ExtraTorrent was one of the largest torrent websites that ever existed. The site was popular thanks to its enormous and frequently updated library of movies, TV shows, e-books, video games, and much more.
However, ExtraTorrent doesn’t exist anymore. But there are a lot of P2P torrent sites that make great ExtraTorrent alternatives, such as:
- The Pirate Bay: Best overall torrent site
- 1337x: Best for software and TV Shows
- TorrentDownloads: Good ExtraTorrent alternative for all entertainment software
- YTS: Good range of movie torrents
- LimeTorrents: Best for the latest torrents
- Nyaa.si: Great ExtraTorrent alternative for anime
- EZTV: Best for TV shows
- Torlock: Big library with good seeds
- Torrentz2: Largest torrent search engine
- TorrentFunk: Big database of torrents
- BitLord: A torrent client with Chromecast support
- torrentHound: Downloadable torrent app
Since many countries block torrent sites altogether, it’s a wise idea to use a good VPN provider. NordVPN is our No.1 VPN for unblocking torrenting sites. Moreover, NordVPN will safeguard your information and encrypt your data, providing better security overall.
In the article below, we dive into each of these ExtraTorrent alternatives and review them in detail.
ExtraTorrent was shut down six years ago, but many are still looking for reliable alternatives to the torrenting platform. This spawned a bunch of ExtraTorrent proxy sites, especially popular ones like extratorrents.cc, though they were mostly used for malicious activity, such as phishing or for spreading malware.
We tested a host of torrent sites to find the best ExtraTorrent alternatives that aren’t harmful and have been around for a while. In this article, we’ll talk about the 12 best ExtraTorrent alternatives that are active and running.
However, keep in mind that when using any torrenting site, it is best to ensure you are protected from malicious software that you may accidentally download. The best way to do that is with NordVPN‘s Threat Protection feature, which will safeguard you against malware.
Are ExtraTorrent Alternatives Safe?
When ExtraTorrent shut down, it wiped its database clean and took down its official mirror sites. As a result, copycat websites and mirror sites popped up.
But beware of clones or copycats pretending to be ExtraTorrent. Before the original site went down, they sent out a message asking users to avoid fakes. It’s good advice, and we agree. We also recommend a host of tips for staying safe on ExtraTorrent alternatives, such as:
- Subscribe to a VPN to encrypt your data. Our extensive tests with NordVPN revealed that this service can effectively safeguard your sensitive information as it offers robust AES 256-bit encryption along with many other security features.
- Use antivirus software. By downloading top antivirus software, you will be protected against all types of malware, like viruses and Trojans.
- Go to reputable torrent sites. Using well-known sites to download torrents will make it more likely that you can access clean files.
- Download verified torrents only. These types of files are safe to download as they have been vetted by users.
- Choose torrents with a high number of seeds. If you want to have access to your torrent quickly, opt for a file with many seeders, as this will increase the speed of the download.
- Check comments on the site. It is always a good idea to see what others say about the torrent you want to download.
We firmly recommend that you avoid any sites that are using a similar domain name to ExtraTorrent and instead rely on the safe ExtraTorrent alternatives that we highlight below. Moreover, if you want to ensure you are protected when visiting torrenting sites, we highly recommend using a top VPN provider, like NordVPN, to encrypt your data.
Note:
While torrenting is allowed in most countries, downloading and distributing copyrighted material is illegal. We strongly recommend that you check the rules and regulations in your country before you begin torrenting.
The 12 Best ExtraTorrent Alternatives
ExtraTorrent was popular due to its enormous and frequently updated library, reliability, and ease of use. After researching dozens of torrent sites, we rounded up the 12 best alternatives to ExtraTorrent based on those criteria.
1. The Pirate Bay: Best overall torrent site
The Pirate Bay is popularly known as the king of torrent sites. It boasts a massive library of music, books, movies, TV shows, software, videos, and everything in between.
It is considered one of the best torrent sites as it is easy to use and navigate due to its search feature and filtering options. For example, we could filter content on the site by “Top 100,” and we could also browse torrents by categories such as movies.
The Pirate Bay distinguishes itself among prominent ExtraTorrent alternatives because it makes it easy to find safe torrent downloads. Each file has a color-coded skull assigned. A green skull means trusted, while a purple skull means VIP, indicating the torrent is verified and safe to download.
Unfortunately, The Pirate Bay is still blocked in over 20 countries, including Brazil, Argentina, Belgium, and Italy. If you can’t access the website, you can use a VPN to do so. NordVPN can help you change your IP address and virtual location and access The Pirate Bay easily.
2. 1337x: Best for software and TV shows
1337x has a long history of controversy, as does any peer-to-peer torrent service that has survived the test of time. From being banned by search engines like Google to being infected with malware, 1337x has had its fair share of issues. So why is it on our ExtraTorrent alternatives list?
