CyberGhost VPN vs Surfshark vs 2019

Name: The Bottom Line
Item: CyberGhost VPN
Rating: 4.8
Author: Ariel Hochstadt

After comparing these VPNs, we have a winner!

1332 User Reviews

4.8

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42 User Reviews

4.7

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Which VPN is better?

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
4.7
Pricing
4.7
Ease of Use
5.0
Reliability & Support
4.8

Features
4.7
Pricing
4.5
Ease of Use
4.8
Reliability & Support
4.6

Rating
Features	4.7	4.7
Pricing	4.7	4.5
Ease of Use	5.0	4.8
Reliability & Support	4.8	4.6

Reviews

Review by our expert

Kate Veale

Cybersecurity Researcher

4.8

CyberGhost 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.

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Latest positive user review

Jerome

5.0

CyberGhost VPN This program does what its suppose to do and then some, its awesome. Since using this program I haven't received anymore emails from my cable company. The best thing is its affordable and easy to use.

Latest negative user review

Anonymously

1.0

Disconnects Often. Killswitch Fails, which defeats the entire purpose... I bought (renewed) an 18 month subscription to CG recently. I had been using it for a year prior and had some issues, but on renewal, I was required to install an update (v7 for Windows, I think) Disconnects several times each day, and regular crashes. In many cases when the app crashed, the killswitch was not activated, leaving my online activity exposed. I actually wrote a script to attempt to compensate for this that would ping test 8.8.8.8 for connectivity and reboot the PC if not connected. This was an OK workaround. it caught disconnects normally 4-6 times daily and rebooted, thereby restoring the connection. This process failed though, when the killswitch failed to activate, exposing my connection. This happened 5 times during the 2 months I used it. I received DMCA alerts from my ISP each time, and was told that my service will be cancelled if it happened again. I immediately switched to NordVPN. Connection speed is exponentially faster, and the connection has not disconnected once in over a week since I installed. I think that the most direct cause for the speed increase (and probably less frequent disconnects) with NordVPN is that CyberGhost has no (or limited, I wasn't able to find any) servers in USA that allow P2P. I wasn't aware of this when I signed up for their service, and was always required to connect to a VPN server in a different country with a huge performance hit. With NordVPN, I get many blazing fast, reliable server options that support P2P in a city nearby. I hope this is helpful to some. I wish I had seen this review before I signed up for CyberGhost's service.

Pricing

Starting price

$2.75/ month

Money Back Guarantee (Days)

Number of devices per license

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Starting price

$1.99/ month

Money Back Guarantee (Days)

Number of devices per license

Unlimited

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Starting price	$2.75/ month	$1.99/ month	121332/
Money Back Guarantee (Days)	45	30	0
Number of devices per license	7	Unlimited	Unlimited
See Plans & Pricing	See Plans	See Plans

Best VPNs by category

Best VPNs Overall		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.
Best VPNs Overall 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.
Best VPNs for Torrents		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.
Best VPNs for Torrents 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.
Best VPNs for Windows		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.
Best VPNs for Windows 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.
Best VPNs for Android		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.
Best VPNs for Android 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.
Best VPNs for Mac		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.
Best VPNs for Mac 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.
Best VPNs for iOS		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.
Best VPNs for iOS 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.
Best VPNs for USA		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, Hulu, 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.
Best VPNs for USA 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, Hulu, 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.

The Bottom Line

Ariel Hochstadt

Ex-Google, International tech speaker

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.

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

Winner

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www.cyberghostvpn.com

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