A Full VPN Comparison in 2024





TorGuard vs NordVPN: A Full VPN Comparison in 2024

























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Key Takeaways: TorGuard vs NordVPN
  • The main difference between NordVPN and TorGuard is that NordVPN is faster, has a larger VPN server network and is better for streaming. 
  • NordVPN is also better for security and privacy because of its malware/tracker blocker and double VPN. 
  • TorGuard is a useful choice if you need a VPN for casual browsing or if you want a broader range of country options for dedicated IP addresses.

Facts & Expert Analysis About NordVPN vs TorGuard:

  • NordVPN, a rapidly expanding VPN: Both TorGuard and NordVPN were founded in 2012, but NordVPN has expanded much faster and has more features. For instance, NordVPN now has servers in 111 countries, while TorGuard has servers in just 50.
  • NordVPN is tried and tested: Our VPN experts have been reviewing VPNs for years, and NordVPN is a well-rounded VPN that has appeared in one of the top spots for many use cases. 
  • Don’t mistake TorGuard VPN for Tor Browser: TorGuard VPN is an app that connects you to VPN servers. Tor Browser is a private web browser that relays your internet connection through volunteer-run nodes. Both mask IP addresses, but in different ways.

Thanks to their popularity, both TorGuard and NordVPN are likely to pop up if you’re searching for a VPN. For this TorGuard vs NordVPN comparison, our VPN experts put both VPNs through the wringer to help you decide which one best suits your needs.

We tested both VPNs across all the categories we used to build our list of the best VPNs. These areas include security, privacy, speed, servers, pricing and streaming. In a nutshell, NordVPN is the better VPN for streaming, privacy, security and speed. TorGuard is an option if you want a dedicated IP address, since it offers them in more countries than NordVPN. 

For more details about each VPN provider, you can read our TorGuard review and NordVPN review.

  • 07/26/2024

    Updated the article to reflect latest information on NordVPN’s allowed number of simultaneous connections.

  • 09/02/2024 Facts checked

    We rewrote our TorGuard vs NordVPN article with new information and switched to an easier-to-read format focused on their similarities and differences. 

Wisdom is a Cloudwards expert in VPNs and online safety.

In my experience, NordVPN is better than TorGuard across the board. It has a larger server network, providing IP addresses in a wider pool of countries. Its fast speeds are also better for lag-free browsing and streaming.

TorGuard does have port forwarding, which NordVPN lacks. This may make torrenting slightly faster on TorGuard, but with the trade-off that it doesn’t allow you to torrent on any of its servers in the U.S.

Winner for streaming, privacy, security & speeds

Which Is Better: TorGuard vs NordVPN?

NordVPN is a better VPN than TorGuard. However, though NordVPN is the overall winner, there are instances in which TorGuard might be a better fit. Below, we’ll highlight the best use case for each VPN provider. 

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Who Is TorGuard For?

  • Internet users in countries with restrictions: TorGuard offers a stealth mode that helps you evade detection in countries with heavy censorship..
  • Users who need dedicated IP address country locations: TorGuard offers dedicated IPs in 43 countries, more than NordVPN.  

Who Is NordVPN For?

  • People who want a VPN for streaming: NordVPN can unblock all the major streaming services, including Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and Disney Plus. 
  • Security-focused users: NordVPN is a secure VPN service with both basic and advanced security features, including the NordLynx protocol, obfuscated servers, a kill switch, a malware blocker and double VPN connections. 
  • Users looking for an affordable VPN: NordVPN’s prices are generally more affordable than TorGuard’s. 

Our Detailed Comparison Methodology

We started by highlighting the similarities NordVPN and TorGuard have. Afterward, we examined the differences between the VPNs, with emphasis on which one is a better fit for specific needs of users. We tested both VPNs to provide a first-hand account of what each VPN is good at.

