December 21, 2023

How to Send Large Files Over the Internet (PCWORLD)

 By Lance Whitney


Have you ever tried to email a file to someone, only for your mail service to tell you that it’s too big? It is a frustrating but common problem. Most email services restrict the size of file attachments. For example, Gmail and Yahoo limit the size of attached files to 25MB, so that 100MB video isn't going through.

The good news is that email is not your only choice. Many file storage services and standalone file-transfer websites can take on the job. Here are several ways to send large files over the internet.


Store Files Online

File Storage Services

One easy solution is to upload the file to a cloud storage service, which the other person can then access and use to download whatever you couldn't send over email. Many of these services offer free tiers with enough storage space to solve your issue:

  • Box offers 10GB of free storage.

  • Dropbox offers 2GB of free storage.

  • Google Drive offers 15GB of free storage.

  • iCloud offers 5GB of free storage.

  • OneDrive offers 5GB of free storage.

However, these services also have upload limits, which can get in the way of your plans. Check to see if your file can be accommodated on any of these services, otherwise you may need to upgrade to a paid plan.


Upload Large Files With Gmail

Gmail

Gmail limits attached files to 25MB; anything over that is automatically placed inside Google Drive. You can go through the process by starting a new email in Gmail and then attaching the file you want to send. If it’s too large, Google will generate a link to it in Google Drive.

When you try to send your email, you are asked to provide your recipient access to the file and set their permissions. By default, the file is available just for viewing. You can opt to allow the person to review or edit the file, but they would need a Google account to perform either action.

Once the email has been sent, the recipient can click the link in the email to view the file within Google Drive.


Upload Large Files With Yahoo Mail

Yahoo Mail

If you try to send a large file through Yahoo, an alert prompts you to save the file to either Google Drive or Dropbox. Choose your preferred service and then manually upload the file to it. You can then return to your email, click File Attachment, and then choose Share Files From Google Drive or Share Files From Dropbox.

Choose the file, and it shows up as an email attachment. Once your email is sent, your recipient can click the file attachment to view it in Google Drive or Dropbox.


Upload Large Files With Outlook

Outlook

If you try to send something too large through Outlook, you will get a prompt to upload the file to OneDrive and share it through a link. Select the Upload and share as a OneDrive Personal link option and then send your message. The recipient can then open and view the file from your OneDrive space.


Upload to a File Transfer Site

Instead of relying on email, you can instead turn to a third-party file transfer website. Upload the file you wish to send and enter your name and email address along with the name and address of your recipient. The site houses the file online and sends your recipient a download link.

How large can the file be? That depends on the service, and in some cases, what you are willing to pay.

DropSend

DropSend

The DropSend file transfer site lets you compose an email to your recipient and attach the file you want to send. Your recipient receives an email with a link to the file for viewing or downloading. DropSend offers multiple tiered pricing plans, though you can still sign up for free.

The free Lite plan allows you to share files as large as 4GB with up to five sends a month. If you need to send larger files, any paid plan will remove the upload limit. The Basic plan costs $5 a month and allows 25 sends per month and 10 GB of online storage. The Standard and Professional plans will add more sends, storage space, and other features.

MyAirBridge

MyAirBridge

With MyAirBridge, you can upload a file and email a link to a specific recipient or just upload the file and generate a link to share with anyone. You can send a file as large as 20GB for free. A basic $2.99-per-month plan covers files up to 50GB, the $10.99-per-month Pro plan handles files as hefty as 250GB, and the $65.99-per-month Enterprise plan allows files of an unlimited size.

Filemail

Filemail

Filemail is a quick and simple website. Fill out an email form with your address and its destination, compose your message, attach your file, and send your message. The recipient will then receive a link to the file so they can download it or view it online.

The free option allows files as large as 5GB, the $10-per-month Filemail Pro plan supports sizes as large as 25GB, and the $15-per-month Business plan handles unlimited file sizes.

WeTransfer

WeTransfer

The popular WeTransfer service lets you select the file you want to send from your computer, add the email addresses, and then compose your message. When ready, click the Transfer button to send your file to the recipient.

A free ad-supported WeTransfer account allows file sizes up to 2GB. You don’t need to create an account, but guests have to enter an emailed verification code for each transfer. For $11 per month, a WeTransfer Pro account allows files as large as 200GB as well as other benefits. And for $19 a month, a Premium account allows for unlimited file transfers.

Send Anywhere

Send Anywhere

Operated by Rakuten Symphony Korea based in Seoul, Send Anywhere is an ad-supported file transfer site that can send files as large as 10GB for free. You can upload a file, then secure it with a six-digit key or create an account to generate a shareable link or send an email.

Recommended by Our Editors

If you need to transfer even larger files, a Rakuten Drive Pro plan supports file sizes up to 50GB at a cost of $7.99 a month.

Bitwarden Send

Bitwarden Send

The Bitwarden password manager also offers a way to securely send large files over the internet with Bitwarden Send. You can share text with a free account. The ability to send files is included with a $10 annual subscription.

To share a file as large as 500MB, go to the Send page at Bitwarden’s site and click the Create a New Send button. Enter a name for the file you want to share, then attach the file. You can also set a deletion date, an expiration date, and a password before sharing.

Once you send the file, it will be uploaded to Bitwarden. You then send a link to the file to your recipients, and they download the file through that link.

