Transmission is a popular BitTorrent client that is available for Windows, macOS, and Linux. As with all BitTorrent clients, torrenting with Transmission can create security concerns because it connects you with other internet users Peer to Peer (P2P). A VPN for Transmission is the best way to torrent without fear of exposing your IP address to potential hackers. A VPN also lets you get around government blocks to access torrent sites that have been censored, increasing the content available to you.

Furthermore, a VPN gives you privacy by encrypting your web traffic and handling your DNS requests. This prevents your ISP from monitoring your downloads and prevents any unwanted third parties from gaining an insight into your online habits for profiling purposes. This privacy gives you peace of mind when you torrent.

The important thing to remember is that not all VPNs are suitable for torrenting safely. To help you out, we have recommended VPNs for Transmission that protect you against cybercriminals looking to attack your home IP address by scanning for open ports. We picked VPNs with fast servers to let you leech content quickly, and have chosen VPNs with advanced privacy features that prevent tracking.

Below, you can take a quick look at the best VPNs for Transmission. Scroll down for in-depth summaries that will help you pick between them. If you’re in a rush, you can see a quick outline of our top recommendations below.

What are the best VPNs for Transmission?

Below you can see a quick list of the best VPNs for Transmission. We have explained why each service is good for torrenting on Transmission. However, you can find out more about each Transmission VPN by scrolling down to our in-depth summaries.

  • NordVPN: The best overall Transmission VPN. Fast servers in 59 countries. Allows torrenting throughout its network. NordLynx protocol to download quickly. Apps for all platforms. No logs policy. Strong security features.  30-day money-back guarantee.
  • Surfshark: Best Budget VPN for Transmission. Lets you connect an unlimited number of devices. Fully-featured apps for all platforms. Robust encryption and a no-logs policy. WireGuard protocol and fast servers in 65+ countries.
  • ExpressVPN: Highly secure and versatile. Fast Lightway protocol for torrenting with Transmission or any other BitTorrent client. Servers in 94 countries. User-friendly apps for Windows, macOS, and Linux. No logs policy.
  • CyberGhost: Ideal Transmission VPN for beginners. Clearly labels servers by use purpose, including for torrenting. Over 7000 servers in 89 countries help to prevent congestion. WireGuard for fast downloads. Secure encryption and a kill-switch.
  • Private Internet Access: A highly customizable VPN that lets you implement granular control over the encryption. DNS leak protection and a kill-switch. Provides SOCKS5  and Shadowsocks proxies useful for torrenting. Servers in 80+ countries to access more torrents.
  • PrivateVPN: Allows torrenting throughout its network. Works to access many torrent repos. Fast speeds to download torrents quickly. Has a no logs policy. Servers in 63+ countries. Highly secure apps with plenty of features, including port forwarding.
  • AtlasVPN: A relatively new VPN that is proving to be exceptionally fast. Allows torrenting. Has strong AES-256 encryption (IKEv2 protocol) Servers in 30+ countries. WireGuard protocol is great for downloading torrents. Also works to stream on Netflix US.

How to torrent privately with a Transmission VPN

There are dozens of VPNs on the market, but they do not all permit the P2P connections necessary to torrent. In this guide, we have recommended VPNs that work to access torrent sites that have been blocked by ISPs.

There are no hidden terms—just contact support within 30 days if you decide NordVPN isn’t right for you and you’ll get a full refund. Start your NordVPN trial here.

Here’s how to use Transmission with a VPN:

  • Subscribe to a recommended Transmission VPN. We suggest NordVPN because it has fast servers in many countries where torrent sites are freely available.
  • Download the VPN app and install it onto the Windows, Mac, or Linux computer you want to torrent on.
  • Connect to a VPN server in a country where torrent sites are unrestricted. For example, connecting to a US server will give you an American IP address.
  • Launch Transmission and use your BitTorrent client to leech downloads with the protection and privacy provided by the VPN.
  • If you’re having any connection issues, clear your browser cache and cookies that may be storing location information on your device. If it still doesn’t work, try to connect to a different server.

