Best Overall

4.9

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On NordVPN's website

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NordVPN

• High-quality VPN offering safety and speed
• Loads of servers for multiple connection options
• Works with popular streaming services, including Netflix
• Too many confusing plans

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Best for Privacy

4.6

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On ExpressVPN's website

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ExpressVPN

• Premium VPN offering strong security and ultra-fast speeds
• Strict no-logs policy with independent audit
• In-house Lightway protocol for more speed and security
• More expensive than NordVPN, Surfshark, and CyberGhost

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Best for Affordability

4.6

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On CyberGhost's website

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CyberGhost

• Cheaper than ExpressVPN, NordVPN, and Surfshark
• Optimized servers for regional streaming
• No split tunneling feature

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Are you considering torrenting with BitTorrent or a similar torrent client? Torrenting is rising in popularity, and over 90 million people worldwide use BitTorrent alone.[1] Use of decentralized peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing has only increased, and so have the risks involved with sharing those files.

But, don’t let the risks get you down. A virtual private network (VPN) well-suited for torrenting can disguise your IP address and protect your files from malware while also securing your internet connection.

Our testing proved NordVPN to be the best overall VPN for torrenting and streaming, with ExpressVPN taking a strong lead in security. Additionally, CyberGhost was also a strong candidate for both torrenting and security features at an affordable price. Keep reading to learn more about these top VPN apps for torrenting.

The best VPNs for torrenting 2024

We’ve narrowed down the best VPNs for torrenting to NordVPN, ExpressVPN, and CyberGhost. All three are great options for torrenting and have standard military-grade encryption along with other strong security measures.

• NordVPN: Best overall
• ExpressVPN: Best for privacy and security
• CyberGhost: Best for affordable protection

Top 3 VPN services for P2P torrenting compared

VPN	NordVPN Best Overall	ExpressVPN	CyberGhost
Starting price	$1.99/mo	$6.67/mo	$2.03/mo
Free version
Torrenting servers
Kill switch
No-logs policy
Additional security features	Split tunneling, malware scans, blocks malicious sites, ad blocker	Split tunneling, blocks tracker, scammer, and malware sites, continuously updated blocklist	CyberGhost Security Suite for Windows, protection against malware, adware and other threats
Learn more	Get NordVPN Read NordVPN Review	Get ExpressVPN Read ExpressVPN Review	Get CyberGhost Read CyberGhost Review

NordVPN: Best overall

4.9

NordVPN's Fast Speeds and Smart DNS are Best for Torrents

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On NordVPN's website

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NordVPN

• High-quality VPN offering safety and speed
• Loads of servers for multiple connection options
• Works with popular streaming services, including Netflix
• Too many confusing plans

Who it’s best for

Planning on a lot of P2P file sharing and streaming at home? If so, NordVPN is the best option for your personal computer and other devices. We found it has fast connection speeds and streaming functionalities to make your day-to-day data sharing and viewing experiences enjoyable.

NordVPN uses its own WireGuard technology called NordLynx for optimum speeds and smooth streaming. And with a headquarters in Panama and strict no-logs policy, your data is safe and secure.

What we liked

Fast speeds and a seamless streaming connection make Nord the best choice for torrenting activities.

Our speed test showed that NordVPN connected at faster speeds versus some of the other leading VPNs we tried. (ExpressVPN and CyberGhost.) We saw the fastest speeds while connected to a nearby U.S. server — with the VPN turned on, our internet speed was 180.3 Mbps on a 200 Mbps connection. Additionally, we could connect to the VPN in under 10 seconds.

These faster speeds are due to NordVPN’s NordLynx, a protocol integrated with WireGuard that uses less processing capacity and power during the connection process. NordLynx ensures that speed does not get compromised during your VPN connection.

Also, WireGuard uses cryptography in its tunneling, which is a more efficient process of public keys authenticating one another on a single, round-trip exchange of data.

While testing out servers in the U.S., Canada, Europe, and Australia, we connected to each region’s Netflix streaming library with no issues.

Additionally, NordVPN combines its VPN with a smart DNS service, which automatically switches DNS servers when you attempt to access unavailable content. This enhanced feature does this while also simultaneously masking your IP address. This is helpful because you may live in an area that restricts certain geo-located content, so with NordVPN and Smart DNS, you can stream your favorite shows from anywhere in the world.

From our research, we learned that you don’t ever have to search for the fastest server — NordVPN does that for you. Plus, NordVPN has several servers optimized for P2P traffic.

Although the price is higher than some other services, NordVPN does offer a 30-day money-back guarantee so that you can try out the service before committing to a two-year contract.

What we didn’t like

NordVPN offers two kinds of threat protection: Threat Protection and Threat Protection Lite. Both of these block ads and trackers in addition to blocking potentially malicious URLs. The full Threat Protection service also deletes downloaded malware, with or without your VPN connection turned on. Both Windows and macOS devices support these offerings.

While the extra security is good, we don’t like that Threat Protection Lite won’t work unless you’re connected to your VPN — and it doesn’t delete any previously downloaded malware. If you are an Android or iPhone user or use a Chrome, Firefox, or Edge extension, you can only get Threat Protection Lite.

