With textbook prices going up into the hundreds, it’s hard for many students to come across affordable learning materials for their courses. Unsurprisingly, the average learner has to resort to torrenting to get the much-needed books, a practice that isn’t exactly legal in most countries across the globe.
Even if you reside in a nation that allows P2P file-sharing or downloading copyrighted material for personal use, misunderstandings can still happen. Your Internet Service Provider (ISP) sees everything you’re doing online, torrenting traffic included, and they don’t know your reasoning for doing it. Thus, it’s only a matter of time before you’re found out and potentially fined. That is, unless you’re utilizing appropriate tools to combat this.
Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) encrypt your Internet traffic with an unbreakable cipher, making you virtually invisible to all third parties. Then even the ISP can’t track your movements, letting you download a multitude of coursebooks in peace. And you will find most of the required learning material by exploring our carefully curated list of the 10 best sites for textbook torrenting.
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Top 10 sites for text book torrents
Now, the problem with coursebook torrent websites is that searching for ones that work is a dangerous game. Many sites pose as serious places to get torrents, yet once you click on them – boom, your device just got infected with malware.
To avoid this outcome, it’s best to be careful about what you click on. Also take advantage of such tools as NordVPN’s Threat Protection. It checks links for malicious software before opening them, preventing you from entering shady websites.
Of course, we did our own research and came up with this handy torrent sites list. Across the suggestions below, we found the biggest selection of both newer and older textbooks. Each website is carefully analyzed, with pros and cons listed to help you find one that works for you.
1. Library Genesis – http://gen.lib.rus.ec
Library Genesis is perhaps the most well-known place to get learning material.
It’s managed by a group of volunteers and includes thousands of textbooks, research papers, academic and general-interest books, audiobooks, etc. Most of the files gathered here are study-related, but you can also find fiction, comics, and magazines.
The advanced search tool lets you sort queries by title, author, series, publisher, year, ISBN, and language. Library Genesis also has several file download options, not just torrents, for greater convenience.
2. Textbook Nova – http://textbooknova.com
Textbook Nova is an online textbook search engine.
Here, you can find countless coursebooks for free, but the site also scans the web for highly discounted options as well. The learning material covers many fields, such as chemistry, law, music, web design, and more.
Entering the book’s title, author, or ISBN number should net you several available listings. Clicking on any one gives a more detailed description of the text and user reviews.
3. OLL – https://oll.libertyfund.org/
OLL, or the Online Library of Liberty, is a digital library housing thousands of scholarly works.
Users get access to a diverse range of books, from art, philosophy, and political theory, to religion, sociology, and economics. The website even has a Collections subsection which gathers learning material according to specific subjects.
While there are several download options, the books can also be read online, allowing users to scan the text before getting them. The Online Library of Liberty also contains many original works from history, useful if you need first-hand sources.
4. NIH – http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/browse/
The National Library of Medicine offers a virtual library of its own.
The biggest caveat here is that most of the books focus on biosciences, so it’s the most useful for students in these fields. Still, there’s plenty of reports, research papers, and coursebooks to explore.
While the website looks a bit clunky, looking for what you need is pretty straightforward – just enter the book title into the search field. NIH also offers an Advanced search that lets you specify not only the author, but the editor, publication type, concept phrases, and other specific details.
5. Project Gutenberg – http://www.gutenberg.org
Project Gutenberg is a free public domain e-book site.
The site has an extensive library that comprises no less than 57,000 free e-books. The textbooks can be downloaded on your preferred devices from anywhere without paying a single cent.
The offered e-books do not require a unique app to read. This is a relief since most sites charge the readers fees for their custom apps. The recklessly done homepage is a bit unappealing, though, with only a small space dedicated to book advertisement.
6. FreeBookSpot – http://www.freebookspot.club
FreeBookSpot is one of the most popular e-book torrent websites.
You can download free books, magazines, newsletters, and comics from this site. It also has a feature that allows you to share your e-book with others and wait for their feedback.
