uTorrent is a brilliant tool for anyone looking to get into torrenting, but you should always use it with a VPN. In this guide, we look at why you need a VPN for uTorrent, and explain which providers work best with the torrenting client.
Legislation varies from country to country but many places, including the UK, prevent torrenting by getting internet service providers to block access to torrent sites. Added to this, not every VPN provider welcomes peer-to-peer traffic at all.
Rather than scanning through the sites of dozens of different VPNs to try to find the best one, we've done the legwork for you and found the best VPN providers to use with uTorrent.
What are the best uTorrent VPNs
You'll find our top five VPN picks for uTorrent below. Be sure to keep scrolling for more information on any of the providers, including our in-depth analysis.
- Private Internet Access - A true defender of digital privacy, the service is open-source, has proven its zero-logs claim in court, and offers a wide variety of security features – including port forwarding.
- ExpressVPN - A great VPN for uTorrent in 2024. With P2P-friendly servers in 94 countries, and lightning-fast speeds means your torrents will download in a flash.
- NordVPN - A superb all-rounder with all the tools you need to torrent securely – or browse the web without being tracked by your ISP.
- Surfshark - A cheap option for uTorrent. The service provides a Multi-hop feature, as well as stealth servers and an audited zero-logs policy, to ensure any torrenting is done securely.
- CyberGhost VPN - Uncluttered and intuitive apps make this service superb for uTorrent users. Plus, its simplified toolset of features (and security settings) can be leveraged by just about anyone.
Not all VPN services are suitable for torrenting. In order to use a VPN for torrenting it must have the following features:
- Fast servers
- Allows torrenting on their servers
- It shouldn't leak your IP address
- Kill switch
The best VPNs for uTorrent | In-depth Analysis
Our experts have put five of the best uTorrent VPNs to the test - and here you'll find our in-depth look at each provider. Take a look through the descriptions to see which VPN would be the best fit for you.
Private Internet Access is the best VPN for uTorrent, and users can even examine the open-source software for themselves, as well as adjust the many advanced security options. PIA Demo PIA allows torrenting on all its 3200+ servers in 48 countries. And uTorrent users will definitely appreciate the fact that this service is almost unique among VPN providers in having its no logs claims proven in court... twice! Users will also appreciate the fact that PIA offers a kill switch on all its custom VPN apps (Windows, Mac, Android, Linux, and iOS) and supports port forwarding through its NAT firewall, for improving download speeds. Sharp-eyed uTorrent users might have noticed that we mentioned Linux in the last sentence. That’s right! PIA offers a full GUI Linux app, complete with port-forwarding and a kill-switch. PIA also includes a SOCKS5 proxy that can offer "double-protection" for your uTorrent downloads, or, much like split-tunneling, can be used to protect only uTorrent. ExpressVPN is one of the quickest services on the market, and allows torrenting on all of its super-secure servers. ExpressVPN Demo ExpressVPN leads the way when it comes to a premium VPN service – it is famously secure and permits P2P on a wide network of servers across the globe. Currently, ExpressVPN has servers in 94 countries, giving you a lot of choice! The service is also ideal for P2P downloading on uTorrent thanks to some of the most consistent download speeds on the market. That means you will get good speeds for downloading no matter where you are. The VPN has a no-logs policy, and only ever keeps aggregated stats to keep the VPN running at maximum capacity. Obfuscated servers are available for avoiding bandwidth throttling caused by Deep Packet Inspection. Plus, the VPN has DNS leak protection and a kill switch to protect you from leaking data to your ISP. It's a great VPN with a no-quibbles 30-day money-back guarantee. NordVPN is the best feature-rich VPN for uTorrent, and a single subscription will bag users a variety of versatile privacy tools – like Double VPN and a kill-switch. Nord Demo Nord is an excellent VPN for uTorrent that permits P2P on a large range of P2P servers. It also has server locations in over 60 countries, so you will be able to spoof your location to just about anywhere on earth. For torrenting you need to be secure, and NordVPN is based in Panama, which is agreed to be strong for privacy. In addition, NordVPN has DNS leak protection and a kill switch to ensure you never leak data to your ISP. That means you can download without fear of consequences. For those that are paranoid, double-hop encryption is available, and if you want to combat bandwidth throttling it has obfuscated servers too (XOR). A great VPN for uTorrent that is affordable. You can try it risk-free using its 30-day money-back guarantee. Surfshark is best inexpensive VPN for uTorrent. You'll get a long list of features for a budget price, as well as unlimited simultaneous connections – which is real value for money. Surfshark Demo Surfshark is a speedy VPN service that offers a shed-load of features at a price that doesn't break the bank. uTorrented users will be particularly interested in split tunneling, which allows you to route only uTorrent connections through the VPN interface, and good system-level kill-switches on most platforms – not on iOS, but you can’t torrent (directly) on an iPhone, anyway! Additionally, Surfshark doesn't pull punches when it comes to security. The VPN is based in the British Virgin Islands and comes with a staunch no-logs policy that has been independently audited, and torrenters can make use of dedicated stealth servers, too. Other cool features include smart DNS, static IP addresses, DNS ad-blocking, MultiHop VPN, and unlimited simultaneous connections. Surfshark also provides knowledgeable and friendly live chat support 24/7/365, but don't just take our word for it, make sure to give it a go yourself with its 30-day money-back guarantee. CyberGhost is the best beginner-friendly VPN for uTorrent, with apps available for all platforms that install in just a few clicks, and are easy to navigate – even if you're new to the tech. CyberGhost Demo CyberGhost VPN is a Romania-based provider that has some of the strongest VPN encryption on the market. It is also strong when it comes to DNS leak protection and a kill-switch – perfect for downloading without concerns. The VPN has a zero-logs policy, which means you can be sure that your digital privacy will be preserved. When it comes to downloading via P2P connection speeds are important, and CyberGhost will give you super-fast download times on any of its 60+ server locations. It's a great all-round VPN service that will let you torrent securely from anywhere. 1. Private Internet Access
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Which is the fastest VPN to use with uTorrent?