Wormhole

Wormhole

Wormhole is a simple but effective site that helps you securely share files up to 10GB in size using end-to-end encryption and links that automatically expire. Just upload the file you want to share, and a link is generated. Share that link with your recipient, who can then download the file. The shared link conveniently expires after 24 hours.

SendBig

SendBig

SendBig lets you share files as large as 30GB for free. Just drag and drop the file or folder you want to send onto the email panel, add the address for the recipient, write a message, and then send the email.

By signing up for a free Pro account, you can password-protect your files, change their expiration date, receive an email when someone downloads a shared file, and set the maximum number of downloads per file.

ToffeeShare

ToffeeShare

Offering a different spin on the file sharing website, ToffeeShare is a free service that uses a peer-to-peer sharing method, which means your file isn’t stored online but is sent directly to the recipient. For this to work, you simply drag and drop or manually upload your file at the site—the size doesn’t matter.

A link to your file is generated, which you then share with the recipient. You just need to keep the page open while the other person downloads the file directly on their end. You can also opt to share your file just with nearby devices, similar to Apple's AirDrop.

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Source: https://www.pcmag.com/how-to/how-to-send-large-files-over-the-internet

October 17, 2023

‘Smart home’ warning: Major study exposes alarming security threats

MADRID, Spain — International researchers are issuing a dire warning of security and privacy concerns lurking within smart homes. Led by IMDEA Networks and Northeastern University, scientists were able to demonstrate a variety of security and privacy threats due to the local network interactions of Internet of Things (IoT) devices and mobile apps.

As smart homes continue to evolve, they encompass a wide array of consumer-focused IoT devices, including smartphones, smart TVs, virtual assistants, and CCTV cameras. These devices come equipped with cameras, microphones, and various sensors that can perceive activities within our most intimate spaces – our homes. However, can we truly trust these devices to handle and safeguard the sensitive data they collect?

“When we think of what happens between the walls of our homes, we think of it as a trusted, private place. In reality, we find that smart devices in our homes are piercing that veil of trust and privacy — in ways that allow nearly any company to learn what devices are in your home, to know when you are home, and learn where your home is,” says David Choffnes, associate professor of computer science and executive director of the Cybersecurity and Privacy Institute at Northeastern University, in a media release. “These behaviors are generally not disclosed to consumers, and there is a need for better protections in the home.”

Alarming Findings On ‘Smart Home’ Tech

For the study, researchers delved into the intricacies of local network interactions among 93 IoT devices and mobile apps and were able to unveil numerous previously undisclosed security and privacy concerns with real-world implications.

Contrary to the common perception that local networks are secure environments, the study highlights new threats linked to the inadvertent exposure of sensitive data by IoT devices within local networks using standard protocols like UPnP or mDNS. These threats include the revelation of unique device names, UUIDs (Universally Unique Identifiers), and even the geographic location of households. These can be exploited by companies involved in surveillance capitalism without the users’ knowledge.

“Analyzing the data collected by IoT Inspector, we found evidence of IoT devices inadvertently exposing at least one PII (Personally Identifiable Information), like unique hardware address (MAC), UUID, or unique device names, in thousands of real world smart homes,” explains study co-author Vijay Prakash, PhD student from the New York University Tandon School of Engineering. “Any single PII is useful for identifying a household, but combining all three of them together makes a house very unique and easily identifiable. For comparison, if a person is fingerprinted using the simplest browser fingerprinting technique, they are as unique as one in 1,500 people. If a smart home with all three types of identifiers is fingerprinted, it is as unique as one in 1.12 million smart homes.”

A group of researchers from several international universities and research centres analyze the local network interactions of IoT devices and mobile apps, and demonstrate that a variety of security and privacy threats exist


A group of researchers from several international universities and research centres
analyze the local network interactions of IoT devices and mobile apps, and demonstrate
that a variety of security and privacy threats exist.
(credit: IMDEA NETWORKS INSTITUTE)

The Potent Weapon of Local Network Protocols

The study underscores how local network protocols can serve as side channels to access data that is theoretically protected by mobile app permissions, such as household locations.

“A side channel is a sneaky way of indirectly accessing sensitive data. For example, Android app developers are supposed to request and obtain users’ consent to access data like geolocation,” explains Narseo Vallina-Rodriguez, associate research professor of IMDEA Networks and co-founder of AppCensus. “However, we have shown that certain spyware apps and advertising companies do abuse local network protocols to silently access such sensitive information without any user awareness. All they have to do is kindly asking for it to other IoT devices deployed in the local network using standard protocols like UPnP.”

“Our study shows that the local network protocols used by IoT devices are not sufficiently protected and expose sensitive information about the home and the use we make of the devices,” adds Juan Tapiador, professor at the Universidad Carlos III de Madrid. “This information is being collected in an opaque way and makes it easier to create profiles of our habits or socioeconomic level.”

Wider Implications and Calls for Action

The implications of this research go beyond academia, emphasizing the need for manufacturers, software developers, IoT and mobile platform operators, and policymakers to take decisive action to enhance the privacy and security of smart home devices and households. Researchers have already responsibly disclosed these issues to vulnerable IoT device vendors and Google’s Android Security Team, prompting security improvements in some of these products.

The study, titled “In the Room Where It Happens: Characterizing Local Communication and Threats in Smart Homes,” was presented at the ACM Internet Measurement Conference (ACM IMC’23) in Montreal, Canada.


