6 ExtraTorrent Alternatives That Still Work (Tested 2024)
ExtraTorrent unexpectedly went offline in 2017, possibly because of the legal implications of running a torrenting service. Many other websites popped up with the same name, but nobody can confirm if they’re safe or full of malware and phishing attacks.
You must use a trusted website when looking for a new place to torrent. If you care about your privacy, knowing how to torrent safely is essential. As is making sure the torrents you download are copyright-free to prevent a violation.
In addition, I recommend accessing torrent websites only via a quality VPN like ExpressVPN. It encrypts your traffic and keeps you safe and anonymous while torrenting. You can try ExpressVPN completely risk-free with its 30-day money-back guarantee. If it’s not for you, you can easily claim a full refund.
Note: While torrenting is legal in most countries, downloading and sharing copyrighted content is not. Make sure you know your country’s rules and regulations about copyrighted content before you start torrenting.
Beware of Sites Claiming to Be ExtraTorrent
After the sudden shutdown of ExtraTorrent, many websites claimed to be the new ExtraTorrent. Some of them looked identical, while others had slightly different interfaces.
ExtraTorrent’s final message to its users warned everyone to avoid fake websites and clones. Since there haven’t been any official updates, it’s safe to say that all lookalikes are still fake. I recommend you stay away from any site using the ExtraTorrent domain name and use the safe alternatives I’ve tested.
Short on Time? These Are the Top 6 Alternatives to ExtraTorrent (Tested 2024)
- The Pirate Bay: A well-established torrenting platform with verified uploaders and seeders
- Torrent Galaxy: Relatively new torrenting site, but has reliable torrents and built-in streaming
- YTS.am: High-quality movies available in small sizes
- 1337x: One of the biggest torrent libraries but with a few fake links
- LimeTorrents: Over 10 million torrents of movies, TV shows, games, music, and apps
- RARBG: A great platform for a personalized experience and torrents but a lot of ads.
Torrent safely with ExpressVPN
The Best ExtraTorrent Alternatives for Safe Torrenting (Updated 2024)
1. The Pirate Bay
The Pirate Bay is one of the oldest and most popular torrent platforms with a massive user base. Even though it has had its fair share of legal issues, The Pirate Bay still stands strong as the best torrent site since 2018.
It boasts a vast library of movies, TV shows, games, music, software, and more. Plus, it verifies the authenticity of the uploaders and has a good number of seeders. It also shows whether a torrent is trustworthy or not. I also like how it filters the torrents by format, quality, and console.
A quality VPN like ExpressVPN will let you access The Pirate Bay easily. Just make sure you only download copyright-free materials to stay out of trouble.
Alternate URLs: thepiratebay10.org, tpbpirateproxy.org, proxybay.xyz, thepirate-bay.org
2. Torrent Galaxy
Torrent Galaxy’s website is well-designed and user-friendly. You can find all the latest movies, TV shows, games, music, and software here. Plus, all the torrents are verified for authenticity and have a good number of seeders. Some of the torrents even have built-in streaming, which is a great feature.
I was pleased to see that the ads on Torrent Galaxy aren’t very intrusive. The only downside is that Torrent Galaxy is banned in a few countries. My team and I don’t condone illegal torrenting so be sure to check the rules and regulations in your country.
Alternate URLs: torrentgalaxy.mx, torrentgalaxy.su, torrentgalaxy.to
3. YTS
Originally known as YIFY, YTS is now one of the most popular movie-only torrenting sites with a great selection. Plus, all its movies are available in HD quality but are relatively small in size. It uses x264 encoding format, which means you can find high-quality movies in 3D, 1080p, and even 4K on YTS.
The website has an easy-to-navigate interface with categories like genre, popularity, IMDB rating, etc. You can also see what languages a particular movie is available in if it has subtitles, and check out the trailer before downloading the torrent.
The site has faced many anti-piracy lawsuits but remains popular because of its quality content and smaller file sizes. Please do consider your local laws before downloading copyrighted files without permission.
Alternate URLs: yts.pm, yts.unblockit.app, yts.lt, yts.unblockit.buzz
4. 1337x
1337x is one of the oldest and biggest torrent libraries with over 10 million active users. It’s a general-purpose platform where you can find movies, TV shows, games, software, and more.
It uses the BitTorrent protocol and indexes magnet links and .torrent files to provide users with a vast library of content. I like that it provides technical details such as award nominations and the number of downloads for each torrent file.
