Ariel Hochstadt
Ex-Google, International tech speaker
Hotspot Shield and TorGuard are two very popular VPN providers with very large networks and many practical security features. You can find your own ideal balance of speed and security by choosing either 128-bit or 256-bit encryption with either of these providers. Because they provide apps for all major platforms, you can enjoy a user-friendly experience with either Hotspot Shield or TorGuard regardless of the device or operating system you use. Hotspot Shield’s subscription plans make it a more budget-friendly service than TorGuard. Hotspot Shield also has a 45-day money-back guarantee, whereas TorGuard competes poorly in this area with a 7-day refund policy. In addition, while unique features like the StealthVPN protocol and Open Connect SSL can be found in TorGuard, Hotspot Shield fiercely competes with malware protection and its proprietary Catapult Hydra technology. With regard to network size, Hotspot Shield offers 2,500+ in over 25 countries, while TorGuard has around 3,000 servers in 50+ countries. Keep on reading to discover which VPN wins this super close contest. NOTE: This comparison is for the paid Hotspot Shield plan, Hotspot Shield Elite.
Features
8.0
Pricing
9.0
Ease of Use
9.0
Reliability & Support
8.6
Features
8.8
Pricing
7.4
Ease of Use
8.8
Reliability & Support
9.1
Rating
Features
8.0
8.8
0.0
Pricing
9.0
7.4
0.0
Ease of Use
9.0
8.8
0.0
Reliability & Support
8.6
9.1
0.0
Reviews
Review by our expert
Katie Kasunic
Technology Researcher
8.8
Hotspot Shield is a popular VPN service with over 650 million users and multiple servers in 55+ countries.
In fact, the website claims it is the #1 grossing app for productivity in the US App Store. (When we checked the App Store source, it actually indicated #8, which is still an impressive ranking.)
One of the features that make Hotspot Shield special is its unique Catapult Hydra protocol,
Probably RecommendedI personally would recommend it, I have been using it for quite some times and it works perfectly for me both on Mac pc and phone, In fact, I always give them 5 stars when disconnecting, I don't know if that's why I get a full service, thanks for the service tho love it.
Latest negative user review
Bob Jankins
2.0
A lot of problemsFirst its not easy to use at all, if you are using the free version, it cant change anything. It gave me some rainbow lines on Youtube. I deleted it off my computer and it kept coming back. Its not good, i don't recommend buying it. I got the free version and you cant change your IP, so i cant mask it. The one thing that vpns are suppose to do it didn't, i clicked on everything, so basically you have to pay for it. I am thinking that its a virus.
TorGuard is best known for its large server network and strong torrenting support.
Is TorGuard really privacy-friendly? How does TorGuard perform in other areas, such as streaming?
We tested TorGuard’s VPN service across a number of categories to find out its strengths and weaknesses.
TorGuard’s best features include robust security, a built-in adblocker, P2P support, a strict no-logs
Unbeatable price for fast speeds!What sold me on TorGuard was their pricing flexibility and different add-on features that you can choose to add-on later or bundle up to save even more. They have a 50% coupon that can be found on their website right now as of 6/29/2020, or you can google it and always find it. They have 1 month, 3 month, 6 month, and 1 year or longer plans so you don't have to commit to a ridiculous 2 or 3 year contract like NordVPN to save money. That's where TorGuard wins, you are NOT committed to 3 years to save money. You can save 50% immediately for any length of time whether its the 1 month plan or longer. Plus their speeds are awesome! I can get 300mbps download speeds easily using their normal public servers closest to me. My normal speed without VPN is like 400mbps, so that's really really good for a VPN at this price range. If I tune the settings more, I can get even faster speeds. I never get disconnected once you set it up correctly (there's a small learning curve, but their online customer support is fantastic). I use Windows 10 with their regular VPN service and windows client program and everything just works. If you can install a simple program or know the basics in computers you can easily set things up and get going. They also have an active forum with tons of tips and tricks to help you fix any issues you come across. I came from NordVPN and ExpressVPN and got tired of their price gouging and super long contracts, couldn't wait to leave and try something else. TorGuard is it! Can't believe what I have been missing. I am no longer tied to a dumb contract for 3 years anymore. So glad that was over.
