Skip to content
PrivacyTechReview
VPN & Privacy

The best VPN for torrenting in 2026: P2P rules, port forwarding and leak protection, for legal downloads

BitTorrent is a legitimate way to download big files: Ubuntu and Debian offer official torrents of their releases, and the Internet Archive shares its public collections over BitTorrent. A VPN for torrenting should allow P2P traffic on the servers you use, keep your torrent client from leaking your real IP address, and, if you want other peers to connect to you, offer port forwarding. What a VPN doesn't do is make copyright infringement legal, and the five VPNs we rank forbid it, or any illegal use, in their terms.

PrivacyTechReview Editorial Team Editor-in-Chief: Kirill Prosandeev Reviewed Nov 1, 2026 9 min read
See the picks What to look for

Ad-supported — we may earn a commission from links on this page, at no cost to you, and it never changes our assessments. How this works.

A constellation of glowing glass nodes joined by threads of violet and teal light above a dark desk, small glass file tiles passing between them, the threads running through a glass shield

We read the P2P, port-forwarding and torrent pages and the terms of the nine VPNs we review, and Norton VPN's P2P help pages, on November 1, 2026, and rank the five with clear P2P rules by where P2P is allowed, port forwarding, leak protection for torrent apps and the evidence behind their no-logs promises. We haven't tested them, and we don't publish prices or speeds. Proton VPN, NordVPN, Surfshark and PureVPN are partners: we may earn a commission when you buy through our links, and that doesn't decide the order.

VeePN, VirtualShield, Betternet, Hotspot Shield and Norton VPN aren't ranked: their P2P rules are missing, thin or contradictory, as the FAQ below explains.

How to set up a VPN for torrenting

  1. 1

    Check the server rules

    Use a server where the VPN allows P2P: all standard servers at NordVPN, marked locations at Surfshark, P2P servers at Proton.

  2. 2

    Bind your torrent app to the VPN

    Proton and hide.me describe binding the client so it stops when the VPN drops.

  3. 3

    Turn on the kill switch

    hide.me's kill switch is on by default in its desktop apps; NordVPN's App Kill Switch, on Windows and the Mac app from its website, can close your torrent app if the VPN drops.

  4. 4

    Add port forwarding only if you need it

    It's optional and opens a port. Proton and hide.me include it in paid plans, PureVPN sells it as an add-on, NordVPN needs its Dedicated Server add-on, and Surfshark doesn't offer it.

Five VPNs for legal P2P, ranked

5 compared
Editors' choice
1

Proton VPN

Best overall for legal P2P

Our take: Proton marks its P2P servers in the app and offers them on every paid plan, on Windows, macOS, Android and Linux. Port forwarding comes with paid plans on desktop, and Proton explains how to bind a torrent app to the VPN so it can't fall back to your real connection. Securitum has audited its no-logs policy every year since 2022, and the reports are public. P2P isn't on the free plan: Proton says it's only available on paid plans, and servers without P2P support show a "No P2P traffic permitted on this server" error.

Strengths

  • P2P servers on every paid plan
  • Port forwarding on desktop
  • Yearly public no-logs audits

Worth knowing

  • No P2P on the free plan
  • Port forwarding not in the iPhone or Android apps
Platforms: WindowsmacOSLinuxAndroid

Bottom line: Pick Proton for P2P servers, port forwarding and public audits on one paid plan.

Read full Proton VPN review

Ad

Check Proton VPN price

Opens Proton VPN's official site

2

hide.me VPN

Best for locking torrent apps to the VPN

Our take: hide.me allows P2P on its standard servers, not its streaming servers. Its torrent guide has you turn on Stealth Guard, which keeps chosen apps offline unless the VPN is connected, check the kill switch, which is on by default in the desktop apps, and bind the client through hide.me's SOCKS proxy, which is for Premium subscribers. Premium members get dynamic port forwarding; hide.me doesn't offer static forwarding, which it sees as a security concern. Securitum audited its no-logs policy in 2024, and hide.me publishes the June 2024 report. It doesn't say whether the free plan allows P2P.

