CyberGhost VPN stands out as one of the premier VPN services available in 2024, offering robust protection for user privacy through top-tier encryption methods. With a range of specialty servers optimized for tasks like torrenting and streaming, CyberGhost ensures efficient performance for these activities. Moreover, CyberGhost’s 45-day money-back guarantee sets it apart from competitors, who typically offer only a 30-day guarantee. However, the service is not without its drawbacks. For instance, the macOS and iOS apps offer limited functionality, and overall speeds could be improved, especially considering the extensive server network.

In this comprehensive CyberGhost VPN review, we delve into its security features, logging policy, performance metrics, available features, pricing structure, and app functionality. Join us as we explore the findings of the Cybernews expert research team to determine whether CyberGhost deserves its place among the best VPNs of 2024.

CyberGhost pros and cons

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CyberGhost VPN review – key takeaways

CyberGhost provides a dependable and secure VPN experience suitable for both novices and seasoned users. It boasts a range of beneficial features, strong encryption, commendable speeds, and specialized servers for optimized performance. However, certain features, like the ad-blocker, may not function as expected, and there are lingering concerns regarding its logging policy and app permissions.

To summarize our review of CyberGhost VPN and highlight the key points:

• Security and Privacy: CyberGhost is a secure VPN with advanced encryption, an automatic kill switch and independently audited no-logs policy. However, there are still some concerns such as trackers and dangerous permissions on mobile apps, as well as its parent company’s history.
• Servers and Locations: CyberGhost has a high number of servers – 11500 servers in 100 countries. However, many of these servers are virtual, which can result in worse speed performance than with physical servers.
• Features: CyberGhost offers an abundance of useful features, including specialized servers and automation features for auto-connect and split tunneling. However, the ad-blocker is barely functional.
• Pricing: As one of the cheapest VPNs, CyberGhost offers competitive pricing plans and a 1-day, 3-day, and 7-day free trials with extended 45-day money-back guarantee.
• Speed performance: CyberGhost is a pretty fast VPN. The speeds are still enough for quality streaming, downloading, or casual browsing.
• Ease of use and apps: CyberGhost desktop and mobile apps are well-designed and intuitive (with the exception of Linux interface).
• Streaming and torrenting: CyberGhost has special servers for streaming, torrenting, and gaming, and they do the job. In our tests, unblocking streaming platforms went without any issues, and torrenting speeds were good.
• Customer support: CyberGhost customer support system is well developed – you can choose between 24/7 live chat, email support, and FAQs with guides.

Can I trust CyberGhost VPN?

For instance, in 2016, the free CyberGhost mobile app faced criticism for requiring excessive permissions, leading to it being flagged as malicious. Although the free app has since been discontinued, the current mobile app still requests a considerable number of trackers and permissions, including access to precise location information.

Additionally, CyberGhost does retain certain user data, such as hardware information, and offers law enforcement the ability to activate a limited tracking feature for specific user IP addresses. This differs from the strict no-logs, no-tracking policies of providers like NordVPN or Surfshark.

Is CyberGhost VPN safe?

CyberGhost stands out as a secure VPN option, employing AES-256 encryption, an independently audited no-logs policy, and operating from a jurisdiction known for its privacy-friendly regulations. The service also provides numerous additional security tools and supports the WireGuard protocol, known for its balance of speed and security.

With its focus on protection and enhancing browsing experiences, CyberGhost establishes itself as a premium VPN provider committed to ensuring user security.

Encryption and tunneling protocols

CyberGhost employs AES-256 and ChaCha20 encryption to maintain the security of your connection. The service is compatible with the following tunneling protocols:

• WireGuard – a next-gen tunneling protocol known for being extremely fast and secure. Most VPNs are already phasing out older options and adding support for this one. It’s nice to see that CyberGhost isn’t late to the party, with WireGuard available on all applications.
• IKEv2 – one of the older protocols, provides good compatibility with most devices. Especially good on mobile and available on CyberGhost’s iOS app.
• OpenVPN (UDP/TCP) – still the most popular VPN protocol. CyberGhost allows you to force TCP instead of UDP mode, which is the default.

Automatic kill switch

Similar to many other top-tier VPN services, CyberGhost includes a kill switch feature that can be activated within the Privacy settings tab.

During our testing, we experienced some server-related issues that led to slightly unstable connections. This provided an opportunity to evaluate CyberGhost’s kill switch feature, which we found to be reliably triggered whenever the server link was lost.

