It might be tempting to use a free VPN to download, but I don’t think it’s a good idea. If a free VPN does let you download, it’s usually because it lacks important security features and has slow speeds. I always tell people to use a top-paid VPN like ExpressVPN instead.
But if you want to use a free VPN, read this list first. I tried a lot of different free VPNs until I found a few that let me download on their free plans and also had good speeds and strong security.
In 2024, this is the best free VPN for torrenting.
Here’s the Best Free VPN for Torrenting
1. ExpressVPN
There are also advanced security features in ExpressVPN, such as computers that only use RAM, perfect forward secrecy, and the Lightway protocol. When you download, RAM is best because it keeps data off of the hard drive and deletes all of it every time the server starts up again. I also like how perfect forward secrecy changes your encryption key at random. This way, even if someone gets your current key, they can’t get to any previous or future keys. It also puts out openness reports that list the data requests the VPN gets and show that it doesn’t have any to share.
ExpressVPN has the fastest speeds in the business thanks to Lightway. Lightway is ExpressVPN’s protocol. It has very high security and very fast speeds; it even passed an independent security audit. That’s fast. I tested it and got a 6 GB file from a nearby server in less than 7 minutes. It still only took about 10 minutes when I tried to download the same file while connected to a computer far away.
I love how ExpressVPN has other cool tools that can help you get faster too. You can choose which apps go through the VPN connection, and I used its split-tunneling tool to keep all apps except my torrent client app from going through the VPN. You can connect to more peers with slightly faster speeds by using port forwarding, which is only available on ExpressVPN’s router app. There’s also an ad and malicious site blocker that stops ads on P2P sites and protects you from sketchy torrenting sites; none of the other free VPNs on this list have a feature that stops you from accessing sketchy sites.
Plans from ExpressVPN start at just INR560 per month for both monthly and yearly use. ExpressVPN has some of the best apps on the market, but its prices are higher than those of some other top VPNs. However, it often has deals that include free extra months.
Related: How to Download YouTube Videos Using YouTube Premium?
2. CyberGhost VPN
If you want to share safely and easily, CyberGhost VPN is a great choice. With more than 8,500 P2P servers in more than 85 countries, CyberGhost has a big network of P2P servers that make sure downloads are fast and servers don’t get too crowded. CyberGhost’s Smart Rules tool also lets you set up automatic VPN connections. For example, you can set up the VPN app to connect to a P2P server and open a P2P app when it starts up.
CyberGhost doesn’t have a free plan, but it does offer a free 24-hour trial that lets you use all of its tools without having to enter your credit card information. Also, all long-term plans come with a 45-day money-back promise, which gives you plenty of time to try out the service fully.
Related: How to Download Youtube Vanced? What Are Its Features?
3. Hide.me
The free plan at hide.me has apps that are easy for beginners to use, and you can share as many files as you want. Popular torrent apps like uTorrent and Deluge work with it, but it only has servers in 5 or 6 countries and only lets you connect once. It also doesn’t work with routers. ExpressVPN and CyberGhost VPN, on the other hand, have servers in at least 100 countries and let you connect 7 or 8 times.
I really like how the free plan comes with a lot of protection features. It has RAM-only servers, full leak protection, perfect forward secrecy, and RAM-only servers. I also really like that it has a kill switch that I can customize to turn off certain apps if the VPN connection drops. For example, I set it up so that my uTorrent app could only connect to the internet when I was connected to a hide.me server.