BTGuard Review (2024)

BTGuard has experienced varying levels of performance, with some consumers reporting issues. As of now, it remains a niche provider with a limited number of server locations in Canada, Singapore, and the Netherlands. The service supports PPTP and OpenVPN protocols and offers satisfactory speeds.

Features

Established in 2008 in Canada, BTGuard is operated by Netcrawled LLC, which has since transitioned to US jurisdiction. The VPN supports PPTP configurations on various platforms, including Windows, Mac, Ubuntu, iOS, Android, routers, and Tomato devices.

For users preferring OpenVPN with 256-bit encryption, BTGuard provides configuration files compatible with the open-source OpenVPN program. Detailed installation and setup guides are available on their website, covering Windows, Mac, Linux, Ubuntu, Android, routers, ChromeOS, iOS, and Tomato devices.

It is important to differentiate between configuration guides for different Windows versions, as using incorrect files may prevent connectivity. OpenVPN’s settings are relatively basic, and users must enter their credentials for each server individually upon first connection. Troubleshooting may involve examining log files. Users seeking a more straightforward setup might consider alternative solutions.

The provider’s website appears outdated, with the support section last updated in 2015. Navigational issues are evident, such as having multiple login links with inconsistent functionality. The user dashboard is minimalistic, offering only basic options like password changes.

BTGuard’s service is quite basic, offering P2P torrenting freedom, OpenVPN support, and 256-bit encryption without advanced features like customization options, dedicated software, or a kill switch.

Pricing

BTGuard offers two paid plans:

1. VPN Service: Priced at $9.95 per month, $27.95 for three months, $49.95 for six months, and $89.95 annually. It includes support for PPTP and OpenVPN, 256-bit encryption, unlimited download speeds, and 10Gbit servers in Canada, the Netherlands, and Singapore. Manual configuration is required for Windows, Mac, and Linux devices as there is no native software available.
2. Proxy Service: Available at $6.95 per month, $19.95 for three months, $34.95 for six months, and $59.95 annually. This plan includes a customized BitTorrent client and supports setting up proxies for uTorrent, BitTorrent, and Vuze clients.

Payment methods include PayPal and credit cards, with Bitcoin reportedly no longer accepted despite its mention on the website.

BTGuard does not offer a trial period or refund policy, which may be off-putting to potential users. This lack of flexibility, combined with the absence of live support, contributes to a perception of BTGuard as a service with limited accessibility and value.

Performance

Speed tests for BTGuard showed acceptable speeds across its server locations. Initial results were satisfactory:

• Canadian Server:

• Netherlands Server:

• Singapore Server:

Despite these speeds being above average for 256-bit encrypted OpenVPN connections, this VPN is not the fastest I’ve tested; however, it is still quite functional.

Regarding my security assessments, BTGuard did not exhibit any DNS leaks.

However, its Singaporean servers were blocked by my preferred WebRTC test site, necessitating the use of an alternative service to check for WebRTC leaks.

No IPv6 leaks were detected.

Unfortunately, there is limited information available here. With servers located in the Netherlands, Singapore, and Canada, BTGuard VPN Service is able to access only a fraction of the streaming services I typically evaluate. It does not provide access to popular platforms such as Netflix US, BBC iPlayer, HBO US, Channel 9, or other preferred streaming services.

Privacy and Security

While I favor concise legal documents over lengthy and convoluted legalese, BTGuard’s Privacy Policy is excessively brief and ambiguous.

The company claims to maintain a strict no-logs policy; however, its Privacy Policy indicates the collection of personal information without specifying what data is collected or the purposes for which it is used. This lack of clarity undermines trust and is compounded by the fact that the policy has not been updated since 2011.

The Terms of Service are difficult to locate and are only available at checkout. Aside from the acceptable use policy, the document lacks substantive details, including information on the company’s jurisdiction. This lack of transparency is particularly concerning given that the target audience includes torrent users, as neither Canadian nor US jurisdictions are favorable for those engaged in torrenting copyrighted material.

While the company asserts that it does not log IP addresses or usage, there is no information regarding the logging of connection data, such as connection times or bandwidth usage.

In terms of security, the use of OpenVPN with 256-bit encryption is robust, whereas PPTP is not considered secure.