TorGuard Review
Pros:
- Impressive number of server options
- Maximizes privacy options, despite US home base
- Great add-ons like ad blocking and malware detection
- Covers all major countries, including China
- Dedicated IPs available to unblock streaming content
- Encryped webmail
- No logs ever recorded
- Supports all major protocols
- Stealth proxy bypasses normally unreachable content in censor-heavy countries
- Extensive tutorials available
Cons:
- Speeds feel underwhelming
- Customer support can be hit or miss
- Service is expensive with all of the optional features
- One of the least intuitive interfaces
Despite being based in the USA, TorGuard is a top notch choice for security. They offer an extremely compelling suite of features to ensure nobody can track your internet usage. As long as the US doesn't enact any mandatory data retention laws, TorGuard will be a top security choice for years to come. They also sell dedicated IPs, which is the most reliable method for unblocking Netflix and BBC iPlayer. While these costs put TorGuard well out of the "value" tier, we feel like you get what you pay for.
Privacy and Security
TorGuard is based out of the United States. This is far from ideal, but there are no mandatory data retention laws in the country. While there's always a chance of a US company being subpoenaed to reveal user details, it's not a concern for TorGuard subscribers. They don't record anything at all, ever.
That's right - TorGuard is fully committed to a zero logs policy. They don't even record session traffic such as server connections or bandwidth usage. Whereas most VPN services record session traffic to limit potential abuse, TorGuard has to watch the individual servers. It's more work for them, but it's more protection for you and me. If not for their US location, TorGuard would score a perfect 10 for privacy.
Finally, TorGuard offers a lot of optional tools to further enhance their users' privacy. IPv6, DNS, and WebRTC leak protection ensure private data remains private. Stealth Proxy can be used in stricter countries to bypass normally censored content. Their anonymous VPN and anonymous email packages include access to encrypted webmail to wrap protections around protections. TorGuard has shown a commitment to keeping their product up to date. Users can rest assured that the newest technologies will always be available for their subscribers.
Speed
Speed is an issue TorGuard has slowly been working on resolving. Their speeds are often satisfactory but can tip into disappointingly slow rates more than they should. Their US servers especially suffered during peak usage hours of the day. These speeds still exceed minimums needed for streaming services like Netflix. It's just not recommended for torrenting or downloading large volumes of data.
Countries
TorGuard earns high marks for its presence in all major locations, including rarely served countries like China and at least one server on each continent. The 1,600 servers spread out over 50 countries allows power users to find the right server for every occasion. For an extra $8/month, users can also purchase usage of a dedicated IP in a select country. This is recommended for frequently blocked streaming services such as Netflix. While an extra charge is less than ideal, it also provides a much higher rates of successfully unblocking content.
Ease and Usability
TorGuard is not recommended for those who are bad with technology. The interface is clunky and hard to use. There's a lot of options that aren't entirely clear at first glance. Connecting to a specific server takes a few more clicks than other VPN services who offer the same options.
On the other hand, there are a lot of options to customize TorGuard to tailor fit your needs. Power users will find this service to be a great fit for them. The breadth of security options allows for immense privacy in all forms, from checking email to P2P file sharing.
Support
The company provides ample support in the form of guides, if you are willing to take the time to read them all. If that's too time consuming or you're having trouble navigating their site though, you can contact support. TorGuard's live chat and email support staff is very quick to respond. Unfortunately, the support staffers can be very hit or miss. Some are genuinely great to work while others feel like pulling teeth.
Value
Tons of privacy options are included in the TorGuard package along with ad and malware blocking tools. The amount of configuration choices is simply staggering. Users who take the time to really learn TorGuard will be rewarded with a powerful kit to safely browse the web. Unfortunately, their speed needs further improvement. Paying $10/month or $5/month with an annual subscription feels like fair value overall.
The extra charge for a dedicated IP isn't great when some other VPN services include that in their base package. It feels worth it though as Netflix continues to crack down on VPNs. TorGuard has been great about responding with new IPs as the old ones get blocked from time to time.
Bottom Line
If you are going to use a US based company, TorGuard is clearly the best choice. They really take privacy seriously and have implemented almost every possible feature in order to ensure it. That said, it's far from perfect. The company's software feels archaic, speeds are disappointing, and support is a mixed bag. To really maximize TorGuard, we recommend upgrading to a dedicated IP. This brings the monthly cost up to a pretty high number though ($18/month if you don't prepay). With that though, you should easily be able to bypass regionally locked content and do so without anyone tracking your activities.
Privacy
Speed
Countries
Usability
Support
Value
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