VPN

Best CyberGhost Alternatives 2023: Comparing 27 VPN Providers

Author
Martin Gschwentner
Last update
20. Mar 2023

VPNs are useful: They guard your privacy, make your Internet connections more secure (especially if on public WiFi), and are capable of unlocking geo-blocked content. CyberGhost is no exception, however, is it really the best choice out there?

Based in Romania, CyberGhost offers user-friendly apps, solid performance, and a sizable server network. When set alongside some of the other leading VPNs from our comprehensive EXPERTE.com VPN assessment, we noticed a few areas where it was definitely not leading the pack.

Below, we'll let you know what these shortcomings are, as well as which of the services we evaluated performed better.

CyberGhost's Disadvantages

CyberGhost staked out a very respectable eighth place in our VPN assessment. It failed to reach higher owing to the following aspects:

  • Dubious parent company
    Since 2017 CyberGhost has belonged to Kape Technologies, which owns a few other VPNs such as ExpressVPN, Private Internet Access, and Zenmate, as well as a number of well-known VPN review websites. On its own, this would be cause enough for concern, however, our qualms go a bit deeper. Previously known as Crossrider, the company had a poor reputation as a malware smuggler. Even if Kape Technologies has atoned for its past sins, its corporate history doesn't mesh well with software that is meant to enhance digital privacy and security, like VPNs.

  • No security audits since 2012
    Plenty of VPN services have begun submitting regularly to independent security audits conducted by third parties. These assessments, like no other, underline how serious a provider's data security commitments are, with certification lending a great deal of credence to what their marketing promises. Such an audit would do CyberGhost a world of good, especially in light of Kape Technologies' dubious past. Unfortunately, CyberGhost has not been examined by independent third parties for more than a decade.

  • Performance 'only' solid
    CyberGhost's performance is okay, however, it isn't awe-inspiring. During our assessment, the provider's speeds were only good enough for 15th place, putting it far off the leaders who are both more reliable and faster. Further souring our experience were several instances when we were unable to establish VPN connections at all.

The Best Alternatives to CyberGhost

1.

Faster: NordVPN

Best Overall 2023
NordVPN
NordVPN
(754,625 )
NordVPN is our number one VPN because it combines speed, ease-of-use, and functionality in a slick package that's also pretty affordable.
5,500+ servers, 60 countries
excellent performance
no logs
6 devices simultaneously
affordable 2-year package
9.4
excellent
Data Volume
unlimited
Devices
6
Protocols
5
Contract Period
1 - 24 months
NordVPN 2-year plan
$3.49
monthly price
Visit Website »
30 days money-back guarantee

As we mentioned above, CyberGhost's speeds only secured it 15th place in our EXPERTE.com speed ranking. At the other end of the spectrum was NordVPN, which was not only faster but also our best-in-show, thanks to its winning overall package.

Alongside top speeds, you'll also get user-friendly apps that come loaded with features such as split tunneling, Tor connections, and Double VPN. Rounding things out is NordVPN's excellent support, which includes a live chat.

NordVPN came in first out of all 27 VPNs EXPERTE.com examined.

Casting an eye towards security, NordVPN promises not to create any logs and backs up this claim with regular independent security audits. During our assessment, we didn't identify any leaks. Since NordVPN is priced fairly, particularly in its very affordable 2-year subscription, the VPN's premier place on the podium is well-deserved.

  • Elegant, intuitive app with an interactive world map

  • Excellent speeds

  • Plenty of features, such as split tunneling, server categories, and CyberSec

  • Server network could cover more countries

  • Few protocol options

Review
9.4
excellent
Visit Website
Check Review
Performance
10 / 10
Customer Support
9.4 / 10
Installation and Features
9.4 / 10
Security and Privacy
9.4 / 10
Server Network
8.6 / 10
2.

More Affordable 2-Year Subscription: Surfshark

Surfshark VPN
Surfshark VPN
(121,804 )
Surfshark is one of the cheapest providers on the market, but it's a lot more than a great budget option: the relatively new VPN boasts strong protection, many features, and a great support with 24/7 live chat.
3,200+ servers in 100 countries
unlimited number of devices
many apps (Linux, FireTV, ...)
cheap 24-month plan
expensive monthly plan
8.8
good
Data Volume
unlimited
Devices
unlimited
Protocols
3
Contract Period
1 - 24 months
Surfshark 24 months
$2.49
monthly price
Visit Website »
Get 83% Discount

CyberGhost is one of the most affordable VPNs, mostly owing to its competitively-priced 3-year package. In case you don't want to make that long of a commitment, an even less expensive (and contractually shorter) option is circling just within our Top 3: Surfshark.

However, there aren't only economic arguments speaking in Surfshark's favor: The relatively young VPN came in just behind NordVPN in our performance ranking, breezing past CyberGhost. Then there's its highly impressive feature package, which includes split tunneling, MultiHop, an adblocker, and a static IP address.

