There are hundreds of torrent sites on the internet, but many of them are shady, unreliable, or get shut down now and then.
You should use a good VPN to hide your identity and online traffic if you don’t want anyone to know what you’re downloading. We recommend going with NordVPN. It offers solid cybersecurity and privacy protection, paired with great speeds, real-time malware protection, an ad-blocker and excellent customer support.
We checked and tested many acclaimed torrent sites and here are the top 10 torrent websites that are still active in 2024:
- The Pirate Bay: Best overall torrent site
- 1337x: Awesome torrent site for movies, TV series, and music
- Torrentz2: Best torrent search engine
- YTS: Our recommended torrent website to download HD movies
- EZTV: Torrent site that focuses on TV shows
- LimeTorrents: Superb torrent site for new releases
- FitGirl Repacks: The best for latest game torrents
- Torrends: A unique torrent website
- Torrent Downloads: Good torrent site for obscure and forgotten titles
- IPTorrents: Awesome private torrenting site that requires a donation to enter
Torrenting itself is not illegal, but downloading copyrighted content is. It’s considered piracy and can land you in jail, depending on your jurisdiction. We recommend exercising extreme caution and steering clear of any illegal activities.
If you want to learn more about the most popular torrent sites, keep reading our article below.
Looking for a reliable torrent site can feel like looking for a needle in a haystack. Many torrent sites have shut down or are blocked by internet service providers (ISPs). Others pose as torrent sites but are actually malware-ridden sites that can infect your device and leave your information at the mercy of hackers.
Based on tests of over 50 torrent sites, we’ll show you the 25 best torrent sites. However, you shouldn’t visit any of these sites without a virtual private network (VPN).
We’re not talking about some free, junk VPN you found online. You need the real deal. Not only will a solid VPN unblock torrent sites, but it will also protect your data so others can’t see what you’re downloading while torrenting.
We recommend NordVPN because it has robust encryption, top-tier security protocols, and white-hot speeds needed for torrenting. Its latest version offers real-time malware protection and even an ad-blocker.
Unblock Every Torrent Site and Stay Safe With a VPN
Your internet service provider might block some of your favorite torrent sites or track your torrenting traffic. A VPN is the best tool to unblock and access the best torrent sites easily. It will encrypt your traffic and hide your IP address, making it hard for your ISP or torrent sites to track you.
From our tests, NordVPN is the best VPN for torrenting. Here’s why:
- Dedicated P2P servers which are optimized for unblocking and downloading torrents.
- Fast download speeds, ideal for downloading torrents.
- Obfuscated servers, perfect for free file sharing in countries with restricted internet access.
- Double VPN feature lets you encrypt your traffic twice.
- Use it free for a month, thanks to its 30-day money-back guarantee
The 25 Best Torrent Sites in 2024
Now that you’re browsing safely with a VPN that can protect your privacy, security, and potential barrage of advertisements, let’s look at the 25 torrent sites that still work in 2024.
1. The Pirate Bay: Best overall torrent site
| Type of site | Links |
|---|---|
| Website | The Pirate Bay |
| Mirrors | pirateproxy.space, tpbpirateproxy.org/en, thepiratebay.rocks |
The Pirate Bay has been a crowd favorite for many years and is widely regarded as one of the best torrent sites. It managed to deflect countless blocking attempts, and it’s still going strong with over 18 million monthly users on the main site. However, considering the number of mirrors, that number may be skewed and can go anywhere between 20 and 60 million.
There’s no information on its library size, but it’s safe to assume it’s in the millions. You can expect download speeds of 5 to 6 MB/s, with all other things being equal. Their torrents are often very well-seeded.
The Pirate Bay’s large community ensures at least one seeder on almost any torrent on the site, no matter the age. We were even able to download obscure titles in the public domain released over a decade ago.
On top of all this, this is one of the cleanest torrent sites, as it includes helpful tags that separate trusted sources from malicious uploaders.
Without a doubt, The Pirate Bay is the king of all torrent sites, and with almost no ad intrusion and an active community, it basically has no downsides — except for one.
The Pirate Bay is blocked in many countries, so you might need a VPN like NordVPN to change your virtual location and unblock The Pirate Bay.
Note:
If none of the mirrors work, don’t try to find another one on your own unless you take some safety precautions. There are a lot of phishing scams going around with Pirate Bay copycats, so it’s important that you avoid visiting fake sites.
2. 1337x: Awesome torrent site for movies, television series, and music
| Type of site | Links |
|---|---|
| Website | 1337x |
| Mirrors | 1337x.st (active since Oct. 2017), x1337x.ws (active since Dec. 2017), x1337x.eu (active since Mar. 2018), x1337x.se (active since May. 2018) |
1337x has been online since 2007 and has become a fairly trusted source for people looking for movies, shows, and music. Some people also use it to look for the best game torrents. However, from our research, it looks like The Pirate Bay has more torrents in that category, especially older titles.
