December 6, 2020

10 Best Torrent Sites (That REALLY Work) in December 2020

 

The world of torrenting isn’t what it used to be. There are still some great sites out there – but you’re not going to find them with a simple Google search. And you don’t want to waste your evening checking dozens of trashy sites and wading through their endless pop-up ads just to see they don’t have what you’re looking for.

That’s where I come in. I spend my evenings testing all kinds of torrent sites so I can keep this list up-to-date for you, with nothing but the best of the best. Whether you’re looking for yesterday’s episode of your favorite show or a movie that came out ten years ago, you should be able to find it on one of these sites.

I check these 10 sites regularly to make sure they’re still online, and I’ve also provided a few mirror sites you can try if one of them is down.

If you’re having trouble accessing the sites, it could be because they’re blocked by your ISP or even by your government. I’d suggest trying a VPN to get around these blocks. I use NordVPN, which comes with a convenient 30-day money-back guarantee – if it doesn’t solve your problem, you can just request a refund. (But if you torrent regularly, I’d recommend using it in any case. It masks your identity so no one can track your online activity.)

The Best Torrent Sites That Still Work in December 2020

Good torrent sites are always disappearing. Sometimes they’re gone for good, but sometimes they just get moved to a new URL. Sometimes they get blocked by governments or taken over by hackers… ouch.

I test my recommended sites regularly to make sure they’re still available and working properly. These are some of the other things I check for:

  • Download speeds: I record my best and worst speeds from each site and keep track of the averages to give you an idea of what you can expect.
  • Variety: I perform sample searches to check what each site has to offer. My favorites are the ones where you can find just about anything you’re looking for, but I’ve included a few specialty torrent sites on my list as well.
  • Security: I perform deep checks to make sure the sites are legit and not planting any malicious code in their search results or banner ads. That said, torrenting is never a 100% safe activity if you leave your personal data exposed. It’s not just about hackers – your ISP can see what you’re doing and report you to the authorities, even if the torrents you’re downloading are perfectly legal. I don’t like taking this kind of risk, and I strongly recommend you don’t either. You can jump down to see the VPNs I recommend for safe torrenting.

1. The Pirate Bay – Best Torrent Site Overall

  • The world’s most popular torrent site
  • The biggest variety of movies, TV shows, games, and more
  • VIP/Trusted user tags let you know which torrents are legitimate and safe
The Pirate Bay screenshot

The green and pink icons indicate VIP/trusted users

The Pirate Bay has had a long and rough history, but this crowd favorite is still going strong. It has millions of torrents available in various categories, along with support for magnet links. The site interface is nice and simple, and I like that it doesn’t cover your screen with a bunch of sleazy ads.

Average download speed: 6.2 MB/s

Sample Searches:

Search Term Number of Search Results Average* Best Seeder/Leecher Ratio Average**
Lizzo, Good as Hell 1 23 22/2 565/125
Joker 651 448 8,210/2,372 5,308/1,576
The Witcher 350 422 3,506/957 2,151/551

* Average number of search results for top 10 sites
** Average best seeder/leecher ratio for top 10 sites

Visit The Pirate Bay

Not loading? Try these mirrors: thepiratebay.vip, thepiratebay.rocks, thepirate-bay.org.

2. RARBG – Best Torrent Site for 4K Movies and New Releases

  • Active community and lots of seeding
  • Huge variety of new and old torrents
  • Top 10 lists for movies, shows, music, and many other categories
RARBG screenshot

I like how RARBG has so many different torrent categories to choose from

RARBG has been around for over a decade and has built a reputation for its high-quality torrents and ease of use, as well as constant new additions.

Unfortunately, this popularity comes at a cost. RARBG is blocked in many countries, including Bulgaria, Denmark, Portugal, and the UK. A VPN for torrenting can help you bypass these blocks.