Source: https://studyfinds.org/smart-homes-security-threats/

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April 25, 2023

The 12 Best Torrent Sites: Ultimate P2P List for April 2023

The 12 Best Torrent Sites: A Quick Roundup

There are many torrent sites with lots of interesting content. While many torrent sites are shut down now and then, there are a few that have an established history.

Here’s our list of the best torrent websites that are still active in 2023:

  1. The Pirate Bay: Best overall torrent site
  2. RARBG: Great torrent site with an active community
  3. 1337X: Awesome torrent site for movies, tv-series, and music
  4. Torrentz2: Best torrent search engine
  5. YTS: Our recommended torrent website to download HD movies
  6. EZTV: Torrent site that focuses on TV shows
  7. LimeTorrents: Superb torrent site for new releases
  8. Torrends: A unique torrent website
  9. TorrentDownloads: Good torrent site for obscure and forgotten titles
  10. IPTorrents: Awesome private torrenting site that requires a donation to enter
  11. Bibliotik: A torrent site for ebook lovers
  12. TorrentFunk: Great source of magnet links

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 extreme caution and steering clear of any illegal activities.

You should also use a good VPN to hide your identity and online traffic from prying eyes. We recommend going with NordVPN. It offers solid security features paired with great speeds and excellent customer support.

Source: https://vpnoverview.com/privacy/downloading/best-torrent-sites/


January 27, 2023

27 best torrent sites in January 2023 that work

 



Best torrent websites 2023 – Quick list

Are you in a hurry to get straight to the top torrent sites that work even in 2023? Then, check out this list of the top 10 ones (updated January 2023).

  1. The Pirate BayThe ultimate Torrenting King. Has a huge database of free software and entertainment stuff like movies, shows, and games. However, frequently gets blocked by authorities.
  2. 1337.xThe best all-in-one platform. A user-friendly interface makes finding the desired torrent file easy. Features lots of content belonging to different categories with direct and magnet links.
  3. RARBGVerified new P2P uploads. A popular website garnering colossal traffic due to its content diversity. Features lots of download links for torrent files. However, faces a ban often due to copyright infringement.
  4. YTSBest for movies. The site includes a vast database of old and new movies of different genres. However, it may share users’ data with authorities for anti-piracy practices.
  5. Kickass TorrentsBest for TV shows. Features lots of content from different categories. But the platform is hard to find often due to restrictions.
  6. TorLockTop choice for anime and ebooks. Ensures featuring safe and verified P2P files. Accessible in many countries.
  7. Torrentz2Best for music. It’s a metasearch engine that saves time searching for specific torrents.
  8. ZooqleMulti-resolution movies and shows. The site bears a user-friendly interface for easy searching.
  9. LimeTorrentsTorrents with limited ads. Easy to use platform helpful for new torrrentors. Boasts a huge collection of content from different categories.
  10. TorrentDownloadsFor multipurpose torrenting. Has a massive database of movies, games, software, and other torrents. Generally accessible globally except in the UK.

Want to know some more? Read along to find the complete list of 27 top torrent websites.

Source: https://privacysavvy.com/security/torrents/best-torrent-sites/


12 Totally Free VPN Services to Protect Your Privacy


While almost all free VPNs with unlimited data are scams, there are a number of limited-data free VPNs that really don't cost anything.

However, free VPNs often don't stick around forever. Sometimes they change to a subscription model or a freemium model, while some seem to actively compromise your privacy.

But are there any free VPNs that will simultaneously protect your privacy reliably? Absolutely. Keep reading to find out more.

Note: Free VPNs might be OK here and there, but there is no substitute for a paid service like ExpressVPN. Sign up now and receive three months free!

1. CyberGhost VPN Free Proxy

One of the biggest VPN names offers a free ad-supported private browsing plugin.

  • Compatibility: Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox add-on
  • Data volume: unlimited
  • Server locations: 8 servers in 4 countries
  • Device connections: N/A
  • Encryption: 256-AES
  • WebRTC Leak/DNS Leak prevention: Yes
  • Virtual IP address: Yes
  • Unblocks websites: Yes
  • P2P: No
  • Zero logs: TBC

CyberGhost’s free app is a browser add-on for Chrome (and Chromium-based browsers) and Mozilla Firefox. This means only the websites you view are private – an email or chat client, for example, will not be protected. This is because it’s not a true VPN, but a proxy; however, this might be just what you’re looking for.

We have contacted CyberGhost to check if its main VPN zero log policy covers the browser extension, and await a response.

Suitable for casual users who need more protection online (for example, for online shopping), CyberGhost VPN Free Proxy is no good for Netflix.

Download: CyberGhost VPN Free Proxy for Google Chrome | Mozilla Firefox

2. Avira Phantom VPN

Easy to use free VPN from a premium security software publisher.

  • Compatibility: Windows, Mac, Android, iOS
  • Data Volume: 500MB/month (increase to 1GB by signing up)
  • Server locations: 1400+ servers in 37 countries
  • Device connections: Unlimited
  • Encryption: "Bank-grade" (probably 256-AES)
  • WebRTC/DNS Leak prevention: Yes
  • Virtual IP address: Yes
  • Unblocks websites: Yes
  • P2P: No
  • Zero logs: Yes

Avira might not be top of your list when looking for a VPN provider, but its Phantom VPN offering is impressive. With more features than most free VPNs, Avira Phantom VPN is available on mainstream desktops and mobiles, keeps you private online, and offers access to over 1400 servers.

3. VPNBook

A completely free VPN with few restrictions, but VPNBook is unsuitable for beginners.

