The best torrent sites are typically the best for a short period of time—so try not to get too attached to your favorite.
Torrent Hound voluntarily chose to shut down in 2016, putting an end to a nine-year run. The shuttering of Torrent Hound made it the third major torrent player to jump ship in a given year, following KickAss Torrents and Torrentz. The founder cited unpaid bills, falling traffic numbers, and “getting constantly bugged by anti-piracy agents” for the site’s closure, according to TechTimes.
This wasn’t a surprise. Torrent sites are often a crippling lawsuit or a staff revolt away from being taken offline. Torrents are constantly under fire from copyright holders, anti-piracy groups and authorities of different countries. Even the best torrenting sites are forced to constantly find loopholes to stay afloat amid changing copyright and anti-piracy laws and regulations.
That being said, if you’re accustomed to file-sharing on the internet then you’re used to adapting. And there’s no shortage of new torrent sites in 2018. Curious about the best KickAss Torrents and Torrent Hound alternatives? Here are the best torrent sites still up and running.
The best torrent sites 2018
1) The Pirate Bay
The Pirate Bay calls itself “the galaxy’s most resilient BitTorrent site.” It’s true that the Swedish file-sharing service has stayed afloat despite years of lawsuits and a shutdown by Swedish police. Clone versions of The Pirate Bay that have cropped up often contain security flaws and are susceptible to hackers, reports Tech Times. To avoid a security threat, make absolutely sure you’re using the original version of the Pirate Bay.
2) Zooqle
Many on Reddit listed Zooqle as the best alternative after KickAss Torrents and other major torrent sites got shut down by law enforcement. A great perk of Zooqle is that it verifies torrents before uploading them and scrapes from other torrent sites, which usually results in the most comprehensive collection of options.
3) Limetorrents.cc
LimeTorrents may not have exploded in popularity yet, but thanks to its dedicated user base and clean design expect that to change soon. Content is easy to find with clearly marked sections. It’s also a classy site that doesn’t bludgeon you with pornographic and adult entries like some other sites. Don’t worry: That content is here too—you just have to look to find it. If you miss the interface of Demonoid, LimeTorrents will feel visiting a familiar bar that reminds you of one you used to love. Different enough to hold its own, familiar enough to be instantly comfortable, Limetorrents is a site to watch if you’re a torrent fiend.
4) ETTV.tv
In the spring of 2017, Extratorrent gave up the ghost, as so many torrent sites have before it. Of course, not everyone was ready to leave it behind. A few of Extratorrent’s most prominent uploaders have come together create their own site. The brainchild of uploaders from ETTV, ETHD, and DTOne, ETTV.tv is different from ExtraTorrent in that it focuses solely on movies and television shows. Most importantly, only a select group of people can upload content to the site, helping keep it free of viruses and untrustworthy media.
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5) RARBG
RARBG is another popular torrent site with a straightforward design that makes downloading feel a lot less illicit than it really is. The site features a “Top 10” tab where you can see the top 10 most popular movies, music, or television episodes downloaded.
6) World Wide Torrents
If you were a fan of Nemesis43, the biggest comic uploader on KickAssTorrents, you’ll probably like World Wide Torrents. Nemesis has since moved on to World Wide Torrents. Many former KickAssTorrents moderators have also moved on to World Wide Torrents. The site offers a diverse selection of media; including e-books, anime, and even textbooks.
7) 1337X
Your favorite search engine likely had trouble finding 1337X. Last year, the torrent site announced its old index had been blocked from search engines, which made it difficult for new users to find the site. 1337X has since fixed the search engine issue with a new index. The torrent has also addressed security concerns that were brought up by admins and moderators last year, according to TorrentFreak.
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8) YTS.AG
YTS.AG has caused some controversy in the torrenting world. The new site sprang up in 2015 after the beloved torrent YTS shut down and claimed to be the same service. But it turns out YTS.AG has no affiliation with YTS, as TorrentFreak reports—though the new torrent has claimed plenty of former YTS users after capturing many of its old files.
9) Torrentz2
During the mid-’00s, Torrentz was a beloved secondary player in the torrenting game—a friend of a friend who went to a different high school if you will. A meta-search engine for torrents, Torrentz searched large groups of other torrent sites and directed you to whichever one had the content you wanted. Sadly, Torrentz died last year, but a new jack as arisen to pay tribute in the form of Torrentz2. By searching over 60 torrent sites for content, Torrentz2 keeps the spirit of the original Torrentz alive. For that we thank it. When you simply can’t find what you’re looking for anywhere else, give Torrentz2 a try.
10) 01torrent.net
If you’re interested in books and anime along with the latest episodes of The Deuce, you’ll like 01torrent.net. Formerly known as OnTorrent.net, 01torrent.net has an extensive selection of free movies, music, TV shows, and even software applications.Its simple, modern layout appeals to the masses, which is why it’s no surprise that 01torrent.net receives 1.5 million visitors per month.
11) Torlock
Sick of fake torrents? Torlock is too, which is why the site pays users $1 for every fake torrent they find. With one of the largest public verified torrent libraries around, Torlock might not have everything you’re looking for, but at least what it has is real.
12) Extra Torrent
After briefly disappearing last year, Extra Torrent is back. Extra Torrent’s simple interface and clean design makes it an easy jumping off point for new users. There aren’t tons of porn ads cluttering the experience, and its blog keeps users updated on new developments in the torrenting community. Extra Torrent’s clear categories also make quickly browsing the content you want a breeze.
13) Torrent Funk
Torrent Funk makes a compelling case for itself. The site boasts its status as one of “biggest up and coming torrent search engines and directories on the net.” It uses an automated verification system which tracks fake uploads by their download frequency and file size. The pro is that users don’t need to register to download. The con is that some people may be turned off by graphic porn ads and pop-ups that open links to other sites. Still, if you’re using an ad-blocker, Torrent Funk’s benefits may be worth its weak points.
14) eztv.ag
EZTV is a spin-off of another popular torrent distribution group of the same name, which broke free from the original group following a hostile takeover in 2015. Due to its controversial history in the community, some of EZTVs torrents are banned from other torrent sites. However, this is largely due to drama rather than the quality of its releases.
15) Seedpeer
Seedpeer is the database to end all databases. With over 3 million files on hand, there’s a good chance if it’s online, Seedpeer has it. The only serious issue with the site is its massive library of torrents can get overwhelming if you’re just browsing. Also, remember that this is a database pulling torrents from other sites. If security is your biggest issue, you’ll likely want to use a VPN and read the comments to sort out fake torrents.
Need more help? Check out our beginner’s guide to the best torrent clients, refresh your security know-how and learn what you really need to know about malware, and read up on the best free antivirus tools for Windows and Mac.
Editor’s note: This article is regularly updated for relevance.
