The Good, The Dangerous, The Ugly

TorGuard, as its title implies, is a stable alternative VPN, particularly for these searching for a quick torrenting VPN pace. The VPN has robust security measures and an in depth server suite in 50+ international locations. Nonetheless, accessing the free trial entails leaping via many hoops, and the refund course of is equally difficult. It made me query whether or not this quick VPN is definitely worth the funding.

Here’s a TorGuard evaluation protecting every part you must know in regards to the VPN, together with the great, the unhealthy, and the ugly facet, so you may determine if it’s the perfect VPN for what you are promoting or private use.

Is TorGuard a superb VPN for streaming?

Whereas TorGuard provides most VPN safety and pace in all its plans, the flexibility to stream geo-restricted content material with the VPN is dependent upon your chosen plan. After I examined the VPN, TorGuard’s common servers have been unreliable for streaming Netflix or Amazon Prime Video in sure areas. Fortuitously, the VPN’s Professional plan provides a free devoted IP deal with as an add-on, which you should use to acquire a streaming IP deal with to unblock streaming content material in any particular area.

SEE: 5 Greatest VPNs for Streaming in 2024 (TechRepublic)

However, if you need a VPN that works out-of-the-box for streaming companies, different choices like ExpressVPN, NordVPN, or Surfshark VPN may provide a extra seamless expertise.

TorGuard VPN’s pricing

TorGuard VPN pricing is split into two plans, Commonplace and Professional. Every has month-to-month and annual billing choices. Beneath is a desk summarizing how the pricing plans examine to one another.

No matter which TorGuard VPN plan you select, you’ll obtain virtually the identical most security measures. Options like entry to three,000 servers throughout 50 international locations, and limitless speeds and bandwidth can be found in all plans.

Some variations nonetheless exist between the TorGuard pricing plans. TorGuard VPN Professional plan provides a free devoted IP and streaming possibility and might concurrently connect with as much as 12 gadgets, whereas the Commonplace plan falls quick in these choices and solely permits eight simultaneous system connections.

SEE: Easy methods to Create an Efficient Cybersecurity Consciousness Program (TechRepublic Premium)

Additionally, as with most VPNs, the longer the billing plan you choose, the extra money you’ll save on subscriptions. If you choose the annual billing possibility within the TorGuard Commonplace plan, you’ll save as much as 50% of the fee. That may quantity to you paying $60 as a substitute of $120 when calculated on a $10 month-to-month billing foundation. The Professional plan, however, saves you about 42% of the subscription price once you select the annual billing possibility.

I like to recommend the annual billing possibility if TorGuard is the suitable VPN service on your wants. That method, it can save you substantial billing prices. In any other case, go for the month-to-month cost possibility should you’re solely testing the waters.

SEE: The 5 Greatest VPNs with Free Trials in 2024 (TechRepublic)

I counsel you to make use of the seven-day money-back assure obtainable in all of the plans to check the product first earlier than any long-term dedication.

TorGuard VPN’s key options

TorGuard VPN is understood to have one of many quickest torrenting capabilities with no capped obtain pace. It additionally provides different helpful VPN options like Stealth Protocol and Port Forwarding.

TorGuard Stealth protocol

Stealth VPN protocol makes it almost unimaginable to dam VPN utilization, and this allows you to bypass deep packet inspection and overcome the hardest firewalls, even in international locations that limit VPN ports. TorGuard provides a number of Stealth VPN protocols for censored and strict international locations or firewalls which embody — SSTP protocols, OpenVPN obfuscation, and OpenConnect/AnyConnect.

SEE: How A lot Does a VPN Value? + Financial savings Suggestions (TechRepublic)

Throughout testing, TorGuard’s Stealth protocol allowed me to bypass firewalls in China, Russia, and Turkey once I paired it with the Stealth proxy.

Port forwarding

Port forwarding means that you can open a port to the web whereas related to a VPN, so you may have distant entry to software program hosted in your community. This performance is present in TorGuard’s member’s space, which lets you rapidly allow numerous port ahead guidelines and apply whitelisted firewall settings to your port ahead requests.

SEE: 6 Greatest Nameless (No-Log) VPNs for 2024 (TechRepublic)

Nonetheless, it is very important be aware that when exposing a port to the web, be sure to safe the login to your software program and permit solely particular IPs to entry the port remotely over the VPN.

TorGuard VPN advert blocking

Advert blocking protects your privateness and performs a key position in strengthening your total on-line safety. By default, TorGuard VPN’s DNS depends on its inner VPN server DNS, however you may select the “Advert Blocking DNS” possibility within the VPN shopper settings for added safety. TorGuard claims that this function is repeatedly up to date to make sure ongoing effectiveness.

