Best VPNs for Vuze for fast, safe torrenting

Vuze is one of the most popular BitTorrent clients in use today. It’s gone through many updates and redesigns since its initial launch in 2003 but remains popular with beginners and advanced users alike. Whatever your torrenting experience and whichever version you’re using—Windows, MacOS, or Android—we strongly advise connecting to a VPN first, as VPNs are critical for the security and anonymity of anyone who uses BitTorrent apps like Vuze.

Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) encrypt your internet connection and route it through a server in a remote location. The encryption prevents your ISP from snooping on your connection and seeing what you’re getting up to online. Meanwhile, connecting through a remote server masks your real IP address, so websites and other users can’t identify your device, location, or activities.

In this article, we’ll explain exactly how to use a VPN for Vuze and the best providers for the job. We’ll go into detail about each of the VPNs we recommend later on, but in case you don’t want to read the full article, we’ll start with a quick summary.

The best VPNs for Vuze:

1. NordVPN: Our top VPN recommendation for Vuze. Leak-proof connections and strong encryption provide more than enough protection for torrents. Includes an app-specific kill switch, keeps no logs, and comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee
2. Surfshark: Best low-cost VPN for Vuze. Unlimited simultaneous connections and unlimited bandwidth. High speeds for P2P file sharing, solid security, and a strict zero-logs policy.
3. ExpressVPN: Fast servers, strong encryption, robust leak protection, a kill switch, and split tunneling make this a perfect choice for Vuze users.
4. CyberGhost: Great security features and P2P-optimized servers. Fastest VPN on this list. Comes with a kill switch, no logs policy, and a vast server network.
5. IPVanish: Decent speeds and excellent security. Can change your IP address at set intervals. Zero logs. No connection limits.
6. PrivateVPN: Underdog that offers fast connections, no logs, and strong security. Kill switch included.

Note: Comparitech does not condone or encourage piracy. Please stick to legal torrents.

Best VPNs for Vuze

There are plenty of VPN providers on the market, but they don’t all provide the same level of service, and they are not all well suited to torrenting. In order to take the guesswork out of it for you, we chose these top Vuze VPNs based on the following criteria:

• Works with Vuze on Windows, MacOS, and Android
• Strong encryption with perfect forward secrecy
• No identifying logs
• Kill switch that prevents unencrypted traffic from leaking if the VPN connection drops
• Fast download speeds and plenty of bandwidth
• Money-back guarantee so you can test it out risk-free

This is just an overview, but if you want to know about how we test and rank the VPNs we recommend, you can check out our detailed VPN testing methodology article. For now, let’s take a closer look at the ones that made the grade.

Here’s our list of the best VPNs for Vuze:

1. NordVPN

Dec 2024

NordVPN is our top choice VPN for Vuze. It employs uncrackable encryption with a strict zero-logs policy to ensure users’ privacy. An app-specific kill switch lets you choose which programs get cut off from the internet in the unlikely event that the VPN connection drops. Add Vuze to this list, and you never have to worry about exposing your real IP address to other torrenters.

Speeds are excellent, and NordVPN has plenty of bandwidth for big downloads. The company operates over 5,500 servers in more than 60 countries. Some servers are optimized specifically for P2P filesharing.

Apps are available for Windows, MacOS, iOS, Android, Amazon Fire TV, and Linux. Connect up to six devices at once.

BEST VPN FOR VUZE:NordVPN is our #1 choice with everything you need to use Vuze safely. Wide server network, strong security and privacy protocols, and it comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee so you try it out risk free.

Read our full NordVPN review.

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2. Surfshark

Surfshark offers decent download speeds and a large network of over 3,200 servers in an impressive 100 countries. It protects your traffic using 256-bit AES encryption, a kill switch, perfect forward secrecy, and protection against DNS, IPv6, and WebRTC leaks. There’s also split-tunneling functionality, which lets you choose certain apps to bypass the VPN.

This VPN is based in the British Virgin Islands, a country with no mandatory data retention laws. Accordingly, Surfshark doesn’t log any personally identifiable information. P2P traffic is permitted across all servers, and with no bandwidth limits, you can torrent as much as you like. Best of all, Surfshark has no connection limit.

