PrivadoVPN

Introduction

Online privacy and security are 2 increasingly rare commodities in our digital world. Whether we are talking about Internet Service Providers (ISPs), governmental agencies, spies, or hackers, it is not at all paranoid to assume that everything that you do online can be seen by someone. Although it may be true that the majority of average internet users don’t have anything to hide to begin with, that doesn’t mean that privacy isn’t still a critical comfort that everybody deserves to enjoy. I mean, we wouldn’t ever be asked to accept somebody spying on us through our windows while at home, right? Why, then, should our online privacy be any less important – especially when we live a large portion of our lives on the internet?

The good news, though, is that there are ways to reinforce and bolster your digital privacy and security, to keep yourself hidden from (and anonymous to) any potentially nosey neighbors. The solution to all of your online privacy issues probably lies in using a Virtual Private Network (VPN). With the best VPN, you can finally find some peace of mind, confident in the fact that no entity – not even your ISP or government – will be able to access your data or see anything you do online. By rerouting your internet connection to a secure and private server, encrypting your IP address, and ensuring that your online activity is not visible to anyone (save for the company providing you the VPN servers, of course), the best VPNs will keep your data hidden from any and all prying eyes.

This begs the question, though: what is the best VPN on the market today? Well, truth be told, there are a ton of companies out there who are constantly vying for this title. And there is a good amount of discussion and debate around this topic. Everywhere you look around the internet you will find a list of the best VPNs, and it seems as if there is a new one topping these lists every other week. Frankly, though, the majority of these lists are just clickbait … because the truth of the matter is this: it is impossible to say objectively that one VPN is the best; at the end of the day, it all depends on what you need and want out of your VPN service of choice.

Sure, we could debate tech specs and speeds all day long … and it is true, some VPNs are simply higher performance than others in certain regards. Some VPNs have bigger, better servers that allow for faster upload and download speeds, others might require you to sacrifice speed a bit but are available at a price point that you just cannot argue with. What it really boils down to, though, is how often you are online, how much data you eat up, your budget, and how much security you find necessary. Each VPN service approaches these issues differently from the next but figuring out which is the best VPN for you is going to be a matter of weighing a service’s offerings against your own particular needs.

When it comes to torrenting, VPNs are all but necessary. I can’t even tell you how many cease and desist letters that I received from my ISP warning me to stop torrenting files on their service – even though I was torrenting all illegal files ISPs don’t care about that, if they register that you are using any sort of Bittorrent protocol over their servers, they automatically flag it as illicit activity. Obviously, the level of strictness against torrenting is bound to vary quite a bit from one ISP to the next, but, generally speaking, torrenting is seen as a problem in the eyes of the companies that sell us our internet bandwidth.

Are there special considerations to take into account when trying to figure out which is the best VPN for torrenting? Well, yeah, absolutely are there. Upload and download speeds are something that you’ll definitely want to look at, for instance. Whether or not a certain VPN allows for P2P file sharing is, hands down, the most important, though, because not every VPN service is torrent friendly.

Some of the best VPNs for torrenting have special dedicated servers that users can connect to which are optimized for torrenting; others, though they don’t designate whole servers to file sharing, enable and allow you to torrent at decent speeds. So, finding a VPN that lets you to torrent to begin with is certainly a good place to start when looking for the best VPNs.

One of the VPNs for torrenting that I have been hearing more and more about over the last year or so is Privado VPN. Privado is, in the words of their site’s About page, “a Switzerland-based company [that is] able to operate protected by the world’s best privacy laws, and our trusted team is composed of security experts and passionate programmers who believe in a free and open Internet.” They go onto further illustrate their commitment to the cause by noting that “[Their] people have been fighting for almost 20 years against Big Brother and ‘free’ online services that lure you in just to monetize your online activity.”

I respect their mission and the fact that they are able to take advantage of Switzerland’s world class privacy laws, but is Privado VPN truly the best VPN for torrenting? Well, let’s dive in and find out, shall we?

Design

Privado’s interface is – as you would expect from a solid VPN – sleek, intuitive, and easy to use. Simply choose a server location, connect, and enjoy a free, open, and anonymous internet browsing experience in seconds. In short, the app is as simple and intuitive as it gets (no need to complicate things, right?). Plus, Privado just looks good, which is always a plus in my book when it comes to app design.

Content and Features

Privado offers a few key features that people often look for in a good torrenting VPN. For instance, Privado VPN boasts high download and upload speeds. In fact, they claim to be one of the best torrenting VPNs on the market. And, to tell you the truth, the fact that this company addresses its potential for torrenting outright is a good sign in and of itself.

Privado also offers some top-tier privacy protocols, including a no-logs policy (not even Privado will keep a record of your browsing history). You’ll also benefit from Privado VPN’s hundreds of server locations, which allow you to access the entire internet, no matter where in the world you happen to be (including foreign Netflix and Hulu libraries). A very user-friendly kill switch lets you instantly disconnect from the VPN and 24/7 customer service ensures that, should you ever be faced with a technical issue, somebody will be there to help you out, even if it happens to be 3:00 in the morning. Oh, and did I mention the fact that Privado VPN offers unlimited monthly data and the use of up to 10 simultaneous devices – a number that blows most of the competition out of the water.

Pricings and Plans

The thing about Privado VPN is that it is a little pricey compared to some of the bigger name, established VPN services out there that have been around for years. Nevertheless, it is not the most expensive VPN on the market today. Given the fact that you get unlimited data, hundreds of server locations, torrenting friendly private servers, and 10 devices, though, you may find that Privado VPN is worth the extra couple bucks per month.

Perhaps the best news on this front, though, is the fact that Privado VPN does offer a free version of its service. Naturally, this does not come with unlimited data (there are caps) and some of the most notable features are missing (you only have access to 12 server locations, 1 device, and it can only be used by Windows and Android users (sorry, Apple people). Although it may not be the most impressive free VPN out there, it’s a great way to try Privado out with no strings attached.

For the full VPN service, however, you are looking at paying what amounts to $4.99/month, though it is billed yearly as $59.88. If you wish to pay one month at a time, you can do so, but it will cost you a little more – $7.99/month. So, like I said, Privado VPN is not the cheapest service out there, but for what just might be the best VPN for torrenting (certainly one of the most truly private), it could very well be worth it.