Latest negative user review
Jeff
2.0
RE JasonI have had nothing but a pleasant experience with TorGuard, I came here to write a review but I had to respond to your mindless reply, as it's very clear on there TOS and there checkout even, that they cannot be refunded! If hiu buy it for some other purpose they do not advertise then could be disappointed but it's hardly there fault is it? Anyway TorGuard has been fantastic for me.
Hotspot Shield is a popular VPN service with over 650 million users and multiple servers in 55+ countries.
In fact, the website claims it is the #1 grossing app for productivity in the US App Store. (When we checked the App Store source, it actually indicated #8, which is still an impressive ranking.)
One of the features that make Hotspot Shield special is its unique Catapult Hydra protocol,
TorGuard is best known for its large server network and strong torrenting support.
Is TorGuard really privacy-friendly? How does TorGuard perform in other areas, such as streaming?
We tested TorGuard’s VPN service across a number of categories to find out its strengths and weaknesses.
TorGuard’s best features include robust security, a built-in adblocker, P2P support, a strict no-logs
Probably RecommendedI personally would recommend it, I have been using it for quite some times and it works perfectly for me both on Mac pc and phone, In fact, I always give them 5 stars when disconnecting, I don't know if that's why I get a full service, thanks for the service tho love it.
Ivan
10.0
Unbeatable price for fast speeds!What sold me on TorGuard was their pricing flexibility and different add-on features that you can choose to add-on later or bundle up to save even more. They have a 50% coupon that can be found on their website right now as of 6/29/2020, or you can google it and always find it. They have 1 month, 3 month, 6 month, and 1 year or longer plans so you don't have to commit to a ridiculous 2 or 3 year contract like NordVPN to save money. That's where TorGuard wins, you are NOT committed to 3 years to save money. You can save 50% immediately for any length of time whether its the 1 month plan or longer. Plus their speeds are awesome! I can get 300mbps download speeds easily using their normal public servers closest to me. My normal speed without VPN is like 400mbps, so that's really really good for a VPN at this price range. If I tune the settings more, I can get even faster speeds. I never get disconnected once you set it up correctly (there's a small learning curve, but their online customer support is fantastic). I use Windows 10 with their regular VPN service and windows client program and everything just works. If you can install a simple program or know the basics in computers you can easily set things up and get going. They also have an active forum with tons of tips and tricks to help you fix any issues you come across. I came from NordVPN and ExpressVPN and got tired of their price gouging and super long contracts, couldn't wait to leave and try something else. TorGuard is it! Can't believe what I have been missing. I am no longer tied to a dumb contract for 3 years anymore. So glad that was over.
Latest negative user review
Bob Jankins
2.0
A lot of problemsFirst its not easy to use at all, if you are using the free version, it cant change anything. It gave me some rainbow lines on Youtube. I deleted it off my computer and it kept coming back. Its not good, i don't recommend buying it. I got the free version and you cant change your IP, so i cant mask it. The one thing that vpns are suppose to do it didn't, i clicked on everything, so basically you have to pay for it. I am thinking that its a virus.
Jeff
2.0
RE JasonI have had nothing but a pleasant experience with TorGuard, I came here to write a review but I had to respond to your mindless reply, as it's very clear on there TOS and there checkout even, that they cannot be refunded! If hiu buy it for some other purpose they do not advertise then could be disappointed but it's hardly there fault is it? Anyway TorGuard has been fantastic for me.
Hotspot Shield offers fast servers and more budget-friendly plans than TorGuard, with features like malware protection that make it a very comprehensive VPN service. TorGuard also offers a very reliable VPN service that’s easy to use and includes numerous features for improved security.
