If you're looking to share P2P, chances are you've also considered getting one of the best torrenting VPNs. The two practically go hand in hand, with many torrent sites themselves actually advertising VPNs on their homepages. However, as there are so many VPNs out there, finding the best VPN for the job can be tricky.
Luckily for you, there's no need to go deep in the VPN weeds in an effort to find the torrenting VPN for you, because we've already done it. Here at Tom's Guide, we've tested dozens of VPNs to find out which ones are the best. While most VPNs support P2P, the VPNs below really excelled in our testing.
Read on for my in-depth analysis into what makes these 5 VPNs the best VPNs for torrenting. However, if you're in a hurry, check out our summary of our top 3 below.
The top 3 best torrenting VPNs at a glance
My expert list of 2024's best torrenting VPNs:
Private Internet Access: the best torrenting VPN overall
✅ Customization is a top priority: PIA is well-suited to experts who know what they're doing, with features like port forwarding, automation through command line, and the ability to adjust encryption to your tastes.
✅ You're on a strict budget: considering its rich catalog of security and streaming-oriented features, PIA is great value and one of the best bargain picks.
✅ You want a VPN with a proven track record: PIA has proven its no-logs policy twice in court, meaning it's reliable and delivers exactly what it promises.
❌ You want the fastest provider: while PIA offers good OpenVPN speeds, its WireGuard speeds aren't a match for the likes of NordVPN.
❌ You want the simplest VPN: PIA certainly isn't difficult to use, but beginners may prefer a simpler interface like ExpressVPN or Surfshark
Private Internet Access is the best torrenting VPN for just about anyone – beginner or expert. Besides a verified no-logs policy, it offers unlimited simultaneous connections, more servers than any of its rivals on this list, and interesting features like port forwarding, which can really enhance your P2P experience.
Private Internet Access comes out on top as the best torrenting VPN, thanks to its stellar P2P support. This comes along with excellent streaming power and some nifty extra features – which you can learn more about in our Private Internet Access review.
If torrenting is your top priority, PIA is the VPN for you, thanks to its over 20,000-strong server network. Every single server supports P2P torrenting and don't have bandwith restrictions, meaning you'll never be caught out. For US-based torrenting aficionados, you'll be pleased to know PIA also has a server in every mainland US state.
If you're concerned about your NAT firewall being a problem when using your VPN to torrent, PIA makes sure you don't have to worry. With port forwarding, your VPN can redirect connections around your NAT firewall, ensuring that your torrenting speeds stay as fast as possible. It should be noted, however, that this is something that should only be used by those who understand the risks, as doing so may open you up to further threats. Plus, to enhance your P2P experience further, PIA offers a kill switch and split tunneling.
If you're after a hands-on VPN experience, it'll probably interest you to know that in our testing, PIA stood out as one of the most configurable VPNs with settings for every option imaginable, including server location, encryption level and more.
However, this high level of customization can make it trickier to navigate for those new to VPNs. If you do get stuck though, PIA has tons of handy guides to help you out, as well as 24/7 professional support. Its speeds also aren't the greatest, peaking at 330 Mbps when using WireGuard and 270 Mbps when using OpenVPN. However, if you're not using a gigabit connection, you're unlikely to see any difference.
PIA's key attraction, though, is its excellent value for money and unlimited simultaneous connections. For around two dollars a month, you can use PIA to cover any number of devices and device types.
There's no cost-cutting on the security front at all. It's proven its no-logs policy in court twice, and PIA releases transparency reports every quarter with a record of every time they've been asked to provide logs, and every time they've not provided these logs as they do not exist. PIA is also fully open-source – just like Proton VPN – meaning you can inspect its code anytime to reassure yourself of its privacy.
As I mentioned earlier, PIA's one of the best streaming VPNs, unblocking everything I tested it with in my review.
PIA also offers an industry-standard 30-day money-back guarantee. While it's not a slick as some others, PIA is a good-value torrenting VPN that has a lot of features that will appeal to dedicated torrenters.
NordVPN: the fastest torrenting VPN
✅ You want an all-in-one solution at a reasonable price: NordVPN excels on all fronts at a good price, making it a comprehensive solution for just about everybody.
