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TorGuard VPN Review 2023: Summary
A virtual private network’s primary use is to encrypt all of a user’s network traffic before sending it to a remote server.
However, TorGuard VPN has always tried to be more than simply a standard VPN.
However, it doesn’t offer a wide range of customizable account features, a powerful network of servers, and many cutting-edge network customization possibilities are not present.
TorGuard falls short in terms of features compared to other privacy tools, and its adaptability occasionally comes at the expense of precision and openness.
Our in-depth TorGuard VPN review compared the free and paid versions regarding performance, privacy, streaming, and other factors.
TorGuard VPN Review 2023: In-depth
Server Network And Speeds
The company claims that TorGuard’s vast server network spans over 50 countries and 68 different physical locations.
The website boasts that TorGuard has the “fastest VPN and Proxy Network powered by 3K+ Gigabit Sites with unlimited internet capacity,” which is generally a positive sign for connection speeds.
When we first connected to TorGuard’s network, our baseline speed was 50 Mbps.
We can tell if TorGuard decreased our connection speed by comparing it to our initial speed and the speeds we saw when connected to the VPN.
Despite TorGuard’s extensive server infrastructure, we were disappointed by the results.
All five US-based servers we tested delivered download rates of less than 10 Mbps compared to our baseline speed.
TorGuard’s massive server network led us to anticipate fast speeds, yet we were consistently dissatisfied by the service’s low throughput.
Safety
The supplier claims that TorGuard is widely regarded as offering one of the safest VPN services for various reasons.
But this is not the case in reality, as it lacks several security protocols. The VPN service is accessible from any location, including China.
Although the service does not offer sites in Mainland China any longer, it does offer them in Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Thailand, and Taiwan, giving Chinese customers who also utilize the StealthVPN protocol more options.
TorGuard’s security and confidentiality options aren’t limited to the BitTorrent community.
Encryption Protocols
The company claims TorGuard VPN, like many other top VPNs, utilizes AES-256 security by default.
AES-256 is relied on by huge companies, states, and the military because brute-forcing it with today’s technology would take a lot (or possibly billions) of years.
But if you’re using OpenVPN as your tunneling protocol, you can switch to AES-128.
It’s a superb sort of encryption that hasn’t been cracked, despite looking like a far worse option at first.
Due to the high computational requirements of AES-256 (up to 40% higher than AES-128), the 128-bit version may be preferable on less powerful machines.
You can opt for Blowfish encryption (which may be slightly faster than AES) or turn off encryption completely.
Unfortunately, you can no longer access these settings within the TorGuard app and must do so through manual configuration.
TorGuard VPN doesn’t employ the highly reliable SHA-512 algorithm in its verification process.
Privacy And Logging
Although TorGuard claims to have a no-logs policy, this cannot be confirmed.
It is because there have been cases in the past where a “no-log” VPN has handed over user data to law police.
That’s why we hope TorGuard will eventually agree to an external audit; doing so will put our minds at ease.
TorGuard does a great job protecting your privacy in other ways, though.
In addition to automatically blocking IPv6 and WebRTC leaks, the platform allows users to take control of their own authentication system, port, and encryption strategy.
In addition, if the VPN connection suddenly drops, a kill switch will automatically cut off your Internet access.
However, consumers unfamiliar with the technical aspects of a VPN may find this level of detail to be overkill.
A simpler VPN may be preferable if you don’t anticipate modifying the settings. The default settings won’t bring many benefits on their own.
For this, you can consider NordVPN, the number one VPN available in the market with clear privacy and logging terms.
Streaming And Torrenting
Sadly, our testing of unblocking abilities for this TorGuard VPN review found that the service fell short of its “access content without any limitations” claim.
There was no experience getting into any main streaming services like Netflix, BBC iPlayer, Amazon Prime Video, or Disney+.
A proper virtual private network (VPN) like NordVPN enables users to access all four of the streaming mentioned earlier services, so if unblocking geo-restricted content is a top priority, you may want to explore it elsewhere.
For $7.99 per month, you may get a dedicated home IP that is less prone to be flagged, but you could be better suited to choosing the best streaming VPN.
Potentially Stolen Code
In 2015, VPN.ac published a blog post that went into extensive detail about the parallels between their desktop application and the extension TorGuard offered.
This strongly suggests that TorGuard may have stolen this code.
Users’ information might have been exposed due to these flaws. Lucky for us, nothing like that occurred.
TorGuard swiftly updated their add-on, but they never offered a satisfactory explanation or apology to the public.
There’s no reason to believe that this error in judgment will compromise your anonymity or privacy while using TorGuard, but it’s nonetheless concerning.
Even if they erroneously used the stolen code from another organization, they might do it again.
The odds of making the same error twice are low, but it wouldn’t be unprecedented. You’ll have to judge for yourself how serious this matter is.
Third-Party Apps Required On iOS And Android.
Using their respective mobile apps, you can utilize TorGuard’s Vpn connections on your iOS or Android device. Of course, the OpenVPN Connect app is also required.
Should we be concerned about that?
It’s quite unlikely; therefore, no.
The use of separate software to activate the VPN is frustrating, as it complicates what should be a straightforward procedure.
Most other VPNs that provide mobile apps can do it without the help of a separate app.
Unclear VPN Data Collection Policies
The information TorGuard gathers, and its use is detailed in its privacy policy.
According to the policy, they will treat your information in compliance with Europe’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
But it looks like they’re using Google Analytics to capture aggregated, non-personal data, which we’re not fond of.