Surfshark has apps for Linux, iOS, Android, Windows, and MacOS. It can be manually installed on supported network routers.

BEST BUDGET VPN FOR VUZE:Surfshark is great value and put strong emphasis on your security and data privacy, allowing you to torrent as much as you like safely. Has no connection limits and comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Want to know more? Check out our full Surfshark review.

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3. ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN has everything a torrenter could want. Military-grade encryption is backed by robust leak protection and a kill switch to prevent any P2P traffic from escaping the VPN tunnel unprotected. Split tunneling is available, so you can set Vuze to use the VPN while other apps use a normal connection. ExpressVPN is among the fastest VPNs we’ve tested, so if you like to stream videos as you torrent them, this is a good option.

The company doesn’t store any logs that could identify a user. A few different protocols are available, but the default settings should work fine for most use cases. ExpressVPN operates more than 3,000 servers in 94 countries, and it even works in China and the UAE.

Apps are available for Windows, MacOS, iOS, Android, Amazon Fire TV, Linux, and certain Wi-Fi routers. Connect up to three devices at once.

FAST AND RELIABLE:ExpressVPN is a strong choice thanks to top-notch security, good speeds, and a useful split tunneling feature. It comes with a risk-free, 30-day money-back guarantee.

Read our full ExpressVPN review.

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4. CyberGhost

CyberGhost is a contender for both the safest VPN and fastest VPN, so it should definitely be on your shortlist. CyberGhost ranked first in our speed tests and also checks every box when it comes to security. Strong encryption, DNS leak protection, and a kill switch are all included. You can access P2P-optimized servers from the app menu. The company doesn’t store any logs pertaining to its users.

CyberGhost operates a whopping 9,000+ servers in 90 countries. Unfortunately, it doesn’t work in China or the UAE, and there’s no Linux app.

Apps are available for Windows, MacOS, iOS, Android, and Amazon Fire TV. Connect up to seven devices at a time.

BEGINNER-FRIENDLY ALTERNATIVE:CyberGhost is a great service with a vast server network and exceptional speeds and security. Easy-to-use apps are ideal for beginners, and it comes with a 45-day money-back guarantee.

Read our full CyberGhost review.

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5. IPVanish

IPVanish is a veteran provider with plenty of great features for Vuze users, and its service was built with torrenting in mind. The company stores zero logs. DNS and IPv6 leak protection and a kill switch come baked into the apps. In the settings, you can enable the option to periodically change your IP address at a specific interval, making you more difficult to track.

Speeds are decent—plenty to stream a video through a well-seeded torrent. IPVanish operates over 2,000 servers in more than 60 countries.

Apps are available for Windows, MacOS, iOS, Android, and Amazon Fire TV. You can connect unlimited devices at a time, making it ideal to share with friends and family.

FAVORITE WITH TORRENTERS:PVanish has been serving old reliable P2P filesharers for many years thanks to excellent and secure service. Plans come with a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Read our full IPVanish review.

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6. PrivateVPN

PrivateVPN is a relatively young provider, but its age hasn’t stopped it from offering one of the most competitive VPN services out there. It made this year’s fastest VPN list, and it comes with the security and privacy that Vuze users expect. Although it doesn’t have any P2P-specific features, PrivateVPN uses strong encryption, doesn’t keep logs, and doesn’t leak DNS or IP traffic. A kill switch can be enabled in the settings.

About 200 servers are spread out among 60 countries. This is a great option for novice users who need a foolproof way to hide their IP address.

PrivateVPN allows you to connect up to 10 devices at once. Apps are available for Windows, MacOS, iOS, Android, and Amazon Fire TV.

UP AND COMER:PrivateVPN offers an easy-to-use app with all the security features and speed that Vuze users need. Plans come with a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Read our full PrivateVPN review.

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Can I use a free VPN with Vuze?

Although there’s no shortage of free VPNs out there, we only recommend using paid providers with Vuze. Free VPNs lack both the speed and security required for torrenting.