Hotspot Shield offers fast servers and more budget-friendly plans than TorGuard, with features like malware protection that make it a very comprehensive VPN service. TorGuard also offers a very reliable VPN service that’s easy to use and includes numerous features for improved security.
TorGuard is our recommended VPN if you want to torrent, as it supports the service and also includes leak protection to keep your downloading activity anonymous. Hotspot Shield does not allow torrenting on any of its servers and therefore would obviously be a poor choice for this activity.
TorGuard is our recommended VPN if you want to torrent, as it supports the service and also includes leak protection to keep your downloading activity anonymous. Hotspot Shield does not allow torrenting on any of its servers and therefore would obviously be a poor choice for this activity.
TorGuard offers a reliable Windows service, with a dedicated client that features military-grade encryption, ad blocking, and access to the provider’s entire network of servers. Meanwhile, by offering a kill switch and malware protection via its dedicated app, Hotspot Shield can be trusted to provide a very robust VPN service for Windows.
TorGuard offers a reliable Windows service, with a dedicated client that features military-grade encryption, ad blocking, and access to the provider’s entire network of servers. Meanwhile, by offering a kill switch and malware protection via its dedicated app, Hotspot Shield can be trusted to provide a very robust VPN service for Windows.
Hotspot Shield features a very user-friendly Android app with a simple interface and access to the free limited version of the VPN. TorGuard also has an Android app that automatically updates its server list and includes features like 24/7 support from within the app and unlimited bandwidth.
Hotspot Shield features a very user-friendly Android app with a simple interface and access to the free limited version of the VPN. TorGuard also has an Android app that automatically updates its server list and includes features like 24/7 support from within the app and unlimited bandwidth.
With its unique Catapult Hydra technology, malware protection, and a user-friendly dedicated app, Hotspot Shield is the ideal choice for MacOS users interested in streaming at fast speeds. TorGuard competes with a very powerful MacOS app that features DNS and WebRTC leak protection alongside very strong encryption.
With its unique Catapult Hydra technology, malware protection, and a user-friendly dedicated app, Hotspot Shield is the ideal choice for MacOS users interested in streaming at fast speeds. TorGuard competes with a very powerful MacOS app that features DNS and WebRTC leak protection alongside very strong encryption.
With features like an automatic kill switch, malware protection, and access to very fast servers, Hotspot Shield provides a good service for iOS. TorGuard also offers an iOS app that supports the IKEv2, IPsec, and OpenVPN protocols and includes access to dedicated IP addresses at an additional cost.
With features like an automatic kill switch, malware protection, and access to very fast servers, Hotspot Shield provides a good service for iOS. TorGuard also offers an iOS app that supports the IKEv2, IPsec, and OpenVPN protocols and includes access to dedicated IP addresses at an additional cost.
Hotspot Shield offers numerous US servers and a dedicated streaming feature for unblocking content from Netflix and other US-based web services. We especially recommend it for its ease of use when you want to access US sites. TorGuard also provides many US servers capable of unblocking Netflix and similar websites.
Hotspot Shield offers numerous US servers and a dedicated streaming feature for unblocking content from Netflix and other US-based web services. We especially recommend it for its ease of use when you want to access US sites. TorGuard also provides many US servers capable of unblocking Netflix and similar websites.
While these two VPNs provide similar levels of service by most standards, Hotspot Shield’s simplicity, user-friendliness, and budget-friendly subscription prices make it our winner. Other key points in favor of Hotspot Shield are its 45-day money-back guarantee and its unique Catapult Hydra feature that optimizes servers speeds. Its dedicated streaming feature, which allows you to bypass tough geoblocks worldwide, also contributes to its very tight victory in this contest. Nevertheless, you shouldn’t necessarily dismiss TorGuard as an option, particularly if you torrent.
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Katie Kasunic
