Many users rely on torrent sites to get restricted content and material that can’t be found easily. Whether you want to download movies, music, games, ebooks, or premium apps, you don’t have to pay anything on these platforms.
However, you cannot test dozens of websites to find the perfect one for you. Plus, even the best torrent sites that offer TV series, movies, e-books, or cracked software contain malware and are often subject to copyright infringement. Hence, we have tested and found the 7 best websites that only offer legal torrents.
DISCLAIMER: This guide only provides information. Torrenting itself isn’t illegal, but downloading or sharing content from websites hosting copyrighted content can be. To avoid fines or legal actions, make sure you follow your country’s rules and regulations. Hide you IP address with a VPN like ExtremeVPN to avoid intrusive online tracking, malvertising, and data leakages and always use an antivirus software.
The Best Torrent Sites in 2025 – Quick List

Running late? Here is a quick list of the 7 best legal torrent sites that still work in 2025:
- Public Domain Torrents: A free website offering many classic films for users.
- The Internet Archive: A non-profit torrent site that has a vast library of movies, music, and more.
- Academic Torrents: Best for researchers who want access to publications and datasets.
- Project Gutenberg: Provides hundreds of thousands of ebooks.
- Jamendo: Allows you to download music torrent files.
- Linux Tracker: It offers the largest torrent library for Linux users.
- Etree: A site dedicated to the music community. It allows you to get recordings of live concerts.
What is a Torrent?
A torrent is a file or folder shared over the Internet that is used to download content, such as a movie, game, or software. Unlike other forms of downloading, a torrent file doesn’t contain the actual content but instead holds the metadata of the file being shared.
This can contain the file name, size, and location of trackers. Torrenting works through a peer-to-peer (P2P) file-sharing protocol, where small pieces of data are downloaded from many sources, called peers, rather than a single site.
The whole process is carried out with the help of a torrent client like uTorrent or BitTorrent. The downloading speed of the file depends on several factors, such as the internet speed, seeds-to-leechers ratio, your client settings, etc.
The most common way to get torrents is through a special file that uses the Torrent file extension. Within the file are directions for sharing specific data with others. Remember that you must protect your privacy with a reliable VPN like ExtremeVPN when downloading or accessing torrents.
Top 7 Legal Torrent Websites – Detailed List
1. Public Domain Torrents
Public Domain Torrents is one website where you can legally download films for free. These films are available as torrents on the site and are in the general domain. Thus, you should be fine with downloading movies from this website in violation of the law.

Sadly, the platform does not contain the newest films. On the other hand, you can find entertainment in classic films like Charlie Chaplin, Sherlock Holmes, and others.
2. The Internet Archive
The Internet Archive is one of the top places to download content legally. The site was created in 1996, and it aims to provide everybody with access to universal knowledge. It is almost always featured whenever someone gathers the list of popular torrenting trackers.

The Internet Archive offers a large library containing movies, text, audio, and music files etc. The best part? It’s legal and available everywhere, so you won’t have any trouble accessing it from your location (we tested it; however, if you can’t access it, try using a VPN).
You don’t need an account to download content from the website. You’ll notice the interface looks a bit outdated, but it’s easy to navigate.
3. Academic Torrents
Do you like reading research papers and online publications? If yes, this platform is for you. Academic Torrents is created by researchers for researchers, and it uses the BitTorrent protocol. The site has research data of over 298.05TB.

Unlike other sites, Academic Torrents allows you to upload files. If you’re a researcher and you’ve some data you want to share, you can access the feature. However, you will need an account for that.
Academic Torrents is a completely non-profit organization, but users who like the content can donate and show their support. By discussing important topics about science and innovations, the service is providing value to society (researchers, data scientists, and students).
4. Project Gutenberg
Project Gutenberg has an enormous library of over 75,000 ebooks. One thing we liked is that the site allows you to download as well as read books online (if you don’t want to install them). Most of these books focus on works related to the public domain in the US.

Project Gutenberg was founded by Michael Hart in 1971. Hence, it holds the title of the oldest digital library online. The website is free, and legitimate, and it claims to keep it like this forever. The books you can find here cover diverse genres and subjects, such as poetry, digitized classic novels, historical documents, etc.
5. Jamendo
This torrent website is perfect for music lovers and artists. If you create content, you know how hard it can be to find music that doesn’t raise copyright issues. But with Jamendo, you don’t need to worry, as it allows you to download royalty-free music. It lets musicians share their songs under licenses that allow free use.