However, we were somewhat disappointed by the lack of customization options for the kill switch on a per-app basis. Additionally, it’s worth noting that the kill switch cannot be disabled on mobile devices. In comparison, NordVPN offers more flexibility with its kill switch, allowing users to enable either a system-wide or app-specific kill switch, and the mobile kill switch is optional. This means you don’t have to be connected to a VPN at all times. Therefore, there is still room for improvement in CyberGhost’s kill switch functionality, both on desktop and mobile platforms.

Privacy and logging

CyberGhost’s commitment to user privacy is evident in its policy of not logging traffic data or connection logs. This was confirmed by an independent audit conducted by Deloitte in September 2022, which also audited Surfshark.

The company’s location in Romania further enhances its privacy credentials. Despite being a member of the European Union, Romania is known for its privacy-friendly jurisdiction. In fact, data retention laws advocated by the EU were deemed unconstitutional in Romania.

CyberGhost servers and locations

In total, CyberGhost VPN boasts a vast network of around 11,500 servers spanning 100 countries, making it one of the largest server fleets among VPN providers. This surpasses competitors like NordVPN, which offers 6,200 servers across 111 countries, and PureVPN, which provides 6,500 servers in 65 locations.

Europe boasts the most comprehensive coverage from CyberGhost, followed closely by the Americas. One standout aspect of CyberGhost’s extensive server fleet is its ability to offer coverage in regions that are typically underserved by VPNs, such as Africa. However, it’s important to note that some servers are virtual, meaning they are not physically located in the country they appear to be. For instance, this applies to servers in Argentina, Portugal, Indonesia, and Egypt.

Overall, CyberGhost’s server network is a key strength, particularly beneficial for users situated far from Europe, the Americas, or the Far East.

Is CyberGhost effective in bypassing restrictions in China?

Indeed, CyberGhost VPN is reported to function in China and can circumvent the country’s restrictive Great Firewall. Simply registering with a valid email address and password is sufficient to use the CyberGhost app within China.

However, this streamlined process seems somewhat simplistic considering the challenges posed by China’s internet restrictions. Many VPN providers, such as NordVPN, require a more complex configuration process to reliably operate in China. Unfortunately, we cannot verify CyberGhost’s effectiveness in China firsthand, as we are unable to test it without being physically present there. While support claims that CyberGhost works in China, the ease of registration raises doubts about its efficacy in such a heavily restricted environment.

CyberGhost features

Despite its remarkably low price, CyberGhost VPN offers numerous additional features. These tools are not just basic offerings but rather multifaceted features that deserve detailed explanations, as outlined below.

• Specialized servers – servers optimized for achieving specific tasks
• Dedicated IP – a server and IP address exclusive to you
• Ad blocker – a tool for blocking online ads and other nuisances
• NoSpy servers – provider-owned servers for maximum privacy
• Smart rules – a feature for automating various CyberGhost behaviors

Specialized servers

CyberGhost VPN offers a variety of specialized servers tailored for specific purposes, a feature not commonly found among all VPN providers. This inclusion is particularly beneficial, catering to the needs of users with varying technical expertise.

Notably, CyberGhost provides dedicated servers for torrenting, streaming, and gaming.

CyberGhost’s downloading servers are specifically optimized for torrenting, compatible with P2P clients like uTorrent. Located in countries where torrenting is not heavily penalized, these servers offer optimal download speeds. The server list conveniently displays the approximate distance from your location to each server, allowing you to easily identify and select servers with lighter loads for faster speeds.

During our torrenting tests with CyberGhost’s downloading servers, we found the results to be average. Other VPNs, such as NordVPN, demonstrate superior torrenting speeds with their dedicated P2P servers.

CyberGhost’s streaming servers are designed to unblock geo-restricted streaming platforms. Each server is labeled for a specific service, such as Netflix or Disney+, making it easy to find the right one for your needs. While this may require switching servers for different platforms, it simplifies the process of selecting the appropriate server. Our tests showed that CyberGhost successfully unblocks most streaming platforms, performing on par with NordVPN and Surfshark in this regard.

Gaming servers are optimized for low latency, crucial for smooth online gaming. High latency can lead to lag, impacting your gaming experience. We tested CyberGhost’s gaming servers and found them to increase latency by only 10 ms compared to ping without a VPN, which is quite acceptable. Additionally, the connection remained stable throughout our testing. CyberGhost stands out as one of the few VPNs offering specific servers for gaming. In contrast, NordVPN provides a fastest server option, which is similar but lacks the dedicated focus on gaming.

