VPN users mostly look for speed, privacy, security, and the ability to unblock restricted content from anywhere in the world. Those are the basics. A brand that can efficiently check all those boxes will surely have a sizable portion of the market share.
TorGuard Review
TorGuard is, by all means, a speedy VPN service with lots of servers and countries available for connection. Also, it has some exciting security features and is known around the industry for its focus on privacy and anonymity, also offering anonymous email and proxy.
While it has US jurisdiction by being located in the state of Florida, the brand hasn’t had any notable cases of DNS, IPv4, IPv6, or WebRTC leaks, nor has it sold any logs of user activity. For $9.99 per month (the industry average, maybe a tad high,) users can enjoy DNS leak protection, a kill switch, AES 256-bit encryption, several protocols, and compatibility with multiple devices and operating systems.
Features
- Stealth VPN: The feature efficiently enhances the security of your VPN connection, making it almost impossible to detect. Therefore, Stealth VPN helps users bypass deep packet inspections (DPIs.)
- AES 256-bit encryption: TorGuard uses military-grade AES-256 encryption with SHA-512–alongside protocols such as Stunnel, OpenVPN, SSTP and SSH tunnels.
- Unlimited Speeds and Bandwidth: People have no limitations when it comes to TorGuard usage: there are no annoying monthly caps, and no speed throttling either.
- 3000+ Servers in 55 Countries: TorGuard has an extensive network that includes more than 3,000 servers worldwide, spread around 55 countries that cover the majority of continents.
- Five simultaneous connections: Whereas other VPN brands offer no simultaneous connections, or just two or three, TorGuard provides users the opportunity to set up five different devices at the same time.
- Kill switch: In the event of a VPN connection loss, you can be sure that your traffic and identity will remain protected because TorGuard will automatically “kill” your Internet connection.
- DNS and IP leak protection: TorGuard has DNS servers and built-in DNS and IPv6 leak protection to provide another level of security.
Other features include:
- Multiple GCM and CBC ciphers
- Perfect forward secrecy (TLS)
- Advertisement and malware blocking
Interface
When reviewing VPN apps, subjectivity inevitably enters the equation. A service that may seem easy-to-use by some can be considered clunky, or unintuitive by others. In our experience, the design of TorGuard’s app isn’t ideal.
The interface doesn’t promote navigability, and the brand highlights numerous options that most users don’t implement. That said, the fact that it has so many configuration options speaks well about the quality of the service, and while it isn’t the most easy-to-use service, it shouldn’t be considered a nightmare either.
The fact remains that TorGuard, much like IPVanish and unlike TunnelBear, for instance, is a VPN brand that targets a more experienced share of the market, rather than beginners.
TorGuard Apps
TorGuard has apps for Windows, iOS, Android, Linux, and MacOS. However, mobile devices (iOS and Android) require the installation of third-party software like the OpenVPN Connect app.
The Android app offers lots of configuration options. After logging in, the page shows connection status and location, and you can choose protocol, port, and Cipher. After configuring them (you can leave them as “default,”) hit the Connect button. More advanced settings are available at the top right.
After connecting, the screen will show server information and technical details (protocol, encryption, and IP address.) You will also see the shared data.
TorGuard App for Android
The iOS app is somewhat confusing. It is simple, yet it doesn’t automatically pick the fastest or closest server. It isn’t bad by any means, though, but it can be improved. For example, the brand doesn’t clarify how crowded a specific server is. To use the ad blocker, you need to configure your iPhone to use the brand’s DNS servers: the process isn’t as straightforward as toggling a switch ON or OFF.
TorGuard App for iOS
Privacy and security
TorGuard excels at protecting people’s content. The privacy policy is clear and concise: The company has a strict no logging policy and it does not store any logs of customer usage or activity on the VPN or proxy network.
It does collect some things, but they are harmless and clearly expressed in the policy (payment info, anonymized Google analytics data, contact data, and emails sent). Nothing new.
The company operates under US jurisdiction, though, and while that may scare some users, here is what TorGuard has to say when receiving a legal request to hand over users’ data:
“Legal representation would be forced to explain further the nature of our shared IP network configuration and the fact that we do not hold any identifying logs or time stamps.”
As far as content protection tools, TorGuard covers a lot of ground with a kill switch, DNS leak protection, stealth VPN, a no-logging policy, multiple GCM and CBC ciphers, perfect forward secrecy (TLS), and advertisement and malware blocking.