The Best VPN for Transmission

To ensure we have recommended VPNs that are suitable for Transmission we only picked VPNs that meet the following criteria:

  • Can reliably provide an IP address in countries where torrent sites are not blocked.
  • Provides a securely encrypted connection to prevent your ISP or the government from monitoring your online habits and downloads.
  • Has fast servers to seed torrents quickly
  • Has a large global server network that lets you get the best possible speeds for torrenting.
  • Apps for all platforms to let you use Transmission securely on any device.
  • Robust security features, including AES encryption, DNS leak protection, and a kill switch.
  • A zero-logs policy that ensures the VPN never holds records about what its users do online.

Here’s a list of the best VPNs for Transmission:

1. NordVPN

                    Jan 2023

works with TransmissionTested Jan 2023

Apps Available:

  • PC
  • Mac
  • IOS
  • Android
  • Linux
  • Background
  • FireTV

Website: www.NordVPN.com

Money-back guarantee: 30 DAYS

NordVPN is a service provider based in Panama. It is ideal for torrenting with Windows, MacOS, and Linux thanks to its custom apps for those platforms. It also has apps for iOS and Android, meaning that you can use the VPN across all your devices for gaining online privacy whether at home or on public wifi.

The VPN has servers in 59+ countries, many of which do not impose any restrictions on torrent websites and services. Those servers are extremely reliable and fast. Add this to NordVPNs proprietary protocol NordLynx, which is specifically designed to provide a faster connection, and you have a Transmission VPN that is ideal for torrenting.

In terms of security, NordVPN provides a watertight no logs policy. It also implements solid AES-256 encryption (OpenVPN protocol), DNS leak protection, a kill-switch, and obfuscated servers for concealing VPN use in countries where it is frowned upon. In addition, NordVPN provides malware filtering, ad-blocking, double-hope connections, and Tor over VPN; making it one of the most comprehensive VPN privacy services available on the market.

In addition to being ideal for torrenting, NordVPN works to access popular international services like iPlayer, Netflix, and Hulu. It has live chat support that is available around the clock. And it provides a 30-day money-back guarantee to let you trial the VPN on up to 6 devices risk-free.

BEST VPN FOR TRANSMISSION:Our top pick to unblock torrent sites and to use Transmission safely. Superfast NordLynx protocol is great for torrenting, streaming in HD, and playing games. No logs policy. Lots of advanced features. Also works with Netflix, Hulu, and iPlayer. Has a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Pros:

  • Risk-free 30-day money-back guarantee
  • Fast servers in 59 countries
  • Super secure encryption and a no-logs policy
  • Has 24/7 live chat support
  • Advanced VPN apps with a kill-switch and obfuscation

Cons:

  • Some servers take a while to connect compared to others

Our score:

Read our full NordVPN review.

2. Surfshark

works with transmissionTested Jan 2023

  • PC
  • Mac
  • IOS
  • Android
  • Linux

Website: www.Surfshark.com

Surfshark was first launched in 2018, which makes it one of the youngest VPN providers on this list. Despite this, it has rapidly proven itself to be one of the best (and cheapest) VPNs for torrenting with Transmission.

The VPN has apps for all platforms that come with essential privacy and security features like AES encryption, a kill-switch, DNS leak protection, and obfuscation. Add to this its split tunneling feature, and you have a VPN that is ideally suited to torrenting without being tracked by your ISP.

Servers are available in 65+ countries around the world, and that entire network comprises Tier 1 servers that are perfect for doing data-intensive tasks like torrenting, HD streaming, and gaming. Surfshark VPN allows unlimited bandwidth to let you download as many torrents as you like. It also works with popular streaming sites like Netflix, HBO Max, and Hulu.

Despite being less expensive than others, Surfshark lets you install and use the VPN on an unlimited number of devices. This is pretty rare and makes the VPN an extremely good option for larger families who need use of a VPN. Live chat support is available 24/7 and the VPN has useful setup guides for all platforms including using the VPN on routers.

CHEAPEST VPN FOR TRANSMISSION:Excellent value for money. Highly secure for torrenting without fear of tracking or hackers. Works to access many popular streaming services, including Netflix. Superfast servers in 65 countries. Many servers optimized for torrenting. Allows unlimited connections.

  • 30-day money-back guarantee

  • Unlimited simultaneous connections

  • Super-fast WireGuard protocol

  • Servers in 65+ countries

  • Strong on privacy with many advanced features

  • Some servers are slower than others

  • Customer support could be better

Read our full Surfshark review.