A significant pro is that registration is not compulsory, while its downside is that some books are for Premium users only. However, when it comes to its overall performance, FreeBookSpot offers a good seeder-to-leecher ratio and excellent functionality.
7. Ebookee – https://ebookee.com/free_ebooks_list.php
This textbook torrent site is striving hard to become one of the best in the near future.
Ebookee covers books from various categories like business, Entertainment, Technology, Graphics, and much more. The site also has the top 100 e-books and recently viewed categories, together with the number of readers per book to help in the selection process.
This site does not have the most eye-catching user interface. The genres are listed down haphazardly, and it takes one a long time before getting accustomed to the site’s layout. On the bright side, registration is not compulsory.
8. FreeEbooks – https://www.free-ebooks.net
Free-ebooks.net allows you to download and read your favorite books in PDF format.
The site covers a wide range of genres like fiction, technology, mystery, drama, and others. Its user interface is impressive, making the exploration process worth your while. Like some of the other textbook torrent websites, it allows access on all devices from anywhere.
However, you will need to register an account to start downloading your favorite e-books torrent files.
9. Zooqle – https://zooqle.com/browse/books-texts/
Zooqle is a torrent file depository that includes all kinds of files, including textbooks.
The website includes over 4 million authentic torrents, with thousands of new ones being added each day. And searching for coursebooks is an easy process – simply type in the title or the author.
One notable (and unfortunate) thing about Zooqle is that the main website tends to be down, so you’ll have to use healthy proxies to access it. And if those don’t work, utilizing a VPN might be necessary.
10. ISOHunt – https://isohunts.to/books_isohunt.html
ISOHunt is a P2P file-sharing website with a dedicated book and texbook section.
It hosts plenty of study material which you can search by typing in the author, title, or subject. There are several download links, and other users can comment if they still work or don’t.
ISOHunt differs from other sites of such nature by requiring you to use its own torrent client instead of the standard software like uTorrent. It’s not exactly beginner friendly, but still a viable option for those looking for coursebooks.
Best VPN services for textbook torrents in 2023
- The best VPN for textbook torrents9.6
- Affordable P2P VPN with no device limit9.3
- One of the cheapest option for downloading textbooks9.0
Safety while using torrents
Since torrenting is still illegal in lots of countries, there are certain dangers associated with it. Getting caught doing so might result in a fine, or even worse, jail time, depending on where you live. So, if you do decide to venture down this path, at least do it safely.
The best way to hide your torrenting activities from all third parties, especially your ISP, is with a reputable P2P VPN. This technology encrypts all traffic, making it unreadable to anyone who doesn’t have the right keys. Thus, you’re safe to download all the textbooks you need without the fear of legal trouble.
Plus, such providers as NordVPN also prevent your devices from getting infected with malware. Torrents are notorious for containing all kinds of malicious software, from keyloggers to ransomware. But the right tool will stop you from downloading a file that could compromise your data and computer.
So, which of the best textbook torrents listed here today are you using in 2023? Are there any major ones that we’ve missed?
Any ones that we’ve listed that are having problems? Let us know in the comments below!
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I’m usually iffy about the legality of torrenting. I try to pay for as much as possible and I don’t like having illegal files on my computer. But the textbook industry is CRIMINAL. The rates they charge for those books is nothing short of extortion, a gross display of classism, and if you are industrious enough to educate yourself and you can get out of paying those exorbitant, criminal pricing, then do it.
Project Gutenberg should be your first stop because they have a lot of private domain stuff that is very, very good. Don’t be fooled by the ugly, older looking site – this is a good option. EbookShare is another good option for text books.
Omg yeees, I just bought an e-reader from Amazon but their e-books are quite expensive! This is just what I needed, I’ll check all of these websites. Thank youuu
I am wired to read and read different articles and texts. It has really impacted in me as I am well grounded in vast knowledge. I will maximize the gains of these sites for textbook torrent this year
Do you know if any of these sites offer school textbooks? I’m trying to find a way to save some money with my college classes.