A few years ago, 1337x was a bad choice for torrenting since it was clunky to navigate and posed many security risks. Since then, it has gone through a complete site revamp. We found the site seamless to browse and a lot safer.
Based on our recent analysis, 1337x receives up to 53 million visits a month, which makes sense — it’s got an average download speed of 3 to 4 MB/s and virtually no ad intrusion.
The creators only make money through Bitcoin donations, from what we can see. Regardless, it’s easily one of the best torrent sites in the world in 2024.
3. Torrentz2: Best torrent search engine
| Type of site | Links |
|---|---|
| Website | Torrentz2 |
| Mirrors | torrentz2eu.org, torrentz2.cyou |
Note:
The last time we checked it, Torrentz2 had problems finding some game torrent files. We’ll update this article if the problem persists.
Torrentz2’s predecessor (Torrentz) first appeared in 2003 as a unique torrent search engine. It wasn’t a torrent site but a metasearch engine that indexed files from popular P2P platforms like The Pirate Bay, for example. Unfortunately, it was shut down in 2016 due to numerous legal issues.
Its clone was established the very same year — and it still works today. It follows in the footsteps of the original platform and saves you a ton of time sifting through multiple P2P sites. It gets 10 to 20 million hits monthly and indexes all types of content you can imagine.
Overall, Torrentz2 is a great torrent search engine for helping you find what you’re looking for. While we were testing it, Torrentz2 searched through torrent sites we never knew existed. It might just be your saving grace when everything else has failed.
It sends you to different sites, you might wind up in unfamiliar territory. Going in without a VPN (or a shoddy free VPN) could open your online activity to all sorts of prying eyes — including hackers, trackers, or even authorities, depending on what country you are in.
4. YTS: Our recommended torrent website for downloading HD movies
| Type of site | Links |
|---|---|
| Website | YTS |
| Mirrors | yts.am, yts.pm, yts.lt (but so far the site has never been taken down) |
If you’re looking for a specific movie, YTS is your best bet. This uncrowned successor to the YIFY group is, by all accounts, the second most popular torrent site (after The Pirate Bay).
We found that the site specializes in torrents with HD quality and small size, optimizing for any device or bandwidth. Moreover, we did not experience a lot of ad intrusion, and the interface was beautiful. It’s simply one of the best torrent sites for downloading movies. You can expect download speeds between 3 and 4 MB/s.
We found that classics are readily available on the platform. In fact, it’s the only torrent site where we could find movies like 12 Angry Men in 1080p. If you’re looking for obscure movies that are difficult to find, this is one of the top torrent sites to check out.
Note that YTS has been hit with numerous lawsuits in the past, resulting in them handing over user info to various organizations. With that in mind, we wouldn’t recommend using it without a bulletproof VPN like NordVPN to protect your data from sites like these.
5. EZTV: Torrent site that focuses on TV shows
| Type of site | Links |
|---|---|
| Website | EZTV |
| Mirrors | eztv.wf, eztv.yt, eztv.tf |
If you want high-definition episodes of your favorite shows, EZTV is one of the best torrent sites to check out. It doesn’t have a huge library when compared to behemoths like The Pirate Bay, but it’s focused on TV shows, and it’s the place to find any new releases in HD.
The seeder/leecher ratio is pretty decent thanks to its active community, clocking in at around 20 million visitors per month. We searched for older titles like “Two and a Half Men” and found that and many other older TV shows.
We even tried going for more obscure titles that you can watch on BBC iPlayer, like the British show “Midsomer Murders.” EZTV has a large variety of torrents for the new releases for almost all series, and finding older episodes is incredibly easy.
While ad intrusion is sometimes a bit annoying, the library size and decent download speed of 2 to 3 MB/s are enough to keep your binging needs in check.
6. LimeTorrents: Superb torrent site for new releases
| Type of site | Links |
|---|---|
| Website | LimeTorrents |
| Mirrors | limetorrents.asia, limetorrents.zone, limetorrents.co, limetor.com, limetor.pro |
Note:
On our last check of LimeTorrents, ad intrusion got even more annoying than usual. If this problem persists, we’ll update our list accordingly.
LimeTorrents is one of the best torrent sites for new releases. With a seamless interface and a very good seeder/leecher ratio on new torrents, it’s a solid choice for torrenters everywhere. LimeTorrents has been around since 2009, and its library can give The Pirate Bay a run for its money.
The average download speed from LimeTorrents is 3 to 4 MB/s, and the site has close to 20 million users a month. Of course, remember that’s based on the seeder to leecher ratio. It’s currently banned only in the UK, France, and Australia but can still be accessed with a good VPN.
What we like about LimeTorrents compared to other torrent sites is you can stream movies right there on the site instead of downloading. This saves you a lot of time waiting for downloads to finish. In our tests, we found the streaming to be reliable, too. Once we hit play, the movie streamed smoothly.
