CyberGhost is a solid-budget VPN, pushing its focus on security as its greatest feature. While it doesn’t have all the bells and whistles that other VPNs have, it’s by no means outdated or bad. In this article, we will share our review on this VPN provider.
In fact, this hyper-focused design choice means CyberGhost is great at what it sets out to do, while still being decent at everything else. It’s a simple, down-to-earth VPN that performs well and keeps you safe.
CyberGhost: Quick Expert Summary
Security here is among the best available, with military-grade encryption and features that go the extra mile. Performance is good, though nothing to write home about while streaming, torrenting and gaming work well thanks to the dedicated servers optimized to those functions. CyberGhost runs into some hitches in terms of censorship, and being blocked in certain countries, but outside of that, it holds up.
- WireGuard – WireGuard is one of the best VPN protocols, providing top-notch security and some of the best speeds among VPN services.
- Split Tunneling – Reroute specific traffic through your VPN, allowing users to make use of their normal IP and wireless peripherals.
- NoSpy Servers – Self-maintained servers from CyberGhost that sport top-end hardware, better security and excellent performance.
- Optimized Servers – Servers optimized for specific purposes, be it P2P connections to facilitate smoother torrenting or streaming servers for specific sites that make for better viewing experiences.
- CyberGhost Security Suite – An antivirus and security suite that integrates with CyberGhost VPN to provide holistic protection to your devices.
Where CyberGhost truly lags behind is in its iOS application, which isn’t nearly as fully fledged as its desktop and Android counterparts. Still, despite these shortcomings, CyberGhost is absolutely worth a look, mainly due to how it undercuts so much of the competition in terms of pricing. Its practically unbeatable value paired with good performance and great security makes it a solid option for the budget-conscious user.
CyberGhost VPN Full Review
CyberGhost VPN puts all its focus on privacy and the ability for its users to stay anonymous while using. With a strict no-logs policy and the ability to pay for subscriptions in cryptocurrency that keeps you anonymous, the company’s done a good job sticking to this ideal. In a world that’s becoming more conscious of internet security, CyberGhost’s proposition is attractive.
Of course, this by itself isn’t necessarily a big selling point. Most, if not all VPNs pride themselves on ensuring their users’ security and safety online. For a VPN to truly push past the competition and stand out, it needs to sit above its competition one way or another. The question then is, does CyberGhost manage to achieve this, especially with so many competitors around? Read on to find out in our full review of CyberGhost VPN.
CyberGhost VPN Quick Specification Rundown
Server Count | 8900+ Servers |
Server Countries | 91 Countries |
Base Location | Romania |
Max Device Count | 7 |
Supported Protocols | WireGuard, OpenVPN, IPSec, IKEv2 |
Key Features | WireGuard Protocol, Split tunnelling, NoSpy servers, Kill switch |
Customer Support Options | Knowledgebase, Live Chat Support, Email Support |
Supported Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux, Android TV, Amazon Fire TV Android, iOS, PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, Routers |
CyberGhost VPN Features
When it comes to features, CyberGhost is surprisingly barren. CyberGhost tends to sell itself on its security features and solid bases, but it lacks completely unique features to help it stand out. What few extra features available can be found on competing VPNs as well. As mentioned before, CyberGhost is laser-focused on its security promises, and it doesn’t care much for other options.
- WireGuard Protocol – WireGuard serves as the industry-standard protocol when it comes to VPNs, and for good reason. Not only is it blazing fast, but it’s also incredibly secure, making it the go-to choice for the best VPN providers.
- Split Tunneling – With split tunnelling, you can reroute your traffic to either your normal IP address or through your VPN. It’s a feature that comes in handy when you have wireless peripherals like printers that require your normal IP address to work. The caveat however is that this is unfortunately only available on Android and Fire TV.
- NoSpy Servers – An opt-in package available to CyberGhost subscribers. NoSpy servers are owned, operated and maintained by CyberGhost themselves, with top-end hardware and excellent performance. They boost your performance significantly, making them a good investment.
- Optimized Servers – Many CyberGhost servers are built and optimized to support specific functions. It makes common VPN uses like streaming, torrenting and gaming more consistent and stable.
- CyberGhost Security Suite – Another opt-in for CyberGhost, the security suite is an antivirus and malware prevention application. It works in tandem with CyberGhost VPN to offer top-notch security and protection from every type of online threat imaginable. Works surprisingly well!
CyberGhost keeps things simple, which can often be a plus point for certain users. Where some users may find the lack of features makes CyberGhost less of a bargain, if all you need is a solid VPN that performs fine, you’d probably find all the extra features frivolous anyway.
