6 Best VPN for Torrenting in 2022 for Complete Anonymity (Guide)
A detailed article about which is the best VPN for torrenting.
Torrenting is a bone of contention for many. For the most part, the burning question is; is it legal?
In truth, it all depends on the kind of content you are downloading or sharing. If you are only downloading or sharing non-copyrighted content, then you have nothing to worry about.
But if any of the content involved is copy-righted or restricted; you could be in a lot of trouble.
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That said, you need a VPN even if you are torrenting non-copyrighted content. In a word, a VPN is your last line of defence against every internet bad guy out there.
Admittedly, I do love torrenting. It is one of my guilty pleasures. And if you are honest, it all starts with non-copyright content and pretty soon you go down the proverbial rabbit hole.
Why Do You Need a VPN For Torrenting?
When you use Torrent in an unprotected manner, your IP address is exposed. So it makes it easy for anyone to identify your location, so you are vulnerable to hackers and any third party.
Since your traffic is visible, hackers can intercept your downloads, infect your device with malware, and steal your personal information.
Similarly, your ISP can easily block or throttle you if you're torrenting. The worst part is that you'll face fines if you mistakenly download a copyrighted file.
So it would help if you had a VPN that masks your IP and encrypts your P2P activity by just running it through a special, protected remote server, and it makes sure that you're completely anonymous and safe. This is often legal, simple, and smart because they keep enjoying torrenting.
Also, there are some websites which are now publicly posting torrent activity that is associated with your IP address.
So by this way, they are helping the authorities to find you and charge you for copyright violations.
And also the government and ISPs are very active in blocking torrenting sites all over the world.
Some ISPs are cancelling the internet service of their users when they find out that they are repeatedly violating copyrights.
So this is why I insist that you need a VPN for torrenting.
Benefits Of Using a VPN For Torrenting
Avoid Malware
Generally, Torrents are mostly filled with files that contain malware. This is because the files which are seeded often go unchecked for malware or any viruses.
So every time you download a torrent you need to scan it with updated anti virus software. So in addition to using a VPN it is also essential to use a good anti-virus application.
Access geo-restricted material and censored content
If you have traveled abroad, you might have experienced this problem. You cannot access or watch your favorite shows.
This is mainly due to the restriction on the content based on location. And this is something unfair.
And in addition to this, US Netflix has so many web series and movies available only for US residents.
So to overcome all these problems and so-called geo-restriction, you need a VPN. Only a VPN can bypass restrictions and allow you to watch any content irrespective of your location.
Keep your identity and streaming activities private from prying eyes like your ISP.
If you are concerned about your privacy, then you need a VPN to protect your identity when you are online.
If you are watching movies or downloading big files, your ISP can throttle your internet connection when they notice a large amount of data is used continuously.
This is why you experience slow connections and buffering while you do the things mentioned above.
But if you use a VPN, no one can monitor what you do online. So you can save yourself from the prying eyes of your ISP.
Stream anonymously
As mentioned in the previous point, your ISP can throttle your internet connection. To stream anonymously, you need a VPN to secure your connection and prevent your device from any third party attacks.
If you are without a VPN, then your IP will be exposed, and you will be subjected to legal action. So it is better to safeguard yourself and your device from such problems by using a VPN.
Gain access to early releases of online content like video games
This is the best benefit you can get when you use a VPN. If you are a gamer and want to buy or download games that are not available in your country, you can do it using a VPN.
Your VPN will swap your server with the server of the country where the game is available. So it is easy to buy your favorite games by installing and using a VPN on your device.
What are the features you must look for in a VPN for Torrenting before choosing one?
Fast Speeds
When you are seeding a file in Torrent you need a fast internet connection. Otherwise, it will take a long time to upload a file. So check whether your VPN can provide you with fast speeds.
P2P sharing
You need this feature in your VPN to rely on your VPN to share and download files while torrenting.
Optimized servers for P2P
Your VPN for torrenting must provide specially optimized servers for torrenting and also some extra torrenting features.
Generally, P2P activity requires some server configuration, which most VPNs don't provide, and there must be seamless access to torrenting when you use a VPN.
Strict No-logs Policy
This is the essential feature you must look for in your VPN. No data must be retained or logged when you are online, and this is because there is a risk present that your VPN can hand over the logged data to the government agencies, and you might have to face legal actions.
