Torrenting, or P2P (peer-to-peer) file sharing, is a convenient way to download large files quickly. But it isn’t without its risks. Not only is there the risk of accidentally downloading a malicious file or malware, but there’s a privacy risk as well — your ISP can see all your online activity and they usually don’t take too kindly to torrenting.
That’s why it’s imperative that you use a VPN while doing any torrenting or P2P file sharing. A VPN can keep your connection private and encrypt your data so that unwanted prying eyes — cybercriminals, overbearing ISPs, or nosy government watchdogs — can’t monitor your online activity. (See “Can a VPN really hide all of your torrent activity?” to learn more.)
Why you should trust me: Here at PCWorld we’ve been testing computer hardware, software, and services since the 1980s. As PCWorld’s primary VPN reviewer, I’m continually testing all of the major VPNs on the market and many lesser-known services in order to curate a list of the very best VPNs across a variety of categories. Below you’ll find my favorite VPNs and additional information about what to look for when choosing a VPN on your own.
If you’re interested in using a VPN for something other than just torrenting you can check out my list of best VPN services for even more great options.
NordVPN – Best VPN for torrenting overall
Pros
- Loaded with tons of VPN configuration options
- Outstanding speeds
- Multiple independent no-logs audits
- Included antivirus and password manager
Cons
- Expensive
Why I like NordVPN
NordVPN is my top pick for torrenting due to its fantastic security features, multi-hop connections, and independently verified no-logs policy. Plus, it comes with 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.
It truly has everything you could want to make your torrenting faster, easier, and most importantly, safer. NordVPN also comes with broad device support and an easy-to-use Windows app. It might be a bit expensive, but if you opt for longer-term subscriptions it becomes a lot cheaper.
Who should buy NordVPN
NordVPN is the perfect VPN for torrenting and anyone who is looking for a VPN for this purpose would do well to subscribe to the service. It’s also a great overall VPN option for people who want speed and extra features. Even power users will find plenty of customizable options to get the most out of their experience.
ExpressVPN – Best VPN for torrenting runner-up
Pros
- Excellent speeds
- Easy-to-use interface
- Unblocks all streaming services
- Great security and privacy practices
Cons
- More expensive than many competitors
- Light on some features for a top VPN
Why I like ExpressVPN
ExpressVPN is my favorite VPN so it’s no surprise that it’s landing as one of my top picks for torrents as well. Even though it’s my best overall pick for VPNs, I give it the runner-up spot here as NordVPN comes with a few more security features than ExpressVPN — I say, the more security the better when torrenting.
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. It also has a lot of other good qualities that make it worth your while, such as smart DNS and great unblocking capabilities. Also, ExpressVPN is officially based in the British Virgin Islands meaning it isn’t subject to any international data intelligence sharing alliances or data retention requirements so you can feel confident your ISP or other interested parties can’t uncover your traffic P2P activity.
Who should buy ExpressVPN
ExpressVPN is a true all-arounder and a great option for everyone. Since it’s my top pick overall for VPNs, I would highly recommend it to anyone who wants a VPN for more than just torrenting — especially if they also want to do streaming.
Proton VPN – Best free VPN for torrenting
Pros
- Excellent free plan
- Great privacy tools
- Reliable and transparent no-logs policy
Cons
- Premium plan is expensive
Why I like ProtonVPN
My pick for best free VPN for torrenting is a no-brainer: ProtonVPN. At no cost, you’ll get a one-device connection with no data or time limits. I repeat, no data or time limits. That’s absolutely unheard of from a major VPN provider and it means you can safely torrent to your heart’s content without worrying about your file sizes. Sure, the free version of ProtonVPN comes with access to only five servers, but when you’re torrenting, the server location shouldn’t matter anyways.
ProtonVPN also has some of the fastest speeds around, both upstream and down, which is helpful when you want to spread the Open Office love as quickly as possible. The Swiss-based service has excellent privacy promises, and it has a bunch of servers in a friggin’ bunker too — looking at you, torrenting preppers.
Who should use ProtonVPN
Anyone who wants to torrent should use a VPN and anyone who doesn’t want, or have the means, to pay for a premium VPN should use ProtonVPN instead. It’s free and has no data limits. I call that a win-win.
