Ariel Hochstadt
Ex-Google, International tech speaker
Does Surfshark have what it takes to compete against CyberGhost, one of our most recommended VPNs? With strong 256-bit encryption, a variety of protocols, and blazing speeds, these two VPNs have a lot in common. Privacy is also covered – Surfshark (British Virgin Islands) and CyberGhost (Romania) both operate in favorable jurisdictions without serious data retention laws, resulting in strict zero-logging policies you can trust. As for streaming, both VPNs get past the difficult Netflix blocks with ease. CyberGhost impresses us with dedicated server lists for streaming. It even lets you know which ones are optimized for popular geoblocked websites. Surfshark’s minimalist clients don’t offer the same level of depth, but the clean and intuitive design will be appreciated by newbies and casual users just looking for a quick connection to bypass geo-restrictions. Both VPNs have great features for users of all experience levels, from leak protection and wi-fi security to live chat and simple manual setups. It really is a challenge to find the better service for your money. This is why we’ll take a closer look. Scroll down to see how Surfshark and Cyberghost fared in our tests in several key categories.
Features
9.4
Pricing
9.0
Ease of Use
9.6
Reliability & Support
9.2
Features
9.4
Pricing
9.4
Ease of Use
10.0
Reliability & Support
9.6
Rating
Features
9.4
9.4
0.0
Pricing
9.0
9.4
0.0
Ease of Use
9.6
10.0
0.0
Reliability & Support
9.2
9.6
0.0
Reviews
Review by our expert
Kate Veale
Cybersecurity Researcher
9.6
When I read that CyberGhost had been bought out by Kape — a company that used to be infamous for bundling adware into its downloads — alarm bells started ringing. I’ve recommended CyberGhost in the past as a trustworthy and easy-to-use VPN that suits beginners. But with its new ownership, I wondered if CyberGhost is even safe to use anymore
I did a deep dive into CyberGhost’s ownership...
Great serviceI have been using this VPN service for over a year and it has been great. Easy to set up, install (on multiple devices) and customer service was responsive and timely. Prior to CyberGhost I tried another "top-rated" VPN service and was disappointed. No complaints and I would recommend it to anyone.
Latest negative user review
Norman
2.0
They tell me it is impossible for me to connect to UK Netflix!I've just been trying CyberGhost and had problems connecting to UK Netflix from where I am in South America. It just kept connecting to a different country, probably the US. When I asked their Support about it, I was told (and I have it in writing from a Chat) that to access UK Netflix from outside the UK, you MUST have a UK Netflix account! Can that possibly be true? I have never heard of that from any other VPN and I know NordVPN (so far) connects fine to UK Netflix with my local Netflix account.
With VPNs, you tend to get what you pay for. So when I saw Surfshark’s super low prices (you can get it for just $2.49/month), I was a bit skeptical about its rave reviews.
To find out if it actually lives up to these claims, I tested every single aspect of Surfshark, including speeds, security features, unblocking abilities, network reliability, and device compatibility. I also took a cl...
Cheap and functionalGlad they have wireguard support. That makes things a lot faster. A good selection of endpoints, with decent speed, unless you go to some really out-of-the-way places. Excellent multi-device support. I use them on my phone, tablet, and several computers, and I have not run into any limits. No reason to doubt their privacy policy yet, although I wouldn't bet my life or liberty on that. We need a good hack of their systems to know what they really log in or not. No issues with customer support or billing yet, unlike some other VPNs out there. All-in-all a good impression so far.
Latest negative user review
Frank Tarantino
2.0
Internet ProblemsI've had to write another review because I don't think the original one went through (I lowered the star rating to a one because of it). Too many problems since signing up with Surfshark. First, my Internet connection drops for a few minutes every time I log in with my devices. Then, when it's running again, I can't access some of my favorite local websites. I get the following message:
This site can’t be reached
www.*********.ca unexpectedly closed the connection.
