Simon Migliano is a recognized world expert in VPNs. He's tested hundreds of VPN services and his research has featured on the BBC, The New York Times and more.
ExpressVPN is a great VPN for torrenting. Its fast P2P speeds across all VPN servers, and high encryption strength are ideal to download torrents safely. ExpressVPN is one of the best VPNs for file-sharing, although the lack of app-based port forwarding may put off seeders.
Torrenting without masking your IP address puts your internet privacy and security at risk.
Unless you use a VPN, anyone on the peer-to-peer (P2P) network can see your IP address and track your activity. You could face financial or legal penalties if you are caught downloading copyrighted material.
However, not all VPNs are suitable for torrenting. Some throttle P2P traffic speeds or even block it altogether. Others lack the security and privacy features needed to download torrents anonymously.
EXPERT ADVICE: ExpressVPN comes with a no-questions-asked 30-day money-back guarantee. Try ExpressVPN risk-free to enjoy fast and anonymous torrenting.
How to Torrent with ExpressVPN
To quickly see how to torrent safely with ExpressVPN, view our tutorial video below. If you need more assistance, scroll down and see our step-by-step instructions.
Demonstration video showing how to use ExpressVPN for torrenting.
Torrenting with ExpressVPN is very easy and requires no special skills.
You can connect to any of the service’s 3,000 servers and start downloading torrents securely from a client of your choice.
The most important thing to do is make sure your VPN is running before you start torrenting.
QUICK OVERVIEW: How to Use ExpressVPN to Torrent
Select a torrent client: We prefer qBittorrent, µTorrent, or BitTorrent.
Download and set up ExpressVPN: With our 49% discount, the cheapest price is $6.67 per month.
Turn on Network Lock & Leak Protection: You should also switch to the OpenVPN protocol.
Connect to a VPN server: ExpressVPN’s Smart Location feature chooses the most suitable one.
Confirm the VPN is working: Run a quick torrent IP leak test to make sure your identity is hidden.
1. Choose a torrent client
Your computer cannot use torrent files on its own. Before you can start torrenting, you need to choose a reliable client.
Other popular clients include µTorrent, BitTorrent, and Vuze. Be sure to download your chosen client from its official website, as other download websites could contain malware.
2. Open an ExpressVPN account
It’s crucial that you don’t start torrenting until your VPN is up and running.
Visit ExpressVPN.com, and click the ‘Get ExpressVPN’ button on the homepage.
Choose your preferred subscription plan, and enter a payment method. Once you’ve signed up, you’ll receive an activation code by email.
EXPERT ADVICE: There’s a way to use ExpressVPN for free for up to 30 days. Read our ExpressVPN free trial guide to find out how.
3. Set up ExpressVPN correctly
Open the ExpressVPN app and enter your activation code. Before connecting to a server, click on the hamburger menu in the app and select ‘Preferences’.
In the ‘Protocol’ tab, select either TCP or UDP. Then, look for the ‘Network Lock’ section in the ‘General’ tab and tick both check boxes.
Finally, in the ‘Advanced’ tab, make sure DNS and IPv6 leak protection are turned on. These settings should be enabled by default, but it’s always a good idea to double-check.
4. Choose a server to connect to
allows unrestricted torrenting on all its servers, but you still need to connect to a server before you start torrenting.
The app’s ‘Smart Location’ feature offers the easiest and most efficient way to connect. It selects the nearest fastest server based on your physical location and server load.
However, be aware that the further away the VPN server is from your physical location, the slower the connection speed.
5. Verify your IP address
As a final precaution, verify you’re properly connected to the VPN by checking your IP address is hidden.
Use our free torrent IP leak test tool to ensure you’re not leaking any IP or DNS information that may expose your identity.
If there are no IP leaks, you’re ready to start downloading torrents safely and securely.
EXPERT ADVICE: We highly recommend torrenting with ExpressVPN, which offers a hassle-free 30-day refund guarantee. Try ExpressVPN risk-free for 30 days.
Is ExpressVPN Good for Torrenting?
After reviewing ExpressVPN, we found that it’s one of the best VPNs for torrenting.
It doesn’t throttle download speeds and you can torrent using any server in the network.
The VPN is also very fast and has an impressive suite of security features, including OpenVPN and AES-256 encryption, built-in IP leak protection, and a reliable kill switch.
The main issue we found testing ExpressVPN for torrenting was that it doesn’t allow port forwarding on its computer (or mobile) apps. It’s only possible via the VPN’s router app.
