There are many torrent sites with lots of interesting content. While many torrent sites are shut down now and then, there are a few that have an established history.
Here’s our list of the
top 10 torrent websites
that are still active in 2023:
IPTorrents
: Awesome private torrenting site that requires a donation to enter
Torrenting itself is not illegal, but downloading copyrighted content is. It’s considered piracy and can land you in jail depending on your jurisdiction. We recommend extreme caution and steering clear of any illegal activities.
You should also
use a good VPN
to hide your identity and online traffic from prying eyes. We recommend going with
NordVPN
. It offers solid security features paired with great speeds and excellent customer support.
The Pirate Bay has been a crowd favorite for many years and is widely regarded as one of the best torrent sites. It managed to deflect countless blocking attempts, and it’s still going strong with over
18 million monthly users
on the main site. However, considering the number of mirrors, that number may be skewed and can go anywhere between 20 and 60 million.
There’s no information on its library size, but it’s safe to assume it’s in the millions. You can expect download speeds of
5 to 6 MB/s
, with all other things being equal. Their torrents are often very well-seeded.
The Pirate Bay’s large community ensures
at least one seeder on almost any torrent
on the site, no matter the age. We were even able to download obscure titles in the public domain released over a decade ago.
On top of all this, this is one of the cleanest torrent sites, as it includes helpful tags that separate trusted sources from malicious uploaders.
If you’re looking for a specific movie, YTS is your best bet. This uncrowned successor to the YIFY group is, by all accounts, the second most popular torrent site (after The Pirate Bay).
We found that the site specializes in torrents with
HD quality
and small size, optimizing for any device or bandwidth. Moreover, we did not experience a lot of ad intrusion, and the interface was beautiful. It’s simply one of the best torrent sites for downloading movies. You can expect download speeds between
3 and 4 MB/s
.
We found that classics are readily available on the platform. In fact, it’s the only torrent site where we could find movies like 12 Angry Men in 1080p. If you’re looking for
obscure movies
that are difficult to find, this is one of the top torrent sites to check out.
Note that YTS has been hit with numerous lawsuits in the past, resulting in them handing over user info to various organizations. With that in mind, we wouldn’t recommend using it without a strong VPN like NordVPN.
The average download speed from LimeTorrents is
3 to 4 MB/s
, and the site has close to
20 million users a month
. It’s currently
banned only in the UK, France, and Australia
but can still be accessed with a
VPN
.
What we like about LimeTorrents compared to other torrent sites is you can
stream movies right there on the site
instead of downloading. This saves you a lot of time waiting for downloads to finish. In our tests, we found the streaming to be reliable, too. Once we hit play, the movie streamed smoothly.
However, it’s lower on our list of the top torrent sites because you won’t find plenty of seeders for older torrents, and ad intrusion can get annoying at times.
Like Torrentz2, Torrends just tracks all torrents from popular sites like The Pirate Bay and 1337x. It’s yet another
torrent search engine
that saves you a lot of time and effort.
The download speed and all other relevant metrics are the same as you’d find on the specific site Torrends.to pulls data from. However, we do want to praise its
seamless design and minimal ad intrusion
we encountered while testing the site. Nevertheless, if you do get annoyed with even the small number of ads on this site, you can always get a good ad blocker like AdBlocker Ultimate.
Torrent Downloads is one of the classics in the scene. Still, their traffic has slowly decreased over time (it’s sitting at around
five million users a month
) due to Pirate Bay’s and other torrent sites considerably larger libraries. Moreover, since it’s been targeted by government investigations, it’s not available in a lot of regions.
Average torrent download speeds ranged
between 2 to 3 MB/s
when we were testing the site, and the ad intrusion did get bothersome at times.
However, it is a
good option for more obscure titles
in all categories, so we included it in our list of the best torrent sites. Hence, if you’ve been looking for an old video game on some of the
best game torrent sites
and you can’t find it or are on the lookout for a rare book, you can try a quick search on Torrent Downloads. Asian titles specifically seem to take a big part of their servers.
