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The Best VPNs for uTorrent

In this guide, we’ll be discussing the best VPN setups for uTorrent in 2023.

Torrenting is great, but other people being able to see what you’ve downloaded and then using that information against you is not.

We’ve been using torrent clients and VPN services for years and have used our experience to compile a list of VPNs we believe will work best with uTorrent.

Read on to learn which VPNs best for uTorrent in 2023.

a black keyboward with a green key that has a lock sign on it with the letters VPN

Best uTorrent VPN

As far as good BitTorrent clients go, there are very few that could be ranked above the uTorrent client. uTorrent users can download all sorts of files from the internet including audio and video files as well as computer applications.

Keep in mind that the BitTorrent company, which developed uTorrent, and the BitTorrent protocol are not the same. BitTorrent is a protocol for P2P file sharing, meaning that it can be used to share files through the internet.image of utorrent

For all intents and purposes, uTorrent is free to use if you don’t mind a few ads and aren’t bothered by the lack of advanced options.

The free version is perfectly capable of uploading and downloading files. The premium version has some advanced features that are worth paying for to some users. A common trait between the free version and the premium version of uTorrent is that neither of them can protect you and your data while you’re using the service.

Torrenting is an inherently risky activity if you don’t know what you’re doing.

You can seriously wreck your machine and your online presence if you’re not careful enough. You may be asking “why is torrenting an unsafe activity?”

The answer is that torrenting itself is not unsafe but the way it’s often carried out is definitely unsafe. To be more specific, torrent clients are often used to obtain copyrighted material from torrent websites. This can lead to a range of legal issues due to the illegal nature of sharing copyrighted material and the lack of anonymity.

To begin torrenting, users have to give consent to share their IP address with their torrent client and the P2P network to start sharing files.

While that’s certainly not the ideal situation for any torrent user, the fact remains that everyone on the network can see your IP address.

Warning:

Exposing your IP address while torrenting is anything but safe.

Every member of the network has the opportunity to infect any other peer on the same network with malicious code. This malicious code could incapacitate your machine, show you advertisements that you don’t want to see or steal your personal information.

Keep in mind that torrenting itself isn’t illegal. The legal issues arise when a user engages in copyright infringement by sharing or downloading copyrighted files.

With that said, not all countries have laws against copyright infringement. However, it’s probably best to not take the chance given what can happen if authorities catch you while downloading copyrighted material with a torrent client.

an image of servers with vectors from a computer monitor, guard and planet with the words encrypted connection and vpn on it

Even if you don’t download something illegally, it still doesn’t change the fact that law enforcement agencies often consider torrenting as very closely related to copyright infringement.

This is just one of the reasons why internet service providers or ISPs in some countries have taken it upon themselves to penalize users rather than websites or torrent clients. Again, it doesn’t really matter if you distribute something legal or illegal. Law enforcement agencies aren’t always known for applying the law with 100% accuracy in every case.

Guilt by association may come into play in these scenarios. Add to that the fact that ISPs’ main goal is to remain in business so they’re likely to side with law enforcement if problems arise. ISPs have been known to forward IP addresses of their users to law enforcement agencies when they’re requested, which puts you at risk if you’ve been torrenting.

If you want to share and download material from the internet using uTorrent, you need protection. Otherwise, you risk getting banned, sued, fined or even put in prison.

Note:

The best protection you can have while torrenting is that of a VPN service.

Of course, you can use the Tor browser, a public computer, an antivirus application or a firewall to get more protection from potential harm but a VPN makes you undetectable. That feature is what you want in order to stay safe from malicious actors as well as government agencies and ISPs.

The market is filled with VPNs, you need to make sure you get a VPN that suits your needs to get the greatest benefit from your purchase. VPNs have made the daunting task of keeping your privacy intact in the online world rather easy. So without further ado, here are the best VPNs for uTorrent.

Best VPNs for uTorrent in 2023

NordVPN

Nord vpn logoIf you want top-quality security and anonymity on a budget while using uTorrent, then NordVPN is the way to go. NordVPN is light on your bank account and heavy on hackers and ISPs who want to track your every move in order to make money or harass you.

NordVPN offers the most advanced and thoroughly-tested security features like double-encryption, a kill switch and automatic start-up. It allows P2P file transfers on many of its servers and has a 30-day money-back guarantee. Essentially, you don’t have to take any risks while signing up for NordVPN.


CyberGhost

cyberghost vpn logoCyberGhost is for those who want a beginner-friendly VPN app for their devices. Just like the other VPNs on this list, it has fast VPN servers and standard privacy tools.

You shouldn’t have to look too hard to find VPN servers that allow uTorrent activity on the CyberGhost VPN network.


ExpressVPN

express vpn logoFor uTorrent activity, there are few VPNs better than ExpressVPN. This service is fast, user-friendly, secure and reliable.

