NordVPN vs TorGuard

NordVPN and TorGuard are both high-level options for VPN services for residential or small-business uses. Whether you’re new to VPN services or have purchased an option before, shopping for these services can take a lot of time and effort. So many options exist, and it can be tedious to compare them to find the one that is best for you. This review covers the top features most people look for in a VPN service and offers a comparison of NordVPN and TorGuard so you can be confident choosing between them or deciding that you might want to go with a third option.

How We Evaluated NordVPN vs TorGuard

We cut through all the noise surrounding VPNs and did the research, looking at a variety of sources and reviews to find out more about these two options. We evaluated them based on what’s most important when purchasing a VPN to give you some context about the services. But keep in mind as you read that what is most important to you will depend on how you plan on using the VPN.

Common Features We Looked For

1. Security & Privacy

We looked for VPN service providers that offered a lot in the way of security and privacy, as this is the main reason most people use this technology. An important component is what encryption the service uses. The stronger the encryption, the more secure your browsing information and connection is. Many VPN services use 256-bit AES encryption, which is the highest form currently available. It’s actually what many government agencies use. Other things we looked for include no-log policies and kill switches. No-log policies ensure the VPN isn’t tracking what you’re doing online, and kill switches cause your connection to disengage if your VPN stops working for any reason and you’re browsing without protection.

2. Server Coverage

When considering server coverage, we looked for servers with hundreds or even thousands of servers all over the world. It might sound like overkill, but when a VPN has hundreds of thousands of users, they need plenty of servers to keep up with demand. And you need to know that you can connect to a different server if one isn’t performing well or seems to be straining under the number of users already on it. Having servers all across the globe is also important because it reduces the impact that geopolitical issues or even natural disasters can have on the overall availability of VPN service.

3. Performance

Obviously, you want your VPN service to meet your performance needs. One of the first performance factors most people consider is speed. While a VPN connection may drop your speeds by a small amount compared to an unprotected connection, a strong VPN service still supports fast upload and download speeds. Depending on how much you’ll be using the service, you’ll also need to look at whether there are limits on how much you can download per month. Finally, ensure that your VPN supports enough devices at the same time and that you can use the streaming services you want.

4. Price

Price is a major concern for many people, and luckily VPNs are fairly affordable. You can find free versions with limited functionality, and paid versions can start as low as $3 a month. Make sure you understand what you’re paying for and look into options for discounts if you pay for multiple months at a time.

NordVPN vs TorGuard Comparison

Our team spent more than 10 hours looking at reviews, specs and other information to determine how NordVPN and TorGuard compare when it comes to the four major factors that really matter in VPN service. We’ve provided a summary below.

Security & Privacy

NordVPN offers a high level of security for your devices and keeps your internet use private. It uses AES-256-GCM encryption, which is the highest option available as of late 2020, so you know your data is safe. And since NordVPN commits to a no-log policy, you can have peace of mind that your information isn’t being tracked and recorded by the service. If the VPN protections fail at any time, for any reason, NordVPN launches a kill switch. That shuts down unsecure data protection immediately to keep your information safe. You can also get a downloadable option that offers encryption for data on your mobile device. Browser extensions, IP masking and double-layer protection with an extra IP change all also help keep your information secure.

TorGuard offers several plans to choose from, including Anonymous VPN, Anonymous VPN Pro and the Anonymous plan with a free router. All of the options include no-log policies, kill switches and 256-bit AES encryption, making this a good contender for NordVPN when it comes to security. TorGuard plans also include Stealth Proxy. This is a second layer of security that “hides” the digital handshake that occurs within the VPN service, making it impossible for external elements to even know if you are using an OpenVPN protocol.

Server Coverage

NordVPN has more than 2,200 servers in the Americas and more than 2,200 in Europe. On top of these, it has servers in the Middle East, Africa, India and the Asia Pacific region. Altogether, it’s more than 5,000 servers in more than 50 counties, which means you’ll never have a connection problem that’s due to a lack of servers. You’ll also be able to find a server near you almost anytime.

TorGuard doesn’t have as many servers, but it still has plenty to support a large customer base. It boasts more than 3,000 servers in more than 50 countries. TorGuard servers can be found in countries that include, but aren’t limited to, Canada, Australia, Greece, Italy, Ireland, the United States, the United Kingdom, Mexico, Singapore and France.

Performance

NordVPN offers fast connections that don’t diminish when you connect across the globe. You can connect up to six devices at the same time, and the service supports streaming on a variety of devices. It also supports watching content via your favorite platforms, including the BBC, Hulu, Netflix, HBO, Amazon Prime, Kodi, Showtime, Disney and YouTube. P2P server support lets you share large files, and browser extensions let you protect activity on Chrome or Firefox. You can also get 24/7 support via chat, and unlimited bandwidth means you don’t have to worry about who is streaming what at any given time.

The number of connections you get with TorGuard depends on your plan. The regular plan supports up to eight simultaneous connections, and the Pro plan supports up to 12 connections. Unlimited bandwidth and high speeds support secure streaming, game play and large downloads, and you can use streaming apps on almost all the major platforms. TorGuard also works with all major operating systems and guarantees no throttling on either of the plans. You can look at the plan options to see if the Pro level offers additional performance that might be important to you.

Price

It’s a bit difficult to compare the pricing for these two companies as TorGuard has tiered pricing. The regular plan pricing is given below, as it’s closest to the VPN service that NordVPN offers. You can see that the plans are fairly competitive but that the best price comes with the 3-year NordVPN subscription.

Overview: NordVPN vs TorGuard

It’s probably pretty obvious that both NordVPN and TorGuard have a lot to offer. They’re both well-liked VPN services that offer robust privacy and security options. But you have to decide for yourself which is the right option for you. Check out the table below to get some additional information about the differences in these two companies before you make a decision about them.

NordVPN vs TorGuard Comparison Table