Overview
The quest for the best is often challenging; it couldn’t be truer for the best VPN with the topmost privacy and security features, the fastest connection speeds, the easiest-to-use VPN software at the lowest possible price.
Comparisons can help you see more clearly why a certain VPN solution could be better than the other and in which areas. It’s a tricky thing since one VPN can excel at privacy while the other at download and upload speeds. It’s always up to your personal needs whether you may prefer privacy over speeds or feature richness.
Follow us along as we uncover the TorGuard vs Private Internet Access (PIA) race gradually, lap by lap. This will be an interesting race to watch as some of the laps may have unexpected results with head to head fights. Which VPN software will cross the finish line first? Let’s find out… ready, set, go!
Security & Privacy
The infamous first lap that so many times determines the fate of a VPN service, i.e., just how secure and private a VPN is.
A few seconds after leaving the start line, it seems that both TorGuard and PIA have gained the same momentum as they claim to use only bare-metal servers, i.e., no virtual locations. This fact adds value to their general security level.
Unfortunately, this momentum is somewhat lost in the next bend as both VPNs break hard as we reveal that they are operated under US jurisdiction. This is the worst imaginable if you consider that the US is the most surveillance-friendly country in the world. The Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), eager tech and telecommunication companies, the NSA and other government agencies snooping on your internet communications is not the most ideal environment for a VPN provider.
Another vital point where the TorGuard vs PIA race can be doomed is the question of logs. Fortunately, both VPN solutions claim strict no logs policy meaning that they do not record either usage or connection logs. However, we must mention that there has to be some kind of logs anyway because otherwise there’s no way to impose limitations like the number of simultaneous devices used with one license.
Before you would think that this lap may be a draw, TorGuard VPN manages to add some extra speed a few yards from the finish line. First off, PIA doesn’t support the IKEv2 protocol, which is surely a drawback for mobile users, and it also has WebRTC leak issues even though it does have a kill switch and other leak protections.
All in all, when it comes to security and privacy features, we must say that this lap of the TorGuard vs Private Internet Access race has to end with TorGuard in the lead as it not only has all the top protocols and security features, but it also has a so-called Stealth VPN feature to bypass Deep Packet Inspections (DPI), which is crucial in censorship-loving countries like China.
Speed
Probably, the second most important lap in this PIA vs TorGuard race is about connection speeds. When we talk about speed, first we need to have a look at the number and spread of VPN servers. Of course, this is a grey area as it is not an exact science and no speed test can be taken as carved in stone and general for all users.
Once again, both TorGuard and Private Internet Access VPN start this lap with similar momentum. TorGuard boasts 3,000+ servers in 50+ countries globally while PIA gains a bit more speed by having almost 3,800 servers in 30+ countries. It seems though that even if PIA has more servers, its global coverage is worse leaving major regions of the world with no or very few servers.
This can put off users in Africa and South America where the speeds can be rather slow because of the physical distances between the real location and the chosen VPN servers.
Although this lap seems quiet equal again, in the end, TorGuard speeds away as it is indeed one of the fastest VPN services in 2018. So, yes, this lap is confidently won by TorGuard. But the rest of the TorGuard vs Private Internet Access race can still bring us some surprises.
Ease of Use
The third lap seems to be an exciting one, too, as the so far leader TorGuard VPN gets stuck at the start line as PIA speeds away taking advantage of what appears to be a mistaken gear change.
PIA VPN leads this lap all the way as its clients offer a user-friendly interface and easy-to-use intuitive settings. TorGuard, on the other hand, is packed with features and more advanced settings on a not-so-user-friendly interface, which could put off beginner VPN users.
In summary, the TorGuard vs Private Internet Access race surprises us with PIA winning this lap way ahead of its competitor.
Torrenting and P2P
This lap could be crucial for BitTorrent and uTorrent users exchanging large files over the web. If you are one of these users, you also need to consider the privacy and speed lap results to choose the best VPN for torrenting; well, at least, out of these two.
