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vpnMentor was established in 2014 to review VPN services and cover privacy-related stories. Today, our team of hundreds of cybersecurity researchers, writers, and editors continues to help readers fight for their online freedom in partnership with Kape Technologies PLC, which also owns the following products: ExpressVPN, CyberGhost, and Private Internet Access which may be ranked and reviewed on this website. The reviews published on vpnMentor are believed to be accurate as of the date of each article, and written according to our strict reviewing standards that prioritize professional and honest examination of the reviewer, taking into account the technical capabilities and qualities of the product together with its commercial value for users. The rankings and reviews we publish may also take into consideration the common ownership mentioned above, and affiliate commissions we earn for purchases through links on our website. We do not review all VPN providers and information is believed to be accurate as of the date of each article.
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vpnMentor was established in 2014 to review VPN services and cover privacy-related stories. Today, our team of hundreds of cybersecurity researchers, writers, and editors continues to help readers fight for their online freedom in partnership with Kape Technologies PLC, which also owns the following products: ExpressVPN, CyberGhost, and Private Internet Access which may be ranked and reviewed on this website. The reviews published on vpnMentor are believed to be accurate as of the date of each article, and written according to our strict reviewing standards that prioritize professional and honest examination of the reviewer, taking into account the technical capabilities and qualities of the product together with its commercial value for users. The rankings and reviews we publish may also take into consideration the common ownership mentioned above, and affiliate commissions we earn for purchases through links on our website. We do not review all VPN providers and information is believed to be accurate as of the date of each article.

NordVPN vs CyberGhost 2024

Table of Contents
    Editor's Note: Transparency and impartiality are important to us when bringing you our best selection of VPNs. Some of the industry-leading products on our list, including Intego, Private Internet Access, CyberGhost, and ExpressVPN are owned by Kape Technologies, our parent company. The VPNs we choose are derived from a thorough testing process.

    Which VPN Is Better?

    Author Image Angela Jovanoska
    Angela Jovanoska

    Former Cybersecurity Researcher

    It’s no easy task to determine whether CyberGhost or NordVPN is a better VPN — they’re two of the most popular VPN services on the market for a reason. Both offer large server networks, are highly secure, and can easily access most streaming platforms, including Netflix.

    Although you can’t go wrong with either service, there are some important differences to consider before choosing between the two. To help you make an informed decision, I compared the two VPNs in various categories, including speed, security, pricing, and privacy.

    My tests and comparisons revealed that CyberGhost wins a few more categories than NordVPN. It has specialized servers that give you fast and easy access to streaming, gaming, and torrenting. Plus, you get ultimate privacy protection with its self-managed NoSpy servers and strict no-logs policy. The apps are super intuitive, too — you easily can tailor CyberGhost to your specific needs.

    NordVPN also has many strengths, too, though. It has some advanced security features, including its own speed-optimized protocol, called NordLynx. Also, Threat Manager, which is one of the best built-in ad/malware/tracker blockers I’ve tested. However, it made concerning changes to its privacy policy — stating it may comply with data requests from law enforcement. Plus, its app is bulky and takes a while to establish connections sometimes.

    Try CyberGhost Risk-Free

    Short on Time? Here Are My Key Findings

    CyberGhost NordVPN
    ⭐ Overall Rating Our Score: 9.69/10

    https://www.cyberghostvpn.com

    Our Score: 9.37/10

    https://www.nordvpn.com

    💲 Lowest Monthly Price $2.03/month with 2 year + 3 free months plan $2.99/month with a 2-year plan
    🗓️ Price on Renewal $56.97 per year
    (subject to change)
    $198.96 per year
    (subject to change)
    🤑 Coupons CyberGhost 84% Off (2-year + 3 free months plan) NordVPN 74% Off (2-year plan)
    💸 Money Back Guarantee 45 days (long term plans) or 14 days (short term plan) 30 days
    📺 Streaming & Unblocking Can access Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, Amazon Prime, and more Can access most streaming platforms but might experience delays
    🌍 VPN Servers 100 countries with 11,690 servers 111 countries with 6,800 servers
    ⚡ Speed 4.5% speed drop (local average), 23% speed drop (long-distance average) 7% speed drop (local server average), 26% speed drop (long-distance average)
    🎮 Gaming Performance Gaming servers for smooth performance Optimal speeds, but high ping rates with some long-distance servers
    🤝‍🧑 P2P Support Optimized torrenting servers Optimized torrenting servers
    🔐 Security Protocols OpenVPN, IKEv2, WireGuard, IPSec/L2TP NordLynx (WireGuard), OpenVPN, IPSec/IKEv2, and IPSec/L2TP
    🔌 Kill Switch Yes Yes
    ✅ IP/DNS Leak Protection Yes Yes
    🏢 Based in Country Romania Panama
    ⚠️ Does VPN Keep Logs No No
    Works in China No No
    #️⃣ Number of Device Connections 7 10
    💻 Device Compatibility Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, Chrome, Firefox, Edge, routers, and more Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, Chrome, Firefox, Edge, routers, and more
    🔧 Customer Support 24/7 live chat, knowledge base, FAQs, and email 24/7 live chat, knowledge base, FAQs, and email
    Best alternative to CyberGhost VPN