Mullvad – Best for privacy
Pros
- Good speeds
- Higher level of anonymity possible than with most VPN services
- Windows desktop is easy to use
Cons
- Not guaranteed to work with Netflix
- Lacks the extra services that some VPNs offer
- No password protection for your account
Why I like Mullvad
Mullvad is the ultimate VPN when it comes to privacy and anonymity. The Sweden-based company appreciates your business, but it’s not interested in finding out who you are. It goes well beyond the standards of most other VPN companies 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.
While Mullvad focuses on privacy, it’s no slouch in other departments as well. It ranks in the top 10 for speeds, and comes with a convenient split-tunneling feature as well. All servers are capable of P2P transfers so you can just pick your favorite server and start torrenting. Plus, the service has a very inexpensive monthly subscription fee.
Who should buy Mullvad
Mullvad is ultimately for the privacy-conscious user. Those who really demand ultimate anonymity when torrenting or just using a VPN in general will find that Mullvad takes active measure to ensure they never know who you are — meaning no other observer will know who you are either. Due to its affordable monthly plan it’s also a great option for VPN users on a budget.
Private Internet Access – Best for customization
Pros
- Independently verified no-logs policy
- Unlimited simultaneous device connections
- Incredible number of servers
- Great extra features such as multi-hop and split tunneling
Cons
- App panel awkwardly located on the lower-right corner of screen by default
- Speeds are just okay
Why I like Private Internet Access
Private Internet Access (PIA) is one of the most popular VPN providers and has seemingly been around forever. PIA not only comes with an insane amount of servers, but also great features such as multi-hop, an app-based kill switch, and split tunneling. All servers are capable of P2P file transfers, and features like port forwarding mean your torrenting will be faster and more reliable.
PIA also has a great record of transparency, regularly undergoing independent no-logs audits. 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.
Who should buy Private Internet Access
PIA is best suited for those who like to tinker with their software. It provides so many customizable features 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.
Other VPN reviews and features
- Hide.me VPN: A feature-packed VPN that allows for a lot of customization but struggles with consistent speeds.
- TunnelBear VPN: A charming and easy-to-use VPN that’s great for novices and those who just need simple, but effective online privacy.
- PrivadoVPN: Swiss-based VPN comes with decent speeds, good streaming service compatibility, and an excellent free version.
- Should you use a VPN browser extension? What you gain, what you give up
- How to test your VPN speed
- VPNs and the law: How often does law enforcement actually request VPN logs?
How I tested
If you’ve read a number of these VPN articles, you know the drill by now. I test on three different days taking the average speeds I find in six different countries (each country is tested multiple times per day). Then I take all those daily averages to get an overall global average in megabytes per second. Then I compare that to the base speed without a VPN, and then express the result as a percentage based on how much of the base speed the global average maintains. If there are particularly standout speeds in a certain country or region I will generally call those out too.
The reason I don’t quote specific speeds is that these can vary by all kinds of factors such as your location, ISP, home network load and equipment, and so on. The percentages, however, give you a generally good idea of how much of a dip to expect when you connect to a VPN — there’s always a dip.
One other factor torrent users will want to know about is that I read the privacy policy for each and every VPN I cover. Yes, it is painful to do, so I save you the hassle. The reason I do that is a VPN may promise up front that it doesn’t track your web browsing, but then you find that actually it does log IP addresses, timestamps, and bandwidth used. So I dig into the details so you can know exactly what the VPNs I review promise.
For more details on my testing process, see how we test VPNs at PCow
What to look for in a VPN for torrenting
There are a few hard-and-fast rules you need from a VPN when downloading torrents. Here’s what to look for:
Blocking
First of all you want a VPN service provider that allows torrenting of P2P file sharing on their network. Most do, but there are a few notable exceptions such as Tunnel Bear, which actively blocks torrents.
Then there are VPNs that partially block torrents, especially on U.S. servers such as TorGuard. This VPN service recently settled a lawsuit brought against it by a consortium of Hollywood production companies and as a result, TorGuard promised to no longer allow torrents on its U.S. servers. On top of that, many other VPN services don’t want to end up in a lawsuit like their competitors and actively disallow torrenting on their American servers.
