Industry observers note that your internet service provider can see when you’re using P2P networks, malicious files can sometimes find their way into downloads, and your online activity may be exposed to third parties if you’re not properly protected. Torrenting remains one of the fastest and most efficient ways to share and download large files, but it also comes with some unique privacy and security concerns.
In a fresh development, a good VPN encrypts your connection, hides your IP address, and helps keep your file-sharing activity private from ISPs, advertisers, and other prying eyes. After testing and reviewing the leading services, I’ve narrowed the field down to the VPNs that offer the best combination of privacy, security, speed, and P2P support. Below are my top recommendations for safe and reliable torrenting. That’s why a VPN is one of the most important tools for anyone who torrents regularly.
Industry observers note that as reviewers and users of PC devices and programs, we put every product through its paces using rigorous benchmarking and hands-on evaluation. We’d never recommend something we wouldn’t want for ourselves. Why you should trust PCWorld for VPN recommendations and buying advice: Here at PCWorld we’ve been testing computer devices, programs, and services since the 1980s.
Industry observers note that if you’re interested in using a VPN for something other than just torrenting you can check out my list of best VPNs for even more great options.
As part of the ongoing story, plus, it comes with a built-in ad- and tracker-blocker as well as malware protection and a link checker — you know, for any of those dubious Linux torrenting sites you might run into. NordVPN also proved to be the fastest VPN on the market in my testing, so those large P2P files should download in no time. NordVPN is the perfect VPN for torrenting due to its fantastic security functions, multi-hop connections, and independently verified no-logs policy.
In a fresh development, even power users will find plenty of customizable options to get the most out of their experience. It truly has everything you could want to make your torrenting faster, easier, and most importantly, safer.
According to the latest update, it also comes with handy functions such as access to the TOR network over VPN, multi-hop connections, Meshnet file-sharing network, and Nord’s most recent password manager and link-checker safety tool. Additionally, NordVPN offers an extensive server network with locations all over the global stage. NordVPN comes with broad device support and Windows and Android apps are easy to use.
The report highlights that upgrading to the Plus plan gives you access to Nord’s anti-malware and browsing protection, which could come in handy for certain questionable torrenting sites as well. A monthly subscription might be a bit expensive, but if you opt for longer-term plans the price becomes a lot cheaper.
As part of the ongoing story, i give it the runner-up spot here as NordVPN comes with a few more security functions than ExpressVPN — when it comes to torrenting, the more security the better. ExpressVPN is a true all-arounder and a great option for everyone.
As part of the ongoing story, also, ExpressVPN is officially based in the British Virgin Islands, meaning it isn’t subject to any domestic or international data-sharing requirements. You can feel confident that your ISP or other interested parties won’t uncover your P2P activity. However, ExpressVPN is still an excellent VPN choice for torrenting as it makes all of the right privacy promises and its speeds are very good.
As part of the ongoing story, the service has even begun branching out to adopt a more holistic approach to security, adding ad- and tracker-blocking and, most recently, a password manager to the service, as well. The service is also regularly bringing in third-party auditors to validate its privacy credentials. ExpressVPN also has a lot of other great qualities that make it worth your while, such as wide device support, smart DNS, and reliable unblocking capabilities.
The report highlights that and just recently, ExpressVPN completely changed its plans adding multiple membership tiers. So now you can more affordably pick and choose the capability sets you want without having to pay for things you don’t need — for strictly torrenting, the base VPN is enough protection for most people. It’s not the cheapest VPN out there, but you do get excellent value for your money.
In a fresh development, in my testing, both the paid and free versions had great average speeds that is a huge bonus and all free servers support P2P. Torrenting requires speed and security from your connection and Windscribe VPN provides both at no cost.
The report highlights that it offers way more for users and the fact that it gives you up to 15GB of bandwidth means you can even download some larger torrent files without worrying about hitting the data cap. The free service offers 10 regional connections including the U.S., Canada, UK, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Netherlands, Switzerland, Norway, and Romania. It also has a ton of privacy functions such as blockers for site notifications and “we use cookies” banners, WebRTC leak protection, user agent rotation, and more. Most free VPNs are only good for location spoofing with no real added functions, and that’s why Windscribe is so good.
Industry observers note that additionally, a big potential plus for some users is that Windscribe exclusively uses physical servers which can provide better security and speeds. While Windscribe’s free version does offer up to 15GB of data per month, to get that bandwidth you’ll need to confirm via email address and tweet them — if not, you’re stuck at 2GB per month.