NordVPN vs TorGuard: Comparison at a Glance

$2.50 / month(All Plans) 7-days money-back guarantee $3.09 / month(All Plans) 30-days money-back guarantee
Review Review
General
Payment methods PayPal, Credit card PayPal, Credit card, Google Pay, AmazonPay, ACH Transfer, Cash
Accepts cryptocurrency
Simultaneous connections 8 10
Supports split tunneling
Unlimited bandwidth
Free trial available 7 days on mobile
Refund period 30 days
Worldwide server amount 3000+ Servers in 50+ Countries 5,800 servers in 60 countries
Desktop OSes Windows, MacOS, Linux Windows, MacOS, Linux
Mobile OSes Android, iOS Android, iOS
Browser extensions Chrome, Firefox Chrome, Firefox, Edge
Can be installed on routers
Streaming
Can access Netflix US
Can access BBC iPlayer
Can access Hulu
Can access Amazon Prime Video
Security
Encryption types 256-AES 256-AES, ChaCha20
VPN protocols available OpenVPN, OpenConnect, Stunnel, WireGuard OpenVPN, IKEv2, NordLynx
Enabled at device startup
Allows torrenting
No-logging policy
Passed DNS leak test
Killswitch available
Malware/ad blocker included
Support
Live Chat office hours 24/7
Email support 24/7 24/7
Phone support
User forum
Knowledgebase

TorGuard vs NordVPN: Similarities

NordVPN and TorGuard have several elements in common, including apps for major operating systems, protocols, kill switches, dedicated IPs and obfuscation.

Apps & Compatible Devices

Whether you’re using a mobile or desktop device, you’ll find a NordVPN or TorGuard app that works. Both VPNs have native clients for Windows, Mac, Android and iOS. They also offer command-line interfaces for Linux, but these can be hard to set up. For a graphical user interface (GUI) for Linux, opt for PIA, the best VPN for Linux; you can read more about it in our PIA review

nordvpn linux

NordVPN offers a command-line interface that works with many Linux distros. 

If you want to use a VPN on a browser, both NordVPN and TorGuard have dedicated Chrome and Firefox extensions. NordVPN goes further than TorGuard by supporting Android TV and Apple tvOS, which is why it’s one of the best VPNs for smart TVs

If you’re using a device that doesn’t natively support VPN installation, you can still enjoy VPN protection through a router. Simply connect your router to a VPN and all devices using the router will automatically be protected. NordVPN and TorGuard support many types of router firmware, including OpenWRT, DD-WRT and Tomato.

Protocols & Encryption

You can browse safely with secure combinations of encryption and protocols on either NordVPN or TorGuard. Both VPN services encrypt user traffic with AES encryption by default, which would take millions of years for a hacker to crack. This encryption works when you route your traffic through the OpenVPN and IKEv2 VPN protocols, which both VPNs have.

TorGuard also offers the OpenConnect protocol, an obfuscated protocol that hides your VPN use from prying eyes. It works with the AES encryption cipher as well. 

TorGuard protocols

TorGuard offers OpenVPN and WireGuard protocols. 

OpenVPN is the standard among VPN protocols and offers a fine mix of speed and security. IKEv2 is better suited for mobile devices because of its reconnection capabilities. TorGuard offers the lightweight and fast WireGuard, while NordVPN offers NordLynx, which is built on WireGuard. WireGuard uses ChaCha20 encryption, which is just as secure as AES. 

Kill Switch

TorGuard and NordVPN offer a kill switch, which ensures your internet activity doesn’t leak if your VPN connection drops. Both come with two types of kill switches: app-level and system-wide. 

An app-level kill switch prevents specific apps from accessing the internet if the VPN accidentally disconnects. A system-wide kill switch prevents your entire device from connecting to the internet altogether unless your VPN connection is active. We tested NordVPN and TorGuard’s kill switches and can confirm that they work as expected. 

Dedicated IP Addresses

Another feature NordVPN and TorGuard have in common is the availability of dedicated IP addresses. When you connect to a VPN server, it gives you an IP that is shared with other users. The problem with these shared IPs is that if someone uses them for shady activity, the whole IP address is blamed and often blocked

A dedicated IP is an IP assigned to only you, which is great for accessing sensitive sites like online banks and reducing the occurrence of CAPTCHAs. TorGuard offers three kinds of dedicated IPs, starting at $7.99 per month: dedicated regular IPs, dedicated streaming IPs and dedicated residential IPs. NordVPN’s dedicated IP servers start at $5.89 per month. 

torguard dedicated ips

TorGuard offers residential IPs in a wide range of
countries (note that prices may be outdated).

