Continuing a long-standing annual tradition, today we publish our các mục of the most popular torrent sites at the start of 2023. Measured by traffic, we see that YTS takes the vị trí cao nhất spot, closely followed by 1337x. Anime torrent site NYAA, meanwhile, has entered the top three.
Bạn đang xem: What is torrenting? is it safe? is it illegal? will you be caught?

YTS remains at the đứng đầu of the các mục in 2023, despite the fact that the site & its users were subjected khổng lồ various lawsuits in recent years.
The main YTS tên miền name continues khổng lồ draw millions of visitors per day. That’s quite an achievement when considering that the site only lists movie torrents.
The annual danh sách of popular torrent sites features well-known brands, & this year there are some notable additions. The new entrants are a pair of gaming-focused sites; skidrowreloaded.com & igg-games.com.
The two newcomers replace Torrent
Galaxy & Lime
Torrents, which remain online but were simply surpassed in traffic terms. If we had khổng lồ signal a trend, we would point out that niche sites are becoming more popular, relatively speaking.
We have limited the danh sách to English-language torrent sites, which means that sites such as Rutracker.org, Rutor.info, Dytt8.net and Etoland.co.kr are not included, despite the fact that they have substantial traffic numbers.
Finally, we have to găng tay that the yearly ranking is based on single domain name names. If proxy sites & alternative domains were taken into account, The Pirate Bay & others would rank higher.
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Below is the full danh mục of the vị trí cao nhất ten most-visited torrent site domains at the start of the new year. The danh sách is based on various traffic reports. Please cảnh báo that this danh sách is created as a historical record, lớn keep track of the popularity of these sites over time.
We bởi not recommend or endorse using any of these sites. Some are known to link to malicious ads, at least incidentally. Bit
Torrent công nghệ itself is not illegal but may only be used khổng lồ share content with permission from the rightsholder.
Top 10 Torrent Sites of 2023
1. YTS.mx

YTS.mx is the unofficial successor of the defunct YTS or YIFY group, which shut down a few years ago.
YTS has been the target of several lawsuits in the U.S. Over the past few years. The operator signed a consent judgment và agreed lớn hand over user data khổng lồ rightsholders. As a result, several YTS users received settlement requests or were sued instead.
2. 1337x

1337x offers a wide variety of torrents. The site banned official YTS releases after the above-mentioned controversy.
3. NYAA.si

4. RARBG

5. The Pirate Bay

The Pirate bay continues to operate from its .org domain name but is also available through many proxies. The site’s registrations remain closed, however, and comments are still disabled.
6. Fit
Girl Repacks

Girl Repacks is by no means a traditional torrent site. It is the trang chủ of a popular ‘girl’ who releases slimmed-down cracked versions of popular games, which keeps download times to lớn a minimum.
Fit
Girl, who we interviewed in 2020, publishes torrents on other sites too but also offers magnet liên kết of their own, which is why we included the site here.
7. Skidrow & RELOADED

The site’s Twitter tài khoản has been banned, but the domain name itself remains online, making its first appearance in the top 10 this year.
8. IGGGAMES

9. EZTV.re

The site still has some decent traffic, but it likely suffers from the rise of pirate streaming sites.
10. Torrent
Galaxy

Galaxy is a relatively new torrent site. It has a dedicated group of uploaders and an active community. In addition to torrents, Torrent
Galaxy also makes some releases available for streaming.
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Disclaimer: Proxies & clear copycats are excluded. Please keep in mind that many sites have mirrors or alternative domains, which are often not taken into tài khoản here. The yearly list is published as an informational / news resource. The 2022 torrent site các mục is archived.
Looking lớn find out more about torrenting? We explain exactly what torrenting is, how khổng lồ torrent safely, và what to vì if you get caught.
Three questions I’m often asked are: Is torrenting safe, is torrenting legal, and what happens if I get caught? This post answers those questions & looks at the methods torrenters use to stay safe and anonymous.
What is Torrenting?
Torrenting is the act of downloading and uploading files through the Bit
Torrent network. Instead of downloading files khổng lồ a central server, torrenting involves downloading files from other users’ devices on the network. Conversely, users upload files from their own devices for other users lớn download.
Torrenting is the most popular size of peer-to-peer (P2P) file-sharing, và it requires torrent management software khổng lồ connect to lớn the Bit
Torrent network. Such software can be downloaded for không lấy phí for a number of different devices.
Everyone downloading or uploading the same file is called a peer, & collectively they are known as a swarm. Because of how Bit
Torrent works, a peer can tải về a file from several other users at once, or upload a tệp tin to multiple other users simultaneously.
Torrenting safety & legality: In short

