Launched in 2017, ProtonVPN deserved lots of praise and admiration from users and industry experts alike. The service is a brainchild of the well-known Protonmail, the world’s number one encrypted email service. Does it mean than a VPN rolled out by the same developers is as good and secure as their other products? If let’s say, we use ProtonVPN for torrenting, will it be able to keep our identity secret? In today’s post, you are going to find out whether or not ProtonVPN is good for torrenting. We’ll review some of its most important features to let you know if it’s worth it.
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Does ProtonVPN Allow Torrenting & P2P?
ProtonVPN doesn’t officially restrict P2P traffic through its servers. However, there are some restrictions. Torrenting is forbidden with a free plan. The paid Basic, Plus, and Visionary subscriptions make P2P file-sharing possible. Yet, the service recommends that you use specifically torrent-optimized servers. There are currently 68 such servers out of 568 available.
Interestingly, ProtonVPN supplies torrent-friendly servers only in 4 countries (out of 43) – Switzerland, Netherlands, Sweden, and Singapore. These locations are known for their liberal attitude towards torrenting. While we always recommend sticking to safe locations for P2P file-sharing, a limited number of ‘optimized’ servers may suggest that security isn’t ProtonVPN’s best feature.
ProtonVPN Features for Torrenting
ProtonVPN operates from Switzerland known for its strong privacy legislation. Besides, Switzerland is one of the best places for torrenting because files you download for personal use don’t fall under the copyright law. Last but not least, Switzerland is outside the Five/Nine/Fourteen Eyes. It is a land free of spying and influences from global intelligence agencies.
The service supplies AES 256-bit encryption completed with Perfect Forward Secrecy and reliable IKEv2/IPSec protocols. During our tests, we discovered no IP or DNS leaks. For even greater security, you can take advantage of the Secure Core feature that will redirect your traffic through Switzerland, Sweden, or Iceland servers before connecting you to the location you originally selected.
No matter what device you install ProtonVPN client on, it will grant seamless experience. This VPN supports every common operating system and device. Plus, you can take advantage of 10 simultaneous connections (with the most expensive plan, though).
As for connection speeds, the service shows nothing out of the ordinary. Speed drops can be noticeable at times but within the industry-accepted standards.
Safety Concerns When Using ProtonVPN for Torrenting
According to the company itself, ‘Proton is a beneficiary of financial support from the Swiss government’. This claim caused some stir among its users who suspected that it works for the authorities. ProtonVPN tried to explain that they meant ‘support job creation and help Switzerland strengthen its economy with regards to data security’ but the damage has been already done. It’s up to you whether or not to believe the company; however, we find it suspicious that shortly after that controversial claim had been made, Proton removed that piece of text whatsoever.
One more security-related concern is Proton’s logging policy. The provider specifies that it doesn’t log anything but its privacy policy proves otherwise. It retains data on when you logged in and logged out as well as how many connections you made from your account. It may turn out that the service logs much more than that. At least, the users on the old Reddit forum found the evidence that ProtonVPN records user IP addresses.
Best Alternatives for Torrenting
ProtonVPN seems like a good option for torrenting, at least at first glance, but there are plenty more VPNs on the market. If you are concerned about Proton’s safety, you think that servers in 4 torrent-friendly countries are not enough, or you are overwhelmed with super expensive all-inclusive package ($24 per month – this is more than some services charge for the entire year!), you can painlessly switch to a different VPN. Below, are top-3 VPNs we recommend as alternatives. They are fast, ultra-secure, and they allow torrenting throughout the entire network:
- Provider
- User Rating
- Our Review
- Price
NordVPN- 10429 Votes
- $3.29 / month
PureVPN- 4807 Votes
- $3.24 / month
ExpressVPN- 3795 Votes
- $6.67 / month
Conclusion
ProtonVPN supplies some decent features but we can’t recommend it as a good option for torrenting. While we enjoyed its strong encryption, convenient apps, and Switzerland jurisdiction, there were some aspects we didn’t like. An overpriced subscription, security concerns, and limited servers for torrenting became the deal-breakers.