CyberGhost VPN Review
CyberGhost is a leading provider of VPN services. It was founded in Bucharest, Romania in 2011, and now boasts a user base of 30 million people around the world. However, the experts at the company have over 15 years of professional experience to their credit. CyberGhost VPN espouses a strict policy of maintaining the highest levels of online security, anonymity, and privacy. CyberGhost was also the world's first VPN service to publish a ‘transparency report’ vis-a-vis a future-oriented crypto-technology. This VPN service provider features a 70-strong team of highly-experienced IT professionals, with operations in Germany and Romania. The VPN company offers 256-bit AES military grade encryption, a zero-logs policy, and guaranteed safety and security on public Wi-Fi networks. With some 5700 servers across 90+ countries, CyberGhost VPN supports multiple protocols including PPTP, L2TP-IPsec, and OpenVPN. CyberGhost services are available on up to 7 devices simultaneously.
Is My Privacy Protected with CyberGhost VPN?
CyberGhost VPN is designed to protect all your online communications with maximum safety, security, and privacy controls. As a stand-alone service, CyberGhost brings a treasure trove of privacy solutions to the fore, including a strict no logs policy, DNS and leak protection, military-grade encryption, and a variety of VPN protocols designed to boost security, privacy, and anonymity. The Privacy Policy clearly indicates how CyberGhost VPN manages user data. The company policy is stated as such: ‘… The strongest observations of data protection and uncompromising protection of the user privacy. Therefore, when using the CyberGhost VPN, the user’s traffic data such as browsing history, traffic destination, data content and search preferences are not monitored, recorded, logged or stored by the company.’
CyberGhost VPN requests certain personal data from customers, including name, email, address, username, and payment-related information. CyberGhost VPN also captures the user's IP address which is then stored in an anonymous format, the user’s country, and the price paid for the VPN services. None of the personal data within the CyberGhost VPN tunnel is recorded or stored. Various other nonpersonal data is also collected, but the data cannot be linked to individual persons for identification purposes. As for data sharing, CyberGhost VPN explicitly states that they do not share, trade, rent, or sell user data to 3rd parties. All personal data is securely stored, and CyberGhost VPN has been audited and approved by QSCert according to strict security standards implemented by the Information Safety Management System (ISMS). CyberGhost VPN honors all Do Not Track (DNT) signals, but the VPN service allows third-party behavioral tracking.
A caveat is in order however: CyberGhost VPN explicitly states the following: ‘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 and/or comply with a judicial proceeding, court order, or legal process served on our website.’ Simply put, this means that CyberGhost VPN will share whatever information they have collected about you with the authorities if required by law to do so. They also state that they may share nonpersonal data with third-party suppliers for the purposes of website optimization and analytics. While users are unlikely to have their personal information shared with the authorities for no reason, the concern is that any government request for information will be approved by CyberGhost VPN. This should give you pause when considering the services of CyberGhost VPN, since there are other highly-respected VPN providers that keep no logs whatsoever, making it impossible for them to comply with court orders for customer information.
How Much is CyberGhost VPN? Is There a Free Trial?
CyberGhost VPN is competitively priced, with some cost-effective packages available to customers. The 1-month plan is $12.99. The 1-year plan is billed at $71.88 annually, or $5.99 per month. The 2-year plan is billed at $88.56 every 2 years, or $3.69 per month. The best value plan, and the one offering 79% savings is the 3-year plan. This plan costs $99 every 3 years, or $2.75 per month. Additional options are available to customers in the form of a dedicated IP at $5 per month. CyberGhost VPN plans all come with a 45-day money-back guarantee. This is certainly a value-added benefit since most VPN services offer a 30-day money-back guarantee at best.
CyberGhost VPN pricing compares favorably with many of the world’s finest VPN providers, including NordVPN, HMA, TunnelBear VPN, and ExpressVPN.
