Key Takeaways: The Best Alternatives to Torrent Services in 2024
- 1337x — Best torrent alternative overall
- showRSS — Best torrent alternative for TV shows
- The Pirate Bay — Largest torrent alternative
- YTS — Best torrent alternative for movies
- EZTV — Best TorrentGalaxy alternative
- Demonoid — Safest torrent alternative
- Torrentz2 — Torrent alternative with a great search engine
- YourBittorrent — Best torrent alternative with fewer ads
- Nyaa — Best torrent alternative for anime
- FitGirl Repacks — Best torrent alternative for gamers
Key Facts & Expert Analysis About Torrent Alternatives:
- Torrent site restrictions: Many top torrenting websites aren’t available in all countries because of government restrictions. The government bans these websites to prevent the distribution of pirated content.
- Unsafe torrent sites: Quite a few torrenting websites aren’t as popular but can be accessed from most countries. However, these websites can be unsafe. They can infect your device with malware and spyware. The best security measure you can take while torrenting is to only use reputable sites that you can trust.
- Accessing torrent sites securely: A handful of torrenting websites are safe. If you can’t access these websites, use a VPN. A VPN masks your IP address, allowing you to access geoblocked websites. It also secures your connection to ensure the government can’t trace any torrenting activity back to your device.
- It’s all in the details: The likelihood of getting caught torrenting depends greatly on where you are and what you’re downloading. Copyright holders and ISPs often take violations in the U.S. more seriously, and no entertainment industry is more litigious than the porn industry.
You can use free streaming sites like BBC iPlayer and Pluto TV, but torrenting might be your only option for some content. To download torrents, you need a torrent file (from a torrent website) and a torrent client (to download content). However, many popular torrent sites aren’t available everywhere. We look at the 10 best torrent alternatives in this guide — take your pick.
While torrenting isn’t illegal, downloading copyrighted content via torrents is illegal in most countries. The chances of getting caught and the severity of punishment depend on local laws. For example, with the NSA’s surveillance programs and American ISPs spying on internet users 1, there’s a greater chance that downloading copyrighted content will invite unwanted attention.
A virtual private network (VPN) can help you access geoblocked torrent websites wherever you are and keep you safe from prying eyes at all times. If you’re new to VPNs, we also have some tips on how to stay safe when torrenting in this guide. We recommend ExpressVPN — the best VPN overall — but NordVPN and Surfshark are great choices too.
-
05/27/2024 Facts checked
Updated to include torrent websites that are currently available as some websites like RARBG and KickAssTorrents are no longer active.
The Top 10 Torrent Alternative Sites
Some of the most popular websites, like RARBG and KickAssTorrents (also known as KAT), no longer exist. Here are 10 top torrent alternatives you can use based on your content needs.
1. 1337x — Best Torrent Alternative Overall
1337x is the best Kickass Torrent alternative. It offers content across all categories, including movies, TV shows, games and software. Each category has various filters. For example, you can filter movies to find this week’s most popular movies or see the top 100 movies for the current month.
While you’ll find all categories on 1337x, its collection isn’t as large as you’ll find on websites like The Pirate Bay. However, we like the clean and intuitive UI and the fact that there are no intrusive ads. You can head straight over to 1337x, find a torrent and start downloading — there’s no need to register.
2. showRSS – The Best Torrent Alternative for TV Shows
showRSS is easily the most convenient torrent alternative out there for downloading TV shows. The website is minimalistic and once you create an account you can select the TV shows you follow and add them to your personal feed. As the name of the site implies, this can then be converted to RSS and added directly to your torrent client if you prefer.
The only downside of showRSS is that it doesn’t hold on to older episodes of shows, so if you’re looking for TV from the 2000’s for example, you might struggle finding the complete early seasons. That said, anything popular released in the past two decades is sure to be there.
3. The Pirate Bay — Largest Torrent Alternative
The Pirate Bay has been around since 2003 and is still accessible via its original domain. If you’re looking for plenty of torrent options from popular uploaders, you’ll find them on The Pirate Bay. There are usually multiple torrents with great seeder-to-leecher ratios available for popular searches.
You can sort search results based on content type and torrent health, so it’s easier to find the right torrent file. When searching for video content, you can apply a filter for resolution. While the platform does use ads, the annoyance is moderate — you’re forced to click through an ad before you open a torrent, and the page has a few ads.
