Updated on: August 30, 2024
Only 3 Steps (Quick + Easy) to Access The Pirate Bay From Anywhere in 2024:
- Download and install a VPN. I recommend ExpressVPN, as it reliably works with The Pirate Bay and has excellent security and privacy features.
- Connect to a VPN server. Pick a server in a country where The Pirate Bay is legally accessible. However, please note that it’s illegal to download copyrighted material, and we don’t condone using a VPN to break any local laws.
- Go onto The Pirate Bay website. You’re all set to browse The Pirate Bay!
Unfortunately, The Pirate Bay is banned in multiple countries around the world. Many nations, including the UK, the Netherlands, France, Brazil, India, Japan, and Australia, have blocked the popular torrenting site due to piracy concerns.
The good news is you can use a VPN to access The Pirate Bay from anywhere. A VPN is an affordable and legal online app that has servers located in countries all over the world, so you can connect to a server in your desired country. When you connect to a VPN server, it replaces your IP address with one that corresponds with the server’s location — making it appear as if you’re in the new location. While it’s legal to visit The Pirate Bay in virtually any country, it’s illegal to download copyrighted content, which we at SafetyDetectives don’t endorse.
However, not all VPNs are great for accessing The Pirate Bay from any location. Many of them lack essential security features for torrenting, like failing to mask your real IP address, so you can’t bypass internet service provider (ISP) blocks. In addition, a lot of VPNs have slow speeds, so it takes much longer for your files to download.
After spending a few weeks testing dozens of VPNs, I found the best ones for accessing The Pirate Bay — my favorite is ExpressVPN. It works with The Pirate Bay 100% of the time, has strong security features, and provides excellent torrenting support.
Using a VPN to access The Pirate Bay in countries where it’s been blocked may lead to legal ramifications. We at SafetyDetectives don’t encourage anyone to use The Pirate Bay where it’s been blocked. We also don’t condone torrenting copyrighted material, as it’s a violation of copyright laws. We recommend using VPNs only for legal purposes and for enhancing online privacy and security. Always stay informed about your local laws and regulations regarding The Pirate Bay, VPN use, and copyrighted content. Click here to find out where authorities have ordered the blocking of The Pirate Bay.
Editors' Note: ExpressVPN and this site are in the same ownership group.
How to Access The Pirate Bay on Any Device
1. Choose a VPN that has servers where The Pirate Bay is available.
ExpressVPN works with The Pirate Bay 100% of the time and has great torrenting support.
2. Download and install the VPN.
Follow the on-screen instructions provided by the installer, and the installation will be done in just a couple minutes.
3. Connect to a VPN server & start torrenting on The Pirate Bay.
You can now access The Pirate Bay securely from anywhere in the world.
Best VPNs for Accessing The Pirate Bay in 2024
Quick summary of the best VPNs for accessing The Pirate Bay in 2024:
- 🥇1. ExpressVPN — Best VPN to securely access The Pirate Bay (huge server network).
- 🥈2. Private Internet Access — Feature-rich VPN with excellent P2P tools + fast speeds.
- 🥉3. CyberGhost VPN — Beginner-friendly VPN with good torrenting support.
🥇1. ExpressVPN — Best VPN for Accessing The Pirate Bay in 2024
ExpressVPN is my top VPN pick for accessing The Pirate Bay from anywhere. It works reliably with The Pirate Bay — I could access the site at any given time of day while connected to a local server. Since ExpressVPN has a very large server network spanning 105 countries, you’ll always be able to find a local or nearby server to connect to and access The Pirate Bay.
ExpressVPN has great torrenting support, too. It allows P2P traffic on all servers, and it works with all popular P2P clients, such as qBittorrent, uTorrent, and Vuze.
I especially like how ExpressVPN has obfuscation on all servers. This means that it masks all VPN traffic as normal traffic, making it harder for third parties to find out that you’re using a VPN. This is good if you’re trying to use The Pirate Bay in a restricted country, like China or Iran, or if you are trying to access the site on a restricted network — for example, on a company or school Wi-Fi.
ExpressVPN has plans starting at $4.99 / month. It costs a bit more than other VPNs on this list, but it’s the best VPN for torrenting. Also, you can try it out risk-free because it backs all purchases with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Please make sure to confirm that The Pirate Bay has not been blocked in your location before trying to access it and don’t use it to download copyrighted content without permission.
Read our full ExpressVPN review
🥈2. Private Internet Access — Excellent VPN for Accessing The Pirate Bay With Great Torrenting Support
Private Internet Access (PIA) works with The Pirate Bay 100% of the time, and it has excellent torrenting support. PIA has features that can increase your torrenting speeds, such as port forwarding, which allows more peers to join into a P2P network, and SOCKS5 proxy servers — these change your IP address but don’t encrypt your traffic, so you get faster speeds. Also, PIA works well with popular torrenting clients, such as uTorrent, Deluge, and qBittorrent.
