TorGuard vs FastestVPN (2026): Two Budget VPNs With Port Forwarding

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TorGuard vs FastestVPN compares two small providers that share a feature most big brands dropped: both include port forwarding. Both also appeal to people who want more control than a mainstream app offers, and both keep their prices low.

The difference lies in what backs them up. FastestVPN has a single independent audit, from 2023, and sits in the Cayman Islands outside every intelligence alliance. TorGuard has no audit, operates from Florida, but has a record under legal pressure: a 2022 settlement with film studios in which it disclosed no customer records.

TorGuard vs FastestVPN: The Short Answer

Choose FastestVPN over TorGuard for price and jurisdiction. It rates 3.7 in our FastestVPN review, has an audit from 2023, and sells a lifetime plan reported at $23 to $40.

Choose TorGuard for stealth servers and dedicated IPs. It rates 3.1 in our TorGuard review and ranked second for China in GreatFirewallGuide’s April 2026 tests.

Both include port forwarding, so seeding torrents works on either, outside TorGuard’s US servers.

See FastestVPN Plans →
Lifetime plan, port forwarding included

Privacy: An Audit Against a Lawsuit

Altius IT audited FastestVPN once, in 2023. It is real verification, but three years old and unrepeated. Its ownership is thinly documented, while its Cayman base keeps it outside the Five, Nine and Fourteen Eyes.

Nobody has audited TorGuard in more than a decade. Its evidence is conduct: when roughly twenty-five studios sued, it settled in March 2022 by blocking BitTorrent on its US servers, rather than keeping logs. VPNetworks LLC runs it from Orlando, inside the Five Eyes. Our audit tracker and our no-logs guide explain how to weigh each.

ProviderNo-logs auditsAuditorJurisdiction
NordVPN6PwC, DeloittePanama
Surfshark2DeloitteNetherlands (9 Eyes)
ExpressVPN3KPMG (28 security reports in total)British Virgin Islands, Kape-owned
CyberGhost3DeloitteRomania, Kape-owned
PureVPN4KPMGBVI, operated from Pakistan
IPVanish2Leviathan, SchellmanUnited States (Five Eyes), Ziff Davis-owned
Windscribe1Packetlabs, production infrastructureCanada (Five Eyes); Greek case dismissed, no data to give
Proton VPN5SecuritumSwitzerland, moving infrastructure to EU
Private Internet Access3DeloitteUnited States (Five Eyes), Kape-owned
Mullvad10+Cure53, Assured ABSweden (14 Eyes)
TunnelBearAnnual since 2017Cure53Canada (Five Eyes), US parent
Norton VPN2VerSpriteUnited States (Five Eyes)
Hotspot Shield0protocol audited, policy notUnited States (Five Eyes)
AirVPN0none — the client is open source insteadItaly (14 Eyes)
IVPN8, annual since inceptionCure53Gibraltar (status disputed)
Hide.me1 modern, in 2024Securitum, though one source names Altius ITMalaysia (outside the alliances)
PrivadoVPN0none in six years of operationIceland (moved from Switzerland, 2026)
TorGuard0none; settled a lawsuit without disclosing recordsUnited States (Five Eyes)
FastestVPN1, in 2023Altius ITCayman Islands (outside the alliances)
StrongVPN0none in over two decadesUnited States (Five Eyes), Ziff Davis-owned
VyprVPN1, in 2018Leviathan Security, before the 2023 saleUnited States (Five Eyes), Certida-owned since 2023
PrivateVPN0none; support says there is nothing to auditSweden (14 Eyes), ownership disputed
ZoogVPN0none; support describes one as plannedGreece (outside the alliances), run from Ukraine
Malwarebytes Privacy VPN1, in 2026X41 D-Sec, white-box over two monthsUnited States (Five Eyes), runs AzireVPN infrastructure
Astrill0—Disputed: Seychelles or Liechtenstein
TorGuard vs FastestVPN on privacy: audit, legal record, jurisdiction and ownership

TorGuard vs FastestVPN on Price

FastestVPN sells a lifetime plan, reported at $23, $35 and $40 within about a year. A lifetime plan lasts as long as the company does, so treat it as money spent, as our lifetime VPN guide explains.