However, it’s lower on our list of the top torrent sites because you won’t find plenty of seeders for older torrents, and ad intrusion can get annoying at times.
7. FitGirl Repacks: The best for the latest game torrents
| Type of site | Links |
|---|---|
| Website | FitGirl Repacks |
| Mirrors | N/A |
FitGirl is the go-to site for serious gamers who want the latest and most authentic gaming torrents. The games are as close to the original as you can get. FitGirl states that most games are 100% lossless and MD5 perfect.
More importantly, the games are compressed to almost 90% of their initial size. This means faster downloads for your games. In addition, every game has a summary of requirements and features, such as HDD space and RAM space required, installation time, and a description for each game.
There’s also a “Monthly Archive” section that makes it easy to find a specific game that you may be looking for. If you want authentic latest and old games that are safe, FitGirl is the best torrent site for you.
8. Torrends: A unique torrent website
| Type of site | Links |
|---|---|
| Website | Torrends |
| Mirrors | N/A |
Note:
Recently, this website seems to be down quite often. During our latest pass, we were able to use the search option once, but couldn’t click on the results the next go-around.
Like Torrentz2, Torrends just tracks all torrents from popular sites like The Pirate Bay and 1337x. It’s yet another torrent search engine that saves you a lot of time and effort.
The download speed and all other relevant metrics are the same as you’d find on the specific site Torrends.to pulls data from. However, we do want to praise its seamless design and minimal ad intrusion we encountered while testing the site.
With a little under five million hits a month and a quirky data set to show what’s trending, using Torrends.to could be a good choice if you’re looking for obscure titles and want all of your results in one place.
9. Torrent Downloads: Good torrent site for obscure and forgotten titles
| Type of site | Links |
|---|---|
| Website | Torrent Downloads |
| Mirrors | torrentdownloads.net, torrentdownloads.me |
Note:
This website attempts to open an additional browser tab with advertisements. Not harmful, but annoying.
Torrent Downloads is one of the classics on the scene. Still, their traffic has slowly decreased over time (it’s sitting at around five million users a month) due to Pirate Bay’s and other torrent sites’ considerably larger libraries. Moreover, since it’s been targeted by government investigations, it’s not available in a lot of regions.
However, it is a good option for more obscure titles in all categories, so we included it in our list of the best torrent sites. Hence, if you’ve been looking for an old video game on some of the best game torrent sites and you can’t find it or are on the lookout for a rare book, you can try a quick search on Torrent Downloads. Asian titles specifically seem to take a big part of their servers.
Average torrent download speeds ranged between 2 to 3 MB/s when we were testing the site, and the ad intrusion did get bothersome at times. If you get annoyed with the ads on this site, NordVPN has introduced a new feature called Threat Protection Lite which serves as an ad-blocker and protects you from malicious domains.
10. IPTorrents: Awesome private torrenting site that requires a donation to enter
| Type of site | Links |
|---|---|
| Website | IPTorrents |
| Mirrors | N/A |
Now for the private torrenting sites. IPTorrents is one of the biggest private torrenting sites (meaning that you’ll need an invitation to get in), boasting a big library, an active community, and virtually no ad intrusion.
Also, private torrenting sites are generally safer because it’s more difficult for users with bad intentions to get in.
Last, and perhaps most importantly for many, private torrenting sites generally have significantly higher streaming speeds than public ones because members have seeding quotas they need to comply with. If you’re willing to pay, this is one of the best private torrent sites around.
11. Bibliotik: A torrent site for ebook lovers
| Type of site | Links |
|---|---|
| Website | Bibliotik |
| Mirrors | N/A |
Bibliotik is the largest private torrenting site for downloading ebooks. Whether you’re an undergraduate doing research or just looking for an obscure franchise like the Nick Stone series, Bibliotik is bound to have what you need, earning a spot in our best torrent sites list.
With a library size and a traffic count clocking in the hundreds of thousands, it’s a decent choice, but it’s unfortunately not accepting new members. That said, if you can get in, it’s easily one of the top torrent sites. Even with its close-knit circle, we’d recommend using higher class of VPN before trying to get in.
12. TorrentFunk: Great source of magnet links
| Type of site | Links |
|---|---|
| Website | TorrentFunk |
| Mirrors | torrentfunk2.com |
For the longest time, TorrentFunk was in the “Torrent sites to avoid” section of this article. Although it was launched over 10 years ago, and it had a decent reputation, its user experience was lacking. The ads were just too annoying. Luckily, that’s not the case anymore.
TorrentFunk had a recent makeover, and it got rid of most of its ads. We liked its user interface and its great library of magnet links for direct torrent downloads. All the files are separated by different categories, and you can access a list of the most recent and popular files right from the homepage.
Regardless, if you’re not using a VPN — or using one that’s poorly rated on our site — don’t hit TorrentFunk without cybersecurity protection like NordVPN.