NordVPN – $11.95 per month for a 1-month plan, $6.99 per month for a 1-year plan (41% savings), $4.99 per month for a 2-year plan (58% savings), and $3.49 per month for 3-year plan (70% savings).
HMA – $6.99 per month for a 12-month plan (42% savings), $5.99 per month for a 24-month plan (50% savings), and $4.99 per month for a 36-month plan (58% savings).
TunnelBear VPN – Free if you use 500 MB of data a month, $9.99 per month with a 1-month plan, and $4.99 per month for a 1-year plan (50% savings).
ExpressVPN – $12.95 per month for a 1-month plan. $9.99 per month for a 6-month plan, and $8.32 per month for a 12-month plan (35% savings).
*Be advised that CyberGhost VPN also allows free use of its services for a 24-hour period.
We have thoroughly reviewed the range of services provided by CyberGhost VPN, and deemed all plan types suitable for personal or business usage. Once you have selected your preferred plan, you can easily make payment with a wide range of payment processing options. These include the following: American Express, MasterCard, Visa, PayPal, and Bitcoin.
For maximum safety, security, and anonymity, use a burner email address and Bitcoin – that way none of your user logs can be shared with the authorities.
CyberGhost VPN Speed Test
CyberGhost VPN, like any other VPN service, acts as a third-party service which reroutes your online traffic through the CyberGhost VPN service. Without a VPN, your Internet services move from A 🡪 B. With a VPN, you are redirecting your traffic from A 🡪 B 🡪 C. Clearly, the inclusion of a VPN is an additional step that needs to be completed which oftentimes slows down your speed. As a rule, you can expect a VPN to reduce your Internet speed depending on a host of factors. For starters, if you have a slow Internet connection to begin with, a VPN will likely reduce that speed further. If you have high-speed Internet connectivity to begin with and you connect through CyberGhost VPN, the effects will be less noticeable.
CyberGhost VPN indicates as much on-site, stating that the trade-off between speed and security is well worth it. CyberGhost VPN offers military grade encryption, privacy, and anonymity from third-party websites trying to track your online activity, at a cost. It comes in the form of reduced Internet speeds. CyberGhost VPN works hard to limit speed reductions to a bare minimum, by way of an outstanding network of servers around the world. This VPN service is up and running on 5762 servers in 112 locations across 90 countries. This variety ensures that users will be able to connect up to servers close to them, without facing too much congestion from other users which typically slows down Internet connectivity. For the most part, P2P services are fully supported allowing streaming of multimedia content.
Internet speed is also affected by the type of VPN protocols in use. CyberGhost VPN supports a full range of popular protocols including IKEV2, L2TP-IPsec, and OpenVPN. These browsing protocols are designed to protect your Internet sessions from government agencies, cybercriminals, and hackers. Fortunately, users don't have to worry about manually selecting the right protocols since this is automatically done by CyberGhost VPN. This VPN service also offers several nifty features designed to minimize the effects of a VPN on your Internet connectivity. One of these is split tunnelling. This can be thought of as a bifurcated Internet connection, which allows you to exclude certain websites and trusted applications from being encrypted, reducing the amount of data that gets encrypted through the VPN tunnel and speeding up your service in the process.
CyberGhost has also tackled the issue of slow loading times by allocating resources towards specific streaming platforms like BBC iPlayer, Netflix, Amazon Prime, Sling TV, and Eurosport. With dedicated servers for each of these targeting and streaming services, users are assured of the fastest possible loading times, streaming times, and downloads. Further, CyberGhost VPN is fully optimized for use on up to 7 devices simultaneously, including Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, Amazon Fire Stick, and iOS systems.
It is worth pointing out that your Internet service provider (ISP) may well limit your speed and connectivity by way of throttling. This is where a service like CyberGhost VPN can help you. If your ISP is unaware of the sites you're browsing because they're being encrypted through a VPN service, they cannot throttle your bandwidth and reduce your Internet speed. As fate would have it, VPNs can actually improve your Internet speed if your ISP is throttling your services. It is difficult to allocate specific numbers to average speeds since everybody's Internet connection speed differs. CyberGhost claims to have an average speed of 6 Mbps, with a maximum of 1 GB under optimal conditions. You can sign up for a free trial and test the speed of CyberGhost VPN on your system by using a standard Speed Test (results will vary from one user to the next).