  • Compatibility: PPTP, OpenVPN, or Outline VPN client, any platform
  • Data Volume: Unlimited
  • Server locations: 6 across North America and Europe
  • Device connections: Yes
  • Encryption: AES-256 and AES-128
  • WebRTC/DNS Leak prevention: Yes
  • Virtual IP address: Yes
  • Unblocks websites: Yes
  • P2P: Yes
  • Zero logs: No (connection logs deleted weekly)

A totally free VPN, VPNBook has a key shortcoming: it’s not particularly user-friendly. With no installer, no software, and scant documentation, it’s essentially a list of servers. You download a bundle of configuration files, then access them using PPTP VPN or OpenVPN software.

VPNBook is the free VPN for techies, basically.

4. AtlasVPN

An unlimited free VPN to help you maintain your online privacy, devices for most platforms.

  • Compatibility: Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, iOS, Android TV, Amazon TV
  • Data Volume: Unlimited
  • Server locations: 3
  • Device connections: Unlimited
  • Encryption: AES-256
  • WebRTC/DNS Leak prevention: Yes
  • Virtual IP address: Yes
  • Unblocks websites: Yes
  • P2P: No
  • Zero logs: Yes

AtlasVPN is one of the best free VPNs with a bunch of desirable features, including apps for Android TV and Amazon TV. Unlimited speed and data volume set this ahead of other free VPNs, although the limited server locations may impact your enjoyment.

5. Windscribe

A free version of the premium VPN offering 11 servers, no strings attached.

  • Compatibility: Windows, Mac, Android, iOS, browser add-ons for Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Opera
  • Data Volume: 2GB/month (upgradeable to 10GB with email, additional 5GB by tweeting, and more with referrals)
  • Server locations: 11
  • Device connections: Unlimited
  • Encryption: AES-256
  • WebRTC/DNS Leak prevention: Yes
  • Virtual IP address: Yes
  • Unblocks websites: Yes
  • P2P: Yes
  • Zero logs: Yes

Windscribe’s free VPN is quite refreshing. While the company offers a premium VPN service, it promotes the free option just as much. This includes options to upgrade the basic 2GB of monthly data with a free email sign up, tweeting, and referrals.

Data volume limitations may limit video streaming, but for other purpose, Windscribe’s free VPN is a good option.

6. TunnelBear

Intended for testing and limited usage, TunnelBear’s free VPN can give you private internet access in a pinch.

  • Compatibility: Windows, Mac, Android, iOS, Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome
  • Data Volume: 500MB/month
  • Server locations: 47 countries
  • Device connections: No
  • Encryption: AES-256
  • WebRTC/DNS Leak prevention: Yes
  • Virtual IP address: Yes
  • Unblocks websites: Yes
  • P2P: Yes
  • Zero logs: Yes

If you have very modest privacy requirements, or you’re simply looking to try a VPN for the first time, TunnelBear is a good choice. It’s easy to get started, but note that the limit is a paltry 500MB per month. This is less than the other free VPNs, but the service is good. Note that TunnelBear’s focus is on privacy, rather than circumventing restrictions on Netflix streaming.

7. Hide.me

A stripped-back free VPN package that will obscure your internet activity.

  • Compatibility: Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, iOS
  • Data Volume: 10GB/month
  • Server locations: 5
  • Device connections: 1
  • Encryption: AES-256
  • WebRTC/DNS Leak prevention: Yes
  • Virtual IP address: Yes
  • Unblocks websites: Yes
  • P2P: Yes
  • Zero logs: Yes

A Malaysia-based VPN, the free version of Hide.me has everything you need for a secure, private connection. It’s essentially the same as the paid service, except other than lower data volume and fewer server locations.

Additionally, Hide.me openly supports P2P networks, which is always an advantage with VPNs.

8. ZoogVPN

A handsome collection of online privacy features for a free VPN.

  • Compatibility: Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, Fire TV, Android TV
  • Data Volume: 10GB/month
  • Server locations: 5
  • Device connections: 1
  • Encryption: 128-bit
  • WebRTC/DNS Leak prevention: Yes
  • Virtual IP address: Yes
  • Unblocks websites: Yes (no streaming)
  • P2P: Limited
  • Zero logs: Yes

If you haven’t heard of ZoogVPN, now is a good time to try this free VPN service. A US-based service with apps for all popular platforms, ZoogVPN is suitable for most private internet purposes, albeit with some limitations. P2P and circumventing streaming sites are not supported.

Note that this is the only free VPN in this list that offers poorer encryption than its paid service.

9. Opera VPN

A free VPN is built into the Opera browser, with unlimited data and bandwidth.

  • Compatibility: Any device running Opera browser
  • Data Volume: Unlimited
  • Server locations: 3 locations, 100+ servers
  • Device connections: N/A
  • Encryption: 256-bit
  • WebRTC/DNS Leak prevention: Yes
  • Virtual IP address: Yes
  • Unblocks websites: Yes
  • P2P: No
  • Zero logs: Yes

Built into the Opera browser, this free VPN has no data limits or obtrusive adverts. It makes private browsing a part of the browser experience without forcing you to install extra software or extensions.

Note that if you rely on Opera’s free VPN, it will not protect your privacy for tasks outside the browser. Like the CyberGhost browser extension, Opera VPN is essentially a proxy rather than an actual VPN client.

10. Hotspot Shield

The free option from this popular VPN company is minimal, and ad-supported.