3. ExpressVPN

Website: www.ExpressVPN.com

ExpressVPN is a VPN based in the British Virgin Islands that is a true veteran that has been around since 2009. The VPN has secure apps for all platforms that come with a kill-switch, DNS leak protection, and obfuscation. This includes an app for Linux – to let you use Transmission on any Operating System.

The VPN also has a watertight no logs policy, which means ExpressVPN never has records about what its users do while connected. All of this makes ExpressVPN an excellent choice for torrenting safely and privately with Transmission.

Servers are available in a whopping 94 countries. This makes it easy to bypass local blocks and censorship to access torrent sites that have been blocked. Plus, this is one of the few VPNs that works with over two-dozen Netflix regions, as well as other popular streaming platforms.

You can trial the VPN risk-free for 30 days thanks to its no-quibbles 30-day money-back guarantee. If you are worried about speeds, you will be safe with ExpressVPN thanks to its proprietary Lightway protocol, which was designed from the ground up to be used for streaming in HD, gaming, and, of course, leeching torrents. Finally, you can get help at any time of day thanks to its 24/7 live chat support.

HIGHLY RELIABLE:ExpressVPN is a super-versatile and reliable VPN for Transmission. Unblock anything in 94 countries. Excellent privacy features to torrent without surveillance. Works to access around two-dozen Netflix regions. Trustworthy no-logs policy. Lightway protocol is designed to give you better speeds. 30-day money-back guarantee.

  • Over 3000 servers in 94 countries

  • Strong privacy features, including a kill switch and AES encryption

  • Advanced apps for all platforms and no-logs policy

  • Lightway protocol is perfect for torrenting, streaming, and making video calls

  • Quite expensive compared to our other recommendations

  • Servers are not labeled for specific uses

Read our full review of ExpressVPN here.

4. CyberGhost

Website: www.Cyberghost.com

Money-back guarantee: 45 DAYS

CyberGhost is a VPN provider based in Romania. It is a VPN that we often recommend to beginners because it is fairly basic and easy to pick up. Despite having fewer advanced features than some competitors, it still has everything you need to bypass torrent website blocks in countries that enforce them.

What’s more, this VPN has fast servers in 89 countries, and it has over 7000 servers in total to ensure that its servers never get congested. It also provides the super-fast WireGuard protocol, which makes it an all-around good option for torrenting.

CyberGhost has custom VPN apps for Windows, Mac, Android, iOS, and a CLI app for Linux that comes with a clear setup guide on its website. This allows you to torrent securely on any device. Those apps come with a kill-switch, DNS leak protection, and robust AES encryption which prevents anybody from tracking your online habits whether at home or on public wifi.

In addition to being suitable for torrenting securely and accessing censored torrent sites, this VPN can bypass geo-restrictions to provide access to Netflix, Disney+, and many other platforms. You can install and use the VPN on up to 7 devices and it has a 45-day money-back guarantee to let you compare it to any of our other recommendations.

EASY TO USE:CyberGhost is ideal for beginners. Fast WireGuard protocol is great for torrenting on Transmission. Works with most popular streaming platforms, including Netflix. Servers in 89 other countries. Protects your privacy at home and on public wifi. No logs policy. Generous 45-day money-back guarantee.

  • 7000+ servers in 89 countries

  • Easy to use, making it perfect for beginners

  • Apps for all platforms with strong security and a no-logs policy

  • Fast for streaming and torrenting thanks to its WireGuard implementation

  • Fewer advanced features than our other recommendations

  • Doesn’t work in China

Read our full CyberGhost review.

5. Private Internet Access

Website: www.PrivateInternetAccess.com

Private Internet Access (PIA) is a VPN provider based in the USA. This is not the most ideal location for a privacy service to be based because of the presence of invasive intelligence agencies like the NSA. However, the VPN provides extremely high levels of security, including a watertight no logs policy it has proven in court and military grade AES encryption. This makes the VPN perfect for the vast majority of users, and it is almost certainly one of the best VPNs on the market when it comes to torrenting with Transmission.

