TorGuard Full Review: Total Online Anonymity
TorGuard VPN servers spread over fifty countries with more than 3000+ servers. TorGuard's server network is always growing, providing customers around the world with the ability to encrypt their sensitive internet data no matter where they are located.
TorGuard believes in a truly private internet experience. That’s why TorGuard has always been a zero-log VPN, meaning that each customer’s confidentiality is guaranteed.
TorGuard has been commended by users for its amazing customer support and its extensive set of features that includes Stealth VPN, dedicated IPs, kill switches, and other advanced VPN features.
Pros
Cons
Quick Stats
This thorough review will discuss TorGuard's features, abilities, security protocols, and customer support. We want to highlight their server coverage and speed, security measures, and subscription plans.
TorGuard Speed
This section checks how TorGuard fares against its competitors regarding speed tests, the number of servers, their geographic distribution, and their fastest available protocol.
1. Speed tests
TorGuard was relatively slower than we thought it would be, considering the number of servers they had. It had an average speed when considering the 3000+ servers they had.
2. Number of servers and geographic distribution
Short explanation: TorGuard has over 3000+ servers distributed in over 50 countries.
Long explanation: The Majority of TorGuard's servers are located in the US, which eases unblocking streaming platforms such as; Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and Hulu. Despite the high number of servers, their speed was average.
3. Fastest available protocol
Short explanation: WireGuard is the fastest available protocol by TorGuard (recommended to use).
Long explanation: TorGuard provides 4 types of protocols, which are the WireGuard, OpenVPN, IKEv2, and Shadowsocks.
Security and Privacy
One of the main reasons a person might use a VPN is because they want to secure their VPN connection; that's partly why many antivirus companies sometimes try to add incomplete VPN products to their plans.
The most important features regarding security and privacy include:
1. Encryption and protocols
TorGuard provides AES 256-bit encryption, which secures all traffic sent through its servers. Governments and militaries use this type of encryption worldwide to protect their private data and sensitive information.
Most typical VPNs offer the traditional OpenVPN and IKEv2 security protocols; however, TorGuard also offers WireGuard and Shadowsocks protocols.
Are you new to VPNs?
For TorGuard, use WireGuard for speed, use OpenVPN protocol for security, use Shadowsocks protocol to bypass geo-censorship (obfuscation).
Pro mode: The protocols available for TorGuard include:
| Protocols | IKEv2 | OpenVPN | WireGuard | Shadowsocks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Platform | All platforms | All platforms | All platforms | All platforms |
| Security | IPsec encryption | OpenVPN AES 256-bit encryption | ChaCha20 for symmetric encryption with poly1305 for message authentication | SOCKS5, Best for Obfuscationin high censorship countries. Relatively less secure than other protocols. |
| Firewall | UDP ports 500 and 4500, and ESP IP Protocol 50 | Uses 443 port (hard to block) | The port can be freely selected from the high ports range. If no port is specified, WireGuard uses 51820/UDP |
Uses multiple TCP ports |
| Speed | Generally fast (faster than OpenVPN) | Generally fast | Top competitor. Very fast with decent protection | Slowest in this list |
2. Logs policy
Short explanation: TorGuard claims a "zero-log" policy.
Long explanation: TorGuard claims on their website a "zero-log policy", the terms and conditions feel a bit confusing for readers as they have been updated to be more intricate, which we find a bit troubling, especially with the country being inside the 5/9/14 Eyes Alliance jurisdiction. However, it's fair to note that the presence of RAM-based servers supports their claims of privacy.
3. Kill switch
Short explanation: TorGuard has a fully functioning kill switch feature.
Long explanation: TorGuard offers a kill switch if your connection ever drops; the kill switch blocks all internet traffic until you've safely reconnected to the VPN server.
TorGuard offers two kill switch functionalities, including an app kill switch in addition to the standard one, which acts as a double layer of protection. This feature works on all major platforms such as; Android, iOS, Windows, and macOS.
4. RAM-based servers
Short explanation: TorGuard offers RAM-based servers.
Long explanation: A RAM-based server differs from the usual servers that run on SSD because they delete their content with every reboot, which adds to their security and privacy.
You'd be surprised to know that most VPNs on the market operate their servers on standard hard drives, which keep your data until it's manually erased from the drives. TorGuard is one of the very few VPN companies that offer RAM-based servers, which boosts its points when considering security.
5. Based country
Short explanation: TorGuard is based in the US.
Long explanation: The company's headquarters are located in the US, which is inside the jurisdiction of the 5/9/14 Eyes Alliance.
This is a negative point for TorGuard, as 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.
6. Warrant canary
Short explanation: TorGuard lacks 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.
In the event the warrant canary is removed from the company’s page, it means they were asked to provide info.
