BullGuard VPN Full Review: Simple and Basic VPN

 BullGuard VPN is highly reliable to unblock many streaming platforms with no lags or latency; it also offers all essential security features needed to go online with no limitations or threats. However, many users have worries about the connection speed when using a VPN since VPN services could impact the connection speed. Let's find out if BullGuard VPN can manage good speed while using the internet, whether for downloading, uploading, or surfing the web.

As we said earlier, aside from comparing BullGuard VPN to the top VPN services, it performed well in many locations and with a speed that is enough for torrenting, streaming, and playing games. Not many VPN services keep a consistent speed when shifting from one server to another in different locations.

Like many other VPN services, BullGuard VPN had better performance when connecting to closer servers. However, it could provide a good speed to handle all the tasks efficiently in all tested locations.

2. Number of servers and geographic distribution

Short explanation: BullGuard VPN has around 2000 servers in 16 locations.

Long explanation: It has a small network of servers with a very modest distribution. Most of the servers are located in Europe and North America. Locations include United States, United Kingdom, Netherlands, Norway, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Germany, Denmark, France, Ireland, Spain, Sweden, Singapore, and Switzerland.

3. Fastest available protocol

Short explanation: IKEv2 is the fastest available protocol by BullGuard VPN (recommended to use).

Long explanation: In the VPN world, many protocols exist, with differences between protocols making the difference in how secure a VPN is, how fast, and whether it can bypass geo-censorship. Typically, the trade-off is between speed and security, with the PPTP protocol typically being the fastest but the least secure.

 

We believe having a secure and private internet connection is why people get a VPN in the first place, but how to find out whether a VPN can maintain high security and privacy? Here Some security features help you make up your mind.

1. Encryption and protocols

BullGuard VPN uses 256-bit AES encryption on all its servers, which is the same standard used by militaries and government agencies worldwide.

BullGuard VPN offers two protocols, OpenVPN and IKEv2 protocols. For high security and unblock online content, OpenVPN is recommended to use.

2. Logs policy

Short explanation: BullGuard VPN has a true no-log policy.

Long explanation: It has a true no-log policy (i.e., they gather no information at all, not even your email address or billing method).

3. Kill switch

Short explanation: BullGuard VPN has a manually set up kill switch feature.

Long explanation: It has built-in leak protection that prevents your data from leaking and your real IP address from becoming visible. A kill switch disconnects your internet connection once the VPN connection drops. This step is essential to prevent any information leak. Even if you turned off your VPN by mistake or on purpose, this feature should shield your identity.

4. RAM-based servers

Short explanation: BullGuard VPN doesn't use RAM-based servers (not hard drives).

Long explanation: A RAM-based server means that the data, instead of being saved to hard drives, is saved on RAMs instead. This is advantageous to security because RAMs are wiped clean every time the servers reboot.

5. Based country

Short explanation: BullGuard VPN is based in the United Kingdom.

Long explanation: It is based in the United Kingdom, which is inside the 5/9/14 Eyes Alliance. VPN companies based inside the 5/9/14 Eyes Alliance are considered a possible security threat as these countries are known to spy on their citizens and share information internally. (Read more on the 5/9/14 Eyes Alliance).

6. Warrant canary

Short explanation: BullGuard doesn't have a warrant canary system.

Long explanation: A warrant canary is an indirect method to warn customers of governmental attempts to subpoena where the presence of the warrant on the company's official website means the local government hasn't tried anything yet. If the warrant canary is removed from the company's page, it means they were asked.

One of the reasons why people have a VPN is to make their online experience easier, more exciting, and unlimited. This section will discuss what BullGuard VPN can offer to enhance its users' online experience.

1. Streaming

As a cybersecurity company with one of the best antivirus software on the market, BullGuard sells its VPN as a part of its mission to maintain security. Maybe that's why we didn't expect much when we tried to stream using BullGuard VPN. Surprisingly, it could unblock the most popular streaming services with no lags or buffers. It successfully unblocked Netflix (US, UK, Canada, and Germany), Hulu, BBC iPlayer, Amazon Prime, HBO Max, Disney+, and ESPN+. 

2. Torrent

Short explanation: BullGuard VPN allows torrenting.

Long explanation: BullGuard VPN servers support P2P networks for secure and anonymous torrenting. You won't face any limitations regarding downloading your favorite movies, TV shows, or games; BullGuard VPN allows unlimited bandwidth to enjoy the ultimate online experience.

3. Gaming

Short explanation: BullGuard VPN doesn't have specialized gaming servers.

Long explanation: Do users really need a VPN for gaming? We won't go too in-depth on this topic. However, if you want to read more about it in detail, you can read our blog post on VPN and Gaming.

4. Dedicated IP servers

Short explanation: BullGuard doesn't have dedicated IP servers.

Long explanation: A dedicated IP isn't something that is necessarily better than a shared IP. Whether you need a dedicated IP or not depends on your requirements.

5. Geo-censorship bypass (obfuscation)

Short explanation: BullGuard VPN can bypass geo-censorship.

Long explanation: BullGuard can bypass geo-restricted content using OpenVPN. It also unlocks the majority of streaming services with no lags. BullGuard VPN provides enough speed for torrenting, streaming, and playing online games. Its unlimited bandwidth makes it possible to download endlessly with no limits.

6. Split tunneling

Short explanation: BullGuard VPN doesn't have the split tunneling feature.

Long explanation: Split tunneling is another security feature that enables you to choose which apps go through your VPN and which apps you regularly access (without VPN).

7. Tor over VPN

Short explanation: BullGuard VPN doesn't have Tor over VPN support.

Long explanation: Torrent onion router (Tor) is a P2P program used to enter the dark web. Using a VPN adds an extra layer of anonymity, especially at the entry node, with the addition of data encryption.

If you're looking for a VPN that works on almost all devices and platforms, BullGuard VPN might not be your best choice. It is compatible with the main operating systems, but there's no browser extension, and it is not compatible with routers or consoles.

It is compatible with:

• Windows 
• macOS
• Android
• iOS

It doesn't offer any browser extensions.

In terms of user experience, BullGuard VPN provides:

1. Supported languages

BullGuard supports the following languages:

• English
• French
• German
• Danish
• Dutch
• Spanish

2. Customer support

Reliable and responsive customer support is essential to run a smooth experience with your VPN and instantly solve any vague situations. However, not all VPN services offer what is needed to keep in contact with their clients. BullGuard VPN assists users via live chat, email, and guides. Still, it is not highly responsive, and their email support is very slow and frustrating. Live chat support is also not pretty helpful. We hope they can make it better in the future.

Generally, BullGuard VPN provides support via:

• Live chat
• Email
• Forum
• Guides
• Help center

There are three different available subscriptions:

• 6-month: It is available for $12 per month, billed $71.99 every 6 months.
• 1-year: It is available for $5.31 per month, billed $63.74 every year. (Save 25%)
• 2-year: It is available for $2.83 per month, billed $68 every 2 years. (Save 60%)

There is a 30-day money-back guarantee to test and judge yourself.

Payment methods:

• PayPal
• Mastercard
• Visa
• American Express
• JCB

Conclusion

BullGuard VPN is one of the leaders in the cybersecurity field. It offers a VPN service that targets security and privacy in the first place. However, BullGuard VPN unblocks many streaming services and websites. It also supports torrenting, but we suggest using other VPNs like ExpressVPN and NordVPN for torrenting since BullGuard is based in the United Kingdom, inside the 5/9/14 Eyes Alliance. It also doesn't have specialized servers for torrenting.