Average download speed:  6.1 MB/s

Sample Searches:

Search Term Number of Search Results Average* Best Seeder/Leecher Ratio Average**
Lizzo, Good as Hell 0 23 n/a 565/125
Joker 25 448 1,881/447 5,308/1,576
The Witcher 19 422 448/147 2,151/551

* Average number of search results for top 10 sites
** Average best seeder/leecher ratio for top 10 sites

Visit RARBG

Not loading? Try these mirrors: rarbgmirror.com, rarbg.is, rarbgunlock.com

3. 1337x – Best Torrent Site for Applications

  • Excellent choice of apps, movies, TV shows, games, and music
  • Helpful browsing features – Oscar nominations, new episodes, libraries
  • Revamped interface makes the tracker much better
1337x Screenshot

1337x has loads of torrents in every category

1337x can help you find a torrent even if you don’t know what you’re looking for, thanks to its simple, organized interface. The website recently underwent a massive rework, improving the layout and eliminating some serious security risks.

Now it’s one of the most popular torrent trackers in the world – this is one of the reasons Google hides it from search results. The ads on the site are a bit sleazy, so you might not want to open this site at work.

Average download speed:  4.2 MB/s

Sample Searches:

Search Term Number of Search Results Average* Best Seeder/Leecher Ratio Average**
Lizzo, Good as Hell 2 23 21/5 565/125
Joker 200 448 10,903/5,161 5,308/1,576
The Witcher 214 422 6,092/3,083 2,151/551

* Average number of search results for top 10 sites
** Average best seeder/leecher ratio for top 10 sites

Visit 1337x

Not loading? Try these mirrors: 1337x.is, 1337x.st, x1337x.ws, x1337x.eu, x1337x.se

4. Torlock – Best Torrent Site for Anime and Ebooks

  • Wide array of active anime, ebook, and music torrents
  • Top 100 torrents list to help you find the best content
Torlock screenshot

If you can’t get enough anime, Torlock is your friend

TorLock combines a huge list of torrents with a fantastic user experience, especially if you’re looking for high-quality anime episodes or reading material.

Some of the stuff on TorLock is difficult to find on other trackers, but you’re likely to find the most popular torrents here as well — there are over 4.8 million to choose from.

Just keep in mind that this site runs a lot of porn ads. If you’re not using an adblocker, proceed with caution.

Average download speed: 4.4 MB/s

Sample Searches:

Search Term Number of Search Results Average* Best Seeder/Leecher Ratio Average**
Lizzo, Good as Hell 4 23 5,165/1,148 565/125
Joker 728 448 1,136/49 5,308/1,576
The Witcher 480 422 438/21 2,151/551

* Average number of search results for top 10 sites
** Average best seeder/leecher ratio for top 10 sites

Visit TorLock

5. Torrentz2 – Best Torrent Site for Music Albums

  • Great variety of music torrents
  • Maintains a low profile
Torrentz2 popular downloads

Torrentz2 has all the music you could possibly want

Torrentz2 is the new iteration of the popular Torrentz website. It has kept the original site’s minimalist interface and heavy focus on music – it’s not uncommon to see decade-old torrents with 20+ seeders.

While there have been some changes to how magnet links work, Torrentz2 remains a great choice for audiophiles, and it’s one of the more reliable trackers around.

Average download speed: 2.0 MB/s

Sample Searches:

Search Term Number of Search Results Average* Best Seeder/Leecher Ratio Average**
Lizzo, Good as Hell 216 23 207/25 565/125
Joker 1,116 448 421/1 5,308/1,576
The Witcher 1.795 422 568/9 2,151/551

* Average number of search results for top 10 sites
** Average best seeder/leecher ratio for top 10 sites

Visit Torrentz2

Not loading? Try these mirrors: torrentz2.eu

6. YTS – Best Torrent Site for Movies
  • Great choice of classic and hard-to-find movies
  • Perfect for users with limited bandwidth
YTS popular downloads.