Dedicated IP

The dedicated IP option from CyberGhost is particularly beneficial for individuals who require whitelisting specific IPs to access their website or server. With this option, you are assigned a unique IP address exclusively for your use, ensuring that it is not shared with anyone else. This is ideal for users who need a consistent IP address for activities such as seeding torrent files or reliable streaming.

While dedicated IP addresses are not typically considered privacy-enhancing features since they can make you easier to track, CyberGhost has implemented a unique token system to ensure complete anonymity. When you purchase a dedicated IP option, you receive a token that must be activated in the dedicated IP section of your app.

Importantly, your dedicated IP cannot be traced back to your email or VPN account. Consequently, CyberGhost does not keep records of dedicated IP ownership, so losing the token also means losing the subscription.

However, like NordVPN and Surfshark, CyberGhost does not provide dedicated IPs for free. The price for CyberGhost’s dedicated IPs ranges from $2.50 to $5.00 per month in addition to your subscription. These dedicated IP options are available in the US, UK, Canada, Germany, France, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Singapore, Japan, or Australia, offering a wide selection of locations but fewer than the 25 locations offered by NordVPN.

Ad-blocker

According to CyberGhost, their ad-block feature is designed to shield users from intrusive ads that track them across the web. In theory, this feature should accelerate page loading times, protect against malware distributed through ad networks, and conserve mobile data by preventing ads from loading.

While CyberGhost’s ad blocker is effective to some extent, NordVPN’s Threat Protection feature offers superior performance. During testing, CyberGhost failed to block several types of ads, including banners, GIFs, and ads within YouTube videos. In contrast, NordVPN’s Threat Protection successfully blocked all ads. Therefore, if you prioritize an outstanding ad-blocking feature, CyberGhost may not be the optimal choice.

NoSpy servers

CyberGhost’s NoSpy servers are exclusively operated by the company, ensuring that no third parties have access to them. This enhances user privacy significantly. Located in Romania, these servers offer increased bandwidth for faster speeds and support P2P connections, making them ideal for torrenting securely. While no other VPN offers a similar option, NordVPN’s obfuscated and RAM-only servers provide somewhat comparable features.

Smart rules

The Smart Rules feature in CyberGhost allows for automation of tasks within the app, reducing the need for manual intervention.

Users can set rules as basic as launching CyberGhost on system reboot or specifying a preferred country or server for automatic connection.

For enhanced convenience, you can automate the launch of specific programs when CyberGhost establishes a connection. This eliminates the need to manually start these programs after connecting to the VPN.

Additionally, you can set up Smart Rules to activate based on detecting unsafe Wi-Fi networks. Furthermore, you have the option to specify particular websites to bypass the VPN

While CyberGhost’s Smart Rules feature may appear unique at first glance, it essentially consolidates functionalities that other leading VPN providers, such as NordVPN and ExpressVPN, offer separately under different names. For instance, NordVPN provides auto-connect for unsafe networks and a distinct split tunneling feature. Therefore, while CyberGhost’s Smart Rules are indeed valuable, they are not particularly groundbreaking, as similar capabilities exist in other VPNs.

Pricing: how much does CyberGhost cost?

CyberGhost’s pricing varies depending on the duration of the subscription, with shorter plans being more expensive and longer plans offering better value. Regardless of the subscription length, all plans include the same features and allow for 7 simultaneous connections. CyberGhost is known for its affordability, often competing with Surfshark as one of the most budget-friendly VPN options available.

The pricing is divided into three tiers based on subscription duration and cost.

Their 1-month plan will cost $12.99, which is not unheard of for a plan of such duration. This is the only plan with a shorter money-back guarantee policy – 14 days.

Meanwhile, the lengthiest two-year plan comes with an 83% discount, dropping the subscription price to a mere $2.19/month. Additionally, this option includes two extra months of subscription time at no additional cost. You can also refund the service without any trouble during the first 45 days.

It’s nice that you can choose anonymous payment options to pay for your subscription. Aside from credit cards, Amazon Pay, and PayPal, paying with cryptocurrencies is possible.

Can you get CyberGhost for free?

While CyberGhost does not offer a free version, it provides several free trial options that do not require payment information. The trial durations vary depending on your operating system: 1 day for Windows or Mac, 3 days for Android, and 7 days for iOS. This approach is unusual among premium VPN providers, as most only offer trials through a money-back guarantee.