    Our Score: 9.9

    ExpressVPN is by far the best VPN I’ve tested. It has impressive speeds for smooth streaming, strong security, and can easily access geo-restricted content. You can also try it risk-free since it offers a trustworthy 30-day money-back guarantee.

    Streaming and Netflix Access — CyberGhost Wins by a Narrow Margin

    CyberGhost and NordVPN are both good options for streaming. However, unlike NordVPN, CyberGhost offers streaming-optimized servers that are regularly tested to work with all the major streaming platforms. These connections are labelled according to the specific streaming sites they work best with, which makes it super easy to access the content you want.

    Streaming Platform CyberGhost NordVPN
    Netflix ✅ Yes, including popular Netflix libraries like the US, UK, Canada, Japan, South Korea, and Switzerland ☑️ Yes, but not as reliable for some libraries
    Disney+ ✅ Yes ✅ Yes
    ESPN ✅ Yes ✅ Yes
    HBO Max ✅ Yes ✅ Yes
    Hulu ✅ Yes ✅ Yes
    Sky ✅ Yes ✅ Yes
    Amazon Prime Video ✅ Yes ✅ Yes
    BBC iPlayer ✅ Yes ✅ Yes
    ABC ✅ Yes ✅ Yes
    CBS ✅ Yes ✅ Yes
    NBC ✅ Yes ✅ Yes

    When connected to these servers, CyberGhost gave me instant access to all platforms I tried, like, Disney+, Hulu, HBO Max, Prime Video. Plus, it unblocked 15+ Netflix libraries (including Netflix US, UK, Canada, and Japan)

    Watching Netflix US with CyberGhost.I could watch Ozark on Netflix US lag-free with CyberGhost

    NordVPN can also unblock most streaming platforms, but I had to switch between a few different servers before I found one that worked with Amazon Prime Video and Hulu. On the other hand, CyberGhost gave me access to these platforms on the first connection attempt.

    Watching Netflix US with NordVPNNordVPN successfully unblocked several Netflix libraries, including Netflix US

    On nearby servers, both VPNs offered superb speeds for streaming, so I could enjoy shows in the highest quality without interruptions. I experienced some inconsistencies on long-distance servers with both VPNs. Although, switching to their respective fastest protocols (WireGuard and NordLynx) gave me a slight speed boost, so I was still able to stream lag-free.

    CyberGhost offers a Smart DNS service, which allows you to stream on a wider array of devices, even if they’re not VPN-compatible. It also offers a comprehensive setup guide for this, so it took me about 5 minutes to set it up on my Samsung smart TV.

    NordVPN also has Smart DNS features, but its setup guides only cover LG TVs and Apple TVs, so setting it up wasn’t as simple.

    Smart DNS doesn’t encrypt your traffic like a regular VPN connection, but NordVPN offers a solution to this called SmartPlay. This feature combines Smart DNS with VPN encryption, allowing you to stream without compromising privacy. it's only available on the NordVPN app, though, so if your device isn’t compatible with the VPN, you won’t be able to use it.

    Winner

    Both CyberGhost and NordVPN are good options for 4K streaming without lag. Although, CyberGhost is the overall winner, thanks to its streaming servers optimized for specific platforms to give you reliable and easy access. NordVPN struggled with Hulu and Prime Video, so I had to try a few different servers to be able to unblock them.

    Server Network — CyberGhost Has More Servers and Better Server Coverage

    CyberGhost NordVPN
    Total Countries With Servers 100 111
    Number of Servers 11,690 6,800

    Both CyberGhost and NordVPN have a lot of servers worldwide, but CyberGhost’s server network is significantly larger. CyberGhost offers more connections between the popular regions of Europe and the Americas than NordVPN has in total. And unlike NordVPN, CyberGhost also has servers in countries that are often not covered, like Andorra, Liechtenstein, the Philippines, China, Malta, and Montenegro.

    While not as extensive as CyberGhost's network, NordVPN's server infrastructure is reasonably well-distributed. The majority of its servers are situated in the US, UK, and Europe, with a decent number of servers also available in Australia, South America, Asia, and Africa. If your primary purpose is to utilize NordVPN for streaming, the limited number of servers in the mentioned countries should not impact your experience.

