CyberGhost VPN Review – Pros & Cons

CyberGhost VPN is one of the best VPN services in 2023, especially since adding the next-gen WireGuard protocol and its very own private browser. This VPN is cheap, reliable, and user-friendly. With CyberGhost, you get some of the fastest speeds, unrestricted torrenting, military-grade encryption, and an audited no-logs policy.

What’s more, this user-friendly VPN has 9700 servers in 91 countries, and includes specialized streaming servers that unblock Netflix and other popular platforms.

Continue reading for a more in-depth analysis of every aspect of CyberGhost VPN. But if you’re already convinced, grab CyberGhost, now 84% OFF!

Overview

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CyberGhost VPN speed overview

To see how CyberGhost VPN speeds change in time, we decided to run some tests. Below are the average download and upload speeds that we’ve got when connecting to Germany, the US, and Australia. Our baseline connection was 255 Mbps.

CyberGhost 14-Day Speed Average

01.18 – 02.01

Looking at the results, it’s clear that CyberGhost VPN is rarely among the Top 5. However, it still provides fast download, especially in the US. The situation should change dramatically when you switch from OpenVPN protocol to WireGuard, though.

Overall, I can conclude that CyberGhost offers decent speeds across the globe, but I’m aware that results may vary using a different connection. On the other hand, when a service has one of the largest server lists, you shouldn’t have connectivity issues no matter where you are.

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CyberGhost VPN servers

CyberGhost VPN has 9700+ servers in 91+ countries. That’s a pretty huge list, beating the likes of Surfshark, NordVPN, and ExpressVPN. On the CyberGhost website, you can also get a server recommendation based on your needs, such as streaming, anonymity, or fast and secure downloads.

One thing to bear in mind is that virtual servers operate together with physical servers, which often mean faster speeds. However, CyberGhost VPN doesn’t hide this fact – you can find the list of virtual locations on their website, along with the P2P-optimized and streaming servers. Besides, the majority of providers still use virtual servers in less popular areas.

Lastly, it’s worth mentioning that CyberGhost VPN also offers NoSpy servers. They are located in Romania and are owned by CyberGhost themselves. These servers give you better speeds, security, and anonymity. Their price is $0.84/month, billed annually.

Server locations

As you can see from the table below, CyberGhost has serious global coverage. The only continent without their servers is Antarctica.

Compared to our #1 service in NordVPN, this provider has fewer server locations in the Americas and the Asia Pacific but way more in Europe and MENA region.

Plans and pricing: is CyberGhost a good deal?

If you opt for a long-term subscription, CyberGhost is actually a great deal with low prices. It also offers plenty of extras – combining them can give you a full online security suite. Also, don’t forget to check our CyberGhost coupons page for the latest deals in 2023.

Here are the pricing plans you can choose from:

• 1-month plan – $12.99/month
• 6-months plan – $6.99/month
  
• 2-years + 4 months plan – $2.03/month

You can get a dedicated IP address in the US, the UK, Canada, Germany, France, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Singapore, Japan, or Australia starting from $2.50/month.

Windows users can also grab a full Security Suite that includes Antivirus and Security Updater for as low as $1.00/month.

All pricing plans offer the same features, including seven simultaneous connections and a generous 45-day money-back guarantee (14 days for a 1-month subscription). This refund policy works very well – I had no problems with it.

There’s also a 24-hour CyberGhost free trial for Windows and Mac users that requires no credit card. The same applies to the Android’s 3-day and iPhone’s 7-day options.

The free trial has all the features available to paying customers and will give you a good sense of what you’re getting into without the need to enter your credit card details or other personal info. This is a substantial advantage over many premium VPN services that sport only money-back guarantees.

CyberGhost has a list of payment methods covering all the main bases – credit card, PayPal, Amazon Pay, and Bitcoin. By choosing the latter option, you enhance your anonymity and stay as private as possible.

Is CyberGhost VPN safe?