  • Compatibility: Windows, Mac, Apple, iOS, Chrome browser, Android TV
  • Data Volume: Unlimited
  • Server locations: 5
  • Device connections: 1
  • Encryption: AES-256
  • WebRTC/DNS Leak prevention: Yes
  • Virtual IP address: Yes
  • Unblocks websites: Yes
  • P2P: No
  • Zero logs: Yes

A free US-based VPN, Hotspot Shield has been around for several years and remains one of the most popular services.

Recent improvements to its free VPN offering include adding unlimited data. That along makes this a VPN you can consider if you’re unable to pay a monthly subscription.

11. Proton VPN

Handy features for the stripped-back free version of Proton VPN.

  • Compatibility: Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, iOS
  • Data Volume: Unlimited
  • Server locations: 3 countries, 100+ servers (US, Netherlands, Japan)
  • Device connections: 1
  • Encryption: 256-AES
  • WebRTC/DNS Leak prevention: Yes
  • Virtual IP address: Yes
  • Unblocks websites: Yes (no streaming)
  • P2P: No
  • Zero logs: Yes

Swiss-based Proton AG is one of the world’s premiere privacy advocate groups. Its free Proton VPN option isn’t as in-depth as the paid subscription, but it offers enough to keep your online activity private.

Proton VPN has a strong reputation, so should be high on your list of possible free VPNs to try.

12. PrivadoVPN

PrivadoVPN’s free option claims to be the most feature-packed gratis service around.

  • Compatibility: Windows, Mac, Android, iOS, Android TV, Fire TV, Apple TV
  • Data Volume: 10GB/month
  • Server locations: “around the world”
  • Device connections: 1
  • Encryption: 256-AES
  • WebRTC/DNS Leak prevention: Yes
  • Virtual IP address: Yes
  • Unblocks websites: Yes
  • P2P: Yes
  • Zero logs: Yes

Another Swiss-based VPN provider, PrivadoVPN states on its website that the free VPN has the same features as the paid version. The only difference is limited monthly data volume and a single device connection.

Free VPN vs. Paid VPN

All the free VPNs we've looked at are secure, reliable, and trustworthy names. They value your privacy, and you can be confident that your data is safe while using them. While there is only one 100% free VPN (VPNBook), all the services listed here meet your privacy needs.

To recap, the best free VPNs are:

  • CyberGhost VPN Free Proxy
  • Avira Phantom VPN
  • VPNBook
  • AtlasVPN
  • Windscribe
  • TunnelBear
  • Hide.me
  • ZoogVPN
  • Opera VPN
  • Hotspot Shield
  • Proton VPN
  • PrivadoVPN

However, they are no substitute for a paid VPN. If you are prepared to subscribe, you will invariably get access to more servers, more bandwidth, and more features. If you use a VPN every day, it is probably worth paying the fee.

Source: https://www.makeuseof.com/tag/7-completely-free-vpn-services-protect-privacy/

January 21, 2023

The 12 Best Torrent Sites That Are Still Working in 2022

 By David Janssen, 06-28-22

Torrenting is a file-sharing option that a lot of people default to. When people torrent, they usually pick one of these sites:

  1. The Pirate Bay – Best overall torrent site
  2. RARBG – Great torrent site with an active community
  3. 1337X – Awesome torrent site for movies, tv-series, and music
  4. Torrentz2 – The best choice for music torrents
  5. YTS – Our recommended torrent website to download HD movies
  6. EZTV – Torrent site that focuses on TV shows
  7. Zooqle – A heavenly torrent site for gamers
  8. LimeTorrents – Superb torrent site for new releases
  9. Torrends.to – A unique torrent website that combines the best of other sites
  10. TorrentDownloads – Good torrent site for obscure and forgotten titles
  11. IPTorrents – Awesome private torrenting site that requires a donation to enter
  12. Bibliotik – A torrent site for ebook lovers

However, while torrenting itself is not illegal, downloading copyrighted content is considered piracy, and it can land you in trouble. Always check your local laws so you know whether or not you’re allowed to torrent. If you are, make sure to use a VPN to protect yourself online. One of the best VPN apps is NordVPN:

A number of torrenting sites have been taken down in the past few years, including Kickass. And with different governments cracking down on torrenting across the world, it’s getting harder and harder to find good torrenting websites. The Pirate Bay itself keeps getting moved to mirrors, so you’d be forgiven to believe that torrents are impossible to find.

But they’re not, and we’re going to show you the top 12 sites still active in 2022, as well as how to stay safe while downloading torrents and what risks you may be exposed to if you just go ahead and download the first torrent you see.

We verified recently that the 12 torrent sites in this article are still online — and we’ll continue to do so on a regular basis as we update this list. This way, you’re sure to always find a good torrenting website when you visit this page!

Unblock Every Torrent Site and Stay Safe & Anonymous with a VPN

Regardless of which torrent sites you prefer, your internet service provider might restrict access to some of your favorite torrent sites or might track your torrenting behavior. A VPN is your best friend to counter these issues and easily access the best torrent sites.

How? A VPN will allow you to unblock every torrent site and also keep you safe and anonymous when torrenting. VPNs encrypt your data traffic and hide your IP address and identity. One of our personal favorites is NordVPN. It’s a great VPN, which you can try without risk due to its 30-day money-back guarantee.

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Without further ado, let’s head to our summary of the 12 best torrent sites of this moment.