YTS has a great mix of new and old movies

YTS focuses exclusively on movies. The huge variety of titles make it the ideal torrent site for movie enthusiasts. Another thing I really like is that most of the movies come with downloadable subtitles.

The torrents are also very easy on your bandwidth, which is one of the main advantages of this site.

Overall, YTS is a favorite for movies, but since it doesn’t offer any other categories, you’ll have to pick another site from the list for games, music, or TV shows.

Average download speed: 3.2 MB/s

Sample Searches:

Search Term Number of Search Results Average* Best Seeder/Leecher Ratio Average**
Lizzo, Good as Hell 0 23 n/a 565/125
Joker 5 448 3,282/736 5,308/1,576
The Witcher 0 422 n/a 2,151/551

* Average number of search results for top 10 sites
** Average best seeder/leecher ratio for top 10 sites

Visit YTS

7. EZTV – Best Torrent Site for TV Shows

  • Amazing variety of TV shows
  • Very active community, with many new episodes added daily

EZTV popular downloads

A slice of heaven for TV junkies

EZTV went through quite a lot of drama, but that’s all in the past. Today it’s known as one of the best torrent sites for TV shows, with lots of active users.

You can find anything TV-related here, from the latest hit series and late-night shows to reality TV and NASCAR races.

Popular TV shows have their own pages on the site where you can find organized lists of all episodes available.

Average download speed: 3.2 MB/s

Sample Searches:

Search Term Number of Search Results Average* Best Seeder/Leecher Ratio Average**
Lizzo, Good as Hell 0 23 n/a 565/125
Joker 0 448 n/a 5,308/1,576
The Witcher 27 422 141/32 2,151/551

* Average number of search results for top 10 sites
** Average best seeder/leecher ratio for top 10 sites

Visit EZTV

8. Zooqle – Best Torrent Site for Games

  • Over 3.5 million verified torrents
  • Good balance of entertainment and software
Zooqle screenshot

Zooqle has loads of game torrents sorted by platform

Zooqle has over 37,000 movies and 600 TV shows available. That’s impressive for a site that’s so new to the torrenting scene.

The interface is strong overall, but could use some minor improvements here and there. Still, this torrent site has the numbers to help you find whatever you’re after.

Many loyal users like the direction Zooqle has taken in its development, so there’s no doubt it will be even bigger and better in the future.

Average download speed: 2.6 MB/s

Sample Searches:

Search Term Number of Search Results Average* Best Seeder/Leecher Ratio Average**
Lizzo, Good as Hell 0 23 n/a 565/125
Joker 131 448 9,736/3,125 5,308/1,576
The Witcher 211 422 1,954/359 2,151/551

* Average number of search results for top 10 sites
** Average best seeder/leecher ratio for top 10 sites

Visit Zooqle

9. TorrentDownloads – Best Torrent Site for Software

  • Extensive and well-organized torrent library
  • Blocked in many countries
TorrentDownloads popular downloads

TorrentDownloads offers an impressive collection of movies, new and old

TorrentDownloads is another very popular torrent site, mainly because it keeps everything tidy. If all other trackers fail, this one is probably your best chance to find that old, rarely-used software you’ve been looking for or a little-known ebook you’ve been dying to read again.

Just a heads-up: Since TorrentDownloads isn’t exactly a low-profile site, it might be blocked in your country.

Average download speed: 2.8 MB/s

Sample Searches:

Search Term Number of Search Results Average* Best Seeder/Leecher Ratio Average**
Lizzo, Good as Hell 4 23 214/58 565/125
Joker 950 448 8,656/56 5,308/1,576
The Witcher 1,000 422 6,186/63 2,151/551

* Average number of search results for top 10 sites
** Average best seeder/leecher ratio for top 10 sites

Visit TorrentDownloads

10. LimeTorrents – Best Torrent Site for PC Games

  • Most torrents come from bigger, better trackers
  • Poor torrent health and lack of seeding can occasionally be an issue
LimeTorrents screenshot

LimeTorrents is a nice alternative if you’re looking for new releases

LimeTorrents.cc is a decent alternative if your favorite torrent site is down, but it has some shortcomings.