Additionally, CyberGhost offers a money-back guarantee, which lasts either 14 or 45 days depending on the plan’s length. This generous guarantee period allows users ample time to thoroughly test CyberGhost and decide if it meets their needs before committing to a subscription.

Speed performance: is CyberGhost fast?

In theory, CyberGhost appears to be a reliable option for those seeking a fast VPN due to its inclusion of WireGuard. However, our testing indicates that the service is not maximizing the protocol’s capabilities.

• Baseline: 500 Mbps download / 500 Mbps upload – WireGuard

Although CyberGhost performed well in our manual speed tests and did not appear to significantly impact speed, our testing experience was suboptimal. We encountered slow webpage loading times, frequent connectivity issues, and errors. This suggests that there may be issues with how CyberGhost has implemented WireGuard.

CyberGhost performance with other protocols

Now, let’s examine CyberGhost’s speed with the remaining protocols:

• Baseline: 460 Mbps download / 470 Mbps upload

• IKEv2 – 238 Mbps / 160 Mbps
• OpenVPN (UDP) – 46 Mbps / 174 Mbps
• OpenVPN (TCP) – 109 Mbps / 76 Mbps

IKEv2 emerges as the second-best performer after WireGuard. While both upload and download speeds were relatively strong, the 50% speed loss is not particularly impressive. In contrast, OpenVPN was notably slower than the other protocols.

In summary, here’s a comparison of CyberGhost’s tunneling protocols in terms of speed, security, and connection stability:

Overall, CyberGhost’s speed is relatively sluggish, particularly when compared to a high-performing provider like NordVPN, which boasts a 90% original speed retention rate. While CyberGhost’s speeds are generally adequate for most tasks and usage scenarios, they do not excel. For optimal performance, it’s advisable to use the IKEv2 protocol, as WireGuard’s performance, while promising, is not yet optimized.

CyberGhost compatibility

Here are all the devices, operating systems, and browsers that CyberGhost is compatible with:

Compatible with

Interface and ease of use

CyberGhost VPN operates similarly to other high-quality virtual private networks, allowing you to easily secure your internet connection with just a few clicks.

When you open the CyberGhost app, you’ll see a large power button that lets you quickly connect to the best server location, usually in your current or neighboring country. Once connected, your internet traffic becomes invisible to your ISP and other unwanted observers.

If you prefer, you can manually select a country by clicking the “Best server location” button and choosing from the list. Alternatively, you can expand the app by clicking the arrow on the left to see all available connection options, including CyberGhost’s various server categories.

Let’s now delve into the features of CyberGhost apps and compare them with each other.

Windows

The Windows client has a sleek and user-friendly interface, perfect for those who aren’t tech-savvy. It’s designed to be unobtrusive and easy to use, without overwhelming users with complicated options.

That being said, there are areas where it could be improved. For instance, there were instances where a fallback feature automatically switched to OpenVPN if the selected protocol failed, which is helpful but could offer more customization options. This is especially relevant considering the availability of faster tunneling protocols.

Additionally, there were occasions when the app struggled to connect to the chosen server, and the connection status indicator provided little clarity on whether the connection was in progress, had failed, or timed out.

One inconsistency is that CyberGhost’s search bar only displays countries, not cities. However, when you access the server list for a country, only the city names are shown. This means the search bar can’t be used to browse through countries.

Overall, the app is visually appealing, easy to use, and packed with features, making it one of the top choices for new VPN users.

macOS

The Mac version of CyberGhost VPN shares similarities with the Windows client but includes several enhancements.

For instance, you can enable data compression to reduce download sizes, a handy feature for users with data caps. Similarly, like in the Windows edition, you can block malicious ads and websites.

An automated HTTPS redirect ensures that websites load in a more secure version, if available.

However, the app has its drawbacks. For instance, the kill switch on macOS could be more reliable. After waking the system from sleep mode, the client establishes a VPN connection, but Internet access is still unavailable.

Linux

CyberGhost’s performance on Linux leaves much to be desired. The setup and usage are both inconvenient and sometimes counterproductive.

For example, to install the app on Fedora 33, you must log in to the website and select your distribution’s specific version. However, regardless of your choice, you are still provided with the Fedora 32 version.

Additionally, running the install script proves problematic, as it detects an invalid OS version and fails to execute. Consequently, you must manually input the commands that the script should have automatically performed for installation.

Yet, if you’re using Fedora 32, installing CyberGhost should pose no issues.

After some effort, we managed to configure it for PopOS without encountering many bugs, thankfully. However, the overall usability of the app could be improved, as the command lines are longer than preferred.

