Best free VPNs for torrenting in 2023

The VPN market is filled with free services claiming they’re good for torrenting, however, not all of them are safe. Only the best free VPNs for torrenting can ensure top-notch security and online anonymity.

But free VPNs come with limitations – data caps won’t let you torrent much and slow servers will leave you waiting much longer. That’s why we’d rather suggest trying out premium services, such as NordVPN, using a 30-long money-back guarantee. They provide you with P2P optimized servers and blazing-fast speeds, which free services lack.

Best free torrenting VPNs alternative

Looking for a VPN that works for torrenting, offers lightning-fast speeds, and ensures complete privacy? Try NordVPN using a 30-day money-back guarantee with no data or speed limits.

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• Excellent connection speed
• Features for torrenting
• 30-day money-back guarantee

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Yet, if you’re searching for truly free VPNs for torrenting, continue reading to find the best ones in terms of torrenting capabilities, security, and speeds.

Top 5 best free VPNs for torrenting:

1. NordVPN – best free torrenting VPN overall
2. Surfshark – free torrenting VPN for multiple devices
3. Norton VPN – relatively fast free VPN for torrenting
4. ExpressVPN – feature-rich and secure VPN torrenting
5. Proton VPN – secure VPN with no data caps

Is it safe to use a free VPN to download torrents?

Whether it is safe to use a free VPN for torrenting depends on the VPN service you use. Some untrustworthy providers give you a free VPN and sell your data in return. Some of them may even be malware in disguise.

That’s why it’s better to opt for the so-called freemium VPNs. They’re free introductory products of premium VPN providers, which means they use the same infrastructure and have strict no-logging policies. That’s how you know they’re reliable. Such free VPNs will provide you with basic security and online anonymity, yet they aren’t the best options as they come with limitations, such as data caps and only a select number of servers.

However, the best option is getting a premium service. They offer unlimited bandwidth which means unlimited torrenting. Plus, they usually have torrenting-optimized servers and ensure great download speeds. And thanks to their 30-day money-back guarantees, you can basically try the VPNs out for free.

Best free VPNs for torrenting – our detailed list

The best free VPNs for torrenting should guarantee solid P2P sharing, good speeds, and at least some kind of security from your Internet Service provider’s (ISP) eyes. To make things easier, we ranked the top VPNs that you can torrent with and enjoy for free:

1. NordVPN – best free VPN for torrenting overall

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NordVPN is one of the best free VPNs for torrenting for many reasons. One of the most important ones is the P2P optimized servers, which ensure a smooth torrenting experience.

Thanks to NordVPN’s proprietary tunneling protocol NordLynx, the speeds of this VPN are blazing-fast. And these are not empty words – we tested the service out, and it retained over 90% of the original speed. It took 2 minutes and 24 seconds to download a file.

Considering that NordVPN has 5,900+ servers in 60 countries, you’ll always be able to find the best-performing ones.

NordLynx is not the only tunneling protocol that this VPN provides – you can also use OpenVPN (UDP and TCP). And in terms of data security, you get industry-standard AES 256-bit and ChaCha20 (with Nordlynx) encryption. Even if your VPN fails to connect, a kill switch will prevent your data from reaching third parties.

It’s also worth noting that NordVPN has an audited no-logs policy, so everything you do online is for your eyes only.

NordVPN doesn’t have a completely free version, but they do offer a 30-day money-back guarantee. Technically, you can use it as a free trial – just cancel the subscription before the month ends. Even if you don’t, all you’ll have to pay is $2.99/month, which is a wallet-friendly option.

To find out more about its features, visit our NordVPN review.

2. Surfshark – free P2P VPN with unlimited simultaneous connections

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Surfshark is another great free VPN for torrenting on all of your devices. All of its servers are P2P optimized, meaning you can connect to any of the 3,200+ servers in 100 countries and receive excellent torrenting performance.

Surfshark supports the WireGuard protocol and is known for its extra fast speeds. During our test, Surfshark retained 86% of the baseline speed, and the file took only 1 minute and 55 seconds to download.

Aside from WireGuard, you also get the OpenVPN (UDP and TCP) and IKEv2 protocols. And just like with NordVPN, you get excellent data security with the AES-256 and ChaCha20 (with WireGuard) encryption and a reliable kill switch.

Not to mention that Surfshark’s no-log policy has been audited, proving that collecting your data is not in the company’s interest.

While Surfshark doesn’t have an unlimited free version, there’s a 30-day money-back guarantee available. Considering you get to try out a premium VPN with unlimited bandwidth and no data caps for free, this is a great option. And even if you decide to stick with the plan, all you’ll have to pay is $1.99/month.

To get a better understanding, read our comprehensive Surfshark VPN review or compare it with the top choice in our Surfshark vs NordVPN analysis.