Best torrent sites

  1. The Pirate Bay – Best overall torrent site
  2. RARBG – Great torrent site with an active community
  3. 1337X – Awesome torrent site for movies, TV series, and music
  4. Torrentz2 – The best choice for music torrents
  5. YTS – Our recommended torrent website to download HD movies
  6. EZTV – Torrent site that focuses on TV shows
  7. Zooqle – A heavenly torrent site for gamers
  8. LimeTorrents – Superb torrent site for new releases
  9. Torrends.to – A unique torrent website that combines the best of other sites
  10. TorrentDownloads – Good torrent site for obscure and forgotten titles
  11. IPTorrents – Awesome private torrenting site that requires a donation to enter
  12. Bibliotik – A torrent site for ebook lovers

These are the best torrent sites still on the market, and you can access any one of them to find your favorite files. However, each of them has different advantages (and in some cases, disadvantages), so we’ll take a deep dive into your options to see which website suits you best.

Before that, let’s look at our criteria for choosing the best torrent sites.

How To Choose the Best Torrent Site


Download speed is the average speed for downloading torrents from a certain site. While that information is reliable only as a ballpark reference, keep in mind that this will vary a lot based on the torrent itself, as well as your internet connection.

Monthly traffic is an important aspect to determine how popular a torrent site is, implicitly tying it to a lot of metrics like library size or seeders/leechers ratio. We did consider including the number of seeders and leechers for popular torrents at the time of writing, but we also realized that’s very seasonal and probably won’t be relevant in a month or two, so we focused on other metrics instead.

Library size will be included for websites whenever possible. While it’s hard to get that exact number in all cases, we did our best to research it and find an answer for you.

Torrent type and variety are also important when choosing which torrent sites to use. The best torrent sites like The Pirate Bay or RARBG have big libraries, sporting torrents from all categories, while sites like Bibliotik or YTS have a considerable number of book and movie torrents respectively. That’s why below we’ll discuss which platforms are good for which specific torrent types, where applicable.

Ad intrusion is also important when deciding what torrent site to use. Pop-ups that “click themselves” and fake “contests” that you just happened to win without participating in are annoying. If you have to go through eight ads just to browse for a file, it might be time to find a new torrent site. In our research, there were about 3 to 4 popular torrent sites that we decided not to include due to the ad intrusion level.

Security is very important when downloading torrents. After all, there are plenty of shady torrenting platforms on the internet that could compromise your online security. That’s why our list of the best torrent sites also takes security into account and discusses some security concerns.


The 12 Best Torrent Sites of 2022

Now, without further ado, here are the 12 best torrent sites that are still up and running in 2022!

1. The Pirate Bay – Best overall torrent site

Website: Visit a working Pirate Bay Mirror

Attention: The Pirate Bay is blocked in many countries (even mirror sites), so you might need a VPN to change your virtual location and unblock the Pirate Bay.

Unblock The Pirate Bay with NordVPN's Discount Deal

The Pirate Bay

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 attempts at blocking it or shutting it down, and it’s going really strong with over 6.3 million monthly users on the main site. However, considering the number of mirrors and blocking attempts, that number may be skewed, and 20 to 60 million visits a month is perhaps a bit more accurate.

We couldn’t get an exact number on its library size, but it’s in the millions of files, and you can expect a download speed of 5 to 6 MB/s, all other things being equal. Their torrents are often very well-seeded.

The Pirate Bay is popular for its large community, which ensures at least one seeder on almost any torrent on the site, no matter the age. We tried downloading obscure titles from even over a decade ago, and we found that there were still happy seeders to help out.

On top of all this, it’s got a clean interface and helpful tags that let you know which torrent comes from a trusted source, and which torrent could pose a security risk to your PC.

The Pirate Bay Torrent Interface

Without a doubt, Pirate Bay is the king of all torrent sites, and with almost no ad intrusion and an active community, it’s basically got no downsides.

Mirrors: thepiratebay.vip, thepirate-bay.org, thepiratebay.rocks

P.S. If those mirrors don’t work, do a Google search for “the pirate bay mirrors” and you may find other options, especially on the second page of results. You can also look at our list of Pirate Bay alternatives if you’re looking for the best torrent sites.


2. RARBG – Great torrent site with an active community

Website: RARBG Website

RARBG LogoRARBG is a large directory of torrents, famous for a very active community of seeders and high-quality torrents. It’s been around since 2008, and it amasses about 40 million visitors each month.

It competes with The Pirate Bay by offering a more “personalized” experience, complete with top ten lists in different categories and news displayed on the home page. Its library size is decent, and it gets updated often, meaning that you have a high chance of finding new torrents on the site.

RARBG screenshot

RARBG also offers a very similar download speed as The Pirate Bay. The only difference is that ad intrusion is more annoying on RARBG, so take that into account when choosing one of the two.

Oh and, if you’re from Denmark, Portugal, or the UK, you’ll need a VPN to enter, because it’s blocked there. It’s easily one of the top torrent sites in the world right now.

Mirrors: rarbg.is, rarbgunlock.com, rarbgmirror.com

P.S. 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 RARBG-looking sites, so make sure you learn about secure browsing.


3. 1337X – Awesome torrent site for movies, television series, and music

Website: 1337X website

1337X Logo1337X is good for movies, shows, and music. Some people use it to browse for game torrents as well, but from our research, it does look like both RARBG and The Pirate Bay have more torrents in that category, especially for older titles.