SEE: The 6 Greatest Small Enterprise VPNs for 2024 (TechRepublic)

Whereas TorGuard’s advert blocking is a superb privateness software, pairing it with different methods enhances your safety much more. I like to recommend utilizing privacy-focused browsers like Firefox or Courageous for optimum efficiency of this TorGuard function, since it may well actively work to dam fingerprinting and different types of monitoring which may bypass DNS-based advert blocking.

1000’s of VPN servers and places

TorGuard boasts over 3,000 VPN server networks spanning quite a few places and international locations. This contains key areas like america, United Kingdom, Switzerland, Canada, Netherlands, Turkey, Germany, Australia, Japan, and Hong Kong. With good protection throughout 4 continents, TorGuard improves the possibilities of discovering a close-by server and provides quite a few digital places for safe looking and geo-spoofing. Nonetheless, different VPN suppliers like ExpressVPN and NordVPN even have massive server networks, so this benefit will not be vital in all instances.

SEE: Does a VPN Sluggish Down Your Web Pace? (TechRepublic)

Whereas TorGuard is well-established in most areas, further server places in areas like North America and Africa, the place Africa at the moment solely has one server in South Africa, would additional enhance entry and efficiency.

OpenVPN obfuscation

Nearly all of VPN companies at the moment use the OpenVPN protocol. However whereas the protocol is great and efficient, it leaves behind a tiny mark of VPN utilization for web service suppliers to detect.

SEE: Can a VPN Be Hacked? (TechRepublic)

OpenVPN obfuscation disguises VPN site visitors to bypass DPI and firewalls, making it tougher for censors or ISPs to detect VPN use. TorGuard supplies a number of obfuscation choices via Stunnel. So you may simply swap to a special methodology if one isn’t working.

TorGuard professionals

• Limitless speeds.
• Limitless bandwidth.
• Gives 3,000+ servers in 50+ international locations.
• Overcomes VPN blockers with stealth mode.
• Good for torrenting.

TorGuard cons

• Dated-looking interface.
• The usual plan doesn’t unblock Netflix in some areas.

Alternate options to TorGuard VPN

Whereas TorGuard provides glorious pace, there are different different VPNs chances are you’ll need to contemplate. Listed below are the highest three I in contrast.

Surfshark VPN

I like to recommend Surfshark should you’re searching for a VPN that’s reasonably priced and comes with an all-inclusive package deal. Surfshark premium plans — Surfshark One and One+ — provide robust VPN security measures alongside different premium options, together with Surfshark antivirus, Surfshark search, Surfshark alert, and alternate ID.

SEE: Is a VPN Actually Price It in 2024? (TechRepublic)

Whereas TorGuard instructions respect in pace and efficiency, it falls quick in wider protections just like the antivirus. Surfshark additionally provides limitless system connections, in comparison with TorGuard’s 12 gadgets at a time. So, choose Surfshark when you’ve got a bigger group with a number of gadgets to guard.

To be taught extra, learn our full Surfshark VPN evaluation.

NordLayer VPN

NordLayer is one other all-in-one community safety answer that gives a powerful VPN service. I like to recommend the answer if you need a enterprise VPN that gives robust cybersecurity instruments. NordLayer’s 30+ world server places may not be as spectacular as TorGuard’s 50+ places, however its providing, together with cloud firewall, system posture safety, digital non-public gateways, and devoted servers with mounted ID, makes it a greater different.

NordLayer Management Panel additionally streamlines community administration duties in a single intuitive interface, in comparison with TorGuard, which has a dated-looking interface.

CyberGhost VPN

CyberGhost is an effective different to TorGuard in case your main want for a VPN is unblocking geo-restricted content material on-line. I like the extent of element CyberGhost goes into when offering what precisely every server is finest for. It categorizes servers into three teams — gaming, torrenting, and streaming.

Whereas the CyberGhost month-to-month plan is pricier than the TorGuard providing, its 14-day and 45-day money-back ensures for month-to-month and bi-annual subscriptions imply you may have extra time to determine on the package deal earlier than cancellation.

To be taught extra, learn our full CyberGhost VPN evaluation.

Methodology

I evaluated the TorGuard VPN primarily based on its options, safety, and pricing. Since TorGuard provides a seven-day money-back assure, I used the chance to enroll to get hands-on expertise with the VPN, though the method isn’t as simple as the corporate marketed it.

Although each TorGuard’s Android and iOS apps look the identical, I observed that the Android model provides OpenVPN and WireGuard, and never IKEv2/IPSec protocols as may be discovered within the iOS model. The Stealth protocol was additionally in a position to bypass geo-restrictions in China and Russia.

From my expertise, not one of the TorGuard functions are as intuitive as they could possibly be. Tech-savvy people will fancy it greater than the common person. Total, I discovered TorGuard VPN to be an honest VPN, particularly for torrenting.