Another head-to-head lap, which makes this race even more exciting. Both TorGuard and Private Internet Access can be used for torrenting and other P2P file-sharing. This fact alone would mean a lap with two winners.
However, when it comes to speed and privacy features combined with a P2P-dedicated VPN service, TorGuard wins this important lap ahead of PIA in the end.
Netflix and China
This time, both VPNs start quite slow as they fail to bypass the Netflix VPN detection. However, it seems that TorGuard is gaining some extra speed since it does offer dedicated IP addresses for $7.99 per month, which could solve this problem. So, we can say that TorGuard can, for now, access Netflix if you are ready to pay for a dedicated IP.
As for China, Private Internet Access is surely not the best choice as it is quite complicated to set up – it includes manual configuration, which could be off-putting for novice users. TorGuard VPN, on the other hand, has a Stealth VPN feature and dedicated “Asia-friendly” servers that you can use to bypass the Great Firewall of China.
Since PIA also has a limited number of servers in Asia, you could experience overcrowded ones and slower speeds. All this taken into account, TorGuard ends this lap way before its competitor. But this is far from the end of our TorGuard vs PIA race.
Compatibility
At first glance, the compatibility lap may look like a draw with both VPNs reaching the finish line seemingly at the same time. However, if we check the finish line photos, we realize that TorGuard may actually be a moment faster.
Basically, both of these VPN solutions support the major platforms, including Windows, Mac OS, iOS, Android as well as a few main browsers. But, TorGuard also supports routers, which is very useful if you have a number of IoT (Internet of Things) devices connected to the internet.
The only fact that slows TorGuard VPN down a bit is that its Anonymous Proxy, i.e., the Firefox and Chrome extensions are offered for a certain price while PIA and other VPN services have free browser extensions.
So, if we want to be totally fair, we could actually say that this lap shouldn’t and couldn’t determine the winner of the TorGuard vs Private Internet Access race no matter what the theoretical finish line photo shows.
Support
A VPN service without decent and friendly 24/7 live chat support is like a two-legged stool; not very stable, right?
No wonder why PIA gets stuck at the start line and TorGuard speeds away to disappear in the distance. First off, Private Internet Access has no live chat support. Second, whatever support they provide for their users leaves a lot to be desired as proven by the lots of angry comments on the web.
TorGuard offers three types of support. You can use the 24/7 live chat support, submit a support ticket, or even call a toll-free phone number. This provider claims to have “world-class” support, which certainly contributes to its winning this important lap in the TorGuard vs Private Internet Access race.
Pricing
Finally, we are about to experience the last lap, which could be the final blow. But will it be? Well, our stomach is filled with butterflies to see whether TorGuard can beat its competitor in this round, too.
The truth is, this time PIA seems to speed away right from the start. Oops! How is this possible? Look, PIA VPN offers very low prices that are about two-thirds of what TorGuard is sold at.
Of course, if you also consider what features and what level of privacy and security you get for these prices, you may go for the somewhat more expensive choice, i.e., TorGuard.
Both of these VPN solutions offer anonymous payment options, which is vital if you take your privacy seriously.
All in all, we must announce PIA VPN as the winner of this final lap. But, keep in mind that this may not mean that PIA is the overall winner of the TorGuard vs Private Internet Access race. So, let’s see the final results.
TorGuard vs PIA – which is better?
This has surely been a tough and exciting race between these top VPN services. Nonetheless, if we consider the winner of each lap, TorGuard seems to be the winner of this theoretical motor racing.
When we look at the overall results, it is clear that TorGuard performs better and provides a higher level of privacy and security. However, this comes at a price and literally; this VPN has higher prices than PIA.
In summary of this race, we can say that even though we see TorGuard VPN as the winner of the two, your needs and preferences may overwrite this. It’s possible that, for example, you would rather go for the cheaper VPN software even if it comes at the price of somewhat riskier anonymity or slower connection speeds.
Hopefully, our TorGuard vs Private Internet Access comparison can help you with your decision. However, if you need further information and want to know what else we have uncovered about these VPN services, please check out our full reviews below.
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