Avast SecureLine VPN vs CyberGhost in 2023

Many people know about Avast because of their antivirus software. But the company has made a lot of different online security products, including a VPN. On the other side, we have CyberGhost, which started from a VPN and has only begun adding new products to its security suite.

Avast SecureLine VPN has 700+ servers in 34+ countries. It uses the OpenVPN and IPSec tunneling protocols, and pricing starts at $3.75/month. Meanwhile, CyberGhost has 10218+ servers in 100+ countries. It has WireGuard, OpenVPN, and IKEv2 as tunneling protocol options, and can be purchased for $2.03/month. Both VPNs use AES-256 encryption and have kill switch features.

This is only the tip of this Avast VPN vs Cyberghost iceberg since there are plenty of other factors to consider. I’ll go over many categories, including speed, security, privacy, streaming, torrenting, device compatibility, and much more. After that, I’ll tally the results, and we’ll see which VPN is superior.

Highlights

Speed

Normally I’d look at the Avast VPN vs CyberGhost speeds through our VPN speed test, but the former is not implemented there yet. For now, manual tests with the Ookla speed testing tool will do. I’ll compare CyberGhost’s WireGuard protocol vs Avast SecureLine VPNs OpenVPN protocol. The base download speed is 294 Mbps, and the upload speed is 316 Mbps.

Unsurprisingly, CyberGhost easily blazed through this round thanks to WireGuard. It fell slightly behind on download speed in the UK, but it overcame Avast SecureLine VPN everywhere else. Unless the latter starts implementing some new options for its subscribers, the popularity will continue to diminish.

Servers

Avast SecureLine VPN has 700+ servers in 34+ countries. The servers run on dedicated hardware, and the infrastructure can be easily expanded with the help of partners. There are no RAM-only servers, and some of them are dedicated to P2P.

Meanwhile, CyberGhost has over 10218 servers in 100+ countries, which I shouldn’t even compare with those of its opponent. You can see a detailed breakdown of their server infrastructure on their website. It shows the number of servers for each country, whether they are physical or virtual, and if they support P2P traffic. CyberGhost also has its own data center, from which it operates a number of NoSpy Servers. These servers are maintained solely by the CyberGhost team.

Pricing

Neither VPN has a free version, but both have free trial versions. CyberGhost is more expensive in the short term, but the additional plans make it cheaper in the long run. However, it’s still not as affordable as the cheapest VPN options. Additionally, a longer money-back guarantee period and an anonymous payment option make CyberGhost the superior choice in this category.

Avast SecureLine VPN pricing

You can try out Avast SecureLine VPN for 7 days, with no strings attached. After that, subscription options are either for one month or for one year:

• $4.60/month for a 1 year subscription
• $4.20/month for a 2 years subscription
• $3.75/month for a 3 years subscription

Pricing plans may differ depending on your geographical location. If you are unsatisfied with the product, there is a 30-day money-back guarantee. Payment options are credit card and PayPal only.

CyberGhost pricing

CyberGhost also has a trial period. However, it is only for 24 hours. Once those are over, you’ll have to decide on a pricing plan, which are:

• $12.99/month for a monthly subscription
• $6.99/month for 6 months
• $2.03/month for 2 years

If you’re not satisfied with the available pricing plans, it’s always possible to find better Cyberghost deals online.

A generous 45-day money-back guarantee exists as a safeguard. Plus, payment options include credit card, PayPal, and Bitcoin.

Security

The two VPN providers have some similarities, so let’s start with those. First off, both are using military-grade AES-256 encryption. Secondly, both have OpenVPN as a tunneling protocol option. And finally, they have a kill switch feature and don’t leak any DNS, IP, or WebRTC information.

In addition to OpenVPN, WireGuard and IKEv2 tunneling protocols are available for CyberGhost users. There are a bunch of other great features included, such as split tunneling for apps and websites, ad and malware blocking, and a SOCKS5 proxy. I should note that CyberGhost’s kill switch is always on and cannot be switched off.

CyberGhost also has NoSpy servers, which are fully owned and operated by the CyberGhost team in Romania. This ensures that these servers are secure from any kind of outside interference.

Avast SecureLine VPN is using the OpenVPN tunneling protocol on most of its applications. However, Apple users get IPSec for Mac and iOS. It also has the Smart VPN feature, which will automatically turn on the VPN when you need extra security.

Privacy

When it comes to privacy, CyberGhost is the more trustworthy option. It is based in Romania, outside the jurisdiction of Fourteen Eyes. It also does not log any data (verified) about you and has Bitcoin as an anonymous payment option.