For the longest time, TorrentFunk was in the “Torrent sites to avoid” section of this article. Although it was launched over 10 years ago, and it had a decent reputation, its user experience was lacking. The
ads were just too annoying
. Luckily, that’s
not the case anymore
.
TorrentFunk had a recent makeover, and it got rid of most of its ads. We liked its user interface and its
great library of magnet links for direct torrent downloads
. All the files are separated by different categories, and you can access a list of the most recent and popular files right from the homepage.
Nyaa is a dedicated torrent site for anime. Roughly
46 million anime fans
pass through Nyaa every month. And it’s not hard to understand why. Nyaa has a variety of anime, from anime raw to English dubs, that are excellent and synchronized well. It can even compete with some of the
best free anime streaming sites
.
Thanks to its popularity, we downloaded our latest anime shows on Nyaa super fast, and the quality was superb. To get the torrents with the most seeds (which results in faster downloads), in the header of the table, click on the
up arrow
. This will arrange the anime torrents in descending order based on download speed (number of seeders).
Content on Nyaa ranges from movies, TV shows, pictures, and software.
isoHunt has been serving torrents to users for a long time. It has a vast library of different content that’s updated quite frequently. You should expect to find TV shows, ebooks, software, movies, games, and so much more.
We especially liked that the game selection is well-updated and has some of the latest games, such as Alien Descent. However, isoHunt relies on unverified uploaders to upload content to the website. This can be dangerous since the
uploaders can infuse malware
like
spyware
in the files and go unnoticed.
We recommend you use a good antivirus with isoHunt, like Bitdefender, to ensure you stay safe when downloading from the site.
GloTorrents isn’t the best torrent site for the latest content or content with many seeders. However, if you’re
looking for something specific
and you can’t seem to find it anywhere else, GloTorrents is a great alternative to look for it, as we discovered while browsing through the site.
It has
varying content in different categories
, such as ebooks, movies, mobile apps/games, and software. The torrents don’t have that many seeders, which means your downloads will be a bit slow. Also, the filters such as “sort by descending order” don’t work, which makes it harder and time-consuming to find files with many seeders.
RuTracker is a Russian-owned torrent site that has existed for eons. The site is
safe to use
according to our tests and the feedback from loyal Reddit users. It boasts a
massive library
of different content ranging from TV shows to apps. It also has obscure content, such as music production plugins.
Unfortunately, it requires users to sign up for an account and join the
15 million-user torrent community
before they can download any content. Luckily, unlike other torrent sites that close signups, users can register with RuTracker at any time. Just be sure to
read the numerous rules and adhere
to them to avoid a ban.
SolidTorrents is a torrent search engine that sources torrent links from third parties and serves the files to users. We found the site to have a pleasant and
clean user interface
that made it easy to find what we were looking for. There were
multiple filters
to aid us with our search, such as filtering content by year, rating, country, and more.
Unfortunately, in our tests, we noticed the site has
outdated content
across all categories. So this is not the place to search for the latest movies or TV shows. For that, browse our comprehensive
free movie sites
article.
Furthermore, the
library is quite limited
to TV series, movies, anime, videos, music, and software. However, you can find movies and shows in multiple languages from different countries, such as Japan and India.
Bitport relieves you of the risk of
downloading torrents
directly to your computer. Instead, you download the torrents to your Bitport cloud and access them from there without them ever touching your computer. This is one of the reasons we have included it in our top torrent sites list.
This not only relieves you from downloading malware but also from breaking the law when you
download copyrighted content
. Bitport is also convenient since you can download your torrents from anywhere. For example, you can start your downloads on your phone while on the go and find the downloaded file(s) ready when you get home.
For media files such as movies, music, and even some of the
best Netflix shows
, you can stream them online on your favorite devices, such as PC, Android, and iPhone devices, and more.
A site’s
average speed for downloading torrents
is important to gauge the quality of trackers. Think of it only as a ballpark, though. Your actual download speed can vary based on the quality of torrent files and your internet connection.