Although I found a few fake torrents on 1337x, the overall quality of the platform is good. Plus, it has a dedicated community that verifies the authenticity of every new upload. It also has a large number of seeders for most of the popular torrents so that you can download them quickly.
In addition, the site seems to have changed domain names to avoid the Google ban. Currently, it’s using .to and .se domains as its primary domains. Please be sure that whatever you download from 1337x complies with applicable copyright law.
Alternate URLs: x1337x.eu, 1337x.to, 1337x.st, 1337x.unblockit.app, x1337x.se, 1337x.unblockninja.com
5. LimeTorrents
LimeTorrents is another well-known platform with a huge user base and an extensive library of movies, TV shows, games, software, etc. It’s one of the few sites that verify the authenticity of every new uploader. So, you can be sure that all the torrents are safe to download.
I also like that it has a dedicated section for new and popular torrents. This makes it easy to find the latest content. Plus, it also has top 100 lists for new movies, TV shows, games, music, etc. (although these are probably under copyright protection and may be illegal to download). This is a great way to discover new content, but ensure you’re not breaking any laws.
LimeTorrents’ colossal database doesn’t have torrents of its own. It indexes the user-submitted files from other well-known torrent websites. Although it’s good for the latest content, it may not be useful if you want to download older content mainly because of the lack of seeders.
Alternate URLs: limetorrents.asia, limetorrents.zone, limetor.com, limetorrents.in, Limetorrents.info, limetor.club, limetor.pro
6. RARBG
RARBG is one of the oldest and most reliable torrenting websites, thanks to its moderators and verified uploaders. It’s been around for over a decade and has a massive fan following. The website boasts an extensive movie library with high-quality video content.
RARBG remains true to its name by providing only verified torrents from trusted sources. You can always find new and old movies, TV shows, games, music, software, and more on RARBG.
Countries like the UK, Australia, Turkey, India, and Saudi Arabia have blocked RARBG, but its mirror sites may still be accessible.
I recommend using a VPN that comes with an ad blocker, like CyberGhost, while browsing RARBG as there are a ton of pop-ups and banners. Also, make sure you don’t accidentally download any copyrighted material.
Alternate URLs: rarbgprx.org/index70.php, rarbg.is/index8.php, rarbgmirror.com/index70.php, rarbgmirror.org/index70.php, rarbgaccess.org/index70.php
Use a VPN to Remain Safe While Torrenting
File-sharing in any form leaves you vulnerable and could compromise your online security. Generally, people overlook this while torrenting as they are more concerned about compromising upload/download speeds. The reality is that it’s much more important to keep your anonymity intact.
I highly recommend using a VPN if you plan to visit or use a torrenting site. With the nature of some available content, every click is a potential risk. Third parties or even other users could observe your data; therefore, it is imperative that you attempt to protect your anonymity as much as possible.
Stay protected with ExpressVPN
Quick Guide: How to Use a VPN for Torrenting
- Get a VPN. I suggest ExpressVPN for torrenting because of its excellent security and lightning-fast speeds.
- Connect to a server. Choose a server in a location where you can access your torrenting site.
- Start downloading torrents. After you’re connected you can download torrents and be sure that all of your information is secure.
Torrent safely with ExpressVPN
The Best VPNs for Torrenting (Updated 2024)
1. ExpressVPN — Blazing-Fast Speeds for Safe Torrenting
Key Features:
- Lightning-fast speeds for smooth torrenting
- 3,000+ P2P-friendly servers in 105 countries
- World-class security features including AES-256 bit encryption and a kill switch
- Based in the British Virgin Islands, which is outside of the 5/9/14 Eyes Alliance
- 30-day money-back guarantee
ExpressVPN is hands-down the fastest of all the VPNs I’ve tested for torrenting. I tried downloading two copyright-free files (sized 890MB and 920MB) on The Pirate Bay, and it took me a little over a minute to download both. The speeds were even higher than my normal connection since it prevents ISPs from throttling speeds by hiding what you’re doing online. I recommend using its Lightway protocol, which is significantly faster than the other two – OpenVPN and IKEv2.
ExpressVPN lets you torrent safely thanks to its world-class security features:
- It uses military-grade AES-256-bit encryption, which is virtually impossible to crack.
- The automatic kill switch immediately cuts off your internet connection if your VPN connection unexpectedly drops. This ensures that your identity and data are never exposed, even for a second.