Digital privacy-conscious torrenters will use VPN services, or virtual private networks, to keep their mạng internet activity hidden from their ISP. With a wide range of applications, some VPNs are better suited for torrenting than others. If you want to keep your ISP from snooping on your activity, choose a VPN connection that: a) doesn’t keep a log of your activity, b) isn’t based in a country where the legal system can be used to demand customer records, and c) is fast enough that it won’t slow entire downloads. We’ve rounded up the providers that fit these criteria and others in our danh sách of the best torrenting VPN services.

How lớn torrent safely
It is relatively simple to torrent safely & keep your online activity private. Chú ý that while a VPN for torrenting will keep your activity private và safe from prying eyes you may still be susceptible khổng lồ malware from some public torrent sites. Follow these 5 steps to lớn torrent privately with a VPN.
Here’s how to lớn torrent safely:
Enable your VPN’s kill switch, if it has one.Connect to lớn a VPN server, preferably in a P2P-friendly countryOnce the connection is established, mở cửa your torrent client and start downloading as usual
Your online activity is now encrypted by your VPN
Nord
VPN is offering a fully-featured risk-free 30-day trial if you sign up at this page. You can use our #1 VPN for torrenting with no restrictions for a full month—great if you want khổng lồ try its P2P-optimized servers first-hand.
There are no hidden terms—just tương tác support within 30 days if you decide Nord
VPN isn"t right for you and you"ll receive a full refund. Start your Nord
VPN trial here.
Torrenting without a VPN
Torrenting without a VPN means your internet service provider (ISP) can see your online activity including the sites you visit và the nội dung you view. In certain countries, including the US, ISPs are allowed to share this information with third parties including intellectual property owners. A VPN will keep your online activity private from your ISP.
Is u
Torrent safe?
u
Torrent is the official torrent client from the creators of the Bit
Torrent protocol. It is proprietary—not mở cửa source—software maintained by a legal US company. Like Bit
Torrent, the u
Torrent software itself is legal, although it can be used for digital piracy. The official u
Torrent is free of malware và can be used safely and privately in combination with a VPN. It does not, however, prevent users from downloading malicious files that can infect their device.

In detail
The Bit
Torrent protocol rose to lớn become the most popular medium for peer-to-peer file sharing in the world after the demise of centralized services like Napster and Limewire. Unlike those services, torrenting is almost completely decentralized save for the trackers that allow users to tìm kiếm and download torrent files and magnet links. Torrent files and magnet link are used to find other users on the network who host the desired file or files but vì chưng not actually host those files for downloading.
Is Bit
Torrent safe & legal?
The Bit
Torrent protocol is not in itself illegal or unsafe. It is just the means to cốt truyện any type of file, & plenty of legal torrenting services bởi vì exist. The most popular torrent trackers, such as The
Pirate
Bay & Kickass
Torrent, or other means, is illegal in many countries và can be unsafe since sites including Kickass
Torrents have been shown to host malware.