13. Nyaa.si: Best for anime
| Type of site | Links |
|---|---|
| Website | Nyaa |
| Mirrors | nyaa.iss.one, nyaa.ink |
Nyaa is a dedicated torrent site for anime. Roughly 46 million anime fans pass through Nyaa every month. And it’s not hard to understand why. Nyaa has a variety of anime, from anime raw to English dubs, that are excellent and synchronized well. It can even compete with some of the best free anime streaming sites.
Thanks to its popularity, we downloaded our latest anime shows on Nyaa super fast, and the quality was superb. To get the torrents with the most seeds (which results in faster downloads), in the header of the table, click on the up arrow. This will arrange the anime torrents in descending order based on download speed (number of seeders).
Content on Nyaa ranges from movies, TV shows, pictures, and software.
14. isoHunt: Reliable site with a variety of torrents
| Type of site | Links |
|---|---|
| Website | isoHunt |
| Mirrors | isohunt.nz |
isoHunt has been serving torrents to users for a long time. It has a vast library of different content that’s updated quite frequently. You should expect to find TV shows, ebooks, software, movies, games, and so much more.
We especially liked that the game selection is well-updated and has some of the latest games, such as Alien Descent. However, isoHunt relies on unverified uploaders to upload content to the website. This can be dangerous since the uploaders can infuse malware like spyware in the files and go unnoticed.
We recommend you use a VPN with isoHunt, like NordVPN, to ensure you stay safe when downloading from the site. It not only protects and secures your data with encryption, but also has a built-in ad blocker and real-time malware protection.
15. Demonoid: A popular and trusted torrent website among the torrent community
| Type of site | Links |
|---|---|
| Website | Demonoid |
| Mirrors | N/A |
Demonoid is a long-standing torrent site that has withstood the test of time. It’s seen many torrent sites come and go, but it continues to maintain its position as one of the best torrent sites trusted by the torrent community.
The site has a simple and approachable interface with everything, from torrents to a forum. However, Demonoid requires users to sign up for an account to access the torrents. This is to ensure that it maintains a trusted community of loyal users who contribute to the site.
For this reason, the torrents are of high quality, with many seeders and few leechers. Unfortunately, signup to the site is usually closed, and users must wait for the next open sign-up season. To keep track, we encourage you to hang out in the Demoinoid subreddit (r/Demonoid).
They usually announce when they are allowing signups, or you can ask other users in the subreddit to share an invitation code, which will allow you to sign up for an account immediately.
Unfortunately, users in certain parts of the world, such as Australia and some Asian countries, are blocked from accessing Demonoid. To bypass online censorship and restrictions and access Demonoid, we recommend you use NordVPN.
16. RuTracker: Russian torrent site with a vast library
| Type of site | Links |
|---|---|
| Website | RuTracker |
| Mirrors | rutracker.net, rutracker.nl |
RuTracker is a Russian-owned torrent site that has existed for eons. The site is safe to use according to our tests and the feedback from loyal Reddit users. It boasts a massive library of different content ranging from TV shows to apps. It also has obscure content, such as music production plugins.
Unfortunately, it requires users to sign up for an account and join the 15 million-user torrent community before they can download any content. Luckily, unlike other torrent sites that close signups, users can register with RuTracker at any time. Just be sure to read the numerous rules and adhere to them to avoid a ban.
Regardless, you’ll want to protect your true identity in torrenting communities that large. While free or subpar VPNs can’t pull this off, our top-rated NordVPN certainly can.
17. SolidTorrents: User-friendly torrent site
| Type of site | Links |
|---|---|
| Website | SolidTorrents |
| Mirrors | solidtorrents.net |
SolidTorrents is a torrent search engine that sources torrent links from third parties and serves the files to users. We found the site to have a pleasant and clean user interface that made it easy to find what we were looking for. There were multiple filters to aid us with our search, such as filtering content by year, rating, country, and more.
Unfortunately, in our tests, we noticed the site has outdated content across all categories. So this is not the place to search for the latest movies or TV shows. For that, browse our comprehensive free movie sites article.
Furthermore, the library is quite limited to TV series, movies, anime, videos, music, and software. However, you can find movies and shows in multiple languages from different countries, such as Japan and India.
18. DirtyTorrents: Great categorization of torrents
| Type of site | Links |
|---|---|
| Website | DirtyTorrents |
| Mirrors | N/A |
DirtyTorrents is a torrent indexer that scrapes other torrent websites, such as YTS, for content. It has a neat interface with great categorization of content, and this is why we included it in our best torrent sites list.
Not looking for something specific? Utilize the “Recent” category to find all the content uploaded in the last 24 hours. This varies from movies, games, apps, adult films, music, and more.
However, when we clicked on a torrent to download it, we were redirected to another site to download the file. This adds an annoying step that affected our experience.
It’s crucial to note that the content hosted on DirtyTorrents is mostly copyrighted material that’s illegal to download since the torrent site is not licensed. While there is plenty of legal torrents available to download, if you want to proceed, we urge you to use a proven VPN to hide your data and traffic so others don’t know what you’re downloading.