    Also, CyberGhost has servers that are specifically optimized for fast and reliable streaming, gaming, and torrenting. NordVPN also has specialty connections, but they are more security-focused. This includes servers for P2P, onion over VPN, obfuscation, and double VPN.

    Considering these points, I have to declare CyberGhost the winner of this category. With a more extensive server network, you're less likely to experience reduced speeds as a result of overcrowding.

    Winner

    CyberGhost has a larger server network, and it offers connections in more countries than NordVPN,  so it comes out on top again. NordVPN also has a well-distributed network, so you shouldn’t have a problem accessing the content you want with either VPN.

    Speed — Both VPNs Offer Impressive Speeds

    CyberGhost and NordVPN are both among the fastest VPNs I’ve tested, but I wanted to find out which one is the overall winner.

    Our dedicated speed tester in the UK performs weekly speed tests using designated server locations to come up with an idea of how each VPN performs speed-wise over time on both local and long-distance connections. We then take the average of all of these tests combined.

    First, they measure their speeds without a VPN. Keep in mind baseline connection speeds fluctuate, so we measure speeds by the percentage lost.

    Then, they connect to each VPN’s fastest server (based on location), as well as different servers around the world, including the US, UK, and Japan. To get the best results, our speed tester uses each VPN’s fastest protocol — WireGuard for CyberGhost and NordLynx for NordVPN.

    With a baseline connection of 106.89Mbps, our speed tester’s speeds only dropped by 4% with CyberGhost while connected to its nearest location. Upload speeds dropped from 14.34Mbps to 13.39Mbps (a 7% decrease).

    Screenshot showing CyberGhost's download and upload speedsThey reported that the speedloss had no effect on their streaming and browsing experience

    NordVPN’s local server was just as fast. Starting with 103.19Mbps, NordVPN’s local server also lost just 4%. There was a decrease in upload speeds of 4%.

    Screenshot showing NordVPN's download and upload speedsNordVPN’s NordLynx protocol gives you excellent speeds on both nearby and faraway servers

    Considering that it's normal for a VPN to slow your internet speed by about 20%, these results are excellent. It’s also important to look at upload speeds since this is what allows for smooth file-sharing, video calling, and gaming.

    Looking at the averages between both nearby and international servers, we can see that CyberGhost produced faster download speeds while NordVPN gave better upload speeds.

    Also worth noting — NordVPN does offer a SOCKS5 connection, which is certainly faster than a regular VPN connection. Although, the tradeoff is that it won't encrypt your traffic, which is why we compared both VPNs using their regular connections. So, there's no definitive winner in this category — both VPNs offer very impressive speeds.

    Speed Tests CyberGhost Average Download Speed NordVPN Average Download Speed CyberGhost Average Upload Speed NordVPN Average Upload Speed
    Connected to a US server 4% loss 8% loss 5% loss 31% loss
    Connected to a France server 5% loss 7% loss 6% loss 6% loss
    Connected to a Hong Kong server 59% loss 33% loss 13% loss 51% loss
    Winner - draw
    /
    Both CyberGhost and NordVPN offer impressive speeds for streaming, torrenting, and gaming. When testing different global servers, CyberGhost had slightly faster upload speeds while NordVPN had faster download speeds. So, if you’re looking for a fast VPN service, you'll not go wrong with either option.

    Gaming — CyberGhost’s Gaming Servers Provide Low Ping for Lag-Free Gaming

    CyberGhost offers gaming-optimized servers (Windows only) that gave me fast speeds for smooth gaming. I wanted to see how these compared to NordVPN’s regular servers (since it doesn’t have gaming servers). So I performed tests on different connections around the world while playing Counter Strike Global Offensive.

    While both VPNs are fast, my tests showed that CyberGhost has slightly lower ping rates on both nearby and faraway servers. For example, I had a ping rate of 54 ms on the fastest server. Its US server gave me a ping rate of 116 ms which is impressive considering it's thousands of miles away from my location.

    CyberGhost (WireGuard) NordVPN (NordLynx)
    Quick Connect 54 ms 62 ms
    Connected to a US server 116 ms 223 ms
    Connected to a UK server 73 ms 82 ms
    Connected to a Hong Kong server 293 ms 304 ms

    Playing Counter Strike GO with CyberGhostI chose the fastest server for an optimal gaming experience

    As with any VPN I’ve ever tested, both CyberGhost and NordVPN have high ping rates on long-distace servers. This of course results in some noticeable lag. That said, CyberGhost’s gaming servers have slightly better ping rates, and every little bit helps.