Its music collection will amaze you — you can explore over 600,000 free songs from 40,000 or more independent artists. When you visit the platform, it will ask you what you need specifically; Jamendo Music is for independent use, and Jamendo Licensing offers copyright-free music for commercial purposes.
We tested the site and it works fine. Since the library is huge, Jamendo offers several filters for its users — personally, we found them helpful. You can filter content on the basis of Best-selling, Vocal, Instrumental, etc. Plus, if you’re in a specific mood, say calm, emotional, or groovy, you can select accordingly.
6. Linux Tracker
Linux Tracker is a website where you can download Linux-supported content and other open-source software. It has been working since 2001 and includes popular versions like Ubuntu, Fedora, and Debian, as well as smaller, rarer ones like Slax. Since open-source content is free to share, everything on the website is legal to access.

The site has a user-friendly layout. While reviewing the platform, we liked that it allows users to report a bug. Linux Tracker offers a search bar that quickly gets you the content you ask for.
You can also see details such as how many people are sharing it (seeders-to-leechers ratio), the file size, and the release date. Plus, you’ll see the “Top Torrents” option that you can explore.
7. Etree
Do you often attend live concerts, or are you a fan of them? You can check out Etree. Often known as electronic tree, the website is a popular music community where users share live recordings of concerts.

You will also find FLAC albums here (Free Lossless Audio Codec), which are perfect for people looking for crystal clear sounds. The site started working in 1998 with the motive to distribute top-notch audio files.
Etree uses the BitTorrent technology and distributes thousands of fan-recorded shows, making it a treasure for audiophiles and passionate music fans.
Torrenting Websites That We Do Not Recommend
We don’t recommend or are against using all of the illegal torrent websites. However, to name some, we’re highlighting some websites below:
Torrent9
One reason to stop using this site is because of how it carries out its misleading advertisements. It generally sends visitors to questionable or even harmful links.
Moreover, each domain has the same content, notwithstanding the site’s existence through other domains. As a result, going to this site will leave you vulnerable to adware, malware, and other online attacks.
PassThePopcorn
It is not as dangerous or creepy as the former. Nevertheless, it is not advisable due to its compulsory registration stipulation, which is hard. Also, the irrelevant promotional invites people could notice on this web on open boards may be irritating.
IPTorrents
IPTorrents is another site that you should avoid. Although it is not harmful, it comes with annoying registration procedures and the need to get an invite from an already member.
TorrentBay
TorrentBay isn’t malicious. It used to be a great place to find help. Later, however, they changed into a directory rather than a torrent hosting site, making them far less valuable compared to others.
SUMOTorrent
It is a torrenter’s nightmare. The name gives an impression of the largest torrent resource in the world. It is due to this resource’s inherent hassles and nefarious acts. Then, it involves installing a client, which can be challenging and potentially dangerous to ordinary consumers. This website also has grammatical and linguistic errors that will likely distract you despite bearing it.
How to Choose the Best Torrent Platforms
Here are the factors to look for when selecting a torrent service:
1. Download Speed
Many people have observed reduced download speeds due to their location and internet connection speed when engaging in torrents in various parts of the world. Hence, we chose sites that enable great speed and allow you to download your torrents faster.
2. No. of Seeders and User Reviews
The more seeders available for a certain torrent file, the faster the downloading will be. Some torrent files also display user comments and ratings that you can check before downloading. Check how others review the files they have downloaded. This will give you a better understanding of the safety and authenticity of torrent files.
3. Size of Library
The likelihood of finding your targeted files increases when a site contains a vast content catalog.
4. No Extra Configurations
Some sites add more steps or make registration mandatory. Hence, always choose sites where you can easily download things immediately.
5. Founding Year
Since the punishment for these websites was rather severe, the fact that a website has been running for years can prove it trustworthy enough.
6. Proxy/Mirror Links
Torrent service providers are aware that not every user can access the sites freely. Hence, look if a certain site has mirrors or proxies, as they help to escape censorship.
7. Countries Blocking a Specific Site
Authorities consider some torrenting services illegal, so they can be completely blocked in a country. However, a few sites have yet to escape detection. Thus, look for platforms that are accessible in your region.
8. Ad Intrusion
Any site can be intruded with advertising, and thus, you may spoil your torrenting experience by using it. For example, fake competitions with winning chances guaranteed or pesky pop-up ads are more than annoying. Hence, if a site has too many pop-ups/ads, try another torrent site as soon as possible.
Due to excessive ad intrusions, we didn’t include several renowned torrent sites. While downloading from torrents, it is important to use reliable sources that do not put your online safety at risk.
Is Torrenting Legal?

