In a variety of situations, having a reliable VPN service at your disposal is advantageous.
Your system’s security has been improved.
An increased level of privacy while browsing.
Controlling IP and performance.
The list could go on and on, but you get the picture. Using a VPN is beneficial for both personal and professional reasons. Finding the best VPN for you, on the other hand, can be difficult. There are a lot of competitors out there, and choosing the best one requires relying on reliable information.
The majority of TorGuard reviews found on the internet are positive. It’s solid, performs admirably, and I haven’t come across any negative customer feedback. Nonetheless, I chose to cut through any possible sugarcoating and concentrate on the critical features that can make or break a VPN service.
Is it a quick process? Is it misusing the information it collects from users? How much does it set you back? In my TorGuard exploration, I’ll go over these and more, so let’s get started.
What Is TorGuard?
TorGuard was introduced to the public in 2012 as part of the TorGuard Company. The service claims to provide a completely anonymous browsing experience, with no logs kept at any time. The company’s headquarters are in the United States, while its parent company is based in Nevis, West Indies.
Customers’ data security is ensured by TorGuard VPN, which operates over 3000 servers in over 50 countries. This gives you a little over 20,000 IP addresses to choose from. However, I must point out that the server distribution is a little unbalanced.
While Europe and the United States have a plethora of locations to choose from, South America and Africa only have about ten. Asian ties, on the other hand, are respected, and Australia is also represented.
TorGuard VPN allows for five simultaneous connections, which is higher than the industry average.
So far, it appears that this company has the potential to be a top provider. But enough with the introduction; let’s see if it works!
The reality-checking of TorGuard begins in 3.. 2. 1.
TorGuard Essentials – Security, Privacy, and Speed
Speed, security, and privacy are the three main pillars of eligibility in this case. All of them are equally important in determining the effectiveness of any VPN.
TorGuard Speed
TorGuard, unlike some of its competitors, does not exaggerate its claims. Without sounding flashy or fancy, the app simply provides high-end privacy browsing. I’ll admit that the TorGuard website’s claim of being the “Fastest VPN Protocol on the Net” got my hopes up, but it certainly delivered!
Let’s take a look at how the test went!
This is my base speed while running the tests.
I decided to try two European countries: Poland and Hungary. TorGuard’s speed is simply incredible! I had not expected a speed reduction of 5-7 percent, but here it is.
The results of the US tests were similar to those of the European picks. Yes, the speed is slower, but that is to be expected given my location.
Hong Kong performed admirably, but a speed reduction of 75% would not be my first choice.
South America had a distinctive gap between Download and Upload speed, with the first one being splendidly high!
When I was testing the Australia locations, I had an interesting experience. For an Ookla speed test, the Sydney connection redirected me to a server in Wichita, Kansas. However, I am willing to accept that Ookla made a minor error – my second attempt yielded a more realistic result.
However, the Upload speed isn’t satisfactory, so I’d put it on my list of things to improve in the future.
When I went to Africa, my results in Cairo were concerning, but Johannesburg was able to rank on par with most European servers.
In conclusion of this TorGuard review’s speed section, is the fastest VPN I’ve tried so far. It also keeps all connections to all available locations stable.
I used the following VPN settings for all of my tests:
- Tunnel Type: OpenVPN
- Protocol: UDP
- Port/Auth: 1912 (SHA256)
- Cipher: AES-128-GCM
TorGuard Security
If I had to choose a winner among the three most important factors, I would choose security. After all, the purpose of VPNs is to keep our online activities safe and hidden from prying eyes.
To begin with, the TorGuard kill switch is always useful. A closer look at TorGuard reveals the company’s commitment to security. There’s built-in IPv6 leak and DNS protection, and it’s all automated. To set it up, you don’t have to lift a finger. That is something to be thankful for in a VPN. In addition, AES-256 encryption is regarded as an industry standard.
Auto, 995 (SHA1), 1912 (SHA256), 1195 (SHA256), 53 (SHA256), 1215 (SHA 512), 389 (SHA 512), 1194, and 4443 (SHA 256)/Stealth are also options. AES-128-CBC, AES-128-GCM, AES-256-CBC, AES-256-GCM, and BG-CBC are among the ciphers available. If you feel the need, you can also enable STunnel.
The Torguard IP and DNS leak tests also yielded satisfactory results.
TorGuard seamlessly switches servers. However, keep in mind that your IP will be visible for a few seconds during the change.
TorGuard is one of the safest VPN options available, thanks to anti-leak protection, an excellent kill switch, and top-tier encryption.
TorGuard Privacy
In terms of privacy, TorGuard adheres to GDPR guidelines. Unlike many other VPN providers, it has a very simple privacy policy page. That was extremely useful when I was gathering information about them.
The company saves transaction information but not credit or debit card numbers in its database. Torrenting with TorGuard is also anonymous.
Furthermore, Google Analytics tools use cookies to collect “tips” on how to improve their website. I also discovered Apache Webserver logs, contact information (obtained via live chat/support tickets), and any emails they had received.
All email addresses, cookies, and contact submissions are used solely for contacting users and conducting business. The bolded font indicates that TorGuard VPN does not collect or log data. This is one of the main reasons why I think their privacy is excellent.
In addition, I couldn’t find any privacy complaints about the company, so everything appears to be in order.