Overall, CyberGhost is a very secure solution, primarily if you’re not relying on it to hide from the world’s top intelligence agencies. Here are some of its key security and privacy features:

• AES 256-bit encryption
• WireGuard tunneling protocol
• Kill switch
• No-logs policy
• Privacy-friendly jurisdiction

This will be more than enough for most users, and those who need something extra can add CyberGhost Security Suite with Antivirus and Security Updater. Therefore the answer to the question above is “yes, CyberGhost VPN is safe.”

In the following sections, I’ll go through the main features related to CyberGhost VPN’s privacy and security.

Encryption and tunneling protocols

CyberGhost VPN uses military-grade 256-bit AES encryption, which is the gold standard among VPNs. This cipher is practically unbreakable unless the attacker who’s trying to brute-force it has several thousand years to spare.

Currently, CyberGhost supports the following protocols:

• WireGuard
• OpenVPN
• IKEv2/IPSec

Pretty much every top-rated VPN is now implementing the next-gen WireGuard tunneling protocol, and CyberGhost VPN is among those who already did that. As a result, users can expect break-neck speeds and added protection. OpenVPN and IKEv2/IPSec protocols are currently the best alternatives to WireGuard.

I love the fact that this provider lets its users pick the tunneling protocol. You can set your Chosen One in the app’s Settings. Some users might miss L2TP/IPSec, among other options, but that’s OK because this protocol is already outdated.

All in all, CyberGhost’s encryption and protocols are the best that the VPN industry has to offer today.

IP and DNS leak protection

CyberGhost has no DNS or IP leaks. Therefore, it won’t expose your identity by leaking your IP address or DNS requests, which means your online activities will remain anonymous.

To make sure CyberGhost is leak-proof, I ran some DNS and IP leak tests by connecting to a German server – I was assigned the IP address 84.17.49.131.

After getting the CyberGhost IP address, I checked whether my IP address or any of my DNS queries were leaking. Let’s look at the results:

Above, you can see the IPs that were assigned to me by CyberGhost VPN.

My tests only prove that CyberGhost VPN’s effort to be a leak-free provider pays off. This VPN has DNS and IP leak protection feature always-on in its app.

Privacy-friendly location

CyberGhost has many offices in Europe, but it is based in Romania.

Romania has very privacy-friendly legislation without data retention laws. Also, it doesn’t belong to any intelligence-sharing alliances. Unfortunately, this VPN was bought by Kape Technologies in 2019. It’s a cybersecurity and digital protection investment company from the UK (Five Eyes).

You may not know, but Private Internet Access and ZenMate also belong to the same parent company.

If the jurisdiction wasn’t enough, Kape has been known for creating malware-like software in the past. Hence, even though CyberGhost is based in one of the best locations regarding your privacy, you should still judge it with a grain of salt due to its ownership.

CyberGhost VPN has an audited no-logs policy

It seems that being owned by Kape doesn’t stop CyberGhost VPN from having a strict no-logs policy. According to it, they do not log:

• Real IP addresses
• Assigned servers (that you log onto via their network)
• Connection timestamps
  
• Traffic data
• Conversations carried out over the CyberGhost network

Moreover, CyberGhost doesn’t merge any personally identifiable data like payment details. At the same time, the Privacy Policy states:

It’s not possible to record which account logged into which server at what time or to connect a real person to a certain CyberGhost VPN account.

This means that your data is safe whenever you turn on this VPN unless its owner decides otherwise. The kicker is that as of 2022, CyberGhost’s no-logs policy has been audited by the Big Four global firm – Deloitte. Besides it, the company also analyzed the server network and management systems. The results show that no funny business is happening behind the scenes.

Other technical features

Here are some more security and privacy features that come with CyberGhost VPN:

• Tor over VPN
• Split tunneling
• Free SOCKS5 proxy
• App Protection

With CyberGhost, you can route your online traffic through the Tor network on top of your VPN tunnel to gain an additional layer of protection. Tor compatibility is a feature offered by a few VPNs, adding to CyberGhost’s already robust security arsenal.