A few years ago, 1337X was a bad choice for torrenting since it was clunky to navigate and it posed a lot of security risks. Since then, it went through an entire site revamp, making it seamless to browse and a lot safer. For shows and movies, you also have improved browsing functionalities, like searching by award nomination.

1337X torrents homepage

This round of changes got it 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 2022.

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.is (active since Jan. 2019), 1337x.gd (active since Oct. 2019)

P.S. We included the “active since” date so you can check domain age to make sure you don’t fall for a phishing campaign.


4. Torrentz2 – Best choice for music torrents

Website: Torrentz2 website

Torrentz2 is accessible through several mirrors, and you can simply click on the one above to access the site.

Torrentz homepage and search bar

While this is not that big of a torrent site — only amassing 10-20 million users a month and unable to sport much of a library for general torrents — Torrentz2 is very good for finding music. And, by very good, we mean it’s got the largest music library of all public torrent sites.

Other than that, Torrentz2 doesn’t have much going for it. The download speed isn’t that great (we got anywhere in between 1 MB/s and 3 MB/s, with an average of under 2 MB/s) and ad intrusion is pretty annoying.

Not to mention, any type of browsing options — like searching by album, artist, or song — would be greatly appreciated. So just keep that in mind for when you can’t find the music you’re looking for anywhere else. If you’re looking for music, it’s easily one of the best torrent sites active in 2022.

Mirrors: torrentz2eu.org (the one we used), torrentz.eu


YTS torrent site

Website: https://yts.mx/

If you’re looking for a movie, just head on over to YTS.

While the average metrics don’t look so great (not a big library when compared to The Pirate Bay and an average download speed of 3 to 4 MB/s), YTS has over 75 million visits a month, and that’s due to its positioning.

First, it’s only focused on movies, and it does its best to track torrents with HD quality and small size, optimizing for any device or bandwidth. Second, ad intrusion is minimal, and the interface is beautiful. It’s simply one of the best torrent sites for downloading movies.

Lastly, 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.

Mirrors: yts.am, yts.pm, yts.gm (but so far the site has never been taken down)


6. EZTV – Torrent site that focuses on TV shows

EZTV

Website: https://eztv.re/

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 RARBG, but it’s focused on TV shows, and it’s the place to find any new releases in HD.

Seeder/leecher ratio is pretty decent because it has an active community, clocking in at around 20 million visitors per month. We searched for older titles like Two and a Half Men, and it had a decent library of options.

We even tried going for more obscure titles, 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 a bit annoying at times, the library size and the decent download speed of 2 to 3 MB/s are enough to keep your binging needs in check.

Mirrors: eztv.unblocked.llc, eztv1.unblocked.is, eztv1.unblocked.si


7. Zooqle – One of the best torrent sites for gamers

Website: https://zooqle.com/

Zooqle LogoZooqle gets a good rep for being the best library of video game torrents, and that’s warranted. We tried browsing for older titles, and it has a good library, both for PC and consoles. We even found some torrents that we weren’t able to find anywhere else, like a functional version of Uncharted 2 for the PS3.

With a bit over 5 million visitors a month, an active community, and a download speed of about 1 to 2 MB/s second, it’s a good choice for when you just can’t find a working video game torrent.

It’s even a user-friendly platform. You can subscribe to different categories or titles and get a feed of new torrents for them.  The interface isn’t bad, and while ad intrusion can become annoying at times, it’s bearable in most cases.

Zooqle homepage

Mirrors: zooqle.g2g.casa, zooqle.nocensor.club, zooqle.u4m.pw

Update: Despite recent claims to the contrary, Zooqle still seems to be up and running. For instance, we received a remark from one of our French readers that Zooqle has been shut down, so we checked with a VPN if it was blocked in France. We also tried to access Zooqle using an American and a Dutch IP address. In all three instances, we were successful. Therefore, we conclude that, as of now, Zooqle is accessible to, at least, a great portion of internet users. Needless to say, we will check this regularly and keep you updated!


8. LimeTorrents – Superb torrent site for new releases

LimeTorrents

Website: https://www.limetorrents.info/

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.

The average download speed from LimeTorrents is 3 to 4 MB/s, and the site has close to 20 million users a month.

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.

Mirrors: limetorrents.asia, limetorrents.zone, limetorrents.co, limetor.com, limetor.pro


9. Torrends.to – A unique torrent website that combines the best of other torrent sites

torrents.ioWebsite: https://torrends.to

Attention: Recently, this website seems to be down quite often.

Not a torrent site per se, Torrends.to just tracks all torrents from popular sites like The Pirate Bay and RARBG.

However, considering the amount of data crunching this entails, you’re bound to find a much larger library of what you’re looking for all in one place.

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.

With a little under 5 million hits a month and 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.

Torrents.to screenshot

Mirrors: None. This website used to be called torrents.io, but the domain changed.


10. TorrentDownloads – Good torrent site for obscure and forgotten titles

Torrentdownloads

Website: Torrentdownloads website

Attention: This website attempts to open an additional browser tab with advertisements. Not harmful, but annoying.

TorrentDownloads is one of the classics in the scene, but their traffic has slowly decreased over time (it’s sitting at around 5 million users a month), due to Pirate Bay’s and RARBG’s considerably larger libraries. Moreover, since it’s been targeted by government investigations, it’s not available in a lot of regions.

Average torrent download speeds range between 2 to 3 MB/s, and the ad intrusion can get bothersome at times.