4. YTS — Best Torrent Alternative for Movies
YTS features content from YIFY, the popular torrent uploader. It’s one of the best torrent alternatives if you frequently download movies using torrents. The website lets you search for a movie using its name or filter the entire library based on quality, genre, rating, release year and language. You can also choose from various sizes and qualities, including 1080p.
The website is fairly straightforward. You should be able to navigate it even if it’s your first time visiting a torrent site. However, it does feature some ads. If you dislike ads, it’s best to use a VPN with a built-in ad blocker like ExpressVPN or NordVPN.
5. EZTV — Best Torrent Alternative for Older TV Shows
EZTV has been around for a long time, and it’s still the best website to download TV shows via torrents, making it a great TorrentGalaxy alternative. It also has a large collection of movies. The website’s interface resembles that of YTS — the “movies” section offers pretty much every filter available on YTS.
EZTV has an active community that uploads new episodes almost as soon as they’re released. You can download episodes in 720p or 1080p, but if you don’t want to download torrent files on your device, there’s also the option to stream content.
6. Demonoid — Safest Torrent Alternative
Demonoid has been around since 2003. Back then, Demonoid was one of the largest trackers. The interface isn’t exactly eye candy, but it’s easy to use. While Demonoid lost some of its popularity as more torrent websites emerged, it’s still a great place to find movies, TV shows, documentaries, anime, books, games and software.
Demonoid is one of the cleanest torrent sites because it prohibits linking to torrent files that contain malware (and pornographic content). It’s also a closed community — only registered users can access its content. At the time of writing, registrations are closed, but you can also sign up using an invite code from an existing user who has invites available in their account.
7. Torrentz2 — Torrent Alternative With a Great Search Engine
Torrentz2 is a successor to Torrentz.eu. The website explicitly mentions this fact — unlike YTS, which doesn’t mention that it’s YIFY’s successor. However, contrary to most torrent alternatives in this list, Torrentz2 is a torrent search engine. The website doesn’t host any torrent files, but it helps you find torrents on plenty of other torrent sites, making it the best KAT alternative with a huge file library.
Since Torrentz2 is a search engine, you can find any type of content you need, such as movies, TV shows and games. However, Torrentz2 is loaded with ads — we had to click through three ads just to open a search result. Using a VPN with an ad, malware and tracker blocker is vital if you plan to use Torrentz2. NordVPN, our best VPN for BitTorrent, is an excellent option.
8. YourBittorrent — Best Torrent Alternative With Fewer Ads
ad-free experience and a clean user interface.
YourBittorrent has done an excellent job of creating the most professional-looking website out there. Torrent websites generally aren’t too pleasing to look at, but YourBittorrent makes things a little better with its clean design and intuitive interface.
You can download everything on YourBittorrent, from games and anime to movies and e-books. You can also use the filter at the top to view verified torrents only. The website has multiple sections, including one for TorrentFreak news, the privacy policy and the contact page. If you’re not a fan of torrent downloads, YourBittorrent also gives you a direct download option.
9. Nyaa — Best Torrent Alternative for Anime
Nyaa is exclusively built for those who enjoy East Asian media like anime and manga — there’s no room for movies here. Like YourBittorrent, you can apply a filter to see “trusted only” torrents or use the “no remakes” filter to omit any remakes from the search results. The best part is that there are no ads.
However, most (if not all) anime and manga are copyright-protected. Downloading them via Nyaa is illegal. If you do plan to use Nyaa to download anime, we recommend using a VPN to conceal your online identity.
10. FitGirl Repacks — Best Torrent Alternative for Gamers
FitGirl Repacks is dedicated to game repacks. A repacked game is essentially a compressed version of a game that’s significantly smaller in size than the original version. You’ll find your favorite titles on FitGirl Repacks, but if you want to download movies or TV shows, this is not the place to look.
There are no ads on FitGirl Repacks, but if you find the site valuable, you can donate directly to FitGirl. The interface is basic, but functional and intuitive. The website has a “repacks troubleshooting” section where FitGirl offers some common advice if you’re facing issues with downloaded repacks — this section makes the website a complete resource for gamers.
How to Choose the Top Torrenting Sites
There are hundreds, if not thousands, of torrent sites. Finding a go-to website for downloading torrents and determining if you should trust a specific site can be a little confusing. There are no guarantees here, but you can use the following criteria to guide your decision when choosing a torrenting site:
- Content collection: Look for torrent websites with extensive torrent libraries that include the type of content that you’re looking for, such as movies, games or anime.