PIA has over 10,000 servers in 80+ countries, and many of those servers are optimized for torrenting. The apps are available for all popular platforms, including an open-source Linux app. Those apps come with DNS leak protection, a kill-switch, and a SOCKS5 proxy that is super useful for torrenting. In addition, this VPN lets you customize the encryption settings, allowing you to strengthen or weaken the encryption depending on what you are doing.

Those looking for the best speeds possible will be happy to hear that PIA provides WireGuard, and it registered excellent speeds for torrenting and streaming in our tests. This VPN also works to access six different Netflix regions, however, it is not our top pick for streaming so you may want to test it yourself with your VoD service if streaming is important to you. Luckily you can do this with no stress thanks to its 30-day money-back guarantee.

HIGHLY CUSTOMIZABLE:PIA provides superb speeds for torrenting. Highly secure apps to use Transmission without fear of hackers or ISP surveillance. WireGuard and OpenVPN protocols available. No logs policy. SOCKS5 proxy is useful for torrenting. 10 simultaneous connections allowed. 30-day money-back guarantee.

  • 10,000 servers in over 80 countries

  • Highly secure and customizable encryption options

  • Reliable apps for all platforms, with a kill switch and leak protection

  • Fast speeds for torrenting or HD streaming

  • Works with fewer streaming services than competitors

  • Lacks obfuscation

Read our full Private Internet Access review

6. PrivateVPN

Website: www.PrivateVPN.com

PrivateVPN is a service based in Sweden. This is a location that is ideal in terms of privacy because it does not enforce any mandatory data retention directives. In addition, this VPN lives to its name with a robust zero-logs policy and a network or bare-metal servers that are fully under its control. The VPN may only have around 250 servers in total, but those servers are placed in 63+ countries around the world.

This VPN provides excellent speeds, which makes it a great option for torrenting. In fact, it was launched with the support of activists who uphold consumer rights to torrent without being monitored. Unsurprisingly, this means that the VPN allows P2P connection on all its servers. This is also one of the few VPNs that works to stream on two-dozen Netflix regions, as well as most other platforms like BBC iPlayer and Hulu.

PrivateVPN has apps for all platforms and they come with plenty of advanced features. This includes a kill-switch, AES encryption, DNS leak protection, and obfuscation. It is also one of the few VPNs that has port forwarding; a feature that is extremely useful for those who like to torrent because it improves download times by letting you connect to more peers. Live chat support is only available for around 20 hours per day, but you can also send an email if you want to.

HIGHLY SECURE:PrivateVPN is excellent for bypassing torrent restrictions and using Transmission privately. Watertight no logs policy. Servers in 63+ countries. Fast speeds to download torrents or stream in HD. Strong privacy features, including a kill-switch. Perfect for streaming Netflix and many other platforms. 30-day money-back guarantee.

  • Strong on privacy, with plenty of advanced features

  • Servers in 63 countries to access censored torrent sites

  • Works to stream around 20 Netflix regions

  • No logs policy and strong AES encryption

  • Fewer servers in each country to pick from

  • Live chat isn’t 24/7

  • Doesn’t work in China

Read our full PrivateVPN review.

7. AtlasVPN

AtlasVPN is a provider that was only launched in 2019. That makes it the newest VPN provider on this list. The good news is that this VPN was acquired by Nord Technologies last year. This puts it in great company; making it the sister VPN to our top pick NordVPN. It also means it is now technically based in Panama, which is great in terms of privacy. So, why pick Atlas VPN?

Admittedly, this VPN has fewer servers than NordVPN. In total it only has servers in 31 countries. That said it has 6 locations across the USA, and many options in Europe. Apps are available for Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android, and they do have split tunneling – which is a feature that comes in handy if you like to torrent.

Despite having fewer server locations, the VPN has over 700 servers in total and it is extremely fast thanks to the WireGuard protocol. It is also surprisingly good at accessing international streaming services. We found it to work with Netflix US, iPlayer, Hulu, Disney Plus, Prime Video, and HBO Max.

A no-logs policy ensures that the VPN never retains any records of what its users do online. Plus you do get a kill-switch, DNS leak protection, and malware filtering, this makes it ideal for bypassing torrent blocks and for using Transmission safely and without the risk of any hackers finding out your IP address. Best of all, you can install this VPN on an unlimited number of devices.