19. Bitport: Great for downloading torrents in the cloud
| Type of site | Links |
|---|---|
| Website | Bitport |
| Mirrors | N/A |
Bitport relieves you of the risk of downloading torrents directly to your computer. Instead, you download the torrents to your Bitport cloud and access them from there without them ever touching your computer. This is one of the reasons we have included it in our top torrent sites list.
This not only relieves you from downloading malware but also from breaking the law when you download copyrighted content. Bitport is also convenient since you can download your torrents from anywhere. For example, you can start your downloads on your phone while on the go and find the downloaded file(s) ready when you get home.
For media files such as movies, music, and even some of the best Netflix shows, you can stream them online on your favorite devices, such as PC, Android, and iPhone devices, and more.
20. idope: Simple site with a vast library of torrents
| Type of site | Links |
|---|---|
| Website | idope |
| Mirrors | idope.pw, idope.buzz |
The site idope is a frequently updated torrent site with a wide variety of content, which includes movies, TV shows, music, anime, games, and more. There’s also a handy filter known as “Trending” that allows you to discover new content.
We found that idope has a decent amount of seeders for its files which allowed us to download content fast. We also say that it has the latest content, such as newly released episodes of Secret Invasion and the Adobe InDesign 2023 software.
Please note that idope may contain copyrighted content, so accessing this material can get you in trouble. Be sure to use a VPN such as NordVPN to hide your IP address if you’re venturing into that territory — though we don’t recommend it.
By masking your IP, and, therefore your online identity, NordVPN will protect your personal information from prying eyes on idope.
21. YourBittorrent: Simple site with verified torrents
| Type of site | Links |
|---|---|
| Website | YourBittorrent |
| Mirrors | https://yourbittorrent2.com/ |
YourBittorrent is a simple site that has all the latest torrents on the homepage. From TV shows to anime, you’ll be sure to get the latest releases immediately after you land on the site. This definitely earns it a spot on our best torrent sites list.
The site gets its torrents from multiple sources. So you could have one file with multiple listings based on where it’s sourced from. We also like that it has verified torrents that are safe for download. There’s a “New & Verified” category that will list the latest and verified torrents only.
22. AniDex: Great anime alternative to Nyaa
| Type of site | Links |
|---|---|
| Website | AniDex |
| Mirrors | N/A |
AniDex is an anime torrent website that’s updated frequently. You can expect to find pictures, audio, games, manga, and all things anime. It has a great library with subtitles but is not as vast as Nyaa. Also, it has a limited library of anime dubs.
However, if you don’t find a specific anime title on Nyaa, AniDex is a great place to take a look. It’s crucial to note that some users have come across malware like Trojans on the site.
If you have to download content from AniDex, be sure to use an effective VPN with malware protection like NordVPN.
23. Public Domain Torrents: Free movies that are legal to download
| Type of site | Links |
|---|---|
| Website | Public Domain Torrents |
| Mirrors | N/A |
Public Domain Torrents is a legal site where you can download movies for free. These movies are in the public domain and listed as torrents on the website. So you shouldn’t be too concerned about breaking the law when downloading movies from this site.
Unfortunately, you won’t find the latest movies on Public Domain Torrents. However, there are old movies such as Sherlock Holmes, Charlie Chaplin, and other classics that will keep you entertained.
24. REDacted: Invite-only torrent tracker for music
| Type of site | Links |
|---|---|
| Website | RED |
| Mirrors | N/A |
RED is a private torrent tracker that boasts a massive music library (1,000,000+ torrents). Unfortunately, it being a private tracker, you’ll need to pass an interview that gauges your knowledge in music to get in.
In some cases, you can get an invite from other members of RED’s official IIRC channel, but that’s quite rare. If you’re lucky to pass the interview, not only will you get access to an ocean of music but also a great community that’s passionate about it.
Your downloads will be fast since all torrents are well-seeded by the community. They’ll also be safe since uploads are verified to ensure they are free of malware.
25. MyAnonaMouse: Best private tracker for ebooks and audiobooks
| Type of site | Links |
|---|---|
| Website | MyAnonaMouse |
| Mirrors | N/A |
MyAnonaMouse is yet another private tracker that’s dedicated to providing users with free ebooks and audiobooks. It has legal books, comics, music, and magazines as part of its library of over 60,000 torrents.
Like the majority of renowned private trackers, MyAnonaMouse has an interview process that prospects have to pass to be admitted to the site. You can find available interview time slots on the site’s homepage.
Fortunately, MyAnonaMouse is a bit lenient with interviews as compared to other trackers like RED. However, if you score an invite, be sure to read the rules carefully and abide by them. Otherwise, it’s easy to get suspended or banned.