Moreover, those who opt for CyberGhost VPN also get split tunneling (Exceptions) and a free SOCKS5 proxy. Both features allow you to select which traffic passes through the VPN connection and which goes straight to the ISP. However, the SOCKS5 is used primarily to auto-protect your P2P traffic when you forget to turn on your VPN.

Finally, App Protection lets you choose to launch the VPN whenever you open a specific app. This is a great feature that allows you to stay protected even if you forget to turn on CyberGhost before browsing or streaming.

Pay anonymously with CyberGhost VPN

If a VPN has at least one anonymous payment option, it’s a good signal that it’s serious about its users’ privacy.

Thankfully, CyberGhost VPN offers an easy and privacy-friendly payment option via the BitPay platform. This way, you can pay for the subscription in Bitcoin.

To pay anonymously, simply go to the Pricing page on the CyberGhost VPN website and choose the desired plan. On the next screen, you’ll see three payment options. Next, click on Bitcoin, and complete your purchase anonymously.

Does CyberGhost support my device?

CyberGhost VPN offers apps for Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, iOS, Android TV, and Amazon Fire TV Stick. In addition, you might want to check out our guide on how to install CyberGhost on Fire Stick.

It has free browser extensions for Chrome and Firefox while also providing full support for routers and NAS. There’s also a Smart DNS feature that’ll let you unblock multiple streaming platforms on smart TVs, game consoles, and other devices without VPN support.

You can use CyberGhost on seven devices simultaneously for the cost of a single subscription as well.

CyberGhost VPN desktop apps: Windows, macOS, Linux

Overall, I can safely say that CyberGhost for Windows and Mac offers some of the most user-friendly apps on the market. Their design is incredibly streamlined and intuitive, making daily VPN usage a breeze. However, Apple users might want to check the best VPNs for Mac as well.

Windows

CyberGhost apps for Windows and Mac are more or less identical. Both include AES-256 encryption, WireGuard, and malware blocking. While the macOS client had a cleaner look before version 8.0, now everything on Windows is also exactly where you’d expect it.

The home screen features four main interactive elements: Power button, Settings cog-wheel, Favorite server drop-down menu, and the Arrow button, which switches between the Compact and the Expanded views.

You’ll find servers for torrenting and watching geo-blocked content in the For torrenting and For streaming sections. CyberGhost is one of the few to offer so many specialized servers to unblock Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, and other content platforms.

Privacy settings offer to block malicious websites, ads, and online tracking. Here you can also toggle DNS leak protection and automatic kill switch. For maximum protection, I recommend you turn on all three.

Below you’ll find Smart rules. That’s another set of options for app launch parameters, wi-fi protection, exceptions, and app rules. Here you can choose which apps will trigger CyberGhost connection or choose what will happen if your VPN detects a new unsecured wi-fi network.

The CyberGhost VPN tab under Settings lets you choose the protocol, disable IPv6 connections or randomize the port. Finally, you can repair your virtual network card in case there’s a VPN conflict with other software.

Mac

The CyberGhost Mac app looks similar to the Windows version but has fewer features. For example, it lacks the Make Exceptions (Split Tunneling), Use random port to connect, and NoSpy servers features.

You also won’t be able to use CyberGhost’s Security Suite, which at the moment is Windows-only.

Servers can be sorted by their distance, load percentage, name, and tagged as Favorites. The latter option also sorts servers by their purpose, i.e. general or streaming.

Linux

Like most Linux VPNs, CyberGhost doesn’t have a GUI. Installing it was a bit of a fuss, and all commands could be shorter. While the Linux version doesn’t have split tunneling and IKEv2, it offers WireGuard protocol. You can install CyberGhost on Ubuntu, Fedora, Mint, Kali, and CentOS.