Torrenting itself isn’t illegal. However, if you use it to download copyrighted material, it can be. Many countries take strict action against violating their copyright policies, resulting in warnings, fines, or worse, jail time.
Even if torrenting is legal in your country, you can’t be sure whether a file is legal to torrent or not. Some content falls under the grey area, causing you to unknowingly engage in unlawful activities.
Different nations have different laws for torrenting. The table below gives you an idea of how torrent activities are seen in various countries.
Nations | Torrenting Cases |
---|---|
Japan, France, the UK, Finland, Germany, and the UAE. | Copyrighted content downloads are fined. |
Spain, Poland, and Switzerland. | For personal use, downloading content subject to copyright is permitted. |
Uruguay, Singapore, Canada, Egypt, Argentina, Slovenia, India, Israel, Netherlands, Greece, Brazil, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Iran, Philippines, Slovakia, Columbia, Mexico, and Romania. | Torrenting is monitored, and some websites are not allowed to access. |
Russia, South Africa, Australia, Malaysia, China, Latvia, Portugal, the US, and Italy. | Torrenting is monitored, and some websites are not allowed to be accessed. |
Whatever you do online, your ISPs are continuously trying to trace you. Hence, it’s better to use a strong VPN like ExtremeVPN before visiting a torrent website so that you can conceal your online presence. Also, stick to your country’s laws and regulations so that you don’t become subject to legal action or fines.
How Does Torrenting Work?
Torrenting helps customers locate peer-to-peer file-sharing machines, and the method involves two parties: seeders and leechers.
Seeders are users who have downloaded a file and are now sharing it with others by uploading the file, while leechers are the ones who are currently downloading it. Consequently, extra seeders mean faster downloads. (That’s where excellent streaming sites and platforms are available; they offer quicker downloads.) Similarly, a document’s seeders suggest how wholesome a report is.
First, you must download and install a reliable torrent client or patron, like uTorrent or BitTorrent. Subsequently, you want to discover a torrent for the report you wish to download. You can find these documents on websites referred to as torrent trackers, or you can use a search engine.
As the download progresses, the client communicates with other customers who are also downloading the identical record and requests pieces of the document from them. When the torrent purchaser gets pieces of the document, it’ll collect them into a single record on your computer, and you can then start downloading.
Types of Torrent Sites
There are different forms of torrent sites. Some well-known ones include:
Private Torrent Sites
These are invite-only sites that can’t be accessed by everyone. Users must register and maintain a respectable sharing ratio to access them. They enforce stringent guidelines and processes to improve security and maintain quality. Private torrent download sites provide several advantages, such as:
- Specialized content: These sites generally respond to particular niches or interests, such as movies, TV series, software, or digital books. Further, they have libraries from different languages or regions.
- Better quality control: To maintain a high content standard, many of these websites use specialized uploaders to ensure the reliability and quality of the available torrents.
- Improved security: The invitation-only policy protects sites from viruses and malicious links. Additionally, the sites’ active moderation prevents the dissemination of illegal content.
Public Torrent Sites
A public torrent website allows users to download and share files. It is accessible to anyone and doesn’t require an invitation to join or register. Due to the many active seeders, public torrent sites may offer faster download speeds. Unfortunately, because public websites are not verified or dependable, there is an increased risk of encountering copyrighted content or malicious files.
Pros and Cons of Torrent Websites

For decades, peer-to-peer file-sharing platforms have proven highly controversial. Indeed, they offer access to various articles or movies that many can use. Nevertheless, these sites can also be pirated or breach copyright laws. The following are some pros and cons of these platforms:
Pros
- Torrent sites offer various versions of rare programs, films, songs, etc.
- They offer files that download faster than older methods, particularly with plenty of seeders.
- A single file has many sources for peer-to-peer sharing.
- If any of the torrents get disrupted, they will resume downloading from the point where it was stopped.
- The download is free from torrents. It saves a lot in comparison to buying hard copies.
- The users can also make comments and ratings, giving a community-based review system.
- Torrents can help you access content unavailable in your region or country.
- Torrenting platforms are easily accessible with an uncomplicated search function and a straightforward layout.
Cons
- Users are exposed to legal risks due to torrent websites that provide free content protected by copyright.
- People can sometimes unknowingly download malware and harmful software.
- Torrenting overloads bandwidth, especially if more than one is uploaded or downloaded at a time.
- Users can find themselves exposed to objectionable material in a peer-to-peer network.
- The torrenting can consume a lot of hard disk space and slow down your PC or laptop.
- Some files downloaded from P2P portals are of poor quality or dysfunctional.
- People who download torrents are helping spread pirated content, hurting the interests of content creators and the entertainment industry.
- Accessing or using torrent download sites doesn’t make your communication private.
- It leads to incomplete downloads due to inexperienced users’ confusion and erroneous actions.
- Some ISPs could block the usage of torrent websites.
How to Stay Safe Online and Avoid Fake Torrent Sites