As part of the ongoing story, i not only recommend the Windscribe free service on its own, but also as an easy way to get to know the service before committing to a paid tier with premium functions.
According to the latest update, read our full.
Industry observers note that windscribe Pro review.
According to the latest update, those who really demand ultimate anonymity when torrenting, or just using a VPN in general, will find that Mullvad takes active measures to ensure they never know who you are — meaning no other observer will know who you are either. All Mullvad servers are also capable of P2P transfers so you can just pick your favorite server and start torrenting. Mullvad is ultimately for the privacy-conscious user.
According to the latest update, it goes well beyond the standards of most other VPN firms when it comes to protecting your anonymity. Instead of using an email and password combo, Mullvad randomly generates an account number that functions as your username and password. And you can even decide to mail in cash as a subscription payment if you don’t want your credit card on file. The Sweden-based publisher appreciates your business, but it’s not interested in finding out who you are.
According to the latest update, it ranks in the top 10 for speeds, and comes with a convenient split-tunneling capability too. Plus, the service has a very inexpensive monthly subscription fee so it can be a great budget option as well. While Mullvad focuses on privacy, it’s no slouch in other departments.
The report highlights that it provides so many customizable functions that it can come across as a bit overwhelming to the uninitiated and those just looking for a set-it and forget-it option. But power users will find a plethora of tweakable options and settings to keep them happy through all of their torrenting endeavors. PIA is best suited for those who like to tinker with their programs.
Industry observers note that all servers are capable of P2P file transfers, and functions like port forwarding mean your torrenting will be faster and more reliable.
The report highlights that pIA not only comes with an insane amount of servers, but also great functions such as multi-hop, an app-based kill switch, and split-tunneling. Private Internet Access (PIA) is one of the most widely used VPN providers and has seemingly been around forever.
According to the latest update, it does lack some speed in comparison to other top picks here, but that shouldn’t translate to too much of a hit while torrenting. PIA also has a great record of transparency, regularly undergoing independent no-logs audits.
According to the latest update, read our full.
The report highlights that private Internet Access review.
According to the latest update, while we believe that the above VPNs are currently the most worthy of your hard-earned money for torrenting, there are a few other noteworthy services that deserve attention:.
According to the latest update, i’m continuously evaluating fresh VPNs and reevaluating services I’ve already tested on a regular basis to find the best for torrenting, so be sure to come back for more recommendations and to see what else we’ve put through their P2P paces.
The report highlights that vPN services are frequently running deals throughout the year, so you should have a few chances to snag your favorite torrenting VPN on a steep discount if you can time it right. Here at PCWorld, we are regularly hunting down the best VPN deals to help you get the most bang for your buck.
According to the latest update, it’s best to keep checking our deals article to see what fresh limited-time discounts are on offer each week. Additionally, sales events such as Amazon Prime Day in mid-July and Black Friday at the end of November provide excellent opportunities to find even cheaper VPN deals. While the prices for all VPNs on this list are revised daily, they do not account for special deals or offers.
In a fresh development, for a more detailed guide on our evaluation process, check out PCWorld’s comprehensive guide on how we test VPN services. We judge VPNs on a variety of criteria including server network, connection speeds, privacy protections, ease-of-use, additional functions, and cost.
Industry observers note that we average the connections between different worldwide locations for any given VPN and then compare them to our baseline internet speed to get a good picture of the overall connection speeds. Speed tests are kept as simple as possible.
As part of the ongoing story, experience and ease-of-use are subjective, but we try our best to give an accurate representation of how it feels to work with the VPN. And finally, we compare the value of the service based upon its price and additional functions to the industry average to help you gain an accurate picture of what you’ll get for your money. We thoroughly research and analyze the privacy policies and histories of each VPN and note any outstanding discrepancies or data collection issues.
The report highlights that when he’s not on the hunt for the best computer deals he’s covering VPNs, productivity programs, laptops, and a wide gamut of consumer-grade devices and programs. Sam Singleton is PCWorld’s VPN beat reporter and jack of all trades.
The report highlights that it’s difficult to judge any VPN by just one capability, but a semi-reliable way to tell if a VPN is even worth your time is to look at the server network. Anything with 1,000 or more servers and 30 or more country locations will do. One of the first things you should look for when shopping around for a VPN is the number of servers and locations.
