Not everyone can afford premium VPN services on a tight budget. However, if you are going to download torrents and don’t have much for a paid VPN, then we recommend using a free VPN. Below, we list some of the best free VPNs for torrenting. These VPNs offer reliable privacy and security features, keeping you safe while downloading torrents.
- TunnelBear: It uses strong encryption, making it a great option to use for torrenting.
- Hotspot Shield: Users can access one server location, and it offers 500MB of daily day.
- Hide.me: It belongs to Malaysia and follows a no-log policy, even in the free version.
- Privado VPN: The VPN has a 10GB monthly data limit and uses strong encryption to secure your torrent traffic.
- Windscribe: It allows users to connect to ten servers and increase their monthly data limit.
- Zoog VPN: The VPN service offers a 10GB monthly data limit and supports torrenting on a few servers.
- Speedify: It uses advanced ChaCha20 encryption to boost security during torrenting.
Note: If you don’t want limited VPN features and servers, we recommend using a premium VPN service like NordVPN. If you can’t afford it, you can enjoy its 7-day free trial or take advantage of its 30-day money-back guarantee policy.
Finding the best free VPN for torrenting might be hard, specifically since there are better choices than free VPNs. While they may sound enticing, free VPNs have privacy and security issues, which become a hazard while torrenting.
There are hundreds of free VPNs worldwide, but only a few recognized and renowned reliable VPNs for torrenting. People must pay more attention to a few reliable free VPN service providers. However, since finding these VPNs is equivalent to finding a needle in a haystack, this guide can make things easier for you!
Why is using a VPN essential when torrenting?
While torrenting gives quick access to online content, it also carries many privacy and security risks. On the top, your IP address is visible to anyone in the P2P swarm during torrenting. The ISPs and copyright owners can filter out your IP address, leading to online surveillance.
Downloading torrents without hiding the IP address can also lead to ISP throttling. As torrenting consumes too much bandwidth to decongest the network traffic, ISPs throttle your connection. As a result, it leads to prolonged downloading. Also, different countries have different laws related to torrenting, so you can even be penalized for this act.
But things don’t end here because hackers can upload malware-laden or bogus files in the swarm. Downloading any such file might spread malware or viruses on your device.
Instead of falling victim to the abovementioned risks, you can secure your torrenting experience with a reliable VPN provider. Using a VPN for torrenting increases digital privacy and security. Here are the reasons to use a VPN for torrenting:
- It encrypts the entire data traffic and guarantees that no one sees what you’re doing on the web.
- You can enjoy fast downloading speeds by connecting to a remote VPN server.
- A VPN hides your IP address, meaning ISPs cannot monitor your online activities and won’t throttle your connection.
- The best VPN provider offers impressive features like SOCKS5 proxy or split tunneling that enhance the torrent downloading experience.
There are significant risks associated with free VPN providers, so using the best premium VPN providers is a much better option.
Features to consider while selecting the best free torrenting VPN
A good free VPN for torrenting must be fast, secure, and include features that help during the downloading process. Here’s the list of the features that you must look for in the best free VPN to download torrents:
- The VPN must be compatible with torrenting. Most free VPNs do not support torrenting, so make sure the one you use does allow torrenting on at least a few servers.
- Use a VPN that offers maximum online protection and security. It must use the highest AES-256-bit encryption and popular tunneling protocols to secure torrent traffic from privacy abusers.
- Choose a VPN with a vast server network, which establishes a quick connection. Dedicated P2P servers are also a plus.
- Free VPN providers rarely come without any data limit. Make sure to use a VPN that offers unlimited bandwidth or enough monthly data limit to make it possible to download torrents.
- The free VPN provider must abide by a strict no-log policy to keep your torrent-related activities private.
- Select a VPN with torrent-centric features like a kill switch, SOCKS5 proxy, and split tunneling to boost digital privacy.
- A VPN offers slow and sluggish connections, which can frustrate downloading. Thus, choose a VPN provider that provides above-average and stable internet speeds for P2P downloads.
7 Best free VPNs for torrenting in 2024
All the best free torrenting VPN recommendations are based on thorough tests and reviews. When testing these VPN providers, specific emphasis was placed on speed, security, privacy, data limit, and features.
If you’re still interested in knowing more about the best free VPN for torrenting, read their short reviews below and decide which is the right fit.
1. TunnelBear
- Website URL: tunnelbear.com
- The industry’s highest encryption level
- No-log policy
- 500 MB data
- Servers access in 48+ countries
TunnelBear is a top-rated free VPN provider that allows users to download torrents safely. Its decent server network, spread over 48 countries, offers an average downloading speed.