    Winner

    CyberGhost has gaming-optimized servers that have slightly lower ping rates compared to NordVPN’s regular servers, making it a better option for gaming. With both VPNs, I experienced some lagging when connected to their long-distance servers, but this is normal considering how far it is from my location.

    Security — NordVPN Wins Thanks to its Wealth of Features

    Both VPNs are very secure, but NordVPN offers a few more advanced security features than CyberGhost, making it the winner of this category. That said, CyberGhost is also a secure VPN service, offering all the standard security features, and more.

    Security Feature CyberGhost NordVPN
    Encryption level AES-256-GCM with 4096-bit DH key, SHA-512 HMAC authentication AES-256-GCM with 4096-bit DH key, SHA2-384 HMAC authentication
    Kill Switch All operating systems All operating systems
    DNS/IP Leak Protection Yes Yes
    Protocols OpenVPN, IKEv2, WireGuard, IPSec/L2TP NordLynx (WireGuard), OpenVPN, IPSec/IKEv2, and IPSec/L2TP
    Split Tunneling Yes Yes
    Private DNS servers Yes Yes
    Tor Over VPN servers No Yes
    RAM-only servers wipes data Yes Yes
    Ad & malware blocker Yes Yes
    Double hop servers No Yes
    Dedicated IP addresses Yes Yes
    Obfuscation technology No Yes

    Unlike CyberGhost, NordVPN offers Double VPN servers, which add a layer of encryption by routing your data through 2 separate servers. This gives you a highly-secure connection, but it’s not meant for everyday use, as it can significantly slow your speeds.

    Although it lacks Double VPN, CyberGhost offers its own in-house NoSpy servers that are only accessed and controlled by its internal staff. These will not double your encryption like a Double VPN feature would, but they do boost security while maintaining fast speeds.

    Screenshot of CyberGhost's NoSpy serversAll CyberGhost servers are located in Romania and managed by its internal staff

    NordVPN also offers obfuscated servers, which is not the case with CyberGhost. Obfuscation makes your VPN traffic look like regular internet traffic and helps NordVPN overcome tough firewalls.

    Although NordVPN can’t bypass the Great Firewall of China, these servers are useful in other restrictive countries, like Russia. They also allow NordVPN to bypass less-serious VPN blocks, like those at school or on public WiFi.

    Screenshot showing NordVPN's specialized secure serversYou can connect to a Double VPN server for extra security, like when visiting a highly restrictive country

    CyberGhost also doesn’t have its own proprietary VPN protocol like NordVPN. NordVPN’s NordLynx is built around the WireGuard protocol, but, according to NordVPN, it offers faster speeds than WireGuard without putting your security at risk.

    With CyberGhost, you still have a selection of secure VPN protocols to choose from, including OpenVPN, IKEv2, WireGuard, and IPSec/L2TP.

    Both VPNs protect your data with military-grade 256-bit encryption. You also don’t need to be concerned about your IP address being exposed, as both have a reliable kill switch that's available on all apps.

    NordVPN’s kill switch is more customizable, though. On Windows and Mac, you can choose whether you want to disable all internet access when the VPN connection fails, or only shut down certain apps. There’s also an option to disable your internet access when you disconnect from the VPN manually, which is not the case with CyberGhost’s kill switch.

    CyberGhost and NordVPN passed all my DNS/IP leak tests, so you don’t have to worry about any confidential information being exposed while using either VPN.

    No matter which VPN you choose, you'll benefit from RAM-only servers. This means that VPN staff can wipe your data with the flick of a switch automatically whenever they reboot the servers.

    For a small monthly fee, both VPNs allow you to get a dedicated IP address. As they're only used by you, they offer optimal speeds and are also much less likely to be blocked by Netflix and other streaming platforms as shared IP addresses are.

    If you want to protect yourself from malware or intrusive ads while browsing, both VPNs also offer powerful ad blockers. However, I found NordVPN’s ad blocker, called Threat Protection more useful as it blocks all ads and malware even when the VPN isn’t connected. CyberGhost’s ad blocker (Block Content) doesn’t remove ads unless they contain malicious content and you have to be connected to a VPN server to use it.

    Both CyberGhost and NordVPN offer a few security extras. For instance, through your account on CyberGhost's website, there is a feature called Identity Guard that checks whether your email addresses (up to 2) have been compromised online in any data breaches. NordVPN offers this with its Dark Web Monitor, but it only scans the dark web using the email associated with your VPN account.

    NordVPN also has something called Meshnet, which allows you to create secure, remote connections between devices. For instance, you can set it up for safe file sharing between your home and work computers.

