5 Best Free VPN for Torrenting in 2025 — My top picks

I really don’t recommend using free torrenting VPNs. For starters, most free providers don’t even allow P2P traffic on their servers. And out of the ones that support torrenting, many are not good picks because they lack essential security features, log your data, have slow speeds, and come with buggy apps. 

It’s much better to just use paid VPN providers. Most top VPNs have very good torrenting support, and also provide high-end security and privacy, and maintain very fast download speeds. 

But if you insist on using free torrenting VPNs, I’ve got you covered. I’ve been regularly using VPNs over the past 10+ years, and I have also tested a ton of free VPN services too. I ranked the best free torrenting VPNs in this article (and also addressed other topics, like how to pick the best free VPN for torrenting, for example). 

🥇 1. Private Internet Access — Best Overall VPN Service for Torrenting in 2025 Private Internet Access

Private Internet Access (PIA) isn’t free, but it’s still the #1 P2P VPN on the market. The provider has very good torrenting support, it provides high-end privacy and security features, and it has very fast torrenting speeds. 

Plus, PIA has a no-questions-asked 30-day money-back guarantee. Essentially, you don’t need to meet any requirements to be eligible for a refund, which pretty much means you can test the VPN while downloading torrents risk-free for 30 days. 

I can safely say that PIA has the best torrenting support out there. It allows P2P downloads across all of its servers, which are located in 90+ countries. In addition, the VPN also supports port forwarding, which lets you connect to more peers to get faster downloads. And it also has SOCKS5 proxy servers — they hide your IP while torrenting, but don’t provide encryption (this way, you get much faster speeds than with a VPN connection). 

Also, this VPN service provides excellent privacy for torrenting. It comes with a strict no-logs policy that has been independently audited — on top of that, it has also been proven true in several court documents. And all of the provider’s apps are open-source, which means anyone can inspect the code for security issues.

Plus, PIA is very secure too — it has advanced features, including full leak protection, RAM-only servers (every server reset wipes all data), and perfect forward secrecy, which offers a different encryption key for each VPN connection. Also, the provider has MACE, which is a very good ad blocker (it’s useful for getting rid of ads on P2P sites, and blocking shady torrent trackers). 

And I also like how fast this VPN service is — I tested it by downloading several 12 GB files on distant servers, and it always took me around 12–15 minutes to download them, which is very fast. Plus, you also get access to split-tunneling (choose which apps and sites use the VPN, and which ones don’t), which you can use to further boost your VPN speeds. 

Another thing I like about PIA is how user-friendly it is. It takes only a few seconds to find and connect to a server, and the VPN also allows unlimited simultaneous connections (so you can use it to torrent on as many devices as you want). 

Finally, PIA is very affordable, with prices beginning as low as $2.19/month. What’s more, its longest plan often includes additional months of service for free — and don’t forget how I mentioned above that all purchases are covered by a risk-free 30-day refund.

Read my full Private Internet Access review

🥈 2. Proton VPN — Best Free VPN for Torrenting Proton VPN

I think Proton VPN is the best free torrenting VPN on the market. It provides unlimited data, so you can use it to download as many files as you want. And even though its free version doesn’t officially allow torrenting, you can still download torrents via its free servers. I can personally confirm this, as I have tried downloading 5 legal torrents with the VPN’s free plan, and I never experienced any issues. 

Plus, the provider’s free VPN plan also provides high-end security and privacy for torrenting. You get access to an audited no-logs policy and open-source apps, meaning that anyone can inspect the code for security holes — plus, all of its apps have also been independently audited. What’s more, Proton VPN has advanced security features, including full leak protection, perfect forward secrecy, and full-disk encryption (keeps all data on a server 100% secure even if the server is compromised). 

I also got very fast download speeds with this VPN’s free version. I tried downloading a 12 GB file, and it only took around 18 minutes to do it, which is pretty good. I also tried out a few smaller files (4 GB), and downloading them only took about 5–6 minutes. 

Also, the provider’s apps are very user-friendly — they have a quick-connect feature that automatically connects you to the fastest server location (so you don’t need to spend time finding the right server). Plus, all the settings you have access to come with helpful explanations, so you never feel lost while using the VPN. 

Still, there are some drawbacks I need to mention. First, the free version limits you to servers in 5 countries, and doesn’t let you manually choose the servers you connect to (only the quick-connect feature is available). Another issue is that the free VPN plan only lets you connect 1 device, and it also doesn’t include access to additional features, like split-tunneling for example. 