Factors to Consider When Selecting the Best Torrent Sites
When choosing between the best torrent sites, there are several factors to consider if you want to have a smooth experience with fast download speeds and minimal ad intrusion.
Here’s what to look for when selecting the best torrent site.
- Download speed: This will help you gauge how long it will take for files to download to your device. Note that your average download depends largely on the torrent site’s seeder/leecher ratio.
- Monthly traffic: If many people are trooping a particular website, it’s a sign that it’s popular and likely offering useful content.
- Library size and torrent type: The larger a torrent site’s library, the higher the chances of finding your favorite content. Also, look for sites with a wide range of torrent files, from movies to games. In some cases, specialized torrent sites offer better niche content than large torrent sites.
- Comments and ratings: Read the comments and ratings from other users who have downloaded the same torrent. This can provide valuable information about the quality and safety of the file. Pay extra attention to comments about computer worms, malware, or other issues.
- Ad intrusion: If you have to go through multiple ads to download one file, that torrent site might not be worthwhile. Some of such ads might contain malware and viruses.
How to Use Torrent Sites
A torrent is a small file with metadata about the files you’re trying to get. To download a torrent, we need a special program called a P2P client, also known as a torrent client.
A P2P client reads the metadata in a torrent file and includes your computer in a relevant P2P network. So, you’re basically downloading the file from people who already have it and are “seeding” it at that moment. If there are no seeders, your download won’t even start.
Here’s a short step-by-step guide on using torrent sites:
- You’ll need a torrent client. We recommend qBittorrent, a free, open-source, and ad-free torrent client. Other popular options include uTorrent and BitTorrent, but prepare to face plenty of ads when using those.
- Install your torrent client.
- Navigate to the torrent you want to download and either download the torrent or open the magnet link.
- If prompted by your browser to “Choose an application” while opening the magnet link, pick your torrent client from the list of programs.
- Your torrent client will open a pop-up window that displays information about your chosen torrent. In this window, you can choose the download location, edit categories, and more.
- Confirm your torrent download by clicking “OK.” Your download should begin shortly after.
When your file has been downloaded, go to the place it has been saved on your device and view it.
You shouldn’t download torrents without taking safety precautions. Otherwise, you expose your identity and leave your device vulnerable to malware, viruses, and phishing campaigns.
Here are the steps you should take while downloading torrents:
- Use a VPN: A VPN will route your connection through a secure server, allow you to access blocked torrent sites, and help you remain anonymous. Make sure you get a VPN with dedicated P2P servers, like NordVPN. This type of server guarantees fast speeds when doing peer-to-peer file sharing.
- Configure your VPN settings. Ensure you enable connection encryption, leak protection, and the kill switch. Using a kill switch will prevent your connection from being exposed when your VPN connection suddenly drops.
- Install an ad blocker. Ads on torrenting sites sometimes take the form of a fake download button. Using an ad blocker disables ads altogether. You’ll never have to be confused about what to click or worry about accidentally downloading malware.
This is why we’ve settled on NordVPN as our No. 1 torrenting VPN. Not only does it offer 256-bit AES encryption to secure your private data and online traffic, but it also has a built-in ad-blocker and real-time malware protection.
Ultimately, beware of fake download links. In an attempt to make money from your clicks, torrent sites will display a more predominant button that won’t download the torrent file but rather a different, unrelated software.
You can easily check the validity of download buttons by hovering over the button or link. Doing so should display the URL on the bottom left of your browser.
How to Access Private Torrent Sites
Many countries have their own regional private torrent sites, and they all seem impossible to get into. We took a deep dive into the world of the best torrent sites that are private, and we were able to obtain invitations for some of them.
For example, we got in on FileList, which is Romania’s largest private torrent site.
Reddit, 8chan, and anonymity-focused forums have threads on torrenting. Occasionally, invitations will be posted there for a limited time. You can also check the sites themselves periodically (some have open registrations throughout the year) or visit the r/OpenSignups subreddit.
This is the worst-case scenario when you don’t know anyone on the inside. Ideally, you already know someone who has an account with a private tracker, and you can ask for an invitation. That’s how most people access private torrent sites.
Torrent Sites to Avoid
There are a few popular torrenting sites that still get a lot of traffic, and you’ll find some roundups recommending them.
While you don’t risk anything per se when using those sites, they’re usually just ad-riddled, inferior versions of the aforementioned platforms. We outline a few of them below.
TorrentGalaxy
TorrentGalaxy is like a downgraded version of 1337x. While it does have almost eight million visitors each month and boasts a decent library, the ad intrusion level is too severe to warrant praise, especially when compared to all the alternatives you have.
Kickass Torrents
Yes, a version of this website is still available online. Unfortunately, this is the Kickass Torrents you’re used to only in name and appearance — the service has changed a lot since the original site was taken down.
If you want to download anything using the current version of the site, you’ll have to install an obscure browser extension first. We don’t know what it may contain, but we do not recommend installing it under any circumstance, as it may pose serious privacy and security risks. It’s better to use one of the many Kickass Torrents alternatives.
