When you pull any file through a source located on a single server, you are downloading the file plain and simple. With millions of netizens hitting the same server, you encounter slower downloads, server downtime, interrupted connections, and corrupted files.
Imagine if users could bypass the server and share the same file within their community (peer to peer). Individual users storing the entire file or small components of it (seeders) share the file with users who need the data (leechers). Such a system of file sharing that bypasses client servers is torrenting.
The moment you enter the search parameter, a “tracker” locates nearest computers that store the entire file or its component parts. These components are then downloaded to your computer by torrenting. If you surf through an ISP, your IP address would be out in the open, and others may view what you are downloading. That could land you in a legal tangle. A Virtual Private Network or VPN hides your IP and location from prying eyes and encrypts the download data. This is the reason why heavy net users love searching for the best VPN service for torrenting to render browsing faster, safer, and anonymous.
Torrenting, or peer to peer file sharing, is legal in most parts of the globe. Glaring exceptions are China and Saudi Arabia where the big brother loses sleep if browsers avoid government scrutiny. The illegality rests in the end use of torrenting – if you torrent movies, music and paid software – this may violate copyright and become illegal. Despite the best efforts of governing agencies to clamp down on file sharing, torrenting remains very popular among netizens.
Assuming that our readers prefer to remain on the right side of the law, and are conscious of preserving the safety and privacy of their browsing habits, we’d be happy to list 2018’s prime candidates for the best VPN to use for torrenting.
The Hall of Fame for the Internet’s best VPN for Torrenting
Every VPN doesn’t come primed for torrenting, so you give a wide berth to clients that don’t allow the service. The best VPN software should allow faster torrenting while it protects your privacy and ensures data safety.
For starters, carefully read the client’s privacy policy to ensure the VPN service doesn’t store your browsing logs. One of the biggest advantages of VPN is that it follows tunneling protocol and data encryption that won’t reveal your IP address, location, and data. There won’t be DNS leaks and if the VPN kicks over, a kill switch blocks prying eyes from recording your IP. Remember that the single server download squeezes the bandwidth, and slows downloads. But a VPN reroutes downloads through alternate pathways, saving time and securing faster download speeds.
Keeping in mind these basic parameters, we present the net’s best VPN services for torrenting
The British Virgin Islands-based ExpressVPN
This is arguably the best-paid VPN for torrenting, ideal for peer to peer (P2P) file sharing. With over 1500 servers dispersed in 148 locations, ExpressVPN lords over a community of not less than 30,000 IP addresses. The VPN supports simultaneous net access through three devices. It provides an umbrella service connecting super-fast servers in 94 nations.
Performance-wise, you couldn’t ask for more. The faster downloads are a huge incentive for heavy users that don’t fret over higher tariffs.
For security and privacy, there are strong encryption protocols. The icing on the cake is that your browsing history and data logs are not stored, so government authorities will find this VPN a hard nut to crack.
ExpressVPN follows a split tunneling action, which allows Mac and Windows players to isolate and protect torrenting from other browsing and gaming activities. Users will relax knowing their anonymity is protected under the British Virgin Islands (BVI) Company Law. The BVI lists ExpressVPN as an offshore entity. If you run into any technical problems, the VPN’s recovery services are available through chat and email, 24/7.
Outstanding download speeds and anonymity of browsing, guaranteed under BVI laws, come at a steeper price compared to other VPNs. But that’s a “small” price to pay for the Ferrari like acceleration available to heavy net users.
Users may lament that ExpressVPN doesn’t provide a free lunch (trial), but there’s a 30-day paid window backed by a money-back guarantee to soften the bite. The annual subscription is to die for because it comes bundled with three months of free extra usage.
If the monthly plan costs you $12.95, there’s an exclusive offer that lowers the tariff by 49% to a more attractive $ $6.67 a month. The half-yearly package bills you $59.95, escalating to $99.95 covering 15 months of usage.
US-based IPVanish
This is a VPN torrenting client that synergizes power and performance to perfection. Compared to ExpressVPN, this service has a lower footprint of 1000+ servers dispersed in 60+ locations. Where it scores is its larger outreach to 40,000 file sharing IP addresses. Bulk users will be happy to know that IPVanish will support up to 5 devices.