Upgrading to Proton VPN’s paid plans is worth it. They start at $3.59/month and add access to 6000+ servers in 110+ countries (the VPN has P2P servers in 75+ countries), support for up to 10 connections, and additional features like split-tunneling, port forwarding to boost P2P speeds, and VPN Accelerator (boosts VPN speeds on distant servers). Also, the provider backs all purchases with a prorated 30-day money-back guarantee.

Read my full Proton VPN review

🥉 3. Hotspot Shield — Fast Free VPN for Torrenting With Unlimited Data Hotspot Shield

Hotspot Shield’s free plan allows unlimited data, making it a good pick for downloading torrents. Its free version doesn’t guarantee P2P support, but it always worked with torrents in my tests. 

The free VPN plan limits you to 2 Mbps, but still provides fast speeds. I downloaded a few 5 GB files, and I always enjoyed fast download times — on average, it only took around 6–7 minutes for the downloads to finish. You also get free access to split-tunneling, which might further boost your P2P speeds. That said, if you’re worried about the speed limits, give Proton VPN’s free plan a try instead since it has unlimited speeds (and unlimited bandwidth). 

You also get access to user-friendly apps and strong security features. The app interface is extremely simple to navigate, and Hotspot Shield secures your P2P traffic with perfect forward secrecy. 

That said, there are some limitations — you can only use servers in 3 countries (the US, the UK, and Singapore), and you can only install and use Hotspot Shield on 1 device. 

Hotspot Shield’s paid version starts at $6.66/month, which is pretty pricey. The paid plans add access to 1,800+ servers in 90+ countries (and guaranteed P2P support on all of them) and up to 10 connections. And this VPN provider also backs all purchases with a generous 45-day refund. 

4. Windscribe — Intuitive Free VPN for Torrenting Small Files Windscribe

Windscribe’s free VPN plan allows downloading torrents, even though it doesn’t officially support P2P traffic via its free version. You also get access to free servers in 10+ countries, so it’s somewhat easy to torrent on nearby server locations to get fast speeds. 

However, the free VPN plan limits you to up to 15 GB per month, which is why I’m saying that this free plan is only good for torrenting small files. You get 2 GB per month when you sign up, and you can upgrade to 10 GB per month by confirming your email. Finally, you can get to 15 GB per month by tweeting at the company. If the data cap is an issue, try Proton VPN or Hotspot Shield instead, as they both allow unlimited data on their free plans. 

On the plus side, the VPN has very intuitive apps. It takes less than 5 seconds to find and connect to a server location, and all settings have helpful explanations. Also, Windscribe’s free VPN plan allows unlimited simultaneous connections, so you can use it to torrent on as many devices as you want. 

Plus, this is also one of the only free VPNs that supports streaming. So if you want to also access streaming sites (like Netflix and BBC iPlayer) in addition to downloading torrents, Windscribe might be a good pick.

Windscribe’s paid plans begin at Unlimited, and they remove the data cap and add guaranteed P2P support and server locations in 60+ countries. The provider also has a refund policy, but it only covers 3 days. 

5. CyberGhost VPN — Good P2P VPN With a Free 24-hour Trial CyberGhost VPN

CyberGhost VPN isn’t free, but it has a free 24-hour trial. And the trial provides access to all of the VPN’s features — plus, it doesn’t require you to share any payment details upfront. What’s more, all long-term plans come with a very generous 45-day money-back guarantee. 

The VPN also has a huge P2P server network, numbering 10,000+ P2P servers in 70+ countries. This means you can easily connect to nearby servers to get fast downloads, and that it’s also simple to avoid overcrowded servers (they normally cause noticeable slowdowns). My only complaint is that CyberGhost VPN doesn’t have port forwarding or SOCKS5 proxies — like Private Internet Access does.

I also like how user-friendly this provider is. I especially like the Smart Rules feature, which lets you automate your VPN connections. For example, you can configure the CyberGhost VPN client to automatically connect to your desired P2P server and open your preferred torrenting client on launch. 

And CyberGhost VPN is also really secure, as it has advanced security tools such as RAM-only servers and perfect forward secrecy. Plus, it also has an audited no-logs policy. And it comes with Content Blocker, which is good at detecting and blocking connections to shady P2P sites.