However, it is a good option for more obscure titles in all categories, so if you’ve been looking for an old video game or a rare book, you can try a quick search on TorrentDownloads. Asian titles specifically seem to take a big part of their servers.

Mirrors: torrentdownloads.unblockproject.uno, torrentdownloads.123unblock.cyou, torrentdownloads.mrunblock.cyou, torrentdownloads.nocensor.club


11. IPTorrents – Awesome private torrenting site that requires a donation to enter

IPTorrents homepageWebsite:

Now for the private 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. Lastly, 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 torrent sites around.


12. Bibliotik – A torrent site for ebook lovers

Bibliotik homepageWebsite:

Last but not least, 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.

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 it, it’s easily one of the top torrent sites.


How to Use Torrent Sites

If you’re a beginner in the world of torrenting, let’s start with what torrents are.

A torrent is a small file that has metadata about the files you’re trying to get. Special software called clients read that metadata and pair your computer with other users that already have the file, so you basically “download” the file from them.

To put it simply, torrenting is a form of sharing data with other computers.

So naturally, you’ll first need a torrent client. We recommend uTorrent, but Bittorrent will work just as fine. If you want to make sure you’re using uTorrent safely, you can follow the tips in this article.

Utorrent interface

Once you installed a torrent client, download the torrent from one of the best torrent sites in the list above, and open it using the client. If you already installed the client, the torrent file will automatically open on this screen:

Utorrent interface when downloading

However, two words of caution here.

First, always download torrents and browse torrent sites using a VPN. Internet service providers and governments can track your internet activity if you don’t use a VPN, and in some cases, you are liable for a lawsuit for downloading specific files. Read our roundup of the best VPNs and use one of those before doing any torrenting.

Second, 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.

Avoid big buttons and only click on the URL that will actually download your desired torrent file.

In addition to these words of caution, let’s talk a bit more about safety.

How to Torrent Safely

The risks of browsing torrent sites aren’t just about privacy. You risk downloading malware, viruses, and even losing your information to phishing campaigns, which are very common scenarios for torrent users.

The first thing you’ll want to do is install a VPN. Again, check our best VPN section for the best options out there, safety tips, and news. It’s important to install a VPN because it will route your connection through a secure server, allow you to access blocked torrent sites, and help you remain anonymous.

After that, tick all the VPN safety settings you can. Make sure you enable connection encryption, leak protection, and a kill switch for when your network is at risk of getting infected. Most VPNs will feature these options (just maybe under different names).

The kill switch is important, as it will prevent your identity from being exposed when your VPN connection suddenly drops.

Third, install an ad blocker and other safety-enhancing extensions. You can read all about them in our article detailing the best browser extensions for safety and privacy, as well as our guide with 8 steps to stay safe online.

How to Access Private Torrent Sites

A lot of countries have their own regional private torrent site, and they all seem impossible to get in. We took a deep dive into the world of private torrent sites, 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:

filelist

Reddit, 8chan, and specifically anonymity-focused forums have threads on torrenting. Rarely, invitations will be just thrown there for a limited time, but what we did is we got in touch with someone that implied having an account in one of their threads.

The rest is up to how persuasive you are.

This is the worst-case scenario when you just don’t know anyone on the inside. Ideally, you already know someone who has an account there, and you can ask for an invitation.

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, you should stray away from the following platforms.

TorrentGalaxy

TorrentGalaxy is like a downgraded version of 1337X. While it does have almost 8 million visitors each month, and the library it boasts is decent, the ad intrusion level is too much 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.

TorrentFunk

While TorrentFunk has the trappings of a decent torrent site, it’s riddled with all the possible types of ads you can imagine. Moreover, it’s got a smaller library than The Pirate Bay or RARBG, so there’s no real reason to choose it.

TorLock

While it’s pretty popular, Torlock takes ad intrusion to the extreme. There are a lot of ads popping in your face, and the “price” isn’t warranted. As you’ll notice when you visit TorLock, most of their torrents — even the popular ones — have no seeders.

What Torrent Sites are Safe?

The Pirate Bay, RARBG, and especially private torrent sites are as safe as you can get when downloading torrents. That being said, you shouldn’t have a problem downloading anything through the sites in our roundup as long as you employ the safety best practices explored earlier.

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.

Torrenting itself is legal since it’s just sharing data between one or more people.

That being said, downloading and sharing copyrighted material without the approval of its creator is illegal, and in some countries, it may lead to legal repercussions.

Now, admittedly, a lot of jurisdictions don’t have up-to-date means to track people that use torrents but don’t count on that loophole for long. It’s only a matter of time before governments begin keeping up with newer technology.

Stay safe on the web with the right VPN and by taking the right 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 to see what other people download from torrent sites? Below, you can see a top 10 list of the most downloaded movies and TV shows from last month. We use The Pirate Bay data to create this roundup, as it’s the most popular platform, and the popularity of files from this site is the most indicative of popularity in general.

  1. Spider-Man: No Way Home
  2. The Book of Boba Fett
  3. The Matrix Resurrections
  4. Star Trek: Discovery
  5. Eternals
  6. Hawkeye
  7. The King’s Man
  8. Grey’s Anatomy
  9. Ghostbusters: Afterlife
  10. The Wheel of Time

In Conclusion

Don’t just go ahead and download the first torrent you see. Use a trusted platform from our best torrent sites list, and always do this only after taking the right security measures.

Source: 12 Best Torrent Sites: Ultimate P2P List for July 2022 (vpnoverview.com)