CyberGhost VPN 2020 Review & Test: It's Fast, But Is It Safe?

CyberGhost (with its top-secret hidden discount page) calls itself a "truly complete VPN solution". I put the service to the test and examined CyberGhost and the rumors surrounding it.

I'm based in Australia, so my local internet is both slower and subject to more censorship than countries like the US. I've tested lots of services to find a VPN that will give me unrestricted internet access without slowing me down, and CyberGhost impressed me. I especially liked the dedicated "For torrenting" tab and detailed list of specialty servers: Australia has tough anti-piracy laws, so a secure VPN is the only way to torrent safely.

At face value, CyberGhost looks like a solid choice. It has 5900+ servers in 90 countries, uses best-in-class 256-bit encryption, and offers dedicated streaming and torrenting profiles. This means that yes, CyberGhost does unblock Netflix – and that includes UK, US, France, Denmark, and Japan Netflix libraries!

It also has a built-in ad, malware, and tracking blockers and an ironclad no-logging policy for guaranteed protection.

Let’s take an in-depth look at CyberGhost's features and policies to find out if this is the best VPN for you.

CyberGhostVPN: Are the Rumors True?

You’ve probably read rumors that CyberGhost offers a secret discount price. Well, they’re true! If you sign up directly through its website, you’ll be charged the full price. You won’t see the money-saving deals that are available on this page.

Streaming - Does CyberGhost Work with Netflix?

Yes, you can stream Netflix with CyberGhost. When I first tried, I was blocked, but trying another server quickly solved the issue. I connected to a server in the US, and my speeds didn't slow down, which is great seeing as my data traveled around the world and back.

CyberGhost operates optimized servers for different streaming services. The “for streaming” tab in the app lets you select the service you want to access, and connects you to the corresponding server.

When I typed the service I wished to use into the search bar, I was able to select the server I wanted to use from a drop-down list.

Although this process is easy, I’d love to see CyberGhost take it one step further by incorporating an auto-select feature similar to NordVPN’s Smart Select.

CyberGhost Can Stream:

• Netflix US: Yes. Although I couldn’t connect using CyberGhost’s Netflix-optimized server, I could stream using a different US-based server.
• Hulu: Yes. I had no issues streaming Hulu with CyberGhost.
• HBO GO: Yes. CyberGhost doesn’t offer an HBO-optimized server. However, its Hulu-optimized server also allowed me to stream HBO GO.
• BBC iPlayer: Yes. CyberGhost’s BBC-optimized server bypassed iPlayer’s geoblocks.

If Netflix is your main source for streaming, you'll have no problem accessing it with CyberGhost. You also check out these top vendors and our detailed reviews.

Start Streaming with CyberGhost!

CyberGhost Speeds

High-speed connections are crucial when you’re choosing a VPN. Bad VPNs can slow your connection.

As part of my analysis, I tested CyberGhost’s speeds while connected to a local server and to a US server.

First, I measured my pre-VPN connection speed so I would have something to compare it with. With my VPN switched off, my starting speeds were 10.93 Mbps down, 0.077 Mbps up, with a 22ms ping.

Australia’s NBN infrastructure is pretty slow when compared to the rest of the world, so this was pretty fast already. But, I wanted to see if CyberGhost could actually increase my speeds through one of its local servers. I was also interested to find out how much slower it would be when I connected to a server in the US.

I connected to the best available server for my location. This was automatically chosen by CyberGhost based on my physical location and its available Australian servers.

CyberGhost actually increased my connection speed to 11.48 Mbps download. My ping also increased, but it was still very low.

I then connected to CyberGhost’s Netflix-optimized server in the US.

Although the ping jumped to 212, I didn’t notice a difference in my load times. My download speed dropped to 3.81 Mbps. Considering the distance my data had to travel to reach the US server, this is an impressive result.

There are many factors that can affect your connection speeds, including your original connection speed without using a VPN, the quality of your infrastructure, your location, and your network’s traffic.

To ensure the best speeds, CyberGhost offers a Data Compression feature that compresses images and other elements to reduce your data usage and increase your load times.

With all of this considered, CyberGhost provided some impressive speeds. However, if finding the fastest VPN is your #1 priority, check out ExpressVPN.

Is CyberGhost Good for Torrenting?

Yes, CyberGhost is a good choice if you want to stay safe while you’re torrenting. 

You can use its P2P-optimized servers to download at high speeds, while still masking your IP and activity from the rest of the world. In the app, you can see how many users are connected to each server. This allows you to choose a server with fewer users, which gives you a higher connection speed.

Start Torrenting with CyberGhost!

Security - Is CyberGhost Safe?

CyberGhost is one of the safest VPNs available. It uses industry-leading security features, like 256-bit encryption, an automatic kill switch, and a strict no-logs policy.

CyberGhost’s safety was questioned following their acquisition by Kape Technologies, an Israeli ad tech company that was previously accused of hiding malware software bundles. Users were worried that CyberGhost's new parent company could compromise their safety.

However, it has since proven that it takes your privacy seriously despite its parent company’s reputation. CyberGhost publishes quarterly transparency reports. The reports expose how many DMCA complaints, police requests, and malware activity flags it receives and details key statistics about its infrastructure.

Does CyberGhost Keep Logs?

No, CyberGhost does not keep logs, and it's serious about its no-logging policy. Its headquarters are in Romania, so it's outside the reach of the 5/9/14-Eyes Alliance. Even if it did store any information, it's under no obligation to hand it over to anyone—not even a government agency.

