PureVPN for torrenting in 2024

PureVPN is one of the best-known VPNs in the world. Founded in 2008, it has expanded worldwide, pioneering now-standard innovations like NAT firewalls and kill switches. But we’re not too interested in those features right now. Instead, this article will look at the PureVPN torrenting experience.

Torrenting can often be an Achilles Heel for VPNs, whether because they want to limit traffic passing through their servers, or for legal reasons. And even fast, reliable providers can fall down when it comes to torrents. So is this popular VPN among the best ways to use P2P clients securely? Let’s find out.

The PureVPN torrent policy: What is their position on P2P downloads?

The best place to start when assessing any VPN’s torrenting potential is with their marketing material. At first glance, PureVPN looks promising here, with their tagline “the world’s fastest VPN.”

Digging deeper, we find that this provider allows torrenting only in those countries where it’s legal. This means that P2P is impossible if you’re connecting to a server in the US, the UK, Australia, and other countries. You can find the full list in our article “Are VPNs legal in your country?”

So it’s fair to say that the PureVPN torrenting stance is that P2P downloads are mostly fine. Thanks to a huge selection of countries, you should be able to find a good torrenting server no matter where you reside.

Elements of the PureVPN torrent setup

Actually, there are plenty of features here that will excite regular torrent downloaders. Here’s a sample of what’s on offer:

• Unlimited bandwidth. PureVPN promise “unlimited data transferring” with their premium packages, which is always a key requirement for P2P fans. This applies both to data and bandwidth, so neither speed nor volume is restricted.
• Good encryption. Encryption is vital for safe torrenting, and PureVPN does pretty well here, too, offering 256-bit AES encryption and the use of popular tunneling protocols like WireGuard, OpenVPN, and IKEv2.
• Kill Switch. As noted above, PureVPN was one of the first Virtual Private Networks to include a kill switch. This essential tool cuts out your web connection if the VPN drops for any reason. Without it, your IP and DNS information would instantly be vulnerable to snoopers or hackers.
• Sheer speed. Speed is a major selling point with PureVPN. The company operates a global network of over 6500 servers and promises lightning-fast download speeds for P2P users.
• Port forwarding. The majority of premium VPNs don’t offer this feature, which is invaluable if you need to maintain a proper download/upload ratio.

Put together, this is an impressive suite of features for P2P downloading. As the VPN states, they set out to tackle ISP throttling while securing users’ P2P connections from surveillance and malware alike.

Another thing to note is that PureVPN is based in the British Virgin Islands. That’s a good thing from a PureVPN torrenting perspective – there are no data retention laws, meaning neither the ISP nor the government can pinpoint you downloading copyrighted material.

What about the PureVPN privacy record? Can it be trusted?

While PureVPN torrent policies look great on paper, they would mean very little if the company logged user data or was fine with handing over user data to law enforcement bodies. Torrenters should always investigate how VPNs handle data privacy, and PureVPN is no exception.

First up, the company’s Privacy Policy claims that they keep no logs of user activity at all. More specifically, they say that they keep no record of “what you access, browse, upload or download” and they “are unable to identify at what time you connected to the VPN, with which IP address and which VPN IP was assigned to you.”

Have there been any allegations about PureVPN’s security policies?

While the PureVPN privacy policy doesn’t seem to contain too many nasty surprises, the VPN has faced criticism in the past.

The most controversial episode involved the arrest of an American, named Ryan Lin. Lin was arrested in 2017 by the FBI for cyberstalking, following the disclosure of information by PureVPN.

That case became notorious as an instance of VPNs working with government agencies. The more shocking aspects of this ordeal were that this was a foreign government agency and also that PureVPN had information to give.

With that said, the VPN would probably be much less keen to hand over information if it was a torrent-related case. After all, Lin’s alleged offenses were about ruining the life of an innocent person, not copyright issues.

Have there been criticisms of the PureVPN torrent setup?

The Lin case gathered headlines, but there may be more worrying information for torrenters to consider. For instance, some reviewers have put PureVPN through some tests, finding IP and DNS leaks.

There are also issues with PureVPN blocking torrenting in countries where it’s illegal. Some VPNs also restrict P2P downloads but make it easy for users to find the fastest possible P2P server from a limited selection. PureVPN doesn’t offer that service.

Another problem for torrenters is the lack of a SOCKS5 proxy. This proxy service enables users to segregate their P2P traffic from other online activities and makes it simple to link P2P clients to VPNs. SOCKS5 is a standard, albeit not essential, feature for torrent-friendly VPNs.

The appeal of SOCKS5 is that it ensures a high degree of anonymity and delivers very fast speeds – and torrenters often appreciate having the choice of using it.

How to create a PureVPN torrenting configuration

Although there are some gaps in the PureVPN torrent package, it’s still an option for P2P fans to consider. But how easy is it to configure with popular torrent clients like uTorrent?

Actually, configuring PureVPN for torrents is comparatively simple:

1. Download and install the PureVPN client, and purchase one of their paid-for VPN plans. A 7-day trial for $0.99 is fine too.
2. Load the VPN client and choose the “Settings” menu in the top right-hand corner.
3. On the next screen choose “Select Mode.”
4. Now, scroll down the menu and choose “File Sharing”. A green tick should appear next to your chosen option.
5. When that’s done, click “Back.” At the main login screen, choose the country you’d like to connect to and fire up the PureVPN service. Your connection should be optimized for torrenting.

Before you start downloading torrents, it’s always advisable to anonymize your IP address. The best way to do so is via specialist tools like IPMagnet.

When you get there, click the link entitled “Add this Magnet link to your downloads”, and it should start in your torrent client. As the test magnet downloads, you should see your IP on the IPMagnet page. And it should be different than your real IP address.

Another handy tool is DoILeak, which gives you an instant readout about DNS leaks. If it finds anything while you are torrenting, your VPN isn’t doing its job.

Conclusion: Is PureVPN torrent heaven or hell?

PureVPN is a solid option for torrenting, but it’s far from the best around. It scores highly on encryption, unlimited bandwidth, ease of use, plus features like split tunneling and port forwarding. And speeds can be very impressive on some servers too.

However, the lack of a SOCKS5 proxy, the diversion of P2P onto servers outside the US and other major markets where torrenting is illegal, and doubts about privacy are slightly worrying. Overall, it’s worth trying and may deliver the features you need. But be prepared to look elsewhere for better performance.

Recommended reads:

PureVPN Review

Best VPNs for Torrenting

Fastest VPN