FANTASTIC CONNECTION SPEEDS:AtlasVPN is affordable and it lets you connect to its servers using an unlimited number of devices. This makes it great for power users and people who own many devices. Apps for all platforms. Split tunneling feature. Lets you torrent on Transmission privately and safely. Has a 30-day money-back guarantee.

  • Fast WireGuard for torrenting, streaming, and gaming

  • Solid AES 256 encryption (IKEv2 protocol) and a kill switch

  • No logs policy

  • Easy to use

  • Fewer advanced features than our other recommendations

  • Servers in just over 30 countries

  • Doesn’t work in China

Find out more in our AtlasVPN review.

Transmission VPN testing methodology

To find VPNs for Transmission that are secure, we tested a huge cross-section of the world’s leading VPN brands. Below, we have included some of the important features we looked for when recommending VPNs for Transmission:

  • Plenty of fast servers that are optimized for torrenting.
  • A choice of servers worldwide to help you get around any local torrenting restrictions, and to allow you to get the best speeds no matter where you are.
  • A no-logs policy that ensures the VPN never has records of the web pages you visit or download from.
  • Apps for all popular platforms to let you use Transmission on Windows, macOS, and preferably also Linux.
  • Excellent customer service to help you with setting up and using the VPN.
  • Our recommendations include live chat support to help you at any time of day.
  • Military-grade encryption secures your connection and protects your data as it is tunneled to the remote IP address.
  • Plenty of useful advanced VPN features, including things like a SOCKS5 proxy, split tunneling, and port forwarding – which are all useful for torrenting.

Find out more about how we review VPNs at Comparitech.

In addition, many studies have revealed that free VPNs are too risky to use for gaining online security and privacy. They have invasive privacy policies that allow them to harvest user data for profiling purposes, and they create a revenue stream by selling user data, including information about their web browsing habits to third parties such as advertisers and data brokers.

Other studies have revealed that free VPNs often lie about the level of protection they provide. They have outdated encryption, suffer from serious IP and DNS leaks, and even contain spyware in their apps. This makes using a free VPN to gain privacy and security when torrenting extremely risky. 

Transmission is a completely open-source platform that has become highly popular due to its clean interface and low system resource usage; it was found to use less memory (around 11 Mib) than any other BitTorrent client. The software can easily be downloaded from the Transmission website and it is completely free. This means that anybody can use it to start torrenting right away. 

Transmission has many superb features and it is extremely easy to set up and use. This ease of use is the primary reason why Ubuntu opted to make Transmission its default BitTorrent client. Users can set up watch directories, bad peer blocklists, and the web interface with just a few clicks. 

Webseed support, tracker editing, and customizable per-torrent or global speed limits are also available. Users can also opt to add a bunch of different third-party add-ons to increase its functionality even further. One highly popular third-party tool is the Web UI Clutch for Mac, which allows you to remotely access your Transmission client and control your downloads via the web from anywhere.

As is always the case when torrenting, anybody who uses Transmission should strongly consider protecting themselves by using a VPN. This prevents anybody from monitoring your downloads, and protects your IP address from being exposed to hackers on the same peer. 

Most of the time, it will not matter if one user is behind a NAT firewall because modern BitTorrent clients are designed to initiate the connection between clients directly. This usually serves to bypass the NAT. However, if both users are behind a VPN’s NAT Firewall, it can become impossible for the torrent client to establish a connection. 

This becomes problematic when many users are all behind a VPN, which is becoming more common nowadays. In order to seed file pieces successfully all the time, it is better for your VPN to allow incoming traffic to reach your Transmission client. To permit this, it is usually necessary to set up port forwarding. This is a special VPN feature that allows users to assign a port for routing traffic through the VPN’s NAT Firewall and to their BitTorrent client.

To make port forwarding easier to set up, Transmission supports NAT Port Mapping Protocol (NAT-PMP) and Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) port mapping. This allows you to automatically set up port forwarding, which makes things easier than on alternative BitTorrent clients that require you to manually specify an open port. 

Whether you think you will need a VPN with port forwarding is largely your choice. Many internet users torrent without issues using a regular VPN connection with no port forwarding, and approximately 90% of torrents should finish downloading even without the use of port forwarding. 

Note: Comparitech does not condone or encourage any violation of copyright restrictions. Please consider the law, victims, and risks of piracy before downloading copyrighted material on torrents without permission.