A fast VPN is vital if you want to avoid frustratingly long download times. In order to shed some light on the sort of speeds you can expect when using our recommended VPNs, we run regular speed tests on them and display the results in the table below.
| Private Internet Access | ExpressVPN | NordVPN | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ProPrivacy.com SpeedTest (average) | 62.2 | 100 | 85.9 |
| Reliability | 8 | 9 | 8 |
| Performance | 8 | 10 | 9 |
| Speed | 254.93 | 100 | 568.0 |
Can I use a free VPN For uTorrent?
Generally speaking, it's not a good idea to use a free VPN for uTorrent. While free VPNs exist, they are usually restricted in one way or another. This is especially problematic for torrenting, as both a restricted speed and bandwidth will have a negative effect on your downloading.
What's more, free VPNs need to make money. The shadier services will do this by selling your data to third-party advertisers or even going as far as to infect your device with malware.
If you still want to try a free service, see our best free VPN page for a list of several recommendations.
How to set up a VPN for uTorrent
Most VPNs are incredibly easy to set up, even for inexperienced users, as they typically come with automatic installers. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to subscribe, install, and set up a uTorrent VPN:
- Choose your uTorrent VPN based on the attributes you deem necessary. Our pick for the best VPN for uTorrent is ExpressVPN, but CyberGhost VPN and Private Internet Access also pose reliable options.
- Sign up for the service of your choice.
- Download and run the automated installer. Most VPNs are compatible with all the major operating systems, so you shouldn't have any issues installing, but it never hurts to double-check to see if your device is compatible with the service you want to use. You can always contact customer support if you run into any issues with the installation.
- Run the application and follow the instructions you see on your screen. You may be able to choose different settings, but the entire process should be straightforward.
- Connect to a server in the area you desire. Servers that are closer to your physical location will provide faster performance than those located further away.
BitTorrent Vs. uTorrent
Rainberry, Inc. (formerly known as BitTorrent, Inc.) owns the uTorrent file sharing program. Basically, BitTorrent, Inc. is the company that holds the patent on the BitTorrent protocol. It dictates the procedures and message formats that uTorrent uses for communication. There is another file sharing app managed by the company, which is called BitTorrent. The BitTorrent protocol uses a networking configuration called "peer-to-peer”.
Peer-to-peer networking caused a minor revolution in internet technology. Skype uses a variation on this methodology of communication. Most internet connections involve a relationship called "client-server”. This simply means that your computer is the client, and it requests files from a central storage device, which is the server. Generally, this system works well. If the server is a privately-owned computer, however, outages can happen, because the owner can disconnect from the internet.
The BitTorrent protocol enables your uTorrent client to connect to many different computers all over the world and download a small slice of the file you seek over each of those connections. If a computer that your uTorrent client is copying from gets turned off before a slice is downloaded, the program just connects to a different source and starts copying that segment again. While your uTorrent is copying over slices of files from other computers, it is also dishing out file segments from your hard drive.
How does a VPN improve your privacy on uTorrent
The Peers tab in the bottom panel of uTorrent shows the IP addresses of all parties in a download. Here, your identity is exposed to anyone involved in a transfer if you use the program without the protection of a VPN.
Not all VPN services offer true "anonymity” for file sharers. That’s why it is important to find a VPN service that has no logs, and that has a stated commitment to protecting its users.
uTorrent VPN: Conclusion
Not all VPNs welcome peer-to-peer applications running over their networks. However, the services listed in this review are specifically geared towards use with uTorrent. Most of our top five picks offer free trials, money-back guarantees or short-term subscriptions. You'll be able to check out a few of the services on our list without a long, expensive commitment, and decide which is the right provider for you. Take another look at the top five VPNs for uTorrent in the table below.
If you’re looking for more information about the best VPN for torrents, take a look at our best VPN for torrents guide.
- Private Internet Access - A true defender of digital privacy, the service is open-source, has proven its zero-logs claim in court, and offers a wide variety of security features – including port forwarding.
- ExpressVPN - A great VPN for uTorrent in 2024. With P2P-friendly servers in 94 countries, and lightning-fast speeds means your torrents will download in a flash.
- NordVPN - A superb all-rounder with all the tools you need to torrent securely – or browse the web without being tracked by your ISP.
- Surfshark - A cheap option for uTorrent. The service provides a Multi-hop feature, as well as stealth servers and an audited zero-logs policy, to ensure any torrenting is done securely.
- CyberGhost VPN - Uncluttered and intuitive apps make this service superb for uTorrent users. Plus, its simplified toolset of features (and security settings) can be leveraged by just about anyone.