My iHeart Radio app also stopped working too. Finally, when surfing on my phone the other day, I was redirected to a malicious website (this never happened before). I thought CleanWeb was supposed to protect me from this?
I doubt this review will get posted because it's negative but I'm hoping someone at Surfshark will at least address it.
When I read that CyberGhost had been bought out by Kape — a company that used to be infamous for bundling adware into its downloads — alarm bells started ringing. I’ve recommended CyberGhost in the past as a trustworthy and easy-to-use VPN that suits beginners. But with its new ownership, I wondered if CyberGhost is even safe to use anymore
I did a deep dive into CyberGhost’s ownership...
With VPNs, you tend to get what you pay for. So when I saw Surfshark’s super low prices (you can get it for just $2.49/month), I was a bit skeptical about its rave reviews.
To find out if it actually lives up to these claims, I tested every single aspect of Surfshark, including speeds, security features, unblocking abilities, network reliability, and device compatibility. I also took a cl...
Great serviceI have been using this VPN service for over a year and it has been great. Easy to set up, install (on multiple devices) and customer service was responsive and timely. Prior to CyberGhost I tried another "top-rated" VPN service and was disappointed. No complaints and I would recommend it to anyone.
Adam Wijnne
10.0
Cheap and functionalGlad they have wireguard support. That makes things a lot faster. A good selection of endpoints, with decent speed, unless you go to some really out-of-the-way places. Excellent multi-device support. I use them on my phone, tablet, and several computers, and I have not run into any limits. No reason to doubt their privacy policy yet, although I wouldn't bet my life or liberty on that. We need a good hack of their systems to know what they really log in or not. No issues with customer support or billing yet, unlike some other VPNs out there. All-in-all a good impression so far.
Latest negative user review
Norman
2.0
They tell me it is impossible for me to connect to UK Netflix!I've just been trying CyberGhost and had problems connecting to UK Netflix from where I am in South America. It just kept connecting to a different country, probably the US. When I asked their Support about it, I was told (and I have it in writing from a Chat) that to access UK Netflix from outside the UK, you MUST have a UK Netflix account! Can that possibly be true? I have never heard of that from any other VPN and I know NordVPN (so far) connects fine to UK Netflix with my local Netflix account.
Frank Tarantino
2.0
Internet ProblemsI've had to write another review because I don't think the original one went through (I lowered the star rating to a one because of it). Too many problems since signing up with Surfshark. First, my Internet connection drops for a few minutes every time I log in with my devices. Then, when it's running again, I can't access some of my favorite local websites. I get the following message:
This site can’t be reached
www.*********.ca unexpectedly closed the connection.
My iHeart Radio app also stopped working too. Finally, when surfing on my phone the other day, I was redirected to a malicious website (this never happened before). I thought CleanWeb was supposed to protect me from this?
I doubt this review will get posted because it's negative but I'm hoping someone at Surfshark will at least address it.
CyberGhost manages to blend simplicity with advanced settings in some of the best VPN apps you’ll ever find. With 3,000+ servers in 60 countries at your disposal, you won’t have issues with access or speed. Surfshark has many strengths, but its stripped-down apps and smaller network of 500+ servers lead to less variety and customization than you get with CyberGhost.
CyberGhost manages to blend simplicity with advanced settings in some of the best VPN apps you’ll ever find. With 3,000+ servers in 60 countries at your disposal, you won’t have issues with access or speed. Surfshark has many strengths, but its stripped-down apps and smaller network of 500+ servers lead to less variety and customization than you get with CyberGhost.
CyberGhost makes torrenting easy, thanks to a dedicated list of P2P servers with easy-to-access info on users and server load, as well as support for SOCKS5 proxies. Surfshark supports P2P, but it will reroute your traffic to the Netherlands. That’s not a problem if the server isn’t crowded, but as the number of torrenters using the VPN increases, the result could be slower speeds.