✅ You want a VPN for Netflix: NordVPN is the best Netflix VPN and will get you access to even niche locations like Japan.
✅ You want a VPN with added cybersecurity features: NordVPN does a clean sweep in terms of privacy and security by offering a built-in antivirus at no extra charge.
❌ You want unlimited simultaneous connections: NordVPN allows a maximum of 10 simultaneous connections. While that may be enough for small families and individuals, I'd recommend PIA for coverage for unlimited devices.
❌ You want a simpler interface: Nord's UI on mobile is a little busy with its map interface.
NordVPN offers a comprehensive security suite that includes additional extras like antivirus alongside a world-class VPN. It's very useful for torrenting, but be aware that if sharing P2P is your priority, PIA and ExpressVPN have a greater number of optimized servers. For the price, though, NordVPN is a very tempting proposition.
NordVPN is our top VPN overall, and it's pretty great when it comes to torrenting, too. In my NordVPN review, I found it to be almost as good as PIA for torrenting and one of the most secure VPNs out there. This is thanks to its DNS leak blocking, zero-logs policy, powerful encryption, protocol selections and two kill switches.
NordVPN also comes out on top when it comes to privacy thanks to its Double VPN feature which routes your online traffic through two severs instead out one, encrypting it twice and ensuring your data remains private at all times. You also have the option to retain even more anonymity when signing up for NordVPN, as you can pay via cryptocurrency. On top of this, NordVPN allows you to access the Tor network without having to download the browser, thanks to its Onion over VPN feature.
While not all servers are P2P supported, there are hundreds in the US, UK, and plenty more across the globe that do support torrents. Plus, since the VPN will connect you to the best P2P server in your location when it detects torrenting traffic, the process is painless too.
With more servers than rivals ExpressVPN and Surfshark, combined with a streaming-focused SmartPlay feature (which evades the VPN blocks put in place by various streaming sites) and peak speeds of over 950 Mbps as per my recent testing, NordVPN is an excellent choice for streaming – as well as one of the fastest VPNs for torrenting I've tested.
NordVPN’s WireGuard-based proprietary tunneling protocol, NordLynx, further adds to the overall speed and lagless experience. What's more, the recent introduction of Threat Protection Pro means that those if you're using Windows or Mac, you can stay protected from malware and malicious websites all the time – even when you're not connected to the VPN.
NordVPN has recently undergone its fourth no-logs policy audit, independently verifying that NordVPN does not save any user data. NordVPN is also proactive in finding any security issues within its apps with a bug bounty program that encourages users to find and report any problems they do find.
Nothing is perfect, though, and that goes for NordVPN too. Compared to PIA, Nord's choice to limit you to 10 simultaneous connections seems a bit tightfisted.
Overall, NordVPN is a delight for privacy purists. The service prides itself on foolproof security, with top-of-the-line encryption and security measures, including a built-in antivirus and blockers to keep irritating ads, pop-ups, and malware at bay.
ExpressVPN: the easiest torrenting VPN to use
✅ You want the best security money can buy: ExpressVPN offers a comprehensive security suite with an audited no-logs policy, excellent encryption, a built-in password manager, and other handy features.
✅ Torrenting is your #1 priority. Every one of ExpressVPN's servers is optimized for P2P, so it's as easy as picking the nearest server and connecting.
✅ You want to stream everywhere: with the most individual server locations among all the VPNs I've tested, ExpressVPN is the best choice for unblocking content from around the world.
❌ You're on a budget: while ExpressVPN provides good value, it's an expensive pick. Services like PIA and NordVPN are better for those on a strict budget.
❌ You want to torrent on a number of devices: If you want more than 8 simultaneous connections, consider Surfshark which is entirely unlimited.
❌ You want a VPN with built-in antivirus: while ExpressVPN is one of the most complete VPNs in terms of security, it doesn't come with an antivirus which its rivals like NordVPN do.
ExpressVPN is an excellent choice if you're looking for a fast, secure, and beginner-friendly VPN for torrenting. Its superior unblocking, wide coverage and fool-proof features ensure a smooth experience, irrespective of whether you're using it as a streaming or travel buddy, or both! Try it risk-free with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
ExpressVPN is one of the easiest VPNs to use, but this doesn't mean it's not also a powerful torrenting VPN. This comes as no surprise to me, as in my ExpressVPN review I found the VPN to be great all-rounder.