Strengths

  • Stealth Guard locks apps to the VPN; kill switch on by default on desktop
  • Dynamic port forwarding on Premium
  • Public no-logs audit

Worth knowing

  • P2P on the free plan not stated
  • No static port forwarding
Platforms: WindowsmacOSLinuxAndroidiOS

Bottom line: Pick hide.me if you want your torrent app locked to the VPN and a kill switch that's on from the start.

Read full hide.me VPN review

Ad

Check hide.me VPN price

Opens hide.me VPN's official site

3

NordVPN

Best for P2P on any server you pick

Our take: NordVPN now allows P2P on all its standard servers, so you no longer pick a P2P category, and it asks users to respect local laws and copyright. Its App Kill Switch, on Windows and the Mac app from its website, can close your torrent app if the VPN drops; it's off by default. Its SOCKS5 proxy works with torrent clients. Port forwarding needs its Dedicated Server add-on, though one older help article says it doesn't offer port forwarding at all. Deloitte has audited its no-logs policy, with reports available to customers.

Strengths

  • P2P on all standard servers
  • App Kill Switch for torrent apps
  • Audited no-logs policy

Worth knowing

  • Port forwarding only with the Dedicated Server add-on
  • Audit reports for customers only
Platforms: WindowsmacOSLinuxAndroidiOS

Bottom line: Pick NordVPN if you want P2P wherever you connect.

Read full NordVPN review

Ad

Check NordVPN price

Opens NordVPN's official site

4

Surfshark

P2P by location, on unlimited devices

Our take: Surfshark's server list marks which locations allow P2P, and it allows unlimited devices at once, under a fair-usage policy. Its terms forbid distributing copyright-protected material through its servers. It has no torrent guide in its help center, and it says it doesn't support port forwarding because it creates a potential entry point to your network. Deloitte audited its no-logs policy in 2023 and 2025, with reports for subscribers.

Strengths

  • P2P locations marked in the server list
  • Unlimited devices, under a fair-usage policy
  • Audited no-logs policy

Worth knowing

  • No port forwarding
  • No torrent guide
Platforms: WindowsmacOSLinuxAndroidiOS

Bottom line: Pick Surfshark if your P2P location is marked and you don't need port forwarding.

Read full Surfshark review

Ad

Check Surfshark price

Opens Surfshark's official site

5

PureVPN

Port forwarding add-on, but limited P2P countries

Our take: PureVPN allows P2P only on servers in the countries it lists, and its help center says those don't include the US, the UK, Canada or Australia; its terms give a much longer list. Port forwarding is a paid add-on that opens up to 15 ports. Its latest dated no-logs assessment is from 2023, and the report isn't linked: PureVPN offers it by email sign-up.

Strengths

  • Port forwarding add-on, up to 15 ports

Worth knowing

  • No P2P on US, UK, Canadian or Australian servers
  • Help center and terms list different P2P countries
  • Audit report only by email sign-up
Platforms: WindowsmacOSLinuxAndroidiOS

Bottom line: Pick PureVPN only if a listed P2P country suits you and you need its port forwarding add-on.

Read full PureVPN review

Ad

Check PureVPN price

Opens PureVPN's official site

VPNs for torrenting at a glance

What each VPN's own P2P, port-forwarding and torrent pages say.

Proton VPN

Where P2P is allowed
P2P servers, paid plans
Port forwarding
Paid; Windows, macOS, Linux
Leak protection for torrent apps
Kill switch; binding guide
No-logs audit
Securitum, yearly; public

hide.me VPN

Where P2P is allowed
Standard servers, not streaming
Port forwarding
Premium; dynamic only
Leak protection for torrent apps
Kill switch (on by default on desktop); Stealth Guard; SOCKS binding (Premium)
No-logs audit
Securitum, 2024; public

NordVPN

Where P2P is allowed
All standard servers
Port forwarding
Dedicated Server add-on only
Leak protection for torrent apps
App Kill Switch (Windows, Mac site app); SOCKS5 proxy
No-logs audit
Deloitte; for customers

Surfshark

Where P2P is allowed
Locations marked P2P
Port forwarding
Not offered
Leak protection for torrent apps
Kill switch
No-logs audit
Deloitte, 2023 and 2025; for subscribers

