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How to Torrent with Private Internet Access
Overview
Private Internet Access (PIA) is a superb VPN for torrenting, delivering much faster P2P speeds than most other VPNs I tested. To torrent safely with PIA, use WireGuard, connect to a nearby server, bind the VPN to qBittorrent, and download your torrent file as usual. The VPN will automatically mask your IP address from the torrent swarm and protect your data from leaks.
Without a virtual private network (VPN), anyone in your torrent swarm can see your public IP address and trace it to your location, exposing your identity and torrenting activity to copyright trolls, copyright holders, and your internet service provider (ISP).
In short, VPNs are essential for torrenting safely, but they vary wildly in security, support, and performance.
Some log your traffic or leak your data, while others just slow you down. Of the 59 VPNs I tested, 34% reduced my average bitrate by at least 50%.
Private Internet Access is a popular VPN known for its transparent, P2P-friendly service.
Despite its reputation, some users question its ownership and compatibility with torrent clients like uTorrent and Deluge. I address both below. Neither holds up.
PIA VPN’s Torrenting Performance: At a Glance
| Torrenting Attribute | Result |
|---|---|
| Average Download Bitrate | 9.6MiB/s (4% loss) |
| Countries with P2P Servers | 91 |
| Port Forwarding | Yes |
| Logging Policy | No Logs |
| Kill Switch | Yes |
| Jurisdiction | US (Five Eyes Member) |
We’re fully independent and have been reviewing VPNs since 2016. Our ratings are based on our own testing results and are unaffected by financial incentives. Learn who we are and how we test VPNs.
| VPNs Tested | 59 |
| Total Hours of Testing | 30,000+ |
| Combined Years of Experience | 50+ |
How to Torrent Safely with Private Internet Access
Torrenting with PIA requires more steps than simply connecting to a VPN server. If you don’t configure the VPN correctly, you risk leaking your IP address and torrenting activity.
Quick Guide: How To Use PIA for Torrenting
- Download a safe torrent client. I recommend qBittorrent.
- Subscribe to PIA and download the VPN app: If you end up having second thoughts, PIA offers a 30-day money-back guarantee.
- Configure the PIA app for optimum security: Select WireGuard and enable the advanced kill switch and the malware blocker (PIA MACE).
- Set up port forwarding in your PIA app and torrent client.
- Bind PIA to your torrent client.
- Check for IP and DNS leaks.
Here’s a video demonstrating how to set up PIA for torrenting:
For detailed written instructions, go through each step below:
1. Download a Safe Torrent Client
I advise installing qBittorrent as it’s safe, open-source, and doesn’t include ads or bloatware. Unlike some other torrent clients, it also allows network binding for added security.
Despite what you may have read, PIA also worked with Deluge, uTorrent, and Vuze in my testing. Regardless of your choice, make sure you install the client from its official website.
2. Choose a PIA Subscription Plan
Choose your preferred PIA subscription plan. At its cheapest, the service costs $2.19/mo over 26 months. All plans come with a 30-day money-back guarantee, too.
For near-total anonymity, I recommend paying for your subscription using a cryptocurrency or a gift card purchased with cash. These payment methods make it much harder to link your PIA account to you.
3. Download & Install the PIA App
PIA offers native apps for all operating systems and devices that support torrenting, including Windows, macOS, Linux, and Android. Download and install the app for your device, then enter your activation key.
4. Turn On the Optional Security Features
Open the Settings menu by clicking on the three vertical dots in the top-right corner of the app.
In the Protocols section, make sure the toggle is set to WireGuard.
In the Privacy menu, check Advanced Kill Switch and PIA MACE.
The kill switch ensures that none of your torrenting activity leaks should your VPN connection fail, while PIA MACE blocks malware commonly found on torrent sites.
5. Turn on Port Forwarding (Optional)
PIA is one of the few VPNs to support port forwarding, which can dramatically improve performance, especially when uploading or “seeding” torrents.
I find it particularly useful for rare or inactive torrents that have very few available peers.
It doesn’t work with the VPN’s US-based servers, so you’ll need to connect to a server in another country if you have it enabled.
How to port forward with PIA for torrenting:
- Enable port forwarding in the PIA app: Go to Settings > Network, and check Request Port Forwarding.
- Connect to a non-US server and copy your port number.
- Open qBittorrent and go to Tools > Options… > Connection.
- Uncheck Use UPnP / NAT-PMP port forwarding from my router.
- In Port used for incoming connections, enter the port number from Step 2.
6. Bind PIA to Your Torrent Client
You can bind Private Internet Access to your torrent client, so that files only download when you’re connected to the VPN.
In effect, this functions similarly to a kill switch. If the connection to the VPN drops, or you disconnect by mistake, your download will stop and your real IP address will remain hidden.
I’ve explained the setup process for Windows in the box immediately below. Mac users have a more complicated process, which I’ve covered further down.
Here’s how to bind PIA to your torrenting client on PC:
- Connect to a PIA server.
- Launch qBittorrent. Click the settings cog icon in the top right.
- Select Advanced from the left-hand sidebar. Click the drop-down list next to Network Interface and choose PIA.