Therefore, uploading (or ‘seeding’) files is extremely slow unless the VPN is running at router level.
PROS
CONS
P2P traffic supported on all servers
Excellent connection speeds
Verified zero-logs privacy policy
Kill switch included on most devices
Privacy-friendly jurisdiction
Industry-leading encryption
Simple setup & intuitive app design
Very limited port forwarding
ExpressVPN is fully compatible with BitTorrent clients.
Here’s an in-depth look at torrenting with ExpressVPN:
Does ExpressVPN allow torrenting?
ExpressVPNallows unrestricted torrenting and P2P file-sharing across all of its servers. You can connect to any server and download torrents without restrictions.
We’ve seen no indication the company is moving away from supporting torrenting, but we’ll update this page accordingly if anything changes.
ExpressVPN doesn’t offer any P2P-optimized servers, like a number of competitors do. But, ExpressVPN has over 3,000 servers in 94 countries, and server congestion has never been a problem for us.
EXPERT ADVICE:Connect to the VPN server nearest to your location to enjoy the fastest download speeds.
Are there data caps or bandwidth restrictions?
ExpressVPN doesn’t impose a monthly data limit or restrict your bandwidth in any way. In our tests, we enjoyed unlimited torrenting with no limits on speed.
Many VPN services, especially the free ones, restrict the amount of data you can use each month. This makes them unsuitable for torrenting since P2P traffic tends to require a lot of data usage.
Other VPNs will throttle their users’ speeds, particularly if they are engaging in bandwidth-heavy activity like P2P file-sharing. For the best torrenting experience, you need a VPN that offers unlimited bandwidth like ExpressVPN.
Be aware, though, that your ISP might start asking questions if you’re downloading hundreds of gigabytes per month.
How strong is ExpressVPN’s encryption?
ExpressVPN uses the leading VPN protocol OpenVPN, and the extremely secure AES-256 encryption cipher to protect your data. The US Department of Defense protects sensitive information with the same encryption technology, so you know you’re in safe hands. With 1077 possible combinations, it’s simply not feasible that this level of security can be broken.
Most torrent clients, such as BitTorrent and µTorrent, use their own encryption to protect user privacy and prevent throttling and blocking from ISPs. However, this doesn’t encrypt the actual files included in the torrent you’re downloading, which means a third party may be able to find out what you’re downloading.
That’s why ExpressVPN’s ultra-secure encryption is so great for torrenting. It will keep your activity completely hidden from onlookers so that you can torrent anonymously.
What additional security features does ExpressVPN offer?
As well as securely encrypting your data and hiding your IP address, ExpressVPN provides an impressive suite of additional security and privacy features.
Below is a selection of ExpressVPN’s most useful features for torrenting:
Kill Switch: ExpressVPN uses a kill switch, known as ‘Network Lock’, that automatically blocks all internet traffic if the VPN connection is lost. This is an essential tool for torrenting as it prevents your IP address from being leaked if there is an issue with the VPN.
VPN Split Tunneling: This feature lets you control which traffic you route through the VPN server and which you don’t. This is great for protecting your privacy when torrenting while still keeping access to local network devices open.
Leak Protection: If your VPN is leaking IP or DNS information, then it is useless for torrenting. ExpressVPN protects your privacy by keeping your DNS queries obscured even in situations where they might otherwise leak. This prevents eavesdroppers from seeing which websites you’re visiting.
You can control security options from ExpressVPN’s advanced settings menu.
One downside to using ExpressVPN for torrenting is that it provides very limited port forwarding. We discuss this in greater detail below.
Is ExpressVPN fast enough for torrenting?
You need fast connection speeds to download torrents effectively and ExpressVPN is one of the fastest VPN services we’ve tested.
All VPNs reduce speed to some degree, because data is encrypted and it has a longer round-trip to complete, being routed through a remote server.
However, with the right VPN service, the speed loss is mostly unnoticeable.
We found that ExpressVPN has an average speed reduction of only 11% when connecting to a local server.
In other words, if your standard internet connection speed is 100Mbps, you can expect a speed of 89Mbps when torrenting.
This makes ExpressVPN one of the fastest VPNs on the market. As you can see from our speed test tool, it’s consistently one of the best performing torrenting VPNs on local, same-country connections. In fact, ExpressVPN even outperforms PIA for torrenting speeds, which is usually one of the fastest VPNs available.
ExpressVPN has servers in 94 countries and territories, so you should always be able to find a nearby server that delivers fast torrent speeds.