Before torrenting files, you’ll need to use the Threat Protection feature on a Windows or macOS device to guarantee that you’re protected from current and previous malware threats.

Lastly, although there is plenty of information online about setting up NordVPN, the provider didn’t offer an on-the-spot tutorial during the setup process. And when contacting customer service, we couldn’t speak to a live representative — only a chatbot was available. We had a question outside the scope of what the chatbot could cover, so the only option was for us to wait on customer service to return our email. The response was received within the same business day, and the representative fully answered our question.

While we appreciated the quick email response, for being one of the highest-priced VPNs on the market that requires a two-year commitment, we expected to reach out to a human immediately for assistance.

NordVPN specs

ExpressVPN: Best for privacy and security

4.6

ExpressVPN Loads Up On Privacy Features

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On ExpressVPN's website

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ExpressVPN

• Premium VPN offering strong security and ultra-fast speeds
• Strict no-logs policy with independent audit
• In-house Lightway protocol for more speed and security
• More expensive than NordVPN, Surfshark, and CyberGhost

Who it’s best for

ExpressVPN is best if you want a product’s privacy and security features verified before you go through the efforts of purchasing and downloading a VPN. While a website can make many claims, you will want to know that your VPN has been audited by a third-party firm with a solid reputation. ExpressVPN completed 12 audits on their various technologies within the past year, stating on their website that they have “...bolstered their status as the most transparent provider in the industry.”

The company’s transparency and third-party audits make ExpressVPN one of the best VPNs for torrenting. Though not all torrenting uses are illegal, many still need the extra security of a VPN like ExpressVPN. For example, torrents are currently used to fight disinformation in countries like Russia.

What we liked

We reviewed and liked several of ExpressVPN’s security features, including:

• Threat Manager: This feature stops your device from interacting with malicious third parties like trackers and malware sites, whether the app is open or running in the background.
• Network Lock: The kill switch component protects your data if you get disconnected from the VPN by blocking all your internet traffic.
• No leaks: We ran a WebRTC leak test and IP leak test with ExpressVPN and found no leaks of our IP address.
• No-logging policy: ExpressVPN has a no-logging policy, so your browsing activities and data are never tracked or stored by the company. This policy was audited and verified by KPMG in September 2022.
• Split tunneling: This feature protects your safety by letting you decide which internet traffic goes through the VPN or directly to the internet. This can be helpful if the VPN connection causes pages not to load or if you need a faster connection for gaming or other activities.
• RAM-only servers: The company’s RAM-only servers wipe the data clean every time they’re rebooted.

What we didn’t like

Unlike NordVPN, we found that ExpressVPN’s interface was less intuitive to use. When you first start the program, there’s a small window that you have to navigate to find their server locations. And even though the website has plenty of guides, there was no initial tutorial or walkthrough when installing the software.

ExpressVPN is also one of the most expensive VPN services — the lowest price is about $8 a month for 12 months at the time of writing. Other VPNs like Surfshark and Private Internet Access are on the lower end of the budget, costing about $4 a month and $3 a month for 12 months, respectively.

Finally, while the company’s servers can handle torrenting without issues, they did not have servers dedicated just for peer-to-peer file sharing.

ExpressVPN specs

CyberGhost VPN: Best for affordable protection

4.6

CyberGhost's Low Cost Won't Break Your Budget

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On CyberGhost's website

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CyberGhost

• Cheaper than ExpressVPN, NordVPN, and Surfshark
• Optimized servers for regional streaming
• No split tunneling feature

Who it’s best for

CyberGhost offers many of the same features as NordVPN and ExpressVPN but at a more affordable price point of about $2 per month (if you opt for the two-year plan). With respectable speeds and a network of 7,000 servers in 90 countries, CyberGhost makes torrenting with a VPN easy.

What we liked

With a 45-day money-back guarantee, you can tell CyberGhost is confident in the security and privacy of its services. The website even states, “...we’re confident we have the best VPN for torrenting — which is also why our guarantee is longer than our competitors’.”

CyberGhost also has an extensive server network that can help you avoid overloaded servers that might also slow down your torrenting speeds. Additionally, it has designated P2P servers that are ideal for connecting to torrent sites like uTorrent and BitTorrent.

We liked that CyberGhost has standard security features like military-grade encryption and a kill switch. There’s also a CyberGhost Security Suite for Windows, an all-in-one package including a secure software updater, privacy guard, and, of course, VPN service. The suite provides antivirus protection from Trojans and malware and full-on network attacks.

When we put CyberGhost to the test, we found no leaks, meaning our IP was successfully masked. We also found the interface was easy to use, permitting us to choose specialty servers for torrenting, gaming, or streaming. The connection to the VPN was also highly visible within the application, so you can feel safe knowing that you did fully connect to your VPN.

What we didn’t like

Although satisfactory, CyberGhost did come in on the slower side during our speed and streaming testing. Our first test showed a few difficulties connecting, while our second test fully connected and streamed Netflix properly. Additionally, we noticed that split tunneling, a popular safety feature, was only available for Android.