New, popular releases have lots of seeders and fast speeds, but older torrents are often forgotten. This isn’t a problem with the site itself, but I recommend using it as a backup plan rather than a first choice due to this inconsistency.

Average download speed: 3.7 MB/s

Sample Searches:

Search Term Number of Search Results Average* Best Seeder/Leecher Ratio Average**
Lizzo, Good as Hell 1 23 28/15 565/125
Joker 680 448 8,849/3,813 5,308/1,576
The Witcher 120 422 2,178/839 2,151/551

* Average number of search results for top 10 sites
** Average best seeder/leecher ratio for top 10 sites

Visit LimeTorrents

Why You Can’t Access Some Torrent Sites

ISPs across the world face governmental pressure to block torrenting sites in an effort to stop illegal torrenting. In some cases, legal agencies have even managed to shut down P2P sites permanently (such as TorrentProject and ExtraTorrent).

In addition, famous torrent sites are blocked in certain countries. Google has taken steps to prevent users from accessing many torrent sites by blocking them from search results. The Chrome Adblock extension has also been known to block torrent trackers.

Why Do I Need a VPN for Torrenting?

Most torrent sites explicitly warn you to use a VPN before downloading anything – and there’s a good reason for that. Even the most reputable torrent sites and clients come with inherent dangers. It’s easy for cybercriminals to steal your IP address, monitor your connection, and even upload malware-infected torrents.

Depending on where you live, torrenting may be illegal. If you don’t take precautions, the outcomes of downloading torrents can be quite severe – from copyright infringement notices in your mailbox to hefty fines, arrests, and even the threat of jail time.

IMPORTANT: Bear in mind that even in the many countries where torrenting is legal, downloading copyrighted material most often is not. At vpnMentor we support freedom of access and choice, but we don’t encourage illegal activity.

If you’re lucky enough to live in a country where torrenting is allowed, you may still encounter some issues. Namely, your ISP may intentionally throttle your bandwidth when it detects heavy data usage. This can slow your connection down to a snail’s pace, making it extremely frustrating to download torrents.

Using the right VPN will help you overcome these issues, and that’s why our team put together a list of the best VPNs for safe torrenting. (If you’re short on time, I personally recommend NordVPN. I never visit a torrent site without it.)

Here’s why a VPN connection is crucial for a smooth and safe torrenting experience:

  • Anonymity: When you connect to a VPN server, your original IP address is masked, making it look like you’re torrenting from a different location. It’s impossible for anyone to see what you download, or where you’re downloading it from. VPN encryption makes your traffic and data unreadable, even to hackers.
  • Unblocking: A VPN lets you connect to servers in many different countries. If torrent sites are blocked in your current location, you can connect to a server in a different country to bypass geoblocks and access your favorite torrent sites.
  • No throttling: If your ISP is bottlenecking your connection due to what it determines to be excessive downloading or streaming, using a VPN is an excellent solution. When you use a VPN, your ISP can’t see what you’re doing online – this means you could get even faster torrenting speeds. For more tips, check out our article on blocking ISP throttling.

Top 3 VPNs for Torrenting

These three excellent VPNs offer airtight security and total anonymity, making them ideal for torrenting safely.

1. NordVPN – Best Overall VPN

Small assortment of technological devices compatible with NordVPN.

  • Optimized P2P servers in 58 countries
  • Strict zero-logging policy
  • Blocks ads and trackers
  • 30-day money-back guarantee
  • Compatible with:
  • Unblocks: Netflix, HBO, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, BBC iPlayer, Showtime, Sling TV, and many more

NordVPN is the ideal VPN for torrenting. Its network of 5,510 servers includes dedicated P2P-optimized servers for fast, secure torrenting. How fast? Well, it’s the fastest VPN we’ve tested. With unlimited data transfer on all plans, you can download (and upload) as much as you want.

