You may have seen these two VPN services on a number of “top 10 VPNs” lists and may be wondering: CyberGhost vs ExpressVPN – which is the better option? While we could accurately tell you “it depends,” we’re going to actually help you decide by throwing these two VPN solutions into the ring to fight it out.
In this CyberGhost vs ExpressVPN comparison, each contestant will get seven chances to knock out its opponent. We’ll see how these two stack up in the areas of speed, performance, security and privacy, support for Netflix, P2P, and Torrenting, ease of use, compatibility, support, and pricing.
Without further ado, let’s see how the first round of this CyberGhost vs ExpressVPN comparison plays out.
Security and privacy
The main job of any VPN service is to keep you safe and anonymous on the internet. Both solutions put up a decent fight for this round. CyberGhost features AES 256 encryption as does ExpressVPN and both offer kill switches and no logs policies.
CyberGhost’s no logs claim, however, leaves something to be desired as the company actually collects anonymous data about connections and sends it to MixPanel, a third party. Making matters worse, there’s even more third-party exposure on the website which even has a Facebook pixel on it.
Also, while CyberGhost is registered in a VPN-friendly country – Romania, it’s owned by the not-so-trustworthy UK company Kape Technologies. ExpressVPN, on the other hand, raises no such concerns over privacy as it’s registered in the British Virgin Islands and has a proven track record of not keeping any logs whatsoever.
This first round, a very important one, is quickly taken by ExpressVPN.
Speed and performance
While the speed and performance of these VPN solutions may vary based on your location, the winner of this round should deliver better results most of the time. So which one is it?
If we consider the raw stats, both VPNs boast solid numbers. With 3,000+ servers across 94 countries and 3,700+ servers in about 60 countries, ExpressVPN and CyberGhost, respectively, offer solid speeds and performance in many locations. However, CyberGhost’s coverage of East Asia and Africa is poor meaning that you’re going to have to endure slower speeds if you live in those areas.
CyberGhost is rapidly growing its server fleet, which is good. For now, though, ExpressVPN delivers better speeds and reliable performance in more locations.
Ease of use and compatibility
CyberGhost vs ExpressVPN – which one is easier to use? Well, you’ll probably only care much about the answer to this question if you’re new to VPNs. The truth is, both are dead simple to set up and use. They both offer intuitive UIs on their clients for the major platforms.
ExpressVPN and CyberGhost both have apps for Windows, Mac, Android, iOS, Linux, and routers. In addition, ExpressVPN offers browser extensions for Chrome, Firefox, and even Safari. CyberGhost does too, with the exception of Safari. In all, both options are evenly matched in this round.
Torrenting and P2P
Moving on to a more important round, how do these services handle torrenting and P2P file sharing activities? Both support torrenting and neither block or throttle P2P traffic. The only major issue with CyberGhost may be its speed. It also only allows torrenting on some servers.
ExpressVPN, on the other hand, allows P2P traffic on all servers, has no bandwidth limit, and delivers excellent speeds for torrenting. So while this is a close round, ExpressVPN comes out on top thanks to it’s faster speeds.
Netflix and China
Need a VPN to enable you to watch Netflix from any location? ExpressVPN is one of the best tools for this job. It delivers consistent geo-unblocking and fast speeds. While CyberGhost may get the job done in most cases, geo-unblocking can be inconsistent and the speeds are average.
When it comes to dealing with the Great Firewall of China, both VPNs actually do a good job. ExpressVPN works reliably in China and you can download it while there from their .onion page. CyberGhost, on the other hand, doesn’t have a .onion site which makes it difficult to access the service in China, as the regular site is blocked. It also lacks an answer to China’s Deep Packet Inspection (DPI).
While both options work with Netflix and China, ExpressVPN is the better option for both and wins this round.
Customer support
In the area of customer support, CyberGhost actually performs very well. It not only offers self-help resources including a Troubleshooter and an FAQ but also provides a 24/7 live chat function. Not to be outdone, ExpressVPN matches its competitor in all those areas and also offers support tickets and email support.
So who wins this round? We’ll call this one a draw as both options deliver pretty good customer support. That said, ExpressVPN does have a more robust self-help section compared to CyberGhost’s offering but not enough to earn it a cut out win.
Pricing
We’ll state it clear and simple: ExpressVPN isn’t cheap. The plans start at $12.95 for 1 month and come down to $8.32/month if you choose a 1-year plan. All plans allow for simultaneous use on up to 5 devices. There’s no free version and no free trial for the desktop apps. There is, however, 30-day money back guarantee for all plans.
While CyberGhost starts at a slightly higher $12.99 per month for a 1-month plan, you can get for as low as $2.75/month if you opt for a 3-year plan. Such a plan comes with a 45-day money back guarantee and there is also a 7-day free trial which enables you to make a better-informed decision after testing the service for a week.
If getting a good bargain is a major priority for you, then CyberGhost does end up costing considerably less if you opt for the longer plans. Its longer 45-day money back guarantee and the free trial offering enables it to win this late round.
CyberGhost vs ExpressVPN – which is better?
If you’ve been following the action, you’re likely no longer wondering what the answer to that question is. After winning 4 rounds, drawing 2 and losing 1 to CyberGhost, ExpressVPN is the clear winner of this fight. If you care more about security, privacy, speed and performance, ExpressVPN is one of the best options to consider.
If, on the other hand, you simply want an affordable VPN that’s easy to use and supports Netflix and torrenting, CyberGhost will serve you just fine. We hope you’ve enjoyed this CyberGhost vs ExpressVPN comparison. If you’d love to learn more about these two services, check out our full reviews linked below.
ExpressVPN is a little bit expensive in my opinion although I agree it has great features. However, I think that NordVPN is a good competitor for Express VPN, if someone is looking for a VPN provider that is as good as ExpressVPN, but cheaper.