The VPN provider’s strong encryption makes it a great option to use for torrenting. It utilizes strong AES-256-bit encryption and authentication keys to protect the data from ISPs and other snooping eyes. In addition, it offers impressive advanced features, i.e., GhostBear, Vigilant Bear, and Split Bear, that increase online security during torrenting. But there are no mentions of these features being available to free users.
Besides security, TunnelBear VPN also maintains the utmost privacy on the web. It follows a strict no-log policy and has also been audited. This gives some relaxation to the users who remain concerned about its jurisdiction. But again, the privacy policy doesn’t mention that it offers the same level of privacy to the free users.
TunnelBear VPN has some other shortcomings. It offers a limited 500 MB of data daily, resulting in a passive downloading speed. To enjoy a fast and secure torrenting experience, try the premium version of TunnelBear VPN.
2. Hotspot Shield
- Website URL: hotspotshield.com
- Catapult Hydra protocol
- Strong encryption
- No data limits
- Multiple device compatibility
Hotspot Shield VPN is another top-tier VPN provider available in free and paid versions. If you don’t want to invest in its premium plan, you can continue using the free version as long as you want and enjoy downloading torrents.
In the free version, users can only access one server location. Also, it offers 500MB daily, which creates issues and might pull users away from using it. But it uses the proprietary Catapult Hydra protocol that delivers fast speed, making it a great torrenting VPN.
The VPN provides top-notch security even in the free plan. It deploys AES-128-bit and AES-256-bit encryption to safeguard torrent traffic from all privacy abusers.
However, unlike premium VPNs, Hotspot Shield VPN offers only basic or torrent-specific features in the free plan. In addition, the VPN follows a strict zero-log policy. However, it belongs to the US jurisdiction and has a history of controversies and practices violating users’ digital privacy. If you worry about privacy and security, it’s better to look for other reliable options.
3. Hide.me
- Website URL: hide.me/en
- 10 GB monthly data limit
- Headquarter in Malaysia
- Five server locations
- Kill switch and split tunneling features
Hide.me is another excellent free VPN provider you must try once for torrenting and P2P activities. The VPN provider belongs to a safe jurisdiction in Malaysia and follows a no-log policy, even in the free version. It promises that all torrent downloading activities remain anonymous and private, which impresses the users.
Hide.me VPN uses robust AES-256-bit encryption to hide your torrent activities from ISPs. Another great feature of Hide.me VPN’s free version is that it allows users to access a few basic and advanced security features. These include split tunneling, a kill switch, a stealth guard, and a multihop feature. With all these features, Hide.me VPN guarantees maximum security while torrenting.
However, like all other free VPN providers, Hide.me also has limited monthly data. Each user can use 10GB of data each month, which is somewhat enough, but the experience won’t be very impressive when it comes to downloading. It also allows server access in five locations, offering little help boosting connection speeds.
Switch to the premium Hide.me plan to access all VPN servers and other advanced features for torrenting.
4. Privado VPN
- Website URL: privadovpn.com
- 10 GB monthly data limit
- Follows no-log policy
- Belongs from Switzerland
- Servers available in 12 locations
Privado VPN is yet another secure, best free VPN for torrenting providers to download torrents. Its server access, top-notch security standards, and strict no-log policy make it the best free VPN for downloading torrents.
The VPN provider, based in Switzerland, is a privacy-friendly jurisdiction and adheres to a strict zero-logging policy. It doesn’t record or share your IP address or browsing history with anyone and keeps your activities private. In addition, Privado VPN provides the most significant level of online security during torrenting.
It uses the standard AES 256-bit encryption, which is virtually unbreakable and guarantees that no one can ever know about your torrent downloading behavior.
The service provider limits users to 10GB of monthly data. It also allows users to connect to servers in 12 different locations, allowing users to get average downloading speeds by switching servers.
PrivadoVPN isn’t a feature-packed VPN provider, but it does include all the features that prove helpful during torrenting. It offers a kill switch, SOCKS5 proxy, and split tunneling features. However, to benefit from all these features, it would be best to buy a premium PrivadoVPN subscription.
5. Windscribe
- Website URL: windscribe.com
- 10 GB monthly data allowance
- Connect to ten servers
- Operates from Canada
- Standard encryption
Windscribe VPN is the best free anonymous VPN for torrenting and P2P downloads. Initially, it offers users 2GB of data per month, but if you confirm your email address, the VPN allocates 10 GB of extra data. In addition, if you tweet about Windscribe VPN, you can get an extra 5GB of data each month. The VPN offers several ways to increase the data limit; the users can take full advantage of these offers and later have enough data to enjoy a seamless downloading experience.