CyberGhost specs

VPNs that didn’t make the cut

There are a few VPNs that didn’t make our list of the top-three best VPNs for torrenting. Although these VPN services have excellent features, they lack either the speed or full data privacy to be considered the best torrenting options.

A VPN’s technology should be centered around data privacy, and VPN data privacy first originates with where the company’s headquarters are located — even before further reviewing the service’s technical aspects.

Intelligence agencies from countries that are a part of the Five Eyes, Nine Eyes, or 14 Eyes Alliances are free to share information regarding their citizens. This means if your VPN service is located in one of these countries, the government can access your browsing data regardless of what physical safety features your VPN offers.

Surfshark and Private Internet Access (PIA) are both located in countries that are part of these alliances, and so they didn’t make the cut.

Surfshark

Surfshark was the third-fastest VPN during our testing process, and it automatically provided the fastest server location out of its 3,200 servers upon connection.

This VPN is also great for streaming, as it accessed streaming libraries worldwide with no connectivity issues. Surfshark offers split tunneling, standard military-grade encryption, and a kill switch. Furthermore, it blocks ads, trackers, and malware with its CleanWeb feature.

But Surfshark is based in the Netherlands, a part of the Five Eyes Alliance, which was the main reason for it not making a top-three recommendation.

Private Internet Access

Private Internet Access (PIA) displays server latency right within the app so you can conveniently choose the fastest RAM-only server from one of its listed 84 countries when you log in.

PIA also went through a no-logs audit with Deloitte in 2022, so you can trust that no records of your activities are kept. The VPN service also includes an ad and malware blocker, a kill switch, split tunneling, standard encryption, and uses WireGuard protocol to improve speeds.

While PIA meets our physical safety standards for a VPN, it’s a U.S. company based in Denver, Colorado. This means it’s subject to information sharing within all three alliances and thus potential government intervention in your privacy.

Best torrenting VPNs FAQs

Bottom line

NordVPN, ExpressVPN, and CyberGhost all have excellent speeds for torrenting and streaming, making them the optimal selections during our comparison testing. These VPN services are transparent, having undergone multiple third-party audits — they’re also headquartered in countries that value your right to privacy. With multiple safety features and military-grade encryption, you can feel safe using these VPNs while P2P file sharing.

Surfshark and PIA are also valuable VPN services that can help protect your data, though they also come with some concerns that dropped them out of the top three.

3 best VPNs for torrenting

VPN	Starting price	Best for	Learn more
NordVPN	$2.99/mo	Best overall	Get NordVPN Read NordVPN Review
ExpressVPN	Starts at $6.67/mo	Best for privacy and security	Get ExpressVPN Read ExpressVPN Review
CyberGhost	$2.03/mo	Best for affordable protection	Get CyberGhost Read CyberGhost Review

How we tested the best VPNs for torrenting

We tested multiple VPNs, reviewing the following items: connection speeds, streaming service compatibility, leak tests, ease of setup, no-logging policies, headquarters location, safety features, company transparency, and interactions with customer service. The five VPNs chosen in this article met or exceeded our expectations when it came to speed, safety, and transparency.

Here’s a complete look at our testing criteria:

• Download speeds, upload speeds, and latency: Speed tests measure latency, or the overall time it takes data to get from one point to another. We also tested download and upload speeds, impacting your connection when you want to load up and stream content.
• Leak protection: A leak test looks for various leaks of your data, such as IP address leaks and DNS leaks that may send your information to a website.
• No-logs policies and headquarters: No-logging policies are essential to a VPN, as having data like your internet activity and location stored, tracked, or sold could negate the whole purpose of utilizing the service. Along with reviewing third-party no-logs audits, we also uncovered each VPN’s headquarters location and determined whether or not those countries are allowed to legally share your data.
• Safety features: Military-grade encryption of AES-256 or better is a key component we looked for while rating our VPN selections. Other important safety features included a kill switch, split tunneling, and additional antivirus protection to protect your device if you accidentally download malware.
• Transparency and interactions: We asked ourselves, “Does the VPN’s website have third-party audit information regarding their infrastructures or no-logging policies? Did customer service respond promptly and resolve our questions?” With lots of competition within the VPN space, we didn’t want to overlook how transparent commercial VPNs are with their customers.

4.9

Limited-time offer: 69% off + 3 extra months

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On NordVPN's website

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NordVPN

• High-quality VPN offering safety and speed
• Loads of servers for multiple connection options
• Works with popular streaming services, including Netflix
• Too many confusing plans

Author Details

Robin Moore

About the Author

Robin Moore is a freelance writer and editor specializing in blockchain technology, including wallet security and data privacy. She is the current Managing Editor for Watcher.Guru, a startup blockchain and finance news publication with 1.7 million followers on Twitter. Robin has also been the lead content editor with Genfinity.IO, another startup blockchain research publication. Before entering the Web3 space, she was a business analyst within the oil and gas industry. When she is not offering advice on the best ways to protect data privacy, she is hiking, doing yoga, or networking with her Web3 family on crypto-Twitter.