The blame ultimately shifts to lớn the users, the millions of individuals who host files on their personal computers, downloading & uploading movies, games, software, music, ebooks, and more. Users connected to lớn the same tracker are called peers, & they fall into two categories. A leech uses a torrent file or magnet links to download the tệp tin from other users on the network who already have the file. These users who already have the file are called seeds. When a leech is finished downloading a file (or even just part of a file), he or she becomes a seed, allowing other leeches to tải về the file from his or her computer. As a general rule, it’s considered proper pirate etiquette lớn seed as much as you leech.
What happens if you are caught torrenting?
These public scare tactics shone poorly on the recording và movie industries because they were portrayed as petty millionaires bullying poor college students. Direct lawsuits are much less common these days, but the chiến dịch against torrenters is far from over.
What to do if you receive a settlement letter
If things escalate & you decide khổng lồ take action, lawyer up. Here’s a danh sách of attorneys compiled by the Electronic Frontier Foundation that specialize in these sorts of cases.
ISP penalties
How khổng lồ protect yourself
Use a VPN when torrenting
The best way khổng lồ torrent safely is by using a VPN. A VPN accomplishes two things: first, it re-routes all your mạng internet traffic through a vps in a location of your choosing, which changes your real IP address khổng lồ one used by hundreds or thousands of other people (assuming your VPN uses shared IP addresses, which most do). This adds a significant layer of anonymity và makes it much more difficult for anyone to track you. Second, a VPN encrypts all your torrent traffic before it leaves your computer. That means your ISP cannot monitor your mạng internet activity, nor can anyone else. Và because all your traffic heads to the VPN hệ thống first, ISPs can’t even tell where it’s going.
Using a unique VPN is key; don’t settle for a “free” service or VPNs that log your activity, cap your bandwidth & data, or don’t provide sufficient DNS leak protection. Not all VPNs tolerate torrenting. You can check out our các mục of the best VPNs for torrenting here, which are services with fast tải về speeds và a focus on online privacy, security & anonymity like Nord
VPN, Surfshark, and Express
VPN among others.
Other alternatives
If you don’t want lớn pay for a VPN, you might be considering Tor. Tor is similar to lớn a VPN in that it routes your traffic through several volunteer “nodes” while encrypting traffic. We recommend a VPN over Tor for a couple reasons. First, Tor is slow, & usually best for simple browsing & other low-bandwidth activity. Second, connecting to Tor could actually draw more attention from your ISP và law enforcement, as it’s a well-known tool for hackers and criminals.
Usenet
Instead of torrenting, another alternative is Usenet. Usenet is a paid service-usually between $10 & $20 per month–where you tải về files from centralized servers instead of a network of peers. Usenet downloads are much, much faster; often as fast as your ISP can handle. Usenet is more private as well. The connections take place between you và the provider’s network of servers, và the best providers offer an SSL-encrypted connection. Some even throw in VPNs for good measure. Torrents, on the other hand, require that you mô tả at least some identifying information khổng lồ connect to the tracker & peers.
Usenet providers make files available for a certain number of days. How many depends on the provider, but the standard is 1,200 days after the original posting. Until that time is up, users have full access to lớn that file. Torrents only stay up as long as people seed the file.
We’ve rounded up some of the best Usenet providers here.
Public vs private trackers
A “tracker” is lượt thích a search engine that indexes files on the Bit
Torrent network. Trackers can be private or public, and the former usually requires an invitation from an existing member.
The
Pirate
Bay, Kickass
Torrents, và Demonoid are all examples of public trackers. Anyone can just go khổng lồ their respective websites and search without logging in or requiring any sort of authentication. Likewise, anyone can upload files for others to download. These uploads are not moderated, so users must judge whether a download is safe & accurate based on comments and the reputation of the uploader.
Private trackers are more exclusive both in terms of who can upload và who can tải về within a group. They vary wildly in terms of nội dung and quality, but many members of private trackers attest that they have higher quality files, faster downloads, longer retention, and an overall more consistent and safe experience.
The law views private trackers the same as public trackers. Mạng internet piracy is piracy whether you do it in public or within a private group.
Streaming vs torrenting
Many people have moved away from downloading entire files through Bit
Torrent & opt instead khổng lồ stream video clip content either on their website browsers or through customized programs like Kodi. When it comes to safety & the law, what’s the difference?
When it comes to security, streaming đoạn clip carries just as many risks as torrenting. Websites that stream pirated nội dung tend khổng lồ be chock full of intrusive ads, malware, và phishing threats. Kodi users are subject lớn man-in-the-middle (MITM) attacks và other threats from the add-ons they download.
More tips
Users of Popcorn Time, the không tính tiền movie-streaming app, should tread just as carefully as torrenters. Many Popcorn Time users don’t realize that the tiện ích actually streams directly from torrents and will even seed a tệp tin so it is uploaded to lớn other users. All the risks associated with Popcorn Time apply in equal measure lớn torrenting.
Choose your torrents wisely. The most popular torrents on The
Pirate
Bay và Kickass