- It provides strong leak protection. My IP and DNS server details were never exposed in the leak tests.
- Based in the British Virgin Islands, which falls outside the 5/9/14 Eyes Alliance jurisdiction, ExpressVPN is not legally bound to share user data with government agencies.
- It has a verified no-logs policy meaning it doesn’t store your personal data. On top of that, it uses RAM-only servers, which automatically clear all data upon reboot.
ExpressVPN has native apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and routers, so you can use it on any device you own. The apps are intuitive and easy to use, and you can connect to your favorite in just a couple of clicks. On top of that, you can connect 8 devices with one account at a time, so you can secure all your devices while torrenting.
When I checked its plans, I found them to be on the pricier side but fair, given the security features and speeds. Its 1-year + 3 months plan is the cheapest starting at $6.67.
The good thing is you can try ExpressVPN risk-free with its 30-day money-back guarantee, which means you can get your money back if you don’t like the service. I tested its refund policy myself by asking the agent to cancel my subscription through live chat and got my money back in 4 days.
Get ExpressVPN for safe torrenting
2024 Update! ExpressVPN has dropped prices for a limited time to a crazy $6.67 per month for the 1-year plan + 3 months free (you can save up to 49%)! This is a limited offer so be sure to grab it now before it's gone. See more information on this offer here.
2. CyberGhost — Torrenting-Optimized Servers for Enhanced Speeds
Key Features:
- Fast speeds for torrenting
- 11,780+ servers in 100 countries, including optimized P2P servers
- In-built malware blocker to prevent you from loading malicious websites
- Compatible with Windows, Android, iOS, Linux, macOS, smart TV, routers, and more
- 45-day money-back guarantee
CyberGhost has over 11,780 servers in 100 countries, including optimized P2P servers to give you the best possible speeds for downloading files. It’s easy to find its torrenting-optimized servers on the app since they’re clearly labeled. I connected to one of its optimized servers and got speeds of around 55 Mbps, almost 10% higher than the speeds I got on its regular servers.
When it comes to security, CyberGhost has you covered with:
- Military-grade AES-256 bit encryption, an automatic kill switch, and DNS leak protection. It means your online activity is hidden from your ISP, government agencies, and hackers.
- It is a Romanian VPN service, which means it’s not legally bound to share user data with government agencies.
- It has a strict no-logs policy, ensuring that none of your personal data is being tracked or monitored.
- CyberGhost’s in-built malware blocker prevents you from loading malicious websites that can infect your device. You’ll be able to torrent safely without any ads or pop-ups interrupting your experience.
CyberGhost’s Smart Rules feature lets you add any app to App Rules and configure your VPN to connect automatically to the specified server when you open that app. Once configured, CyberGhost will automatically connect you to your favorite server without manual intervention.
One minor con is that its short-term plans are a bit expensive. But you can get its 2-year + 4 months plan for just $2.03/month, which is an absolute bargain.
If you’re unsure, you can take advantage of its generous 45-day money-back guarantee to try CyberGhost for free. If you’re not satisfied, you can get all your money back without any hassle. To find out how simple its refund process is, I contacted live chat support and asked to cancel my plan. They asked a few questions and processed the refund immediately. The money was back in my account in just 4 days.
Torrent safely with CyberGhost
2024 Update! You can subscribe to CyberGhost for as low as $2.03 per month + get an extra 4 months free with the 2-year plan (save up to 84%)! This is a limited offer so grab it now before it's gone. See more information on this offer here.
3. Private Internet Access (PIA) — Multi-hop SOCKS5 Feature for Extra Layer of Protection
Key Features:
- Advanced security features that can be customized to your needs
- Top-level encryption, kill-switch, and an in-built ad blocker (MACE)
- 35,000+ P2P-friendly servers in 91 countries
- Up to unlimited simultaneous device connections
- 30-day money-back guarantee
PIA’s state-of-the-art security features include military-grade encryption (AES-256), an automatic kill switch, and DNS leak protection. You can also use its multi-hop feature to encrypt your traffic through multiple servers for an extra layer of protection. You can further customize your settings for torrenting by choosing between AES-256 and AES-128 bit encryption, where AES-256 is the most secure while the other is faster.
I tested PIA’s speed by connecting to one of its servers in New York and got speeds of around 45 Mbps, which is pretty good for faster downloads. You can also use its port forwarding feature to improve torrenting speeds and allow seeding. In addition, PIA’s SOCKS5 proxy can be used with any supported torrent client for even faster speeds. I used the instructions on its website and had no trouble configuring it. Also, my speed increased by 15%.