As an added feature, they “purging routinely” acquire Apache Webserver logs. Lastly, they boast that they keep zero records or statistics from their VPN and proxy users.
The Terms of Service, as is customary for most American-based services, is dense with legalese meant to shield the corporation from lawsuits and bind the customer to the DMCA’s regulations.
The corporation may favor its customers by being more forthcoming about the data collected and stored and the length of time it keeps this information.
Considering where the organization is headquartered, this is of critical importance.
Bad Jurisdiction
No matter how you feel about America as a country, running a virtual private network (VPN) or any other kind of privacy-focused business in the United States is a bad idea.
The United States is responsible for establishing several of the most prominent worldwide surveillance groups.
Companies operating in the country are subject to extensive legal and maybe extra-legal government transparency.
One is the capacity to coerce a business to conduct surveillance on its consumers in violation of the business’s terms of usage and privacy rules.
They can coerce businesses into secretly collecting data for the NSA or other governmental organizations while appearing to comply with the company’s regulations.
Not Independently Audited
This lack of an independent examination of TorGuard concerns us.
In addition to proving the service doesn’t keep logs, this would give the provider valuable feedback on fortifying their systems and delivering a better user experience.
Further, TorGuard’s website lacks a warrant canary.
A warrant canary is a notice posted on a website to inform visitors that the business receives a demand and may be required to turn over user information to the government.
A VPN service doesn’t need these capabilities to be helpful and secure, but having them shows that the company cares about your privacy and is open about accessing your browser history.
Require Some Technical Knowledge
Because TorGuard provides extra alternatives to those capable of making use of them, we were a little hesitant to include this as a “Con” on the list.
However, since the vast majority of people presumably won’t, it stands.
TorGuard may initially appear to be a challenging service if you are unfamiliar with virtual private networks (VPNs), fundamental networking, and security practices.
The Windows program has a lot of settings that can be very complicated for some users to grasp.
If you can put them out of your mind and focus on choosing your server and clicking “connect,” you should be alright.
Kill Switch
If your VPN connection drops, a kill switch can immediately cut off your connection.
That is to say, it prohibits you from connecting to the internet freely (without the security of a VPN) and thereby disclosing any sensitive information you may have.
If your TorGuard VPN connection gets exploited, a kill switch will immediately cut it off.
The company claims that one unique feature of TorGuard VPN is called “App Kill,” which functions as a kill switch that can be used for certain applications.
Using App Kill, you can specify which programs should only be allowed online when using a VPN.
This is helpful for apps that would be a security risk if given direct internet access.
Pricing
The simple plan of TorGuard is offered at a price that is not prohibitively expensive:
- $9.99 per month,
- $6.66 for the quarterly package,
- $5 per month for the yearly membership,
- $4.17 for two years, and
- $3.89 for three years.
Private Internet Access’ annual subscription to TorGuard is just $3.33 per month, and the three-year plan costs just $2.03 per month (with three months free).
For an additional $7.99 per month, TorGuard offers comprehensive streaming and personal IPs for numerous countries and US states, enabling you to unblock anything in your target country possibly.
There is a wider range of choices than with most providers, and the domestic IPs are significantly more likely to unlock your preferred websites, but you can find cheaper alternatives.
NordVPN’s for a static IP is $70 per year ($5.83 per month).
Customer Service
While reviewing TorGuard VPN’s customer service and support, we found that the customer service solutions were quite easy to obtain, and we were satisfied with this.
A chat bubble button was conveniently placed in the site’s footer, making live help available at all hours.
Even though the website’s live chat feature has been removed, you may still reach a representative by ticket submission, and they respond quickly.
In addition to a FAQ and a support forum, customers may also send emails and receive responses.
Most questions and concerns about using the VPN service should be answered by perusing the knowledgebase or frequently asked questions sections.
As a bonus, TorGuard provides several video tutorials that will guide you through fixing most issues.
In Summary, the best VPNs in 2023 are;
| Rating | VPN Service | Get Offer |
|---|---|---|
| #1 Top Rated#1 | NordVPN - #1 VPN in the industry | FREE Trial |
| #2 Top Rated#2 | Surfshark - top budget VPN | Start Now |
| #3 Top Rated#3 | Atlas VPN - best free VPN | Start Now |
Review Verdict
This TorGuard VPN review is comprehensive, covering everything from the service’s key features to how to set it up. It has slow speeds and is difficult to navigate.
The VPN’s sluggish connection speeds and unfriendly interface are major turnoffs for us.
Though it has several latest protocols to offer, they fail after working for some time.
Somewhere to consistently find what you need, it’s safe to say that NordVPN is the best VPN service currently available.
Unlimited data transfer, full privacy, and a no-logs policy that a third party has verified are just a few advantages of this VPN.
While NordVPN’s apps are packed with advanced functionality, the complexity of the apps’ design doesn’t get in the way of a simple customer experience.
TorGuard VPN Review 2023: Is It Legit? Is It a Scam? - EarthWeb
However, TorGuard VPN has always tried to be more than simply a standard VPN.
Price: $9.99
Price Currency: USD
Operating System: Windows, Mac, Android & iOS
Application Category: VPN
3.5
Pros
- Protective Mechanisms That Are Top-Notch
- No IPv6 leaks
- WireGuard is a tunneling protocol.
- Options for domain name servers are plentiful.
- Script execution is possible.
Cons
- Lacks features for iOs
- The website is not accessible in several countries
- The user interface is difficult to navigate
- Doesn’t get around Netflix blocks
- Apps are confusing to operate
- No Split Tunneling
- Lacking a free trial and offering a narrow refund policy
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Written by Trevor Cooke
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