TorGuard and NordVPN have dedicated IP addresses in multiple countries, but TorGuard covers a lot more locations, with 43 dedicated IP options compared to NordVPN’s 18 country options. If you want a private IP address in a country NordVPN doesn’t cover, it’s worth checking TorGuard to see if it reaches that location.

Obfuscation

TorGuard and NordVPN offer obfuscation, which hides the fact that you’re using a VPN. It works by making VPN packets seem like regular traffic so third parties can’t differentiate between them. Obfuscation is vital in countries with heavy internet censorship that frown on VPN use, especially China. 

NordVPN and TorGuard offer obfuscation in different ways. NordVPN has obfuscated servers as part of its collection of specialty servers. TorGuard, on the other hand, provides obfuscation through its OpenConnect stealth VPN protocol. You can also obfuscate by activating the “stunnel” feature under “protocols,” which can be used on its own or with OpenConnect.

Customer Support

Just like with any software, you might hit a snag or have questions while using a VPN. In such instances, a VPN with good customer support is crucial. NordVPN and TorGuard have useful self-service knowledgebases where you can find articles, FAQs, setup guides and troubleshooting guides. 

nordvpn help center

NordVPN’s help center contains many useful articles and guides. 

We found both help centers to be well written and insightful. We were particularly impressed by the annotated setup guides and video tutorials, which are easy to follow and perfect for first-time VPN users. If you need to talk to a person, you can reach out to NordVPN and TorGuard agents through email tickets or live chat

In our experience, TorGuard’s live chat support is more complicated to reach. You’ll have to log in to your TorGuard account, and it might take several minutes before a live agent gets to you. In contrast, NordVPN doesn’t require you to make an account or log in before you can access its live chat. 

NordVPN vs TorGuard: Differences

In this section, we’ll explore the differences between NordVPN and TorGuard. To give you a sneak peek, NordVPN and TorGuard differ in terms of speed, price, money-back guarantee, simultaneous connections, servers, streaming, torrenting and advanced security features

Speed

If you want fast internet and VPN connection speeds, choose NordVPN over TorGuard. In our speed tests, NordVPN outperformed TorGuard in the three main speed indicators: download speeds, upload speeds and latency. In fact, NordVPN is currently the best fast VPN on the market — generally faster than ExpressVPN, Surfshark and CyberGhost.

 

Server Location Download
Mbps
(Higher is better)
Upload
Mbps
(Higher is better)
Latency
ms
(Lower is better)
US 76 9 5
United Kingdom 74 9 72
Australia 67 9 206
Brazil 70 9 124
South Africa 68 9 205
Singapore 65 8 232
Source: Cloudwards VPN Speed Test. We test daily. Data averaged from 08/05/24 to 09/02/24

Location: Download Upload Latency
🇬🇭 Ghana* 26.53 30.75 143
🇺🇲 U.S. 18.22 20.34 178
🇬🇧 U.K. 13.45 15.66 213
🇯🇵 Japan 11.13 7.23 222
🇦🇺 Australia 4.87 6.98 289
🇧🇷 Brazil 3.85 2.30 364
🇿🇦 South Africa 15.21 11.58 199
Averages: 13.32 (50.21% of unprotected speed) 17.83 (57.98% of unprotected speed) 229 (160% of unprotected speed)
*Unprotected

As you can see from the tables above, NordVPN kept at least 68% of our initial download speeds regardless of the location. TorGuard, on the other hand, reduced our starting speeds by half. We recommend NordVPN for download-related activities like streaming, browsing social media and downloading large files. 

Similarly, NordVPN kept at least 90% of our initial upload speeds, while TorGuard dropped them to an average of 57%. This makes NordVPN the better pick for uploading files, posting content on social media and video conferencing. NordVPN also offers more consistent latency, making it the better choice for online gaming. 

