The Pirate Bay Alternatives: The 10 Most Popular Torrenting Websites

Pirate sitting on top of laptop showing the Pirate Bay logo
Click here for a quick summary of the best alternative sites to the Pirate Bay
A Quick Guide to The Pirate Bay Alternatives: The Top 10 Most Popular Torrenting Sites of 2021

The Pirate Bay is by far the most popular torrenting website. However, this website sometimes isn’t available. In some countries, it’s even blocked. This doesn’t mean people simply stop downloading torrents, however. There are plenty of other websites out there that are perfect alternatives for The Pirate Bay:

  1. 1337X: best for movies, shows, and music
  2. RARBG: biggest alternative with frequent updates
  3. YTS: most user-friendly
  4. EZTV: most TV shows
  5. Zooqle: best for video game torrents
  6. Torrentz2: largest music library
  7. TorrentDownloads: best for obscure books, software, and Asian content
  8. Torrends.to: most efficient searches
  9. LimeTorrents: best for new releases
  10. Kickass Torrents: big library with many seeders

Do you download torrents? Always make sure the content you’re obtaining is legal. Besides that, it’s always wise to protect yourself against online dangers and stay anonymous while downloading by using a VPN:

Want to take a look at each of these sites more in-depth? Read the full article to get the pros and cons of each.

The Pirate Bay is one of the most familiar and popular names in the torrenting world. People use it to download all kinds of torrents — both legal and illegal. However, those engaging in that type of filesharing might sometimes need Pirate Bay alternatives.

It’s true that The Pirate Bay is a reliable torrent site with a huge library in all categories, enough mirrors to withstand government shutdown attempts, and a huge community to help users pick and choose the torrents they want to download. Even so, the website might experience downtime, or users might simply not be able to find what they’re looking for on the platform. Our top 10 Pirate Bay alternatives offer a solution.


Torrenting is not illegal in and of itself, but getting your hands on copyrighted content that you don’t pay for (as is the case with most torrents) is against the law in most countries. That’s why we’d advise all of our readers to be careful while torrenting — it’s usually just fairer and easier to buy the digital products you want.

Aside from the legal issues, there are also other reasons to be mindful of your online safety while torrenting. Many torrents are corrupt and carry malware, such as keyloggers or trojans. Moreover, the internet isn’t as anonymous as you might think: you’ll need some extra protection if you want to download or even browse without third parties being able to see what you’re doing. In short: if you’re going to torrent, make sure you do so safely.

Why you should use a VPN for torrenting

With all the dangers lurking out there on websites, the first step towards safer torrenting is subscribing to a good VPN. This software will serve as a shield and is your first line of defense when venturing out into dangerous territory. How does a VPN protect you?

  • Encryption: A VPN encrypts all of your internet traffic and anonymizes it, so no one can see who you are and what you’re doing online.
  • Deter prying eyes: Without a VPN, your ISP (Internet Service Provider), your government, copyright holders, and countless other parties might track your activity. Besides the fact that this is quite invasive, it also means they could artificially slow down your connection or cause all sorts of other technical problems.
  • Circumvent torrent bans: A VPN changes your IP address and masks your online identity. So if torrents are banned in your country of residence, a VPN lets you get around those digital barriers by connecting to a server in a country that allows it.

Invest in a premium VPN

Premium VPNs tend to be the safest option. A lot of paid VPNs have more security features and won’t log your activity like free VPNs often do. Moreover, not all free VPNs can protect you while torrenting, and many of them can be slow or have data limits.

A good VPN we like to recommend for downloading safely is NordVPN. This VPN uses strong encryption and has thousands of servers to choose from, giving you endless possibilities.

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If you want to know more about how to stay safe while torrenting, click here. That said, let’s get into our roundup of the best alternatives for The Pirate Bay.


Best Pirate Bay Alternatives

Here are the most popular torrenting websites people use as alternatives for The Pirate Bay. This overview is meant to be informative. If you wish to use any of these websites to download torrents, always make sure the torrents you download aren’t illegal, so you won’t accidentally get yourself into trouble.


1. 1337X

1337X Logo

Website: 1337x website

1337X’s library excels in terms of movies, shows, and music. Users might also find some video game torrents there. However, other alternatives, such as RARBG and The Pirate Bay, definitely have more game torrents, especially when it comes to older titles. Therefore, 1337X isn’t a great alternative in all cases.

