7 Best VPN’s For Torrents: Pros and Cons

Torrenting, sometimes called peer-to-peer networking (P2P), has been around for a long time. Napster introduced the concept to most people when it popularized music sharing (and music piracy).

Torrenting creates some security and privacy problems. When you start downloading files and others download from you, they get your IP address which is like a digital address. Not only does this open your computer up to evildoers, it can also expose you to prosecution if you’re doing something illegal. 

To be safe online, you need a VPN, but not just any VPN. You need one of the best VPN’s for torrents. A VPN for torrents keeps you from exposing your IP address to others, and it keeps your ISP from recording your traffic through the torrenting site. 

 

What makes a VPN a best VPN for torrents? A VPN for torrents needs:
A no logging policy so your traffic through the VPN isn’t recorded
Strong encryption to no one can spy on your traffic
Dedicated P2P servers VPN for torrents
Fast servers that don’t throttle P2P traffic
The ability to get around torrenting blocks or bans
Support for your preferred device
Kill switch to prevent IP leak

While there are many VPN’s out there that claim to be the best VPN’s for torrents, it can be overwhelming to sift through all the options. How do you know if they’re really safe? 

We do the work for you by sifting through the complex jumble of VPN services. The VPN’s below are all reputable VPN’s that will keep your torrenting private and safe. 

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1. ExpressVPN 

P2P Support: Every server supports P2P; no dedicated servers
Encryption protocols: OpenVPN, L2TP/IPsec, PPTP 
No logging policy: Yes
Kill switch: Yes
Device support: Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, Android, Chrome, Firefox, Routers
Bandwidth: Unlimited
Simultaneous connections: up to 5

ExpressVPN Review

ExpressVPN is one of the best VPN for torrents, because it has all the features I like. Most importantly, it supports P2P traffic on all of it’s 3,000+ servers in 160 locations. 

It has a no-logging policy, so no one will be able to track your traffic through the VPN. Whatever sites you visit or whatever torrenting you do, no one will be able to go to the VPN to with a warrant to get their logs. 

ExpressVPN also has a reputation for blazing fast speeds, which is a big deal when you’re trying to download a big file through a P2P network. The faster the VPN, the faster you can get the torrent file you want. When a VPN has a slow connection, it doesn’t matter how fast your internet service is. Even the best VPN for torrents can only go as fast as the server.

With ExpressVPN for torrents, you don’t have to worry about it. The app has an option to automatically connect to the fastest server so you download your favorite file quickly and securely. 

This ExpressVPN review also loves that the VPN gives you unlimited bandwidth, so you don’t have to worry about how many files you download. 

The number of simultaneous connections is a problem, though. With only five connections, one or two people could overwhelm that number pretty quickly let alone a whole family. This best VPN for torrents can get around the limitation by using a router, which will route all devices through the VPN. 

When you use ExpressVPN for torrents, it also allows you to use split tunnelling or white listing. That means you can send some traffic through the VPN and others through your normal ISP. For example, you can use a VPN to torrent while also checking social media without clogging up the server bandwidth with the social media traffic. It’s a great way to optimize torrenting speeds

Express VPN Review: Pros and Cons

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2. NordVPN

P2P Support: Dedicated P2P servers
Encryption protocol: OpenVPN, IKEv2/IPsec
No Logging policy: Yes
Kill Switch: Yes
Device support: Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, Android, Chrome, Firefox
Bandwidth: Unlimited
Simultaneous connections: 6 devices

NordVPN Review 

NordVPN for torrents is a fantastic service for P2P networks. It has all the basics that you want from the best VPN for torrents. There’s a kill switch, so your IP address doesn’t leak out if your connection to the VPN server drops for a bit. 

NordVPN for torrents has a strict no-logs policy, so not even the VPN service itself knows when you use the service and where your traffic goes. It has robust encryption protocols. It easily covers all the basic things you’d expect from the best VPN’s for torrents. 

Unlike many VPN’s, NordVPN torrents aren’t restricted in speed or bandwidth. They don’t limit how many files you can download, and they don’t throttle your torrenting speeds, either. You always get the fastest speeds their servers allow.

NordVPN for torrents has an outstanding list of dedicated P2P servers, which are optimized to make torrenting as fast as possible. NordVPN is a big VPN service, so they can maintain a larger list of servers, including their dedicated ones. At this time, the service doesn’t list how many NordVPN torrents servers, only saying that they have “hundreds.” 

Another reason why NordVPN is a best VPN for torrents: you can configure the app so it only routes your P2P traffic through the server. If you have a lightning fast internet connection, you can use the bandwidth that exceeds the P2P server’s speed to do something else like play games. It adds extra flexibility to your privacy and security plans. 

We don’t like how few simultaneous connections you can get through NordVPN. An individual can have a least three devices, so even a small family will bump up against that limit pretty quickly. 