CyberGhost mobile apps

CyberGhost VPN for iOS and Android closely resemble each other. Both feature a minimalist design and offer comparable features.

For Android users, the tunneling protocol options include OpenVPN and WireGuard, while iOS users can choose between WireGuard and IKEv2. As a result, iOS users are likely to experience faster speeds on average, at least until CyberGhost developers address the issues with WireGuard.

The Android app requests location permission, which may seem odd, but it’s solely for reading the name of the Wi-Fi hotspot you’re connected to. This request shouldn’t raise concerns. If you prefer not to grant any permissions, you can still use the app without issue, except for the Automatic Wi-Fi Protection feature, which requires this permission.

Generally, CyberGhost’s mobile apps perform better than their desktop counterparts, and the app design is well-suited for mobile devices.

Browser extensions

CyberGhost offers free browser extensions for Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Brave, and Opera. However, if you’re already a subscriber, there isn’t much additional benefit compared to using the app.

The extensions allow you to select from four countries— the US, Romania, Netherlands, and Germany. While the browser add-on can bypass some basic blocks, it’s unlikely to work with streaming websites. It provides no other features, and your traffic is only encrypted with SSL.

Customer support

CyberGhost offers a variety of customer support options. We reached out to them about Linux issues through their 24/7 live chat and were promptly connected to an agent. The responses were fast, professional, and directly addressed our concerns. If the problem couldn’t be resolved immediately, CyberGhost’s customer support would create a ticket and follow up with a solution.

CyberGhost’s customer support portal offers guides and FAQs to help resolve issues. They have an extensive catalog of tutorials, including instructions for devices like game consoles and Kodi devices. This resource is particularly beneficial for new VPN users.

Is CyberGhost good for streaming?

Because CyberGhost offers specialized servers for streaming, it’s easy to find one that can unblock any specific media platform. In our tests, CyberGhost successfully unblocked every streaming service we attempted.

Unblocking Netflix with CyberGhost

The Netflix specialized server successfully unblocked the US library on the initial attempt. However, Netflix was notably slow, requiring a few minutes for search results to load. Once the show began, though, there were no further issues, suggesting the delay might have been due to Netflix itself.

Unblocking other streaming platforms with CyberGhost

CyberGhost performs excellently with various streaming platforms. We effortlessly accessed and streamed content on HBO Max, Disney+, and Amazon Prime Video.

BBC iPlayer functioned smoothly and was notably faster than Netflix. While there were no errors, I did need to switch to a streaming server optimized for BBC iPlayer. The same positive experience applied to geo-blocked YouTube videos.

In summary, CyberGhost proves to be an excellent VPN for streaming purposes.

Is CyberGhost good for torrenting?

Certainly! CyberGhost is undeniably one of the top VPNs for torrenting, thanks to its secure connections and P2P-optimized servers. With an impressive array of servers, torrenters worldwide can easily find an optimal server for fast and secure downloads.

However, in terms of connection speeds, CyberGhost’s performance is average. During a test downloading a Linux installation image, the average download speed was 9.3 Mb/s when connected to a UK server and 6.5 Mb/s when connected to a US server.

These speeds are comparable to what we experienced when torrenting with Surfshark. Overall, while CyberGhost’s performance may not be exceptional, it remains a solid choice for torrenting.

CyberGhost compared to other VPNs

CyberGhost is comparable to other top VPNs like NordVPN or Surfshark. Like its competitors, CyberGhost has undergone independent audits for its no-logs policy and offers competitive starting prices. It excels in unblocking popular streaming services. The one area where CyberGhost outshines all other VPN providers is its extensive server network, boasting over 10,000 servers (though many of them may be virtual). Overall, CyberGhost rightfully earns its position among the top VPNs in the 2024 market.

Is CyberGhost good and worth getting?

CyberGhost stands out as a robust VPN service with user-friendly mobile and desktop apps, particularly appealing to new users. It excels at unblocking Netflix and other popular streaming services like BBC iPlayer or YouTube.

With affordable prices, excellent customer support, and a wide range of server locations, CyberGhost offers a compelling package. The only significant drawback is occasional speed drops.

In terms of security and privacy, CyberGhost is highly regarded, boasting an audited no-logs policy and strong AES-256 encryption. However, it lacks advanced features for users engaged in sensitive activities.

Despite some minor shortcomings, CyberGhost remains a competitive choice, suitable for a wide range of activities, from torrenting to general online security.

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Is CyberGhost VPN Worth It in 2024? A Review

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