CyberGhost VPN mobile apps: Android and iOS (iPhone)

CyberGhost apps for Android and iOS look outstanding – the GUI seems a perfect fit both for computers and mobile devices.

However, what’s different is that the iOS version is even less functional than macOS. All that you can do is choose the protocol and enable wifi protection.

In the meantime, the Android version of CyberGhost has grown stronger, offering almost the same set of features like the Windows client does. Even more, you can toggle Domain Fronting, MTU size, or use a random port.

Sadly, a kill switch feature is not available for mobile users. So while Android owners can benefit from the native Always-on VPN feature, iPhone and iPad users are once again left without this essential tool.

And even though stripped-down Apple apps are still the norm among most providers, here are the best VPNs for iOS for your consideration.

Android

The Android app has quite a few web protection options not present in the iOS version. Some of them are Split Tunneling, Port Randomization, Data Compression, as well as Blockers against ads, malicious websites, and online tracking.

You can find the CyberGhost Android app on Google Play or download it directly as an APK file from cyberghost.com.

iOS

The iOS app has a very limited feature package, but there’s also one that’s unavailable on Android and, in a way, compensates for some of this version’s shortcomings.

I’m talking about CyberGhost’s Private Browser, advertised in the main menu. Also available on desktop, this browser offers one-tap history removal, ad blocker, tracking protection, and other features.

Other than that, iPhone users can secure their wifi and change the security protocol. The CyberGhost iOS app is available on the App Store.

CyberGhost VPN for web browsers: Chrome and Firefox

CyberGhost has free browser extensions for both Chrome and Firefox. These extensions offer fundamental functionality and are best used to change your IP without compromising your connection speed quickly. However, they aren’t related to other CyberGhost apps and serve as advertisements for the full client.

With both browser extensions, you can access eight servers in four countries. The US, Germany, Romania, and the Netherlands offer 2 servers each.

I like both Chrome and Firefox extensions because they work even in countries that restrict VPN usage. Moreover, both of them provide you with unlimited bandwidth. Unfortunately, these add-ons won’t unblock Netflix or other streaming services.

As for the Chrome browser extension, it will instantly connect you to the fastest server nearby your actual location. If you don’t want that – no problem. You can also choose any available server yourself.

Other platforms for CyberGhost VPN

CyberGhost has apps for Android TV, Amazon Fire TV Stick devices as well.

What’s more, you can use Smart DNS to seamlessly enjoy geo-blocked video content on your smart TV, game console, Roku TV, or DD-WRT router.

You can also use CyberGhost to protect your entire home network by manually setting it up on your router. This provider works with all the routers that support the OpenVPN protocol.

You can find setup instructions for your particular router model on the official website. I must mention that their guides are both informative and clear. Screenshots will help you out in taking another step.

And, as always, when faced with an issue, be sure to chat with their helpful Support team.

Those who seek a foolproof way to use CyberGhost on a router can invest in a FlashRouter. Basically, that is a router that has CyberGhost VPN already installed.

CyberGhost for streaming

If you’re looking for an excellent provider to bypass the geo-blocks placed on your favorite films or TV series, look no further. Even though CyberGhost is not among our best streaming VPNs, its specialized servers will provide way more options other than Netflix.

Netflix

CyberGhost’s Netflix capabilities are great – the speeds are excellent, and geo-unblocking is mostly reliable across streaming platforms.

You can access the US Netflix library via specialized For streaming servers. Using these servers, you’ll have no problems accessing your chosen content in no time.

Netflix libraries in other regions are accessible as well, albeit less reliably.

In any case, Cyber Ghost VPN is one of the best VPNs for unblocking Netflix. Hence I highly recommend you give it a try.

CyberGhost for Kodi and other streaming platforms

CyberGhost VPN is one of the top VPNs for Kodi. With it, you’ll be able to access your chosen content and enjoy a reliable connection while streaming.

With CyberGhost VPN specialized streaming servers, you’ll also be able to access:

And that’s just some of the media platforms that you can access with CyberGhost VPN.