    Winner

    Both VPNs are very secure, but NordVPN comes out on top as it offers more advanced security features, including Double VPN, obfuscated servers, and its own security protocol. That said, CyberGhost is also a highly secure VPN service.

    Privacy — CyberGhost Doesn’t Log User Data, NordVPN Might

    Both CyberGhost and NordVPN have strict no-logs policies. Plus, their no-logs claims have been audited by independent organizations multiple times — CyberGhost was checked by Deloitte, while PWC audited NordVPN. This proves neither VPN collects nor sells any of your personal information, like your IP address, browsing history, or connection logs.

    They're also both based in privacy-friendly jurisdictions, outside of the 5/9/14 Eyes AllianceCyberGhost is based in Romania and NordVPN in Panama. The members of this alliance have been known to spy on the online activities of their citizens and share the information with each other, so the fact that neither VPN is a part of it is a huge plus.

    That said, NordVPN made a subtle change to a blog post in January 2022 that I found a tad concerning.

    Previously, the company stated that it won’t comply with requests from foreign governments to log or share user data. The wording was changed to state that NordVPN will comply with data requests from law enforcement if they adhere to the laws and regulations of the jurisdiction they operate in.

    Exerpt from NordVPN's privacy policy stating that it may hand over the minimal data it processes if requested by authoritiesLuckily, it doesn’t record your IP address or online activities, so there’s not much to share

    NordVPN has since clarified that the main reason it made the change was to disassociate from shady VPN services. It further explained that it will never store user data unless legally required to by law and it’s never stored identifiable user data in any capacity as proven by audits. Still, this subtle change has raised questions about how dedicated the VPN really is to protecting user data.

    On the other hand, CyberGhost’s no-logs claims are backed by regular transparency reports it’s been releasing to the public since 2011. In fact, it was the first VPN to ever do this.

    These days, the provider releases quarterly reports detailing each time they’ve received DMCA complaints, malware activity flags, and police requests. These requests ask for either user IP addresses, DNS requests, activity logs, or other personally identifiable data — all of which CyberGhost refuses to hand over.

    Winner

    Both VPNs have proven no-logs policies and are based in privacy-friendly jurisdictions. However, NordVPN made a slight change in its privacy policy, which stirs concerns about its dedication to protecting user data, making CyberGhost the winner.

    Works in China — Neither VPN Works Reliably in China

    Unfortunately, neither CyberGhost nor NordVPN can get past the Great Firewall of China. China has very strict internet regulations, so sites like YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram are all forbidden to use there. Although a few VPNs can reliably access blocked sites like these from China, NordVPN and CyberGhost cannot.

    That said, if you want to get a Chinese IP address, CyberGhost is by far the better option as it has multiple servers in Shenzhen, China. NordVPN doesn’t offer Chinese servers.

    Winner - draw
    /
    Neither VPN can be used in China, so there's no definitive winner in this comparison. However, CyberGhost offers servers in China while NordVPN doesn’t, so it's the better option if you want to get a Chinese IP address.

    Installation & Ease of Use — CyberGhost is One of the Most User-Friendly VPNs I’ve Tested

    CyberGhost is very straightforward to install and navigate, on both desktop and mobile. Immediately after logging in, I found the server I was looking for as they're nicely divided based on what you want to use the VPN for. It didn’t take more than a few seconds to find its specialized Netflix server and access the platform.

    It’s also easy to find servers by location — you can simply scroll through the list of servers or use the search box to find your preferred connection. I liked being able to “favorite” different servers as it allowed me to instantly find my most frequently used ones.

    There’s also a Best server location option on its main interface that instantly connects you to the fastest server based on your location.

    Screenshot of CyberGhost's Smart Rules features and its specialized servers for streaming, gaming, and torrentingCyberGhost lets you pick your server based on whether you want to stream, game, or torrent

    Another CyberGhost feature I really like is Smart Rules. This allows you to customize the VPN’s behavior according to your preferences. For instance, I set the VPN to connect to a server immediately after launching. If you want, you can also make CyberGhost connect to the same server every time you open the app.

    NordVPN is also easy to navigate, but I didn’t find it as intuitive as CyberGhost. One thing I really liked about NordVPN is its map interface — each of the countries the VPN has servers in is marked with a dot. This makes it very easy to find and connect to your preferred server location.

    Screenshot of NordVPN's map interfaceYou can connect to a server via the intuitive map interface or the search box

    NordVPN also has a Quick Connect option that you can use to get the optimal speeds for your location.

    There are a few complaints I have about NordVPN’s apps. Firstly, its interface takes up a large portion of the screen, and there’s no option to shrink it down besides minimizing it completely. Also, connecting to some of its servers (particularly the long-distance ones) can take awhile — sometimes up to 40 seconds.