NordVPN Review: Pros and Cons

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3. IPVanish

P2P Support: Yes on all servers
Encryption protocol: OpenVPN, IKEv2, L2TP, IPSec, PPTP
No Logging policy: Yes
Kill Switch: Yes
Device support: Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS, Windows Phone, Routers, Chromebook, Amazon Fire TV
Bandwidth: Unlimited 
Simultaneous connections: 10 devices

IPVanish Review

Like the rest on this list, IPVanish for torrents is one of the most respected VPN’s on the market. They have everything you’d expect from a best vpn for torrents. There is a no-logging policy, so no one (not even the VPN) can see what you do while using the VPN. 

Their kill switch keeps your IP address from leaking out when you are using IPVanish for torrents. It also runs on nearly every device you can think of from your PC to your TV. It uses top-quality, industry standard encryption, so you know your traffic is safe from snoops. 

Users report that IPVanish’s servers are super fast. They don’t throttle P2P traffic or limit you to substandard servers. You get great speed.

But, they also route all traffic through the same servers, so you don’t get access to a service optimized for torrenting. Plus, they don’t allow you to whitelist certain traffic so only the P2P signals go through the VPN. That can slow down your connection if you want to do anything else on your device while torrenting. Even with fast servers, that can slow the connection down. 

IPVanish offers SOCKS5 proxy support to bump up P2P speeds. The proxy works the same as a VPN without encryption, so you can get fast speeds with no logs. The downside is that anyone can see your traffic if they are monitoring the signals between your device and the proxy server. 

IPVanish offers 10 simultaneous connections, more than most VPN’s, which could be enough for a whole family. Their service specifically prohibits multiple users through the same username. That limit should be easy to enforce if you’re trying to give a hundred people access to the VPN on your username, but it won’t be likely to trip any alarms if it’s just your family.  

IPVanish Review: Pros and Cons

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4. PrivateVPN

P2P Support: Yes on all servers
Encryption protocol: OpenVPN, L2TP/IPsec, PPTP, IKEv2 
No Logging policy: Yes
Kill Switch: Yes
Device support: Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS, Routers
Bandwidth: Unlimited
Simultaneous connections: 6 devices

PrivateVPN Review

PrivateVPN for torrents is one of the best vpns for torrents around. It supports VPN traffic on all of its servers, so you don’t have to worry about getting your P2P traffic funneled through just one or two clogged servers. 

They also have a kill switch, so your PrivateVPN for torrents traffic doesn’t leak out your IP address to the torrent client or to anyone who might be looking to track down people who use P2P to transfer files. 

PrivateVPN is located in Sweden, which is a part of an information sharing alliance with 14 other countries. If they detect problematic P2P traffic, they are obligated to share it with one of the other countries in the alliance. Sweden does have some strong privacy laws, but I wouldn’t trust that to prevent sharing your info. 

It shouldn’t be a problem with PrivateVPN, because, like all the best VPN’s for torrents, it keeps no logs. No one can keep track of your traffic through the VPN, not even the PrivateVPN itself. 

Many people suggest that PrivateVPN is even more anonymous, because you can pay with Bitcoin. That isn’t true. Bitcoin transactions are easily traceable. 

While most everything about PrivateVPN for torrents is good news, the service doesn’t offer many locations and server options. While they do have 60 countries, most locations have only one or two servers. If you want flexibility in location and server options, consider other VPN’s.

Popular locations may clog up, slowing down your torrenting traffic, especially if PrivateVPN grows its subscriber base too quickly. Right now, server speed is generally great!

PrivateVPN also limits connections to six simultaneous devices. Like many other VPN’s it seems like PrivateVPN hasn’t caught up with the digital future, a device for every hand. Still, they do offer support for routers, so any number of devices can run through the VPN through the router. Just a reminder: Multiple devices through one VPN connection slow your connection. 

PrivateVPN Review: Pros and Cons

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5. Surfshark

P2P Support: All servers plus optimized P2P servers
Encryption protocol: OpenVPN, IKEv2/IPSec
No Logging policy: Yes
Kill Switch: Yes
Device support: Windows, Mac, Linux, Chrome OS, Windows phone, iOS, Android, Chrome, Firefox, PS 4, Xbox
Bandwidth: Unlimited
Simultaneous connections: Unlimited

Surfshark Review

Surfshark is one of the best VPN’s for torrents for a reason. It’s a great VPN service. Their servers are optimized for maximum P2P networking speeds so you can quickly torrent whatever files you want. Those servers also include secure encryption protocols to keep your traffic safe from prying eyes. A kill switch keeps your IP address from leaking out in case your connection to the VPN wavers. 