As for Hulu, it is available only to US and Japanese users. Hence I would highly recommend using the US or Japanese servers to unblock this streaming platform. If none of the CyberGhost servers work, you might take a chance on the best Hulu VPNs in 2023.

Amazon Prime Video is available in over 20 countries. However, the US library is the largest, so I recommend connecting to one of CyberGhost’s US servers. If you’re experience buffering and similar issues, you may want to try one of the best Amazon Prime Video VPNs instead.

Does CyberGhost support torrenting?

Yes, CyberGhost VPN supports torrenting.

CyberGhost’s torrenting capabilities are excellent: the service offers enough security and privacy features, has a proper distribution of P2P-optimized servers, and doesn’t block or throttle torrent traffic.

What’s more, the speeds are excellent, and CyberGhost’s no-logging policy ensures the company can’t hand over any information about you to the authorities.

Is CyberGhost a secure option for torrenters?

We know that CyberGhost allows torrenting on many servers, but that doesn’t make them a safe option for P2P downloading.

How does CyberGhost perform here? Well, the picture is mixed. Their privacy policy openly states that “We also reserve the right to disclose your Personal Data as required by law and when we believe that disclosure is necessary to protect our rights.”

Earlier in the privacy policy, the company discloses that it collects “Website usage information, such as IP address[es]” and payment details. However, this is countered by the assurance that:

Personal Data is not, at any point, associated with any kind of activity done by the user inside the CyberGhost VPN tunnel which is NOT recorded, logged, or stored at all.

Based on their privacy policy, it seems like customers can trust CyberGhost to keep details in secret. But they may still disclose valuable information to investigators, which could assist with copyright lawsuits or criminal prosecutions.

Is CyberGhost the best option for torrenting?

The actual CyberGhost client is geared for torrenting. In an unusual move among VPNs, their home screen features a special profile for “torrenting anonymously.”

This should automatically select the best torrenting server, making it unnecessary to search for the best option yourself. However, there are certain Pros and Cons you should keep in mind when torrenting with CyberGhost.

Pros

• General pro-torrenting stance
• Excellent features for torrenters, such as 256-bit AES encryption, WireGuard, no logging, a kill switch, and automatic nearby server selection
• Unlimited bandwidth
• 9700+ servers located across 91+ countries
• Romania isn’t in the Fourteen Eyes alliance
• Easy to use and attractive client with special options for torrenting
• Many CyberGhost packages deliver excellent value for money, and the company offers a 45-day money-back guarantee
• Payments can be made in cryptocurrencies, ensuring anonymous transactions

And the cons:

• Some concerns regarding how watertight the CyberGhost privacy policy is
• Speeds can vary dramatically, and users have complained of low speeds on social media forums

What’s the verdict? As far as we can tell, CyberGhost remains a good option for torrenters. But as with all VPNs, you should shop around and try every P2P option. So take advantage of CyberGhost’s guarantee and give it a try. It may be a case of love at first byte.

Support: CyberGhost VPN live chat, guides, and FAQ

CyberGhost is pretty good in customer support, especially if you compare it to the lower tier of VPN services on the market. Compared to highest-tier VPNs, CyberGhost customer service is almost as good but somewhat lacking in the self-help section.

This provider offers:

• 24/7 live chat
• Submit a request form
• How-To Guides
• Troubleshooter
• FAQ

There’s no phone support, but you can submit a request form on the website or contact live chat.

We tried asking Customer Support some questions and found that the 24/7 live chat agents are helpful, knowledgeable, and quick to reply.

We’ve encountered reports of support reps telling customers to wait for an email, but this is normal with problems that require complex solutions.

How-to guides provide instructions on dealing with the most common issues on the most popular platforms and game consoles, Kodi or Linux.

Troubleshooter addresses general questions, such as connection and speed problems or issues with the user’s account and subscription.