Privacy is as solid as it gets if you follow the example set forth in the previous two sections.
TorGuard Pros
TorGuard possesses all of the necessary tools to establish itself as a VPN industry leader. They are open and honest about their intentions and offers, which should only benefit us as customers.
Speed!
There’s not much more I can say because the screenshots speak for themselves. In almost every available location, TorGuard is a top-tier provider. Even more remote servers produced excellent results, so I give them an A+ for that. I’d gladly be the judge in a speed race between NordVPN and Torguard!
TorGuard’s main positive side is speed, which is one of the three most important VPN statistics.
Smooth Interface
Regardless of the niche, I strive to only use user-friendly software. I can confidently say that the company’s efforts in this area are outstanding. The menus are simple to use, and every connection option is clearly visible and accessible right away. All setting changes are immediate, and the launcher’s user personalization options provide a wide range of options.
Transparent Website
The TorGuard website has a lot of transparency, which I like. It isn’t overburdened with purchase invitations that aren’t necessary. The “Get TorGuard Now” button is right on the main page, which I find more convenient than annoying. After all, this is where TorGuard can be downloaded.
The subpages are informative, and navigation is simple. I can see exactly where each plan will lead me and make an informed decision.
One-Week Free Trial
It doesn’t matter how well-liked a piece of software is; it’s best to test it out for yourself to see if it’s right for you. TorGuard is no different, but they offer a 7-day free trial to any client. This is one of my favorite features because it allows me to fully investigate a provider before deciding whether or not they are a viable option.
Torrenting Available
TorGuard is well aware of its users’ torrenting requirements. Japan, the United States, and Germany all have multiple servers to set up, with the Socks5 Proxy available to us with a single click. Torrent access with TorGuard appears to be simple, at least in my experience.
A lot of Connection Types
I experimented with the connection variables for a while to see which one would give me the best speed. OpenVPN or OpenConnect tunnel types, as well as UDP/TCP protocols, are available to all users.
Responsive Customer Support
While many companies of any kind would only claim to provide 24-hour customer service, TorGuard stepped up to the plate. I purposefully contacted customer service at 12 a.m. to see how quickly they would respond. I prefer live chat to TorGuard email because it is more convenient for me.
Jordan was the representative’s name, and he sounded like a native speaker. His responses were also informative, and it was clear that he was attempting to help me in any way he could. The conversation went well, and I was able to gather most of the information I required at the time.
I’ll get to the rest of the conversation later, but TorGuard looks promising so far.
To keep things fair, I should warn users that the Customer Support Live Chat appears to be inactive on Sunday evenings.
A Respectable Amount of Simultaneous Connections
Going deeper into the TorGuard review, having five connections open at the same time isn’t something to joke about. Although some competitors provide more, the majority of users rarely require more than three.
TorGuard Cons
As the saying goes, nothing is perfect, so TorGuard has a few flaws that need to be addressed.
A Bit Pricey
TorGuard is a bit more expensive than ExpressVPN, NordVPN, Surfshark, and a few other VPN providers, but it offers maximum efficiency for a little more money. The difference isn’t significant, but it’s worth noting.
Another thing to keep in mind is that TorGuard offers a Business plan, which isn’t always the best option. For $69 per month, it offers 10 user packages, email hosting, and three dedicated IPs. If you only require multiple user access, purchasing a Torguard router could save you money.
Short Money-Back-Guarantee
There are a lot of dashes above, but hey, you have to use them sometimes. A week is certainly “short-term” when it comes to getting my money back from an unsatisfactory software. TorGuard’s competitors can set me up for a month, month and a half to decide whether or not to use their services.
In this case, the case doesn’t even come close, so I’d give it a low rating. Furthermore, even using the free trial version necessitates the entry of credit card information.
Netflix Doesn’t Come Right Away
As a new Netflix addict, I can imagine that most VPN users would want to stream it without restriction. The Basic package, however, does not include TorGuard Netflix support.
To unblock Netflix, it appears that I will need to purchase additional streaming IPs.
The good news is that Jordan walked me through the process, and the setup appears to be straightforward.
I couldn’t watch Netflix on four US servers (I thought I’d stop there) and two European servers without purchasing VPN+ features. The Thailand location unblocking and streaming Netflix was a pleasant surprise. Although the quality was poor, it could be useful in a pinch.
If nothing else, you can try TorGuard for free for a week and compare the results.
TorGuard Price
TorGuard is in the middle/upper price range for me. The annual subscription packages, on the other hand, are less expensive than the industry average, with the best deal coming in at $59.50 per year.
If you’re looking for a business plan, TorGuard also has that option.
There’s even a plan that can be customized!
Payment Methods
I don’t usually include payment methods in my reviews, but TorGuard has a lot of them.
The Traditional Circle is made up of Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and PayPal.
The Cryptocurrency Team is made up of Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin, and a few other cryptocurrencies.
Finally, Paymentwall and Paygarden provide a “fancy” way to pay for your TorGuard login access.
TorGuard VPN Review – Verdict?
To be honest, TorGuard does not project the image of a polished service. It has a lot of good things going for it, so I’d definitely recommend it to most people. The software delivers with little effort for anyone, from beginners to experts.
Overall, every aspect of speed, security, and privacy passes my inspection with flying colors!