CyberGhost VPN Privacy & Security
CyberGhost’s greatest strength is its privacy and security settings, but does it live up to its promises? Things start off strong, with 256-bit AES military-grade encryption, practically a must-have when it comes to security-focused VPNs. Dig deeper into the applications, and you’ll find options to block ads and trackers as well. It’s nothing fancy, but incredibly functional and useful.
CyberGhost VPN also offers the aforementioned NoSpy servers, special servers optimized to produce the best performance and security possible. While they’re opt-in, they work well and don’t cost all that much to add on. Finally, we’ve got the CyberGhost Security Suite, the company’s own antivirus and security program that works shockingly well in protecting your devices, though it’s also an opt-in.
CyberGhost VPN Keep Logs?
No, we can confidently say CyberGhost does not keep logs of your information, thanks to the painstaking lengths they’ve gone to ensure this. For starters, they have a strict no-logging policy that’s been independently audited by Deloitte. For those not in the know, Deloitte is one of the big four global auditors, so this inspires a lot of confidence in CyberGhost’s security.
It’s important to note that CyberGhost has an option for you to send over anonymous data to them. They take this information to help with the development of their apps and service, and they’re quite transparent with what data they’re taking. Thankfully, users are given the option to opt-in to this, so if you’re not comfortable with it you can choose to not send any data to CyberGhost.
CyberGhost VPN Speed & Performance
CyberGhost hits good speeds with WireGuard, hitting a respectable peak of 730Mbps. With so many servers all around the world, it should come as no surprise that connections are smooth and stable. It matches speeds from options like IPVanish and NordVPN, while lagging slightly behind the fastest choices like PIA and Surfshark, though it’s still a respectable performance.
CyberGhost VPNProtocol Speed Comparison
CyberGhost VPN Protocol | Peak Speed |
WireGuard | 730Mbps |
OpenVPN | 380Mbps |
Over on the OpenVPN side of things, CyberGhost manages 380Mbps, which is pretty solid for the old protocol. Considering how many VPNs absolutely fail when it comes to OpenVPN speeds, we’re pleasantly surprised to find good numbers here. So, when it comes to performance, CyberGhost doesn’t lead the pack, but it’s still respectable.
CyberGhost VPN Servers & IP Addresses
With over 8900 servers in 91 countries, CyberGhost stands over its competition. No matter where you are, there’s a high chance that there’s a CyberGhost server near you that works best. On top of this, CyberGhost also has several servers dedicated to single functions. Many of its streaming servers exist purely to give you the best streaming service, while others are primarily for P2P connections and torrenting.
It’s an interesting approach to running a VPN service, and it surprisingly works pretty well. Because of how many servers there are, connections are also pretty smooth and stable. If you’re looking for even better performance and security, however, CyberGhost’s special NoSpy servers give you the boost you need. In conclusion, CyberGhost has a lot of servers, and they make great use of them.
CyberGhost VPN Streaming Support
When it comes to streaming, CyberGhost has special servers in place for unblocking the US Netflix library. In testing, it works pretty flawlessly, never failing to unblock the site, though page load times can be a bit slow. When it comes to actually streaming the content, however, CyberGhost is fantastic, with no buffering issues or sudden drops in playback quality.
This also applies to other popular streaming sites like HBO Max, Disney+, and Amazon Prime Video, which all work effortlessly on the VPN. Specialized servers are prepared for every site, so even streaming services like BBC iPlayer ran great. Overall, it’s hard to find flaws with CyberGhost as a streaming VPN, especially considering that it works even better than many of its competitors.
CyberGhost VPN Torrenting Support
CyberGhost is a fairly good VPN for torrenting files and such. We have 61 specialized servers for P2P file sharing, which means torrent downloads are stable and smooth. Despite this, the download and upload speeds tend to be pretty average. It still matches most other VPN services, so it’s by no means bad, it’s simply not a pack leader when it comes to torrenting.
CyberGhost VPN Gaming Support
Like most VPNs, CyberGhost works well for gamers who want an extra layer of safety in games. CyberGhost lets you get past any form of ISP throttling, and the sheer number of servers means your connection stays stable throughout your gaming sessions. On top of the standard protection from DDoS attacks, there’s also the ability to bypass IP bans which we’re sure some users will find useful.
CyberGhost VPN Bypassing Censorship
If you’re looking to bypass censorship in your country, CyberGhost works fine. It bypasses censorship blocks without issue, but CyberGhost finds issues in other places. If you’re in a restrictive country that doesn’t agree with the use of VPNs, then CyberGhost isn’t an option for you. This includes China, Saudi Arabia and Turkey, so if you’re in these countries, you’re going to need to look elsewhere for a VPN.