Avast SecureLine VPN is based in the Czech Republic, which is also not a member of the Fourteen Eyes alliance. However, the privacy policy for this VPN is more extensive than usual. It details how much data it collects about users and who it gets shared with. In essence, Avast SecureLine VPN collects more device data than is necessary for the VPN to operate. Additionally, there are no anonymous payment options to reduce the amount of personal data attached.

Device compatibility

There is some overlap in device compatibility between Avast VPN vs CyberGhost. For starters, both have dedicated apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, and Android TV. Additionally, both have browser extensions for Chrome, Edge, and Firefox. Finally, routers can be configured to work with either VPN.

Unlike Avast SecureLineVPN, CyberGhost does not leave Linux users behind. It also has additional dedicated applications for Amazon Fire TV and Fire Stick. Lastly, a single CyberGhost subscription allows you to connect 7 devices simultaneously, while Avast SecureLine VPN only allows 5. These advantages make CyberGhost one of the best VPN services and the superior choice for device compatibility.

Streaming

As much as I tried to unblock some Netflix content with Avast SecureLine VPN, I was unsuccessful. The VPN has dedicated servers for streaming, but they were not very effective.

CyberGhost unblocked various streaming platforms, including Netflix and BBC iPlayer. Just like Avast SecureLine VPN, CyberGhost has special servers for streaming, but in this case, they worked smoothly. Plus, installing Cyberghost on Fire Stick is also a breeze. Finally, good connection speeds meant that I had no issues with load times or buffering either.

Torrenting and P2P

Once again, CyberGhost takes the lead in another category. Although the VPN does not have port-forwarding, it has dedicated P2P servers for an optimal torrenting experience. A SOCKS5 proxy is also available for added security. Lastly, split tunneling allows you to ensure a secure connection just for your torrenting app.

If you need a VPN with all of these features plus port forwarding, check out our list of Best VPNs for torrenting.

Avast SecureLine VPN does have dedicated P2P servers, but that’s where their features for torrenting end.

China

Sadly, this VPN duo is unable to get around the Great Firewall of China. Neither one has any effective features to circumvent oppressive censorship. I’d recommend looking through our best VPNs for China list if you need a VPN for this specific reason.

Customer support

Avast SecureLine VPN wins the customer support category. Paying customers get exclusive access to 24/7 live chat, while email communication is available for everyone. Naturally, troubleshooting issues yourself is also an option on their support page. Lastly, a phone line is available, but it costs extra. It’s meant for the entire security suite of Avast software and not just the VPN.

CyberGhost has almost exact customer support features, except a phone line. You can also start a live chat session without logging in to your account, which is convenient if you just have a quick question.

Best VPN by category

Avast SecureLine VPN vs CyberGhost – which is better?

In a surprising landslide, CyberGhost managed to beat Avast SecureLine VPN on almost all fronts.

The WireGuard tunneling protocol helped CyberGhost to emerge victorious in the speed competition. Plus, its server fleet is substantially larger. When it comes to pricing, both are almost identical, yet CyberGhost has two longer and cheaper plans.

Avast SecureLineVPN offers practically nothing substantial in terms of security, losing a point once again. And the fact that it’s logging more data than necessary certainly did not help. It was also behind CyberGhost in device compatibility and streaming.

CyberGhost is also the superior choice for torrenting and P2P. However, both VPNs did find common ground eventually, but only in their lack of success against Chinese censorship. Finally, Avast SecureLine VPN did manage to secure a point with their superior customer service.

Many of us are shocked that a huge company like Avast made a VPN that is so subpar. You’d think that their experience making antivirus software would give them an advantage. But for now, it’s hard to recommend Avast SecureLine VPN when CyberGhost does so many things better.

Perhaps you disagree with such a verdict? We can discuss it in the comments section below!

You may also like to read:

Avast VPN vs NordVPN
Avast VPN vs ExpressVPN
CyberGhost vs NordVPN
CyberGhost vs ExpressVPN

FAQ

Is Avast SecureLine VPN any good?

Avast SecureLine VPN is a decent VPN, but far from good. It is lacking in security features and doesn’t work particularly well at getting around geographical restrictions.

Is Avast SecureLine VPN safe?

Avast SecureLine VPN is not 100% safe. It collects some device data that is not necessary for the VPN to work. Plus, it has very few security features to improve your security.

Is CyberGhost superior to NordVPN?

Cyberghost is not better than NordVPN. Although it has slightly more servers than NordVPN, it is lacking in security and privacy features. However, this does not mean that Cyberghost is a bad VPN.

Is CyberGhost VPN safe to use?

Yes, Cyberghost VPN is safe to use. It is based in Romania, a country outside of the Five Eyes jurisdiction. It also has a good number of security features.

Is CyberGhost VPN free?

Cyberghost VPN is not free. However, it does come with a 24-hour free trial and a 45-day money-back guarantee.