Plans & Pricing

NordVPN is cheaper than TorGuard and offers a simpler pricing structure. NordVPN has three subscriptions: a monthly plan, a one-year plan and a two-year plan. TorGuard offers six subscription options: monthly, quarterly, semi-annual, annual, biennial and triennial plans. You would think TorGuard’s collection of plans would translate into affordable pricing, but that’s not necessarily the case. 

Basic

  • *The prices are charged in the first billing cycle only. Renewal prices vary.
  • Unlimited GB
  • 10
  • Yes

Plus

  • *The prices are charged in the first billing cycle only. Renewal prices vary.
  • Unlimited GB
  • 10
  • Yes

Ultimate

  • *The prices are charged in the first billing cycle only. Renewal prices vary.
  • Unlimited GB
  • 10
  • Yes

NordVPN’s cheapest plan is the two-year plan, priced at $3.09 per month. TorGuard’s two-year plan costs $99.99 per year, which works out to around $4.17 per month. NordVPN’s one-year plan costs $59.88 ($4.99 per month), which is about the same as TorGuard. At $9.99 per month, TorGuard’s monthly plan is cheaper than NordVPN’s $12.99 monthly plan. 

Anonymous VPN

  • Up to 8 devices
  • Unlimited GB
  • 8
  • Yes

Anonymous VPN + PrivateMail Standard

Anonymous VPN Pro + PrivateMail Pro

More plans

Anonymous VPN Pro

  • Up to 12 devices
  • Unlimited GB
  • 12
  • Yes

Anonymous VPN Streaming Bundle

Business VPN 5

  • 5 User package, 5 E-mail accounts, 1 Dedicated IP, HIPAA Compliant
  • Unlimited GB
  • 5
  • Yes

Business VPN 10

  • 10 User package, 10 E-mail accounts, 3 Dedicated IP, HIPAA Compliant
  • Unlimited GB
  • 10

Business VPN 15

  • 15 User package. 15 E-mail accounts, 5 Dedicated IP, HIPAA Compliant
  • Unlimited GB
  • 15

Business VPN 20

  • 20 User package, 20 E-mail accounts, 10 Dedicated IP. HIPAA Compliant
  • Unlimited GB
  • 20

TorGuard and NordVPN also have bundled pricing packages. TorGuard offers an Anonymous VPN + PrivateMail Bundle, which includes email aliases and encrypted storage, and an Anonymous + Streaming Bundle, which includes IPs optimized for streaming.

Aside from the Basic plan, NordVPN has two additional plans. The Plus plan adds extra malware protection, a password manager and a data breach scanner. Its Ultimate plan includes 1TB of encrypted cloud storage and cyber extortion coverage.

Money-Back Guarantee

You can try any NordVPN plan (even the monthly plan) and get a refund within 30 days of your subscription. You can also try TorGuard with its money-back guarantee, but it offers a much shorter refund window of seven days

Money-back guarantees are important to help you test the VPN firsthand before parting with your money. The longer refund period makes NordVPN better to test out. 

Simultaneous Connections

NordVPN allows you to use one subscription on up to 10 devices, while TorGuard allows eight device connections. This puts NordVPN on our list of the best VPNs for multiple devices. You can upgrade to TorGuard’s Pro VPN plan ($12.99 per month) to get 12 simultaneous connections. 

A smart way to overcome device restrictions is to set up a VPN on a router so all connected devices are protected. If you want a VPN with unlimited device connections, consider Surfshark, which we discuss more in the alternatives section.

VPN Servers

If you need a large server network, opt for NordVPN over TorGuard. NordVPN has about 6,000 servers in around 110 countries, more than double TorGuard’s server network of 3,000 servers in 50 countries. Unfortunately, TorGuard doesn’t have many server options in underserved regions — it has one server location in Africa and two in South America. 

Regardless of the continent you’re considering, from North America or Europe to Asia Pacific, NordVPN has more locations to choose from. 

