must. Below, we list the top VPNs for torrenting, distinguished by their impressive performance, stringent security measures and unyielding commitment to privacy.
The Best VPN for Torrenting of 2024
Forbes Advisor Ratings
Company | Forbes Advisor Rating | One-Year Plan Price | Money-Back Guarantee | Server Locations | LEARN MORE | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
NordVPN | 4.5 | $68.85 or $4.59 per month (annual plan) | 30 days | 5,000 | Learn More | On NordVPN's Website | |||
TorGuard | 4.3 | $59.99 or $4.99 per month (annual plan) | Seven days | More than 3,000 | Learn More | Read Forbes' Review | |||
ProtonVPN | 4.2 | $71.88 or $5.99 per month (annual plan) | 30 days | 1,900 | Learn More | On Proton VPN's Website | |||
hide.me | 4.1 | $69.95 or $2.59 per month (27-month plan) | 30 days | 2,100 | Learn More | On hide.me’s website | |||
VPN Unlimited | 3.9 | $59.99 or $5 per month (annual plan) | 30 days | 3,000 | Learn More | Read Forbes' Review |
How To Choose the Best VPN for Torrenting
When selecting the best VPN for torrenting, it’s important to consider several factors that contribute to an efficient and secure experience. Priorities include robust security, strong privacy policies, fast speeds and torrenting-friendly policies.
Essential Features
- P2P compatibility: A VPN must support peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing, as this is the technology behind torrenting.
- Fast speeds: Torrenting can be a resource-heavy process, so a VPN with fast speeds will help ensure smooth and efficient downloads.
- No data caps: VPNs without data limits are crucial for torrenting, as large files can quickly use up bandwidth.
- Kill switch: This feature immediately halts internet traffic if the VPN connection drops, preventing your real IP address from being exposed.
Types of VPNs for Torrenting
- Shared IP VPNs: These VPNs route your traffic along with that of many other users, making it difficult for anyone to trace the activity back to you.
- Dedicated IP VPNs: Although less common for torrenting due to the individual identifiable IP address, they provide a stable and consistent performance, which can be beneficial for seeding torrents.
Ease of Use
Look for VPNs that offer user-friendly interfaces and easy configuration. A good VPN service should make the process of connecting and disconnecting to different servers uncomplicated and fast.
Security
This includes several components:
- Encryption standards: The VPN should use high-level encryption standards such as AES-256 bit to keep your data secure from prying eyes.
- DNS leak protection: This ensures that all your DNS queries are securely routed within the VPN tunnel, preventing your ISP or any third party from seeing your internet activity.
- Automatic kill switch: This security feature, often known as a network lock, blocks all network traffic if the VPN connection drops unexpectedly, preventing data leaks.
- No-logs policy: A no-logs or zero-logs policy ensures that the VPN provider does not record or keep any logs of your online activity. This is crucial for maintaining your privacy, as the absence of logs means there is no data to be shared, even if legal authorities request it.
Integrations
The VPN should easily integrate with different torrent clients and provide easy setup guides. Some VPNs offer proxy setup within the torrent client itself, allowing you to use your regular connection for other tasks.
Customer Support
A responsive customer support team is important. Look for VPNs that offer 24/7 live chat support. Comprehensive knowledge bases, troubleshooting guides and active community forums can also be beneficial for resolving issues independently. A large presence on social media sites such as Reddit can be helpful, too, especially with more complicated torrenting protocols.
Torrenting Protocols Supported
- BitTorrent protocol: The most common protocol used for torrenting, the VPN should support it.
- Magnet URIs: This is a type of hyperlink that lets users download content through their torrent client without needing to download a separate torrent file. VPNs supporting this protocol allow for anonymous and efficient torrenting.
- Peer exchange (PEX): This protocol allows peers to directly connect with each other to share torrent seeds and peers, bypassing the need for a tracker.
- Distributed hash table (DHT): This is a protocol for a decentralized distribution system that allows the torrent client to gather data without requiring a tracker.
- SOCKS5: This is a protocol that routes data packets between clients and servers through a proxy server. SOCKS5, the latest version, supports various types of traffic, including P2P and torrent traffic. While it can enhance anonymity, it lacks built-in encryption.
- Micro transport protocol (µTP): This open protocol is intended to avoid poor latency and congestion, particularly for users with slower internet connections.