3. Norton – secure and affordable P2P VPN option

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Norton VPN is another good option if you’re looking for a torrenting VPN with added security. What makes it good for torrenting are the special P2P optimized servers.

In terms of speed, Norton VPN might not be as fast as NordVPN or Surfshark, but it retains 74% of the initial baseline speed. This is enough for a quite acceptable torrenting experience, although you would need to wait a little longer than with other top providers.

Norton VPN uses the OpenVPN protocol for Windows and Android, and the L2TP/IPSec protocol for Mac and iOS. While these protocols aren’t WireGuard, they do a pretty good job of keeping your connection stable and secure. This provider also uses the industry-standard AES-256 encryption. There’s also a reliable kill switch, an auto-connection feature, and an ad blocker.

Norton VPN has a no-logs policy. The only information it logs is subscriber data for communication purposes, your device data, and bandwidth usage.

You can try Norton VPN for free with the 7-day free trial. After that, you can also use the 14-day money-back guarantee for monthly, and the 60-day money-back guarantee for yearly plans.

For more information, read our Norton Secure VPN review.

4. ExpressVPN – secure and versatile solution for torrenting

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ExpressVPN is another torrent-friendly VPN that combines efficient security with great performance. It delivers excellent speed and global P2P file sharing on all servers, as well as 8 simultaneous connections.

ExpressVPN pumped up its speed by creating a proprietary Lightway tunneling protocol. It is designed to use cryptographic libraries, and as a result, it’s fast, easy to maintain, and uses less battery.

Apart from speed, ExpressVPN has excellent security features. The provider comes with industry-standard AES-256 encryption. Additionally, it’s paired with a kill switch, IP & DNS leak protection, and ChaCha20 encryption (with Lightway), making it impossible for anyone to track you down. By the way, ExpressVPN keeps you safe with Threat Manager. This feature blocks all tracking as well as such malicious activity as malware.

Furthermore, ExpressVPN is based in the British Virgin Islands, which lacks data retention laws. This means that the provider can guarantee completely anonymous torrenting. The promise is well-kept according to an independently audited no-logs policy. On top of that, the provider uses RAM-only servers that wipe out data every time you stop using it.

Although ExpressVPN does not have an entirely free version, it does provide a 30-day money-back guarantee. So, you’ll be able to use the service free of charge for a month. If you end up liking the benefits and performance, you can get a full subscription for $6.67/month.

Need more insights? Check out our detailed Express VPN review or see how ExpressVPN fares against #1 in our NordVPN vs ExpressVPN comparison.

5. Proton VPN – free VPN with no data caps

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Proton VPN has a great free version for torrenting that doesn’t have data caps. Although there are no P2P optimized servers, we managed to download the needed files.

With Proton VPN, you get the WireGuard protocol, ensuring solid speeds even on the free version. However, with download speeds reaching around 17MB/s. The file took 3 minutes and 35 seconds to download as well.

The free version gives you around 147 servers in 3 countries, which is quite generous for a free VPN. Plus, you get a kill switch, guaranteeing accidental data leak protection in case your VPN connection drops dead.

As for their no-logs policy, they promise not to collect information about your online activities. However, when signing up, you are asked to confirm you’re human by adding another email address, SMS, or a donation. That being said, the policy is audited, so you’re guaranteed anonymous torrenting.

To find out more about its features, visit our Proton VPN review.

6. Hotspot Shield VPN – free VPN for torrenting with lots of servers

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Hotspot Shield VPN is suitable for those who want to torrent securely and for free. Like with most free VPN services, there aren’t any P2P optimized servers. But don’t be discouraged – torrenting still works.

First off, this free torrenting VPN offers Hydra and IKEv2 tunneling protocols. In terms of speeds, they aren’t the best. During our testing, the VPN retained only around 30% of the original baseline. Meanwhile, the paid version supports WireGuard, so you should expect much better speeds.

But the free version of Hotspot Shield VPN has its own strengths – for instance, it doesn’t even have a data cap.

And while the provider gives free users only 1 server location in the US, you also get quite a few protection measures. This includes a reliable kill switch and IP leak protection, ensuring your torrenting experience is anonymous.

As for their no-logging policy, there’s one concern. The company does reserve the right to show your approximate protection with the free version. That’s why if you value your privacy, you should rather opt for the premium plan.

To find out more about its features, visit our Hotspot Shield VPN review.

