A good VPN service must perform two essential functions for every user. First, it must hide the user’s original IP address. Second, it must encrypt all the incoming and outgoing data from the user’s device so that any external user can see nothing but the nearly white noise that good encryption makes of traffic.
Additionally, a VPN that cares about user privacy and anonymity should not keep any logs on the user activity it mediates. That’s just the basics.
Torguard VPN has always been beyond the basics. Its sever network is solid; it has several advanced network options, a fantastic variety of account options that allow you to customize your VPN experience, and many other advantages. But, on the other hand, all that flexibility comes in exchange for lack of transparency that could turn off the staunchest privacy enthusiasts.
Overall, TorGuard is a strong VPN that offers lots of security options. For instance, the WireGuard tunneling protocol is available in the network. In addition, it’s safe against IPv6 leaks; it features a Stealth proxy, it’s good for BitTorrent. A widespread and vital question is will TorGuard VPN work in China? The answer is that, yes, even in the hyper-restrictive digital Chinese environment, TorGuard could work.
This brutally honest review of TorGuard will explore the network’s features in full detail with a particular focus on streaming, pricing, connection speeds, security, and additional features.
TorGuard VPN key features at a glance
| Server | 3,000+ servers in 50 countries |
| No-log policy | Yes |
| Kill switch | Yes |
| Price | 4.99 USD/month for one year-plan |
| Country-based | United States |
| Torrenting allowed | Yes |
| Simultaneous connections | 5 simultaneous devices |
| Customer Support | 24/7 support available |
| Money-back guarantee | 30 days |
The TorGuard general overview
I will go into several details about different aspects of the TorGuard network, but let’s start with the general panorama.
TorGuard has robust security features, it’s good against IPv6 leaks, uses the WireGuard tunneling protocol, lots of DNS options, it gives you the chance to run scripts, it works well with torrents, it has a Stealth proxy, it has a free trial version and the transfer speeds are good.
On the other hand, split tunneling is only available for Android devices. The connections are prone to freeze. Connecting to a server can be a struggle. The user interface is not the friendliest in the industry and won’t work with Netflix.
Connection speeds in TorGuard VPN
Using a VPN means that you will pay for its advantages with decreased speeds. In a VPN, your traffic gets routed through one or servers in the network, and it also gets encrypted. That is extra work that needs computing and bandwidth resources, thus bringing connection speeds down. But the best VPNs in the business will do all the work in the background, so you will hardly notice it, especially if your internet service is fast for a start.
TorGuard VPN’s speeds are good enough under most conditions. If you pick the WireGuard tunneling protocol, they will be even better. And, if geolocation-related concerns are irrelevant for you, you can get the VPN to give you its best performance by choosing a server that is physically near to you.
As I tried several servers in the network for their speeds, I found that the fastest one (one base in Switzerland, if you must know) would decrease my transfer speeds by 2.6% only. This is a significant feature because, in my experience, even the best VPNs have higher velocity losses – granted, nothing you can notice in everyday use, but it shows when you measure it.
Another server (in Japan) caused my speeds to drop by a half. This is not a problem because that server is very far from me; it’s a typical result of the data mechanics on the Internet.
As I mentioned, the best speeds show up when using the WireGuard protocol. But if you choose a different tunneling protocol, some extra problems pop up that have nothing to do with reduced speed. For instance, I had a hard time connecting to any server in the network without WireGuard. I kept being told to “check my firewall settings.” This experience is unique to TorGuard VPN, as far as I can tell, and it devalues the overall service quality.
If sheer speed were all that mattered, TorGuard would be the best service on the Internet by far. However, high-speed VPN connections are useful only when the network can sustain them in a reliable, stable way.
And TorGuard fails at that. I found many connections to be unreliable, and that, again, is a point against TorGuard VPN. Connections that freeze or break down are particularly harmful if you intend to use this VPN to play streaming videos, which brings us to the next section.