CyberGhost is a subscription-only VPN service. Packages are offered at 3 price points with tiered commitment periods. Subscriptions are monthly, but discounts are given when you prepay for multiple months. The current pricing is set at the following rates:
- 18 months at $2.75 per month
- 6 months at $7.99 per month
- 1 month at 12.99 per month
Each package tier includes access to more than 6,300 servers globally, 24/7 customer service, protection for up to 7 devices and compatibility with a comprehensive roster of devices, platforms and operating systems.
The 1-month subscription is by far the most expensive and only allows a 14-day refund period. The 18 month subscription is the best deal, but the pricing does kick up to $49.50 a year after the promotional period.
However, the 6 month subscription costs around that for just half a year ($47.94), so you’re saving close to 50% from the next cheapest option by choosing the 18 month package.
If you’re a journalist who writes about privacy or for a publication focused on advocating for internet privacy and freedom of use, CyberGhost offers its services for free. The same goes for any organization or individual who advocates for these causes.
There is no free version of CyberGhost. There are, of course, plenty of other free VPN services, but these may not offer the same level of functionality as subscription-based VPNs.
Because you’ll get the most substantial discount by committing to a longer term subscription with CyberGhost, it's best only if you’re familiar enough with VPN services that 45 days is long enough for you to be sure it's worth the long commitment.
There are several protocols to choose from based on what you prioritize in a VPN:
- OpenVPN
- Robust encryption, versatile, compatible with almost all platforms
- IKEv2
- Great for mobile devices, reconnects quickly during network provider transitions, proprietary VPN protocol produced by Microsoft and CISCO with native support for iOS and Windows
- L2TP/IPSec
- “Layer 2 Tunnel Protocols”, popular with VPN users, native support with multiple operating systems but limited selection of servers, often combined with IPSec, a security protocol
- WireGuard
- Newcomer, quick and cutting edge, great for Linux users, combines hardy encryption of OpenVPN with the fast speeds of the IKEv2 protocol
You’ll choose a proper VPN protocol based on what you primarily use your internet for and what operating system and device you’re using.
CyberGhost provides solid customer service. It’s available to all members 24/7 and is accessible via email or live chat. You can connect to customer service specialists easily using their Live Chat feature.
However, while we connected quickly to a customer service representative, response time within the chat itself was slightly slow, with a few minutes passing before the representative responded to each question. Definitely not a deal breaker, just slow enough to notice.
If your request isn’t urgent, you can contact support using the support widget at the bottom of the page. From here, may create a ticket explaining your issue or attempt to resolve the issue yourself using the list of possible solutions presented to your query within the “chat” window.
CyberGhost will address your concerns as they receive them, but this doesn’t guarantee automatic responsiveness if there are many other tickets ahead of yours.
There is a fairly comprehensive FAQ and troubleshooting section, with dedicated modules for every VPN app. You’ll have to do a bit of combing and need at least a base understanding of cybersecurity lingo.
The CyberGhost VPN software is entirely app-based. CyberGhost offers desktop, mobile, browser, TV, console and other applications, so you can basically find a CyberGhost app compatible for any device. There are CyberGhost VPN apps for Windows, macOS, Android, Amazon Fire TV and Fire Stick, Android TV, Linux and more.
Protecting your data is a 1-click step with the CyberGhost VPN apps. All you have to do is sign up for CyberGhost and download the software. You’ll have access to the following services through the app:
- Online Privacy
- Hide IP Address
- Digital Identity Protection
- Proxy vs VPN options
- Internet Security
- Safe P2P (peer to peer) Downloading
- Public Wifi Security
- Secure Online Banking
- Open Internet
- Unblock Streaming
- Stream Sports
- Unblock Websites
- Save Money: hide browsing history and location during travel searches to avoid unequal pricing when shopping for travel or merchandise; uses dynamic pricing to find you the best prices by trying different IP addresses in different locations
- VPN for Travel
- Better Deals Online
CyberGhost uses a 256-bit Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) secured connection. This is a military-grade encryption standard. AES has been designated as a trusted cybersecurity encryption method by the US National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) since 2001.
CyberGhost describes this connection as nearly unbreakable, stating it would take a “very powerful computer” and “3 million years” to break. So even if someone does have a very powerful computer, they definitely don’t have 3 million years — sounds pretty safe to us. And, if it’s good enough for security at national and military level, it can probably handle whatever you throw at it too.
Your IP address and data are protected end-to-end, so your browsing activity and internet transactions are completely hidden. They are also untraceable; you’re not leaving any breadcrumbs back to your door. CyberGhost maintains a very strict No Logs policy, so absolutely no one can view your data or internet activity while using the CyberGhost VPN app.
Using a VPN tends to slow down speeds overall due to the extra encryption steps. CyberGhost aims to circumvent that as much as possible, although its success appears to be highly-dependent on individual user circumstances.
Some users reviewed it as lightning-quick while others said they noticed significant slowdowns. If you have an already slow connection, you will likely find that using CyberGhost VPN will further hinder speed.
You can enhance your speed in this instance by using tunneled encryption, which separates your data into encrypted and unencrypted at your discretion. This prevents unnecessary slowdowns for internet activity that you don’t need to keep private.
As a CyberGhost user, you can also choose between several protocols, each of which offers varying levels of speed vs security. You can generally expect that more security equals slower speeds as the extra layers of protection gum up data transfer. You can choose which to prioritize when selecting a VPN protocol.
All in all, what CyberGhost lacks in performance in speed, it makes up for with its high functionality and ease of use. You can use up to 7 devices at a time, so you can get a fair amount of privacy protection under 1 subscription. It also has portals for VPNs for platforms that are typically VPN-resistant like Netflix.
CyberGhost is a VPN service that can help you use the Internet privately and securely while protecting your data from prying eyes. It’s a well-rounded service with the highest level of security and cutting edge end-to-end encryption, cloaking your IP address and scrambling your data into uninterpretable gibberish.
We believe it's a solid choice for anybody looking for end-to-end data encryption. Be sure you’ve researched what you need from a VPN, as you’ll need to make at least a year and a half commitment to access the discounted price points. Otherwise, it can get a bit pricey if you prefer a month-to-month arrangement.
Take a look at CyberGhost today to protect your privacy online.