    Plus, the server list doesn’t display the distance from your location, like with CyberGhost, making it more difficult to manually select your fastest location. There's no option to save or “favorite” your most frequently used servers either.

    Both VPNs are compatible with all popular platforms and devices, including Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, and iOS. Windows installation didn’t take more than 30 seconds with either. That said, neither service offers a dedicated router app. This makes it slightly more complicated to configure the VPN on your router, but, luckily both VPNs have setup guides that can make the process much easier.

    Winner

    Both VPNs are easy to use, but I found CyberGhosts apps slightly more intuitive, so it's better suited for beginners. NordVPN’s app is a bit bulky and takes a long time to establish connections sometimes.

    Reliability & Support — CyberGhost’s Live Chat Has Quicker Response Times

    Customer Support Features CyberGhost NordVPN
    24/7 Live chat Yes, responds instantly Yes, but has longer reply times
    Email support Yes Yes
    Phone support No No
    Step-by-step setup guides Yes Yes, with video tutorials
    Searchable knowledge base Yes Yes
    Exhaustive FAQ section Yes Yes

    If you need assistance while using CyberGhost or NordVPN, both VPNs offer several support options. For more general inquiries, you can use their comprehensive knowledge bases, step-by-step guides, and FAQs sections.

    I really liked that NordVPN offers a video tutorial with most of its step-by-step guides. CyberGhosts’ guides don’t come with video tutorials, but they're still very easy to follow, as there are images attached to each step.

    You can also get in touch with a support agent via email and 24/7 live chat. With both VPNs, you have to provide your email address before you gain access to the live chat. During tests, CyberGhost’s support agent was polite, knowledgeable, and gave me instant answers to my questions.

    NordVPN’s live chat agents also gave me friendly and prompt responses, but I did notice they were a bit slower.

    For instance, with NordVPN you’re first greeted by a chatbot and have to describe your issue before being connected to a live agent. When I was connected, it took NordVPN’s support agent over 10 minutes to answer a question I had about setting up the Smart DNS service on my smart TV.

    Winner

    Both VPNs offer a range of support options, including a 24/7 live chat, email, step-by-step guides, and searchable knowledge bases. However, CyberGhost’s support agents answered my questions more quickly, making it the overall winner of this category.

    Tips on Choosing Between CyberGhost and NordVPN

    CyberGhost and NordVPN are two of the best VPN services, so choosing which one to use can be challenging. That is why I used several criteria to determine the overall better VPN, including:

    • Bypassing geo-blocks — If you’re planning to travel abroad, and want to watch your favorite shows from back home, bypassing geo-restrictions is very important. I tested both VPNs with popular streaming sites like Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, and Amazon Prime Video.
    • Fast speeds — Whether you plan to use the VPN for streaming, torrenting, or gaming, fast speeds let you to have a smooth experience without annoying lag or buffering.
    • Server networks — VPNs with larger server networks are generally more successful at bypassing geo-restrictions. A large server network also means you're less likely to experience overcrowding and reduced speeds.
    • Robust security features — Military-grade 256-bit encryption is a standard with most VPN services today. Beyond that, the VPN should offer a reliable kill switch, IP and DNS leak protection, and several security protocols to choose from. Advanced security features like Double VPN and obfuscation are also a plus.
    • Respectable privacy practices — A VPN should offer a no-logs policy that has been audited by independent organizations to prove it doesn’t collect or store personal user information. it's also preferable if it’s based in a country that doesn’t belong to the 5/9/14 Eyes Alliance.
    • Easy to use — It's important that the VPN offers easy-to-use and intuitive apps for all the major platforms, with easy access to its security features.
    • Trustworthy money-back guarantee — A money-back guarantee allows you to try out the VPN risk-free for a certain amount of time. If you don’t like how it works, you can claim a full refund.

    Our Score

    Features 9.7/10
    Pricing 9.7/10
    Ease of Use 9.8/10
    Reliability & Support 9.9/10
    Features 9.4/10
    Pricing 7.5/10
    Ease of Use 10.0/10
    Reliability & Support 9.5/10

    Reviews

    Review by our expert
    Author Image Akash Deep
    Akash Deep

    Cybersecurity Researcher

    Our Score: 9.7/10

    They say you get what you pay for, but CyberGhost offers low prices and still claims to be one of the best. Subscriptions come as low as $2.03/month, so that much can’t be debated. But, can it really compete with its top-ranking competitors while charging so little? Over the course of several weeks, we put CyberGhost through an extensive evaluation. We analyzed its privacy policy, stress-test...