A best VPN for torrents has strong privacy protections, too. Surfshark has a no logs policy, which means that no one, neither government nor VPN, can track your traffic or find out where you’ve been. Even better, Surfshark is registered in the Virgin Islands, far from any intelligence sharing agreements. Even if your traffic did leak out somehow, they wouldn’t share it with your home country’s intelligence services or law enforcement.

Surfshark has unlimited simultaneous connections, which is just right for our current digital culture. Since everyone has multiple devices, we need to have flexibility to add more devices as time goes on. Surfshark’s unlimited connections makes that a possibility.

Surfshark also offers a whitelist feature, which allows you to connect to certain websites without going through the VPN. If you have a fast internet connection, it’s likely that the VPN server will be the bottleneck on your connection. With the whitelist feature, you can run your P2P traffic through the VPN while using the rest of your bandwidth for other activities. 

Surfshark isn’t just a best VPN for torrents. It also focuses specifically on supporting streaming services. Their website says that you can access at least 15 Netflix libraries in North America, Europe, and Asia. If streaming is your thing, Surfshark has options for you to get whatever content you want. 

Surfshark Review: Pros and Cons

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6. Private Internet Access (PIA)

P2P Support: Yes
Encryption protocol: OpenVPN, PPTP, L2TP/IPsec
No Logging policy: Yes
Kill Switch: Yes
Device support: Windows, MacOS, Linux, Android, iOS, Routers, Chrome, Firefox
Bandwidth: Unlimited
Simultaneous connections: 10 devices

Private Internet Access (PIA) Review

PIA for torrents is an excellent service. Users report excellent speeds with safe torrenting. You don’t have to take my word for it either. You can go to their user forum to see what users think about PIA and what questions they have. 

This is on the list of our best VPN’s for torrents, because it has all the features you want. The no logging policy is especially important, because PIA is based in the United States. The USA is aggressive about copyright protections and violations. 

Without a strict no-logging policy, it could be risky even to use a VPN to torrent. But you don’t have to worry with PIA. 

Because it’s located in the US, PIA’s website downplays its P2P support. They probably don’t want to catch the eye of law enforcement. 

While gave me pause at first, people who use PIA for torrents report that it works perfectly. The service gives them excellent speeds with no security. The kill switch keeps their IP address from leaking out. They get fast torrenting and anonymity.

PIA is also a best VPN for torrents, because they support 10 simultaneous connections. While many VPN’s are stuck in the 2000’s with only 5 or 6 connections, PIA gives us the option to use all our devices simultaneously. With the way everyone’s digital footprint is growing, we all need the extra flexibility. 

PIA for torrents also has a SOCKS5 proxy, which offers a way to speed up torrenting speeds even more. Like a VPN, the proxy routes your service through its server so none of the torrenters see your IP address. 

Unlike a VPN, the proxy doesn’t encrypt your traffic between your device and the proxy. While it’s less secure, it can also speed up your connection, because you don’t have to go through the encryption/decryption step. 

Private Internet Access (PIA) Review: Pros and Cons

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7. TunnelBear

P2P Support: Yes on all servers
Encryption protocol: OpenVPN, IKEv2
No Logging policy: Yes
Kill Switch: Yes
Device support: Mac, Windows, iOS, Android
Bandwidth: Unlimited (paid) 500 MB (free)
Simultaneous connections: 5 devices

TunnelBear Review

There’s a reason that TunnelBear is last on this list of best VPN’s for torrents. It didn’t always support torrenting at all. With updates to their service, they finally caught up with the rest of us. Still, I can only recommend TunnelBear for torrents hesitantly.

TunnelBear isn’t poised as a great all-around VPN, especially if you love diving into the technical details. They focus on being easy to use and strong security. 

Their security is excellent. TunnelBear is one of the few VPN’s that issues and independent security audit report on a regular basis. You can read it online if you’re curious. They are committed not only to your security but also proving to you that their security claims are real. If security and privacy are your biggest concerns, it might be enough to overlook some of TunnelBear’s downsides (more on that later).

TunnelBear is a best VPN for torrents, because it is really easy to use. The app is designed to have as few options as possible, and it only allows users to select the most secure kinds of VPN encryption. The app even shows a fun animation of a bear tunneling from your location to the server to which it connects, a great way to demonstrate how a VPN works!

To make it even easier to use, TunnelBear is famous for their excellent customer service. They have a ticket-based system, so they go through their requests in an organized and timely manner. Their customer service representatives are always professional, polite, and they use complete sentences (not all customer service people do). 

Most important (Ok…not really) they lean into the bear theme, lacing bear puns into everything, even their customer service emails (I hope you have a pawsome day!).

Now for some of the drawbacks. TunnelBear for torrents doesn’t have as many servers and locations as many of the VPN’s on this list. Streaming services don’t work as of the time of this writing. Some users report slower speeds, too. TunnelBear for torrents is a good VPN, but we can only recommend it above others in certain situations. 

TunnelBear Review: Pro and Con