Whats a good free vpn for downloads on bittorrent

If they violate they trust just once it could cost them millions of dollars in lost subscriber fees. This article on VPN logs can explain it even better. I really am. Because I believe in their service. Want more options or information? Check out the articles below. There are a few free VPNs that will let you download torrents without banning your account. We had the best results with Windscribe and would recommend them 1.

If you know of any other free, torrent-friendly VPNs that should be featured in this article, please notify us in the comments below!

Ryan is the editor and head reviewer. He's been a tech geek and digital privacy enthusiast since the Y2k freakout in ' When not writing BitTorrent tutorials, he can usually be found sipping a lager or playing pickup football the real kind. However, to set up OpenVPN on a Linux machine requires you to use third-party OpenVPN client with our service and therefore you will need to upgrade to our paid service which you will then have the options to download the necessary files for OpenVPN.

For a more detailed look at this excellent software, including instructions on how to bind qBittorrent to your VPN interface, please check out 5 Best VPNs for qBittorrent. Visit qBitTorrent. Transmission has overcome older problems to build a reputation for itself as a great torrent client.

Transmission started life as a Mac and Linux-only BitTorrent client, where it built up a formidable reputation.

Windows users can now also get in on the act. Although a very capable BitTorrent client, the main draw of Transmission is its beautiful user interface, complete with Growl notifications for Mac users. Transmission features webseed support, BitTorrent protocol encryption, watch directories, tracker editing, global and per-torrent speed limits, and more.

It also supports optional add-ons that can expand its feature-set. These include RSS subscription tools and a Kodi plugin. Transmission has recently hit the headlines thanks to a vulnerability that can be exploited by hackers. I discuss this a little later in the article, but a patch is available, and the issue is very easy to fix yourself, anyway.

In theory, this could allow them to completely take over the infected system. Note that this is a proof of concept attack, and there has been no evidence of it being exploited in the wild. The current version of Transmission has already implemented a fix. Alternatively, if you wanted to be sure, the flaw is easy enough to fix for yourself.

Note that the security researcher who discovered the flaw has hinted that other BitTorrents clients may also be vulnerable. It is probably a good idea to check similar settings in whatever client you are using. Visit Transmission. Vuze might not be as lightweight as others in this list, but its feature-packed approach will appeal to some.

Vuze is a granddaddy of BitTorrent clients. It is no longer open source, and it creaks somewhat under the weight of its myriad features. It is, in other words, the polar opposite of lightweight clients such as qBitTorrent. But who said a shed load of features is necessarily a bad thing? This includes being able to bind Vuze to your VPN adapter, but also loads more funky stuff such as content discovery through automated subscriptions, having an integrated media player, remote management, and much more.

On the downside, Vuze is resource-heavy and rather ugly especially when compared to Transmission! Its clunky interface is also showing its age. This situation is not helped by the inclusion of ads in the free version, or by the fact that you need to be careful during installation if you do not want to also install a load of crapware.

A Vuze Plus subscription removes the ads and provides built-in anti-virus scanning, a DVD burner, and "play now" support. It is, admittedly, pretty funky! Crypto is supported including Bitcoin , and you have the option to try and cancel with its day money-back guarantee. The multi-year plan is clearly the best choice in terms of pure value for money.

It sure sounds comforting on the surface, but does PIA have what it takes to match your needs? Well, let's face it For starters, there's P2P support on every one of its many servers how many servers is a little unclear right now - up until recently its site claimed an enormous 35,, but that has recently disappeared from the site. And you'll have learned enough from this guide by now to know that its clean sweep of kill switches on desktop Windows and Mac and mobile VPN apps Android and iOS , is enough to get in our good books.

But the PIA engineers have gone the extra mile by making 'port forwarding' available, too. Now, the jury is out on just how useful this is - see the bottom of this article for the thoughts of other torrenting VPN providers - but toggle the setting on to enable redirecting of incoming connections to bypass a NAT firewall and so help improve P2P download speeds.

Again, it's up to you whether or not you use this. But the fact PIA lags behind the direct competition a little when it comes to pure download speeds might help make your decision for you - we suppose it depends just how long you can wait to download that latest blockbuster What's more, the multi-year plan that Private Internet Access offers is among the most reasonably priced around. If Surfshark is already on your VPN shortlist, it's most likely to be because of its price.

It always features prominently in our cheap VPN guide, thanks to the rock-bottom cost of its multi-year plan. An absolute bargain, frankly. Especially when you consider that Surfshark really has the goods to back up that status. For torrent fiends there's P2P support on most servers although it would be nice if they made it more obvious which ones have it , zero-knowledge DNS servers, Bitcoin support, split tunneling, and even URL and ad blocking.

Going back to value for money, a single subscription covers unlimited devices. So you can get the VPN working on your PC, Mac, mobiles, TV streaming devices, games consoles, router, and everything else that's compatible - and maybe a few of your friends and family members, too!

