CyberGhost VPN Review 2023

CyberGhost VPN Overview

CyberGhost is a VPN that aims to provide people with a simple yet easy to use the platform, and they claim to have the best so-called ‘no-log’ policies today. Which means they shouldn’t be logging IP addresses.

However, as people who have reviewed dozens of VPN services over the years, it’s hard not to be skeptical about claims such as these especially when you need to take the company’s word for it. That’s exactly why we have put together this comprehensive CyberGhost VPN review.

CyberGhost VPN does not sell itself short by being humble about security features. The company claims to have a robust no-logging security policy, but that’s not all it claims.

They also claim to have the fastest access to streaming services like Netflix using servers that are supposedly optimized for HD video streaming. The VPN service also has native apps for Amazon Fire TV Stick.

During our review, we have also tried to ensure that the privacy-minded are also covered by testing CyberGhost’s privacy policy and security features. That said before CyberGhost drives you up the wall and into your wallet with an insane amount of hype, make sure to read our full review. We will conclude with our personal opinion of if the VPN is worth it.

CyberGhost VPN Pros

CyberGhost has its fair share of pros which are worth mentioning. One reason we like starting with the pros is that it is always good to deliver something positive that people can look forward to before outlining the cons.

• A Large Selection of Servers

  During our review of CyberGhost VPN features, we found that it has some of the most significant number of secure servers with means a huge pool of IP addresses.

  With an impressive 7900 servers and counting, the service squares up to other premium counterparts boasting around the same numbers. Not only that but the servers are located in 80 locations in around 90 countries. So, there are many different IP addresses that can be used to spoof your location.

  The security servers offer a good mix of countries including those in Africa which is often ignored by many of CyberGhost’s competitors, and they have servers in Hong Kong too.

• Easy to use

  We have to admit to the fact that a large number of people using VPNs are those who have no knowledge of what they do or how they work. Many are new to the world of VPNs which is why an easy to use interface is undoubtedly amongst the most essential features.

  CyberGhost VPN is amongst the easiest to understand VPNs on the planet. Almost anyone can log-in and start using the service without even knowing how it works. That same ease of use is carried over to its apps for iOS and Android which is again a huge plus!

• Torrenting and P2P Supported

  CyberGhost boasts of having VPN servers with different IP address optimized for P2P and torrenting. We’d have to agree that the speeds, when connected to these servers, are slightly above average.

  Plus, since the VPN anonymizes your IP address, it is possible to download just about anything you want without ever worrying about being watched by the government.

CyberGhost VPN Cons

All VPN services have their fair share of cons. So, the review will not be complete without us listing the service’s cons.

• Slow VPN Speeds on Average

  Even though CyberGhost VPN claims to have optimized servers the fact is that on average their speeds are slower compared to competing services.

  Our speed tests showed (read the full details below) that the service was throttling our speeds to a great extent even when connected to nearby servers in the US from here in Toronto, Canada.

• Relatively Expensive

  Unless you opt for the two- or three-years plan CyberGhost in Canada is relatively expensive. Plus the service has reduced their free trial to just 24-hours. If anything, this isn’t enough for someone who wants to try out the service by putting it through its paces before they signup for a long-term plan.

  CyberGhost VPN should offer a cheaper monthly subscription to compliment the fact that they are only providing a 24-hour trial period. That said the service is probably banking on positive word of mouth for sales.

CyberGhost VPN Features

CyberGhost VPN has a couple of great features which without mentioning this review would be incomplete.

• 

  Unlock Geo-locked Streaming Content

  Now from our experience, it isn’t only oppressive governments who want to block the use of VPNs, many services like Netflix are doing that too. Netflix along with other streaming services often block VPN traffic via blocked Ip addresses in an effort to stop people from accessing their content from a spoofed location.

  Often that content is geo-locked. So, someone from the US can make it appear they are in Canada and use that to stream the latest episodes of a show like Star Trek: Discovery which is only available outside of the US.

  Netflix is the most aggressive when it comes to blocking IP addresses it sees as originating from VPNs. However, CyberGhost is able to bypass all that. When we tested the service, we were able to connect and start streaming Netflix from a VPN server in the US.

  However, it does take a while to find a VPN that isn’t blocked by Netflix in particular. Plus, a VPN that is working with Netflix right now might not work 24-hours later. But so far so good!