While most VPNs claim to be log-free, CyberGhost offers almost unprecedented levels of transparency. Its privacy policy is transparent about the details that it does retain about its customers. This is very normal for a VPN, and you won’t find a service that doesn’t keep this kind of information.

Does CyberGhost Have an Adblocker?

Yes. You can turn it on in the “Connection features” tab in your app. It prevents you from being bombarded with ads while you’re browsing or streaming.

Malware Blocker

Many of the websites you visit contain harmful files or viruses. CyberGhost’s malware blocker checks each website you visit against a database of dangerous sites. This enables the app to filter and block malicious websites before they can harm your device.

Does CyberGhost Work in China?

There was a time when CyberGhost could break through the Great Firewall, but that's no longer the case. At this time, it does not work in China.

NoSpy Servers

CyberGhost offers an optional NoSpy Server package. Based in a private data center at the company's Romanian headquarters, the servers were built and are maintained by a dedicated team of CyberGhost staff.

The NoSpy servers offer premium hardware, dedicated uplinks, and bigger bandwidth for better speeds. They keep users even safer, and are ideal for added protection when torrenting.

Price and Value for Money

CyberGhost offers 1-month, 1-year, 2-year, and 3-year plans. The yearly plans are heavily discounted, and you’ll save the most money if you choose the 3-year plan. There’s no free trial, but offers a 45-day money-back guarantee with each subscription. You can test drive the service to see if it’s right for you, and if it isn’t just request a full refund.

Is CyberGhost Compatible with My Device?

CyberGhost is compatible with most platforms.

It offers native apps for Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, Android, Android TV, Apple TV, and Amazon’s Fire TV Stick, as well as browser extensions for Chrome and Firefox.

It also offers comprehensive installation guides for routers, Raspberry Pi, Synology NAS, VU+ Solo 2, and Chrome OS.

Best of all, you can connect to up to 7 devices simultaneously on one account.

Encryption and Other Safety Features

CyberGhost’s AES 256-bit encryption guarantees you the highest level of data protection available. To put it in perspective, 50 supercomputers that could check a billion billion AES keys per second would require 3×10^51 years to crack a single piece of data. So, even if a hacker did intercept your information, they wouldn’t be able to read it.

CyberGhost is compatible with Tor browser. The site's support section shows users how to configure CyberGhost with Tor, and warns that it may slow your connection speeds.

Automated HTTPS Redirect

Their automated HTTPS redirect feature forces your connection to connect to the most secure version of every website you visit. This stops you from accidentally stumbling upon unsafe sites and phishing scams.

Online Tracking Blocker

Sites track your online behavior so they can show you content or ads that will make you act in their favor.

CyberGhost’s tracking blocker scans the website you are visiting for tracking codes and blocks them. This allows you to browse the internet anonymously without your activity being monitored.

User Experience and Features

CyberGhost’s intuitive interface is clean and easy to use making it perfect for beginners.

It also offers a set of advanced features for more experienced VPN users.

Its layout makes it simple to find and configure your connection features.

In the Smart Rules window, you can customize your protection by specifying a set of connection rules.

For example, you can set a rule to auto-connect on startup, or specify if you want the app to: “Ignore,” “Ask me what to do,” or “Always connect to” specific Wi-Fi networks.

When you’re ready to connect, you have two options: you can choose a server manually, or let CyberGhost connect you to the best available server. This will almost always be the server closest to your physical location. So, if you’re using your VPN to bypass geoblocks, you’ll need to choose a server manually.

Overall, this is a really great app to use. It mixes functionality with simplicity, and the final result is, quite possibly, the best VPN app available.

Conclusion

I spent a lot of time researching and testing CyberGhost, and I can confidently recommend it as a high-quality VPN. It has all the features you need to stay safe online, and they all work as advertised.

Its app is one of the best available, especially if you’re a beginner. It’s reasonably priced, with some great discounts on longer subscriptions. Its security features are world class, and it's proven itself to be a reliable, transparent VPN with a strong no-logs policy.

It works with Netflix, which is a true test of how good a vendor really is. It even made it to our list of the top six VPNs for streamingoverall, not just with Netflix.

You'll also find dedicated profiles that make it quick and easy to stream or torrent. Compatibility with Tor is another big benefit, as is its simple, intuitive interface.

It passed almost all the tests I put it through. Aside from being easy-to-use, it’s lightning fast. When I connected to a local server, it even increased my connection speed.

Unfortunately, its customer support was a huge letdown. I would have liked to see my issue handled with more professionalism, and it was frustrating to have to ask my question twice to get an appropriate response.

If you’re looking to invest in a VPN for streaming, torrenting, or just browsing, CyberGhost is an excellent choice.

Pros:

• Automatic kill switch
• High speeds
• Unlimited bandwidth
• Over 5900 servers worldwide
• 45-day money-back guarantee
• Customer support: live chat or ticket
• Apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux
• Strict no-logs policy, based in Romania
• 256-bit AES encryption
• Simultaneous connections on up to 7 devices
• DNS and IP leak protection
• OpenVPN, L2TP-IPSec, and PPTP protocols

Cons:

• The response from submitting a ticket takes a bit longer than average wait times
• Purchasing a one-month plan costs more than single-month subscriptions from other top providers.

Still not sure? You can always try CyberGhost risk-free using its 45-day money-back guarantee to see if it’s the right VPN for you.