The Good, The Dangerous, The Ugly

TorGuard, as its title implies, is a strong alternative VPN, particularly for these searching for a quick torrenting VPN velocity. The VPN has sturdy security measures and an intensive server suite in 50+ nations. Nevertheless, accessing the free trial entails leaping by way of many hoops, and the refund course of is equally sophisticated. It made me query whether or not this quick VPN is well worth the funding.

Here’s a TorGuard assessment protecting every thing you’ll want to know in regards to the VPN, together with the great, the dangerous, and the ugly facet, so you may resolve if it’s the very best VPN for your small business or private use.

Is TorGuard a superb VPN for streaming?

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

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

However, if you would like a VPN that works out-of-the-box for streaming providers, different choices like ExpressVPN, NordVPN, or Surfshark VPN would possibly supply a extra seamless expertise.

TorGuard VPN’s pricing

TorGuard VPN pricing is split into two plans, Normal and Professional. Every has month-to-month and annual billing choices. Beneath is a desk summarizing how the pricing plans evaluate 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 nations, 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 may concurrently connect with as much as 12 units, whereas the Normal plan falls brief in these choices and solely permits eight simultaneous machine connections.

SEE: How one can 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 Normal plan, you’ll save as much as 50% of the fee. That may quantity to you paying $60 as an alternative of $120 when calculated on a $10 month-to-month billing foundation. The Professional plan, however, saves you about 42% of the subscription price if you select the annual billing possibility.

I like to recommend the annual billing possibility if TorGuard is the correct VPN service on your wants. That means, it can save you substantial billing prices. In any other case, go for the month-to-month cost possibility for those who’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 accessible 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 velocity. It additionally provides different helpful VPN options like Stealth Protocol and Port Forwarding.

TorGuard Stealth protocol

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

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

Throughout testing, TorGuard’s Stealth protocol allowed me to bypass firewalls in China, Russia, and Turkey after 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 shortly 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)

Nevertheless, it is very important word that when exposing a port to the web, ensure you 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 function 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 consumer settings for added safety. TorGuard claims that this characteristic is often 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 device, 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 characteristic, since it might probably actively work to dam fingerprinting and different types of monitoring that may bypass DNS-based advert blocking.

Hundreds of VPN servers and areas

TorGuard boasts over 3,000 VPN server networks spanning quite a few areas and nations. This consists of key areas like the USA, 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 areas for safe shopping and geo-spoofing. Nevertheless, different VPN suppliers like ExpressVPN and NordVPN even have massive server networks, so this benefit might not be vital in all circumstances.

SEE: Does a VPN Gradual Down Your Web Velocity? (TechRepublic)

Whereas TorGuard is well-established in most areas, further server areas 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

The vast majority of VPN providers right this 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 gives a number of obfuscation choices by way of Stunnel. So you may simply change to a distinct technique if one isn’t working.

TorGuard execs

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

TorGuard cons

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

Options to TorGuard VPN

Whereas TorGuard provides glorious velocity, there are different various VPNs it’s possible you’ll need to think about. Listed here are the highest three I in contrast.

Surfshark VPN

I like to recommend Surfshark for those who’re searching for a VPN that’s inexpensive and comes with an all-inclusive package deal. Surfshark premium plans — Surfshark One and One+ — supply sturdy 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 velocity and efficiency, it falls brief in wider protections just like the antivirus. Surfshark additionally provides limitless machine connections, in comparison with TorGuard’s 12 units at a time. So, choose Surfshark if in case you have a bigger group with a number of units to guard.

To study extra, learn our full Surfshark VPN assessment.

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 would like a enterprise VPN that gives sturdy cybersecurity instruments. NordLayer’s 30+ international server areas won’t be as spectacular as TorGuard’s 50+ areas, however its providing, together with cloud firewall, machine posture safety, digital personal gateways, and devoted servers with mounted ID, makes it a greater various.

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 various to TorGuard in case your major 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 greatest 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’ve gotten extra time to resolve on the package deal earlier than cancellation.

To study extra, learn our full CyberGhost VPN assessment.

Methodology

I evaluated the TorGuard VPN based mostly 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, despite the fact that the method isn’t as easy 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 might 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 purposes are as intuitive as they could possibly be. Tech-savvy people will fancy it greater than the typical person. General, I discovered TorGuard VPN to be a good VPN, particularly for torrenting.