• 

  An Easy to Use Browser Extension

  CyberGhost is not alone when it comes to offering browser extensions. However, unlike many competing services they have browser extensions for Mozilla’s Firefox and Google Chrome which is free to use.

  It is free regardless of if you are a paying CyberGhost VPN customer. Though those who are not paying customers only have access to four locations.

  The important distinction between using these browser extensions and the full-fledged VPN app is the fact that these are proxy-based.

  So, they will only work to protect web traffic via your browser. That’s why it is best that the extensions be used with the primary VPN service.

• 

  Blocks Malicious Content and Ads

  CyberGhost effectively blocks the majority of ads including pop-ups by nulling the code associated with these advertisements. However, while the way this works may seem similar to using a browser extension in practice, it is very different because all of the processing happens on CyberGhost’s own servers.

  Because there is no client-side processing like with competing ad blockers and VPN services you actually save on internet bandwidth. Now, this approach in our experience is perfect for mobile connections which are limited and expensive.

  Plus, CyberGhost helps protect people from websites that phish for personal information like credit card numbers and PayPal details. The malware blocker works by verifying the URL’s IP address which is being requested to ensure it is safe.

  The service will check the IP address against a large and growing public database of malicious websites before allowing access. During our time reviewing CyberGhost, we found that it blocked 90% percent of malicious websites.

CyberGhost VPN Pricing & Plans

CyberGhost offers four different subscription plans with the longest one, i.e. 2-years being the cheapest amongst them. The 2-year plan also comes backed with a 45-day money-back guarantee.

• 1-Month Plan = $12.99.

• 6-Month Plan = $6.99 a month which works out to $41.94 every 6 months.

• 2-Year Plan + 3 Free Months = $2.19 a month and this work out to $56.94 for the first 2 years.

CyberGhost VPN Speed Test

When using a VPN, you are most likely to experience increased latency which inherently means a decrease in upload and downloading performance. That is regardless of what app you use, i.e. Android, iOS, Windows, etc.

The further the server is from your location the more latency you will experience, and so the slower will be the overall speed performance. However, a premium service is able to minimize latency by using high-speed servers that are well optimized for performance.

To test CyberGhost VPN’s performance speeds, we connected to various servers and ran Ookla’s speed test app. We then averaged out the performance to provide you with data that’s easy to understand.

During our testing for this review, CyberGhost had better than average latency, and our upload tests did better than expected. However, the downloads fell short for some reason.

When connected to servers in the US from Canada we experienced an average of 25% lower download and upload speeds combined. Servers in Europe meant that our internet speed took a 35% hit.

However, the most significant hit we experienced was when connected to servers in Asia namely Hong Kong at which point our internet was 40% slower than it normally was.

While we didn’t walk away impressed with CyberGhost VPN’s speed, but it is still a decent showing for the most part.

CyberGhost VPN Servers

CyberGhost VPN internet boasts of having an eyewatering 7900 servers in 80 locations across 90 countries with top security. However, many people reading our VPN reviews have asked us about virtual servers which are servers defined by software.

Theoretically, one physical server can host many virtual servers, and they can be made to look like they are in different locations from their host server. That means you can have one server in Canada, which has ten virtual servers that appear to be in the UK, and the US. While virtual servers are not necessarily bad but they do make many people nervous about being deceived by a company.

We communicated with CyberGhost to find out how many of their servers were virtual. We found out that some of their servers used virtualization though the location of the virtual servers was similar to their physical location. To us that’s reasonable.

Does CyberGhost VPN work with Netflix?

As mentioned above yes it does work with Netflix. However, not all VPN internet servers work with Netflix, and that’s because they actively ban IP addresses that come from VPN servers. What that means is that while we had an easy time streaming Netflix, your mileage may vary.

CyberGhost VPN Privacy & Logs

CyberGhost SA is owned by Kape Technologies PLC. CyberGhost has a strict no-logging internet security privacy policy which means they don’t log user activity and are unaware of who is connected to their servers. Though CPU activity, memory, and server bandwidth are all monitored.

CyberGhost has offices in Manila, Germany, and Tel Aviv, but they are headquartered in Romania. While Romania happens to be in Europe, the country has rejected all forms of legislation aimed at requiring businesses to maintain electronic records of customers.

Also, when contacted a company rep told us that because the company does not log or store information there is nothing to provide the government if there is a formal request. Also, the annual transparency report is available on their website.

CyberGhost VPN Support

CyberGhost VPN has 24/7 internet-based live chat support. We contacted support and our query via live chat was answered within a couple of minutes. That’s impressive. Though in addition to live chat, a user can get in touch via email too.