ExtraTorrents
ExtraTorrents was a popular torrent website that operated from 2006 until it was shut down in 2017. It was one of the most visited torrent sites, only rivaled by The Pirate Bay. It offered a wide selection of content, such as movies, TV shows, music, software, and games.
However, despite its popularity, ExtraTorrents faced numerous legal challenges over the years, leading to its eventual shutdown. Clone ExtraTorrent alternatives started popping up after that, but they proved to be malicious and unofficial. You can read our ExtraTorrent alternatives guide for legitimate alternative ExtraTorrent sites.
Torlock
Torlock is a solid torrent site. For a long time, we even recommended it as one of the best torrent sites. Unfortunately, it’s riddled the website with ads of all kinds, making it hard to navigate.
Which Torrent Sites Are Safe?
The Pirate Bay and the private torrent sites are reputed to be safe. In general, you shouldn’t have a problem downloading anything through the sites in our roundup as long as you employ the best safety practices we’ve mentioned.
We advise against downloading torrents from any random site that pops up after a Google search, and we definitely recommend you stay up to date with your safety-enhancing software. If you do that, your computer should be safe from harm when downloading torrents.
RARBG: Say goodbye to this giant torrent site
RARBG was one of the largest directories of torrents and is famous for its active community of seeders and high-quality torrents. In May 2023, the torrent giant closed its digital doors, much to the dismay of its estimated 40 million monthly visitors.
The site was already banned in a number of countries, including Turkey, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Portugal, Australia, the United Kingdom, and others, although this does not seem to be related to the reason for the site’s closure. RARBG references several factors behind their decision to stop offering downloads, including health problems and the Russia/Ukraine conflict.
RARBG used to be the go-to torrenting solution for users all over the world. Luckily, the sites in the list above can serve as excellent RARBG alternatives!
Is Torrenting Legal?
Torrenting itself is legal since it’s just sharing data between people. However, you need to beware of torrents that contain copyrighted content. Some scammers even mislabel their torrents to trick you into illegally downloading copyrighted movies, shows, games, or music.
Remember that downloading and sharing copyrighted material without the approval of its creator is illegal, and in some countries, torrenting may lead to legal repercussions.
Different countries have different approaches to torrenting. Here’s an overview to give you an idea of what to expect.
| Stance on Torrenting | Countries |
|---|---|
| Torrenting is completely banned | Russia, China, Italy, Malaysia, the US, Australia, Portugal, South Africa, and Latvia |
| Downloading copyrighted content is fined | The UK, Germany, France, Japan, Finland, and the UAE |
| Torrenting is monitored, and some sites are banned | Canada, Greece, Netherlands, Romania, Israel, Mexico, Czech Republic, Uruguay, India, Columbia, Slovenia, Slovakia, Argentina, Brazil, Philippines, Egypt, Iran, Denmark, and Singapore |
| Downloading copyrighted content is allowed for personal use | Spain and Switzerland |
Stay safe on the web with the right VPN and by taking the proper security measures. And, of course, check the jurisdiction of the country you’re in and steer clear of illegal activities when using torrent sites.
What Do People Download From Torrent Sites?
Are you curious about what other people download from the best torrent sites? Below, you can see a top 10 list of the most downloaded HD movies and TV shows from this month.
We used The Pirate Bay data to create this roundup. The Pirate Bay is the most well-known torrenting site, so the most popular movies there will likely be popular across the board.
- To End All War: Oppenheimer & the Atomic Bomb
- Nowhere
- Barbie
- Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny
- Saw X
- Anatomy of a Fall
- The Super Marios Bros. Movie
- The Other Zoey
- American Psycho
- Rick and Morty
Disclaimer:
Torrenting is legal, but downloading copyrighted material is considered illegal in many countries and may land you in legal trouble. VPNOverview does not condone piracy, and we advise you to always check your local laws and regulations before torrenting copyrighted content.
Conclusion: The Best Torrent Sites
Torrenting sites are fantastic communities and libraries of file trackers. However, it’s important to remember that downloading copyrighted material without permission is illegal in many countries and can result in legal consequences.
On top of government restrictions on P2P file sharing, torrent sites also pose the risk of contracting malware and viruses. Our studies showed that most torrent sites display ads, which can be used to track your activity across different websites.
Avoiding the pitfalls of torrenting requires using a privacy-first and ultra-secure VPN, plus sticking to verified and trusted torrenting sites like our top 25 list. We recommend using NordVPN to encrypt your online activity while protecting you from malware and ad bombardment when browsing the best torrent sites on this list.
Do you have a question about torrenting and the best torrent websites? Read our FAQ!
The Pirate Bay is one of the best torrenting websites of 2024. YTS on the other hand, mainly offers HD movies and a very nice interface, whereas Bibliotik is a great torrent site for books.
