To begin with, my team and I do not support illegal torrenting so be sure to check the rules and regulations in your country. After you’ve done that, using a VPN is the safest choice when you connect to a P2P network. A VPN protects you against malware and hackers and thus keeps you safe while torrenting. My team and I tested 200+ VPNs to find the best ones for BitTorrent. Our recommendation is CyberGhost. It has superfast speeds and military-grade security features to stay protected while torrenting. You can even try it for free with its 30-day money-back guarantee.
Why do You Need to Use a VPN For Torrenting?
A VPN hides your IP address by redirecting all of your internet traffic through a specialized server in a location that’s different from your own. It also encrypts all of your data and prevents any monitoring or tracking by your Internet Service Provider (ISP) or other third parties. This can be useful for a number of different reasons when it comes to using BitTorrent. Hiding torrenting from your ISP can be useful when it comes to throttling. Torrenting takes up a huge amount of bandwidth so many ISPs will throttle your bandwidth and reduce your speeds if they detect suspicious activity. With a VPN, however, your online behavior is hidden from your ISP. It will not be able to detect torrenting and so won’t place any restrictions on your bandwidth or connection speeds. In addition, using a VPN will protect you from cybersecurity threats while you torrent. When you join a torrenting swarm, your IP address becomes visible to any other peers in that swarm. Not only does this leave you open to detection by law enforcement or copyright trolls, it also makes you vulnerable to hacking. A VPN will hide your IP address, ensuring you stay invisible to any malicious third parties. Using BitTorrent also comes with the risk of malware. Software files on torrenting sites have often been cracked to make them usable. Sometimes BitTorrent will also allow you to download the crack itself, or patches and key generators that allow you to access paid software for free. Cracked software has, by its nature, been modified. This means its easy for hackers to modify the software in other ways too, disguising malware as legitimate files or hiding it in a legitimate download. Lots of VPNs come with built-in anti-malware software, which should go some way towards protecting you from threats.
What Should You Look For in a VPN For BitTorrent?
When choosing the best VPN for BitTorrent, you should keep an eye out for the following features:
P2P-enabled servers - Since using BitTorrent takes up so much bandwidth, not all VPNs support it. Look for a service that is torrent-friendly or, better, has servers optimized for torrenting. Unlimited bandwidth - Talking of bandwidth, you’ll need to choose a VPN that won’t restrict yours. Lightning-fast speeds - Bad connection speeds can make torrenting unbearably slow. Opt for a VPN that can offer the fastest speeds. Security - A VPN will hide your IP address but it’s crucial that you won’t be left vulnerable in the event of a dropped connection as you torrent. Choose a VPN with the highest grade encryption, DNS leak protection, and a kill-switch to keep your IP address and data protected. Anti-malware features - Although you’ll really need a dedicated firewall or antivirus package to keep you truly safe, it’s a good idea to use a VPN that includes anti-malware software. This can detect and block your access to suspicious sites and files. No-logs policy - Using a VPN for privacy is no good if that VPN then stores your data and hands it over to a third party. Opt for a VPN with a strict no-logs policy to make sure your use of BitTorrent remains completely private.
The Best VPNs For BitTorrent
1. CyberGhost
CyberGhost does more than just allow BitTorrent traffic, it offers a dedicated ‘Anonymous Torrenting Mode’. This will automatically connect you to the best server for torrenting and launch your BitTorrent client at the same time. Your data is safeguarded by military-grade encryption, while built-in malware software will alert you to any suspicious files. See what real users have to say about this cyber security favourite. Get CyberGhost for BitTorrent Now
2. ExpressVPN
If you’re looking for the fastest BitTorrent downloads and uploads, ExpressVPN is ratest as one of the best choices. Offering some of the quickest speeds available with a VPN, ExpressVPN doesn’t place any restrictions on bandwidth either. Top-of-the-range security and a strict no-logs policy round out the highlights list for this excellent VPN. Get ExpressVPN for BitTorrent Now
3. PrivateVPN
For VPN beginners looking for a safe way to use BitTorrent, PrivateVPN is a highly rated option. Simple and very user-friendly, the service doesn’t feature any confusing configuration settings. Despite this simplicity, PrivateVPN is just as well set up for torrenting as its counterparts. It has torrent-friendly servers, including dedicated servers for port forwarding. It also offers unrestricted bandwidth, good security, and a no-logs policy. Get PrivateVPN for BitTorrent Now
Summary and Further Reading
Choosing the best VPN for torrents comes down to your needs but you can’t go wrong with any of our top five options. Don’t want to use a paid service? Here are the five best free VPNs for torrenting. If you’re based in the US and want more specific advice about BitTorrent, read our guide to torrenting in the US. If you’re not sure about the laws around torrenting where you live, you can also take a look at our country-by-country guide to torrenting legislation.
To summarize, the best VPNs for BitTorrent in 2023 are…
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