CyberGhost VPN Refund Policy

CyberGhost has a 45-day money-back guarantee for only their 3-year subscription plan. Though they are a one-day free trial if you’re using Windows, or a seven day trial on mobile devices.

A 14-day guarantee covers all other plans. The good news is that there are no catches or hidden fees. Your card is charged when signing up. When the refund is processed, the funds are returned within 10 working days.

How Does CyberGhost Work?

We’ve told you a lot about CyberGhost’s features, prices, and what makes this VPN provider special.

But how does CyberGhost work? This VPN is not very different from other VPNs in terms of how it works. Here’s everything you need to know about how CyberGhost works.

CyberGhost creates an encrypted VPN tunnel to transfer your data, keeping you anonymous online, and safe from prying eyes.

When you go online to do anything without a VPN, you are assigned an IP address by your internet service provider (ISP). The IP address is your digital address.

Anyone can track your IP address to see what you’re doing online. Your IP address can even reveal your geographical location. With your ISP, hackers, the government, and other intrusive parties can easily track your IP address.

When you use CyberGhost, you are assigned a dedicated IP address and your internet connection is routed through a nospy server. This allows you to stay anonymous online and avoid being tracked. Apart from getting an IP address, your VPN connection is encrypted using military-grade encryption that is impossible to decode. This means even if your internet connection is hacked, no one can decipher the content of your data packets and see what you’re doing online.

CyberGhost virtual private network guarantees complete protection online. Whether you’re using public WiFi or you’re being targeted by advanced data sniffers, using a VPN keeps you anonymous.

Troubleshooting Tips When CyberGhost Has Stopped Working

If your CyberGhost has stopped working, it may be due to several reasons and there are things you can do to fix the issue. Here are some tips to troubleshoot your CyberGhost VPN app to fix the problem.

How Do I Use CyberGhost VPN Using iOS Devices?

If you are new to using VPNs, you may be wondering how CyberGhost works. Well, you don’t have to Google ‘how do I use CyberGhost’ because we’ll tell you how to use this app on your iPhone or iPad.

The layout and functionality of the CyberGhost iOS app are not very different from that of the Android app or desktop app. The first step is to install the app on your device and choose a subscription package if you have not already done that. Once that’s done, you’re good to go.

Open the CyberGhost app by tapping the icon. The app will open the main screen with a large power button. Click on the power button to turn on the VPN connection. The app will automatically choose the best CyberGhost server and protocol for optimal connection speed.

However, you have the option of selecting your preferred server and protocol. CyberGhost has a host of streaming servers for when you want to connect to a streaming site. There are also servers for P2P and file sharing for super-fast upload speed and download speed.

CyberGhost supports 7 different simultaneous connections so you can set it up on all your devices for full protection.

Is CyberGhost VPN Safe to Use for Work?

In the age of remote working and bring-your-own-device (BYOD) culture, using a VPN at work is more important than ever. Is CyberGhost VPN safe to use at work? The answer is yes!

CyberGhost comes with military-grade AES 256-bit encryption, unlimited bandwidth, multiple advanced VPN protocols, and so much more. This guarantees that you enjoy the fastest VPN connection with full protection for your data. CyberGhost has a strict no-logging policy so your data is never compromised. The app also features IP leak and DNS leak protection as well as an automatic kill switch for added security in case of any eventualities.

CyberGhost has nearly 70,000 servers located around the world. So, if your work requires frequent traveling, you know that you’re protected no matter where you are. If you want VPN protection for only some apps on your device, you can take advantage of the CyberGhost split tunneling feature to do this.

Whether you want to exchange confidential files, have online meetings, conduct vital research, visit a streaming platform, or do any work-related activity, CyberGhost is a perfect choice.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is CyberGhost VPN Recommended?

CyberGhost VPN is without a doubt amongst the best VPNs out there. It is easy to use, allows for reliable Netflix streaming, supports torrenting, and has over 3K servers. Sure, the speeds aren’t the best we’ve seen but in the VPN world speed isn’t everything.

We’d recommend CyberGhost to anyone who wants a long-term VPN subscription that is cheap and has the desire to stream Netflix. Though it isn’t recommended for those, who want the fastest speeds or the cheapest monthly VPN service.

Not convinced yet? Have a look at this page to check out the top 10 recommended VPNs for Canada.