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Is ExpressVPN Good for Torrenting in 2024 (+ Speed Tests)?

ExpressVPN for Torrenting

ExpressVPN is a top pick for torrenting. It has a vast server network that supports P2P activities. You get fast speeds and top-notch encryption to keep your online actions private.

Their apps come with leak protection and a kill switch. These features are key for safe torrenting. You can also use split tunneling for a bit more speed. But, port forwarding is only available on routers.

Is ExpressVPN Good for Torrenting?

Yes, ExpressVPN is a top choice for torrenting. It supports P2P on its vast network of over 3,000 servers in 94 countries. You get fast speeds thanks to Lightway, its own protocol. This protocol is much lighter than OpenVPN, making it faster.

ExpressVPN also has a huge server network. This makes it easy to find servers that aren’t too busy. Plus, it doesn’t log your activities. They’ve even had their servers audited to prove it.

ExpressVPN uses top-notch encryption to keep your data safe. They use AES-256 encryption, the same as banks and the military. Their servers run on RAM only, so all data is erased with each reboot.

They also have a kill switch feature. This ensures your P2P traffic stays safe, even if the VPN connection drops. The app will block your internet until you’re back connected.

ExpressVPN also protects against data leaks. They block IPv6, DNS, and WebRTC leaks. This means your torrenting traffic stays hidden.

Other Features

ExpressVPN has more features to make torrenting better.

1. Split-tunneling

You can choose to only encrypt your torrent client’s traffic. This can make your speeds even faster.

2. User-friendly apps

The apps are easy to use. They work on many platforms, including Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, and Linux.

3. Great torrent client compatibility

ExpressVPN works with almost any torrent client (uTorrent, qBittorrent, Deluge, Vuze, Transmission, BitTorrent, etc.).

4. Port forwarding on routers

If you use an ExpressVPN router, you can enable port forwarding. This makes all devices use a VPN with port forwarding. But, you need to manually set it up on your router. It’s not available in the apps.

Drawbacks of Using ExpressVPN for Torrenting

ExpressVPN is great for torrenting, but it has some downsides:

1. Port Forwarding Is Limited

Port forwarding is key for better speeds. But, ExpressVPN’s port forwarding is only available on routers. You need to use ExpressVPN v1 or v2 firmware. Upgrading can be tough, but ExpressVPN has guides to help.

Unfortunately, not all routers work with ExpressVPN v1 or v2. If yours doesn’t, you might need to buy an ExpressVPN router. These can cost between $100 and $200.

2. The KIll Switch Isn’t 100% Reliable on Linux

A few Reddit users have mentioned a problem with the kill switch on Linux. It seems the kill switch doesn’t always work. This is because it might ignore peer-to-peer sharing traffic.

The reason is that it doesn’t need DNS name resolutions. Instead, it just sends your internet traffic to ExpressVPN’s DNS servers.

ExpressVPN Kills Switch user comments

We can’t test this claim because we don’t use Linux. If you do, please let us know if there are any issues with ExpressVPN’s kill switch. We tested this online security feature on other platforms, though, and it always worked as intended.

We like that it activates when the VPN connection accidentally drops, not when you manually shut it off. It’s more convenient and effective to protect your IP address that way.

3. ExpressVPN Is Expensive

One common complaint people have about ExpressVPN is that it’s too expensive. Their longest subscription (the 12-month one) is pricier than NordVPN and Surfshark’s long-term plans.

So if you’re on a budget, ExpressVPN might not be the best pick. We recommend using a VPN like budget-friendly Surfshark instead – it’s much cheaper and just as fast as ExpressVPN.

Just keep in mind that it’s not a good idea to use free VPNs (as tempting as it may be) because they are not that effective in hiding your real IP address and hiding the fact that you’re downloading copyrighted material.