NordVPN’s CyberSec feature blocks ads and trackers on the websites you visit, which is a huge plus on banner-heavy torrenting sites.

With its military-grade encryption and no-logs policy, you can be sure your online activity and personal data will always remain private. Even your ISP won’t be able to see what you’re doing online, so you won’t have to worry about throttling.

NordVPN isn’t just good for torrenting – it can also access 400+ streaming platforms, including Netflix US, Prime Video, BBC iPlayer, and more, no matter where you are in the world. It can even access blocked content in regions with strict censorship and VPN bans.

If you run into any problems, NordVPN’s responsive live chat support is available 24/7 to answer your questions.

The best part? You can try NordVPN out risk-free with its 30-day money-back guarantee.

2. ExpressVPN – Super-Fast VPN With Advanced Security

Small assortment of technological devices compatible with ExpressVPN.

  • 3,000+ VPN servers with P2P support
  • Lightning-fast connection speeds
  • Strict zero-logging policy
  • 30-day money-back guarantee
  • Compatible with:
  • Unblocks: Netflix, HBO, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, BBC iPlayer, Showtime, Sling TV, DAZN, and more
ExpressVPN’s latest deal December 2020: Get 3 months completely free on your annual subscription with this current offer! It’s not for certain when this deal will end so it’s best to check the deals page to see if it’s still available.

ExpressVPN provides blazing-fast connection speeds and unlimited data transfer, perfect for downloading and uploading large files. Better yet, it offers full torrenting support across its large network of 3,000+ servers in 94 countries. It’s easy to find a server close to your location for the fastest download speeds.

ExpressVPN has plenty to offer when it comes to security. When you connect to a server, your data is secured with robust AES 256-bit encryption to prevent spying eyes from seeing your torrenting activity. You don’t have to worry about your ISP trying to throttle your connection. With a strict no-logs policy and an automatic kill switch, your online activity can never be traced back to you.

ExpressVPN can also access geoblocked TV shows and movies on Netflix and many other popular streaming sites. You can see the full list in our in-depth ExpressVPN review.

Another cool feature is ExpressVPN’s split tunneling, which allows you to choose which apps on your device should route traffic through your VPN connection, while other traffic goes through your normal internet connection. That means you can route your torrenting traffic through a secure remote server while you access local sites on your browser. This can be useful if you are in a country that blocks torrenting sites.

To try ExpressVPN out for yourself without having to make a long-term commitment, you can take advantage of its 30-day money-back guarantee.

3. CyberGhost – Best VPN for Newbies

Small assortment of technological devices compatible with CyberGhost.

  • P2P-optimized servers for speedy downloads
  • User-friendly apps and browser extensions
  • Blocks ads and trackers
  • Strict zero-logging policy
  • Compatible with:
  • Unblocks: Netflix, BBC iPlayer, HBO GO, Amazon Prime Video, Sky Go, Showtime, and more

CyberGhost is a great option if you’re looking for a hassle-free VPN to protect you while you torrent. Its desktop and mobile apps are super easy to use, even if you’ve never used a VPN before.

CyberGhost’s global network of 6,700 servers includes clearly labeled dedicated P2P servers, and I recommend using one of those for the best download speeds. You can see the full results of our speed tests in our in-depth CyberGhost review.

Like the other two VPNs on this list, CyberGhost masks your IP address to hide your identity and location from the torrent sites you visit. This protects you from hackers, data theft, and other online threats. With its airtight AES 256-bit encryption, even your ISP won’t be able to see your torrenting activity. There’s also a built-in ad and malware blocker, which increases your security on torrenting sites.

CyberGhost offers 24/7 live chat support to help you with any concerns.

To find out if CyberGhost is the VPN for you, you can use its generous 45-day money-back guarantee to take it for a test drive.