In terms of the number of VPN servers that allow uTorrent activity, ExpressVPN is the world’s best. Add to that the fact that it has a military-grade encryption implementation and a money-back guarantee and you have a VPN service that’s as close to ideal as you can get.


IPVanish

ipvanish vpnThe greatest edge IPVanish has over almost all of its rivals is ownership. IPVanish owns nearly all of its VPN servers. It also operates them on its own without any third-party help.

This means that no one other than IPVanish employees has access to user data. Such an arrangement also allows the company to make sure its connections have good encryption and provide proper speed with much less effort. All IPVanish packages come with a seven-day money-back guarantee.


PrivateVPN

privatevpn logoFor fast downloads of your uTorrent files, PrivateVPN is a good option. PrivateVPN allows uTorrent activity on almost all its VPN servers.

This means you won’t have to use a VPN server overloaded with other torrent users who also want to download something via uTorrent. The traffic will be spread across many servers, allowing for the best experience possible.


How to Select the Best VPN for uTorrent?

There are five things you need to look for when selecting a VPN. They are:

a network icon1. The allowance of torrent activity on its network. A lot of VPNs don’t allow users to engage in torrenting while connected to their network.

Then there are services that allow P2P activity on only some of their servers. Very few of the top VPN service providers allow users to engage in torrenting activity on all of their servers.

a shield icon2. The best security and privacy features. The VPN provider must offer a zero-logs policy. For those who don’t know, when a VPN service has a zero-logs policy it means that they don’t store data on their users. Military-grade encryption and a kill switch feature are also must-haves.

an icon of a map3. A wide server network with servers in the majority of ideal locations on the map. No VPN provider offers a network that covers every country on Earth. What you need to do is look at the list of servers a given VPN is offering before you sign up with the service.

Then, look at whether or not the locations are the ones you need. For example, if you want to access U.S. Netflix outside the U.S., you need to make sure that the service you sign up for has a server located in the U.S. Similarly, if the site that you want to access is only available in Europe then you need a VPN with servers in Europe for your VPN connection.

a white keychain with the word vpn on it in red, an ethernet cable is inserted inside of it

On that note, you may also want to make sure that your selected VPN not only has wide coverage but also has lots of servers in the countries it covers.

There’s no point in offering a single server in a high-demand country like the U.S. or Australia. The more people connecting to that server, the higher the chance that the server will not provide adequate download speeds.

Therefore, a good VPN always offers multiple servers in high traffic countries.

It goes without saying that your VPN service should have fast servers with high download speeds.

Most of all, it should offer unlimited bandwidth. You don’t want to near the end of your download only to find that you’ve hit your data cap for the month.

an icon of headphones4. High-quality customer support. It used to be that you signed up for a VPN service never interacted with the company again for the remainder of your contract. That’s no longer the case. While you can still have a smooth ride using a VPN service, you may have to consult your VPN provider before accessing your favorite websites.

ISPs and streaming services are always updating their filters they use to block the connection of users who try to get around their geo-restrictions. A VPN service may work with a blocked site one day and be completely unusable the next.

This is usually the result of action taken by the team behind the website and not the fault of your VPN provider. This is where VPN services, ISPs and streaming services are always playing a game of cat and mouse.

Note:

ISPs and streaming services employ sophisticated measures to bar certain people from accessing their content while VPNs update their own circumvention techniques in order to allow access for their customers.

As you can imagine, sometimes you’ll need to get updated configuration files for your VPN service to work properly. Good customer support will ensure that you get the latest configuration files for your needs as quickly as possible. Sometimes users cancel their VPN subscription and leave it a negative review after not being able to access the websites they’re trying to reach.

Instead of doing this immediately first try getting in touch with customer support and asking them for guidance. Customer support should be able to help you in no time. If they’re not helpful, then it may be a good idea to try a different service.

an icon of a phone5. Compatibility with multiple devices and operating systems. More specifically, the service you sign up for should have apps for Android, iOS, Windows, macOS and Linux.

Most of us are different from early internet users in the sense that almost all of us have multiple internet-enabled devices that we’ll want to protect. Therefore, there’s no point in signing up for a service that doesn’t support all your devices.

Step-by-Step uTorrent VPN Setup Guide

Step 1: Sign up for a VPN Service

This is where you look at the VPNs you think will fulfill your needs at the lowest cost. We’ve already mentioned the top VPNs for the uTorrent client.

You can choose from the list we’ve provided here or you could look at the ones included in our list of the top ten best VPNs. Don’t underestimate the importance of high-quality customer support and advanced features as you conduct your search.

Once you’ve made up your mind, you need to go to the VPN service provider’s website and sign up for a package that suits your needs. A one-year package usually offers the best discount, but you’re free to sign up for any length of time. Generally speaking, we recommend signing up for a one-year package so you’re not committed to one service for too long if their policies change or the quality of their service declines.log in screen for a vpn with the sign up option selected

While you’re at it, keep an eye on the money-back guarantee in case you end up not liking the VPN you choose.