The company’s no-logs policy will relieve the privacy conscious, and download speeds are soul satisfying. The automatic kill-switch makes sure that IP privacy remains protected come what may. One hitch is that IPVanish doesn’t roll out in Windows; you need to run the app in “administrator” mode, which requires some tweaking. Again, like ExpressVPN, there’s no free lunch to get the juices flowing.
IPVanish creates a favorable impression with its super-fast download speeds, global server spread, and unrestrained P2P traffic. The client-App integration is excellent except for Windows which aggravates networking issues.
If the no-free-trial policy is a stand down, the seven-day money back guarantee offers some relief. Price-wise, this VPN doesn’t ease the pressure on your wallet. The annual subscription of $58.49 is this VPN’s most sought-after (and recommended) offer. The monthly billing comes to $7.50, which escalates to $20.24 covering a 3-months package.
Panama-based NordVPN
More than any other player, this VPN promises the best security when torrenting in the fast lane. A virtual King Emperor, NordVPN commands a sizeable fleet of 4331 servers populating 62 prime locations. The number of devices supported by the VPN escalates to a comforting six.
For people who are security conscious, NordVPN offers an added layer of privacy cocooned in double data encryption. By choosing this VPN, you gain access to uber-secure protocols such as IKEv2/IPsec, OpenVPN, PPTP, and L2TP. As the data gets routed through “twin servers” you get extra protection against hackers and net companies that aim to harvest and sell your data.
Performance-wise, NordVPN is top-of-the-line. Blazing download speeds, the mandatory kill-switch, and no-data-harvesting policy are a given. NordVPN is expensive if you limit yourself to its monthly $11.95 package that comes with a slim 3-day free trial. If you move your sights higher, there are more affordable options in one year and two-year plans that levy $69 and $79. The most outstanding value for money package is the three-year offer of $99. What makes these offers reasonable is the 3-month money back guarantee which is hard to resist.
Malaysia-based Hide.me
This is the fastest among candidates vying for recognition as Best VPN torrenting client. Supreme security, pristine privacy, and lifetime liberty are the USPs touted by Hide.me. Providing support for up to 5 devices, the client delivers outstanding download speeds. A plus point from the security angle is the VPN’s no-logs policy that doesn’t record your IP address, browser history, and activity.
The client is well-designed and simple to use, selecting the fastest server available. It boasts an impressive lineup of protocols – OpenVPN, PPTP, L2TP, IPsec, SoftEther, SSTP, and IKEv2 – that boost network stability and augments performance.
Offering a grandstand view of the VPN’s capabilities is its “free forever” monthly 2GB plan. Users may like to try this before jumping on to the premium bandwagon with its expensive $9.99 a month tag promising unrestricted data transfer. Opting for the VPN’s Plus Plan priced at $4.99 a month will invite data transfer restrictions. Overall, the Hide.me plan conceptualization leaves much room for improvement.
Hungarian based Buffered VPN
This is the Best VPN for desktop access, and it’s compatible with Windows, Linux, and Mac, as well as iOS and Android devices. It supports up to 5 devices.
With speeds matching non-VPN downloads, this VPN stands tall in supporting high speed torrenting. Users can browse the web guilt-free with unrestricted bandwidth and limitation-free downloads. As mobile clients are not available, users will have to wade through manual setups on phones and tablets.
Security gets a boost with Blowfish encryption with a key length of 256 bits. This moves your data beyond the purview of hackers and snooping governments. The company’s no-log policy should reassure users that their data and activity are neither storable nor retrievable. Users can try the app for a 30-day trial period without risk or obligation, and there’s a chat line working 24/7 that delivers spot-on service.
Hitting the sweet spot, the company uses usage-based billing software and offers a 30-day refund after 10 hours of actual usage or 10GB bandwidth consumption. The pricing plans on offer are $12.99 for monthly usage; $59.94 for six months, and $99.00 for an annual plan (with an extra month added for free). Definitely pricier than competing VPNs. Buffered is useful in accessing US Netflix and BBC iPlayer in countries that otherwise restrict access.
The Best VPN Torrenting: Conclusion
As readers will gather, the vote for the Best VPN Torrenting is largely guided by four factors; First and foremost, the VPN should be torrent-friendly. Secondly, the furthest the VPN is from US jurisdiction, the safer it is from snooping governmental eyes. The third factor which is very important is the download speed. And, last but not the least is privacy protection that you get when a VPN follows a no-logs policy. A combination of these factors tempered by your budget should help you decide the VPN service that optimizes your torrenting experience.
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