FAQ

🙂 Which torrent site is the fastest?

Here are the results from the speed tests I performed on the 10 torrent sites above with NordVPN, my top VPN choice for torrenting:

Torrent size: ~1GB

Seeder-to-leecher ratio: approx. 80%

Connection speed: 75 MB/s

Average download speed (no VPN): 6.5 MB/s

Average download speed (with NordVPN): 6.3


Site Average speed (MB/s) Peak speed (MB/s)
#1
The Fastest
Torrent Site
ThePirateBay 6.3 7.5
#2 RARBG 6.1 7.9
#3 Torrentz2 6.4 7.9
#4 Torlock 4.4 6.5
#5 1337x 4.2 6.8
#6 LimeTorrents 3.7 5.2
#7 YTS 3.2 7.7
#8 EZTV 3.2 7.0
#9 TorrentDownloads 2.8 4.6
#10 Zooqle 2.6 4.1

As you can see, all sites offered more than acceptable speeds, with The Pirate Bay, RARBG, and Torrentz2 in the lead.

🙂 Do I need a VPN for torrenting?

Some governments block torrent sites, so if you cannot access them in your location, a VPN is the only way to mask your IP address and appear as if you’re in a different country. But even if you can access the sites with no issues, using a VPN while torrenting is still strongly recommended, no matter where you are in the world.

When you torrent without a VPN, your private data and online activity are exposed, and you face some serious risks. Your ISP can see what you’re doing online and could report your activity to the authorities, even if your downloads are perfectly legal. You’re also vulnerable to hackers and other online threats.

A VPN hides your identity, encrypts all your traffic, and keeps your connection private, so you don’t have to lose sleep worrying about this kind of thing. If you don’t have a VPN yet, our top recommendation is NordVPN.

🙂 What happens if I get caught torrenting?

It depends. If you’re downloading or uploading open-source software or noncopyrighted materials, there should be no problem. However, if your torrents include copyrighted or other legally protected content, you could face serious fines or other legal action.

That’s why it’s best to make sure you always use a reliable VPN while torrenting, just in case you accidentally download or upload something you shouldn’t. A VPN will keep your IP address hidden and prevent anyone from tracing downloads back to your device.

🙂 Can I get caught torrenting with a VPN?

If you’re using a reliable VPN with good security features, no one can see your online activity – not even your ISP. Just be sure to choose a VPN that’s been tested and approved by security experts (such as NordVPN).

🙂 How do I use a torrent site?

First, you’ll need to install a torrent client on your computer. The most popular ones are BitTorrent and uTorrent.

If you’ve never downloaded torrents before, it’s especially important to use a VPN because it can be very easy to click on a malicious link by accident. You can learn more about VPNs and what they do in our beginners’ guide to VPNs.

Once you’re all set, it’s time to choose a torrent site from the list above. These sites work like simple search engines – you type the name of the file you’re looking for into the search bar and browse through the results. There are a lot of fake torrents out there, so it’s always a good idea to choose files from verified uploaders or check the user comments to see if anyone had any issues.

🙂 Which torrent sites should you avoid?

Some older torrent sites still show up online, but they’ve been taken over and are not what they appear to be. These are some of the sites I don’t recommend:

  • TorrentBay: While this used to be one of the stronger torrenting sites, today it’s just an index of other sites. I don’t trust these links and I would avoid clicking them.
  • TorrentFunk: This site has a smaller library and it’s not updated as frequently as the sites I’ve recommended above. With the constant pop-up ads on everything you click, it’s just not worth the trouble.
  • YourBittorrent: This site looks innocent at first glance, but once you click anything, it’s bad news. It’s full of hard porn ads and pop-ups that try to trick you into installing software you don’t want. Stay away from this site if you know what’s good for you.

🙂 How can I access private torrent sites?