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ExpressVPN Torrenting Speed Tests

To see the average torrenting speeds, we used qBittorrent and uTorrent, a 10.2 GB file, the Lightway protocol, and three server locations (the US, Australia, and South Korea). For reference, our tester is from Romania, and these are their original torrenting speeds: 7-8 MB/s (uTorrent) and 54-55 MiB/s (qBittorrent). These are their average ETAs: 30-35 minutes (uTorrent) and 10-15 minutes (qBittorrent).

ExressVPN Torrenting Speed test using qBittorrent
ExressVPN Torrenting Speed test using uTorrent

We first tested a US server. When we started downloading torrents, our speeds slowed down noticeably. This is because of the distance between Romania and the US, over 9,000 kilometers or 5,600 miles.

Our speeds were 1-2 MB/s with uTorrent, and it took 3-4 hours to download. With qBittorrent, speeds were 13-14 MiB/s, and it took just 10 minutes.

ExressVPN Torrenting Speed test using qBittorrent
ExressVPN Torrenting Speed test using uTorrent

We tested ExpressVPN for torrenting on Australian and South Korean servers. Here’s what we found:

  • Australia – 19-20 MiB/s and a 5-10 minute ETA (qBittorrent), and 1-2 MB/s and a 2-3 hour ETA (uTorrent).
  • South Korea – 1-2 MiB/s and a 1 hour 30 minutes ETA (qBittorrent), and 280-300 kB/s and a 12-hour ETA (uTorrent).

We also tested the Smart Location ExpressVPN recommends (Romania). This server was close to our tester’s location. So, the speeds were faster: 20-25 MiB/s and a 10-minute ETA (qBittorrent), and 3-4 MB/s and a 1-hour ETA (uTorrent).

We tested the OpenVPN protocol (free software) on the Smart Location (Romania). It’s popular. But, our speeds were slower with ExpressVPN uTorrent and qBittorrent.

Our speeds averaged 500-600 KiB/s and a 4-5 hour ETA with qBittorrent, and 200-250 kB/s and a 17-hour ETA with uTorrent. Lightway is better for high speeds and protecting your IP.

Overall, ExpressVPN had good download speeds. But, it was slower with uTorrent. We recommend using qBittorrent instead. For faster torrenting, try NordVPN.

REMINDER: Good download speeds need torrent files with lots of seeders. Without enough seeders, speeds are slow, no matter the VPN speed. We tested with few seeders and got slow speeds with qBittorrent and uTorrent.

How to Use ExpressVPN for Torrenting

Here’s how to hide your torrenting activity with ExpressVPN:

  1. Sign up for ExpressVPN.
  2. Download and install ExpressVPN on your device.
  3. Connect to a server. Pro tip: use Lightway and connect to the Smart Locationto get the best speeds.
  4. Use your favorite torrent client to download anything you want with your IP address hidden safely.

More in-depth steps down below.

1. Signing Up for ExpressVPN

Visit ExpressVPN’s website and press “Get ExpressVPN” to choose a subscription. Once finished, you’ll get an activation code through email, which you need for the next step.

2. Activation and Setup

After you download and install ExpressVPN, launch the VPN client and input the code mentioned above. Finish the setup process, then click on the hamburger icon (≡). In the General tab, make sure both tick boxes under Network Lock are checked.

Next, go to Options > Protocol and select Lightway – UDP for great speeds while torrenting. Only use TCP (Lightway or OpenVPN) under poor network conditions, or if you need to bypass VPN blocks. For more details on why that’s the case, check out our UDP vs TCP VPN article,

Lastly, go to the Advanced tab and make sure the box under IPv6 leak protection is checked. This ensures no data leaks while torrenting with ExpressVPN.

3. Connect to a Server

ExpressVPN’s Smart Location feature automatically picks the best server for you. Or, click the hamburger icon (≡) and run a Speed Test. This shows the fastest servers for low latency and download speed.

Once connected, start your torrenting client as usual.

FAQs

Here are answers to common questions about P2P traffic and ExpressVPN. If you have more, just leave them in the comments.