- Active community: An active community is a great way to raise seeder-to-leecher ratios. There are fewer torrents with poor health on large torrent websites that have an active community. When you download via a torrent with a good seeder-to-leecher ratio, you get good speeds and the download is less likely to get stuck midway.
- Security: Many torrent websites are known to infect devices with malware through hosted torrent files. It’s best to use torrent websites that have a long-standing reputation.
- Navigation and filters: Navigating large content libraries can be tedious. Powerful search functions and filters can make finding your favorite movies, TV shows or documentaries easier.
Why Do You Need a VPN for Torrenting Safely?
A VPN conceals your identity when you’re torrenting. This is important because you could end up in legal trouble if the government finds out you’re downloading copyrighted material.
At the same time, the ISP might throttle your download speeds. In some countries, you might need a VPN to even access a torrent website because they’re geoblocked.
What’s the Best Paid and Free VPN to Use for Sites Like Kickass Torrents?
VPNs are critical to protect your identity when using sites like The Pirate Bay or any of the alternatives to Kickass Torrents. Here are the VPNs we recommend.
ExpressVPN — Great Speed and Security
ExpressVPN is a fast and secure VPN — this means it can effectively protect you against a spying government or ISP, and help you download content via torrents at lightning-fast speed. The ExpressVPN app has a user-friendly interface, so even if you’re a beginner, don’t be afraid to give it a try.
There’s no risk thanks to ExpressVPN’s 30-day money-back guarantee. However, check out our ExpressVPN review if you want to learn more.
Proton VPN — Free Unlimited Data
Unlike most free VPNs, Proton VPN is a reliable, trustworthy and secure service. It’s fast and has a generous free plan that offers unlimited data. The free plan includes access to servers in five countries — the U.S., Japan, the Netherlands, Romania and Poland — but you can’t choose which location you connect to. Learn more about Proton VPN in our extensive Proton VPN review.
How to Use Torrent Sites Safely
Safely using Kickass Torrents alternatives, or any torrent website for that matter, is fairly simple when you have a VPN. Here’s how you can ensure safety when using any of the Kickass Torrents alternatives.
- Install a VPN
Sign up for a VPN service — we recommend ExpressVPN — and install the VPN app on your device.
- Connect to a Server
Launch the VPN app once it’s installed and connect to a server.
- Visit a Torrent Website
Once you connect to a VPN server, visit one of the torrent alternatives. If you want to download movies, you can download movie torrents or use magnet links for those torrents. You should then be able to download content using a torrent client like uTorrent.
{“@context”:”https:\/\/schema.org”,”@type”:”HowTo”,”name”:”How to Use Torrent Sites Safely”,”description”:”These steps show how to torrent safely using a VPN.”,”totalTime”:”P00D02M00S”,”supply”:0,”tool”:0,”url”:”https:\/\/www.cloudwards.net\/alternative-torrent\/#how-to-use-torrent-sites-safely”,”image”:{“@type”:”ImageObject”,”inLanguage”:”en-US”,”url”:”https:\/\/www.cloudwards.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Best-Torrent-Alternatives.png”},”step”:[{“@type”:”HowToStep”,”name”:”Install a VPN”,”position”:1,”url”:”https:\/\/www.cloudwards.net\/alternative-torrent\/#install-a-vpn”,”itemListElement”:{“@type”:”HowToDirection”,”text”:”Sign up for a VPN service — we recommend ExpressVPN — and install the VPN app on your device.\n”},”image”:{“@type”:”ImageObject”,”inLanguage”:”en-US”,”url”:”https:\/\/www.cloudwards.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/get-expressvpn.png”}},{“@type”:”HowToStep”,”name”:”Connect to a Server”,”position”:2,”url”:”https:\/\/www.cloudwards.net\/alternative-torrent\/#connect-to-a-server”,”itemListElement”:{“@type”:”HowToDirection”,”text”:”Launch the VPN app once it\u2019s installed and connect to a server.\n”},”image”:{“@type”:”ImageObject”,”inLanguage”:”en-US”,”url”:”https:\/\/www.cloudwards.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/expressvpn-open.png”}},{“@type”:”HowToStep”,”name”:”Visit a Torrent Website”,”position”:3,”url”:”https:\/\/www.cloudwards.net\/alternative-torrent\/#visit-a-torrent-website”,”itemListElement”:{“@type”:”HowToDirection”,”text”:”Once you connect to a VPN server, visit one of the torrent alternatives. If you want to download movies, you can download movie torrents or use magnet links for those torrents. You should then be able to download content using a torrent client like uTorrent.\n”},”image”:{“@type”:”ImageObject”,”inLanguage”:”en-US”,”url”:”https:\/\/www.cloudwards.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/1337x.png”}}]}
Is Using Torrent Sites Legal?