There are several private torrent sites out there, such as Bibliotik for ebooks, Redacted for music torrents, and IPTorrents for a more generalized selection. The only way to access them is through an invite. Getting one of those can be tricky – you can’t just apply on the site. You have to know a current member and request an invite from them directly.

You can find a few Reddit threads where you can ask for invites, or try your luck on the TorrentInvites.org forum.

In most cases, you will only be granted access to the site if you commit to becoming an active member.

🙂 Is there any way to speed up torrenting?

Some VPNs have features that can increase torrenting speeds, especially if your ISP is throttling your connection. Select a premium VPN like ExpressVPN or NordVPN, that have large server networks and offer unlimited speed and bandwidth. 

The Bottom Line

If you’re looking to download torrents, there are still some excellent sites you can rely on. But if you care about your privacy, using a VPN is crucial.

You can read more about how to torrent safely and anonymously, or find out if torrents are illegal where you live.

Take a look at our beginner’s guide to learn more about VPNs, or check out our list of the 10 best VPNs for torrenting to find more great VPN recommendations.

Visit our list of the current best VPN deals and discounts (updated weekly) for big savings.

Source: https://www.vpnmentor.com/blog/10-best-torrent-websites/


December 1, 2020

12 Best Torrent Sites – The Ultimate List 11-2020

Last edited: November 30, 2020
Reading time: 18 minutes, 56 seconds

Kickass torrents got taken down a few years ago. And with different governments cracking down on torrenting across the world, more sites are bound to be in trouble. The Pirate Bay itself keeps getting moved to mirrors, so you’d be forgiven to believe that torrents are hard to find.

But they’re not, and we’re going to show you the top 12 sites still active in 2020, 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.

Important notice: 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. How? A VPN will allow you to unblock every torrent site, and also keeps you safe when torrenting, by encrypting your data traffic and hiding your IP address and identity. This way, you stay private and anonymous. One of our personal favorites is NordVPN. It’s a great VPN, which you can try without risk due to the 30-day money-back guarantee.

NordVPN
Deal:
Only $3.71 a month for a 2-year subscription
9.3
  • Excellent protection and a large network of servers
  • Nice and pleasing application
  • No logs
Visit NordVPN

Without further ado, let’s head to our summary of the best 12 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 – 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. Torrents.io – 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 either one of them to find your favorite files. However, each of them has different strong points, so we’ll take a deep dive into your options to see which site you should use and when.

Before that, let’s look at what we took into account when writing this roundup.

How To Choose The Best Torrent Site

Man thinking about different torrnet sites like RARBG, YTS and The Pirate BayMonthly traffic was an important aspect to determine how popular that site was, implicitly tying it to a lot of metrics like library size or seeders/leechers ratio. While we also considered including some numbers on seeders and leechers for popular torrents at the time of writing, we realized that’s very seasonal and probably won’t be relevant in a month or two, so we focused on other metrics.

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.

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

Library type is also important when choosing a torrent site. Sites like The Pirate Bay or RARBG have big libraries, sporting torrents from all categories, while sites like Bibliotik or YTS have a considerable amount of book and movie torrents respectively.

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 8 ads just to browse for a file, it might be time to find a new torrent site. In our research, there were about 3-4 popular torrent sites that we decided not to include due to the ad intrusion level.

With that being said, let’s get into our roundup in more detail.

1. The Pirate Bay – Best Overall Torrent Site

The Pirate BayWebsite: https://thepiratebay10.org/

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

The Pirate Bay has been a crowd favorite for many years. 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 20-60 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 5-6 MB/s, all other things being equal.

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, 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.

PS: If those mirrors don’t work, do a Google search for “the pirate bay mirrors” and you may find other options, especially in the 2nd page of results. You can also look at our list of Pirate Bay alternatives for more options.


2. RARBG – Great Torrent Site with an Active Community

RARBGWebsite: https://rarbg.to/index70.php

RARBG 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 tens 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 also comes with a very similar download speed as The Pirate Bay. The only difference is that ad intrusion is a bit bigger 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.