Besides this, the VPN allows users to connect to ten international servers. All the servers are in prominent countries like the UK, the US, and France. Thus, establishing a quick connection is easy.
While users can rest assured that Windscribe VPN won’t compromise their security, its jurisdiction is a prime concern for most. The VPN belongs to Canada, a prominent member of the global surveillance alliance. It can record or share users’ data with the international surveillance alliance.
Windscribe VPN offers an incredible ROBERT feature to boost torrent security. The ad and malware blocker can prevent users from downloading infected or bogus torrent files. However, you must upgrade your plan to the premium version to take advantage of this feature.
6. Zoog VPN
- Website URL: zoogvpn.com
- 10 GB of monthly data limit
- Follows a no-log policy
- Torrenting is allowed in the free version
- Five server locations
Zoog VPN is a great free VPN for downloading torrents that might impress you. It hides your IP address and uses AES 128-bit encryption to secure torrenting activities. Though it has a vast server network, it allows torrenting on a few selected servers. You can connect to the five server locations and download torrents. The speed is average but not very impressive because the monthly data limit is only 10 GB.
Besides, the VPN follows a no-log policy and doesn’t store users’ sensitive information. This means you can trust Zoog VPN to keep all torrent-related data private. It also offers excellent features that ensure maximum security and protection during torrenting.
However, Zoog VPN’s free version offers limited features. Buy a premium subscription plan to access all the advanced features, including Zoogshadowing. The premium version also uses AES-256-bit encryption to protect data traffic. So, for maximum security, switch to the paid version.
7. Speedify
- Website URL: speedify.com
- 2GB monthly data limit
- Advanced encryption
- Allows torrenting
- US-based VPN provider
Speedify VPN is also a reliable free VPN. It uses the advanced ChaCha20, AES-256-bit encryption standard, and security protocols to protect torrent traffic from all prying eyes. Besides this, the VPN offers a global server network spread over 30 countries, but there isn’t any information regarding server access in the free version.
Like all free VPN providers, Speedify also comes with a data limit. It allows users to use 2GB of data per month. This is something extremely low and insufficient for downloading torrents. With such limited data, the downloading experience has slow speeds and frequent connection lags.
Moreover, the VPN’s jurisdiction is concerning and often questioned, which might cause users to avoid it.
The plus point of this free torrent VPN is that it allows users to access security and privacy-boosting features like the kill switch. However, the torrent downloading experience with limited bandwidth and server network isn’t practical.
How to torrent safely with a VPN?
You may have the best VPN in the world, but without using it safely, you will compromise your privacy and safety when torrenting. If, by any chance, your IP address leaks, you are no longer protected. So, follow the steps below to use your VPN safely when torrenting.
- Download and install a reliable and trustworthy VPN like NordVPN.
- Choose a server nearby that does not block torrenting websites and connect to it.
- Run a torrent IP leak test to confirm your identity is not leaking.
- Confirm your kill switch is enabled to avoid DNS leaks and your identity in case your VPN disconnects accidentally.
- Download a reputable torrent client like qBittorent.
- Open a torrent file or magnet link with your client.
- After torrenting, ensure you exit your torrent client before disconnecting your VPN.
- You can now safely disconnect your VPN without leaking sensitive information to the torrenting swarm.
Moreover, always confirm that the file you are downloading is safe. You can do this by only downloading torrents from reputable websites and studying the reviews and ratings from other users. Additionally, scan your file for malware using an antivirus before opening it.
Are free VPNs a reliable option for torrenting?
Free VPN providers can be a dangerous option for torrenting. Even though they claim to keep you safe, they don’t provide enough security and privacy, which is essential during torrenting. They also have significant limitations that make them quite unreliable.
Some of the reasons to avoid using a free VPN for torrenting are as follows:
- Free VPNs often sell your data to various advertising companies and generate revenue. In other words, if you’re not paying for the product, you’re the product.
- These VPNs have limited data caps, which isn’t enough for a fast torrent downloading process.
- The free VPNs compromise your privacy by recording and sharing logs with the government and third parties without your consent.
- They also use trackers and can have malware in disguise to breach your digital privacy.