1337X has a somewhat controversial story. For a long time, it was a really bad site that few people actually used, despite its impressive library. On top of that, it had a lot of malware trying to pass as legit torrent files. A few years ago, the owners remade the site and cleaned their library of viruses. Now it’s one of the best Pirate Bay alternatives, especially due to its high download speeds and virtually no ads.

However, people only tend to use it if they can’t find the movie, show, or song they’re looking for somewhere else.

Mirrors: 1337x.to, 1337x.st (Active since Oct. 2017), x1337x.ws (Active since Dec. 2017), x1337x.eu (Active since Mar. 2018), x1337x.se (Active since May. 2018), 1337x.is (Active since Jan. 2019), 1337x.gd (Active since Oct. 2019).

ProsCons
Extensive library for movies, shows, and musicNot much video game content
Fast download speedsHistory of malware in downloads (fixed)
Low number of ads

2. RARBG

RARBG Logo

Website: RARBG website

RARBG has been Pirate Bay’s direct competitor since it launched in 2008. Their numbers are pretty similar: RARBG has over 40 million visitors each month, a decent download speed, a big library, and a few extra options.

One of the best things about RARBG is that it gets updated more often than The Pirate Bay. Its interface also provides well: it displays top tens in different categories to help you stay tuned to the newest releases. It also has a news section on its home page.

Unfortunately for its users, RARBG looks a bit uglier than The Pirate Bay. It has more annoying ads popping up. Even so, it’s a decent alternative, but not quite the best torrenting site out there.

Mirrors: rarbg.is, rarbgunlock.com, rarbgmirror.com.

ProsCons
Extensive libraryPop-up ads
Good download speedsSite design
Site updated often

3. YTS

YTS logo

Website: YTS website

YTS is a fantastic site for people who want to download a movie. The site doesn’t feature any torrents besides movies, and it’s very user-friendly compared to other torrenting sites. While most websites tend to have unattractive lists of torrents, YTS structures their trackers by showing movie covers, making for a nice interface.

Their numbers aren’t bad either. YTS has 75 million users each month, and an average download speed of 3-4 MB/s according to our tests. Moreover, the overall design of the site is seamless, and ads aren’t that big of a problem.

Users of YTS also appreciate the fact that they’re often able to find an HD or SD version of the movies they’re looking for, which fits any device or bandwidth needs. To top it all off, the YTS library is impressive: it’s basically the only torrenting place offering classics in high quality, although do keep in mind that these torrents tend to be illegal.

Mirrors: yts.am, yts.pm, yts.gm (but so far the site has never been taken down)

ProsCons
Extensive libraryLimited to movie downloads
User-friendly siteAdvertising
HD and SD versions of movies

4. EZTV

EZTV logo

Website: EZTV website

Many of the people choosing EZTV do so because they consider it the best choice when it comes to TV shows. In general, it isn’t the most beautiful website around. EZTV has a clunky interface, a rather ugly design, and their ads can get pretty annoying. On top of that, it has a pretty low download speed.

Even so, it’s considered the king of TV shows in the torrenting world, with a very active community that keeps uploading new releases as soon as they’re live.

Mirrors: eztv.unblocked.llc, eztv1.unblocked.is, eztv1.unblocked.si

ProsCons
Huge library of television showsSite design
Constantly updated with new contentLots of ads
Low download speeds

5. Zooqle

Zooqle logo

Website: Zoogle website

Zooqle might not seem like much. It only has about 5 million visitors each month, and a download speed of 1-2 MB/s, so it clearly isn’t stellar by comparison. Not to mention, the many ads it has can get annoying at times.

Even so, it has a few things going for it. First, Zooqle has a wonderful collection of video game torrents, both for consoles and PC. Second, it has an active community that keeps updating its library. Finally, the interface isn’t bad either.

So while Zooqle isn’t exactly a behemoth in the torrenting world, people definitely use it as a Pirate Bay Alternative. This is especially the case when they can’t find the game they’re looking for anywhere else.

Mirrors: zooqle.g2g.casa, zooqle.nocensor.club, zooqle.u4m.pw

ProsCons
Friendly user interfaceLow download speeds
Good selection of video game torrentsLots of ads
Regularly updated contentSmaller community of torrenters

6. Torrentz2

Torrentz2 logo

Website: Torrentz2 website

Torrentz2 definitely isn’t the best torrenting site around, as its numbers show. It only has 10-20 million users each month and a 1-2 MB/s download speed. The website often experiences downtime, is hard to navigate, and is riddled with ads. So why include it in our list?