CyberGhost VPN Plans & Pricing
One of CyberGhost’s best strengths is its low cost compared to other VPN services. It serves as the crux of CyberGhost’s sales model, offering best-in-class security for prices that undercut the competition. While the monthly plans aren’t exactly modest at $12.99 a month, going with a 6-month plan reduces the cost to a mere $6.99 a month. The best value however lies in the 2-year plan, where the cost gets drastically slashed to $2.03 a month, a ridiculously good deal.
CyberGhost VPN Plans and Pricing
Package Type | Monthly | 6-month Plan | 2-year Plan |
CyberGhost VPN | $12.99/month | $41.94/ 6-months ($6.99/month) | $56.94/ 2 years ($2.03/month) |
In our eyes, if you plan to invest in CyberGhost, there’s no reason to pick anything other than the 2-year plan. It’s not a big jump in price from the 6-month plan, and at $2.03 a month, it’s practically unbeatable in value. There’s also a 45-day money-back guarantee for the 2-year and 6-month plans, just in case something doesn’t meet your standards.
Does CyberGhost VPN Have A Free Trial?
Yes, CyberGhost does offer a free trial, though it’s a little different from the standard. On a desktop, you can sign up and use CyberGhost for free for a total of 24 hours. Despite the short testing period, you’re still receiving a gimped version of the service, with limited access to features. We don’t really see a point to this, as all it does is encourage people to use the money back guarantee as a trial instead.
Thankfully, over on mobile, things are a bit more up to par. Instead of the weird 24-hour limit, you get a whole week to test out the VPN and find any holes in its service. Strangely, while you don’t need to sign up to use the service on an Android device, it’s mandatory for iOS users. We’d like to see a greater degree of standardization between all versions of the app in the future.
CyberGhost VPN Ease of Use: Mobile & Desktop Apps
Installation is as simple as they come for both versions of CyberGhost. The desktop installation doesn’t demand much from the user. Simply follow the instructions given as you usually would with any application, and CyberGhost will be on your desktop in no time. The same applies to CyberGhost on mobile, just install the application from your app store and open it as usual.
CyberGhost’s desktop application is visually clean and incredibly easy to use. Where CyberGhost lacks in features, it makes up for in server count and information. Every single server listing comes with details on its current capacity, average speeds and stability. Once you find a server you like, you can favourite it so you’ll always be able to find it.
That’s not to say there aren’t any features of course. Dig a little deeper, and you’ll find options to block ads and trackers, which are always nice to have. There’s also a unique feature called ‘Smart Rules,’ which allows you to automate processes like launching other applications when you connect to a specific server. Of course, split tunnelling makes an appearance here, and everything works well.
Over on mobile, the Android client carries all the same extras and goodies you’ll find on a desktop, which is always great to see. We’re particularly happy to find WireGuard support on the Android application instead of the usual OpenVPN. Unfortunately, iOS users aren’t as lucky, as their version of the app comes with a lot fewer bells and whistles that sour the experience.
Overall, the desktop and Android versions of CyberGhost are easy to use, while still offering a fair level of customizability and functionality through their clients. Every feature works well, and the interface is clean, clear, and concise. The only sore spot is the iOS application being left behind in terms of features, though that’s unfortunately common with iOS versions of apps.
CyberGhost VPN Customer Support
When it comes to customer service, CyberGhost offers all the usual avenues of help. There’s a knowledge base, 24/7 live chat support, and good old email support. The knowledgebase thankfully has a search bar, so looking up specific help is easy enough. In terms of the actual guides themselves, however, things can get a bit too technical sometimes, making these not all that helpful for new users.
It’s good then that the live chat is snappy, kind and efficient, solving most problems pretty quickly. If you so choose, you can also drop an email with your problem for support, though do keep in mind it might take a while to solve. Overall, CyberGhost doesn’t offer exceptional customer service, but it’s more than good enough for most users.
Is CyberGhost VPN Good in 2024?
CyberGhost VPN is excellent in what it’s trying to achieve, and fairly average at everything else. It performs well, achieves top-notch security and costs much less than many similarly performing VPNs. At the same time, it doesn’t get many flashy features, it’s not the greatest performing VPN on the market, and it lags behind when it comes to its iOS mobile app.
But, we’d still say CyberGhost VPN is worth getting, especially with its 2-year plan ultimately costing $2.03 a month. That’s practically unbeatable value for a VPN, especially one as consistently solid as this. If you’re looking to bypass censorships in certain countries or would prefer a more fully feature-fledged VPN, you might want to look elsewhere. Otherwise, CyberGhost is a solid, no-frills choice.