Security features
Some important security features include an automatic kill switch, advanced encryption, and DNS leak protection. When your VPN has all these features, you will be completely secure and protected when torrenting.
So, which is the Best VPN for torrenting? These are my personal top picks.
List of Best VPN For Torrenting in 2022
1. ExpressVPN :- Best VPN for Torrenting
160 Locations | 94 Countries | 5 Devices | 30 Day Money-Back Guarantee
I want to kick off my review with a bang. And ExpressVPN is one bang-a-roo of a VPN. Rocking over 3000 servers in 160 cities across 94 countries; this is a big network.
Express VPN is not just a vast network, it also has some of the best features you will find anywhere.
For starters, this giant VPN provider is based in the British Virgin Islands. This is good for the US and Europe users because they get pretty good coverage.
Still on coverage, ExpressVPN offers some of the best coverage for Asia Pacific countries. I believe they have 27 countries over there.
Secondly, ExpressVPN offers the best clients. In fact, the Apps are lightweight, pretty easy to use, and set up.
You will find Apps for Windows, Mac, Android, iOS, and Linux among others. Plus, custom firmware for routers as well as detailed set-up instructions for Apple TV, Chromebooks, PlayStation, Kindle Fire and Fire TV.
Third, ExpressVPN has some of the best encryption protocols. On top of supporting all the usual protocols, ExpressVPN now has IKEv2 support for Windows and Mac as well as its own DNS servers.
You can apply split tunnelling to choose which Apps should go through the VPN and which should not.
Fourth, you never have to worry about logging. ExpressVPN, through their Privacy Policy, painstakingly details all the policies regarding their logs.
Ultimately, you will find out that they don’t log anything at all. And a recent third-party audit confirmed as much.
When you use ExpressVPN for torrenting, what you get is total anonymity and protection from other users, your ISP, and other prying eyes.
ExpressVPN starts by replacing you IP address with a server IP. Essentially, ExpressVPN has optimized servers that ensure your download speeds remain top-notch.
Feel free to check your visible IP address to see if its different from your real one.
Once you are connected, you can download any content, stream any videos or visit any website you want. Thankfully, you do not need to configure any settings.
What if you want IP binding? ExpressVPN offers a feature known as Network Lock that works much in the same way.
In the event that your VPN connection fails, Network Lock shuts down all the internet traffic to and from your computer. This way, you will not be exposed.
ExpressVPN Pricing
So, how much does our top pick for the best VPN for torrenting cost?
2. NordVPN for Torrenting
60 Countries | 6 Devices | 30 Day Money-Back Guarantee
NordVPN has for years been known as the most trusted VPN. And even though there was a breach in one of their servers recently, this title still remains.
NordVPN is a massive network offering 5600+ servers in 60 countries. In fact, this is one of the biggest VPN providers in the biz.
Further, NordVPN is based in Panama. This is a good location since Panama does not enforce any data storage rules.
Back to the breach, NordVPN comprehensively handled the situation. In my opinion, if NordVPN’s security protocols and no logging policies were not as strict, we would be discussing another matter entirely.
The truth is, NordVPN has always been my first choice for security. The only reason it came second here is because of that little mishap.
NordVPN presents a variety of security protocols that make it stand out from the crowd.
For starters, the Double Data encryption. This feature sets into motion a series of encryptions. Essentially, all your data will be encrypted twice making it very difficult for anyone to trace your footprints.
Second is the Onion over VPN. This feature offers double layers of obfuscation. And finally, the CyberSec Technology that blocks ads, malware, and any chances of getting phished.
Did you know NordVPN has not one but two Kill Switches? Seems like overkill but then again, this is the VPN King of protection.
One of the Kill Switches shuts down all internet activity whenever you are not connected to the VPN.
The other Kill Switch targets certain Apps and shuts down the internet connection as soon as the VPN connection fails.
You will love the new high-speed WireGuard technology still being tested. Unfortunately, it is only available in 408 of the 5600+ servers available.
Torrent users have nothing to fret about. NordVPN supports torrenting on a select number of servers.
If you want to find a torrent-optimized server, just search for a P2P server. Luckily, NordVPN is automatically configured to find the nearest P2P server for you as soon as it detects torrenting activities.
NordVPN Pricing
So, how much does our 2nd best VPN for torrenting cost?