In October 2016, the site took a new turn; it was redesigned with a fresh look and feel, and all malware was removed. While testing the torrent site, we really liked its user-friendly interface and the fact that it had no ads. We were also impressed with its large library of updated content. This P2P torrent site is particularly well-known for the latest releases.
Although, unlike The Pirate Bay, it doesn’t have a direct identifier for safe torrents. But you can still identify genuine uploaders by clicking on their username and checking their upload history.
The longer the upload history, the more authentic their uploads will likely be. So, with a little care when you download torrent files, you should have no problems using 1337x.
3. TorrentDownloads: Good ExtraTorrent alternative for all entertainment software
TorrentDownloads is a bit of a jack of all trades regarding torrenting sites. We found filters for TV shows, movies, music, games, and other entertainment content. Everything’s pretty well laid out to boot, though the website does appear a bit dated.
Right on the home screen, we saw lists of recent TV shows and movies, including big names like John Wick 4 and The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon. Finding exactly what you want in this way isn’t easy, but we found the filters effective in narrowing things down.
There are a lot of ads on this site, and ads on unofficial sites can sometimes be dangerous. Make sure that you get a VPN to protect yourself. NordVPN has a built-in ad blocker that will prevent you from being tracked or falling victim to malicious ads!
4. YTS: Good range of movie torrents
YTS is the simplest and most user-friendly torrent website. It’s simple because it focuses on movies alone. That’s right, no TV series, no video games, just movies.
While on the site, we could browse the latest movies right on the homepage, filter by 4K, or click on “browse movies” for more recommendations. The torrent files are available in 720p, 1080p, 2160p, and 4K resolutions. YTS became incredibly popular as it offered top releases in relatively small file sizes — drastically reducing download times.
We believe it is one of the best torrent sites as it offers a lot of timeless classics, such as Casablanca, which you can download in HD. Despite the site itself not hosting ads, it instead opens them in a new tab when you click a movie title.
But remember that downloading copyrighted material for free, such as those hosted on YTS, is illegal. And depending on your location, this can result in substantial fines or jail time. We advise against downloading any unsanctioned copyrighted material.
5. LimeTorrents: Best for the latest torrents
We liked the intuitive and easy-to-navigate user interface of LimeTorrents. Once on the site, we noticed that the homepage features a large search box to help you quickly locate what you’re looking for. If you’re not looking for something specific, there are categories such as games, movies, anime, and apps below the search box you can click on.
The site also has a colossal database mainly because it does not host its own torrents but instead links to torrents on other websites. It prides itself on being a family-safe site and does not host adult material. LimeTorrents is fantastic for downloading the latest torrents. However, owing to a lack of a decent seed/peer ratio, it is unreliable for older torrents.
6. Nyaa.si: Great ExtraTorrent alternative for anime
Anime fans, we got you! Nyaa is one of the most popular anime-related torrent websites on the internet. We really enjoyed going through its large anime library, which is frequently updated for its 46 million monthly visitors. Due to a high seeds/peer ratio, our download rates were fast. Nyaa is also considered one of the best Kickass Torrents alternatives, too.
We also liked the color-coding categorization for anime episodes:
- Red for English-translated
- Grey for anime-raw
- Brown for live-action, English-translated
- Green for non-English translated episodes
As you’ve already guessed from the name, the website is east-Asian-based, hence predominantly serving torrents that appeal to the region. Unfortunately, anime is usually copyright-protected, so there’s much illegal content on the site. Proceed with care, and only download what your country’s law allows.
7. EZTV: Best for TV shows
While the Pirate Bay is the overall king of torrents, EZTV is the king of TV shows. We found the user interface to be similar to that of ExtraTorrent but more cluttered. However, we did like that the site has organized its content in a unique and useful way.
For example, on the homepage, the TV shows are categorized as: the latest added, full season packs, and 20 most seeded torrents, allowing you to find what you’re looking for or something new quickly.
EZTV is one of the best torrent sites, and it is famous for uploading episodes immediately after they are aired. Not to mention, our download speeds were pretty good. Just don’t forget to use a VPN, especially if EZTV is blocked in your region.
We also like that this website recommends VPN use! Your internet service provider can see what you’re doing online unless you use a VPN service. So, get NordVPN to hide your online activity and avoid tracking!
8. Torlock: Large library of different torrents
Torlock prides itself on being a no-fakes torrent site. One way it upholds this claim is by paying users to report malware found on the site. It has over nine million torrents, with thousands added daily. New torrents show up on the first page, and you can also browse files by different categories or top 100 rankings.
We found the site to be relatively fast, and most torrent categories were easy to find on the homepage. Unfortunately, it had a recent update that made the ads on the site really annoying. If this doesn’t change soon, we’ll consider replacing it with other alternatives to ExtraTorrent.
9. Torrentz2: Largest torrent search engine alternative for ExtraTorrent
Torrentz2 is a reincarnation of the popular torrent search engine Torrentz, which first came out in 2003. It’s also one of the best ExtraTorrent alternatives. It indexes over 31 million active torrents from over 125 million pages on 50 domains, making it one of the largest torrent search engines.