Service location
For that reason, I recommend using VPN services that are based outside the U.S., and from those VPNs you should use servers based in countries that are friendlier to torrents. This avoids the issue of dealing with torrents being blocked outright when all you want to do is load up Ubuntu on that new laptop. Most VPN services will specify which servers allow torrents, but a popular and easy choice is Sweden. The speeds are usually good, and most services include Swedish servers in their networks along with many other countries that are torrent-friendly.
No-logs policy
The next thing you want is a VPN that has an ironclad no-logs promise from the service provider, because nobody wants to be exposed downloading free and open source software. That means that the service should include a promise not to maintain logs of any kind.
I say “promise” since there’s no real way to know for sure that a VPN isn’t logging your activity. You ultimately have to trust that it’s not doing it. This trust can come from a few factors, in order of reputability: The company’s no-logs promise has been proven by a court challenge, numerous third-party audits have verified the service’s claims, or you might just take the company at its word proceed with caution.
Speed
Finally, after those details have been verified, you want a VPN with solid speeds. Torrents can take a long time to download as it is, depending on how many people are sharing the file. The last thing you want is to see your download slowed down by shoddy VPN speeds.
To get the VPN you need for torrenting, just put all those attributes together: allows torrents, absolute no-logs promise, torrent-friendly services and servers outside the U.S., and excellent speeds.
FAQ
What is a VPN?
A VPN (virtual private network) encrypts your internet traffic and disguises your identity while browsing the internet. When used for torrenting, a VPN will anonymize your torrenting traffic and keep your ISP from potentially throttling your connection in the future.
Additionally, VPNs allow you to connect to servers all across the world. So if you’re looking to access location-restricted content, such as streaming services, you can connect to the appropriate country’s server and gain access that way.
How does a VPN work?
A VPN hides your IP address by redirecting it through a remote server hosted by the VPN company. To anyone looking in, the VPN server then becomes the source of your data instead of your actual location. These remote servers can be in your own country or located in different countries around the world. All of your network traffic from your computer to the VPN is sent over a secure and encrypted connection.
When connected to a VPN while browsing the internet, the VPN acts as a middleman between your computer and a website. Your computer sends a request to the VPN, which then passes it on to a website. The website then sends its response back to the VPN which forwards it through the secure connection to your computer. All of the traffic rerouted through the VPN shows as coming through its server rather than your own computer. This keeps your ISP and other third parties from snooping on your internet activity.
Are VPNs legal to use?
Yes! In most countries, including the United States, using a VPN is perfectly legal. 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.
Is torrenting through a VPN safe?
Safety while torrenting comes down to two things: anonymity and protection from malware or other malicious files.
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. If you know and trust the the service you’re using, torrenting with a VPN should be completely safe from prying eyes.
In regards to protection from malware and other malicious files, no. 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.
Do VPNs track my browsing or store my data?
This depends entirely on the VPN provider you choose to use. There have been instances in the past of VPN providers spying on their users or collecting data. However, these were mainly free VPN services with no explicit no-logging policies.
When searching for a VPN, be careful to check the company’s website for a no-logging policy, third-party trust verification, and trustworthy user reviews. That being said, most of the major paid VPNs have clearly stated no-logging policies so it is typically best to stick with one of them.
How many servers should my VPN have?
There isn’t a specific number of servers that make one VPN better than another. It’s common for VPN providers to advertise the number of servers they have, but this is largely a marketing gimmick and doesn’t necessarily equate to the quality of the VPN service itself. Other factors such as server-location spread and server quality are just as important if not more so than the number of available servers.
That being said, most popular VPN providers offer between 3,000 to 5,000 servers. I recommend that you avoid any premium service with less than 1,000 servers as this could be an indication that the company is not yet well established, which could portend reliability issues.
Author: Sam Singleton, Assistant Editor, PCWorld
Sam Singleton is PCWorld's VPN beat reporter and jack of all trades. When he's not on the hunt for the best computer deals he's covering VPNs, productivity software, laptops, and a wide gamut of consumer-grade hardware and software.