Debrid providers
A debrid service downloads torrents on its own servers and gives you a direct HTTPS link. That is the whole idea, and it changes the Stremio experience more than any add-on choice.
Why people use one
| Without debrid | With debrid |
|---|---|
| Your IP joins the torrent swarm | Your IP never touches the swarm |
| Playback depends on seeders | Playback comes from a datacenter |
| Popular titles are fast, old ones stall | Old titles are often already cached |
| Your ISP can see BitTorrent traffic | Your ISP sees one HTTPS connection |
The providers
| Provider | Notes |
|---|---|
| Real-Debrid | Most integrations, largest cache. Occasional hoster and DMCA friction. |
| AllDebrid | Close second; reliable torrent cache, good add-on support. |
| Premiumize | Debrid + cloud storage + Usenet in one subscription. Pricier. |
| TorBox | Debrid, Usenet and a growing cache; popular post-RD alternative. |
| Debrid-Link | European provider, torrent and hoster support. |
| Put.io | Polished cloud torrent box; smaller cache. |
Prices and fair-use limits change constantly. Check each provider's own page, and buy one month before committing to a year.
Getting your API key
Every provider hides the token in a different menu. The pattern is always the same:
- Log in on the provider's website.
- Find API or API token in account settings.
- Copy the long string — not your password, not your username.
- Paste it into the add-on's configure page.
Treat that token like a password: anyone who has it can spend your quota. If you paste it into a public instance you do not control, revoke it later from the provider's site.
How caching works
- An add-on finds a torrent matching the movie.
- It asks the provider: is this info hash already in your cache?
- Cached → you get an instant link.
- Uncached → the provider downloads it (minutes to hours) and it becomes cached for everyone afterwards.
This is why "cached only" filters are popular: they hide everything that would make you wait.
Configure it in your add-on
- AIOStreams → Services → Debrid → pick provider → paste token.
- Comet → Debrid Service + API key.
- MediaFusion → Streaming Provider → debrid credentials.
- Torrentio → provider dropdown + API key on the configure page.
One provider is enough. Adding the same provider to five add-ons does not increase your quota; it just multiplies the requests.
Limits you will actually hit
- Hoster links — debrid also unlocks file-host downloads, and those links expire. Irrelevant for Stremio, annoying if you use the provider for other things.
- DMCA removals — a cached torrent can disappear overnight. The add-on will simply stop showing it.
- Fair use — "unlimited" always has an abuse threshold. Streaming a season a day is fine; running a seedbox is not.
- Concurrent streams — most plans allow a small number of IPs at once. A family sharing one account across two homes will get errors.
Do you need a VPN too?
- Debrid or Usenet only → no.
- Raw P2P add-ons without debrid → yes, your IP is in the swarm.