ExpressVPN helps keep you private with Perfect Forward Secrecy, which uses a unique key every time you connect and every 60 minutes after the fact, private DNS servers and WebRTC leak protection. This means that even if your browser retains your data from previously opened tabs, your real IP addresses won't be vulnerable to leaked. Combine this with full torrenting support on every server, and you can see why ExpressVPN is in our top torrenting VPN recommendations.
Express boasts both a kill switch and split tunneling, and combined with a strict, independently audited policy of no activity or connection logs, it offers a very complete torrenting package.
ExpressVPN is fast, but the likes of Surfshark and NordVPN are a little faster. Still, with average download speeds of around 750 Mbps, I had no trouble downloading large files in my recent round of testing.
As one of the best services when it comes to streaming, ExpressVPN unblocks just about everything, from popular streaming platforms like Netflix and Amazon Prime Video to niche libraries and services like 10Play.
This is made possible by its wide network of servers around the globe, with 26 server locations in the Asia-Pacific region alone, for example.
ExpressVPN's auto-connect feature gets you up and running in a flash, making it perfect for both VPN veterans and newbies. This goes for its 24/7 friendly support and straightforward app interfaces, too.
The overall package is ideal for small families or individuals with multiple devices – no matter the device type – but those looking to cover a large number of devices on a single subscription might be better off considering Surfshark or PIA.
There's one main area where ExpressVPN falls down, and that's price. It's at least double the price of all the other providers on this list, while not necessarily being better than them. It does offer a 30-day money-back guarantee, though, so if you really wanted to you could try it out without committing.
Best of the rest
✅ You want an open-source VPN: Proton VPN is a fully open-source platform, meaning you can inspect it anytime and verify its claims.
✅ You want a VPN for Linux: Proton VPN is one of the few providers to come with a graphical user interface for Linux devices.
✅ You want plenty of simultaneous connections: Proton VPN can cover up to 10 devices at a time, more than rivals ExpressVPN and NordVPN.
❌You want a free torrenting VPN: Proton VPN has a completely free plan for normal usage, but it doesn't come with torrenting abilities.
❌ You want lots of server options: with over 2,900 servers, Proton VPN is a little behind some of the industry leaders in terms of connectivity options.
❌ You want a budget VPN: Proton VPN isn't incredibly expensive, but there are cheaper alternatives in PIA and NordVPN.
Proton VPN offers a compelling package, with an always-on VPN feature and proprietary technology to increase server speeds. This Swiss provider is open-source, and is very reliable when it comes to torrenting. Sign up for its free plan or try the whole package risk-free with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
You may have heard of the super-secure email service, Proton Mail. It likely won't surprise you, then, that Proton's VPN (aptly named Proton VPN) is similarly secure. In my Proton VPN review I was pleasantly surprised to find that its becoming a bit of a rising star, starting to rival the behemoths of the VPN industry.
Proton is clearly targeted at a more VPN-savvy crowd – ExpressVPN will appeal to newbies more than Proton VPN will – but it's still more than simple enough to use for most.
If you value privacy above everything else, you'll be happy to know that Proton VPN does too. Based in Switzerland and as a result protected by its strict privacy laws, Proton VPN also gets an edge by being outside both US and EU jurisdiction and not a member of the '14 Eyes' surveillance network.
With 140 P2P-optimized servers and over 9,000 regular servers, Proton VPN doesn't offer the widest range, but in my testing I had no problems downloading torrents and experienced absolutely no slow-down.
Proton's Secure Core servers take the multi-hop feature offered by other VPNs to another level, routing your internet traffic through secure locations like Iceland, Switzerland or Sweden before connecting you to the destination of your choice.
This ensures that absolutely no-one, whether this is hackers, ISPs or governments, can get even a glimpse of your personal information or activity logs. It is important to note, however, that the price for this feature is speed. Additionally, it is an unnecessary step for most users.
On that note, Proton VPN's WireGuard speeds are on par with that of NordVPN and Surfshark, topping out at over 950 Mbps in my speed tests. That's not it, though – Proton VPN employs a proprietary VPN Accelerator technology that claims to boost server speeds by up to 400%.
