CyberGhost VPN Review | Money
Kirk P.
Virtual private networks (VPNs) protect your identity when browsing the internet, keeping you and your family safe. But how does CyberGhost stack up compared to other VPN providers? In this CyberGhost VPN review, you’ll learn what this service does, how much it costs and what users say online to help you decide if this VPN is a good fit for you.
Best VPN for torrenting and download speeds
In addition to protecting your online identity, VPNs let you anonymously share files over the BitTorrent protocol — a process known as torrenting — by routing your internet activity through a server with a different IP address. CyberGhost describes itself as the best VPN service for torrenting. It has dedicated VPN servers for torrenting and lets you download torrents on any device, including computers, smartphones, smart TVs and game consoles.
Although CyberGhost doesn’t condone the illegal downloading of torrents, it doesn’t keep logs of your activity, allowing you to stay anonymous when exchanging files over the internet. The company developed its services according to Privacy by Design principles, which incorporate data protection into technology. CyberGhost is based in Romania, which has no data retention legislation.
CyberGhost is also a good choice if you’re prioritizing torrenting speed because it offers unlimited bandwidth — a feature not every VPN company provides. Bandwidth limits can impact your upload and download speeds when sharing torrents. However, CyberGhost promises not to limit bandwidth or traffic at all.
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CyberGhost VPN pros and cons
Pros
Fast download speeds
You can connect up to 7 devices to CyberGhost
Free trial without providing your credit card information
Cons
Few customer service options
No double VPN available
Pros explained
Fast download speeds
Download speeds are important when choosing a VPN. The faster the download speed, the faster you can browse the internet while still protecting your identity. According to VPNRanks, an independent VPN review company, CyberGhost generated an average download speed of 73.41 Mbps from a server in the United States. The company describes speeds in the 60Mbps-80Mbps as “quite fast.”
The above is just one test performed on one server in the U.S. CyberGhost has more than 9,400 servers in over 91 countries, and speeds might differ depending on which server you connect to. That said, CyberGhost claims it’s the fastest VPN provider on the market, and because it offers unlimited bandwidth, there’s no lag or buffering when browsing the web.
Can connect up to 7 devices
All CyberGhost subscriptions protect up to seven devices. That means you can improve internet safety on several of your devices — say, a laptop, smartphone and smart TV — with one subscription. This is more than NordVPN, which offers protection for up to six devices, and ExpressVPN, which only connects up to five devices on its month-to-month plans.
Free trial with no credit card required
You can try out CyberGhost’s features for a limited time and decide if it’s the right VPN for you. Unlike some free online trials, you don’t need to enter your credit card details, meaning the company can’t charge you at the end of the trial period. You can access all premium features as part of your trial.
CyberGhost’s free trial lasts for 24 hours on Windows and macOS computers, three days on Android devices and seven days on iOS devices.
Cons explained
Limited customer service options
You can only contact a customer representative from CyberGhost via live chat or by submitting a support ticket on its website. The company doesn’t offer any phone or email options. The most popular VPN companies tend to offer email support, including ExpressVPN, NordVPN and PrivateVPN.
No double VPN
Double VPN is a technology that routes your traffic through two VPN servers instead of just one. That means your data is encrypted twice, making it even more difficult for bad actors to see and steal it. Other VPN providers, like NordVPN and Surfshark, offer double VPN. However, CyberGhost doesn’t offer this feature. The company routes traffic through only one VPN server, providing less protection when browsing the internet.
CyberGhost VPN plans
Let’s take a closer look at the plans available at CyberGhost.
1-month plan
This plan lets you pay for CyberGhost’s VPN connection services on a month-to-month basis. The company will auto-renew your subscription until you cancel it. This plan comes with a 14-day money-back guarantee.
6-month plan
This plan requires you to pay for CyberGhost on a six-month basis. Because you pay in advance until you cancel your subscription, you’ll spend less per month than you would for the 1-month plan. It also offers a 45-day money-back guarantee.
2-year and 2-month plan
The 2-year and 2-month plan offers the biggest cost savings. You pay CyberGhost 26 months in advance, and the plan auto-renews every year after that until you cancel your subscription. This plan comes with a 45-day money-back guarantee.
It’s important to note you don’t qualify for a money-back guarantee if you purchase CyberGhost through the Apple App Store. Instead, you can request a refund from Apple.