We included it for its music library. It’s the largest collection in the torrenting world, meaning that even users looking for more obscure titles will most likely find what they’re looking for here. In general, people only use this website as a Pirate Bay alternative when they can’t find the songs or albums they’re looking for anywhere else. Other than that, the general advice is to steer clear.

Mirrors: torrentz2eu.org, torrentz.eu

ProsCons
Largest music collection in torrentingLow download speeds
Too many ads
Website often down

7. TorrentDownloads

TorrentDownloads logo

Website: Torrentdownloads website

Attention: This torrent site will occasionally open an extra browser tab with advertisements. We’re not super happy with that.

TorrentDownloads is another alternative some people use when The Pirate Bay isn’t sufficient. However, it isn’t the best. Its ads are really annoying, it only features a download speed of 2-3 MB/s, it’s geo-blocked in a lot of regions, and it’s quickly losing popularity, even if it used to be a big name in the torrenting world.

The people that still use it, tend to be looking for obscure books, software, or Asian content. Its library seems to do well in those categories. Other than that, TorrentDownloads isn’t necessarily among the best Pirate Bay alternatives.

Mirrors: torrentdownloads.unblockproject.uno, torrentdownloads.123unblock.cyou, torrentdownloads.mrunblock.cyou, torrentdownloads.nocensor.club

ProsCons
Good site for hard-to-find booksDownload speeds
Strong library of softwareInvasive advertising
Lots of Asian contentGeo-blocked in many areas

8. Torrends.to

torrents.io logo

Website: Torrends website

Torrends.to isn’t a torrenting site in the classic sense of the word, as it doesn’t have its own library. Rather, Torrends.to keeps track of torrents uploaded on popular sites like YTS, The Pirate Bay, or RARBG. This also means we can’t analyze any individual metrics. The download speed and seeder/leecher ratio will always depend on the site each specific tracker is pulled from.

This platform is a good choice for people who constantly find themselves checking multiple sites for their torrenting needs. Torrends.to allows them to be more efficient with their searches, since the trackers from multiple other websites are all gathered in one place.

It’s got a beautiful interface and a few interesting features allowing users to easily stay up to date on popular digital products. This is reason enough for many regular downloaders to keep it in mind as a Pirate Bay alternative.

Mirrors: None. This website used to be called torrents.io, but as is the case with many torrent sites, the domain names change from time to time.

ProsCons
Consolidates all torrenting sites in one placeDownload speed depends on which site you use
Efficient searches, saves time
User-friendly site, interface

9. LimeTorrents

LimeTorrents LogoWebsite: LimeTorrents website

LimeTorrents is an excellent choice for finding new releases. With a seamless interface and a very good seeder/leecher ratio on new torrents, most titles will download fairly quickly.

The average download speed is 3-4 MB/s. It has just under 20 million users a month across all mirrors and offers plenty of search options.

However, it’s lower on our best torrent sites list because you won’t find a lot of seeders for older torrents, and ad intrusion can get annoying at times.

Mirrors: limetorrents.asia, limetorrents.zone, limetorrents.co, limetor.com, limetor.pro.

ProsCons
Huge catalog of new releasesInvasive ads
Fast downloadsOlder torrents have fewer seeders
User-friendly site, interface

10. Kickass Torrents

Kickass Torrents LogoWebsite: Kickass Torrents website

Kickass Torrents has been around since the 2010s and was once the most popular torrenting site on the internet. While the alleged owner was arrested in 2016 — and seven domains connected to Kickass were seized by US authorities — moderators and torrenting enthusiasts have created copycat sites.

The library is extensive, and seeders are plentiful for newer releases. Download speeds are pretty standard. However, when we started browsing recently updated torrents, an invasive pop-up ad opened in another browser, which we’re never too fond of. This newer version of Kickass Torrents makes downloading harder than it probably could be and we can’t guarantee its safety. Therefore, this once very popular website ended at the bottom of our list.

Although it is an alternative to The Pirate Bay, we recommend not using it and choosing one of the other options on this list instead.

Mirrors: thekat.info, kickass.cm, kickass.cd

ProsCons
Extensive libraryInvasive advertising
Regular updates, latest movies and shows available
Good download speeds, large torrenting community

Private Websites: The Best Pirate Bay Alternatives?