CyberGhost VPN is pretty affordable, as its pricing starts at $2.19/month. Its longest plan also includes extra months of service for free, and all long-term purchases are covered by a 45-day refund (the shortest plan comes with a 14-day money-back guarantee).

Read my full CyberGhost VPN review

Quick Comparison of My Top Picks

	Starting Price	Data Cap	No-Logs Policy	Speed Limits	Number of Devices	Money-Back Guarantee
🥇 1. Private Internet Access	$2.19/month	Unlimited	(independently audited)		Unlimited	30 days
🥈 2. Proton VPN	$3.59/month	Unlimited	(independently audited)		1 (10 via paid version)	30 days (prorated)
🥉 3. Hotspot Shield	$6.66/month	Unlimited		(2 Mbps)	1 (10 via paid version)	45 days
4. Windscribe	$5.75/month	Up to 15 GB per month			Unlimited	3 days
5. CyberGhost VPN	$2.19/month	Unlimited	(independently audited)		7	45 days (long-term plans) 14 days (shortest plan

How I Chose the VPNs on This List

• Pick a free VPN that supports torrenting — Most free VPNs don’t officially support torrenting. Even so, some of them might allow torrent downloads on their free servers. All the VPN providers I recommend in this article support torrenting.
• Get a free torrenting VPN with a good data cap — Most free VPNs have a restrictive monthly data limit, anywhere between 2 GB and 10 GB per month. I recommend getting a free torrenting VPN that allows at least 5 GB per month, so that you can at least use it to download small files. Luckily, there are some exceptions (like Proton VPN and Hotspot Shield) that don’t have a data cap.
• Choose a free VPN that’s secure — Security and privacy are very important for torrenting. So I strongly recommend only picking free VPNs for torrenting that have industry-standard security features. This would include 256-bit AES encryption, a kill switch, a no-logs policy, or DNS leak protection. 
• Get a free VPN that has fast download speeds — Using a VPN will always slow down your original speeds, and free VPNs are likely to cause even bigger slowdowns. I recommend making sure that the free torrenting VPN you plan on using provides decent download speeds. For example, it shouldn’t take you more than 30 minutes to download a small  file (like a 4 GB torrent). .
• Go for a free VPN that’s user-friendly — It should be really simple to find and connect to a server to start torrenting on it. Also, all the settings and features you can change and enable in the provider’s apps should come with helpful explanations. 
• Choose a free VPN whose paid plans provide good value — The VPN’s paid version should provide guaranteed P2P support, and it should also come with a large P2P server network. Also, bonus points if the VPN provider backs its paid plans with a generous money-back guarantee.

Risks and Drawbacks of Using Free VPNs for Torrenting

• Free VPNs generally don’t support torrenting — You won’t find a lot of free VPNs for torrenting when you google them, as free providers just don’t allow P2P traffic on their free plans. The free VPNs I recommend in this article don’t officially support torrenting either, but I have had success downloading torrents while using their free plans. 
• Free VPNs might compromise your privacy — Unlike paid VPN services, many free VPNs actually log user data (like IP addresses and browsing traffic). They then share that data with third parties for a profit.
• Free services could expose you to malware — Some free VPNs have malicious app installers that could compromise your device when you run them. 
• Free VPNs are difficult to use — A lot of free VPNs have apps that are confusing to use (many settings might be vague and lack explanations, for example). Also, free VPN apps are usually buggy as well.
• Free VPNs have slow speeds — Many free torrenting VPNs only provide access to a small number of server locations. That makes it hard to download torrents on nearby servers or avoid overcrowded servers to get fast speeds. 
• Free VPNs expose you to ads — To make money, some free services expose free users to ads. For example, you might have to watch a 30-second video ad inside the VPN app to be able to use it for a set amount of time (like 10 or 15 minutes). 
• Free VPNs have restrictive data limits — Many free providers limit free users to a certain amount of MB per day or GB per month. On average, free VPNs limit data usage to anywhere between 2 GB and 10 GB per month. But there are some exceptions that provide unlimited bandwidth (like Proton VPN and Hotspot Shield, for example).
• Free providers don’t offer good customer support — A free VPN provider can’t afford to invest a lot of money into great round-the-clock customer support. This means you won’t get access to live chat, and that you’ll very often have to settle for outdated support articles and non-responsive email support. 

Best Free VPNs for Torrenting in 2025 — Final Thoughts: Final Thoughts