Free VPN servers are often congested with too many users, making downloads slow to a crawl. Many free VPNs impose strict data caps or bandwidth limits. Some require you to queue up before connecting.

Free VPNs also tend to come with security risks, they lack strong encryption, leak protection, and kill switches that P2P filesharing demands to stay safe. Many free VPNs harvest your connection data and sell it to third parties, actually reducing your privacy instead of improving it. Some VPN apps even carry malware.

In short, stick with paid providers.

How to set up and use a VPN with Vuze

Using a VPN with Vuze is easy. Just follow the simple steps below:

1. Choose a VPN provider. (We particularly recommend NordVPN)
2. Download and install the VPN app.
3. Go into the app settings and make sure your kill switch or network lock is enabled.
4. Run the app and select a P2P-friendly server.
5. Hit the Connect button.
6. Once the connection has been established, run Vuze and start downloading!

Note that some VPNs offer browser extensions for Chrome and Firefox. These will not protect BitTorrent traffic, so be sure to use the native app for your operating system.

How to bind Vuze to a VPN on Windows and Mac

When you bind Vuze to a VPN, it forces Vuze to only download files and connect to peers through the VPN. This is a good practice because it stops you from inadvertently firing up Vuze and connecting to torrents without the VPN’s protection. And if the VPN connection drops for some reason, your downloads will be paused until it connects again.

With a VPN and Vuze both installed, follow these steps to bind Vuze to a VPN on Windows or Mac:

1. Open the VPN app and connect to the server you want to use with Vuze.
2. Open Vuze.
3. Go to Tools > Options.
4. Click Mode in the resource tree on the left.
5. Under User Proficiency, select Advanced.
6. In the resource tree on the left, click the arrow to the left of Connection and select Advanced Network Settings from the dropdown options.
7. A list of interfaces (a.k.a. adapters) for your device is shown on this page. Your VPN network adapter is likely one that begins with eth (Windows) or utun (Mac) and lists your VPN’s active IP address just below it. If you’re not sure, Google “what’s my IP?” to see your VPN’s IP address and match it with one of the interfaces listed. For example:
8. Next to Bind to local IP address or interface, enter the name of the interface used by your VPN. In our case, that’s “eth5”.
9. Scroll down on this page to check a box that says, Enforce IP bindings even when interfaces are not available, prevents any connections if none of the specified interfaces are available.
10. Click Save at the bottom left of the window.

Vuze is now bound to your VPN, so it will only download files so long as that VPN is connected. You might need to restart Vuze for changes to take effect. Also, we found that if we disconnected the VPN during a download, Vuze had to be restarted to resume downloads.

Vuze not working with your VPN? Try this:

Vuze might not work with your VPN for a variety of reasons. Here are a few quick troubleshooting steps for common problems.

Vuze might be misconfigured. If you’ve enabled advanced proficiency in the settings and made some tweaks, they might inadvertently affect how Vuze works with your VPN. You can reset your Vuze configuration by doing the following:

1. Open Vuze.
2. Select Tools > Options.
3. Click Mode in the resource tree on the left.
4. Under Reset configuration to default values, click Reset.
5. Quit and restart Vuze.

Try a different VPN server. Some VPNs only allow torrenting traffic on specific servers. Try connecting to a different server in another location.

Try a different protocol. A firewall might be preventing certain protocols from communicating properly. Try switching between the OpenVPN, IKEv2, SSTP, or L2TP protocols to see which works best.

Port forwarding with Vuze and a VPN

Port forwarding is a tactic that can speed up torrent downloads in certain situations. Firewalls on your device and NAT firewalls on your VPN or router might block incoming BitTorrent connections from other peers. If you block these requests, you’ll have fewer peers to connect to.

BitTorrent uses TCP ports 6881 through 6999. Some VPN apps allow you to set up port forwarding. You can also set it up on a wifi router.

These days, however, port forwarding is neither necessary nor recommended for the vast majority of today’s BitTorrent users. Even though you can connect to more peers, it likely won’t have much effect on speed and opens up your device to security risks.