What are VPN Logs? Is a No Logs VPN The Best VPN for Torrents?

Internet users around the world have been rushing to get VPN (Virtual Private Network) service to help keep them safe online. These users largely believe in personal internet privacy and don't like the idea of being tracked online. We know that Internet Providers, Countries, and Companies, and Websites all track our movements online.

Visit the Bittorrent VPN Guide for a more complete overview of VPN logs

Did you ever stop to consider what your VPN Provider is tracking online? 

There are hundreds of VPN providers out there, and they all have different goals, objectives, business plans, and levels of service. They also all have different logging policies. Let's take a closer look...

1. What are VPN Logs?
2. What information do VPN's Keep in Logs?
3. How to find your VPN's Logging Policy
4. VPN Logs and Bittorrent
5. VPN's Providers that Don't Keep Logs

 

What are VPN Logs?

VPN logs are saved information files that some VPN's keep about their users connection history or even browsing history online. Every time you connect to the VPN, more information will be added to the log file.

What Information is Stored in VPN Logs?

This really depends on the VPN provider you are using. Some data that is tracked is much more harmful than other types, but basically the data stored in VPN logs falls into two categories:

VPN Connection Logs: (Minimal threat to your Privacy)

Most VPN providers keep connection logs for at least a small length of time. I would say at least 90% of them do keep this type of information. VPN connection logs usually contain some or all of the following pieces of data:

• Your Incoming IP Address
• The IP address assigned to you by the VPN
• Kb of Data Transferred
• Timestamp for start and end of the VPN Connection

This sort of information is not a threat to your average VPN user who is trying to stream Netflix or encrypt their internet connection at public hotspots.

Even Bittorrent users may be ok with these sort of VPN connection logs because most VPN's do not assign a single IP address to each user. More often, a pool of 5, 10, or even 100 users are sharing a single IP address. Because of this, the information contained in a VPN Connection Log is usually not enough to identify an individual user.

Moreover most VPN providers do not save these logs for a long time. On average VPN providers destroy their connection logs within 24 hours to 15 days.

VPN Usage Logs: (High Threat to your Privacy)

Some VPN Providers track even more information. Often this includes things like:

• History of websites visited
• Protocols/software used (uTorrent, Vuze, Netflix, etc...)
• Email addresses you use
• Web browsing or shopping patterns

and it could even include even more sensitive information like passwords! Now this is not a usual activity but the truth is that VPN providers have total access to our online activity. They could track basically anything they wanted, the question is do they?

Note: Most VPN providers do not track this sort of data, though some do, and most of the Free VPN providers do. This is why we never recommend the use of a free vpn. You always get what you pay for.

How do I find out my VPN's Logging Policy?

Everyone should not what logs a VPN provider keeps before they sign up. Fortunately there are several good places to look to find VPN logging policies easily

Read the VPN Privacy Policy

Nobody likes reading legalese, but everyone should read the privacy policy of their VPN provider. They are usually not longer than a few pages and they disclose all of the information that your VPN tracks both on their website and for users of their VPN service. 

The only information you may not find is how long these logs are kept before they are recycled. You can always email support for this answer.

Where can I find my VPN Privacy Policy?

If you scroll all the way to the bottom of the homepage of a VPN's website, you will usually see a link in the footer that says something like Privacy Policy, Terms of Service, or Logging Policy.

Read the VPN F.A.Q.

Almost every VPN has a Frequently Asked Questions section. If you can't find the information you need in the Privacy Policy, many VPN's will list their Logging Policy in the FAQ because it is such a common concern for their subscribers.

Email your VPN's Tech Support Team

If you can't logging information anywhere on the website, you can Email support and they will quite often give you a full breakdown of their policies. In my experience though, if you can't find the logging policy already advertised on the website, you probably aren't going to like it. And even if tech support tells you they track nothing, are you really going to trust them? If that don't keep logs, they would probably advertise that fact publicly on their site.

Do Bittorrent Users Need a No Logs VPN?

It's not an absolute definite must-have, but if you download torrents frequently you should consider a VPN that doesn't keep logs. Here's why:

VPN Providers that don't keep logs tend to be very torrent friendly. I don't know of a single no logs VPN that doesn't allow torrents on some servers.

