TorVPN Reviews

Protocols

TorVPN offers two mainstream protocols. The first one is the ever-popular OpenVPN, which is compatible with most desktops and smartphones. It allows you to scale your encryption rate up to 4096 bit, if you want the best available security and the speed doesn’t bother you. But the catch is that you need to configure an open source client to connect to TorVPN’s servers. On the other hand, PPTP can be initiated by changing the settings on your computer’s network. In either case, Tor provides the necessary tutorial. But there are also alternatives, like SSH tunneling. It’s not considered to be a VPN protocol, and doesn’t need administrator privileges. However, you need an open source client for it too, and it doesn’t redirect all data, like OpenVPN does.

Unfortunately, TorVPN has a very limited VPN network to access. There are only seven server locations, mainly in Europe. They are named after planets of our solar system, which gives them some individuality. The server locations are the following: Hungary, Sweden, United Kingdom, Russia, United States, Australia and Hong Kong. As you can see, both Africa and Asia are heavily underrepresented, not to mention that other VPN providers present you several more locations in the U.S., while you only get one with Tor, namely Miami.

The situation is even worse if you take the connection restriction into account. You can only access one specified location with the free account, and you are able to unlock all servers for simultaneous use with the most expensive premium plans only. In addition to this, users with a trial account are pushed to the bottom of the list to favor the subscribed members, so their unbothered data transfer is guaranteed. We tested the transfer speed with the Hungarian location. The speed was satisfying, but this is most likely because this location is the most stable one thanks to its popularity.

In our opinion, the only significant weakness of Total VPN is the lack of connection speeds. We did not get the best results during probing, despite using the quickest form of encryption, PPTP.

You can put your mind at ease when TorVPN protects your data transfer. The incredibly high 4096 bit encryption code ensures the maximum level of security. As far as current encryption technology goes, 4096 bit encoding is at the top of the VPN world. Take note on the fact, however, that this is a scalable number. You can set a lower encryption rate, like 1024 bit or 2048 bit, which means a less protected, but faster data flow. Also, don’t forget that not every protocol is capable of processing such an intense cyphering. In this case, only OpenVPN can handle the 4096 bit encoding.

Still, TorVPN deserves a pat on the back for providing such an advanced level security. They even set an authentication system: after connecting to one of their proxy servers, a verification window will pop up in your browser, whereupon a captcha code needs to be entered. This process has to be repeated every 12 hours to prevent malicious software from using your VPN to ill means.

TorVPN is comfortable with most of the currently trendy operating systems and devices. This means that you can get it running on your PC, laptop, smartphone or tablet. Windows users might rejoice, as they can set their VPN shield with any OS from XP to Windows 10. The same could be said for Linux fans: all flavors of Linux are supported, so you’ll definitely find a way to get things running. The list also includes Mac plus both major smartphone systems. However, most of the merit goes to the OpenVPN free source engine. TorVPN hasn’t come up with its own software to make thing easier for you, which is very disappointing. This also means that you need to download the OpenVPN app, and configure it yourself. The same goes for the PPTP protocol, because you need to set the right option in the networks menu too.

To the site’s credit, they provide a very thorough step-by-step tutorial to make the process easier for you. They also include screenshots, and we recommend everyone to check it out. There are lots of other VPN providers who also rely on the OpenVPN open source app instead of their own app. As for smartphones, the initial process is more or less the same: you download the OpenVPN Connect app from the store, download the necessary config file from TorVPN’s site, and load it as the tutorial suggests.

Another strong point of TorVPN is their flexibility when it comes to pricing. You can start off with a free trial, but it expires after a week. Then you can move on, and subscribe to one of the attractive payment offers. There is the Cheap VPN plan that lasts for 15 days, and allows you to pick one server for only £0.50. The Pro VPN plan is valid for a whole month, and if you pay the required £19.90, you can have 60GB of traffic on two servers with an unlimited speed. Those who believe a whole month isn’t enough; can also prolong their account for 90 days with the Silver VPN plan. It costs you a one-time £5.50, and it unlocks you all the available servers, while expanding the maximum amount of traffic to 100GB.

In case you wish to have your membership much longer, you are able to subscribe for a whole month with the Gold VPN plan. It offers great benefits, like the unlimited speed and data transfer, access to all servers and four sub-accounts. Lastly, you are also free to fully customize your plan, setting all the important details to a preferable level with the Custom VPN plan. The price will change according to the length, number of contactable servers, the amount of sessions and your traffic limit. It should be mentioned that TorVPN offers no money back guarantee for any of its plans, and they only offer PayPal and Bitcoin as a means of paying.

TorVPN is a lopsided service. In one hand, you find a stable way to tunnel your traffic and gain an easy access to locked content. Their service makes use of the highest encryption method, and they guide you properly through your first steps. They even give you alternatives, like the SSL tunneling or the ability to visit .onion sites by being routed through the Tor network. On the other hand, TorVPN seriously lacks server locations, not to mention they limit your connection to only one. They support only PPTP and OpenVPN protocols, and they use an open source client to do the job for them. TorVPN is still worth a look though, even if you just want to educate yourself about the VPN world.