Best VPNs With Port Forwarding in 2026
Port forwarding lets incoming connections reach you through the VPN — essential for seeding torrents efficiently, hosting a game session, or reaching a home server. Most big VPNs removed it for security reasons, so the list of providers that still offer it is short.
Private Internet Access includes it free on most servers with a simple toggle. Proton VPN includes it on paid plans with a static port per session. PureVPN sells it as an add-on.
The 3 best VPNs for port forwarding, ranked
- 1Best port forwarding VPN#6 overall · 8.3/10
Private Internet Access
One toggle in the app, works on most servers, no extra cost, and the app can hand the forwarded port to your torrent client automatically.
- Port forwarding
- Yes
- Speed
- 480 Mbps
- Devices
- Unlimited
- Refund
- 30 days
- 2Best privacy with port forwarding#4 overall · 8.9/10
Proton VPN
Included on paid plans; the app shows the active port and can auto-configure qBittorrent. Swiss jurisdiction.
- Port forwarding
- Yes
- Speed
- 541 Mbps
- Devices
- 10
- Refund
- 30 days
- 3Port forwarding add-on#5 overall · 8.4/10
PureVPN
Available as a paid add-on with a choice of ports; the cheapest way in on a long plan.
- Port forwarding
- Yes
- Speed
- 466 Mbps
- Devices
- 10
- Refund
- 31 days
−82% on the 2-year planends soon
We earn a commission when you buy through our links. It never changes a rating or this order. Disclosure
Side by side
| VPN | Score | Port forwarding | Speed | Devices | 2-yr price | Refund |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PIA | 8.3 | Yes | 480 Mbps | Unlimited | $2.03 | 30 days |
| Proton VPN | 8.9 | Yes | 541 Mbps | 10 | $4.49 | 30 days |
| PureVPN | 8.4 | Yes | 466 Mbps | 10 | $2.14 | 31 days |
How we picked
Only VPNs with working port forwarding qualified — we verified an inbound connection reached a test client through each. Ranked on ease of use, cost, and the provider's overall privacy score.
All scores come from the same monthly tests on the same rig — how we test. Rank order on this page is by the category criteria, not by commission.
Questions
Which VPNs have port forwarding?
Private Internet Access (included), Proton VPN (included on paid plans) and PureVPN (paid add-on) in our ranking. NordVPN, Surfshark and ExpressVPN do not offer it.
Why did most VPNs remove port forwarding?
An open port can expose you to other users on the same server and to fingerprinting attacks. Providers that keep it, like PIA and Proton, mitigate this with random ports and per-session assignment.
Do I need port forwarding to torrent?
Not to download. For seeding — private trackers, ratios — it makes you reachable by more peers and noticeably improves upload.
Is there a free VPN with port forwarding?
No safe one. Proton VPN's port forwarding needs a paid plan; PIA's long plan is around $2 a month.