With a kill switch, an advanced split tunneling system, and fully audited and open-source apps, all of these factors come together to make Proton VPN a very compelling VPN for torrenting – and it also offers one of the best free VPNs (although this doesn't support torrenting).
✅ You want an easy-to-use torrenting VPN: CyberGhost allows you to select a server to automatically connect to when you launch your torrent application.
✅ You want ample time to test the service: CyberGhost offers a whopping 45-day money-back guarantee – the longest in the industry.
✅ You’re on a budget: Priced at less than three dollars per month, CyberGhost competes with PIA as my best budget torrenting VPN.
❌ You're a big streamer: Even with a handsome server count, CyberGhost couldn't unblock UK Netflix and Disney Plus in my last round of testing.
❌ You want a VPN for your large family: Although CyberGhost's 7 simultaneous connections are decent, competitors such as PIA offer unlimited simultaneous connections.
❌ You want an exhaustive library of help resources: While CyberGhost’s support agents are friendly and professional, its website resources could use more depth.
CyberGhost comes with dedicated functionalities for a superior torrenting experience, and is ideal for beginners looking for an easy-to-navigate VPN with plenty of customization. However, for the vast majority, I'd recommend ExpressVPN, NordVPN, or PIA depending on your budget.
CyberGhost clearly prioritizes torrenting, with the VPN automatically configuring itself to deliver the best torrenting experience. This is such a benefit that in my CyberGhost review, I noted that this specialization is one of this VPN provider's best features.
This features means there's no messing around with configurations, protocols or server selection to get the best P2P experience. Instead, CyberGhost takes control and optimizes the experience for you. It even has a big 'Torrent Anonymously' button for an idiot-proof, one-click set-up.
A feature I'd like to see in every torrenting VPN is CyberGhost's App Protection. This feature means you can configure the VPN to automatically connect to a server of your choice when you launch a particular app.
In practice, the app in question will be your torrent client, and once you've set that up, you won't even need to open CyberGhost to get protected.
While it doesn't quite measure up to PIA, CyberGhost has a network of 9,000 servers. This puts it on par with Proton VPN and puts it above both ExpressVPN and NordVPN. With these 9,000 servers spread out across 91 countries, you can be pretty certain that you'll be able to connect to a server, no matter where you are.
One of CyberGhost’s core attractions is its ease of use, thanks to its very navigable interface and intuitive design, paired with prompt and capable customer support and a help center rich in resources.
With industry-standard AES-256 encryption and a range of VPN protocols, an intuitive kill switch, blockers for ads and trackers, and a no-logs policy audited by Deloitte, CyberGhost does very well as far as user security and privacy are concerned.
When it comes to streaming, however, CyberGhost fails to perform – the service failed to unlock UK Netflix and Disney Plus in my last round of testing.
That said, CyberGhost delivered decent speeds, with the WireGuard and OpenVPN connections peaking at 630 Mbps and 360 Mbps respectively.
Overall, CyberGhost is a good VPN, however with it being priced similarly to PIA but delivering slightly less means it's hard to recommend it instead. However, CyberGhost does offer a lengthy 45-day money-back guarantee, so there's plenty of time to test it out if you fancy giving it a go.
Tested by
These experts have tested and reviewed all the best torrenting VPNs on this page:
VPN speed testing – my results
Speed is crucial when it comes to torrenting larger files if you don't want to risk this activity to become a painful slow nightmare. As an independent reviewer, I regularly test all the top VPN services across different servers and protocols to check for myself the speed they are capable of delivering.
In my review process I test every VPN software on a 1Gbps line. I measure the speeds with a number of tools, including the Ookla SpeedTest website and CLI, nPerf, Netflix's Fast and others. I then take the average (median) of each tool's results to generate an accurate range of speeds. I repeat these tests morning and evening to ensure accuracy. Below are the speed results during my last round of testing:
How to choose a VPN for torrenting
Ultimately, your specific use case will determine which VPN is your perfect match. In addition to torrenting, do you plan on streaming? Or are you looking for a speedy service that can keep up with online gaming? Either way, there are a few factors to keep in mind when shopping around.