How we tested these free torrenting VPNs

Our experienced research team tested dozens of reliable freemium VPN providers. The main criteria we looked at were security, speeds, and torrenting support. Here’s how we tested these free VPNs for torrenting:

• P2P support. While most free torrenting VPNs don’t have P2P optimized servers, we checked which ones still support torrenting.
• Security. A reliable kill switch and strong encryption, such as AES-256, are the most important thing a VPN should have, even if it’s free.
• Data cap. Free VPNs are rarely unlimited, so we made sure to provide you with VPNs that offer little to no data caps.
• Speeds. Even if security should be the top priority, no one wants to compromise speeds because of it. And with the VPNs we ranked, we made sure you get the fastest tunneling protocols, such as WireGuard.
• Servers. While free VPNs are usually limited in servers, we tried to choose those that offer at least a few server locations. Since such VPNs are free, the servers can be overcrowded, resulting in huge speed reductions. That’s why the more servers the better the speeds.

Free torrenting VPNs compared

	NordVPN	Surfshark	Norton VPN	Proton VPN	Hotspot Shield VPN
Brand
Data cap	No	No	No	No	No
P2P support	P2P-optimized servers	P2P-optimized servers	Yes	Yes	Yes
uTorrent	Works	Works	Works	Works	Works
Download speed (33MB/s baseline)	~23MB/s	~22MB/s	~14MB/s	~2MB/s	~17MB/s
Kill switch	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Sign up	Required	Required	Required	Required	Not required
Simultaneous connections	6	Unlimited	10	10 (1 with free plan)	Up to 5 (1 with free plan)
Free servers	5,900+ servers in 60 countries	3,200+ servers in 100 countries	1,000+ servers in 29 countries	147 servers in 3 locations	1 server location
Review	NordVPN review	Surfshark VPN review	Norton Secure VPN review	Proton VPN review	Hotspot Shield VPN review

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How do I set up a free torrenting VPN on my PC?

Setting up a torrenting VPN on your device is already easy, but setting up a free one is even easier. All you have to do is:

1. Head to the provider’s official website. We recommend NordVPN.
2. Find the button to download and click on it.
3. Follow the installation instructions and click finish.
4. Launch the app, click connect, and enjoy a free torrenting experience!

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Why free VPNs might be dangerous

Free VPNs can be dangerous to use because, well… they’re free. This means the providers of such services don’t really make any profit and need to find other ways to ensure a money flow. So, here’s why free VPNs might be dangerous:

• They can sell your data. As the saying goes, if you’re not paying for the product, you are the product. Such VPN providers may sell the personal data you provide while you get their free service in return.
• It can be malware in disguise. You may hop on an untrustworthy VPN service that’s actually a cyber threat waiting to infect your device. This defeats the purpose of a VPN in the first place.
• The software can be outdated. Since free VPN providers don't make a profit, they don’t have money for keeping the app updated. Plus, they often use outdated tunneling protocols, meaning they can’t ensure complete safety.

If you still want to use a free P2P VPN, we’d suggest opting for freemium ones instead. These are free VPNs offered by premium VPN providers as introductory services. So, the only thing you’re risking with them is running out of monthly data, as they’re quite limited.

Free torrenting VPNs to avoid

Free torrenting VPNs can be dangerous if not chosen wisely. Some of them are cyberthreat goldmines and some make money off your personal information. Here are a few examples of free VPNs that you should avoid:

• Betternet VPN – it’s a service acquired by the Aura group, and to put it simply – the privacy of users is not their main concern. They log various personal data, including account, billing, identity verification, usage, and device information. Plus, they collect the approximate location of users.
• Hola VPN – this VPN has some stains in terms of reputation. Devices of users that had premium VPN services would be used as a botnet without them being aware. This means computers would be connected and could’ve been used to perform DDoS attacks and open doors for cybercriminals.
• Thunder VPN – it’s an Android VPN that may collect various information, including your Internet service provider (ISP), operating system (OS) version, device model, language of the device, app version. They also collect connection timestamps and total amount of data transferred per day.

The biggest issue with such VPNs is the lack of privacy, which defeats the whole purpose of a VPN. You should rather opt for no-log VPNs that ensure none of your information is visible to anyone.

Free torrenting VPN: conclusion

Getting a VPN for torrenting, even if it’s a free one, is crucial for the sake of security and privacy. There are various restrictions surrounding this online activity, and a VPN can help bypass all regulations while keeping you anonymous.

While most free torrenting VPNs are quite limited, it’s important that they support torrenting and deliver decent speeds. Aside from that, security is another crucial factor you should take into consideration, including the encryption used and whether a strict no-logs policy is available.

That’s why you should always choose time-tested and reliable VPN services. If you’re good with trying out a premium service with a month-long money-back guarantee, NordVPN is the best option available overall. It has everything you need for torrenting – optimized P2P servers, market-leading download speeds, an audited privacy policy, and first-class security.

But if limitations don't bother you, and you still want a truly free P2P VPN, our top recommendation is ProtonVPN. It has a reliable kill switch and a no-logs policy in place. In our experience, the download speeds of this VPN were around ~2MB/s (baseline – 33MB/s), which is great for a free VPN.

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