Server Locations
TorGuard has more than 3,000 servers in 55 countries worldwide. They are all anonymous VPN servers, and they are in the majority of continents.
The locations are as follows:
- Americas: Brazil, Chile, Canada, Costa Rica, Mexico, and USA.
- Europe: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Luxembourg, Moldova, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, UK.
- Asia Pacific: Australia, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam.
- Africa, Middle East & India: Egypt, India, Israel, South Arica, Tunisia, UAE – Dubai.
Compatible Devices
TorGuard has multi-platform compatibility. It has native apps for Windows, Android, macOS, iOS, and Linux, and also runs on several other platforms and devices developed by the industry.
The brand is also compatible with browser extensions Safari, Chrome, and Firefox, in addition to some routers such as DD-WRT, Tomato and Pfsense firewalls.
Installation and Setup
Windows, Mac, Android, Linux, and iOS all have native apps with proper instructions on the page and in their respective clients. There are also setup manuals for routers and other devices.
The software is straightforward to install and set up, no matter which platform or device you’re using. It is available on the App Store (for iOS) and the Google Play Store (for Android) for free.
If you are going to install the software via the website (www.torguard.net,) you need to navigate to the lower part where it says “TorGuard. Privacy When You Need it Most.” There, you will see a message that states “Cross-Platform Compatible“. Click “See All” to see the download links for every operating system.
Protocols
TorGuard offers all the necessary protocols: OpenVPN (in both versions, TCP and UDP,) PPTP, L2TP/IPSec, and SSTP.
The brand also offers Stealth VPN protocols that implement SSL VPN to prevent entities from blocking VPN traffic. Among them are OpenVPN Stealth, ShadowSocks, Stunnel, and AnyConnect (also known as OpenConnect).
Pricing and Payment Options
TorGuard’s pricing grid is standard: not overly expensive, but also not cheap. The monthly price is $9.99, but other packages are available:
- Monthly VPN plan: $9.99
- Quarterly VPN plan: $19.99
- Semi-annual VPN plan: $29.99
- Annual VPN plan: $59.99
- Biennial VPN plan: $99.99
The latter is the cheapest of the bunch, coming in at the equivalent of $4 per month. Payment methods include all the major credit cards (Visa, Master Card, American Express,) PayPal, PaymentWall, Paygarden, and even cryptocurrencies.
Help and Support
Phone: TorGuard is one of the few brands that offer customer support through a call center, which is excellent for old-fashioned users.
Live chat: It is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. You may wait between two to five minutes, but it will be worth it.
Ticket: Response time isn’t as fast as in the live chat or phone support features, but you’ll certainly receive a thorough answer.
Knowledge Base: There are lots of articles available in TorGuard’s Knowledge Base. Check this section before using the live chat feature: your answer may be there.
Setup articles: Guides and manuals on how to configure TorGuard’s service.
FAQ section: The Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) section can have an answer to your problem. It is full of useful information.
Pros in a nutshell:
- AES 256-bit encryption
- A No-logging policy
- Anonymous payment methods
- A kill switch is available
- Multiple GCM and CBC ciphers
- Perfect forward secrecy (TLS)
- Advertisement and malware blocking
- Excellent customer service
- Compatible with routers
- Stealth VPN
- A broad network of 3,000 servers present in 55 nations
- Very speedy servers
- Torrenting allowance
- Compatible with Netflix (including the American region)
- Several protocols available
- Highly compatible
- Torrenting allowed
Cons in a nutshell:
- US jurisdiction
- The apps can be hard to understand for beginners
- The refund policy is only a seven-day money-back guarantee
Other VPN Providers
TorGuard is one of the best VPN providers in the industry. However, there are several other alternatives for you to consider in the table below.
Visit ExpressVPN
Conclusion
In conclusion, TorGuard is fiercely competing for the right to be crowned as the top VPN in the market. It is armed with a strict no-logging policy, AES 256-bit encryption, DNS and IP leak protection, a kill switch, a fantastic customer service, high speeds, and apps for several operating systems. It doesn’t have the most user-friendly interface, but the service is comfortably above average.
REVIEW SUMMARY
TorGuard is an American VPN brand with secure encryption and reliable content protection practices and techniques. It is speedy, trustworthy, and despite a couple of weaknesses, easily makes the list of top 10 companies in the online security and anonymity industry.
