ExtraTorrent, formerly one of the most popular websites in the world in general, let alone one of the top torrent sites, permanently shut down its services back in 2017.
Some likely found quality torrent sites while others were met with fraudulent ones, some of which claimed to be the original ExtraTorrent site.
If you were an ExtraTorrent user back in 2017, you’re likely already aware of the sudden shutdown that took place following the announcement of emergency maintenance. If you visited the site you probably saw the administrator’s message stating that the website and its mirrors would be permanently shutting down and that all data would be wiped from their servers.
Now you’re here, looking for the best alternative to the once-great ExtraTorrent.
DISCLAIMER:
Security Gladiators in no way encourages or condones any kind of copyright violation or circumvention of restrictions. That includes torrenting or downloading illegal content. Torrenting is a great way to access and share all kinds of content on the internet and there are plenty of opportunities there to engage in legal and safe online torrenting. You need to do your own research to see if these services and torrents are legal in your own country. We suggest to always use a VPN while torrenting.Now, let’s get started. Here’s a list of 10 ExtraTorrent alternatives that work well and are safe to use. As an added layer of protection, we suggest that you use a VPN when accessing these sites and start torrenting.
Table of Contents
LimeTorrents
The team at LimeTorrents has realized that the only viable way to compete with the best in the torrenting business is to have a simple and user-friendly interface. They also set themselves apart by offering tons of seeders and high speeds, even for new releases.
Since most of their attention is focused on new releases, older files are somewhat neglected at LimeTorrents. They’re more difficult to download since there won’t be as many seeders for them and speeds will be lower.
For this reason, we recommend you use LimeTorrents as a backup option instead of your primary torrent destination. It’s a great alternative when you’re looking for new files or if your favorite torrent site is unavailable.
TorrentDownloads
Thanks to its tidiness and organized content library, TorrentDownloads has become a popular torrent site. They offer a lot of rare content that many other torrent sites do not have available, making this site a great first choice as well as a reliable last-ditch effort.
Note:
Unfortunately, TorrentDownloads is only available in a few countries. Law enforcement agencies have managed to ban it in several countries, but it’s still going strong in the countries where it’s available.Many search engines have stopped including TorrentDownloads in their search results because of its high-profile torrent site status. The best way to access it is with a direct link like the one we’ve provided above.
Zooqle
Zooqle is one of the easiest to navigate torrent sites currently available. The site has useful data on the homepage letting you know how much content is available. They also provide information for how many seeders are available for each file. Zooqle offers an impressive content library with over 1,600 TV shows and 41,000 movies. It has a great user interface that makes it easy to find what you’re looking for even though you’ll be sifting through over 4 million torrents.
Zooqle has managed to establish a loyal user base due to their quality of service and consistency. Zooqle will likely keep growing as they continue to build their library and maintain their easy-to-use site.
EZTV
EZTV sets itself apart by offering users a reasonably active forum that allows them to report any issues such as broken links and missing files. The forum, along with the rest of the site, is easy to use and offers a straightforward user experience.
Important to note:
EZTV has lost some of its credibility in the last couple of years due to privacy and security concerns. They now tell users that they should employ a VPN service before torrenting on their site, showing that they’re working to protect their users from the issues they faced in the past.YTS
YTS was originally known as YIFY when it was first started. It consisted of a fairly small group of users that published new, high-quality movies and TV shows on a range of different sites. As they grew, they decided to start their own torrenting site. This marked the creation of YTS.
As YTS has become more popular, they’ve caught the attention of some law enforcement agencies and copyright holders. Most notably, the Motion Picture Association of America filed an anti-piracy lawsuit against YTS in 2015. Despite this, YTS is still one of the most popular torrenting platforms and continues to rank among the most popular websites in the world.
YTS uses the x264 encoding format, which allows them to release files that are higher quality than those released by other groups. Most other torrent sites don’t offer such high-quality content.
Torrentz2
Torrentz2 is a clone of the original Torrentz site, which was shut down in 2016. The clone has upheld the popularity of the original site and has remained a quality option for torrenters.
Torrentz2 is a torrent search engine rather than an actual torrent site. It crawls the internet for torrents, making it easy for users to find and download the files. They currently have over 61 million torrents indexed, so you’ll likely be able to find what you’re looking for using Torrentz2.