There are a few ways you can stay secure and avoid unreliable torrenting platforms:
- Use a VPN: A VPN protects your privacy and security in torrenting. And it encrypts your network connection, masking your IP address. It makes it more difficult for others to trace what you’ve been doing on the Internet.
- Inspect every torrent: When downloading from unfamiliar sites, be cautious. Downloading torrents only from the sites you know and trust. Familiarize yourself with the legitimacy of various sites to prevent accidentally downloading fake or malicious content. You can also review the comment section, as most people post feedback about this torrent’s quality and safety. From these comments, you can get a sense of whether or not it is safe to download any particular torrent.
- Use a reputable torrent client: uTorrent or qBittorrent are well-known torrent clients with trusted reputations that can be used to download torrent files.
- Use a private search engine: Because of the DMCA (Digital Millennium Copyright Act), Search engines such as Google hide most torrent sites ‘URLs and present risky fork counterfeits. So, your online searches will remain anonymous if you use private search engines like DuckDuckGo.
How Do I Access Private Torrent Sites?
Many countries have private torrenting platforms, and they all seem unreachable. But while exploring the world of torrents, we managed to get into some. For example, we jumped on BitMe, a learning resource that is just the ticket for information lovers.
But the question arises: how do you do that? Well, 8chan or Reddit, not to mention anonymity-themed newsgroup communities, all have frequent torrenting threads. No invitations were thrown out for a while, but we asked someone in an unrelated thread if they had one. The rest is up to your persuasiveness.
That’s the worst-case scenario, considering no insider contact at all. The fastest way is to get invited by someone who already has an account there.
What Can You Download from Torrent Sites?

If you love torrents, then you already know what to download. You may skip this section. However, this may be necessary for beginners since most people think of torrenting as copyright infringement. But this is just one of the many ways you can profit from such a wonderful facility.
The following is just some of what you can get from torrenting.
- eBooks and academic stuff: If you keep copyright regulations in mind, educational resources such as e-book guides, courses, research papers, and magazines can be found on these sites.
- TV shows: For old classic BBC and other programs, like movies, you can torrent them.
- Movies: Torrenting movies is okay if you don’t get into trouble by downloading the new releases. Some old movie collections can best be found on torrent sites.
- Software, games, and apps: From the oldest to newer versions, most Linux software or app can be downloaded.
Do You Need a VPN (Virtual Private Network) When Torrenting?
You don’t need a VPN for torrent activities. However, when downloading a torrent, we strongly encourage you to get one to ensure anonymity (from governments, hackers, site operators, and ISPs). With the use of a VPN like ExtremeVPN, your IP remains invisible.
Moreover, as torrent sites are notorious for spreading malware, a VPN prevents you from online threats and protects your sensitive information. Plus, your local internet provider could block access to specific torrent sites, so you would need a way of connecting through servers in other countries via VPN if you don’t want to travel.
That’s not just all. If your ISP is throttling you (because of excessive streaming and downloading), a VPN will stop it from spying on you, possibly increasing the speed at which files are shredded.
However, not all VPNs are torrent-friendly. Most lack P2P-optimized servers, which can affect download speeds, stability, and overall security. Plus, some free VPN services don’t offer features like Split tunneling and Kill Switch, thus compromising your security. When you decide to torrent online, make sure to get a top-notch, premium VPN service.
The Best VPN for Torrenting – ExtremeVPN
With more than 6,500 servers worldwide, ExtremeVPN offers a quick and stable solution. It lets you enjoy streaming or torrenting your favorite content without buffering and slowdowns. Just install the app, connect to a privacy-friendly country like Switzerland, and start torrenting safely.

ExtremeVPN also offers 256-bit encryption and a kill switch that turns off all apps when the VPN connection drops. Our secure VPN protocols guarantee that your online activities stay safe from ISPs, government agencies, hackers, and snoopers so that no one can trace you while torrenting.
Plus, we offer many P2P servers that you can connect to have a safe torrenting experience. Also, our no-logs policy ensures that your data will be safe and we won’t store it.
What Movie Quality Can You Get on Torrents?
Picture quality is of greatest concern when torrenting movies from pirate networks. Well, torrent movie quality varies and is generally determined by picture clarity, production, and file origin. Some files look great, while others do not.
The most frequently available resolutions are 480p, 720p, and 1080p.
A 480p video will have a lower-quality picture. It works great on small devices such as smartphones or tablets. On the other hand, 720p or 1080p resolutions ensure the best image quality for larger displays, like a laptop screen or TV. Naturally, this leads to large file sizes and long download times.
Then, there are the encoding formats used on pirate sites. The two main formats are XviD and x264. Among these two, the x264 videos look wonderful and don’t need as much computer memory to store them.
Understanding this will make you enjoy watching torrent movies even better. Check the resolution and encoding method before choosing a file. Ensure the file’s details are what you desire before downloading. Doing these things will allow you to choose wisely when downloading movies from pirate websites. That said, when it comes to movie torrents, you must understand the legal and security risks of downloading them.