Industry observers note that this may be tricky to do since you aren’t likely to be able to test connection speeds without paying to use the service. Reading reviews online will give you a general estimate. Look for reviews, like ours, that give you a relative average of connection speeds rather than direct Mbps speed comparisons, for a more accurate picture. The next thing to consider is a VPN’s speed.
According to the latest update, does it have a no-logs policy? Has it undergone any independent audits of its servers? Where is the VPN publisher located? All of these will give you an idea of whether or not a VPN is transparent with its data collection policies and if it’s subject to government data sharing requirements. You’ll also want to read up on a VPN’s privacy protections.
The report highlights that do you want a monthly or yearly subscription? Some top VPNs might be pricey month-to-month, but actually become quite affordable with long-term plans. As with all subscription services, you’ll want to review the price of a VPN service.
In a fresh development, preferably P2P is allowed on all servers, but even some of the best VPNs only allow it on designated servers—check these P2P-optimized server locations first to make sure they are in convenient locations close to you to ensure the best speeds. In regards to torrenting, you absolutely want a VPN service provider that allows P2P file sharing on their network.
The report highlights that some of these functions, such as split-tunneling and kill switches, can be extremely useful for certain purposes and might sway your subscription decision one way or the other. Other factors you’ll want to take into consideration are the overall ease-of-use, user experience, and any additional functions.
The report highlights that not only do all of its servers work with P2P, but it has the fastest speeds of any VPN on the market and a huge server network. There is currently no other VPN on the market that provides as much privacy and security for the value as NordVPN and that’s why it’s our top pick. NordVPN is our pick for the best VPN for torrenting.
As part of the ongoing story, with the free version, you’ll get all of the same privacy and security benefits of the premium version, plus no monthly data limits and good speeds. Proton VPN is our pick for best free VPN for torrenting.
Industry observers note that the only major drawback is that you’ll be limited to a few servers, but that won’t really matter for torrenting anyways.
The report highlights that when you connect to a VPN your web traffic is routed through the chosen VPN server to make it appear as though you’re browsing from that server’s location, and not from your actual location. The VPN app will also encrypt your data so that any third parties such as your ISP can’t see your specific online activities. A VPN can be a great response to a variety of concerns, such as online privacy, anonymity, greater security on public Wi-Fi, and, of course, spoofing locations. VPNs create a secure tunnel between your PC and the internet.
According to the latest update, safety while torrenting comes down to two things: anonymity and protection from malware or other malicious files.
The report highlights that if you know and trust the the service you’re using, torrenting with a VPN should be completely safe from prying eyes. As far as anonymity goes, yes, you will be protected from any snooping outsiders or your own ISP’s restrictions on file torrenting by using a VPN.
Industry observers note that a VPN on its own will not protect you from accidentally downloading malicious files from P2P networks or torrent sites. For this, it is highly recommended that you use an antivirus program to help keep you safe. In regards to protection from malware and other malicious files, no.
As part of the ongoing story, even though some websites might try to block VPN connections, they are still okay to use. Please note, while using a VPN is legal, some of the activities done while using a VPN might be illegal. Activities such as downloading pirated copyrighted content or accessing dark web markets are both illegal with or without a VPN. Yes, in most countries, including the United States, using a VPN is perfectly legal.
As part of the ongoing story, a VPN will keep your ISP from seeing your traffic, but there are a mind-boggling number of ways that other firms or sites track you across the internet. For example, when you sign into a website, your identity is still revealed to that website, VPN or not. Or when you log into your Gmail account while using a VPN, Google can now collect personalized cookies based on your browsing. While VPNs certainly offer you better privacy and security, they don’t make you completely anonymous nor keep you from being tracked entirely.
In a fresh development, when using your normal home internet connection, your ISP can see everything you’re doing online. By using a VPN, all of your traffic will be rerouted through the VPN’s private servers, meaning your ISP won’t be able to snoop on your activity while connected. Yes, but with a caveat.
According to the latest update, this makes it unreadable to outside entities and so adds an extra layer of security, especially while downloading torrent files. The VPN creates a private tunnel for your traffic and encrypts all of your data running through that tunnel.
The report highlights that still, a VPN is one of the best ways to keep your online activities private and hidden from outside parties. This will mask the contents of your downloads from your ISP, but will not hide the fact that you’re downloading something nor the size of the download.
In a fresh development, when he's not on the hunt for the best computer deals he's covering VPNs, productivity programs, laptops, and a wide gamut of consumer-grade devices and programs. Sam Singleton is PCWorld's VPN beat reporter and jack of all trades.