As a rule, your Internet connection speed to CyberGhost will be affected by several factors, namely:
How fast is your original Internet connection? When you add a VPN to that connection, you will be slowed down, unless your ISP is throttling your connection.
How many users are currently logged on to your specific server. As that number increases, so your connection speed decreases. If fewer people are connected to the same server, your connection speed will invariably increase.
It is always best to connect up to a local server close to your current IP address. Local servers are easier to connect up to than remote servers which are located much further away. Since it takes time for connections to be made, the further the server, the slower the speed.
The type of hardware you used to connect up to the Internet can also slow you down. Consider a better Internet router, fewer connected devices on your Internet connection, et cetera.
With CyberGhost VPN, users have access to unlimited traffic and unlimited bandwidth. With 5762 servers across 112 locations, in 90 countries, you can enjoy an incredible number of possible connections. This can be used to enhance your Internet speed and connectivity. This should reduce disconnects, lags, or connection problems dramatically.
How Is Customer Service at CyberGhost VPN?
Users can easily get in touch with CyberGhost VPN customer support representatives by completing an online form. It's important to be as descriptive as possible to ensure customer support attends to your query, question, or complaint effectively. Add screenshots and detailed descriptions of the issue for the best assistance. The CyberGhost VPN team is expertly trained to deal with technical issues, connectivity issues, and registration-related matters. Customer support options also include live help courtesy of Zendesk. This is the fastest way to connect with a chat representative, for quick resolution to your queries.
CyberGhost VPN support is available in three languages, including English, German, and French. We tested the responsiveness of customer support and were pleasantly surprised by the attention to detail, depth of knowledge, and response times. CyberGhost VPN also features guides for Windows, Mac operating systems, iOS, Android, Amazon Fire OS, Android TV, Linux, Game Consoles, Routers, Other Devices, Kodi Media Centers, and more. The FAQ section is fully stocked with the most comprehensive question/answer combinations you can imagine. Those who prefer to get in touch via social media will be heartened with the variety of social media contact options. These include Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn, Pinterest, and Vimeo.
CyberGhost VPN customer support services are available 24/7. There is no customer service email address posted for users, but that's hardly an issue since the live chat, FAQs, and guides are more than enough to resolve your questions. The team members each have a profile posted on site, so there is plenty of transparency, accountability, and authenticity about this VPN’s operations. We double checked each of these key personnel on LinkedIn, CrunchBase, and other online media channels to verify that these people are authentic. We do take issue with the fact that they haven't updated the key personnel at the company. Be advised that the new CEO of CyberGhost VPN is Ido Erlichman and the company is now owned by Kape Technologies.
Features of CyberGhost VPN
A notable feature of CyberGhost VPN is that you can connect up to 7 devices simultaneously. CyberGhost VPN also features all the standard elements of world-class VPN services, including 256-bit AES military grade encryption, Wi-Fi protection, IKEV2 encryption, IP address obfuscation, and a no-logs policy (please read the privacy policy carefully). Additional features of CyberGhost VPN include a wide range of applications for multiple devices, including Mac, PC, Linux, Amazon Fire TV, Routers, iOS devices, Android devices, tablets, phablets, and smartphones. Perhaps the most impressive features are the number of servers worldwide. With 5762 servers in 112 locations across 90 countries, CyberGhost VPN is in a league of its own. Plus, users get to enjoy the valuable benefit of unlimited bandwidth and no throttling. You can switch between servers at your leisure and, connect to local or remote servers as you please.