First of all, make sure that your chosen provider allows P2P activity on most, if not all, of its servers. This refers to the support for the decentralized peer-to-peer network that allows sharing bigger files (torrents) between two or more computers — more on this in the FAQs below. Thankfully all the providers on this page permit torrenting through their servers.
Excellent privacy and security features should come next – after all, what's the point of using a torrenting VPN if it leaks your data or drops connections mid-download?
Speed is also crucial. If you're downloading a torrent with few seeders, you don't want to be slowed down even more by a sluggish VPN.
Finally, if you think you'll use them, extra features like port forwarding may be useful. However, we recommend only activating these features if you know what you're doing, as improper usage can result in inferior protection.
How we test the best torrenting VPNs
Every VPN that I recommend – and many that I don't – have been tested and reviewed in-house by the VPN team. We have a detailed outline of how we test VPNs, but here's the short version.
We don't just copy and paste the info given on a VPN's website and declare the provider with the most impressive claims the best. Rather, we hand-test each one, making sure they fulfil what they say they can do.
We start off by checking over the website, and installing the VPN on our test devices. The Windows application is the first to been inspected – as this is where the most features are likely to be – we'll try to break the kill switch, ensure any leak protection is working correctly, and measure connection speeds. The other apps see comprehensive testing, too, as we check every available setting across the board to ensure it's functioning as promised by the provider.
Due the popularity of using VPNs for torrenting, we also test each VPN's performance when downloading files that are shared P2P. Of course, we don't download copyrighted content – and nor should you – but our process gives us a hands-on experience of what each provider is like for torrenting.
As we use the apps, if anything appears to be behaving strangely we'll investigate that. We look at the code, check what's being stored in RAM, and generally leave no stone unturned. This overall usage stage is also informs how we rate each app in terms of usability and aesthetics.
From speed results and streaming unlocking capabilities, to customer support and app usability, we regularly make sure to test every aspect of the software that could affect the experience of our readers. In the case of torrenting VPNs, I especially focused my testing on downloading speeds.
Best torrenting VPN FAQ
What is peer-to-peer (P2P) torrenting?
A peer-to-peer (P2P) network is a decentralized infrastructure that allows two or more devices (peers or nodes) to connect and share resources without requiring a separate server or server software to distribute the content. Torrents are the name of the files shared via P2P. P2P sharing is the ideal to allow users to send and receive bigger media files such as books, music, movies, and games at ease.
Is using a VPN for torrenting legal?
Torrenting itself isn't illegal – it's simply sharing information in small packets across different machines. This allows for fast and efficient transfers between computers, which is also known as P2P sharing.
The practice only becomes illegal when you use it to share content which is owned by someone else – for example, a movie that's owned by a media company which you're not paying for.
Torrenting VPNs are also totally legal, and should be used whenever you're sharing P2P, regardless of what you're downloading. So, as long as the files you're downloading are legal, the rest of the process is as well.
What features make a great VPN for torrenting?
To maximize your digital privacy, and boost your anonymity, you'll want to choose a VPN that sticks to a clear no-logs policy. This means that the provider won't store details that could identify you and, if the service is ever pressured to hand over evidence, there simply won't be anything to surrender.
Performance is another integral factor, seeing as you're probably going to be sharing big files while connected to a torrenting VPN.
Finally, leaks are another massive no-no. There are plenty of media companies that run networks of monitoring nodes that can infiltrate torrent swarms and collect IP addresses. Fortunately, if you're using a VPN with solid leak protection, you won't have to worry about turning up on the list.
Can a VPN make torrenting faster?
In short, yes. Torrenting is a data-intensive task that your ISP will monitor, and they might just throttle your connection if they find out that you're doing a little P2P file sharing.
Throttling, in a nutshell, occurs when your ISP slams the breaks on your internet speeds. It sounds petty, buy they do it to discourage certain activities or conserve bandwidth—and it doesn't just affect torrenters. Folks using a lot of bandwidth for HD streaming and online can be impacted by a sudden loss of speed, or connection drop-outs, for no apparent reason.
Luckily, a VPN keeps your browsing activity private. Nobody, including your ISP, can see what you're doing, and that means that they can't make the decision to throttle your internet speeds. So, if you think you're being impacted by throttling when you're torrenting, a VPN could help.
