Best VPNs for torrenting 2024: Speed, privacy, and security matter

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. For a more in-depth guide on my testing process, see this article on how we test VPN services at PCWorld. 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 more than just torrenting you can check out my list of best VPN services for even more great options.

Updated October 17, 2024: Check out my latest review of PrivadoVPN. With both a powerful premium and free version, this VPN can work for just about anyone and boasts good streaming service unblocking capabilities and a generous device limit.

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.