While the VPNs we’ve discussed are all high-quality, you may come to find some of their features less than adequate for your needs. Most of them offer a money-back guarantee to reduce the risk you’re taking by signing up for their service.

Step 2: Download the VPN’s App

Download the appropriate app for your VPN that has support for your operating system. For example, if you have a machine running Windows 10 then you need to download the .exe file from the downloads page. This page should be easily accessible on the website of your VPN service.

On the other hand, if you want to run the VPN app on your mobile device you’ll probably have to download the app either from Google Play Store or the App Store depending on the operating system of your device.download button for the vpn

In the case of mobile phones, your smartphone will install the app automatically once it’s downloaded the file either from the App Store or Google Play Store. If you’re on a Windows machine you’ll have to navigate to the downloaded file and then double-click it to run the installer. As indicated earlier, all elite VPNs support the vast majority of the most popular operating systems.

Step 3: Launch the VPN App

Once you run the installer, follow the instructions that appear on your screen. Most of the time, the only requirement is clicking the Next button until the installer is done installing the app. However, some VPNs bundle in extra apps that you may not want.a screenshot of windows 10 start menu with the program selected

Keep an eye out for that and uncheck any additional software that the installer may ask to install on your machine. The installation should go smoothly as long as the VPN has support for your operating system.

Step 4: Choose a Server in Your Desired Location

Start a connection between your computer and a VPN server. As you might expect, the closer the VPN server is located to your actual location, the faster it will perform and the less time your download will take.an image of a vpn running where you have an arrow pointing at a list of servers and names of countries including flags

Servers that are far away from your actual location will probably slow down your internet connection because the data will have to first travel to that server and then to your machine. This increases the total distance it has to travel from its source to its destination.

Step 5: Launch uTorrent

With the VPN all set up, all that is left for you is to launch the torrent application. In this case, it is uTorrent. So go ahead and do that.

Step 6: Start Downloading

The last step is to go to a reputable torrent site and start downloading torrents to your heart’s content or your internet connection’s download cap (whichever comes last).

Why You Should Never Use a Free VPN With uTorrent

There’s a panel located at the bottom of every download on uTorrent that says Peers. If you click on it, you can see the IP addresses of almost all the other users in the swarm.

The swarm is what helps you download your desired torrent file.

The point is, it’s easy to see another person’s IP address when using a torrent client like uTorrent. You don’t want to use a free VPN in such a scenario because they usually don’t have the infrastructure to ensure your privacy.

When it comes to privacy and online anonymity, having adequate infrastructure is key.

Moreover, free VPNs rarely provide advanced security features like a kill switch and automatic start. These may not be important to you if you’re just streaming or accessing a website that’s blocked in your country.

However, when you want to use uTorrent to download a file, it’s an absolute must that your IP address doesn’t get leaked. The kill switch feature ensures that your internet access is cut off immediately in the event that your VPN connection goes down. Therefore, it protects you even when you have no internet connection or when the VPN app stops working for one reason or another.

an image of a person in a suit using a laptop which is grey with a screen showcasing a vpn, on the left side there is a white cup of coffee and on the background we can see a plant

Free VPNs also regularly share IP addresses between different users. If you use a free VPN for uTorrent and you get assigned an IP address that was previously assigned to someone who downloaded something illegally, you run the risk of having that download attributed to you. If a law enforcement agency demands that the VPN you’re using hand over user data, you could find yourself in serious trouble.

That conveniently leads us to two other problems with free VPNs. They usually don’t have a zero-logs policy, meaning they store user data, and they’re unable to provide fast servers that few people have used.

Add to that the fact that almost no free VPN allows users to download torrents through their servers and that free VPNs have nearly nonexistent customer support, and you’ll see why we recommend against them.

Conclusion

The best VPNs for uTorrent are the ones that are best suited to your own needs. There are some qualities that you need to take into consideration to make sure you don’t end up with a VPN that doesn’t do what you want it to.

Keep in mind the importance of good customer support as you make your decision about which VPN to use.

Apart from that, torrenting via uTorrent shouldn’t mean that you’re putting your personal information in jeopardy. Activate your VPN before launching uTorrent and then start the process of going to a torrent site and downloading files. These are just some of the low-tech and common-sense steps you have to take to ensure your privacy and online anonymity.

Note:

Sharing and downloading uTorrent files will always be a risky business since, at any given time, the people downloading files illegally will outnumber the people downloading files legally.

VPNs will keep you safe from legal authorities and ISPs. No one will be able to trace your downloads back to you as long as you’re using a VPN while file sharing. Additionally, VPNs will keep your IP address hidden from other uTorrent users.

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Zohair A. Zohair is currently a content crafter at Security Gladiators and has been involved in the technology industry for more than a decade. He is an engineer by training and, naturally, likes to help people solve their tech related problems. When he is not writing, he can usually be found practicing his free-kicks in the ground beside his house.
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