PureVPN

Where P2P is allowed
Listed countries only
Port forwarding
Paid add-on, up to 15 ports
Leak protection for torrent apps
Kill switch
No-logs audit
2023; report by email sign-up

Proton VPN

An audited no-logs VPN with a no-data-cap free plan

Ad

Check Proton VPN price

Opens Proton VPN's official site

hide.me VPN

A no-sign-up free VPN with an audited no-logs policy

Ad

Check hide.me VPN price

Opens hide.me VPN's official site

NordVPN

Audited VPN with desktop download scanning

Ad

Check NordVPN price

Opens NordVPN's official site

Surfshark

One VPN account for every device in the house

Ad

Check Surfshark price

Opens Surfshark's official site

PureVPN

VPN with port forwarding and dedicated IP add-ons

Ad

Check PureVPN price

Opens PureVPN's official site

Port forwarding and P2P servers

Port forwarding lets other peers start connections to you; it's optional, and it opens a port. Here's how the five handle it, and where they allow P2P:

  • Proton offers port forwarding on paid plans in its Windows, macOS (early access) and Linux apps, on P2P servers only. The port usually changes when you reconnect, and Proton calls the risk small, and very low for torrenting and gaming.
  • hide.me offers dynamic port forwarding to Premium members, but no static forwarding, which it sees as a potential security concern.
  • PureVPN sells port forwarding as a paid add-on that opens up to 15 ports. NordVPN offers it only with its Dedicated Server add-on, though an older NordVPN article still says it doesn't provide port forwarding. Surfshark doesn't offer it: it says port forwarding creates a potential network entry point.
  • P2P servers: NordVPN allows P2P on all standard servers; Surfshark marks P2P locations in its server list; Proton has P2P servers on paid plans, and other servers don't permit P2P traffic; hide.me allows it on standard servers, not streaming servers; PureVPN allows it only on servers in listed countries, which don't include the US, the UK, Canada or Australia.

Before you torrent on a VPN

  • What you're downloading is legal to share, like a Linux release or a public-domain collection.
  • The server you connect to allows P2P.
  • Your torrent app is bound to the VPN.
  • The kill switch is on.
  • You only open a port if you need one.

Keep reading

Sources · checked Nov 1, 2026

Frequently asked questions

Is torrenting with a VPN legal?
BitTorrent has legal uses: Ubuntu, Debian and the Internet Archive distribute files with it. Uploading or downloading copyrighted works without the owner's permission is infringement, the US Copyright Office says, and a VPN doesn't change that.
Which VPNs allow torrenting?
Of the VPNs we review, NordVPN allows P2P on all standard servers, Surfshark on locations marked in its server list, Proton on P2P servers on paid plans, hide.me on standard servers, and PureVPN on servers in listed countries outside the US, the UK, Canada and Australia. VirtualShield and Betternet say P2P is allowed but give no server details.
Does Proton VPN's free plan allow torrenting?
No. Proton says P2P is only available on paid plans; on a server without P2P support, its app shows a "No P2P traffic permitted on this server" error.
Do I need port forwarding for torrenting?
It's optional. Proton says port forwarding is mainly used for P2P apps such as BitTorrent and carries a small security risk; hide.me offers only dynamic forwarding because it sees static forwarding as a security concern.
Does NordVPN allow torrenting?
Yes. NordVPN says all its standard servers support P2P and asks users to respect local laws and copyright. Port forwarding needs its Dedicated Server add-on.
Why aren't VeePN, VirtualShield, Betternet, Hotspot Shield and Norton VPN ranked?
VeePN publishes no P2P policy, only a copyright clause in its terms. VirtualShield says you can torrent at your own risk, Betternet that P2P is allowed but it will comply with a valid court order, and Hotspot Shield lists P2P among its uses on its homepage but states no P2P rules. Norton's help pages disagree: one describes a P2P-optimized region, another says Norton VPN turns off when it detects torrent traffic.

Our top pick: Proton VPN

An audited no-logs VPN with a no-data-cap free plan

Ad Check price