PIA also offers obfuscation through its Shadowsocks servers, which are located in only 5 countries among PIA’s 91-country server network. While it’s effective, I’d prefer to see it offer obfuscation on all its servers, like ExpressVPN does.
I really like PIA MACE, an excellent ad, tracker, and malware blocker. It’s the best ad blocker currently out there — not a single ad of any kind appeared while I was testing PIA on The Pirate Bay. It also blocks fake Pirate Bay mirror sites super effectively.
Private Internet Access is very affordable, with plans starting at $2.03 / month. It also has a 30-day money-back guarantee on all purchases.
Please be sure to check if The Pirate Bay has been blocked in your location and that the files you are torrenting don’t infringe copyright laws.
Read our full Private Internet Access review
🥉3. CyberGhost VPN — Beginner-Friendly VPN for Unblocking The Pirate Bay
CyberGhost VPN has intuitive apps, making it a great choice for people new to VPNs. In addition to always working with The Pirate Bay, its apps are clean and intuitive, and they have explanations for all the settings. I also like the Smart Rules feature, which lets you customize your connection preferences. For example, you can set up the VPN to automatically connect to your preferred server for The Pirate Bay as soon as you launch the app.
When it comes to torrenting support, CyberGhost VPN is excellent. It works with top P2P clients like Transmission, Deluge, and qBittorrent. Also, it has servers optimized for torrenting in 85+ countries.
CyberGhost VPN has cheap plans starting at $2.03 / month. It also has a 14-day money-back guarantee on its monthly plan and a 45-day one on long-term plans.
Please keep yourself informed of The Pirate Bay’s legality in your location and be aware that torrenting might involve copyright infringement.
Read our full CyberGhost VPN review
Editors' Note: Intego, Private Internet Access, CyberGhost and ExpressVPN are owned by Kape Technologies, our parent company
Quick Comparison Table
Editors' Note: Intego, Private Internet Access, CyberGhost and ExpressVPN are owned by Kape Technologies, our parent company
How to Choose the Best VPN for Accessing The Pirate Bay in 2024
- Choose a VPN that reliably works with The Pirate Bay. All the VPNs I’ve listed have large server networks that work with The Pirate Bay 24/7.
- Find a VPN with strong security and privacy features. A good VPN should have a kill switch (shuts down the internet if your VPN connection drops), use 256-bit AES encryption (the military standard), and uphold a strict no-logs policy.
- Choose a VPN with good torrenting support. All the VPNs on my list support torrent traffic and work with popular P2P clients.
- Look for a VPN with fast speeds. You need a VPN with fast speeds to overcome the slowdowns that come with torrenting. ExpressVPN has blazing-fast speeds, so you can download large files from The Pirate Bay super quickly.
- Try a VPN with a good value for money. All the VPNs I recommend have plenty of extra features to enhance your online experience on The Pirate Bay, as well as a money-back guarantee, so you can try them risk-free.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is The Pirate Bay blocked?
These are the countries where, according to my research, at least one ISP has blocked access to The Pirate Bay:
Please note that this list isn’t definitive, as regulations and court orders can change anywhere quickly. Make sure to thoroughly research your local laws and regulations before accessing The Pirate Bay. All the VPNs on this list have a strict no-logs policy, which means that you alone are responsible for what you do online.
Why do I need a VPN to access The Pirate Bay?
A VPN encrypts your traffic so it’s much harder for third parties to detect if you’re using The Pirate Bay. It also maintains your privacy online by replacing your real IP address with the VPN server’s address, so not even the torrenting peers can see your actual IP address.
What’s more, a high-quality VPN like ExpressVPN also has obfuscation, which masks your VPN traffic as normal traffic, so your ISP won’t be able to see that you’re using a VPN or throttle your connection because of it.
Can I use a free VPN to access The Pirate Bay?
You can try, but I don’t generally recommend it. Many free VPNs have faulty security that could leave you vulnerable, don’t have torrenting support, or don’t work with the site at all.
You’re much better off using a top VPN, such as ExpressVPN, as it reliably works with The Pirate Bay and has excellent security and great torrenting support, too.
Is using a VPN to access The Pirate Bay website legal?
Using a VPN itself is legal in most countries, and The Pirate Bay website itself is legal in most countries as well. However, there are countries where courts and regulatory authorities have ordered internet service providers (ISPs) to block their users from accessing The Pirate Bay. Downloading copyrighted material from The Pirate Bay without permission is illegal and could theoretically get you in trouble whether you use a VPN or not.
Please keep yourself well informed of any and all applicable laws and regulations. All the VPNs on this list have no-logs policies, so they don’t record any of your online activities — that makes you alone responsible for what you do online!