3. IPVanish VPN for Torrenting
60+ Countries | 10 Devices | 7 Day Money-Back Guarantee
IPVanish has, on more than one occasion been called the fastest VPN provider in the market.
Granted, some of the times, the statement is from their very own website. But we don’t mind as long as they can live up to the hype.
So, is IPVanish really the fastest VPN and more importantly, how does it handle torrenting?
IPVanish is a well-known VPN provider owing to its reputation as a decent VPN provider with super-fast download speeds. But before we go there, let’s start with the servers.
IPVanish is a Tier-1 company. This means that all the servers in the IPVanish arsenal are solely owned by the company.
That being said, IPVanish has more than 1300 servers located in 75 different places. When you use IPVanish, you have a library of 40,000 shared IP addresses at your disposal.
Additionally, IPVanish offers Apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, and Fire TV devices. Clients like Ubuntu, Linux, routers, Chromebooks and others can easily configure IPVanish into their systems. IPVanish supports several protocols including Open VPN TCP and UDP, IKEv2, L2TP and PPTP.
Among IPVanish’s best features is the free Socks5 proxy that you can download and configure.
More so for torrenting clients, Socks5 proxy easily configures to uTorrent and BitTorrent to facilitate super-fast downloads and provide an extra layer of protection.
All of IPVanish’s servers are primed for P2P traffic and file sharing. In fact, stress-free torrenting is one of IPVanish’s biggest selling points.
Torrenting users experience limitless bandwidth with no throttling no matter the size of downloads.
Also, IPVanish practises a strict no-logging policy. Absolutely no logs of your activities can be found. Therefore, torrent buffs can download and share files without any apprehension.
Further, IPVanish enacts an automatic IP change at chosen intervals. I presume this works much like the Perfect forward secrecy.
To top it off, IPVanish provides air-tight Kill Switch, DNS and IPv6 Leak protection. A malfunctioning Kill Switch can really mess you up especially considering unprotected file sharing displays everything including addresses of seeders and leechers.
IPVanish Pricing
Admittedly, IPVanish is not the cheapest VPN option out there. It isn’t the most expensive either.
We are looking at 3 pricing options for IPVanish.
These pricing packages are all about the details (for all VPNs not just IPVanish). Pay attention to the fine print before strapping yourself up to a long-term plan.
4. SurfShark VPN for Torrenting
61+ Countries | Unlimited Devices | 30-Day Money-Back Guarantee
SurfShark is our final best VPN for torrenting. But don’t get me wrong. This does not mean it has less features, no. It just means that it beat a whole lot of other VPN providers to make it to our top picks.
So, what does SurfShark have to offer?
SurfShark is a feature-packed VPN provider with so many one-of-a-kind features; it will make your head spin.
For starters, SurfShark offers 1000+ servers across 61 countries. You can connect as many devices as you want to this VPN service.
Each of SurfShark’s servers has its own private DNS. On top of that, the servers are the zero-knowledge DNS servers; so, you know none of your information is being logged.
Now, here is where SurfShark lives to its reputation. Among SurfShark’s premium features are Camouflage Mode, Smart DNS, Whitelist, CleanWeb, HackLock, Blind Search, and Noborders Mode.
Camouflage Mode are special obfuscated servers hell-bent on bypassing network firewalls and all other restrictions. It works with Open VPN, Windows, Android, and iOS.
Smart DNS unlocks US content while Whitelist allows you to configure some Apps so that they can bypass the VPN connection.
These are mostly Apps that resist VPN connections or slow down considerably the moment they detect a VPN (for example, banking Apps).
CleanWeb is great for blocking Ads, malware, trackers, malicious links, and phishing attempts. Noborders Mode allows you to access all the content you desire despite being in countries that restrict such content (like China). And finally, Hack Lock is a data leak alert signal.
Get a load of all these features including all the other typical advanced features associated with top-notch VPN providers.
They include Kill Switch, Split tunnelling, Double VPN hop, P2P and torrenting, 24/7 Live Chat and Tor compatibility.
As you can see, torrenting users have much to look forward to. SurfShark offers specialized servers, unlimited torrenting bandwidth, TOR and kickass torrenting support.
You can comfortably use BitTorrent and uTorrent for your torrenting activities. Also, SurfShark provides a hassle-free environment for Streamer Player, Ace Player, VLC, and Popcorn Time media players to thrive.