Using torrent websites or even downloading torrents isn’t illegal anywhere in the world. However, many people use torrents to download copyrighted material, and that’s illegal.
Governments in many countries ban torrenting websites or monitor people who are using torrents to potentially charge them with copyright law violations. That’s why it’s important to use a VPN. A VPN secures your connection and conceals your identity when torrenting.
The Best Torrent Software
To download torrents, you need a torrent client. Torrent software helps convert a person’s computer into a mini server that can distribute parts of a file to other users. This means while your device continues to download parts of a file from another person, a third person can download parts of the same file that you’ve already downloaded from your device.
uTorrent is the most popular torrenting client, but as explained in our uTorrent review, there are better uTorrent alternatives out there. uTorrent has been in the news multiple times in the past because of security issues. Here are some clients you should consider:
- qBitTorrent — Best torrent software overall
- Vuze — Feature-rich torrent software
- Deluge — Torrent software with a large plugin collection
Other Torrenting Alternatives: Ways to Watch Free Content
There are many ways to stream content online for free without torrenting. Websites like Sony Crackle and BBC iPlayer are available for free; however, some sites may have geo-restrictions. VPNs can help you unblock these websites — for example, you can use ExpressVPN to connect to a U.K. server and stream content for free on BBC iPlayer.
Final Thoughts: Torrent Alternatives
There are plenty of torrent alternatives out there for downloading torrents. However, it’s important to choose safe websites that offer healthy torrents. The website you choose also depends on the type of content you’re looking to download. No matter what you want to download via torrents, using a VPN is non-negotiable — we recommend ExpressVPN.
Have you tried any torrent alternatives listed in this guide? Which VPN did you use? What was your experience like with the torrent website and the VPN? Let us know in the comments below, and as always, thank you for reading.
FAQ: Top Alternative Torrenting Sites
-
Yes, there are multiple uTorrent alternatives you should consider. uTorrent has earned a bad rep from claims that it bundled a cryptominer in the installer as well as other scandals. Consider torrent alternatives like qBitTorrent and Vuze.
-
The best way to access content is through a paid subscription to a company with the distribution rights. If you want to stream video content, get Netflix. If you want to use Photoshop, get a license from Adobe.
-
The original Kickass site was taken down by U.S. authorities in 2016. There are a few clone or mirror sites, but the original Kickass site won’t be back.
-
RARBG was shut down on May 31, 2023 [2], citing reasons like loss of staff due to COVID and the war in Ukraine. The website hasn’t been revived so far.
{“@context”:”https:\/\/schema.org”,”@type”:”FAQPage”,”mainEntity”:[{“@type”:”Question”,”name”:”Is There a Better Alternative to uTorrent?”,”acceptedAnswer”:{“@type”:”Answer”,”text”:”
Yes, there are multiple uTorrent alternatives you should consider. uTorrent has earned a bad rep from claims that it bundled a cryptominer in the installer as well as other scandals. Consider torrent alternatives like qBitTorrent and Vuze.\n”}},{“@type”:”Question”,”name”:”Is There an Alternative to Torrenting?”,”acceptedAnswer”:{“@type”:”Answer”,”text”:”
The best way to access content is through a paid subscription to a company with the distribution rights. If you want to stream video content, get Netflix. If you want to use Photoshop, get a license from Adobe.\n”}},{“@type”:”Question”,”name”:”What Is the New Kickass Site?”,”acceptedAnswer”:{“@type”:”Answer”,”text”:”
The original Kickass site was taken down by U.S. authorities in 2016. There are a few clone or mirror sites, but the original Kickass site won\u2019t be back.\n”}},{“@type”:”Question”,”name”:”Is RARBG Still Gone?”,”acceptedAnswer”:{“@type”:”Answer”,”text”:”
RARBG was shut down on May 31, 2023 [2], citing reasons like loss of staff due to COVID and the war in Ukraine. The website hasn\u2019t been revived so far.\n”}}]}
Sources:
- It’s ‘near impossible to escape persistent surveillance’ by American ISPs, says FTC | The Register
- RARBG: Famous torrent site shuts down because of war and disease | The Independent
The post 10 Best Torrent Alternatives: Free and Fastest Download Site Options in 2024 appeared first on Cloudwards.