Most sites have their own uploaders, so download speed will vary for new content. Generally, however, they’ll have around the same speed. Torrent sites scrape their competitors for trackers every day. If you browse for an old torrent, the
seeder/leecher ratio
and download speed will be more or less the same for any site.
Monthly traffic
The
traffic of a torrent website
tells us a lot about its popularity. This can further affect metrics like library size or seeder/leecher ratio. When preparing this list of top torrent sites, we chose to factor in website traffic over the number of seeders for popular torrents, as these numbers can change overnight.
Library size
The
library size for different torrenting sites
also plays an important role. Certain sites like The Pirate Bay have considerably vast libraries, which is why they rank higher on our list. We compared library sizes for each when ranking the best torrent sites.
Comments and ratings
Always make it a habit to read the comments and ratings from other users who have downloaded the same torrent. This can provide valuable information about the
quality and safety
of the file. Look for comments that mention
computer worms
, malware, or other issues, and take them into consideration.
Torrent type and variety
The best torrent sites, like The Pirate Bay, have
big libraries with torrents from all categories
. Specialized sites like Bibliotik or YTS have smaller libraries, but they have a considerable number of book and movie torrents, respectively.
This list favors torrenting sites with large, diverse libraries, but don’t shy away from smaller, specialized torrenting sites if you’re looking for a rare gem.
Ad intrusion
Ad intrusion can make or break your experience with any given torrent site. Self-clicking pop-ups and fake contests that you just happened to win are beyond annoying. If you have to go through eight ads just to find one file, you should try a different torrent site.
We omitted a couple of popular torrent sites just because of their
excessive ad intrusion levels
. We believe security is very important when downloading torrents. There are plenty of shady P2P platforms that could compromise your online safety. That’s why our list of the
best torrent sites
also takes ad intrusion and other security concerns into account.
However, you can always use a
good ad blocker
to help you stop these ads from ever reaching your device.
How to Use Torrent Sites
A torrent is a small file that has metadata about the files you’re trying to get. In order to actually download a piece of content, we need a special program called a
P2P client
, also known as a
torrent client
.
To put it simply, torrenting is
a form of sharing data with other computers
. A P2P client reads the metadata in a torrent file and includes your computer in a relevant P2P network. So, you’re basically downloading the file from people who already have it and are “seeding” it at that moment. If there are no seeders, your download won’t even start.
Here’s a short
step-by-step guide on using torrent sites
:
The first thing you’ll want to do is
use a VPN
. Check our
best VPN section
for the best option for you. A VPN will route your connection through a secure server, allow you to access blocked torrent sites, and help you
remain anonymous
. Make sure you get a VPN with dedicated P2P servers, like NordVPN. This type of server guarantees fast speeds when doing peer-to-peer file sharing.
Yes, a version of this website is still available online. Unfortunately, this is the Kickass Torrents you’re used to only in name and appearance — the service has changed a lot since the original site was taken down.
If you want to download anything using the current version of the site, you’ll have to install an obscure browser extension first. We don’t know what it may contain, but
we do not recommend installing
it under any circumstance, as it may pose serious privacy and security risks. It’s better to use one of the many
Kickass Torrents alternatives
.
ExtraTorrents
ExtraTorrents was a popular torrent website that operated from 2006 until it was shut down in 2017. It was one of the most visited torrent sites, only rivaled by The Pirate Bay. It
offered a wide selection of content
, such as movies, TV shows, music, software, and games.
However, despite its popularity, ExtraTorrents faced numerous
legal challenges over the years
, leading to its eventual shutdown. Clone ExtraTorrent alternatives started popping up after that, but they proved to be malicious and unofficial. You can read our
ExtraTorrent alternatives
guide for legitimate alternative ExtraTorrent sites.
Torlock
Torlock is a solid torrent site. For a long time, we even recommended it as one of the best torrent sites. Unfortunately, a recent update
riddled the website with ads of all kinds
. It’s hard to navigate now, so we don’t recommend it for the time being. We’ll update this page in the future if Torlock improves its user experience.
Which Torrent Sites Are Safe?