Even if the comments are positive, run your own virus scans as well. Ideally, use multiple antivirus programs to run an array of scans, as each of their virus libraries can differ. Not all antivirus programs play nice with each other, however, so mixing two or more must be done with care. We recommend Bitdefender to scan all downloads before opening. This is especially important when downloading games and software, which are often “cracked” by the uploader. Cracks make it easier to lớn bypass DRM schemes that validate nội dung with the publisher, but they also make it easier khổng lồ distribute hidden malware, spyware, và viruses. Kiểm tra out x-lair.com’s antivirus nhận xét section here.
What is a Torrent FAQ
Why did Bit
Torrent install adware on my computer?
Bit
Torrent is a network & protocol used to share files, so Bit
Torrent itself cannot install adware on your computer.
However, the programs used khổng lồ connect lớn the Bit
Torrent network and tải về files, called torrent managers or torrent clients, can and often do come with adware. The files you download can also contain malware và adware.
Stick to lớn reputable torrent managers and, if prompted, refuse any offers khổng lồ install additional software alongside them. These additional programs are often adware.
Likewise, be sure to only download and upload torrents you trust.
Is downloading a shared torrent from Google drive illegal?
If you"re downloading something from Google Drive, then it"s not a torrent. It"s just a download. The tệp tin might have originally been downloaded through Bit
Torrent, then uploaded to lớn Google Drive where others can download it.
Can I just download a torrent from a public place?
Most torrenters use public trackers khổng lồ find and download files through Bit
Torrent. So in that sense, yes, you can tải về a torrent from a public place provided you have a torrent client installed on your device.
The files themselves are downloaded from other Bit
Torrent users who have downloaded the file and are now uploading it to lớn fellow users.
Private trackers are also available and are often safer, but typically require an invitation from an existing member.
Can I go khổng lồ jail for torrenting?
It depends on the circumstances, but no, it’s highly doubtful you would go lớn jail for torrenting. Most lawsuits regarding torrenting are civil suits, not criminal ones, so if a penalty is levied, it’s usually a fine or some other monetary compensation.
That being said, it also depends on what country you’re in, what you torrent, và whether you also seeded the tệp tin so it could be downloaded by other users. Kiểm tra your local laws & regulations.
What are the risks of torrenting music?
What legal use cases can I use torrents for?
There are plenty of không tính phí ways to use Bit
Torrent. Here are a few examples:
Independent artists making movies, games, books, and music often post their content for miễn phí on Bit
Torrent. Bit
Torrent is a convenient way lớn access fair use materials from various media
Where vì chưng people get torrents from?
Torrents are usually found on Bit
Torrent trackers, which are essentially searchable websites that index torrents uploaded by users. Users can tải về the small torrent file, which your torrent client uses lớn find other users uploading and downloading the same content.
Trackers can be public or private. Some torrents are linked to directly.
What are Seeders and Leechers?
A seed is a user who uploads files lớn the Bit
Torrent network for other users to lớn download.
A leech is a user who downloads files from the Bit
Torrent network from other users.
A typical user starts as a leech by downloading a file. Once the tệp tin is finished downloading (or even before), the user transitions to being a seed và starts uploading the file to other users.
A common courtesy among torrenters is lớn seed as much data as you leech. So if you tải về a 1 GB file, you should seed that tệp tin until you’ve uploaded at least an equivalent amount of data. However, this guideline is in no way enforced.
Why a tệp tin or torrent does not start downloading?
The most common reasons for a torrent not starting downloading are:
1) You"re not connected khổng lồ the internet.2) The torrent file is broken or corrupt.3) The tracker is offline.4) Your firewall is blocking the connection.5) Your ISP is throttling or blocking Bit
Torrent traffic.6) There"s a problem with your Bit
Torrent client.
Do torrents contain viruses?
The short answer is no. Torrents themselves vì chưng not contain viruses. However, lượt thích any other file-sharing network, there is a chance that some of the files being shared are infected with malicious software. Therefore, it"s important to take precautions when downloading và opening files from peer-to-peer networks such as torrents. Before downloading any file, scan it for viruses or malware using a reliable anti-virus program.
Additionally, be wary of downloading files from unknown sources & always read the comments before downloading a file to ensure it is safe. These preventive measures can help ensure your computer stays safe while using torrents.
Can my ISP see what torrents I am downloading?
No, your ISP can’t see what torrents you’re downloading. What your ISP can see is the website you’re downloading from as well as the kích cỡ of the file in question. As such, your ISP likely knows you’re torrenting, particularly when it looks at the bandwidth being consumed.
If you don’t want anyone (not just your ISP) seeing what torrents you’re downloading, you should use a VPN khổng lồ change your IP address & encrypt your data. Doing so with a unique paid VPN means you’ll also be able khổng lồ torrent without having to lớn suffer bandwidth throttling.
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What Is a Seedbox?
A seedbox is a high-bandwidth remote vps designed explicitly for the uploading và downloading of digital files. It provides users with breakneck download speeds, eliminating long wait times for downloads to lớn complete. It also allows them to upload large files quickly và efficiently. This is an ideal tool for sharing large files over the internet or backing up data in the cloud.