A no logs VPN is the only way to stay truly anonymous while using bittorrent. Everything else is just a compromise.

Many log-free VPN providers are very affordable. Cheap even! 

Here's a list of no logs vpn providers that allow torrents from http://www.best-bittorrent-vpn.com

 

Our Favorite Torrent VPN's with no logs:

• Private Internet Access ($40/year)
• Torguard VPN or Torrent Proxy ($50+/year)
• Proxy.sh (as low as $3.33/month)
• BTGuard (as low as $5/month)

Is a Torrent Proxy Service Better than a VPN for Bittorrent?

In there quest for Anonymous Bittorrent, many people frequently ask: "What's better for torrents, a VPN or a Proxy Service?" The answer, of course, is it depends. 

The truth is, they are better in combination. You will be much more anonymous online if you combine a separate proxy and VPN service together. For more information how tunnel a proxy inside a VPN connection, read this guide on anonymous torrenting.

 Not everyone is willing to spend twice the price for double the anonymity however, so let's look at the pros and cons of each and then we'll show your who has the best torrent proxy service...

What are the differences between a VPN and Proxy server

1. A VPN encrypts and anonymizes your entire internet connection, a proxy anonymizes one program or protocol (web browser, Bittorrent, etc)

Sometimes its a disadvantage to have to change your IP for your entire internet connection as a VPN does. Many users prefer only to keep bittorrent anonymous well keeping their web browsing or netflix etc on their own normal internet connection.

2. All VPN's are encrypted. Some, but not all proxy services are encrypted.

All of the best bittorrent proxies offer encryption however. The encryption can be is sometimes optional. Most popular bittorrent clients have an encryption option even for non-encrypted proxies (utorrent and vuze do)

3. Proxy services generally use lower grade encryption (but still anonymous). As a result, they are faster than VPN's on the same server because there is less encryption overhead.

All things being equal, a proxy will be faster than a VPN, just as a PPTP VPN protocol is faster than OpenVPN (usually) because of lower encryption. 

VPN Pros and Cons

VPN Pros: 

1. Can encrypt multiple internet connected apps at once.
2. Higher grade encryption than proxy
3. More IP flexibility, often more server choices. May offer advanced functionality through VPN software

VPN Cons:

1. Can be slower than a proxy
2. Can't have separate IP for Bittorrent client and web browser without a proxy

Torrent Proxy Pros and Cons

Proxy Pros:

1. Faster than a VPN on average
2. Can have separate IP addresses (keep torrents anonymous and web activity normal so you don't have to route facebook, twitter, etc through a remote server)

Proxy Cons:

1. Requires a separate proxy connection for each application or protocol you would like to make anonymous
2. Encryption is optional and often not as powerful as a VPN (though still strong enough that your ISP can't read your traffic)

The Best Anonymous Proxy Services For Bittorrent

These proxy providers are divided into 2 categories. Those that offer standalone torrent proxy service, and those that offer a free torrent proxy included in a VPN bundle.

1) Torguard Anonymous Torrent Proxy

We are a huge fan of Torguard's anonymous Bittorrent proxy service. They have dozens of differnt servers to choose from, fast speeds, and absolutely no logs. Setup is easy and they offer a preconfigured bittorrent client if you don't want to do manual setup, but it will work with almost any Bittorrent software.

Prices are $5.95/month with monthly service, or only $3.95/month with yearly service. Click here to get the discount.

2) BTGuard Bittorrent Proxy

Much like Torguard's service, BTGuard offers an anonymous, encrypted, proxy starting at only $5 per month. They have an easy install option with a preconfigured utorrent client (my favorite). They also keep no logs whatsoever. Learn more.

3) Private Internet Access VPN and Proxy Combo

It's no secret that Private Internet Access is one of the best VPN values around. At $40 a year for unlimited access and no logs, PIA is a steal. Most people don't realize that their VPN service also includes free access to proxy servers in 3 countries, all for the same low price! Click here to sign up.

4) IBVPN Ultimate VPN Package (with bonus proxy servers)

Invisible Browsing VPN's ultimate VPN package includes access to 100% of their VPN servers. It also includes access to proxy servers in 5 countries for maximum flexibility and anonymity. Their service is fast and cheap. While other plans like their torrent vpn package start as low as $3.20/month, the ultimate vpn package is only $82.95/year.