I love that PIA has a built-in ad and malware blocker (MACE). This feature blocks ads and prevents your device from loading malicious websites that can infect it with malware. It couldn’t stop torrenting sites from opening new tabs with ads, but the ads never loaded.
PIA is a US-based VPN service that falls under 14 Eyes Alliance, which means it’s legally bound to share user data with government agencies if requested. Fortunately, it has a trustworthy no-logs policy (audited by Deloitte) that’s been proven in court several times. PIA has never given up any user data to the authorities.
I found PIA’s long-term plans to be the best value. You can get it for as low as $2.03 month by subscribing to its 2-year + 4 months plan. It has the same features as short-term plans, but you pay significantly less.
Additionally, all its plans are backed by a 30-day money-back guarantee, so you can always try PIA for yourself without risking your money. I canceled my plan through live chat on day 23 and quickly got a full refund within 5 business days.
2024 Update! You can subscribe to PIA for as low as $2.03 per month + get an extra 4 months free with the 2-year plan (save up to 83%)! This is a limited offer, so grab it now before it's gone! See more information on this offer here!
4. NordVPN — Premium VPN With Cheap Prices on Long-Term Plans
Key Features:
- Short and long-term subscriptions available
- 30-day money-back guarantee
- 6,320+ global servers in 110 countries
- Unlimited bandwidth for unrestricted torrenting
- Protect up to 10 devices at once
NordVPN is one of the best VPNs on the market for torrenting— and you can get super cheap prices when you sign up for a long-term subscription. One thing to note, however, is that when it’s time to renew your subscription, prices do increase quite significantly.
I was impressed with NordVPN’s strong security features, including double encryption and a strict no-logs policy, making it a great option for torrenting. However, you should be aware that its P2P servers may not be available in all regions, which could impact its effectiveness for torrenting in certain locations.
I was particularly impressed with the high performance of every server I tested. Just because a VPN has thousands of servers doesn’t mean they all work. Servers can still struggle to unblock local sites — and some can even fail to connect completely. However, I easily torrent on multiple servers in the US and UK.
NordVPN has the following security and privacy features to keep you safe while torrenting:
- AES 256-bit encryption.
- A kill switch that cuts your internet access if your connection to a VPN server drops suddenly.
- Built-in ad and malware blocker, so you don’t need a third-party ad blocker.
- Fully audited no-logs policy (audited by PwC) – NordVPN doesn’t store any personal or identifying data while you’re connected to the VPN.
In addition, NordVPN includes Threat Protection that protects you from viruses, infected websites, and trackers as an additional safeguard when torrenting – and it works whenever you have the NordVPN app open, even if you’re not connected to a VPN server.
With plans that cost as little as $3.09 per month, it’s easy to find a NordVPN subscription plan that suits your needs. You can also stream, torrent, and browse for free for up to 30 days with its money-back guarantee. I tested this to ensure that you’ll really get your money back. The process was straightforward, and I got my refund in 6 business days.
Download torrents safely with NordVPN
5. Surfshark — Best Value for Money with Unlimited Device Connections and Fast Speeds for Torrenting
Key Features:
- Short and long-term plans available
- 30-day money-back guarantee
- 3,200+ global servers in 100 countries
- No bandwidth restrictions
- Connect unlimited devices at once
Surfshark offers the best value for money out of every premium VPN on the market. You can connect an unlimited number of devices with a single subscription, which means you can torrent with Surfshark on all your devices without getting logged out.
I tested Surfshark’s simultaneous connections on 2 PCs, 2 phones, a Fire Stick 4K, and an iPad. My connection remained reliable on all 6 devices. Even while I was actively torrenting on all my devices, my average speed was 112 Mbps — more than fast enough.
When I saw the price of this service, I thought it couldn’t possibly have top-grade security features for such a low price, but I was pleasantly surprised. Surfshark has the following features for protecting your security and privacy while torrenting:
- AES 256-bit encryption on all devices, with ChaCha encryption available for Android users.
- Wireguard VPN protocol enabled by default.
- Diskless, RAM-only servers to protect your privacy (no data can be physically extracted from any servers).
- Kill switch (although this isn’t enabled by default).
- IP and DNS leak protection.