- Click Apply, then OK.
- qBittorrent is now bound to the IP address of the PIA server.
Mac labels VPN network interfaces as utun followed by a number (e.g., utun4), which complicates setup.
To locate PIA, check the Network Interface drop-down before connecting to the VPN, then connect and click the new utun entry that appears.
macOS assigns these numbers dynamically, meaning a VPN reconnect or device restart can change your utun number. Due to this, I recommend repeating the binding process every time you torrent on Mac.
7. Test Your Connection for Leaks
Before you finally start torrenting, use the torrent IP leak test tool to ensure everything is set up correctly.
The tool checks you’re not accidentally leaking any IP or DNS information through the encrypted VPN tunnel.
If the tool doesn’t record any leaks, you’re ready to download torrent files as normal.
Is PIA VPN Good for Torrenting?
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Supports torrenting on all 18,651 servers | Based in the US (Five Eyes jurisdiction) |
| Court-proven no-logs policy & diskless servers | Port forwarding unavailable on US servers |
| Fast torrent speeds (4% loss) | Port number updates randomly |
| AES-256 & ChaCha20 encryption | No advanced kill switch on mobile |
| Advanced kill switch & IPv4/IPv6 leak protection | |
| Supports port forwarding | |
| Effective malware blocker (PIA MACE) |
After years of testing and daily use, Private Internet Access remains my best VPN for torrenting.
PIA easily passed all of my torrenting security and performance tests. It has a zero-logs policy, AES-256 encryption, leak prevention, and a kill switch.
Using PIA VPN to torrent on my Windows machine.
In the following section, I’ll explain PIA’s torrenting strengths and weaknesses in detail.
High Level of Privacy
PIA is based in the United States, where torrenting copyrighted material is illegal. It’s also one of the worst possible jurisdictions for a VPN.
For torrenters, this means that state authorities can compel PIA to disclose user activity information if requested by copyright owners or copyright trolls.
However, PIA’s excellent no-logs privacy policy ensures that any such requests will be fruitless. Even if authorities demanded user data, PIA would have nothing to provide, as proven in real court cases.
That’s why an audited and verified no-logs policy is a key requirement for a P2P VPN.
Here are some of the real-world cases which prove that you can trust PIA:
- In 2016, the FBI subpoenaed PIA to provide data belonging to a user suspected of making terrorist threats. However, since the company doesn’t collect any user logs, it had no data to provide.
- The same year, Russian authorities seized PIA’s servers but couldn’t find any user activity data or personally identifiable information. PIA responded by removing all its servers located in Russia.
Owned by Kape Technologies
In November 2019, Private Internet Access was acquired by Kape Technologies in a move that garnered some controversy.
The bulk of this controversy surrounded the company’s past activities when it was known as Crossrider.
Crossrider was the target of serious backlash after it was found bundling a PUP (potentially unwanted program) with other software. Once installed, this PUP would serve unwanted advertisements via users’ web browsers.
Crossrider shut its ad platforms in 2016, and re-branded to Kape Technologies in 2018. Since then, it has focused solely on promoting privacy and security software globally.
The company now operates three trustworthy VPN services: ExpressVPN, CyberGhost, and PIA.
PIA still upholds its industry-leading standards of privacy and security, including its no-logs policy and open-source software. There is no evidence to suggest its ownership poses any threat to user privacy.
Fast Torrenting Speeds
When I measure torrenting speeds, I calculate the average download bitrate.
While bitrate is affected by many factors, the most important ones are the number of peers you’re connected to and their upload speeds. However, the VPN service you choose can also have an impact on performance.
PIA supports P2P traffic on all its servers, and my tests show that it’s one of the fastest VPNs for torrenting.
My download bitrate dropped from 10.0MiB/s to only 9.6MiB/s when connected to a PIA server. In practice, it felt like I was downloading without a VPN connected.
Port Forwarding Specifically for P2P
Port forwarding increases the number of peers you can connect to in a torrent swarm. This potentially improves your torrenting bitrate when both downloading and uploading files.
You can easily enable port forwarding in PIA’s Windows app.
PIA is one of the few VPN services to offer port forwarding. The feature is available on its Windows, macOS, Linux, and Android apps.
Port forwarding is especially important if you want to seed torrents as quickly as possible. Seeding without properly forwarded ports is a lot slower.
As covered earlier, port forwarding isn’t available when you’re connected to servers in the US.
If you live in the US then you’ll need to make a choice between port forwarding and connecting to a nearby server, as both will affect your upload speeds.
Robust Privacy & Security Features
PIA VPN encrypts P2P traffic using either ChaCha20 (WireGuard) or AES-256 (OpenVPN), hiding your activity from ISPs and torrent swarms.
While both configurations are secure, I find WireGuard delivers a significantly faster download bitrate.
The VPN encrypted my P2P traffic, with Wireshark only displaying incoherent symbols.
I tested PIA’s built-in leak protection and found zero leaks on desktop or mobile. I’m thankful PIA actually makes the effort to block IPv6 leaks, while so many other VPNs simply ignore them.
