Tom's Hardware Verdict
CyberGhost offers strong security, supports torrenting and gives access to Netflix on as many as 7 devices at the same time. However its performance is sometimes hurt by minor connectivity lag.
Pros
- +
Unblocks Netflix
- +
Supports connections on up to 7 devices
- +
Inexpensive
- +
45-day money-back guarantee
Cons
- -
Connection times can be slow
- -
Short free trial
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CyberGhost is a VPN provider founded in 2011 in Bucharest, Romania. Its team, catering to more than 30 million users worldwide, consists of professionals based in Romania and Germany.
With a three-year plan it offers some of the best pricing in the market. But its sometimes slow connection times may have you looking elsewhere.
CyberGhost VPN Specs
| Client Software Platforms | Windows, Mac, Android, iOS, Fire OS, Linux, Chrome, Firefox |
| Native Supported Platforms | Windows, Mac, Android, iOS, Fire OS, Linux, Chrome, Firefox, Chrome OS, routers, Raspberry Pi, VU + Solo2, Synology NAS, Virtuelle Maschine |
| Supported Protocols | OpenVPN, PPTP, L2TP, IPSec, IKEv2 |
| Number of Servers | 3,600+ |
| Number of Countries | 60+ |
| Country of Registration | Romania |
| Payment Options | Credit cards, PayPal, Bitcoin |
| Encryption Protocol | AES-256 |
| Data Usage | Unlimited |
| Bandwidth Usage | Unlimited |
| Max Number of Connected Devices | 7 |
| Customer Support | Help center, live chat, email |
| Privacy Policy | No logs |
Pricing
CyberGhost has one four pricing plans. They begin with the monthly plan that costs $12.99, continue with the 1-year plan at $5.99 per month and the 2-year subscription at $3.29 per month. Finally, the best value option is the 3-year subscription that costs $2.75 a month. An additional dedicated IP is available for $5.00 a month.
| Row 0 - Cell 0 | CyberGhost | NordVPN | Surfshark | ExpressVPN |
| 1 month | $12.99 | $11.95 | $11.95 | $12.95 |
| 3 Months | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 6 Months | N/A | N/A | N/A | $9.99/month |
| 1 Year | $5.99/month | $6.99/month | $5.99/month | $8.32/month |
| 2 Years | $3.69/month | N/A | $3.49/month | N/A |
| 3 Years | $2.75/month | $2.99/month | N/A | N/A |
You can pay for your subscription using major credit cards, PayPal and Bitcoin.
If you’re disappointed with any element of CyberGhost’s services, you can ask for a refund within 45 days of payment. Obviously, this generous 45-day money-back guarantee isn’t available if you choose the monthly option, which instead has a 14-day money-back guarantee.
There’s a one-day free trial when signing up via Windows and a 7-day free trial if you do so via an iOS platform. Android users are also eligible for a 7-day free trial and don’t even have to sign up; just download and install the app.
Features
CyberGhost has more than 3,600 servers in over 60 countries across the world. It also comes with a long list of features focused on user anonymization. These include a data compression option on Android devices, torrent filtering according to the purpose (streaming, torrenting, et cetera), as well as a solution that blocks ads, trackers and malicious websites from hampering your online experience.
The provider’s services can be installed and used on a wide array of platforms, including Windows, Mac, Android, iOS, Fire OS, Linux, Raspberry Pi, VU+ Solo 2, Chrome OS, routers and more. CyberGhost also has browser extensions for Firefox and Chrome. Clients for the major platforms can be downloaded from the website, which also has a large collection of guides, troubleshooting articles and FAQ if you need help with installation or usage.
CyberGhost facilitates access to services and websites restricted in certain regions, including streaming platforms like Netflix, BBC iPlayer, VUDU, Hulu and Amazon Prime. Although not all of the provider's servers are capable of streaming Netflix content, finding those that are is a piece of cake, thanks to the list of streaming-optimized servers for Netflix U.S. and certain localized versions.
CyberGhost also supports torrenting and even has a list of the most suitable servers for torrenting in its apps.
The provider enables simultaneous connections on up to 7 devices, which is a generous amount among VPN providers; although, some, like Surfshark, let you connect an unlimited number of devices. What’s more, if you install CyberGhost on your router, then you can connect as many devices as you want. However, make sure that your router supports this provider before making a commitment. You can’t access the same server at the same time with different devices - you have to choose a different server for each device. This rule doesn’t apply to routers as they count as one device.
In addition to a large library of product guides, troubleshooting articles, answers to FAQs and service updates, CyberGhost has a team of experts available to you 24/7. You can contact the customer support using live chat on the website or by sending an email.
Privacy
In terms of security, this VPN vendor applies the usual 256-bit AES encryption algorithm, as well as OpenVPN, IKEv2, PPTP, IPSec and L2TP transfer protocols. An essential part of every VPN service is a kill switch, and CyberGhost is no different. When activated, it blocks all internet traffic on your device if the VPN connection unexpectedly drops. This safeguards your private data from all prying eyes. Unfortunately, this mechanism isn’t available on Android or iOS; although, Android phones now come equipped with their own kill switch that you can enable with some tinkering in your device’s settings.
Android devices also have the benefit of the split tunneling option, which allows you to choose which of your apps you want to run under VPN and which you want to leave on your regular Internet connection.
CyberGhost has a special category of servers called NoSpy servers. The NoSpy system is located in Romania, a country that isn’t part of any intelligence-sharing agreements or alliances. In addition to added security, this system promises better performance in terms of speed and bandwidth, and it has backup generators that ensure it will never go down, not even if there’s a power shortage.
Your sensitive information is also protected by the company’s no logs policy. The policy states that CyberGhost has no intention to monitor or store any kind of traffic data, connection logs, or IP addresses when using its platform.
Every year since 2011 the company publishes a transparency report, which lists its qualities, all the DMCA complaints, malicious activity flags and police requests for data it gets that it cannot comply with as there are no logs to deliver.
Performance
CyberGhost delivers very good performance, although not as great as some of the other VPN services out there.
Download speeds were excellent, though sometimes they suffered some latencies for servers further away from your device’s location.
Connection times were also a bit longer than with some competitors. It could take up to 30 seconds while, for example NordVPN, usually takes around 15 seconds. But this didn't affect the overall experience terribly.
Bottom Line
CyberGhost is an affordable VPN service that offers all the qualities that most users demand. It enables access to many geo-limited services, allows torrenting and effectively hides your identity and protects your data with premium privacy mechanisms. Furthermore, its 7-device per account limit is generous one.
As disadvantages are concerned, we only had slight issues with the platform’s performance and short free trial periods.
Image Credits: CyberGhost
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