SurfShark Pricing
Let us see what SurfShark costs. As you can see, SurfShark offers three different pricing packages.
Just in case you have not noticed, SurfShark is one of the cheapest VPN options in this review. I mean, a dollar ninety-nine is quite low for such a feature-rich VPN. Also, the 1-year plan appears to be pricier than the 2-year plan. Oh well!
5. CyberGhost VPN for Torrenting
89+ Countries | 7 Devices | 45-Day Money-Back Guarantee
CyberGhost is another formidable VPN provider for our list of the best VPN for torrenting. It was founded in 2011 in Bucharest, Romania. To date, CyberGhost has over 6000 servers in 89 countries.
The servers are mainly spread across the United States of America, the United Kingdom, the European Union, and Asian countries.
CyberGhost has one of the widest portfolios for Apps. You will find Windows, iOS, Mac, Android, Linux, Chrome, Amazon Fire TV and Android TV clients. Additionally, CyberGhost can be set up on Raspberry Pi, Synology NAS, Game consoles, Routers and Smart TVs.
As of a while ago, CyberGhost no longer supports PPTP and L2TP protocols. That notwithstanding, you can still use IKEv2 (default protocol for Windows), Open VPN or IPsec. Open VPN can be used on Windows, macOS, and Android. iOS prefers IPsec.
As for the encryption, CyberGhost boasts AES 256-bit cipher plus 4096-bit RSA key and SHA 256 authentication. You can expect other security features including DNS Protection, IP Leak protection, Kill switch, and TOR compatibility.
With CyberGhost, you can connect up to 7 devices simultaneously. Furthermore, CyberGhost allows you to set some privacy triggers like data compression to reduce bandwidth. You can also enjoy automated HTTPS redirection and multi-hop VPN connection.
Torrenting users are well taken care of on CyberGhost. To begin with, there are openly displayed P2P servers. You can use BitTorrent (recommended bit torrent client) to torrent all you want.
Further, CyberGhost offers dedicated streaming servers. This is particularly useful when you want to unblock Netflix. There are four servers that you can easily find by searching for Netflix.
CyberGhost Pricing
CyberGhost is one of the cheapest VPN providers in our Best VPN for the torrenting list. Granted, it is only for the long-term plan. The one-month plan is actually pricier than some of the other options.
6. VyprVPN for Torrenting
70 Countries | 5 Devices | 30-Day Money-Back Guarantee
Do you know how each VPN provider worth its salt is known for a particular reason? (SurfShark for features, ExpressVPN for power, IPVanish for speed, and so on). Well, VyprVPN is known for its wide platform support.
And by this, I mean VyprVPN offers a wide number of Apps including Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, routers, QNAP, Anonabox, Blackphone and Smart TV among others.
Further VyprVPN offers a library of over 50 tutorials detailing manual set-ups for various other clients. They include Linux, Synology NAS, Chromebooks, Blackberry, Apple TV, OpenELEC, and Android TV. You can also find configuration tutorials for DD-WRT, OpenWRT, and AsusWRT just to mention a few.
Aside from Apps, VyprVPN offers its users some of the best server coverage in the biz. Granted, the network is not as vast as some of the other VPN providers, but VyprVPN has done a pretty good job distributing the servers.
So, out of 700+ servers across 70 countries there are 14 servers in Asia, 5 servers in the Middle East, 7 servers in Central and South America, 2 servers in Africa, and 5 servers in Oceania.
On matters encryption, VyprVPN uses 256-bit AES-CBC encryption plus 2,048-bit RSA keys and SHA 256 authentication. Additionally, you get to choose from a wide array of protocols including Open VPN, Chameleon (VyprVPN’s proprietary protocol), IKEv2, L2TP/IPsec, and PPTP.
Speaking of proprietary features, VyprVPN has Chameleon Protocol. In a nutshell, Chameleon protocol is the main line of defence against deep packet inspection.
This technology scrambles Open VPN traffic and metadata. So much so that even deep packet crawlers can’t detect your VPN connection.
All the hardware and software used by VyprVPN is solely owned by the company. So, there is no sharing of servers and other software with third-parties. This is particularly good news for torrenting users.