NordVPN specialty servers

NordVPN’s server map on its Windows app lets you choose
from servers in more than 110 countries.

NordVPN’s larger server network has many benefits. First, the more servers you have to choose from, the less server congestion you’ll face. In addition, a larger server network provides more IP addresses you can use to spoof your location and access local content worldwide.

Privacy

If you’re a privacy-focused user, choose NordVPN over TorGuard. Both VPNs claim to abide by a strict no-logs policy, which simply means they don’t collect sensitive information that can be traced back to users.

However, we have a little more faith in NordVPN’s claim, because it has RAM-only servers that erase any user information upon every reboot. There’s no information on how often TorGuard erases its server memory.

In addition, several independent firms have audited NordVPN’s server network and given it a thumbs-up. In 2024, Deloitte Lithuania audited NordVPN’s servers and found no evidence of unusual logging. Unfortunately, TorGuard hasn’t undergone any independent security audits, which means we have to take its logging policy at face value. 

Furthermore, NordVPN is in Panama, a more privacy-friendly jurisdiction than TorGuard’s base in the U.S. Typically, a VPN’s headquarters won’t be an issue as long as it sticks to a no-logs policy. However, because we’re unsure about TorGuard’s logging policy, its U.S. base is a concern. The U.S. is part of the Five-Eyes Alliance of countries that collect and share data. 

Streaming Services

NordVPN is the better pick if you want a VPN to unblock streaming services. While connected to NordVPN servers, we were able to unblock popular streaming platforms like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, BBC iPlayer, Hulu, Disney Plus and Max. We didn’t need to sift through multiple servers before accessing the streaming platforms — the first one worked every time.

unblock netflix us nordvpn

NordVPN can unblock many Netflix libraries, including Netflix U.S.

In contrast, TorGuard struggled to unblock streaming services. It was able to get into Hulu and Max, but we didn’t have any luck with BBC iPlayer, Disney Plus or Netflix. In the case of Amazon Prime Video, we had to try several servers before getting in. We recommend using one of the best VPNs for streaming over TorGuard.

Torrenting

Both TorGuard or NordVPN work with popular torrenting apps like BitTorrent, qBittorrent and uTorrent. NordVPN can provide faster torrenting speeds because of its download and upload speeds — one of the main reasons it’s on our list of the best VPNs for torrenting

However, TorGuard offers port forwarding, which can make torrenting faster. The trade-off is that you sacrifice a bit of security. Port forwarding opens channels onto your computer that hackers can exploit. It’s not easy, and would require a combination of factors all going wrong at once, but the vulnerability is there — so use port forwarding at your own risk.

Double VPN

NordVPN offers double VPN servers, but TorGuard does not. A double VPN is an advanced security feature that routes your traffic through two servers instead of one, a practice known as server chaining. This adds an extra layer of encryption to your traffic and provides a fallback in case of a server failure. 

nordvpn double vpn

NordVPN allows you to choose your own double VPN server pairs. 

A double VPN hides your IP address behind two servers, making your traffic harder to track. We recommend a double VPN if you’re a journalist, activist or anyone with a life-or-death need to avoid surveillance. Note that NordVPN’s double VPN doesn’t work on all protocols. Switch to OpenVPN TCP/UDP if you can’t find the double VPN on your NordVPN app. 

Malware/Ad Blockers

If you want a VPN with a malware, tracker or ad blocker, opt for NordVPN. It offers “threat protection,” a built-in feature that flags malware-riddled and phishing-related websites or URLs. It also stops ads and prevents trackers from keeping tabs on you. TorGuard doesn’t have any comparable features.

File Sharing

NordVPN allows users to share files and access devices remotely through Meshnet — a feature TorGuard lacks. NordVPN Meshnet works like a local area network (LAN) that you can apply to remote devices, allowing you to connect up to 60. You can access files from any of these devices, collaborate on projects and organize multi-player game sessions. 

There are very few recent direct comparisons between TorGuard and NordVPN on Reddit. However, most Redditors who commented on these VPNs touted TorGuard as a good pick for torrenting because of its port-forwarding feature. NordVPN was lauded for its streaming and gaming ability. 