Does ExpressVPN Support Port Forwarding?
The only major issue we found was that ExpressVPN does not support VPN port forwarding on its main apps. That means uploading, or ‘seeding’, torrent files is extremely slow.
ExpressVPN only allows port forwarding on its router app. Unless you already have an ExpressVPN router, this is a complicated and potentially expensive solution.
The main reason for torrenting with a VPN is to protect your privacy and anonymity from third parties such as ISPs and copyright trolls.
However, some VPN services track and log your activity themselves, which negates the reason for using them in the first place.
ExpressVPN makes it perfectly clear what information it does and does not log
Fortunately, ExpressVPN has a strict no-logging policy. It doesn’t retain any records of which websites you visit or which torrents you download. It also keeps your DNS queries safe with leak protection.
The only information ExpressVPN records is:
The date you connect to the VPN
The location of the server you connect to
The total amount of data that gets transferred in the session
None of this information is personally identifiable. It’s only collected to provide technical support and troubleshoot any issues across the network.
ExpressVPN’s zero-logs policy has even been independently verified by two separate third-party audits.
In 2018 and 2019, both PwC and Cure53 tested the VPN service and confirmed that its logging claims were trustworthy.
ExpressVPN is also based in the British Virgin Islands, which is known globally for being a privacy haven. It is far away from international surveillance operations such as the Five Eyes intelligence-sharing alliance and the country doesn’t enforce any data-retention laws. This means ExpressVPN isn’t legally required to retain an archive of its users’ information.
Why Do You Need a VPN for Torrenting?
Torrenting is far more secure with a VPN. It protects your personal identity and online activity from onlookers.
With a VPN you can download music, torrent movies and TV shows, and access free software safely and securely.
You can torrent without a VPN, but we don’t recommend it. Here’s why:
A VPN hides your identity while you torrent
Without a VPN, your IP address and online identity will be visible to everyone else in the torrent swarm. This may include your ISP, copyright trolls or the content owners themselves.
Connecting through a VPN hides your real IP address and replaces it with one belonging to the VPN server. It also encrypts your traffic so that snooping third-parties cannot see what you’re downloading.
A VPN helps you protect yourself against legal action
Many countries continue to ramp up their efforts to enforce torrenting and copyright laws. We don’t condone copyright violations, but it’s easy to slip up unintentionally, especially if you’re sharing your local network with family or roommates.
Using a VPN makes it much harder for authorities to track you down and take legal action against you should you make a mistake. Just be sure to use a good-quality service that uses strong encryption and won’t leak your information.
Using a VPN avoids connection throttling and site blocks
Some ISPs try to prevent torrenting entirely, despite it being a perfectly legal way to download and share files. They have been known to throttle connection speeds, block P2P websites, or work with copyright owners to issue DMCA notices.
Thankfully, ExpressVPN effectively encrypts your traffic so that ISPs are unable to see that you’re torrenting and so cannot take action. This also means you can access online streaming services and other sites which might normally be inaccessible or restricted in your country or region.
SUMMARY:
By encrypting your data and masking your IP address, a VPN hides your torrenting activity from ISPs, copyright trolls, and other torrenters in the swarm.
Bottom Line
With P2P file-sharing websites being monitored more closely than ever, we strongly recommend connecting to a dependable VPN service before you begin torrenting.
ExpressVPN is one of the best VPNs for torrenting we’ve tested. It’s safe, secure, fast, and very P2P-friendly.
The only significant drawback we found was that it doesn’t allow port forwarding, unless you’re using ExpressVPN’s router app.
Torrenting is not illegal. It’s a popular and legitimate way to share files, especially very large ones. However, downloading copyrighted material is illegal and penalties can be severe.
We don’t recommend using a free VPN for torrenting. They almost always lack sufficient privacy and security measures. They also tend to enforce data caps and/or bandwidth restrictions, making them entirely unsuitable for downloading large files.
Some even prevent P2P activities like torrenting altogether.
For occasional torrenting, we’ve found just a handful of trustworthy free VPNs. Our top pick is Windscribe Free. You can read more about it in our guide to the best free VPNs for torrenting.
Which devices and operating systems support ExpressVPN?
ExpressVPN runs on Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, and Android. It even has apps designed for use directly on the router, which can be used to protect your entire home network.
ExpressVPN also supports other devices, such as smart TVs and games consoles. Finally, there are browser extensions available for Chrome and Firefox, but we don’t recommend using these for P2P traffic unless you’re using a browser-based torrent client.