Does ExpressVPN Hide Torrenting?

Yes. ExpressVPN uses end-to-end AES2-56 encryption to hide torrenting. When you connect to a server, your traffic becomes unreadable. Your internet service provider won’t know you’re using a torrent site or client.

For example, instead of seeing a request to www.pirateproxy-bay.com, your ISP sees gibberish like HG56SHFghtRTgfj54FD. But it has many other great security features too!

ExpressVPN also offers complete leak protection (WebRTC, DNS, and IPv6). It has a kill switch to protect against traffic leaks. This means your IP address and torrenting traffic stay safe.

And ExpressVPN doesn’t keep any logs. So, the authorities or copyright agencies can’t get your data.

Can You Bind Torrent Clients to an ExpressVPN Account?

Yes, but you don’t need to do that. ExpressVPN’s kill switch (called Network Lock) stops your internet if the VPN connection drops. This stops your torrent download to restart once you’re connected again. This way, you always have a secure connection.

How Do You Improve Download Speeds When You Torrent With ExpressVPN?

ExpressVPN is fast, but slow original speeds can cause slowdowns. Here’s how to improve your VPN services:

  • Connect to a nearby server – Servers near you offer faster speeds. ExpressVPN has 3,000+ servers. Use Smart Location for the closest one.
  • Use Lightway – This is ExpressVPN’s fast protocol. It’s better than OpenVPN, IKEv2, and L2TP/IPSec for speed.
  • Use wired connections – Download speeds are usually better with a wired connection. Try switching to ethernet for faster speeds.
  • Try a different torrent client – qBittorrent often gives better speeds than uTorrent, even with uTorrent settings adjusted.
  • Use split-tunneling – Choose which apps use the VPN tunnel and which don’t. This can make your torrenting faster by reducing data packet travel time.
ExpressVPN Split Tunneling settings

Can You Unblock The Pirate Bay with ExpressVPN?

Yes. If your ISP blocks The Pirate Bay, ExpressVPN can help you unblock it risk-free. It does this by routing your traffic through a VPN server. This means you’ll talk to The Pirate Bay with a new IP address. This new IP address doesn’t have any firewall rules.

ExpressVPN connected

Just use a server in a country that doesn’t block this site. We tried multiple locations and always managed to access The Pirate Bay using these VPN services.

What’s ExpressVPN’s Best Location for Torrenting?

There isn’t a specific ExpressVPN server for torrenting you should use. Just connect to the one that’s closest to your location. You’ll get better download speeds because it takes less time for your device to exchange data with the VPN server.

We asked ExpressVPN’s support reps about this, and they confirmed you should use the nearest server.

How Many ExpressVPN P2P Servers Are There?

ExpressVPN is based in the British Virgin Islands, but it has worldwide servers available. Namely, there are over 3,000 P2P servers in 160 locations in 94 countries. You can torrent with ExpressVPN on all their servers, so you can use their entire network with unlimited bandwidth.

Final Thoughts

Security-wise, ExpressVPN is ideal for torrenting. It is completely leak-proof without any extra steps (such as disabling IPv6 on your system). The VPN also includes a kill switch to prevent data leaks during disconnects, as well as split tunneling if you need a speed boost.

Best of all, the provider keeps zero user logs (verified with an independent audit). Their TrustedServer infrastructure also ensures any data-in-transit is periodically wiped to preserve your privacy. In other words, your torrenting activity will remain a secret from your ISP, copyright trolls, and similar third parties.

More importantly, ExpressVPN’s high-performance servers deliver great speeds for torrenting. All in all, ExpressVPN is one of the best torrenting VPNs on the market. And all this in spite of its relatively expensive plans and port forwarding being limited to routers.

🌐 Website:expressvpn.com
🏢 Headquarters:The British Virgin Islands
📍Servers/Countries:3000+ servers in 94 countries
₿ Accepts CryptocurrencyYes
💸 Deals & Coupons+3 months FREE!
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