Surfshark also offers two-factor authentication (2FA) on your account. This feature requires you to enter an extra code before you can log in to ensure that only you can access your account.
While Surfshark does have slightly fewer global servers than rivals such as CyberGhost and PIA, I didn’t experience any issues during my tests. I easily connected fast working servers every time, and I had excellent speeds for downloading torrents, streaming Netflix in UHD, and browsing the internet.
You can try Surfshark for yourself with the 30-day money-back guarantee. It has plans that cost as little as $2.29. Requesting a refund is easy with Surfshark’s live chat feature — I had no problem getting my money back (and it only took 4 days!).
Download torrents safely with Surfshark
How I Tested and Ranked the Best VPNs for Torrenting
While testing the best VPNs in the market, I paid close attention to the following factors:
- P2P and torrenting support: Not every VPN supports P2P file sharing and torrenting. So go for a VPN that either has specific torrenting servers or offers P2P support on all its servers.
- Security: A good VPN for torrenting should have robust security features like military-grade encryption, DNS/IP leak protection, security protocols, and a kill switch to stay protected while torrenting.
- No-logs policy: The VPN you use must have a strict no-logs policy so that your identity can’t be revealed even if the VPN is hacked or subpoenaed.
- Ad and malware blocker: A VPN with an integrated ad and malware blocker will keep you safe from malicious third-party ads and websites while torrenting.
- Speed: A VPN for torrenting should offer good speeds so you can download or upload large files quickly. To check this, I ran speed tests on all the VPNs on the list while downloading large files.
- Money-back guarantee: With a reliable refund policy, you can test various VPN features without risking your money. I tried each VPN on the list for at least 7 days before canceling my plan and received a refund in all cases.
- Ease of use: The best VPN for torrenting should have native apps for all popular platforms with an intuitive interface. I tested each of these VPNs on Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS to see how easy it is to use their apps.
- Reliable customer support: If you face any issues while using the VPN, you should be able to get quick and helpful assistance from the customer support team. I contacted each of these VPNs multiple times through live chat and email to test their response time and quality of assistance.
FAQs About Torrenting
Can I use an ExtraTorrent proxy or mirror site?
Is torrenting illegal?
It’s complicated. Torrenting itself is not illegal but downloading copyrighted content is. So if you use a BitTorrent client to download pirated content, you can be fined or even jailed in some countries.
My team and I do not support downloading and sharing copyrighted content. It’s important that you check your local laws to ensure you’re not breaking any before torrenting and make sure you’re only downloading copyright-free files.
Also, use a quality VPN to stay safe and anonymous while torrenting.
Can I get a virus from a torrent?
Yes, you can. That’s why it’s important to only download files from trusted sources and use a VPN like CyberGhost with an ad and malware blocker to stay safe. CyberGhost comes with a reliable malware blocker that can protect you from malicious ads and trackers.
If your VPN doesn’t have a built-in ad and malware blocker, you can use a separate tool to protect your device.
What is the best torrenting app?
Can I use a free VPN for Torrenting?
Yes, but I won’t suggest it because most free VPNs are not good for torrenting and can get you into trouble. Free VPNs can slow down your internet speed, sell your data to third-party marketers, and some of them are even known to contain malware. Many of them also have data caps that can limit your torrenting activities.
I would suggest using a premium VPN like ExpressVPN as it is much more reliable and offers better speeds for Torrenting. It also has impressive security features and does not keep logs of user activity.
If you still want to use a free VPN, then make sure it is a safe free VPN with good reviews. Also, be careful while torrenting as some countries have strict laws against it.
Download Torrents Safely With a Quality VPN
Many VPNs claim to offer protection while torrenting, but very few actually deliver on their promise. If you’re using a VPN that lacks security features, you’re exposing yourself to cyber attacks, malware, and phishing scams. That’s why it’s important to use a VPN with robust security features like military-grade encryption, DNS/IP leak protection, top-notch security protocols, and a kill switch.
While all the VPNs on this list have robust security features, I recommend ExpressVPN as its blazing-fast speeds are perfect for torrenting. Plus, its best-in-the-industry security features include military-grade encryption, DNS/IP leak protection, and a kill switch that can keep you safe from prying eyes. Plus, it has a huge network of 3,000 servers — all supporting P2P file sharing.
To top it all off, it comes with a tried and tested 30-day money-back guarantee, which lets you try ExpressVPN risk-free. If you don’t like the service, you can get all your money back without any problem.