While testing the site, we noticed that it had a simple user interface with a search box similar to Google. We found the content we were looking for quickly because it pulled results from different sources and took us directly to the download page for the site we wanted. We also consider Torrentz2 to be one of the best RARBG alternatives.
The downside is that search results are sometimes unreliable and inconsistent with what you are searching for. Because of this, the site is used in combination with other ExtraTorrent sites.
10. TorrentFunk: Large database of torrents
TorrentFunk displays torrents in an elegant, detailed, lime-green user interface. We consider this one of the best torrent sites as it marks safe torrents as “verified“ and rates files as either good or bad. This is helpful because it makes sure users download safe files only.
TorrentFunk has a vast category of movies, TV shows, books, video games, and much more, each with good health and lots of seeds. The site has reliable search functionality that lets you find what you want quickly.
Also, the torrents are categorized by date added, size, seeds, uploader, and health. This makes it easy to find the best file to download as a direct download or magnet link.
11. BitLord: A torrent client with Chromecast support
BitLord is a downloadable torrent client that gives you private access to torrents on Windows and macOS. We found installation simple, and while the interface can be tricky to get to grips with, it works well. You can search for torrents easily with the built-in search bar.
We could easily find movies and some of the best Netflix shows on BitLord to download as files. Our download speeds were strong, too, and we saw around 30 Mbps when testing a download. Everything simply processes and downloads within the client itself.
We’ve tested BitLord, and it’s a safe installation and useful torrent client. But whenever you download new programs or files through torrenting, be sure to use a VPN that protects you against malware. We have tested NordVPN’s Threat Protection feature, and we can confirm it blocks malicious software and ads effectively.
12.torrentHound: Downloadable torrent app
TorrentHound is another downloadable torrent client. Torrent websites operate in this way to lessen the risks of being shut down, making torrentHound a reliable ExtraTorrent alternative.
The app and site use filters that can be super useful, though it doesn’t always give you the newest content at a glance. We saw a mix of old and new movies and TV shows. But there are enough seeders to provide strong download speeds.
What Happened to RARBG?
We used to have the torrent site RARBG on our list, but the site shut down in mid-2023. Quoting various issues that affected the team, including the war in Eastern Europe, the operators put RARBG offline. RARBG posted this message to torrenting fans before closing:
“Some of the people in our team died due to covid complications, others still suffer the side effects of it – not being able to work at all. Some are also fighting the war in Europe – ON BOTH SIDES.
Also, the power price increase in data centers in Europe hit us pretty hard. Inflation makes our daily expenses impossible to bare. Therefore we can no longer run this site without massive expenses that we can no longer cover out of pocket.
After an unanimous vote we’ve decided that we can no longer do it.
We are sorry :(“
There are currently several proxy and mirror sites of RARBG, but we don’t recommend using them because they may contain files that might be unsafe and carry malicious software that may harm your device.
How We Chose the Best VPN for ExtraTorrent Alternatives
Torrenting is one of the riskier activities you can participate in online. You need to use a VPN to protect you from being tracked or exposed to malware. Our cybersecurity experts took these factors into account when choosing an appropriate VPN:
- Anonymity: Avoiding tracking is important, as is hiding your location from everyone in your torrent swarm. NordVPN‘s zero-logs guarantee, 256-bit encryption, and other security tools ensure your anonymity is protected.
- Server choice: Torrents can slow right down when too many people use a server. This is common among free VPNs. But NordVPN, our fastest VPN provider, has a 6000+ strong server network that ensures you can always find lightning-fast servers.
- Malware protection: NordVPN’s Threat Protection feature actively reduces the likelihood of you encountering malware. Avoid suspicious websites and scan files for malware before you even open them.
Final Thoughts: Best ExtraTorrent Alternatives
Despite ExtraTorrent being shut down forever, there are alternatives that work great today. Top ExtraTorrent alternatives include The Pirate Bay, a great overall torrent site, and 1337x, which offers safe torrent files. These sites are easy to navigate and boast large libraries in different categories with good seed/peer ratios.
With that said, be wary of ExtraTorrent mirror sites, and don’t get carried away with the infinite possibilities of free downloads. Your average torrent file probably contains copyrighted content that is illegal to download. It may even be used by cybercriminals to transmit malware.
The bottom line is that you need a VPN to ensure you remain secure when torrenting. NordVPN ranks as our best VPN for torrenting, and you can get it right now for 69% off!
Check out some frequently asked questions about the different ExtraTorrent alternatives that work right now, and our answers.
There are some great torrent sites that exist today that make for good alternatives to ExtraTorrent. Torrent websites such as The Pirate Bay, 1337x, and Torlock are common choices.
It depends with what you download as a torrent. Torrents in themselves are legal. They’re just a medium for sharing files with one another. But it is illegal to download copyrighted materials, such as movies, music, and books.
ExtraTorrent was permanently shut down in 2017. But, there are a number of top ExtraTorrent alternatives that you can choose from.
