TorGuard VPN’s quick detailsBeginning worth: $9.99 per consumer monthly
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TorGuard, as its title implies, is a strong selection VPN, particularly for these on the lookout for a quick torrenting VPN velocity. The VPN has sturdy security measures and an in depth server suite in 50+ international locations. Nonetheless, 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 overview masking all the pieces it’s essential to know in regards to the VPN, together with the nice, the dangerous, and the ugly aspect, so you’ll be able to determine if it’s the perfect VPN for your small business or private use.
Is TorGuard an excellent VPN for streaming?
Whereas TorGuard affords most VPN safety and velocity in all its plans, the flexibility to stream geo-restricted content material with the VPN depends 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. Happily, the VPN’s Professional plan affords a free devoted IP tackle as an add-on, which you need to use to acquire a streaming IP tackle to unblock streaming content material in any particular area.
SEE: 5 Greatest VPNs for Streaming in 2024 (TechRepublic)
However, in order for you 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, Customary and Professional. Every has month-to-month and annual billing choices. Beneath is a desk summarizing how the pricing plans evaluate to one another.
| TorGuard VPN plans | Nameless VPN (Customary) | Nameless VPN (Professional) |
|---|---|---|
| Month-to-month | $9.99 monthly | $12.99 monthly |
| Annual | $59.99 per 12 months | $69.99 per 12 months |
| Characteristic variations | x8 Units, Static IP Pool, Most Safety, Most Velocity | x12 Units, x1 Streaming IP, Most Safety, Most Velocity |
No matter which TorGuard VPN plan you select, you’ll obtain nearly 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 affords a free devoted IP and streaming possibility and might concurrently connect with as much as 12 gadgets, whereas the Customary plan falls quick in these choices and solely permits eight simultaneous system connections.
SEE: Methods to Create an Efficient Cybersecurity Consciousness Program (TechRepublic Premium)
Additionally, as with most VPNs, the longer the billing plan you choose, the more cash you’ll save on subscriptions. If you choose the annual billing possibility within the TorGuard Customary plan, you’ll save as much as 50% of the price. That can quantity to you paying $60 as an alternative of $120 when calculated on a $10 month-to-month billing foundation. The Professional plan, then again, saves you about 42% of the subscription price whenever you select the annual billing possibility.
I like to recommend the annual billing possibility if TorGuard is the fitting VPN service on your wants. That manner, 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 thought to have one of many quickest torrenting capabilities with no capped obtain velocity. It additionally affords different helpful VPN options like Stealth Protocol and Port Forwarding.
TorGuard Stealth protocol
Stealth VPN protocol makes it practically unimaginable to dam VPN utilization, and this allows you to bypass deep packet inspection and overcome the hardest firewalls, even in international locations that prohibit VPN ports. TorGuard affords a number of Stealth VPN protocols for censored and strict international locations or firewalls which embrace — SSTP protocols, OpenVPN obfuscation, and OpenConnect/AnyConnect.
SEE: How A lot Does a VPN Price? + Financial savings Ideas (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 lets you open a port to the web whereas related to a VPN, so you’ll be able to 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)
Nonetheless, you will need to be aware 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’ll be able to select the “Ad Blocking DNS” possibility within the VPN shopper settings for added safety. TorGuard claims that this function is recurrently 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 instrument, 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 could 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 international locations. This contains key areas like the US, 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 affords quite a few digital areas for safe searching and geo-spoofing. Nonetheless, 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 Sluggish Down Your Web Velocity? (TechRepublic)
Whereas TorGuard is well-established in most areas, extra server areas in areas like North America and Africa, the place Africa at present solely has one server in South Africa, would additional enhance entry and efficiency.
OpenVPN obfuscation
The vast majority of VPN companies immediately 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’ll be able to simply change to a unique methodology if one isn’t working.
TorGuard execs
- Limitless speeds.
- Limitless bandwidth.
- Presents 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 affords glorious velocity, there are different various VPNs chances are you’ll wish to think about. Listed below are the highest three I in contrast.
| TorGuard VPN | Surfshark | NordLayer | CyberGhost | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beginning worth (month-to-month plan) | $9.99 monthly | $15.45 monthly | $10 per consumer monthly | $12.99 monthly |
| Variety of servers and areas | 3,000+ servers in 50+ location | 3,200+ servers in 100 international locations | 30+ world server areas | Hundreds of servers in 124 world areas |
| Free trial | 7-day money-back assure | 7 days free trial | 14-day money-back assure | 24 hours free trial or 45-day money-back assure |
| Machine connections | As much as 12 simultaneous system connections | Limitless system connections | As much as 6 simultaneous system connections | As much as 7 simultaneous system connections |
| Standout options | Presents limitless bandwidth and velocity, stealth mode, and inner encrypted DNS | Surfshark antivirus, Surfshark search, alternate ID, Free GPS spoofing, camouflage mode, Dynamic MultiHop, and so on. | Digital personal gateway, sensible distant entry, customized DNS, system posture safety, and so on. | 45-day money-back assure, specialised servers for gaming, torrenting, and streaming. |
Surfshark VPN
I like to recommend Surfshark for those who’re on the lookout for a VPN that’s inexpensive and comes with an all-inclusive bundle. Surfshark premium plans — Surfshark One and One+ — provide sturdy VPN security measures alongside different premium options, together with Surfshark antivirus, Surfshark search, Surfshark alert, and alternate ID.
SEE: Is a VPN Actually Value It in 2024? (TechRepublic)
Whereas TorGuard instructions respect in velocity and efficiency, it falls quick in wider protections just like the antivirus. Surfshark additionally affords 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 overview.
NordLayer VPN
NordLayer is one other all-in-one community safety resolution that gives a robust VPN service. I like to recommend the answer in order for you a enterprise VPN that gives sturdy cybersecurity instruments. NordLayer’s 30+ world server areas may not be as spectacular as TorGuard’s 50+ areas, however its providing, together with cloud firewall, system posture safety, digital personal gateways, and devoted servers with fastened 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 efficient 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 have got extra time to determine on the bundle earlier than cancellation.
To be taught extra, learn our full CyberGhost VPN overview.
Methodology
I evaluated the TorGuard VPN based mostly on its options, safety, and pricing. Since TorGuard affords 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 simple as the corporate marketed it.
Although each TorGuard’s Android and iOS apps look the identical, I observed that the Android model affords 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 purposes are as intuitive as they might be. Tech-savvy people will fancy it greater than the common consumer. General, I discovered TorGuard VPN to be an honest VPN, particularly for torrenting.
