Best Torrentz Alternatives in 2024
From 2003, if you wanted a torrent and you didn’t know where to find it, you used Torrentz, a fantastic search engine that looked through all the best torrent sites out there to try and find the files you wanted. The fun lasted until 2016, when the operators finally pulled the plug. Thankfully, there is still a Torrentz alternative or two out there you can use.
What Happened to Torrentz?
When it opened its digital doors, Torrentz was a vital tool for torrenting: there were only a handful of sites out there and most of them didn’t really have their affairs in order, making it hard to find the files you were looking for. Torrentz changed that, allowing you to search not just one site, but all the ones that they had indexed.
It was awesome. As any torrenter will tell you, finding older movies or albums from obscure bands can be a real chore thanks to the way sites are set up. Having Torrentz removed a lot of the legwork associated with finding hidden gems like this.
Though over the years it had its fair share of legal trouble, including a few DMCA notices, Torrentz seemed spared the worst of the law enforcement troubles that hit sites like The Pirate Bay and Kickass Torrents (read our article on Kickass Torrents alternatives for more on that).
Still, though, shortly after KickassTorrents’ alleged owner was arrested in Poland, the Torrentz shut down with a simple message: “Torrentz will always love you. Farewell.” With that, an era came to an end.
Best Alternatives to Torrentz
Thankfully, there are more than a few worthy successors to Torrentz out there, though there’s only one actual search engine that comes nearly as close. However, before you visit any of these sites and start torrenting files, you should be aware that you’re calling down some unpleasant attention from the authorities if you’re not careful.
To avoid any issues, you should use a VPN, a program that can cover your digital tracks. We have put together a few of the best VPNs for torrenting that are guaranteed to keep you safe while downloading files. If you want to skip ahead directly to our favorite of the bunch, check out our NordVPN review. Now, on to the list.
Torrentz2
Our first pick is Torrentz2, which unsurprisingly is a clone of the original Torrentz, down to the minimal interface. The makers of Torrentz2 did their homework, and in many ways it’s a perfect copy, down to the precision of the returned results and the speed with which they’re presented.
However, there’s a big difference between the two sites, too: Where the original Torrentz would give you torrents from a wide array of sites, Torrentz2 only gives you them from another aggregator. This is in and of itself not a huge deal, but it is a little unclear where a torrent is coming from, which can be a little nerve-wracking.
Major torrent categories: Everything
Torrentz2 Cons: Only a search engine, you’re redirected to another site for download.
Mirrors: torrentz2.nz; torrentz2.eu; torrentz2.in
The Pirate Bay
As a result, we prefer to recommend actual torrent sites, first and foremost The Pirate Bay. Even after years of dealing with copyright watchdogs it’s the biggest site out there, with millions of torrents and a great interface.
That said, TPB isn’t perfect, either. Its search engine can be a bit wonky at times, making you really miss Torrentz. Also, it has a lot of dead torrents, files that don’t have enough seeders or leechers. For more obscure stuff, The Pirate Bay isn’t the best pick.
Major torrent categories: Movies, games, Windows apps, Mac apps
The Pirate Bay Cons: Search function occasionally throws a fit, lots of dead torrents.
Mirrors: thepiratebay.org; thepiratebay.zone; www.tpbproxypirate.com; mirrorbay.top
1337X
Another good option when The Pirate Bay isn’t cutting it is 1337X, another old site, but one that’s kept up better with the times. For one, it has a better search engine, though it suffers from the same issues that the TPB does. Still, it has more niche products and it’s rare that you won’t find something.
That said, the latest and greatest doesn’t always show up as quickly as it does on other sites. If you’re looking for a show that just aired, for example, The Pirate Bay is a better pick than 1337X. Still, the site is a solid choice and a great alternative for Torrentz.
Major torrent categories: music, anime, documentaries, XXX
1337x Cons: Search results can be a bit confusing, not always the latest episodes available.
Mirrors: 1337x.to; 1337x.unblockit.ink; 1337x.unbl0ck.cfd
Conclusion
It’s sad that Torrentz is no longer available, but fortunately there are plenty of alternative options to meet all of your torrenting needs. The site we generally recommend for users looking for an alternative to Torrentz is torrentz2.nz as it is closest to the original and it has a massive range of content available. However, if you are looking for a more feature-rich experience with different categories of torrents available and features like community support through forums, then you might want to look into some of the alternative sites that we have suggested.
Which of these torrent sites do you think is the best for finding content, and which has the best features? Or is there another alternative site to Torrentz or alternative torrent clients that you love but which we didn’t mention here? Then let us know in the comments below as we’d love to hear from you!
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lookalikes pop up too fast in this industry and it’s a pain to keep up with what’s legit and working.