There are some shady torrent websites on the web that might show you a lot of (questionable) intrusive ads or even spread malware on your system.
Nevertheless, there are also good and safe torrent sites, such as The Pirate Bay. Whichever torrent site you use, it’s important to take a few safety measures (such as using a VPN) to keep your data safe and your identity anonymous. You can check out our full review of NordVPN, VPNOverview’s No. 1 VPN for torrenting.
Torrenting itself is legal. After all, it’s just data sharing between two devices. However, torrenting copyrighted material can land you in trouble. This is illegal in a lot of countries, punishable under many jurisdictions, and something we discourage.
Curious? Read more about the legality of torrenting.
Dear Mr. Janssen, I learned alot from this page....as a novice torrenter....and senior citizen there is ALOT to learn....I found your article informative and a definate help to my torrenting mission.....:-) thanks again for your good work.
Dear Jennifer,
We really appreciate your kind words and are happy that our article was helpful to you.
I would like to (also) point out that NORD VPN is advertised quite a bit on this page, so I've been considering it. But after talking with NORD, and asking specifically about the very popular free "BitTorrent" for actually running P2P torrents, below is a quote from their response. (Note they just said "torrent", but I'm sure they mean BitTorrent since that's what I asked about.) So has anyone found that their installation of Nord prevented torrents from working?: .....
Nord's reply to my question:
"Regarding, torrent usage it may not work with NordVPN proxies, or proxies in general, simply because Trackers, not seeders themselves, will block any connection when the torrent client reports that it is using proxies. We cannot circumvent this block, as it is impossible to hide the fact that a torrent client is using proxies."
Hi Randy,
Thanks for your comment! As for our own experience with NordVPN (we test it monthly and many of us use it on a daily basis), we've never had this issue as far as I'm aware. From Nord's reply, it sounds like trackers blocking proxies is a possibility, but not a very common occurrence.
Maybe some of our other readers would like to pitch in with their own experiences, too.
Don't mean to take the talk away from NordVPN, but I use ProtonVPN and they specifically call out you are welcome to use P2P services with it enabled. Been a paying customer for 1 1/2 years (they are free versions of the VPN also) and never had an issue and the speed is always great. You get a few other extras like drive space and calendar, but the VPN and Password Manager is what I use it for.
Hello! We are definitely Proton VPN fans ourselves as well! For this particular purpose, we recommend NordVPN because it's slightly more budget-friendly than Proton. But Proton VPN definitely does a good job at protecting P2P traffic, too!
the piratebay has been compromised, apparently with complaints going back to May 2023. As of Late August its still useless. You CAN search for and get a list of tottents, but clicking anywhere on the page (regardless of whether its a magnet site link or even just a blank white area) will open another browser tab with a download button, encouraging you to click it to start your download. The download will have nothing to do with your selected torrent, and if you have any kind of threat protection in your browser it will warn you not to proceed. You can google more folks reporting the problem with the phrase "thepiratebay has been hacked", and may even find some promises to rebuild it from backups and fix it. But 3 months later its still a trap waiting to make you download and install malware. The site has always been risky, but for now its completely useless
Thank you for sharing, Randy! We're looking into it, but as of five minutes ago, the link provided in this article appears to work as it should! There may be other TPB mirrors out there with dangerous content, however, so definitely be careful with that. If anything changes, we will of course update the information in our article accordingly.
IPTorrents does not require a donation, it requires an invite.
Both actually work! You can get in through an invite from an active member, or get a VIP account through a donation. We clarified this section of the article to highlight this a bit more. Thank you for your comment!
Hi,
Please, how can I subscribe for an account in bibliotik.me?
Thank you
Hi! Bibliotik only opens its platform to new members on occasion. If you'd like to get an account, unfortunately you'll have to wait for them to open up their invites again.
I couldn't download the torrent at 1337x it kept on opening a pop up, even with ad blocker. I went somewhere else.
Annoying that it kept coming up with popups. Luckily there are plenty of sites on the list for you to try out instead. If you'd like, you can also try downloading a different adblocker. Ours (uBlock Origin) didn't come up with any popups.
Why do these sites "attack" your computer when clicking their links. RARBG is notorious for it. Can't they sell regular ads like everyone else?
RARBG is my favorite torrent site. It has always worked perfectly and ad-free for me, because I use Epic Privacy Browser. I access all torrent sites from Epic. If you use a VPN, it won't matter whether you have Epic's proxy on or off.
In communities on Reddit, people say TBP is not safe. Nor do they recommend uTorrent and BitTorrent.
tbh I use TPB but only download from trusted sources (the one with the pink or green marks next to their name) and I use qBitTorrent as it's free and open source.
When I attempt to download off Torrent downloads. It shows the content to be 2.48GB. However once loaded into uTorrent it shows as ~250kb and says it a "downloader.exe". How safe is that???
That is not safe at all you are downloading a virus please don't go on that site
Gracias por el artículo, me resultó muy útil