If you still want to use a free VPN, then the VPNs described in this article might help you. But remember, all these VPNs have limitations that can spoil your experience. Instead of using the free VPN providers, try these premium VPNs for torrenting, which come with 30- to 45-day trial accounts.:
- NordVPN: The VPN provides the fastest torrent downloading speed and maintains the most incredible level of online security.
- Surfshark: An affordable VPN provider that offers a handful of features to enhance the torrenting experience.
- ExtremeVPN: It allows unlimited torrenting and offers impressive security-boosting features.
- ExpressVPN: A VPN service that follows a strict no-log policy that allows downloading torrents anonymously.
- CyberGhost: It offers dedicated P2P servers and advanced features that ensure a safe and quick downloading process.
These premium VPNs offer torrent-specific features and help provide a reliable torrenting experience.
Paid vs. Free VPNs – Which should you get?
Free and paid VPNs have many differences, yet they are supposed to achieve the same goal—privacy and security protection. A free VPN looks attractive because you don’t have to pay, but its hidden costs may outweigh the cost of a subscription to a premium VPN service.
Most free torrenting VPNs have bandwidth, data, servers, and general network infrastructure limitations. Bandwidth and data caps deny you the freedom to conduct data-intensive activities at optimum speeds, which can be frustrating. Few servers mean you can only spoof your location to specific regions, and sometimes the servers may be overloaded. Some free VPNs can invade your privacy instead of protecting it – by collecting your data.
On the other hand, spending a few dollars can get you a reliable and trustworthy VPN like NordVPN which gives you fast and unlimited access to your favorite websites without a data cap. Also, paid VPNs have expansive network infrastructure and frequently updated systems. They also do not collect or log user data to ensure ultimate privacy.
Furthermore, most paid VPNs have P2P dedicated servers where you can download and upload torrents without worrying about someone watching you. There are as many benefits to using a paid VPN as there are dangers to using a free VPN. Alternatively, you can opt for a freemium VPN or take advantage of most premium VPNs’ 30-day money-back guarantee policy to test their product for free.
Free torrenting VPNs to avoid
Most free VPNs will target you with malware and pesky adverts and sell your sensitive information to the highest bidder. Below are some of the free VPNs you should avoid while torrenting.
- Thunder VPN: This intrusive VPN runs on Android devices and collects a wide array of information, such as device model, language ISP, OS version, the amount of data transferred in a day, and connection timestamps.
- Hola VPN: The VPN has previously been accused of using the devices of connected premium users as a botnet to perform DDoS attacks and open doors for criminals.
- Butternut VPN: Its main goal is not to give you privacy but to collect and sell your data to third parties.
The intention and the purpose of using a VPN is to have privacy and security when browsing the internet. However, some free VPNs jeopardize your privacy and expose you to countless online threats.
VPN address substitution and privacy
The logs policy of a VPN service provider is vital when choosing a VPN. There is no point in paying your money for privacy protection, and then the company keeps data that can be used to trace online activities back to you. If the company enforces a strict no-logs policy, you can be sure that your internet activities will be untraceable if the authorities seize VPN servers.
Some companies outright lie about their data retention policy to attract customers. Others try to stretch the meaning of the no-logs policy to mean they can log some data. All these are survival tactics in a crowded market with fierce competition. Choose a company whose systems are audited by reputable independent organizations to prove they keep zero logs about your internet activities.
In addition, check out a VPN provider’s headquarters. Some regions, like the British Virgin Islands and Panama, are more privacy-friendly than others. Copyright enforcement also varies in different regions. Companies headquartered in a country with solid copyright enforcement may be threatened with fines and imprisonment for compromising user privacy.
Is using a VPN for torrenting legal?
Yes, using a VPN for torrenting is legal. Most countries have no laws against personal use of a VPN. However, some countries have restrictions on the use of VPNs, and you may need to obtain a license to use a VPN in those countries. Additionally, some countries have banned certain types of VPNs altogether.
While using a VPN is generally legal, some activities are illegal when done through a VPN connection. For example, downloading copyrighted material without permission is illegal in most countries, regardless of whether you use a VPN. Similarly, accessing child pornography or engaging in other illegal activities while using a VPN is prohibited and can result in severe penalties.
If you plan to use a VPN for torrenting purposes, it’s crucial to ensure that the service you choose allows torrent traffic and doesn’t keep logs of your activity. Additionally, it’s always best to connect to servers in countries where copyright infringement laws are not as strict as in your own country.
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About the Author
Rebecca James is an IT consultant with forward thinking approach toward developing IT infrastructures of SMEs. She writes to engage with individuals and raise awareness of digital security, privacy, and better IT infrastructure.
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