I also stress-tested PIA’s advanced kill switch with an in-house tool. It successfully blocked my connection in every instance, ensuring my IP stayed private.
Finally, PIA MACE outperformed every other VPN ad blocker for filtering malicious links and intrusive ads on torrent sites.
How Does PIA Compare to Other Torrenting VPNs?
While PIA is my top pick for torrenting out of the 59 VPNs I review, the second and third-place options offer their own distinct pros and cons.
Here’s how PIA compares to other leading VPNs for torrenting:
1. Proton VPN: Lots of P2P Locations
Ranked #1 out of 47 VPN services
There’s not much between PIA and Proton VPN. PIA is faster, has a better malware blocker, and uses diskless servers, whereas Proton VPN has more user-friendly port forwarding and covers more countries.
The key difference comes down to how long you want to use the VPN for, since PIA is significantly cheaper on long-term plans ($2.19/mo vs $2.99/mo), whereas Proton VPN is more affordable month-to-month ($9.99 vs $11.95).
I didn’t have any issues with Proton VPN while torrenting.
Global P2P Server Coverage
Proton VPN permits torrenting in more countries than nearly every other VPN, including 54 more than PIA.
It also supports port forwarding in every one of those locations, including the US. If you need to torrent in the US, then Proton VPN is a better choice than PIA.
Three server locations don’t allow P2P activity: Cyprus, North Macedonia, and Myanmar. When I tried to torrent in Cyprus, my traffic was automatically redirected to a server in a supported country.
Select the “P2P” tab to view compatible servers on the Windows and Android apps. On macOS and Linux, look for servers marked with the P2P symbol (⇆).
The in-app indicators made it easy to spot servers that support P2P.
Best Port Forwarding I’ve Used
You can port forward with Proton VPN, which, in theory, improves your download bitrate.
It’s easy to start using, just activate it in-app and then add your port number to your torrent client.
I prefer it to PIA’s port forwarding, as Proton VPN actually notifies you when your port number changes. This meant I was never caught out and my download speed remained unaffected.
As mentioned earlier, you can also port forward on Proton VPN’s US servers. That’s a massive plus for me over PIA.
Proven No-logs VPN
Proton VPN is a court-proven no-logs VPN just like PIA, meaning it doesn’t log any of your activity data.
Unlike PIA, Proton VPN does accept cash payments, which makes it substantially harder to establish a paper trail between your real-life identity and VPN account.
Another advantage is its Swiss jurisdiction, exempting Proton VPN from the mandatory data collection laws that PIA’s US jurisdiction suffers from.
Proton VPN doesn’t include a diskless server network, so your data is saved to a physical disk. However, Proton VPN claims its full-disk encryption is just as secure and real-world server seizures prove it.
2. ExpressVPN: User-Friendly VPN for Torrenting
You should use ExpressVPN if you’re new to torrenting, or VPNs generally. To start torrenting, just click the central power button and the VPN does the rest.
With a 2% speed loss on average, it’s one of the few VPNs that’s faster than PIA. All of this adds up to a smooth user experience, from start to finish.
While easy-to-use, ExpressVPN doesn’t include port forwarding, its apps aren’t open-source, and its malware blocker isn’t as effective as PIA MACE.
ExpressVPN’s file-sharing speeds are among the best.
Seamless User Experience While Torrenting
ExpressVPN requires minimal setup to start torrenting: all of its servers are P2P-optimized, its Lightway protocol automatically switches between encryption ciphers based on your network, and its kill switch is enabled by default.
It took me just 30 seconds to start torrenting with ExpressVPN, meaning I could “set-and-forget” the VPN while my file downloaded.
The drawback to this streamlined approach is the lack of port forwarding. While this doesn’t impact file-sharing speeds in my experience, it does make downloading rare torrents much harder.
If you need to download a torrent that’s inactive or rarely shared, then PIA or Proton VPN are the better options.
Not as Advanced as PIA
ExpressVPN tunnels your P2P traffic using Lightway and switches between AES-256 and ChaCha20 depending on your network.
I used a data packet analyzer (Wireshark) to inspect my VPN traffic and detected zero data leaks.
ExpressVPN replaced unencrypted plaintext with ciphertext.
For added protection, the VPN uses built-in leak protection and self-managed DNS servers to substantially reduce the risk of data leaks.
Though undoubtedly secure, ExpressVPN can’t match PIA’s security features. Notably, PIA’s apps are open-source so that anyone can inspect them for vulnerabilities.
Should I Use PIA's SOCKS5 Proxy?
No, you should not use PIA’s SOCKS5 proxy for torrenting since it won’t encrypt your activity.
While SOCKS5 is often recommended by other sites as a way to get faster torrenting speeds, it’s still just like any other proxy. That means it’ll hide your IP address, but it won’t encrypt your connection.
As such, your ISP will be able to detect and monitor the files you’re torrenting.
When OpenVPN was the go-to protocol used in VPN software, it may have been worthwhile using SOCKS5 for increased torrenting speeds. Now that the faster WireGuard protocol (and ExpressVPN’s Lightway) have taken over the mantle, that benefit is no longer there.