Another option that people looking for alternatives to The Pirate Bay often consider are private torrenting websites. These sites work the same way as a regular torrenting website, only users need a username and a password to log in. This makes them a lot more difficult to access than any of the previously mentioned websites.

Most private websites have placed limits on their member count, and they usually don’t outright accept new members. Nine out of ten times, people wanting access will need to get an invite from someone who’s already in.

There are several ways people circumvent this. They might try befriending someone with an account on internet freedom Discord servers or forums, or they keep a close eye on torrenting Reddit threads. Sometimes, admins will send out limited invites on these sites.

The big and obvious advantage of private websites is that users get exclusive access to a much safer torrenting environment. Private websites usually curate their content, and their platform is generally safer for people that want to download content. This also makes it easier for people to safely download illegal content – something we don’t approve of. Once again, we’d like to underline the fact that it’s important to check whether any content you download online is legal.

If you’re curious about how these private torrenting websites work, you can look at the two examples given below. Each has a different way of gaining members and maintaining its quality.


IPTorrents

Website: IPTorrents website

IPTorrents has about 5 million visitors each month. This makes it one of the biggest private torrenting sites in existence. Because of this, it’s home to an active community as well as a large library for all kinds of files. Due to its size, it might not be a surprise that it’s quite easy to get access to this platform.

While most private torrenting sites only allow new members through personal invites, you can get an IPTorrents account with a Bitcoin donation. IPTorrents is a great option for people who are looking for a private Pirate Bay alternative, as long as they’re willing to spend money on a platform instead of just buying or renting content.


Bibliotik

Website: Bibliotik website

Ebooks and audiobooks aren’t the easiest torrents to find. Fewer people are interested in them, and it’s so much easier to find these types of entertainment through other means, such as Audible, Scribd, or simply by buying an ebook with an online retailer. This means the chances of finding the torrenting file a user is looking for, are much smaller. Except on Bibliotik.

Bibliotik has the largest known collection of ebook and audiobook torrents, so users that are looking for anything from an old unpopular fictional franchise to college manuals, are likely to find it here. Some of the torrents will be perfectly legal, but there are also many illegal copies of books on this platform. Furthermore, Bibliotik isn’t officially accepting new members. Anyone who wants in, will need an invite.


Why do People Choose the Pirate Bay?

Why users flock to the Pirate Bay largely comes down to name recognition. Launched back in 2003, the torrenting site is one of the originals in the game and when someone is introduced to the world of torrenting, the Pirate Bay is usually the first name that gets thrown out there. Even with its legal issues and service interruptions, the site has resurfaced again and again as the number one destination for torrenting.

That kind of clout led to The Pirate Bay becoming one of the most popular sites on the internet around 2017, with more than 300 million visitors a month. With that many active seeders and a constant influx of content uploaded to the site, the Pirate Bay has emerged as the top destination for torrenting.

While malware and phishing attempts are a constant threat, the Pirate Bay moderators have made some effort to clean the site of obviously malicious files as well — something torrenters have come to appreciate.


Why do People Need Pirate Bay Alternatives?

The Pirate BayThere are two main reasons why one might need an alternative to The Pirate Bay.

Firstly, The Pirate Bay doesn’t always have the torrents certain users are looking for. Its library is extensive and includes new releases and popular shows that are currently airing. This means it’ll be more than enough for most of its users. However, people looking for more obscure titles, whether they’re video games, software, movies, albums, or TV shows, might want to try other sites as well.

Secondly, The Pirate Bay often gets shut down for a week or two at a time. This means that the service will be offline and moved to a different server to avoid legal action against its owners. In those cases, users often try proxies and mirrors of The Pirate Bay.

Most of these mirror websites are easily found by Googling “pirate bay mirrors.” However, users who do this could easily become a victim of phishing campaigns. Not all of the websites you find on Google can be trusted. Especially when it comes to downloading files, users run a big risk. Even so, it’s possible to use a mirror site when The Pirate Bay is down. Some people would rather play it safe, however, and opt for a trustworthy alternative website.


Pirate Bay Proxies and Mirror Sites

Since the Pirate Bay came online in 2003, it has been a thorn in the side of regulators. Copyright infringement is rampant on the site, and some governments — including those of the US, UK, France, Australia, and India — have blocked access to it. To access The Pirate Bay in countries where their servers are banned, you’ll need to use a VPN or a proxy. Countless mirror sites have popped up that let you access the site through a proxy.

