Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) have become increasingly popular over the years. VPNs provide an extra layer of security and privacy for internet users.
However, not all VPNs are created equal. Some VPNs are slow while others don’t provide sufficient leak protection to safeguard the identifying information of users. Others don’t allow for torrenting while some keep the logs of user activities.
If you are looking for the best free VPN for torrenting, we have created a list of our top three picks for 2020.
Windscribe
Windscribe is an excellent free VPN that also comes with a paid version. What makes this Canada-based VPN a good choice for users looking for the best VPN for torrenting is that it allows users to use it for torrent protection and deletes all connection logs three minutes after a user terminates their session.
While the paid version is excellent, the free version is also a good choice. You get access to servers in eleven countries, including the US and Canada. In addition, Windscribe doesn’t place any speed restriction on the free version. Instead, it has a 10GB data cap, which is a lot for a free VPN. The data allowance is reset every month on the same day that you signed up.
Users can use this VPN as a browser extension or an app. The browser extension is available Chrome, Opera, and Firefox. The app is available for macOS X, macOS, Windows, and Android. On iOS, you will have to connect to Windscribe through a third-party app while you can manually install it on Linux and routers.
Windscribe offers strong encryption by utilizing the RSA with a 4096-bit key for establishing sessions while the main data cipher uses AES with a 256-bit key.
Pro
- Can be used for torrent protection
- Connection logs are deleted three minutes after a session is terminated
- Access to servers in 11 different countries
Cons
- Records all data consumed by free each free account
- Has a data cap
CyberGhost
CyberGhost is another free VPN service that you can use for torrenting. However, it’s only available to use for free as browser extensions for Chrome and Firefox. This is because the browser extensions have been built on the blockchain and can be accessed in countries where other free VPNs aren’t available. CyberGhost has to do away with the free app version due to security concerns. While the paid version is an excellent choice, the free version is equally good as well and a one of the best VPN for torrenting free. However, the free version doesn’t protect your torrent uploads or downloads.
In addition, whenever users connect to a server, they’ll get ad pop-ups advertising the paid VPN while queueing. The queue frequently starts in the thousands. This means users have to wait before they are connected. Of course, this can be annoying should a user accidentally choose the wrong server. While speeds on this free version are reduced, it’s faster than the speeds of some paid-for VPNs available in the market. Unlike Windscribe, CyberGhost has no data limits but, video streaming and torrenting optimization options are not available on the free version.
Similar to Windscribe, users also get access to servers in eleven countries. While the free VPN can be only be utilized on one device, the restriction can’t be executed as you users don’t need to identify themselves.
Pros
- Faster speeds compared to some paid-for VPNs
- It doesn’t have a data cap and users enjoy the no logs policy
- There is no identification required in order for users to download or use the app
- Server accessibility from eleven different countries
Cons
- It’s not as good as the paid version
- Torrent uploads and downloads aren’t protected
- Lacks the tracker and ad-blocking feature as well as the data compression feature
Hide.me
Hide.me is the best torrent VPN for anyone that’s keen on torrenting without any restriction. The Malaysia-based VPN service operates under a no-logs policy thanks to the legal landscape in the country. That means that no user information – including IP addresses – are logged. The free service has a data cap of 2GB a month and users get speeds of at least 3 MBPS. Hide.me has apps for all the major platforms, including Android and iPhone. Users can also install it manually on Linux computers and routers.
While this free version supports P2P file sharing, it only gives you access to servers in three different countries and supports one connection per account. Security-conscious users may find the lack of OpenVPN or SoftEther support a bit disappointing. However, the service does support IKEv2 which has the AES encryption with a 256-bit key. It also supports PPTP, SSTP, L2TP, and IPSec.
Pros
- Has a no-log policy
- Allows users to torrent without any restrictions
- It has apps for all the major platforms such as iPhone and Android
- Supports IKEv2, PPTP, SSTP, L2TP, and IPSec
Cons
- Limited server connections
- Has a 2GB data cap per month
- Only one account can be connected
It’s important to note that torrenting copyrighted files is illegal and the Dark Web Journal doesn’t condone illegal activities. However, we do care about safety and privacy in the digital age.