All the above plans include the following features:
100% no-logs policy, as confirmed in an independent audit
Secure up to seven devices
Dedicated apps for Android, iOS, Windows, Mac, FireTV, Google Chrome, among others
24/7 customer support via live chat
Access to over 9,400 VPN servers in 91 countries
Free monitoring from ID Guard
CyberGhost VPN pricing
Here is pricing information for each of CyberGhost’s plans as of August 2023:
1-month plan: $12.99 every month
6-month plan: $41.94 every six months (works out to $6.99 per month)
2-year and 2-month plan: $56.94 for the first 26 months of your subscription and then the same price every year after that (works out to $2.19 per month)
CyberGhost has various special offers throughout the year. For example, at the time of writing, the company is offering its Dedicated IP product for an additional $5.00 per month on all three plans.
CyberGhost VPN financial stability
CyberGhost doesn’t disclose any financials on its website, and we could only find limited information about its financial stability online. CyberGhost’s last funding round happened in March 2017. Kape Technologies acquired the company for 9.1 million euros that same month.
Because these developments occurred six years ago, it’s difficult for us to determine whether CyberGhost is in good financial standing.
CyberGhost VPN accessibility
CyberGhost has product guides and an FAQs section, which provide information on how to set up and use its VPN services. You can also communicate with a representative from the company via live chat or by submitting a support ticket.
Availability
CyberGhost doesn’t provide a definitive list of the countries that can access its services. However, it notes that certain places forbid the use of VPNs, including Saudi Arabia and the UAE. The company offers workarounds for users from countries with internet restrictions. However, it warns people not to follow these methods as they might face charges for using a VPN.
Contact information
You can communicate with a support representative via live chat by clicking the option in your online account. This feature is available 24 hours a day. Alternatively, you can submit a support ticket by filling in this contact form. Although live chat provides instantaneous communication, CyberGhost’s contact form lets you send screenshots of any problems you experience with the company’s service to a rep. CyberGhost doesn’t state how long it takes to reply to a support ticket.
User experience
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CyberGhost VPN customer satisfaction
Online feedback about CyberGhost is generally positive, with the majority of reviewers scoring the company five stars on one third-party website. Customers talk about CyberGhost’s seamless connections to VPN servers and good customer service. The company often replies to negative reviews and investigates complaints.
CyberGhost VPN FAQ
Is CyberGhost VPN safe?
CyberGhost operates in Romania, which lacks data retention laws. That means the company doesn't have to share your data with the government. However, it logs your IP address in an anonymized format, as well as information about where and when you connected to a VPN server. If you aren't concerned about the company storing this data, you should consider it safe to use.
CyberGhost also encrypts your online activity with AES-256. That's the current standard in the VPN industry.
Is CyberGhost a good VPN?
Most customers have given CyberGhost positive reviews. Many online reviews said the company makes it easy to connect to its VPN services and provides high-quality customer service. The great thing about CyberGhost is that you can see if it's a good fit by signing up for a free trial without entering your credit card information. Then you can determine whether it's worth paying for a subscription or if you even need a VPN.
Is CyberGhost VPN free?
You will need to pay for CyberGhost to use its features after your free trial is over. Prices depend on whether you want to pay every month, six months, or 2 years and 2 months in advance.
How to use CyberGhost VPN
You'll find all the information you need to set up CyberGhost on your device or operating system in the product guides section on the company's website. For example, CyberGhost will tell you how to set up its product on Windows, which involves downloading the company's app, installing it, logging into the service and connecting to a VPN server. Many customers online mention how easy it is to use CyberGhost.
How to cancel CyberGhost VPN
You can cancel your subscription at any time. Instructions for canceling CyberGhost depend on whether you purchased the product on the company's website, through the Apple App Store or Google Play Store, or another method. The company will refund your purchase if you cancel within the money-back guarantee period for your particular plan. CyberGhost doesn't issue direct refunds if you purchased its product from the Apple App Store. Instead, you can apply for a refund from Apple.
Where is CyberGhost VPN based?
The company operates in Bucharest, Romania. Its ownership structure is unknown, and Romanian companies don't have to disclose this information.
How we evaluated CyberGhost
Money considered the following factors for this CyberGhost VPN review:
Plan features: We researched the features CyberGhost offers to customers.
Pricing: We weighed the cost of each of CyberGhost’s plans against the services offered.
Customer satisfaction: We looked at customer reviews on popular third-party review websites.
Financial stability: We reviewed available information about CyberGhost’s financials online.
Accessibility: We considered CyberGhost’s availability, customer service options and ease of use.
Summary of Money’s CyberGhost VPN review
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This article originally appeared on Money.com and may contain affiliate links for which Money receives compensation. Opinions expressed in this article are the author's alone, not those of a third-party entity, and have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed. Offers may be subject to change without notice. For more information, read Money’s full disclaimer.
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Posted Sep 14, 2023
We reviewed CyberGhost VPN, including pros and cons, pricing, plans, customer experience and satisfaction, and accessibility. Read on to learn more.
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