A proxy server works similarly to a VPN in that it provides you with an anonymous IP address and lets you unblock content across international borders. So when you access the Pirate Bay through one of the proxy mirror sites (where the content is identical, but the domain name is different) the proxy server is an intermediary and relays your requests through its server, masking your identity and offering another level of protection.

However, proxies don’t take extra steps to protect your data like a VPN does with its encryption and no logs policy. So if that proxy server was to fall into the hands of authorities, all of your activity could be seen.

Here’s a list of proxy sites that are available and work in most countries:

  • https://pirate-proxy.co
  • https://proxybay.pro/
  • https://pirateproxy.live/
  • https://tpb.party/
  • https://www.pirateproxy-bay.com
  • https://piratetoday.xyz/
  • https://bibtor.com/
  • https://www.tpbproxypirate.com
  • https://www.pirateproxy.space
  • https://tpb22.ukpass.co/
  • https://piratebayproxy.buzz/
  • https://tpb.skynetcloud.site/

Final Thoughts

The Pirate Bay is one of the largest and most widely known torrenting websites out there. However, it isn’t the only option for people looking for torrents. If The Pirate Bay is temporarily unavailable, or when a certain torrent isn’t to be found in its huge library, downloaders turn to alternative websites.

These alternative websites include 1337X, RARBG, and YTS, as well as private platforms such as IPTorrents. We advise anyone who wishes to use these websites to be careful: many – although not all – of the torrents on these websites are illegal, and some may even contain viruses. Before clicking on a file, make sure you know your local laws about torrenting and copyrighted content. Moreover, a VPN, such as NordVPN, along with a good antivirus program can help protect you against dangerous torrents.

Top 10 Pirate Bay Alternatives: Frequently Asked Questions

Do you have a question about torrenting, the Pirate Bay, or alternative torrenting sites? We gathered some of the most frequently asked questions below, so have a look and check whether you can find the answer to your query there.

The Pirate Bay is a filesharing site founded by the Swedish anti-copyright group Piratbyrån — or the “Bureau of Piracy” — in 2003. It uses BitTorrent protocol, which allows users to share larger files like movies, television shows, music, ebooks, and audio. For more information about The Pirate Bay and why it is blocked in some countries, check out our full article here.

If you want to download music, a movie, or an ebook from a filesharing site, you’ll need to use a torrent. A torrent is a small file that doesn’t actually have the content you want, but works as a reference file to find the content on a larger network.

Through a torrent client like uTorrent, you signal that you want to download that content from available computers on the network (or upload it to those computers). Torrent makes downloading so easy that copyright infringement and legality concerns have surrounded the technology. For more information on torrenting, check out our full article here.

There are many alternatives to The Pirate Bay out there. Overall, RARBG and 1337X have similar libraries with a wide range of options, so many users consider those to be a good pick. There are more specific torrenting websites as well, such as YTS for movies, EZTV for TV shows, and Zooqle for video games. For more information, read our article about the best Pirate Bay Alternatives.

Yes, there are. Some of the biggest risks of torrenting are catching viruses or other malware and going against the law. Torrenting in itself usually isn’t forbidden, but there are many torrents that include copyrighted content that’s unlawfully distributed – and downloading that can be illegal. We’d advise you to stay away from this kind of content.

To protect you against viruses and any curious eyes, it’s best to use a VPN. If you want to make sure you torrent safely, read our article on these Pirate Bay Alternatives.

It might as well be. The Pirate Bay often switches servers to avoid government shut downs. This means it’s often inaccessible. Moreover, some countries have placed national bans on The Pirate Bay, so the website as a whole becomes inaccessible. There are ways around these blocks, however, as you can read in this article about restrictions of The Pirate Bay.

Torrenting in itself usually isn’t forbidden, but there are many torrents that include copyrighted content that’s unlawfully distributed – and downloading that can be illegal. We’d advise you to stay away from this kind of content.

To protect you against viruses and any curious eyes, it’s best to use a VPN. If you want to make sure you torrent safely, read our article on these Pirate Bay Alternatives.

On the whole, torrents are safe. But that doesn’t mean that files can’t contain malware or viruses when you download them. When torrenting, using a VPN and antivirus is essential to protect yourself when uploading and downloading torrents, though we don’t condone torrenting for illegal purposes in any way.

Tech writer
Theodor is a content writer passionate about the newest tech developments and content marketing strategies. He likes privacy-friendly software, SEO tools, and when he's not writing, he's trying to convince people they should uninstall TikTok.