- HTTP seeding: Several torrent clients support HTTP seeding, which permits users to download torrent files from a single source, such as a web server, when there are no seeders in the torrent swarm.
Methodology
To identify the best VPNs for torrenting, we used a comprehensive methodology, thoroughly assessing a variety of VPN providers across an extensive range of criteria. Each VPN service was assigned a score in each category, culminating in a total score that allowed us to determine their overall performance and reliability for torrenting.
By employing this comprehensive methodology, we ensured that our evaluations and rankings of the Best VPN for Torrenting were based on their performance in key categories, providing an objective and reliable overview for users.
Here’s how each category influenced the final score:
- Pricing (15%): We took into account the pricing structure of each VPN, which included evaluating the costs of different subscription plans and potential discounts available. Additional factors such as the availability of free trials or free versions, the affordability of the lowest starting price tier and the value provided at the highest price tiers were also considered. This category made up 15% of the total score.
- Mobile app (3%): We analyzed the mobile app ratings from both the App Store and the Play Store. This helped us to assess user experience and performance on mobile platforms. This category accounted for 3% of the total score.
- Customer reviews (10%): We scrutinized reviews from trusted platforms such as Trustpilot, G2 and Capterra. This allowed us to gauge user satisfaction, with higher scores given to VPN providers receiving positive feedback for reliability, effectiveness and user-friendliness. This category constituted 10% of the total score.
- Service and support (7%): The availability and quality of service and support options were assessed. This included live chat support, the existence of a comprehensive knowledge base or help center, phone support and 24/7 customer support availability. This category contributed to 7% of the total score.
- General features (25%): We evaluated several crucial features such as anonymous browsing, DNS protection measures, dedicated IP availability, kill switch functionality, split tunneling capabilities and support for multifactor authentication. Scores in this category were based on feature implementation, reliability and user-friendliness, contributing 25% to the total score.
- Additional features (10%): Additional features such as the number of continents with server availability, a stringent no-logs policy, the presence of browser extensions and the number of simultaneous connections allowed were considered. This category accounted for 10% of the total score.
- Speeds (20%): We assessed average download and upload speeds to evaluate the VPN’s performance and its impact on user browsing, streaming and downloading activities. This category made up 20% of the total score.
- Expert score (10%): In this category, our expert evaluation considered the uniqueness of features, the overall value for money, user popularity, ease of use and the support for various torrenting protocols. The goal was to identify VPN providers that offered distinct features, exceptional value and a superior user experience. This category contributed to 10% of the total score.
Learn more about how we test, rate and review VPNs.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is torrenting?
Torrenting is a file sharing technique that involves multiple sources transferring data to a single recipient. It allows users to download large files quickly by breaking them down into small pieces and downloading these pieces from multiple sources simultaneously.
Why do I need a VPN for torrenting?
A VPN for torrenting ensures your online privacy by masking your IP address and encrypting your data. It helps protect your identity and activities from being tracked by ISPs, governments or cybercriminals, ensuring safer and more private torrenting.
What makes a VPN suitable for torrenting?
A suitable VPN for torrenting should offer strong encryption, a no-logs policy and good speed. Additionally, it should support P2P sharing, have a kill switch feature and servers in torrent-friendly countries to ensure optimal performance and security.
Is torrenting illegal in the U.S.?
Torrenting itself is not illegal in the United States. Law prohibits the act of downloading or sharing copyrighted material without permission. It’s crucial to ensure that any content you torrent is in the public domain or that you have the rights to share or download it.
Can I use a free VPN for torrenting?
While you technically can use a free VPN for torrenting, it’s generally not recommended. Free VPNs often have data limits, slower speeds and less security, making them unsuitable for frequent or heavy torrenting. They also may lack robust privacy policies that paid VPNs provide.
Does a VPN hide my torrenting activity from my ISP?
Yes, a VPN can effectively hide your torrenting activity from your ISP. It does this by encrypting your internet connection and masking your IP address. This prevents your ISP from seeing what data you’re downloading or sharing.
Will using a VPN slow down my torrenting speeds?
While using a VPN may cause some minor reduction in your internet speed due to the encryption process, high-quality VPNs are designed to minimize this impact. Some VPNs even offer special servers optimized for P2P sharing that can help maintain high torrenting speeds.