TorGuard in short:
P2P allowed: Yes
Business location: Florida
Number of servers: 3,000+
Number of nation areas: 46
Cost: $60
VPN protocol: OpenVPN (default)
Data encryption: AES-128-GCM (default)
Data authentication: SHA-256
Handshake: TLSv1.3
TorGuard is a no-nonsense VPN service. You received’t discover a ton of additional options. There are not any double VPN connections, specialised TOR over VPN connections, or something like that. It’s a straight-up VPN connection over OpenVPN, WireGuard, or OpenConnect, with 46 nation choices on OpenVPN to select from.
TorGuard (that’s “Tor” as in “torrents”) makes the precise privateness guarantees, doesn’t value an excessive amount of, and is fairly easy to make use of. You may even neglect you’re utilizing it, which is maybe the most effective benefit of all.
Note: This assessment is a part of our best VPNs roundup. Go there for particulars about competing merchandise and the way we examined them.
Features and companies
TorGuard makes use of a single-panel app with all of the pertinent settings proper up entrance, together with server location, VPN protocol (dubbed Tunnel Type), a number of port choices together with the model of SHA you’d like to make use of for authentication, and the encryption cipher for the precise knowledge.
TorGuard’s default view.
If you don’t contact something, TorGuard will choose all of those settings for you. In some instances throughout our testing it chosen a port with SHA1, however you may change that when you’d reasonably use SHA-256 or SHA-512. AES-128-GCM is the default encryption cipher, however you may bump that as much as AES-256-GCM when you like.
Choosing a brand new location is only a query of hitting Select Server beneath the present location, after which deciding on your particular location from the listing. TorGuard doesn’t present any ping instances on this listing, although you may filter the listing by Usage. This listing additionally exhibits which servers help WireGuard. That could have been useful sooner or later, however now all the firm’s servers seem to help the brand new VPN protocol.
Settings choices are fairly easy. There’s an AppKill function that permits you to set a listing of particular purposes you don’t need hitting the web when the VPN disconnects. TorGuard additionally has a extra generic kill swap to close down all connectivity in your pc if the VPN connection drops. You can discover this function beneath More Settings > Network > Seamless reconnect > Kill Switch.
TorGuard may also allow you to customise your DNS servers, and set the minimal TLS model to make use of (the default at this writing was 1.3).
There are additionally proxy settings if you wish to obfuscate the truth that you’re utilizing OpenVPN when behind a firewall, or when you merely need to cover the truth that you’re utilizing OpenVPN as a matter of precept.
Performance
TorGuard’s nation listing.
For our velocity checks we left every thing as is. We didn’t change the VPN protocol to WireGuard or anything. We simply let the VPN do its factor, as that’s the follow of most customers.
In our checks, utilizing a number of areas over a number of days, we discovered that TorGuard maintained simply shy of 30 % of the bottom velocity. That places it within the mid-range for velocity, and it means it must be acceptable for many use instances. The speeds in Asia have been surprisingly good, which might assist anybody wanting to connect with a sport server or video service in that area of the world.
We additionally examined TorGuard in opposition to Netflix, as that is an marketed function and we had no bother unblocking abroad variations of the video service.
Privacy, anonymity, and belief
TorGuard’s privateness coverage with reference to its VPN service may be very easy. “TorGuard does not collect or log any data from its Virtual Private Network (VPN) or Proxy services,” the coverage says. That’s it, no further info. Just a single assertion that it doesn’t gather any knowledge from the VPN companies. We requested the corporate the way it handles diagnostics and coping with any points with problematic servers and it stated, “We would take it offline and test it ourselves. For abuse we have over time built a very robust firewall that deals with most abuse issues in real-time.” All of TorGuard’s servers are diskless, with every thing working in RAM, together with the OS, which is turning into a typical privateness function with quite a lot of VPN companies as of late.
TorGuard is run by VPNetworks LLC beneath a holding firm referred to as Data Protection Services LLC primarily based in Florida, with Benjamin Van Pelt listed as a “Managing Member.” VanPelt lists himself because the CEO of each VPNetworks and TorGuard on LinkedIn.
TorGuard accepts funds through bank card and a number of other manners of cryptocurrency, together with direct pockets transfers.
Pricing and conclusion
TorGuard establishing an lively connection.
TorGuard gives a number of completely different packages, together with the usual Anonymous VPN (the product we’re reviewing right here), a streaming bundle, and a VPN service for companies.
We’ll skip the enterprise package deal, however when you’re , you may be taught extra about it on TorGuard’s web site. The Anonymous VPN is priced at $60 for a 12 months, $30 for six months, $20 for 1 / 4 12 months, or $10 on a month-to-month foundation. Both the six- and 12-month packages break right down to $5 per 30 days.
The Anonymous VPN helps as much as eight simultaneous connections, however there’s additionally a Pro possibility with 12 simultaneous connections, one devoted IP deal with, and a bigger set of ports for forwarding. The Pro model is $120 per 12 months, $60 for six months, $35 per quarter, or $13 per 30 days.
If that wasn’t sufficient there’s additionally an improve to VPN Pro that provides a free GLi Mini Router at a price of $80 per 12 months.
Finally, there’s the streaming bundle possibility, which prices $122 per 12 months, $62 for six months, $42 per quarter, or $22 per 30 days.
The large distinction between the streaming bundle and the usual VPNs is that with the streaming bundle you get two IP addresses for streaming.
TorGuard is an efficient VPN. It’s not going to amaze you, however the worth is correct, it’s easy to make use of, and it received’t get in your method.
Editor’s word: Because on-line companies are sometimes iterative, gaining new options and efficiency enhancements over time, this assessment is topic to alter with a view to precisely replicate the present state of the service. Any modifications to textual content or our closing assessment verdict shall be famous on the prime of this text.