It includes a kill switch on Windows, Macs, Android and iPhones. That's great, but the were some minor issues with it on Windows during our testing where we didn't feel like we were given a clear enough warning when the connection drops. We'd highly recommend it - especially if you're main reason for doing so is to downloaded pirated videos and games. Because torrenting VPNs effectively make your movements online anonymous, nobody can tie your activity back to your IP address.

So you don't need to worry about aggressive letters through the door telling you to cease and desist. It's a given that it's fast, secure and easy to use. But it also benefits from really effective kill switches on its desktop clients and Android app and we really like that its thorough no-logging policy is independently audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers.

It's an excellent choice for torrenters. As well as giving all the data you exchange online end-to-end encryption, torrenting with a VPN turned on also helps to keep your identity completely anonymous. That means there's no chance for your ISP or anybody else finding out who you are or what you're downloading online. Fully free VPNs rely on third-party advertisers for revenue , which means they could be logging your data and online activity to sell for profit.

Worse still, some shady free services are loaded with malware designed to steal your information, so you could experience identity theft or fraud. Using a completely free VPN poses a risk to your privacy and device security. Data logging and poor encryption mean you could be targeted by ads, attacked by malware, or even found liable for torrenting copyrighted content. During my research and testing, I found these 3 services that you should avoid at all costs:.

The free VPNs listed above have guaranteed security and privacy, so you can torrent anonymously. Note: None of the free VPNs on this list support port-forwarding.

This means that you cannot seed or upload torrents while connected to these VPNs, as this would assign you a port and make you easily identifiable — stopping you from torrenting anonymously. Not all free VPNs are ready to start torrenting anonymously as soon as you download them to your device.

Here are a few key settings and configurations you should use to ensure you get maximum security and anonymity while P2P file-sharing. A kill switch is a feature that blocks your access to the internet if the VPN server connection is lost or interrupted. Make sure your kill switch is turned on before connecting to the VPN and starting your downloads. A VPN connection drop is easy for the kill switch to manage, but other kinds of crashes might not activate the feature. Binding your torrent client to a P2P VPN server means you can only download files when connected to that specific server.

This setting limits your ability to download unless you are connected to the VPN — if the connection is interrupted, your downloads halt without interfering with any other apps or services running. Not all torrent clients offer this service, so check yours before you connect to see if it does.

Using a reputable antivirus program like Norton protects your devices from all kinds of malware , including the latest threats. This will automatically scan all downloads and block files that contain malware. While using apps like Kodi and Popcorn Time is legal, quite often the content available on those apps is not.

Live-streaming events or on-demand video content are usually copyright-controlled, so accessing this material without permission can be a prosecutable offense. This process leaves your IP address and other data exposed to hackers, your ISP, and potential civil or criminal liability. This is extremely risky as this could result in you being prosecuted for sharing copyrighted materials without realizing it. A service like ExpressVPN provides top-tier encryption and security that keeps your online activity anonymous , protecting you from exposing your data to hackers or your ISP.

A VPN is an essential tool for torrenting as it protects your data privacy and keeps your online activity anonymous. However, when you torrent a file, the peers can see data like your IP address and device information. This puts you at risk of identity theft. Torrenting without a VPN also gives copyright enforcers a way to track down users who download copyrighted content.

You could receive threatening settlement letters even if you accidentally torrent a file containing copyrighted materials. Some users have ended up in court and paid considerable fines after being caught by copyright enforcers. A VPN connection keeps your personal details anonymous in the event of an accidental download. All of the free VPNs on this list are suitable for safe, secure torrenting. The best completely free option is Hotspot Shield, with a 15GB monthly data allowance and solid download speeds.

However, this also comes with limitations that could impede your torrenting. For the best torrenting experience, I suggest trying a premium VPN. A service like ExpressVPN supports P2P file-sharing on every server for easy torrenting and has no server restrictions, data caps, or speed limits. The free VPNs listed in this article are safe for torrenting. Data leaks expose your IP address to third parties, like your ISP or hackers, putting your personal information at risk.

These leaks can include:. Most free VPNs also keep logs of your online activity as a way to generate revenue , selling user data to advertisers and other third parties.

This is a concern for users who want to torrent anonymously as this data could be used to identify them. You should also know that some free VPNs have been found to contain malware that activates when you download it to your device, putting your personal security at risk.

A service like ExpressVPN offers top-tier security and privacy on every server, so you can torrent anonymously without the worry of data leaks.

Plus, its zero-logs policy has been independently audited and verified — even when government agents seized an ExpressVPN server and found zero user data. No, not all VPNs allow torrenting. The free VPNs listed here allow torrenting , though they also come with some restrictions. These include data caps and speed limits, as well as only allowing server connections in a small number of locations.