RARBG was one of the largest directories of torrents and is famous for its active community of seeders and high-quality torrents. In May 2023, the torrent giant closed its digital doors, much to the dismay of its estimated
40 million monthly visitors
.
The site was already
banned in a number of countries
, including Turkey, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Portugal, Australia, the United Kingdom, and others, although this does not seem to be related to the reason for the site’s closure. RARBG references several factors behind their decision to stop offering downloads, including health problems and the Russia/Ukraine conflict.
RARBG used to be the go-to torrenting solution for users all over the world. Luckily, the sites in the list above can serve as excellent RARBG alternatives!
Is Torrenting Legal?
Different countries have different approaches to torrenting. Here’s an overview to give you an idea of what to expect.
Stance on Torrenting
Countries
Torrenting is completely banned
Russia, China, Italy, Malaysia, the US, Australia, Portugal, South Africa, and Latvia
Downloading copyrighted content is fined
The UK, Germany, France, Japan, Finland, and the UAE
Downloading copyrighted content is allowed for personal use
Poland, Spain, and Switzerland
Stay safe on the web with the right VPN and by taking the proper security measures. And, of course, check the jurisdiction of the country you’re in, and
steer clear of illegal activities
when using torrent sites.
What Do People Download From Torrent Sites?
Are you curious to see what other people download from the best torrent sites? Below, you can see a
top 10 list of the most downloaded HD movies and TV shows from this month
.
We use The Pirate Bay data to create this roundup, as it’s the most well-known platform, and the popularity of files from this site is the most indicative of fame in general.
There are some shady torrent websites on the web that might show you a lot of (questionable) intrusive ads or even spread malware on your system.
Nevertheless,
there are also good and safe torrent sites
, such as The Pirate Bay. Whichever torrent site you use, it’s important to take a few safety measures (such as using
a VPN
) to keep your data safe and your identity anonymous.
Torrenting itself is legal. After all, it’s just data sharing between two devices. However,
torrenting copyrighted material can land you in trouble
. This is illegal in a lot of countries, punishable under many jurisdictions, and something we discourage.
Curious? Read more about the legality of
torrenting
.
I would like to (also) point out that NORD VPN is advertised quite a bit on this page, so I’ve been considering it. But after talking with NORD, and asking specifically about the very popular free “BitTorrent” for actually running P2P torrents, below is a quote from their response. (Note they just said “torrent”, but I’m sure they mean BitTorrent since that’s what I asked about.) So has anyone found that their installation of Nord prevented torrents from working?: …..
Nord’s reply to my question:
“Regarding, torrent usage it may not work with NordVPN proxies, or proxies in general, simply because Trackers, not seeders themselves, will block any connection when the torrent client reports that it is using proxies. We cannot circumvent this block, as it is impossible to hide the fact that a torrent client is using proxies.”
Hi Randy,
Thanks for your comment! As for our own experience with NordVPN (we test it monthly and many of us use it on a daily basis), we’ve never had this issue as far as I’m aware. From Nord’s reply, it sounds like trackers blocking proxies is a possibility, but not a very common occurrence.
Maybe some of our other readers would like to pitch in with their own experiences, too.
the piratebay has been compromised, apparently with complaints going back to May 2023. As of Late August its still useless. You CAN search for and get a list of tottents, but clicking anywhere on the page (regardless of whether its a magnet site link or even just a blank white area) will open another browser tab with a download button, encouraging you to click it to start your download. The download will have nothing to do with your selected torrent, and if you have any kind of threat protection in your browser it will warn you not to proceed. You can google more folks reporting the problem with the phrase “thepiratebay has been hacked”, and may even find some promises to rebuild it from backups and fix it. But 3 months later its still a trap waiting to make you download and install malware. The site has always been risky, but for now its completely useless
Thank you for sharing, Randy! We’re looking into it, but as of five minutes ago, the link provided in this article appears to work as it should! There may be other TPB mirrors out there with dangerous content, however, so definitely be careful with that. If anything changes, we will of course update the information in our article accordingly.
