Avira Phantom VPN vs CyberGhost VPN vs 2020

Item: CyberGhost VPN
Rating: 4.8
Author: Ariel Hochstadt

After comparing these VPNs, we have a winner!

38 User Reviews

3.9

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1602 User Reviews

4.8

More Info

Which VPN is better?

Ariel Hochstadt
Ex-Google, International tech speaker

CyberGhost and Avira Phantom Pro are two reliable VPN services — but one is much more versatile than the other.

Avira’s VPN is the definition of a baseline product. It has one main strength — simple OpenVPN and IPSec encryption. It’s available for free, but if you want tech support and a kill switch, you’ll have to upgrade to the Pro version. With close to 40 servers in 25 locations, you won’t be unblocking Netflix (but Hulu and BBC work). Other notable features include DNS leak protection and autoconnect.

CyberGhost has all of the above-mentioned features, and much more. You get over 2,200 servers in 60+ countries, “stealth” settings for bypassing censorship in China and elsewhere, and a heap of other useful extras. Privacy is also spotless with this VPN — it’s based in Romania and operates under a strict zero-logs policy. Avira Phantom admits to storing bandwidth logs, which isn’t ideal.


Features
3.5
Pricing
3.1
Ease of Use
4.3
Reliability & Support
4.5

Features
4.7
Pricing
4.7
Ease of Use
5.0
Reliability & Support
4.8

Rating
Features	3.5	4.7
Pricing	3.1	4.7
Ease of Use	4.3	5.0
Reliability & Support	4.5	4.8

Reviews

Review by our expert

Ariel Hochstadt

Ex-Google, International tech speaker

3.9

Avira’s Phantom VPN comes from one of the more famous antivirus companies around. But making a high-quality VPN is a very different game. Phantom VPN offers a modest network of 50 servers in 36 countries. With AES-256 encryption, OpenVPN support, and essential features like a kill switch, this service looks compact and secure. However, looks can be deceiving. There’s much more you need t

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Latest positive user review

Anonymously

5.0

No issues I have no issues with this VPN (although I admit that it is from my favorite security company). Those who write about garbled text, for example, probably have their own operating system issues with which they should be concerned; I do not experience this or any other issue—not even after a clean install of Windows 10.

Latest negative user review

Anonymously

1.0

The lowest rated vpn i have come across. Not any particular "Pros" to this vpn. CONS 1: Install and initial run errors. Ended up with four "page script" errors even before the software loaded 2: Once somewhat functional phantom would not connect to any server. 3: Random task bar popup where all the text and graphics were scrambled and ctrl-alt-del was necessary to disable. 4: Numerous re-installs. 5: It's clear that this vpn needs additional program libraries and to stop using windows features like Aero. To be honest this vpn deserves a negative star rating.

Pricing

Starting price

$5.17/ month

Money Back Guarantee (Days)

Number of devices per license

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Starting price

$2.60/ month

Money Back Guarantee (Days)

Number of devices per license

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Starting price	$5.17/ month	$2.60/ month	121332/
Money Back Guarantee (Days)	0	45	0
Number of devices per license	5	7	Unlimited
See Plans & Pricing	See Plans	See Plans

Best VPNs by category

Best VPNs Overall		CyberGhost is feature-packed, but also incredibly easy to use — all thanks to the premade profiles for all purposes. There’s nothing difficult about Avira Phantom, but the excellent encryption and uptime are offset by a limited server roster and a shaky privacy policy.
Best VPNs Overall CyberGhost is feature-packed, but also incredibly easy to use — all thanks to the premade profiles for all purposes. There’s nothing difficult about Avira Phantom, but the excellent encryption and uptime are offset by a limited server roster and a shaky privacy policy.
Best VPNs for Torrents		Avira Phantom doesn’t explicitly forbid P2P, but its stance on torrents is definitely ambiguous. CyberGhost is the ideal choice for torrenting, as it has plenty of P2P servers and the port forwarding feature.
Best VPNs for Torrents Avira Phantom doesn’t explicitly forbid P2P, but its stance on torrents is definitely ambiguous. CyberGhost is the ideal choice for torrenting, as it has plenty of P2P servers and the port forwarding feature.
Best VPNs for Windows		CyberGhost is a joy to use on any platform, but its Windows client really shines. The profile-based interface and arsenal of great features are the major highlights. Avira Phantom Pro is straightforward and has a kill switch and DNS leak protection, but not much else.
Best VPNs for Windows CyberGhost is a joy to use on any platform, but its Windows client really shines. The profile-based interface and arsenal of great features are the major highlights. Avira Phantom Pro is straightforward and has a kill switch and DNS leak protection, but not much else.
Best VPNs for Android		CyberGhost’s Android app offers the same exquisite experience on mobile like on desktop — it’s quite simple, yet packed with neat features. Avira Phantom offers one-tap protection and autoconnect on mobile, which is enough for many.
Best VPNs for Android CyberGhost’s Android app offers the same exquisite experience on mobile like on desktop — it’s quite simple, yet packed with neat features. Avira Phantom offers one-tap protection and autoconnect on mobile, which is enough for many.
Best VPNs for Mac		On Mac, CyberGhost retains the amazing profiles for easy protection or unblocking, along with the kill switch, DNS leak protection, and a plethora of useful settings. Avira Phantom also performs well on Mac, but doesn’t stand out with any special functionality.
Best VPNs for Mac On Mac, CyberGhost retains the amazing profiles for easy protection or unblocking, along with the kill switch, DNS leak protection, and a plethora of useful settings. Avira Phantom also performs well on Mac, but doesn’t stand out with any special functionality.
Best VPNs for iOS		CyberGhost’s updated iOS app now packs as many features as its other native clients, and the seven simultaneous connections can be very useful for equipping multiple devices with a VPN. Avira Phantom Pro is a great VPN for iOS if you’re looking for just the basics, and it supports up to 5 devices at the same time.
Best VPNs for iOS CyberGhost’s updated iOS app now packs as many features as its other native clients, and the seven simultaneous connections can be very useful for equipping multiple devices with a VPN. Avira Phantom Pro is a great VPN for iOS if you’re looking for just the basics, and it supports up to 5 devices at the same time.
Best VPNs for USA		Owing to the huge server network and the extra focus on unblocking with the streaming profile, CyberGhost is an absolute favorite for bypassing US geoblocks and accessing tricky platforms like Netflix reliably. Avira Phantom’s 36+ servers are a bit modest, and advanced unblocking isn’t guaranteed.
Best VPNs for USA Owing to the huge server network and the extra focus on unblocking with the streaming profile, CyberGhost is an absolute favorite for bypassing US geoblocks and accessing tricky platforms like Netflix reliably. Avira Phantom’s 36+ servers are a bit modest, and advanced unblocking isn’t guaranteed.

The Bottom Line

Ariel Hochstadt

Ex-Google, International tech speaker

Winner

Visit website »

www.cyberghostvpn.com

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So, who’s the winner in this comparison? The answer is obvious — CyberGhost. Does that make Avira Phantom a bad VPN? Not at all. The two VPNs simply serve different needs. CyberGhost is an excellent all-purpose VPN, and nothing is out of reach for it. Avira Phantom focuses on the very basics: effortless use and solid encryption. It all depends on what you want out of your VPN — and if it involves anything other than baseline protection, CyberGhost is the better choice.

Interestingly, if you compare CyberGhost VPN with NordVPN, which is our top ranked vpn, you'll see that CyberGhost VPN can learn a lot from NordVPN. Compare CyberGhost VPN with NordVPN

Time to decide which one is best for you

Go with Avira Phantom VPN

Go with CyberGhost VPN

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