CyberGhost makes torrenting easy, thanks to a dedicated list of P2P servers with easy-to-access info on users and server load, as well as support for SOCKS5 proxies. Surfshark supports P2P, but it will reroute your traffic to the Netherlands. That’s not a problem if the server isn’t crowded, but as the number of torrenters using the VPN increases, the result could be slower speeds.
The highlight of CyberGhost for Windows is its brilliant client, which is a joy to use. Surfshark comes with all the right features and native OpenVPN support for this platform, but you can’t choose specific servers. Both VPNs perform well, but when it comes to design and user experience, CyberGhost is very tough to beat.
The highlight of CyberGhost for Windows is its brilliant client, which is a joy to use. Surfshark comes with all the right features and native OpenVPN support for this platform, but you can’t choose specific servers. Both VPNs perform well, but when it comes to design and user experience, CyberGhost is very tough to beat.
CyberGhost comes with a host of great features on Android, including data compression and the ability to block social tracking. Both options are very useful for mobile users who want to save some data or improve their speeds. Surfshark’s Android offering is a little limited, but it does include the WhiteLister split tunneling feature, which allows you to bypass the VPN for selected apps.
CyberGhost comes with a host of great features on Android, including data compression and the ability to block social tracking. Both options are very useful for mobile users who want to save some data or improve their speeds. Surfshark’s Android offering is a little limited, but it does include the WhiteLister split tunneling feature, which allows you to bypass the VPN for selected apps.
CyberGhost’s Mac client is identical to the Windows one, and that’s a good thing. You get the same polished interface and impressive performance, along with native OpenVPN protection. Surfshark’s MacOS app runs IKEv2 exclusively. If you want OpenVPN, your only option is a manual setup, which means losing easy access to most of the app’s features.
CyberGhost’s Mac client is identical to the Windows one, and that’s a good thing. You get the same polished interface and impressive performance, along with native OpenVPN protection. Surfshark’s MacOS app runs IKEv2 exclusively. If you want OpenVPN, your only option is a manual setup, which means losing easy access to most of the app’s features.
CyberGhost’s updated iOS app is essentially a mini version of the award winning CyberGhost desktop client, which is great news for the Apple crowd. You can also connect up to seven devices at the same time. If you have a household full of iOS devices, however, you’ll appreciate that Surfshark gives you unlimited connections along with a basic but robust iOS app.
CyberGhost’s updated iOS app is essentially a mini version of the award winning CyberGhost desktop client, which is great news for the Apple crowd. You can also connect up to seven devices at the same time. If you have a household full of iOS devices, however, you’ll appreciate that Surfshark gives you unlimited connections along with a basic but robust iOS app.
More than 520 servers in at least 12 US locations put CyberGhost in the lead for unblocking US content. Thanks to the Unblock Streaming profile that’s available with a click, you’ll quickly find the perfect server for US Netflix, Comedy Central, HBO Go, and all kinds of US-only TV events. Surfshark doesn’t offer such detailed streaming panels, but still gets the job done with fast and reliable servers in nine US locations.
More than 520 servers in at least 12 US locations put CyberGhost in the lead for unblocking US content. Thanks to the Unblock Streaming profile that’s available with a click, you’ll quickly find the perfect server for US Netflix, Comedy Central, HBO Go, and all kinds of US-only TV events. Surfshark doesn’t offer such detailed streaming panels, but still gets the job done with fast and reliable servers in nine US locations.
Surfshark is a rare find – a new VPN that’s already challenging the biggest names in the industry. We expected close results when we ran the tests, but not this close. Even though CyberGhost won in most categories (and is arguably the better VPN for iOS if you’re fine with seven connections), Surfshark put up a great fight. Here’s the big takeaway: If you want a leading VPN for security, streaming, or torrenting that provides a strong balance between performance and ease of use, CyberGhost is the one to get. That said, don’t underestimate Surfshark. It has already shown a lot of promise, and future updates will surely make it even better. For now, Surfshark is a solid pick for the casual VPN user who isn’t looking for a ton of depth, just dependable protection and hassle-free access to geoblocked content.
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