TorLock
TorLock combines a massive list of torrent files and a pleasing user interface, giving the user a solid experience on their site. This site is great for those looking to download newly released and high-quality audio and video content. This includes movies, anime episodes and books.
Much of the content on TorLock is difficult to find using other trackers, which makes this site a good alternative when you can’t find what you’re looking for. While rare content is present on the site, there’s also a sizable library of popular files among the nearly 5 million torrents available on the site.
1337x
1337x is currently ranked as the third most popular torrenting site in 2019. It uses the BitTorrent protocol to enable peer-to-peer file-sharing of their huge directory of shareable torrent files.
In order to skirt their Google search ban, 1337x has changed their domain name multiple times. At the time of writing, they’re using the .to extension as their primary URL. If this option is unavailable, try using the .se domain as this is one of their commonly-used alternatives.
RARBG
RARBG has been around since 2008. They facilitate peer-to-peer file-sharing using BitTorrent technology, which has led to them being blocked in many countries including Australia, Saudi Arabia and the U.K. That being said, these blocks can be avoided using a VPN.
RARBG provides users with a tremendous range of content to download and stream. They also have sections for TV show and movie details, along with reviews and news. This broad range of information makes RARBG a helpful source for anyone looking to get into torrenting.
The Pirate Bay
Without a shadow of a doubt, The Pirate Bay has kept a stranglehold on the title of the world’s best torrent site. It provides users access to a nearly incalculable amount of content including movies, audiobooks, podcasts, TV shows, software and more.
The Pirate Bay is based in Seychelles and is registered as a non-profit organization. It was founded by Swedish anti-copyright activists in 2003 and has managed to stand the test of time.
They’ve managed to find a viable way to keep the site online and stay within the boundaries of the law.
Is It Legal to Torrent?
Due to the large number of countries working to ban torrent sites, you may have assumed that any and all forms of torrenting are illegal. In reality, torrenting itself is perfectly legal. The only time issues start to arise is when the content being shared or downloaded is copyrighted.
Much of the material available on torrenting sites is copyrighted, making it illegal to share or download. Since it’s difficult to check each individual file for copyrighted material, law enforcement agencies choose to just ban torrent sites in their entirety. This is done even if files are available on sites that are not subject to copyright laws.
While we don’t advocate illegal activities, we do recognize that legal torrents are being caught up in these blanket bans. This is why we suggest using a VPN to get around the bans to download the legal torrents available on these sites.
Why Should I Use a VPN When Torrenting?
While it’s completely legal to distribute or download non-copyrighted torrent files, you’re not entirely safe when using torrenting sites. Malware and viruses are an ever-present threat that can harm even those operating within the boundaries of the law. Additionally, hackers are always at the ready to steal your personal data if it’s left unguarded and easy to obtain.
Important:
To protect yourself from viruses and hackers, you’ll need to make use of a VPN.With a VPN, you’ll be able to:
1. Reach Blocked Torrenting Sites
If you live in a country where torrenting sites are blocked, you can use a VPN to make it appear as though you’re located in a country where these sites are available. We’ve compiled a list of the best VPNs you can choose from when deciding which VPN provider to use.
Once you’ve installed a VPN on your device, you’ll need to connect to a server in a country where the torrenting site isn’t blocked. Once you’re connected, you’ll be able to start torrenting as you would normally. The VPN will route your internet connection through the remote server and make it appear as though you’re located in the country in which the server is located. You can use this same method to access any geo-restricted site or type of content.
2. Stay out of Legal Trouble
Since it’s impossible to verify the contents of a torrent file until you open it, it’s possible that you could accidentally download copyrighted material even though you intended to download legal content. Despite your lawful intent, this could result in legal ramifications.
Internet service providers and government agencies can trace the download back to your computer, implicating you in the act of downloading copyrighted material. This can be avoided if you mask your IP address using a VPN.
Additionally, VPNs encrypt your internet connection, which ensures your privacy and protects your data from prying eyes.
3. Protection from Malware
The best VPN service providers offer built-in malware protection capabilities that keep you safe if you accidentally download a torrent file that’s infected with malware. They’re able to recognize and block suspicious files and websites before you’re affected.
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We hope you found this list of ExtraTorrent alternatives useful. Remember to always use a VPN when torrenting and stay away from illegal or copyrighted materials to avoid legal action.
Torrenting is a safe and effective way to transfer files as long as you share with trusted users and obey the laws around what you’re transferring.