Surfshark might be a few years younger than CyberGhost, but it already outperforms its senior in some areas.

As such, Surfshark's price-performance ratio is better than that of CyberGhost. You'll pay less per month for its 2-year subscription than you would for CyberGhost's 36-month plan. Thanks to its recent audit and lack of leaks, there aren't any security concerns about using Surfshark either.

  • Top-performing

  • Tons of features, including split tunneling

  • User-friendly apps

  • Server network could be larger

Review
8.8
good
Visit Website
Check Review
Performance
10 / 10
Installation and Features
9.4 / 10
Customer Support
8.6 / 10
Server Network
8.0 / 10
Security and Privacy
8.0 / 10
3.

Greater Emphasis on Privacy: ProtonVPN

Proton VPN
Proton VPN
(109,527 )
With its open source philosophy and extra security features, Proton VPN targets security-conscious VPN users. But thanks to its user-friendly interface and suitability for streaming, it's worth a look for a wide audience.
open source & external audits
1,900+ servers in 67 countries
solid performance
free plan without data limit
not suitable for China
8.7
good
Data Volume
unlimited
Devices
1 - 10
Protocols
3
Contract Period
0 - 24 months
Proton VPN Free
$0.00
monthly price
Visit Website »
Free forever

CyberGhost didn't demonstrate any technical security issues during our assessment: It supports state-of-the-art protocols, uses AES-256 encryption, and passed all of the IPv6, DNS, and WebRTC leak tests we put it through. At the same time, its corporate ownership (Kape Technologies) left us skeptical, as did the absence of current security audits.

ProtonVPN doesn't only have up-to-date external audits: Since 2020, it's completely open-source. This means that anyone can view its source code and examine it for weaknesses - none of the other services from our sample demonstrated as much transparency.

ProtonVPN's open-source philosophy and security features make it an excellent choice for privacy enthusiasts.

ProtonVPN also offers a few useful security features that its competitors have no analog for. With "Secure Core", you'll be able to route your VPN traffic through a secure server in a country with strict data privacy laws.

Another feather in the provider's figurative cap is its free version, which doesn't impose any data or speed limits upon users. Taken together, all of the above make ProtonVPN a great choice for privacy enthusiasts, as well as anyone on the hunt for a free VPN without data limits.

  • Open-source apps

  • Solid performance

  • Security features like "Secure Core"

  • Growing server network

  • Limited support options

Review
8.7
good
Visit Website
Check Review
Installation and Features
10 / 10
Security and Privacy
10 / 10
Performance
8.6 / 10
Customer Support
7.4 / 10
Server Network
7.4 / 10
4.

Kape Subsidiary With Securit Audits: ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN
ExpressVPN
(595,161 )
ExpressVPN can impress with a strong performance, a huge server network, and excellently designed applications, but this quality also comes at a higher price.
3,000+ servers
160 cities in 94 countries
reliable performance
good for streaming
secure browser extensions
9.4
excellent
Data Volume
unlimited
Devices
5
Protocols
7
Contract Period
1 - 12 months
ExpressVPN 12 Months
$8.33
monthly price
Visit Website »
30 days money-back guarantee

Should you not be afraid of doing business with a Kape Technologies subsidiary, you can enjoy enhanced security with ExpressVPN. One of the most popular services on the market, ExpressVPN offers excellent performance, intuitive apps, and a large server network.

Even though ExpressVPN is owned by Kape Technologies, it regularly submits to independent security audits.

Unfortunately, an ExpressVPN subscription will cost significantly more than a CyberGhost one. Even though the difference is minimal for monthly rates, ExpressVPN's most affordable long-term package costs three times as much per month as that of CyberGhost.

  • Excellent performance

  • Huge server network

  • Regularly submits to independent security audits

  • Pricey

  • Owned by Kape Technologies

Review
9.4
excellent
Visit Website
Check Review
Performance
10 / 10
Customer Support
9.4 / 10
Server Network
9.4 / 10
Security and Privacy
9.4 / 10
Installation and Features
8.6 / 10
5.

Further Alternatives

HideMyAss

HideMyAss has fewer servers, but more of a geographic spread than CyberGhost. In terms of performance, HideMyAss also beats CyberGhost. Rounding things out are clever features such as automatic IP changing.