Having its own servers means VyprVPN has more control over speed and data monitoring. Ultimately, torrent buffs get to download SD, HD, 4K UHD and Live HD streaming with adequate speed and no buffering. To top it off, they have unlimited data and bandwidth.
VyprVPN Pricing
I am sure you have noticed that we have not spoken about the number of users. Well, this is because VyprVPN offers 2 different tiers.
The baseline Tier supports 3 devices. Premium Tier supports 5 devices. In addition to having more simultaneous devices, Premium Tier users also have access to Chameleon Protocol and VyprVPN Cloud.
On to pricing, VyprVPN offers 3 different paid subscriptions.
Setup guides for VPN for Torrenting
1. Choose a best VPN for Torrenting
You need to sign up to a best VPN for Torrenting and then download its software application.
Then you need to install it and run the application.
Note: You can choose any best VPN Black Friday offers. We recommend NordVPN for Torrenting because it uses advanced security features and is also reliable. Also, see to that the VPN which you choose allows P2P so that while torrenting they can shield your connection from copyright issues.
2. Enable your VPN's kill switch
A kill switch is a feature which cuts your internet connection when your VPN stops working. This feature is also called Network Lock or Firewall.
This is an essential tool for torrent users because when they leave their computer to download or seed any files from the internet for hours of time, chances are there that your VPN connection gets lost, thus your IP will get exposed.
3. Download and Install a BitTorrent Client
Since there are a lot of good BitTorrent clients present in the market, you can choose an application which is reliable. See to that that application is lightweight, and compatible with all platforms.
4. Visit a torrent site
Now visit any torrent site through your browser. Many ISPs have blocked torrent sites and so run a VPN to get access to them. When you are using a good ad blocker, you can prevent pop-ups and inappropriate ads.
5. Start downloading a torrent
Surf for the content for which you are searching and once you find the content file, click on its magnet link or download its torrent file. The magnet link has all the information related to the link than the torrent file.
6. Seeding in Torrent
You can seed the downloaded file so that other users can also download them. To do this, you need to simply leave the torrent running in your BitTorrent client after you have finished downloading it.
So this is the setup guide for VPN for Torrenting. If you have any doubts regarding this setup, feel free to comment below.
Disadvantages Of Not Using a VPN For Torrenting
Though some people use torrenting and do not get under tough situations, it is always a risky business. Recently, many people have been facing copyright violations and legal actions.
So the trend is changing. Authorities are taking strict actions nowadays, so torrenting without a VPN is not worth the risk.
Chances are there that your torrenting activity can be tracked and recorded and published online. Without a VPN, your IP address is visible to everyone.
So anyone can track and monitor your activities and sometimes hack your details and misuse it. So these are some of the reasons why a VPN for torrenting is necessary.
FAQs
Yes, torrenting is safe unless you use a strong, reliable VPN. Your VPN must have advanced security features, provide you with good speed, and also ensure your privacy. These are basic features a VPN must-have to get its name in the best VPN list.
No, it is not advised to use a free VPN. This is because free VPN does not cost money, but think a little bit about their revenue source.
They sell your logged details to third parties and make money out of it. And also, they don't provide strong security for their users.
So you should use a paid VPN instead of freebies.
Mostly torrenting is associated with piracy, which is theft. So people get caught while torrenting because they don't use any VPN to cover their IP address.
Since their IP address is exposed to everyone, they get caught and face legal issues. You can simply avoid this problem when you use a best VPN for torrenting.
When your IP address is leaked or gets exposed even after using a VPN, then it is called DNS leaks. This is a kind of security flaw.
Any strong VPN will not allow DNS leaks when users use their VPN and it keeps their user's identity anonymous.
So it is very important that your VPN must have a DNS leaks protection feature.
Final Words
The quest for the best VPN for Torrenting is over, for both of us. These are by far the best VPN providers in respect to torrenting.
As mentioned earlier, many people are facing legal actions for torrenting. Since ISPs in many countries can legally record your activities, they can easily sell your logs to third parties for the highest bid.
Have you ever wondered how you get relevant ads on your screen while surfing?
This is because someone knows what you are surfing, and they post ads to make you buy stuff through these ads. So be very cautious. Your information is at stake when you are online.
So it is better that you use the best VPN for Torrenting.
I did my part now it is your turn to let us know what you think. Which is your best pick?
Are there other choices you would have liked to see? Please share your thoughts and experiences with us.