    Read all
    Latest positive user review
    A
    Anonymously
    8.0/10
    CyberGhost is one of the best VPNs for streaming

    CyberGhost is one of the best VPNs for streaming and can safely access content from anywhere. When we ... put it to the test, my global team and I could securely view over 30 major streaming services. HohoMore

    Latest negative user review
    S
    Sami Paananen
    2.0/10
    Pretty good

    CyberGhost does not connect automatically in pc when I connect online. Why? And on my phone (Android)...  it sometimes gets stuck, it does not open the app when vpn is working. I have to connect the VPN in my phone settings first. That is pretty annoying.More

    Review by our expert
    Author Image Keira Waddell
    Keira Waddell

    Former Senior Writer

    Our Score: 9.4/10

    On the surface, NordVPN looks like a really impressive service. It claims to have a huge global server network, a speedy and reliable connection, and iron-clad security and privacy features. Plus, you can get it all for just $2.99/month. That all sounds great, but is there a catch? To find out, we did an in-depth analysis of NordVPN. The team and I tested its speeds and how well it performs whe...

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    Latest positive user review
    2
    210493Lu
    10.0/10
    The Best of The Best

    I simply tested all VPNs looking for cutting-edge online security, I tested the most expensive and the...  most talked about virtual anonymity, none made me as happy as NordVPN, it stands out for several reasons that the much more expensive ones it doesn't have, its double encryption, dedicated IPs, onion VPN, makes NordVPN unique, with almost 6,000 servers around the world and 12 million customers like me, you can see that NordVPN is not playing games with its customers and their online security , it always innovates to keep you more secure day after day, for a fair price in the long term and without sacrificing the speed of your connection, recently Nord is developing a new VPN protocol, Nordlynx a version still under construction derived from the Wireguard protocol, if you want to have a VPN of last security that think how it will make you more secure in the next month NordVPN is the right choice, I am completely thankful for being a customer and for finding what to me is the perfect VPN.More

    Latest negative user review
    S
    SAM
    2.0/10
    BUYER BEWARE!

    BUYER BEWARE! If you purchase NordVPN, it will throttle your interned speed/connectivity by 50%, like ... it did to mine. I pay $100/month to get speeds of nearly 600mbs. With NordVPN turned on, my speeds decrease to 250mbs. Nord’s “customer support” is useless and unprofessional, and, after nearly 3 weeks of endless “try this, try that”, they were unable to resolve the issue and blamed it on everything under the sun except their product, when it is OBVIOUS that, since I have zero speed issues with Nord turned off, and ONLY experience the issues with Nord turned on, it is NordVPN that is causing the issue. When I asked them for a refund of my one year subscription paid in advance and in good faith, they refused, and have now decided to ignore me. So, YOU’VE BEEN WARNED. Their VPN will devastate your internet speeds, their “support” is ridiculous, they are in denial, and they will not refund your money, even if their product is a failure…More

    Pricing

    CyberGhost NordVPN
    Starting Price $2.03/month $2.99/month
    Price (On Renewal) $56.97 per year
    (subject to change)
    $198.96 per year
    (subject to change)
    Money Back Guarantee 45 days: long term
    14 days: short term
    30 days
    Number of devices per license 7 10
    Router Setup (for Unlimited Devices) Manual setup Manual setup

    CyberGhost is cheaper than NordVPN on long-term plans. While both VPNs have the same monthly prices, CyberGhost offers much better value on its 2-year plan. It also throws in an additional 3 months of free service. In addition, your subscription costs won’t go up upon renewal, except in rare cases (for instance, you get it with a 1-time discount).

    CyberGhost offers a six-month plan, something not provided by NordVPN. However, the prices for the 1 and 6-month plans are significantly higher than their longer-term counterparts.

    NordVPN also offers reasonable prices, but it's slightly more expensive than CyberGhost. You can choose between a monthly, yearly, and a 2-year plan — the longest plan is most affordable. Keep in mind, when you renew NordVPN, you get reverted to a 1-year plan, which costs $98.48 — double the price.

    Winner

    CyberGhost offers better value than NordVPN on long-term plans. Plus, NordVPN’s prices upon renewal are significantly higher, so CyberGhost comes out on top again if you're looking for a budget-friendly VPN service.

    Best VPN by Category

    Best VPN Overall

    CyberGhost is the overall better VPN thanks to its large global server network, optimized servers, and ease of use. It outperformed NordVPN in most of my tests, so it’s my top recommendation.

    Best VPN for Torrents

    CyberGhost is the better option for torrenting. It offers P2P-optimized servers with optimal speeds, and they display the location distance to make it very easy to find the best one. NordVPN also has torrenting servers, but my tests showed that these have slightly slower speeds.

