Kickass Torrent Alternatives & Best VPNs to Use with Them
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⚠️ VPNCentral doesn’t encourage illegal torrenting and peer-to-peer file sharing of copyrighted materials. While many torrenting platforms are legit and have the right to distribute the content they do, many do so unlawfully. It is your responsibility as a user to make sure you use these services within the limits of the law. Otherwise, you’ll face legal consequences and/or potential cyber-attacks. ⚠️
Looking for KickAss Torrent alternatives? Stick around.
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Until 20th, July 2016, Kickass Torrent (KAT) was the undisputed world’s largest BitTorrent website.
Its alleged owner, the Ukranian Artem Vaulin was arrested in Poland and charged by the US Justice Department against several copyright infringements.
As a result, Torrent enthusiasts can no longer access the Kickass Torrent website following the blocking and seizure of all its domains.
The demise of Kickass Torrent has only given room for other equally useful file-sharing sites.
We share with you some of the leading Kickass alternatives.
Best Kickass Torrent alternatives for BitTorrent downloads
Before we start, we must once more warn against the use of illegal torrents that break copyright laws.
Moreover, if you want a smooth and safe experience while using these services, it’s best to employ a suitable VPN service.
It will work great not only for speed but also to protect your data.
With that out of the way, let’s see the best alternatives to Kickass Torrents.
1. The Pirate Bay
On top of the list is The Pirate Bay (TPB) which was founded by the Swedish think tank Piratbyr in 2003.
It is the most resilient BitTorrent site with an impressive Alexa rank value of 143. The Pirate Bay operates from its .org domain and allows visitors to search, download, and contribute magnet links and torrent files enabling peer-to-peer file sharing.
The Pirate Bay site itself is safe to use, although some of the files shared may be illicit or illegal, so make sure to always double-check what you’re downloading.
2. 1337X
1337X is another excellent torrent site that is driven by an active community.
It had some security challenges last year that saw most of the admins and moderators abandon ship. It has bounced back and offers a wide selection of popular torrents.
They even rolled out a new design that is attracting new users, and for them, the sky seems to be the limit.
3. Torrentz2
Torrentz2 is a newer version of the Torrentz Meta search engine that voluntarily closed last year.
It’s an excellent website, mostly safe. Unsurprisingly, it is attracting more torrent enthusiasts.
However, Torentz2 is clear on the fact that it is not related to the former Torrentz site and that it is independent and positioning itself as a unique, competent torrent site.
4. Torlock
If you’re looking for a torrent site that is without Trojans and other harmful spyware, then Torlock is the ideal place for you.
It avails safe torrent files for millions of torrent users every month. You can download Movies, Television, Music, Games, Software, Anime, Audio-Books, E-books, Images as well as Adult content.
To stay safe on it and prevent downloading malicious or illegal files, you can check user comments before embarking on your desired torrent download.
Torrenting without a VPN can land you in serious trouble
After sharing with you the Kickass alternatives, we feel obliged to warn you that BitTorrent downloading and sharing copyrighted files, software, music, games, and movies without getting permission from copyright owners is illegal.
Torrenting without the use of a good VPN service is not safe.
It exposes your real IP address and location.
Your Internet Service Provider (ISP) can take action and throttle your traffic if it catches you torrenting.
Not only that, peers on these platforms will have access to your real IP and potentially use it for malicious purposes.
How does a VPN for safe BitTorrent downloads work
A VPN is a network technology that is employed to create a secure connection between public and private networks.
It encrypts all data from your computer and enables you to access the internet through a tunnel service discreetly.
It masks your communication and hides your IP address.
Your online activities, identity, and location remain private.
Some VPNs are better suited for torrenting than others. When choosing the best VPN for torrenting, we encourage you to consider the following:
- Choose a VPN service based in a country where the legal system can’t be used to request customer records.
- Go for a VPN that doesn’t keep logs of user activity. Even where the strength of a court order asks them to produce records, they won’t have any.
- Speed is of utmost importance. A good torrenting VPN should not slow down streaming content.
- Device compatibility is important. Ensure that the VPN you subscribe to supports a wide range of gadgets, i.e., from pcs to Androids and iPhones.
- A free trial and Money-Back Guarantee are vital for testing before purchasing a VPN service.
- Acceptance of cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin to subscribe to the VPN is important as no one will know you bought a VPN.
- A kill switch and auto-reconnect are also important VPN security features. Auto-reconnect will reconnect once your VPN is connected.
Below you will find a list of the best torrenting VPN service providers that match most of the requirements listed above.
We tested their services and selected the VPNs for torrenting with the best performances and security policies.
Best VPNs for torrenting
1. ExpressVPN
ExpressVPN is the leading VPN service provider with a comprehensive, professional, and lightning-fast service.
It is available in 145 cities in 94 countries with unlimited server switches that enable connection anywhere in the world.
Their 5-star customer support team offers around-the-clock customer support by live chat and email.
It uses OpenVPN and Lightway protocols and has strong encryption.
Zero logging, simultaneous connection to up to 5 devices and 30-day money back guarantee are some other perks of using ExpressVPN.
ExpressVPN
Torrent safely and at good speeds with this reliable VPN!2. IPVanish
IPVanish offers its users a simple solution for internet privacy with fast speeds, maximum security, and zero logging making it ideal for torrenting.
It has over 2,000+ servers in 75+ locations.
Not only that, it offers PPTP, OpenVPN, and L2TP/IPsec protocols and encrypts data with a military-grade AES-246-bit algorithm.
five simultaneous connections on multiple devices, 24/7 customer support, and a 7-day money-back guarantee.
IPVanish
Connect to IPVanish to easily protect your data while torrenting.3. NordVPN
NordVPN offers complete privacy by protecting your data using the revolutionary 256-bit GCM encryption.
Additionally, NordVPN’s Double VPN technology encrypts data twice providing one of the tightest security features in the industry.
It has a network of 5000+ worldwide server locations in 59 different countries.
Other features of NordVPN are lightning speed, not logging where you go on the internet and an automatic kill switch technology.
NordVPN
Get amazing download speeds and complete privacy while torrenting!4. Hide.me
Hide.me VPN is a service that will keep you safe from spies, hackers, and identity theft.
It will also mask your real IP and give you an anonymous one thus keeping your information safe.
It does not store logs of a user’s online activity, and its client software is easy to install and use.
Moreover, Hide.me has servers across the world that make it possible for you to access various TV programs and streaming sites restricted by your country.
Hide.Me
Use this reliable VPN for uninterrupted and 100% safe torrenting.Conclusion on Kickass Torrent alternatives
The demise of Kickass.to give an opportunity for other valid kickass alternatives to shine.
The P2P enthusiasts still have a long list of file-sharing websites to choose from.
That said, there are some security risks that come with using such platforms, which is why it’s best you use them alongside a VPN.
But, be cautious, not every other VPN service on the market will give you maximum protection on uTorrent, qBittorrent, or any other client you use.
To be safe, make sure to consider our advice on how to choose the best VPN service for torrenting. We have also brought you to speed on the five best VPN Torrenting service providers.