One comment from a Redditor about NordVPN says, “I’ve been using NordVPN for streaming and gaming, and it’s been great with fast speeds and minimal buffering. The interface is user-friendly, and the wide server selection is a plus for accessing content worldwide.”

Another Redditor said this about TorGuard, “Whilst they are ‘good’ for torrenting and I had no leaks, etc., their speeds were sub-par/eh, and I got better elsewhere so I left.”

Is TorGuard a Good VPN?

In our opinion, TorGuard is not worth the price. Of course, it can let you change your online location and hide your activity, but you can get that and more reliable privacy and security with other VPNs at cheaper prices. TorGuard’s biggest selling point is that it offers dedicated IPs in 43 countries, more than many VPN services. 

TorGuard vs Other VPNs: Comparisons

Below, we’ll show you how TorGuard compares to other VPNs on our list of the best VPNs. 

TorGuard vs Surfshark

We recommend Surfshark over TorGuard because it’s more affordable and offers faster speeds, better unblocking ability, superior security features and a larger server network. Unlike TorGuard, Surfshark allows you to connect unlimited devices. It also has CleanWeb, which wards off ads, malware and trackers. 

TorGuard vs ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN is far better than TorGuard. It has a larger server network, faster speeds, more reliable streaming capabilities and superior gaming performance.

One standout aspect of ExpressVPN is that most of its features are baked into all its servers. For example, it has built-in obfuscation on all servers, unlike TorGuard, which requires users to switch protocols, and NordVPN, which has special servers for different functions. 

Private Internet Access vs TorGuard

Private Internet Access (PIA) has better features and performance than TorGuard. As we highlighted in our PIA vs TorGuard review, PIA is faster, boasts a larger server network and has better security and privacy features. Moreover, PIA’s plans are cheaper across the board than TorGuard’s. 

The Verdict: Why We Think NordVPN Wins Overall

After putting NordVPN and TorGuard through the wringer, we’ve concluded that NordVPN is the superior VPN. NordVPN has more advanced security and privacy features, and a larger server network. In addition, NordVPN is faster and can unblock more streaming services than TorGuard, which had hit-or-miss results. 

TorGuard does have some benefits, though. It provides obfuscation, offers many dedicated IP address country options and can be a popular choice for fast torrenting. However, NordVPN’s pricing plans are generally cheaper than TorGuard’s. If you can afford TorGuard, you might as well opt for NordVPN for a slightly cheaper rate and enjoy better features and performance. 

Have you used NordVPN or TorGuard? What was your experience with these two VPNs? Has this article answered your questions? Do you have any other questions about NordVPN or TorGuard? Share your thoughts, experiences and opinions with us in the comments section below. As always, thanks for reading. 

If You Want to Consider Other Services, Check Out…

If NordVPN and TorGuard don’t meet your expectations, here are a few alternatives worth considering:

  • ExpressVPN: ExpressVPN is an all-around beginner-friendly VPN service with security features built into every server. Learn more in our ExpressVPN review.
  • Surfshark: Surfshark is an excellent choice if you want a budget-friendly VPN that doesn’t skimp on features. You can find more details in our Surfshark review.
  • PrivadoVPN: PrivadoVPN is a free VPN that offers access to servers in 10 countries and 10GB of monthly data. Our PrivadoVPN review has more details.

FAQ: TorGuard VPN vs NordVPN

  • No, NordVPN is better than TorGuard. It has a larger server network, faster speeds and more dependable unblocking ability.

  • ExpressVPN is better than NordVPN. All its servers offer similar excellent features and performance, whereas NordVPN has specialized servers for specific purposes.

  • It seems that TorGuard can be trusted, because it hasn’t suffered any known data breaches or shared information with third parties, as far as we know. However, we are concerned that it hasn’t undergone any independent audits and doesn’t appear to use diskless servers.

  • NordVPN is a good VPN, but there are a couple other VPNs that rival it. We also think ExpressVPN is one the best VPNs, and Surfshark also ranks near the top of our best VPN lists.


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