    Best VPN for Windows

    CyberGhost comes out on top as its Windows app is one of the most intuitive I’ve tested. It also offers a feature that's unique to Windows, called Privacy Guard. It lets you disable some of Microsoft’s privacy-invasive features, so you get better control of your OS. You can choose between a Basic and Advanced level based on how many features you want to disable.

    Best VPN for Android

    NordVPN’s Android app comes with a unique data compression tool that lets you improve your connection speeds while using the VPN on your Android device. Its Android app also has a 7-day free trial which you'll not get with other NordVPN apps.

    Best VPN for Mac

    I recommend CyberGhost’s Mac app as it has a unique feature that's not available on other platforms. Next to each server, it displays the load percentage, so you can see the number of users currently connected to it. This makes it easy to pick the fastest server and avoid overcrowding.

    Best VPN for iOS

    CyberGhost’s iOS app lacks some essential features, like split tunneling and ad blocking. On the other hand, NordVPN's iOS app gives you access to strong security features, like Dark Web Monitor and Onion over VPN servers. Plus, with Siri integration, you can use voice commands to connect to your preferred NordVPN server.

    Best VPN for USA

    Both VPNs have thousands of servers across the US, so you should have no problem getting a US IP address from abroad. However, NordVPN had trouble unblocking two US-based streaming platforms during tests, which didn’t happen with CyberGhost. This makes CyberGhost a better VPN if you want to unblock US streaming content from abroad.

    The Bottom Line

    Even though it has less advanced security features, CyberGhost is the overall winner of this comparison. Its server network is almost double the size of NordVPN’s and its specialized streaming servers make it easy to gain access to the most popular platforms worldwide.

    Plus, it's slightly cheaper than NordVPN and promises to never log or share any of your personal data. Best of all, its 45-day money-back guarantee allows you to try CyberGhost completely risk-free.

    NordVPN is also a good VPN service, especially if security is your top priority, as its security features are unmatched by most other VPNs on the market.

    FAQ

    Is CyberGhost better than NordVPN?

    Yes, CyberGhost is the overall better VPN, based on my tests. It has a larger server network, slightly faster speeds, more intuitive apps, and it’s privacy policy promises it won’t log or share your data with any third parties. Plus, it's more affordable and has a longer money-back guarantee than NordVPN.

    Is CyberGhost faster than NordVPN?

    Both CyberGhost and NordVPN offer impressive speeds when used with their fastest protocols, so there's no definitive winner here. During my tests, CyberGhost gave me slightly faster download speeds on both nearby and long-distance servers, while NordVPN had better upload speeds on some connections.

    That said, if you’re specifically looking for speeds, ExpressVPN is the fastest VPN I’ve tested. Like NordVPN, it has its own speed-optimized protocol (called Lightway). I’ve been testing and using ExpressVPN for years and it’s consistently given me top speeds at both short and long distances.

    Do CyberGhost or NordVPN offer any deals?

    Yes, both CyberGhost and NordVPN offer occasional deals and discounts. You can check out their latest deals here. Currently, CyberGhost offers an 84% discount, plus 3 months of free service with its 2-year plan.

    Is CyberGhost better than NordVPN for streaming?

    While both are great streaming VPNs, CyberGhost was slightly more reliable than NordVPN for streaming during my tests. It can access most streaming platforms on the first connection attempt thanks to its streaming-optimized servers. Although NordVPN can effectively unblock every platform I tested it with, I did have to try a few servers before it worked with Hulu and Amazon Prime Video.

    We review vendors based on rigorous testing and research but also take into account your feedback and our affiliate commission with providers. Some providers are owned by our parent company.
    Learn more
    vpnMentor was established in 2014 to review VPN services and cover privacy-related stories. Today, our team of hundreds of cybersecurity researchers, writers, and editors continues to help readers fight for their online freedom in partnership with Kape Technologies PLC, which also owns the following products: ExpressVPN, CyberGhost, and Private Internet Access which may be ranked and reviewed on this website. The reviews published on vpnMentor are believed to be accurate as of the date of each article, and written according to our strict reviewing standards that prioritize professional and honest examination of the reviewer, taking into account the technical capabilities and qualities of the product together with its commercial value for users. The rankings and reviews we publish may also take into consideration the common ownership mentioned above, and affiliate commissions we earn for purchases through links on our website. We do not review all VPN providers and information is believed to be accurate as of the date of each article.

    About the Author

    Angela is a former tech content writer for vpnMentor with a keen interest in data protection and cyber threats. She enjoys researching and writing about the latest cybersecurity trends and believes strongly in the importance of online privacy.