7. Ad-Blocking
Short explanation: TorGuard provides an ad-blocking feature.
Long explanation: In the application panel, you can access the ad-blocking feature through the settings. However, the process might feel a bit confusing for some users, as the interface is a bit confusing for new users.
To activate this feature go to the advanced options menu, select the Networks section, open the menu stating "Use these nameservers", and from the scroll down list, pick "Ad blocking DNS".
Using the adblocker can save you from all the pesky ads while at the same time, has the potential to increase your surfing speed online, as the ads that would usually load and take a part of your bandwidth won't load; therefore, pages will load faster.
TorGuard in Practice
In terms of the applications of VPN in the real world, we dive further into how TorGuard fares against the rest in the following categories:
1. Streaming
TorGuard has a special case when it comes to streaming. If you try to access the most popular streaming sites using TorGuard in a conventional way, you'll probably not get access. However, if you try to access them using a dedicated streaming IP server, you'll have a much better chance.
It is important to note that a dedicated streaming IP is an extra add-on service, meaning you'll either have to pay extra or you'll have to purchase a subscription that provides it. TorGuard claims that if they can't grant you access to popular streaming sites using dedicated streaming IP, you'd be entitled to claim a different dedicated streaming IP.
TorGuard showed it could unblock some popular streaming platforms such as Netflix, Hulu, BBC iPlayer, and Disney+ using the dedicated streaming IP.
Dedicated streaming IPs are country-specific, which means you'll have access to streaming libraries of the country you purchased a streaming IP in, but not other countries (e.g., Netflix US but not Netflix UK).
2. Torrent
Short explanation: TorGuard allows torrenting and has torrent support on all of its optimized servers.
Long explanation: TorGuard has excellent server speeds and robust security measures for torrenting but compared to other VPN providers such as NordVPN, your torrenting experience won't be as smooth and easy.
Torrenting is something TorGuard is good at; after all, it's part of its name (Tor refers to torrent). It is compatible with the mainstream P2P service providers such as; BitTorrent, qBittorrent, and uTorrent, and can protect you very well while you torrent.
It is noteworthy to mention that although TorGuard offers torrent support on all of its servers, you shouldn't use dedicated IP servers when you torrent, as you wouldn't want an IP dedicated to your device/subscription to be associated with torrenting.
3. Gaming
Short explanation: TorGuard doesn't have gaming-specific servers.
Long explanation: When it comes to gaming, the reason why you would want to use a VPN for games is variable, but one thing is clear, which is that no one wants to lag at all. Companies with specialized gaming servers make sure your gaming experience will be smoother than with companies that don’t have specialized gaming servers. (Read more on VPN and Gaming).
4. Dedicated IP servers
Short explanation: TorGuard has dedicated IP servers.
Long explanation: While using a VPN, you would want a dynamic IP (an IP that changes whenever you reconnect to a server). In certain situations, this is not the case.
TorGuard offers users dedicated streaming IPs. As previously mentioned, these servers have a much better chance of getting access to a streaming service, so if your goal is to access a service such as Netflix US, you might want to consider a US dedicated IP.
A dedicated server is recommended in the following situations as well:
- Business security and privacy
- Frequent online payment
- Avoid getting blacklisted
- Avoid CAPTCHAs
5. Geo-censorship bypass (obfuscation)
TorGuard offers the ability to access high geo-censorship countries such as China, Turkey, UAE, and others. It is recommended to use the Shadowsocks protocol for obfuscation as it is the best at bypassing geo-censorship, including the Great Firewall of China.
6. Split tunneling
Short explanation: TorGuard lacks the split tunneling feature.
Long explanation: The split tunneling feature allows you to choose specific websites and apps to connect using the VPN connection, which means that in the same session, you can choose which apps go through the VPNs and which would go without.
This is super helpful if you want to use the VPN to hide your online banking information. At the same time, you don't want the VPN to change your location and change your Netflix content by moving you to a different geographical location. Unfortunately, TorGuard lacks split tunneling.
If you want to enjoy the split tunneling feature, then ExpressVPN is your ideal choice.
7. Tor over VPN
Short explanation: TorGuard provides Tor over VPN support.
Long explanation: Torrent onion router (Tor) is a P2P program that reroutes your IP through peers and unlocks the .onion domain (dark web). Using a VPN adds an extra layer of anonymity, especially at the entry node, with the addition of data encryption.
Compatibility Support
TorGuard works on all major operating systems such as; Android, iOS, Windows, macOS, and Linux. In addition, TorGuard offers browser extensions for Chrome, Firefox, and Microsoft Edge.