HideMyAss! VPN
HideMyAss! VPN
(84,562 )
HideMyAss' main claim to fame is its impressive server infrastructure, but the VPN also delivers solid speeds and handy features like its IP Randomizer. When it comes to streaming, however, it's not always the most reliable choice.
290 locations in 210 countries
IP Randomizer
strong performance
support with live chat
unreliable for streaming
8.6
good
Data Volume
unlimited
Devices
5
Protocols
1
Contract Period
12 - 36 months
HideMyAss! 36 months
$2.99
monthly price
Visit Website »
30 days money-back guarantee

hide.me

After ProtonVPN, hide.me serves up the best free VPN: You'll get up to 10 GB of data per month and be able to connect to five different locations. In its paid version, hide.me also performed strongly, however, its server network could be larger.

hide.me VPN
hide.me VPN
(25,655 )
Hide.me secures its place in our top 10 with good to very good grades in all test categories. The app is filled to the brim with handy features, the performance is solid, and with 10 GB of data per month, the free tier is also worth a look.
78 locations in 49+ countries
many features, incl. split tunneling
free plan with 10 GB monthly
anonymous payment
no recent audit
8.4
good
Data Volume
10 - ∞
Devices
1 - 10
Protocols
7
Contract Period
0 - 36 months
hide.me Free
$0.00
monthly price
Visit Website »
Free forever

Windscribe

Windscribe is also worth checking out if you'd like a free VPN. You'll be treated to 10 GB of data across any synchronized devices per month, as well as access to 10 different server locations (more than both hide.me and ProtonVPN). All the same, when it comes to performance, Windscribe finished behind CyberGhost.

Windscribe VPN
Windscribe VPN
(131,719 )
With its flexible pricing and a generous free plan, Windscribe is a solid option for budget-minded VPN users. It also has a nice, lean app with lots of features – but sadly, its performance can't keep up.
lots of features
free plan with 10 GB limit
unlimited devices
weaker performance
smaller server network
7.8
good
Data Volume
10 - ∞
Devices
unlimited
Protocols
2
Contract Period
0 - 12 months
Windscribe Free
$0.00
monthly price
Visit Website »
Download for free

Overall Result

In EXPERTE.com's VPN comparison, we scored 27 providers across 5 categories, "Installation and Features", "Server Network", "Performance", "Security and Privacy", and "Customer Support". When the dust settled, CyberGhost wound up in eighth place, within the upper third of our sample. While good, at least seven other services outperformed it in one way or another.

Below, you can see our complete ranking:

1.
NordVPN
9.4
Review
excellent
2.
ExpressVPN
9.4
Review
excellent
3.
Surfshark
8.8
Review
good
4.
Proton VPN
8.7
Review
good
5.
HideMyAss!
8.6
Review
good
6.
hide.me
8.4
Review
good
7.
Private Internet Access
8.2
Review
good
8.
CyberGhost
7.8
Review
good
9.
PureVPN
7.8
Review
good
10.
Windscribe
7.8
Review
good
11.
Mozilla VPN
7.6
Review
good
12.
VyprVPN
7.6
Review
good
13.
Hotspot Shield
7.5
Review
good
14.
Atlas VPN
7.4
Review
good
15.
IPVanish
7.4
Review
good
16.
VPN Unlimited
7.3
Review
good
17.
Mullvad
7.3
Review
good
18.
Bitdefender
7.2
Review
good
19.
PrivateVPN
7.2
Review
good
20.
TorGuard
7.2
Review
good
21.
TunnelBear
7.1
Review
good
22.
ZenMate
7.0
Review
satisfactory
23.
PrivadoVPN
6.8
Review
satisfactory
24.
Avast
6.8
Review
satisfactory
25.
Perfect Privacy
6.6
Review
satisfactory
26.
Avira
6.4
Review
satisfactory
27.
VeePN
6.1
Review
satisfactory

Conclusion

CyberGhost isn't a bad choice for a VPN: It offers a huge server network, elegant apps, and decent performance. However, decent isn't great, and its dubious parent company, Kape Technologies, is sure to be a red flag for any data privacy enthusiasts.

Accordingly, we're happy that several of the services we assessed aren't plagued by the same issues that CyberGhost suffers from. NordVPN, the overall winner of our evaluation, performs better and regularly submits to independent security audits. Surfshark has a more competitively-priced 2-year subscription package than CyberGhost, and ProtonVPN is sure to be a favorite with data security enthusiasts owing to its open-source apps and focus on privacy.

Should you want to find out more about these and other VPNs, you can in our detailed EXPERTE.com reviews of 27 of the most popular VPNs.

CyberGhost VPN
CyberGhost VPN
(193,960 )
CyberGhost offers a lot of bang for the buck, especially in the 2-year plan. It has lots of features, even more servers, and quick support including live chat. We had occasional performance issues, however.
8,000+ servers
affordable prices
7 simultaneous connections
fast support with live chat
7.8
good
Data Volume
unlimited
Devices
7
Protocols
7
Contract Period
1 - 24 months
CyberGhost 2 Years
$2.37
monthly price
Visit Website »
45 days money-back guarantee
Author ( German Version) : Martin Gschwentner
Martin Gschwentner majored in American Studies and Media Studies in Germany, the USA and France and works as a freelance editor in Paris. He is a doctoral student at the Institute for English and American Studies at the University of Paris Diderot, where he is researching the influence of money on US politics. On EXPERTE.com he writes about IT security, data protection and software for the self-employed and small businesses.
Translator & Editor: D Bare
Continue Reading