Quick Answer
- Private Internet Access (USA)
- Hide.Me (Malaysia)
- Mullvad (Sweden)
Why Would You Use Port-Forwarding?
These are reasons why VPN users might want to use port forwarding:
- To play online games where traffic gets blocked by router firewalls
- To host gaming servers
- To speed up torrenting in specific scenarios
- To access virtual machines and desktops hosted in the cloud (without it, your router might interfere with your connection)
Those running a VPN on their router can get fast VPN connections to private IPs on their home network while away.
Here are some recommended VPNs with port-forwarding:
Private Internet Access (USA)
Private Internet Access (PIA) supports port forwarding, and all the servers have P2P with SOCKS5 as a proxy, making it ideal for torrenting and file sharing.
- Website: Private Internet Access
- Business Location: USA
- Owner: Kape
- Server Location: 35000 Servers in 83 Countries
- Cost: USD 11.95 per month, USD 39.95 per year, USD 79 for two years
- Number of simultaneous connections allowed: 10
- Apps available for Linux, Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android
- Payment Types: Bitcoin, Paypal and Credit Cards, major brand gift cards, Ripple, CashU, iOS In-App purchase (through our iOS app only) and Paygarden
- Trial Account: No (only 7-day money-back guarantee instead)
- Platforms Supported: Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, Windows Phone, Chrome Extension, DD-WRT Router, Tomato Router, PfSense Router
- Terms of Service
Hide.Me (Malaysia)
Hide.Me allows up to 10 dynamic port forwards according to their support. Port forwarding is configured via UPnP (by the apps themselves). Supports IPv6 and Wireguard.
Service Summary
- Website: Hide.Me
- Headquarters: Malaysia
- Owner: independently owned by Leon Juranic
- Server locations: 77 locations worldwide
- Number of simultaneous connections allowed: 10
- Price: 40 USD per year
- Payment types: Bitcoin, Paypal, Google Pay and Credit Cards
- Trial account: No (has 30-day money-back guarantee)
- Apps available: Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, Linux
Mullvad (Sweden)
Mullvad allows up to 5 ports in the 5xxxx range, each assigned to the server. Both OpenVPN & Wireguard. Port forwarding is configured on their website. Supports IPv6 and Wireguard.
Service Summary
- Website: Mullvad
- Headquarters: Sweden
- Owned by: Amagicom AB (owned by founders Fredrik Strömberg and Daniel Berntsson)
- Server Location: 892 servers in 40 countries
- Cost: €5 per month, €60 annually
- Number of simultaneous connections allowed: 5
- Apps available for Linux, Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android
- Payment Types: cash, cryptocurrencies, bank wire, credit cards, PayPal, Swish, Giropay, Eps transfer, Bancontact, iDEAL, and Przelewy24
- Trial Account: No (only a 30-day money-back guarantee)
About Torrenting and Port Forwarding
BitTorrent relies on your connection working both ways (incoming and outgoing). Without port-forwarding, you will see slower speeds and slower speed ramps up. Also, seeding is very hard without port-forwarding.
Usually, home users cannot accept incoming connections due to NAT. This is always the case for proxies and VPNs, but some VPNs allow the assignment of a port that will always lead to your connected device (and your client). Making outgoing connections is always technically possible, but then you rely on the seed/peer to open their ports.
Other VPN Providers With Port-Forwarding
- AirVPN
- Allows up to 20 static port forwards + Dynamic DNS, Port forwarding configured on their website, Port forwarding configured on their website.
- IPv6, Wireguard (in beta)
- Astrill VPN
- Allowed — up to 3 ports configurable via an app (according to screenshot); with dedicated IP option: all
- No IPv6. Has Wireguard.
- AzireVPN
- OpenVPN only: All ports open when using their “public IPs” (which are dynamic)
- IPv6, Wireguard (no pf)
- BolehVPN
- “Yes, it is available on the IPv4-Fully-Routed-Dedicated-Switzerland and Luxembourg servers.”
- Port forward configured via UPnP (?)
- Negative report by user
- No IPv6 or Wireguard
- CeloVPN
- Available, up to 2 ports via a support ticket on a specified server
- IPv6, Wireguard
- CryptoStorm
- Allows up to 10 port forward, configured once connected (range: 30000-65535)
- No IPv6, has Wireguard
- Ghost Path VPN
- Yes, without further details
- Port-forwarding assigns a random port.
- No IPv6, has Wireguard
- Yes, without further details
- IVPN
- Allows up to 1 port forward
- Port forwarding configured on their website
- IPv6 over IPv4 (only via WG), WireGuard – recently added full port-forwarding support for WG
- LiquidVPN
- Available, extent unclear
- No IPv6 (in the works since 2017), no Wireguard
- Njalla VPN (formerly “IPredator”)
- dedicated IPv4 and IPv6, all ports available
- OpenVPN or Wireguard
- nVPN.net
- Dynamic port-forwarding (changed every 12 hours), static ports on select servers
- Dedicated IP option
- OpenVPN, Wireguard
- OVPN.com
- Allows up to 7 port forwards
- Port Forwarding configured on their website
- IPv6, Wireguard
- oVPN.to
- Allows up to 20 port forwards
- Port forwarding configured on their website
- Has IPv6, no Wireguard
- Perfect Privacy
- Allows up to 3 dynamic (+API) and 5 static
- Port Forwarding configured on their website
- Has IPv6, no Wireguard
- PrivateVPN (.com)
- Available, 1 port (automatic, dynamic?)
- Negative report by user
- No IPv6 or Wireguard
- Available, 1 port (automatic, dynamic?)
- ProtonVPN
- Beta: port-forwarding with Wireguard
- one dynamic port that’s shown in the client app
- Beta: port-forwarding with Wireguard
- PRQ (.se)
- All ports available, dedicated static IPv4 + IPv6/64, OpenVPN
- PureVPN
- Available as an Addon. Explanation on the official subreddit
- Possible to open all ports or up to 15 specific ports at a time (static)
- No IPv6, has Wireguard
- Available as an Addon. Explanation on the official subreddit
- Switch VPN (.net)
- Available, 1 port, (automatic, dynamic?)
- No IPv6 or Wireguard
- TorGuard
- Allows up to 10 ports forwarded, configured on the website
- No IPv6, has Wireguard
- Trust.zone
- Only available with dedicated IP+Port-forwarding option in select countries, working port range: 5000-65535
- No IPv6
- VPNSecure
- Only available with dedicated IP option, no further details
- IPv6, no Wireguard
- WeVPN
- Up to 5 random port forwards on compatible servers, configured via the website. Instructions
- No IPv6, has Wireguard
- Windscribe
- Available with OpenVPN/Wireguard/IKEv2
- Ports: Dynamic for regular plans, Static if dedicated IP is paid for.
- User explanation: All Pro users have ephemeral (temporary) port forwarding; you can reserve a single port for 7 days. If you need it on a more permanent basis or require multiple ports, you need to purchase a Static IP address.
- Port forwarding configured on their website
- No IPv6, “intend to add” since at least 2019.
I have tried many VPNs on this list but for me the best is NORDVpn it really does the work even though it is a little bit expensive.
It is the best option for torrenting and file sharing because it supports port forwarding and all the servers feature P2P with SOCKS5 as a proxy.