TorGuard is compatible with:
- Windows
- macOS
- Linux
- Android
- iOS
TorGuard is available as an extension on:
- chttps://several.com/vpn/operating-systems/best-vpn-extension-for-chrome
- Firefox
- Microsoft Edge
User Experience
TorGuard's app is relatively hard to use for new users; it takes some time to get used to. Not only did we find it hard, but also, by analyzing many customer reviews all over the web, we found many users were complaining about how difficult it is to use the interface.
1. Supported languages
TorGuard supports the English language only.
2. Customer support
TorGuard's customer service is pretty impressive as they have a live chat support team which are responsive, friendly, and very professional. Furthermore, you can also contact TorGuard on their ticket request system, which is very fast and informative.
TorGuard provides customer support in the following forms:
- Live chat
- Knowledge base
- Email and tickets
Pricing and Payment
TorGuard has several subscription plans which differ in length, the number of devices, features, and price.
For day-to-day internet users, the intended target plan is the Anonymous VPN plans, which have 3 variations, including the Anonymous VPN, Anonymous VPN Pro, Anonymous VPN Pro 3 Years. All of the Anonymous VPN plans function as a typical VPN with no extras.
The difference between the Anonymous plans includes the number of devices covered with 8 devices covered on the Anonymous plan and 12 devices on the Anonymous Pro, Anonymous Pro 3 Year plans. In addition, a free dedicated IP (not including streaming nor residential) is included, as well as a free 10G add-on with the Anonymous Pro and Anonymous Pro 3 Years plans.
With the Anonymous Pro 3 Year plan, a free mini router is shipped and provided for users internationally.
The price for Anonymous VPN plans is :
| Subscription billing type | Monthly | Quarterly | Semi-Annually | Annually | Biennially | Triennially |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anonymous VPN | $9.99 | $19.99 (~$6.67/month) | $29.99 (~$5.00/month) | $59.99 (~$5.00/month) | $99.99 (~4.16/month) | $139.99 (~$3.89/month) |
| Anonymous Pro | $12.99 | $34.99 (~$11.67/month) | $69.99 (~11.67/month) | $119.00 (~$9.91/month) | $185.00 (~7.71/month) | $249.99 (~$6.94/month) |
| Anonymous Pro 3 Years | - | - | - | - | - | $89.99 (~$2.5/month) |
With all Anonymous plans, users have access to buying additional add-ons, including a dedicated streaming IP that costs an extra $7.99/month. Dedicated Residential IPs are a bit more expensive but have a better chance at bypassing geo-restrictions and cost a bit more at $13.99/month.
The additional add-ons include a 10G Premium Network that offers higher speed than the normal servers and costs an extra $7.99/month. And DDOS-protected IPs that cost $7.99/month. The dedicated IP instance, which provides your own dedicated line, firewall, and instance, costs $14.00/month and is only available in the UK, US, NL, and Canada.
Dedicated IPs are non-refundable and don't allow for torrent use.
2. Streaming Bundle
The second plan type for day-to-day internet users includes the Streaming Bundle, which is relatively more straight to the point.
With only 1 major motion that provides users with VPN, unlimited streaming, 2 Streaming IPs, and most importantly, access to multiple regions, including the US, UK, France, Germany, Spain, and Japan.
The price for the Streaming Bundle is:
| Subscription billing type | Monthly | Quarterly | Semi-Annually | Annually | Biennially | Triennially |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Business VPN 5 | $21.98 | $41.98 (~$14/month) | $61.98 (~$10.33/month) | $121.98 (~$10.16/month) | $201.98 (~$8.40/month) | - |
You could get the $4.99 for two years' commitment covering three devices (which is rather on the low side). Alternatively, the Family plan is much better, especially when shared with family or friends, including with the pricing with 15 devices costing $15.99 for a two-year commitment.
No matter which plans you choose, you'll have access to the same premium features.
When it comes to payment methods, TorGuard offers the following payment options, including; credit cards, PayPal, and ApplePay.
Available payment methods summary:
- Major credit cards (Visa, Mastercard, etc.)
- Paypal
- ApplePay
- Cryptocurrency
- Paymentwall
- AmazonPay
- Gift card
TorGuard provides a 7-day money-back guarantee on its products, so users can try them out before making a final decision.
Final Words
TorGuard has some impressive features including, a large number of servers that are spread in many locations. It provides some good privacy and protection features, including top-notch 256-bit encryption, WireGuard protocol to combine speed and protection, and RAM-based servers.
However, the fact that they are inside the 5/9/14 Eyes Alliance is still an issue to consider and watch out for, especially with the vague and long no-log policy. In terms of speed, TorGuard can definitely do better, and when it comes to streaming, the need for a dedicated IP service with extra fees counts as another negative point.
All in all, TorGuard can provide you some nice features to enjoy. However, we find that some of the other competitors can provide you with better coverage, better speed, and better protection, all for a lower price. (Check out NordVPN and CyberGhost)