The FAQ answers some initial inquiries about the VPNs and CyberGhost in general, privacy, servers, P2P, and such.

Why is CyberGhost not connecting?

Due to a number of factors, it’s hard to pinpoint the main reason why CyberGhost VPN might not connect. However, you should always start by logging out and logging back into your account.

Another thing to bear in mind when opting for CyberGhost is that sometimes it may take longer to connect to a certain location. In some cases, you’ll have to wait for 2-3 minutes.

If you’re patient enough, you’ll be able to enjoy great speeds and a reliable connection. But I do understand that waiting for a VPN to connect can be frustrating, so here are some other options you can try.

What to do when Cyberghost VPN is not working:

1. Log out and log back into your account
2. Try another server location
3. Choose the tunneling protocol yourself
4. Temporarily disable your antivirus or firewall
5. Restart your computer or smartphone
6. Reinstall CyberGhost
7. Repair the virtual network card (in-app)
8. Restart or reboot your router

If you still cannot make CyberGhost work, your best bet is to contact customer support.

Does CyberGhost work in China?

CyberGhost VPN is an excellent virtual private network to use in China. However, you may also want to explore our best services for China in 2023.

With this provider, you get a handy Tor over VPN feature which is essential in providing you with an extra layer of privacy. However, you should expect your connection to get slower due to the number of relay servers needed for Tor to work.

There’s also an automatic kill switch that will save you from accidentally leaking your IP address and location.

CyberGhost videos to watch in 2023

Here you will find a video version of the CyberGhost review that covers some aspects in more detail. Additionally, this VPN is compared with ExpressVPN and Surfshark – see in which categories CyberGhost won!

Is CyberGhost a good VPN?

Yes, it is! CyberGhost is one of the most popular and one of the better VPNs on the market.

This service has a great set of features for novices – the sleek and user-friendly interface makes everything straightforward, eliminating the need to spend more time than necessary when trying to find the right server for your needs. It’s suitable for streaming and torrents and is currently one of the cheapest tools at the market’s top end.

In short, CyberGhost’s popularity is undoubtedly well-deserved – while it’s not the ideal tool for grizzled VPN enthusiasts, the vast majority of everyday users will find CyberGhost VPN an excellent service.

How CyberGhost compares to other providers

There is more than one solid VPN that competes with CyberGhost. Below are a few comparisons with the most aggressive competitors:

• CyberGhost vs ExpressVPN – is it worth paying more?
• CyberGhost vs NordVPN – why is the latter still on top?
• CyberGhost vs Private Internet Access – should you care about that huge discrepancy in server numbers?
• CyberGhost vs IPVanish – probably the toughest battle
• CyberGhost vs Hotspot Shield – can the latter offer something that CyberGhost doesn’t have?

CyberGhost FAQ

Is CyberGhost VPN free?

No, CyberGhost doesn’t offer a free plan. You can test the product out by taking advantage of their 24-hour free trial. Alternatively, you can exercise a 45-day money-back guarantee, which is probably the longest in the whole industry.

Which is better, NordVPN vs CyberGhost?

Although CyberGhost is a great VPN service, NordVPN remains unbeaten in our list of best providers in 2023. The key areas where NordVPN excels is speed, privacy, and the number of extra features. When it comes to China and other restricted countries, CyberGhost also bows to its competitor.

Is it safe to use CyberGhost?

Yes, it’s safe, provided you’re not a political refugee or a cybercriminal. CyberGhost has a privacy-friendly jurisdiction and a good no-logs policy.

Besides, you can pay anonymously for the service. But what CyberGhost really lacks in an independent audit to approve they aren’t logging anything significant.

Where is CyberGhost VPN based?

CyberGhost VPN is based in Romania, a privacy-friendly country that doesn’t belong to the Fourteen Eyes surveillance alliance.

CyberGhost VPN version history

Here’s what’s new in CyberGhost apps for Windows, macOS, and iOS.

Windows

macOS

iOS