Vuze is one of the most popular BitTorrent clients in use today and it’s gone through many updates and redesigns since its initial launch in 2003. No matter which version you’re using—Windows, MacOS, or Android—we strongly advise connecting to a Virtual Private Network (VPN) first.

VPNs are critical for anyone who uses BitTorrent apps like Vuze. A VPN encrypts your internet connection and routes it through a server in a remote location. The encryption prevents your ISP from snooping on your connection, and the server masks your real IP address, so websites and other users can’t identify your device or location.

If you don’t want to read the full article, here’s our summary of the top five best VPNs for Vuze in 2019:

  • ExpressVPN: Our top recommendation. Fast servers, strong encryption, robust leak protection, a kill switch, and split tunneling make this a perfect choice for Vuze users.
  • NordVPN: Leak-proof connections and strong encryption provide more than enough protection for torrents. Includes an app-specific kill switch. No logs.
  • CyberGhost: Great security features and P2P-optimized servers. Fastest VPN on this list. Comes with a kill switch. No logs.
  • IPVanish: Decent speeds and excellent security. Can change your IP address at set intervals. Zero logs.
  • PrivateVPN: Underdog that offers fast connections, no logs, and strong security. Kill switch included.

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

Best VPNs for Vuze in 2019

We’ve chosen the top five 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

1. ExpressVPN

                    Jan 2023

Apps Available:

  • PC
  • Mac
  • IOS
  • Android
  • Linux

Website: www.ExpressVPN.com

Money-back guarantee: 30 DAYS

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 from China and the UAE.

BEST VPN FOR VUZE:ExpressVPN is our top 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.

Pros:

  • Fast speeds for streaming and torrenting
  • Doesn’t log any data that can identify you
  • High-grade privacy and security
  • Live chat support 24/7
  • Expansive server network with coverage in 94 countries
  • Apps are intuitive and easy to use

Cons:

  • A little more expensive than some rivals

Read our full ExpressVPN review.

2. NordVPN

  • PC
  • Mac
  • IOS
  • Android
  • Linux
  • Background
  • FireTV

Website: www.NordVPN.com

NordVPN 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 5,000 servers in over 60 countries. Some servers are optimized specifically for P2P filesharing.

SAFE AND FAST:NordVPN is a great all-round VPN with everything you need to safely use Vuze, and it comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee.

  • Great-value option for torrenting and streaming

  • Operates a network of more than 5,000 servers in 63 countries

  • Keeps no logs whatsoever

  • Process-specific kill switch on most apps (not Android)

  • 24/7 live chat support available

  • Sluggish Windows app

Read our full NordVPN review.

3. CyberGhost

Website: www.Cyberghost.com

Money-back guarantee: 45 DAYS

CyberGhost is a contender for both 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 over 3,500 servers in 60 countries. Unfortunately, it doesn’t work in China or the UAE, and there’s no Linux app.

BUDGET ALTERNATIVE:CyberGhost is a great service for a low price, and it comes with a 45-day money-back guarantee.

  • Great speeds for torrenting

  • Keeps no logs

  • Solid privacy features including kill-switch

  • Use up to seven devices simultaneously

  • Lack of configuration options will frustrate power users

Read our full CyberGhost review.

4. IPVanish

Website: www.IPVanish.com

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 1,200 servers in more than 60 countries.

Read our full IPVanish review.

  • Keeps no logs whatsoever

  • Strong on privacy and security

  • Allows you to connect 10 devices at once

  • Apps don’t work in China

  • Look elsewhere if you need to unblock Netflix

IPVanish has been serving:old reliable P2P filesharers for many years thanks to an excellent and secure service. Plans come with a 7-day money-back guarantee.

5. PrivateVPN

Website: www.PrivateVPN.com

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 100 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.

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.

  • Very fast speeds

  • Keeps no logs whatsoever

  • Provides a secure, encrypted connection

  • Small number of servers

  • Kill switch only on Windows app

Read our full PrivateVPN review.

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 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. Once you’ve signed up for one of the recommended providers above, just do the following:

  • Download and install the VPN app.
  • Go into the app settings and make sure your kill switch or network lock is enabled.
  • Run the app and select a P2P-friendly server.
  • Hit the Connect button.
  • 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:

  • Open the VPN app and connect to the server you want to use with Vuze.
  • Open Vuze.
  • Go to Tools > Options.
  • Click Mode in the resource tree on the left.
  • Under User Proficiency, select Advanced.
  • In the resource tree on the left, click the arrow to the left of Connection and select Advanced Network Settings from the dropdown options.
  • 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:
  • 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”.
  • 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.
  • 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:

  • Open Vuze.
  • Select Tools > Options.
  • Click Mode in the resource tree on the left.
  • Under Reset configuration to default values, click Reset.
  • 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.