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

PS: 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

1337XWebsite: https://1337x.to/

1337X 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 any 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 safer. For shows and movies, you also have improved browsing functionalities, like searching by award nomination.

This round of changes got it up to 53 million visits a month, and it makes sense – it’s got an average download speed of 3-4 MB/s and virtually no ad intrusion, the creators only make money through bitcoin donations from what we can see.

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).

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: https://torrentz2.eu/

At the time of writing, the main torrentz2 site was down, but we accessed it through one of the mirrors you’ll find below.

While this is not that big of a 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 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 under 2) 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 it in mind for when you can’t find the music you’re looking for anywhere else.

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 3-4 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.

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.

Mirrors: yts.am, yts.pm, yts.gm (but so far the site was never 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 the place to go. 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 in that show, and packages of older episodes. While ad intrusion is a bit annoying at times, the library size and the decent download speed of 2-3 MB/s is enough to keep your binging needs in check.

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


7. Zooqle – A Heavenly Torrent Site for Gamers

ZooqleWebsite: https://zooqle.com/

Zooqle 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 1-2 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 is not bad, and while Ad intrusion can become annoying at times, it’s bearable in most cases.

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


8. LimeTorrents – Superb Torrent Site for New Releases

LimeTorrents

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

LimeTorrents is very good for new releases. With a seamless interface and a very good seeder/leecher ratio on new torrents, it can be a good choice.

The average download speed is 3-4 MB/s, it has a bit under 20 million users a month across all mirrors and a lot of search options.

However, it’s lower on our best torrent sites list 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. Torrents.io – A Unique Torrent Website That Combines the Best of Other Sites

torrents.ioWebsite: https://torrents.io/

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

Not a torrent site per se, Torrents.io 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 Torrents.io pulls data from, but we do want to praise its seamless design and minimal ad intrusion. With a bit under 5 million hits a month and quirky data sets to show what’s trending, using Torrents.io could be a good choice if you’re looking for obscure titles and want all of your results in one place.

Mirrors: None since it’s not been targeted by any shutdown efforts so far.


10. TorrentDownloads – Good Torrent Site for Obscure and Forgotten Titles

Torrentdownloads

Website: https://torrentdownloads.info/

TorrentDownloads is one of the classics in the scene, but their traffic has slowly decreased over time (now it’s 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, it only features an average download speed of 2-3 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 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

Website: https://iptorrents.com/

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.

Moreover, it’s accepting new members based on a donation, which is way more than can be said about regular private torrenting sites. Sitting at around 5 million hits a month, it’s a good alternative if you can afford to get in.


12. Bibliotik – A Torrent Site for Ebook Lovers

Website: https://bibliotik.me/

Last but not least, Bibliotik is the largest private torrenting site for downloading ebooks. Whether you’re an undergraduate, 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 traffic count clocking in the hundreds of thousands, it’s a decent choice, but it’s unfortunately not accepting new members, at least officially.

Speaking of…


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

How can you do that too?

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 because 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 in 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 ever visit TorLock, most of their torrents (even the popular ones) have no seeders.


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 meta-data about the files you’re trying to get. Special software called clients read that meta-data and pair your computer with other users that already have the file, so you basically “download” the file from them.

It’s a form of sharing data with other computers.

So naturally, you’ll first need a client. We recommend Utorrent, but Bittorrent will work just as fine.

Utorrent interface

Once you have that, 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 in 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 which 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 for torrent sites.

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, it will allow you to access blocked torrent sites, and it will 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 (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.

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. A lot of jurisdictions don’t have up to date means to track people that use torrents, but don’t count on that. 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 are in and steer clear from illegal activities when using torrent sites.

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.

Tech writer
Theodor is a content writer passionate about the newest tech developments and content marketing strategies. He likes privacy-friendly software, SEO tools, and when he's not writing, he's trying to convince people they should uninstall TikTok.

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