TorGuard’s Standard plan is reported at $4.27 to $10.99 a month, with streaming on a higher tier and dedicated IPs sold separately. Over any long period it costs more than FastestVPN’s lifetime price.

See TorGuard Plans →
Stealth servers and dedicated IPs

TorGuard vs FastestVPN on Features

Port forwarding: both include it. Our port forwarding guide lists the few other providers that still do.

Torrenting: TorGuard blocks BitTorrent on its US servers since the 2022 settlement; its other servers allow it. FastestVPN has no such block. Our torrenting guide covers the options.

Restrictive networks: TorGuard’s Stealth VPN servers and Stealth Proxy disguise VPN traffic, and GreatFirewallGuide scored it at 78% in China. Our obfuscation guide explains the approach.

Dedicated IPs: central to TorGuard’s appeal, sold as add-ons. Our dedicated IP guide explains who needs one.

Devices and network: FastestVPN allows ten, with reports of fifteen on its higher lifetime tier, across about 800 servers in 49 countries. TorGuard runs about 3,000 servers.

TorGuard vs FastestVPN on price, port forwarding, torrenting, stealth servers and network

What Each One Lacks

FastestVPN lacks a recent audit and a clear owner. Its lifetime plan also depends on the company surviving, and its split tunnelling is missing on macOS.

TorGuard lacks an audit, open apps and US torrenting, and its interface is the recurring complaint in reviews.

Neither is a speed or streaming leader. For those, our speed guide and our Netflix guide point to stronger options.

Which One

FastestVPN for the lowest long-term cost, a base outside the alliances and an audit behind it, bought as money spent. Astrill vs FastestVPN covers the same choice from another angle.

TorGuard for stealth servers, dedicated IPs and use on restrictive networks, if you accept an unaudited provider. NordVPN vs FastestVPN and TorGuard vs Astrill cover each against another rival.

Which to choose in TorGuard vs FastestVPN: FastestVPN for price and jurisdiction, TorGuard for stealth and dedicated IPs

How We Research

FastestVPN’s audit, lifetime price range, network and features come from our FastestVPN review and tables, and TorGuard’s settlement, ownership, price range and features from our TorGuard review. The China score comes from GreatFirewallGuide’s April 2026 review of TorGuard. We do not run our own tests. Our full approach lives on the About Us page.

TorGuard vs FastestVPN FAQ

Is FastestVPN better than TorGuard?

In TorGuard vs FastestVPN, FastestVPN rates slightly higher, 3.7 against 3.1, thanks to its audit, Cayman base and lifetime price. TorGuard is stronger on stealth servers and dedicated IPs.

Do both offer port forwarding?

Yes, both include it. TorGuard blocks BitTorrent on its US servers since 2022; FastestVPN has no such block.

Has either been audited?

FastestVPN once, by Altius IT in 2023. Nobody has audited TorGuard, though it settled a studio lawsuit in 2022 without disclosing customer records.

Which is cheaper?

FastestVPN, whose lifetime plan has been reported at $23 to $40. TorGuard’s Standard plan is reported at $4.27 to $10.99 a month.

Which works better in China?

TorGuard has the published evidence: GreatFirewallGuide scored it at 78% in April 2026. We have no comparable figure for FastestVPN.

The Verdict

TorGuard vs FastestVPN is close, and it turns on what you need. FastestVPN offers an audit, an offshore base and a very low lifetime price. TorGuard offers stealth tools, dedicated IPs and a record under legal pressure.

For most budget buyers who want port forwarding, FastestVPN is the simpler choice. For restrictive networks or dedicated IP work, TorGuard is the better tool.

Read Our FastestVPN Review →
The lifetime plan, the audit, and the risk
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