CyberGhost VPN is a powerful tool designed to unlock geolocation-blocked content, censored content, and allow you to operate with relative anonymity on the World Wide Web. Users can access P2P streaming services, watch YouTube videos, BBC iPlayer, Hulu, Netflix, and sports streaming anywhere in the world. All of this is possible while blocking malicious content, online tracking, and annoying advertisements. CyberGhost VPN makes bold claims about its anti-malware functionality, antivirus functionality, and ability to block suspicious activity. While the veracity of these statements may well prove true, we advise users to beef up their own security with a combination of commonsense safety and security tips. Always use an Internet kill switch on a VPN, install antivirus software, use adware blockers, and VPN services in tandem.
CyberGhost VPN can also be used on Chrome Browsers, Android TV, Firefox browsers, Fire Stick & TV, et al. At the time of compiling our review, CyberGhost VPN was available in 90 countries, with the following server numbers posted:
Austria – 60
Australia – 76
Belgium – 76
Canada – 211
France – 426
Germany – 669
Japan – 44
Mexico – 38
Montenegro – 24
Singapore – 48
Spain – 68
Switzerland – 150
Sweden – 96
Ukraine – 64
United Kingdom – 921
United States – 1023
Getting started is as easy as 1, 2, 3.
1: Select your plan
2: Choose your payment option and make payment
3: Use CyberGhost VPN for safe and anonymous browsing
How Safe is CyberGhost VPN?
CyberGhost VPN offers an ironclad service for surfing the Internet safely, securely, and anonymously. However, there are two tracts to follow. The first is your connection to CyberGhost VPN, the company. This company, like any other VPN company knows exactly what you're doing on the Internet. They have detailed logs of your name, address, payment information, and browsing history. Please read the privacy policy carefully to understand exactly what information they collect from you, and how they use it. The most important aspect of the privacy policy pertains to how CyberGhost VPN the company will act if it is issued with a court order to hand over your user information a.k.a. your logs. Provided you not doing anything illegal, you shouldn't have to worry about CyberGhost VPN turning over your data to the authorities. That being said, you should be allowed to do whatever you want on the Internet with a VPN without having to worry about the repercussions.
The second tract is what the outside world can see about your browsing activity. With CyberGhost VPN, there is military grade encryption with SHA 256 authentication, and 256-AES SSL technology to prevent the theft of personal or business data, and all hacking activity. CyberGhost VPN explicitly states that the company’s security is protected an independently authenticated. CyberGhost is certified by QSCERT with ISO 9001 and ISO 27001 certificates. ISO 9001 relates to working procedures while ISO 27001 regularizes technical procedures and security standards.’ Plus, all servers are protected by RSA keys which are encrypted on a mobile drive in a TrueCrypt Volume. Multiple protocols also supported, including OpenVPN, IPsec, L2TP, and PPTP. We strongly encourage users to take safety and security into their own hands by using an anonymous email address and Bitcoin to register an account with CyberGhost VPN. Additionally, you may wish to use The Onion Router (TOR) to further safeguard your browsing if you are accessing sensitive material online. Granted, this will slow you down dramatically, but it will make your online activity virtually invisible.
Bottom Line
CyberGhost VPN is one of the ranking VPN services in the industry. It features some 5762 servers across 112 locations in 90 countries. Users can automatically connect up to 7 devices simultaneously on PC, Mac, smartphone, tablet or phablet. With unlimited switching between servers – local or remote – CyberGhost VPN truly is a world-class provider of safe, private, and anonymous browsing. There are dedicated servers for streaming on Netflix, BBC iPlayer, and Hulu, et al, allowing you to enjoy maximum speed and connectivity with minimal drag and delays. We want to point you to the privacy policy because it's important that you understand what this company does with your personal data. They will share your information with the authorities if they have been issued a court order. For this reason, use caution with CyberGhost VPN when registering an account. A burner email address is advised and Bitcoin is the preferred payment method to minimize your digital footprint. All things considered, we do recommend CyberGhost VPN as a powerful provider of anonymity, safety, and security online.
