CyberGhost VPN Unveiled: A Comprehensive Review of Security, Speed, and User Experience
By Liam
Data privacy becomes subjective as big data and reliance on the internet grows. Personal privacy seems like a concept of the past, especially due to the huge dependence on targeted marketing campaigns. The modern web is eroding the boundaries of personal privacy at an exponential rate. While huge corporations claim to keep your data safe, hundreds of them sell this information to third parties without your consent. Hence, making your sensitive information accessible to hackers across the globe.
To counter this, people rely on VPNs or virtual private networks. VPNs keep your identity hidden and protect your personal data from being tracked. Today, almost 31% of internet users employ a VPN service to mask their identity. Moreover, the VPN industry is expected to grow to a whopping $92.60 billion by 2027. However, due to the abundance of VPN services today, most don't deliver on what they claim. Therefore, it is important to select the one that not only suits your needs but also provides the guarantee that your data is safe and protected.
Introduction
CyberGhost VPN was launched in 2011 with the sole purpose of providing the best data protection solution to its customers. Delivering a premium service with an array of features, it certainly stands out from its competitors. It has a wide range of global servers and compatibility with hundreds of streaming services, ensuring that the clients get everything they need in one place.
Moreover, CyberGhost VPN is designed to serve an all-rounder purpose by offering a pocket-friendly solution without compromising on its quality. It uses advanced protocols to ensure the best speeds and data maintenance practices. Further, it has over 7800 servers across the globe, making it super reliable when it comes to one's privacy. All these features combined make it a strong competitor in the world of VPNs.
Before delving deeper into the features, let’s discuss some pros and cons of using CyberGhost VPN. While the service is loaded with some great features, it also has its drawbacks.
Pros
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Great speeds
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7800+ servers across the globe
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Compatible with a range of streaming services
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Great customer service through live chat
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Allows seven simultaneous connections
Cons
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The support website isn’t top of the line
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It might get a little overwhelming for new users
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A little on the pricier side
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No security audit
Features
CyberGhost VPN is loaded with several high-quality features that deliver a smooth and seamless experience to the user. It uses WireGuard protocol to deliver high speeds and secure browsing. It's also open-source, accounting for the company's transparency.
Delving into some of its features:
Streaming
Accessing streaming sites on VPNs is nothing but a hassle. A few months ago, SurfShark VPN lost its streaming rights for Netflix due to a better algorithm that was able to bypass VPN's IP masking capability. This, obviously, outraged a lot of customers who had already paid for the subscription.
With CyberGhost VPN, you don't have to worry about this. The service employs advanced protocols that ensure you get what you're looking for. Further, owing to its widespread network of servers, you can get coverage anywhere, anytime. Just set the location and start streaming. It's compatible with some of the biggest streaming services, including Netflix, Hulu, BBC iPlayer, Disney Plus, HBO Max, and Amazon Prime.
Torrenting
Torrenting requires peer-to-peer (P2P) networking for the distribution of media files. CyberGhost doesn't offer P2P in all locations, primarily due to legal or strategic reasons. However, it still has 66 P2P friendly countries, which are plenty. This is also more than most other VPN providers.
Downloading from dubious sites can sometimes make your system prone to hacker attacks and malicious malware. The VPN service also comes with a URL filter that ensures you're downloading from legit sites and that the content is malware-free.
No Spy Servers
Become untraceable with CyberGhost's in-house, self operated NoSpy servers. There are over 7800 servers, located all across the globe to provide you access anywhere, anytime. These servers encrypt your traffic and mask your IP address to keep your digital life private and secure.
Generally, data servers are owned by third party providers that can get access to your digital footprint without your consent. Particularly, in privacy-hostile environments, data can become accessible based on political stances. Moreover, the data centers can also be physically hijacked by hackers. To avoid such circumstances, CyberGhost hosts its NoSpy data center in its headquarters in Romania. Featuring top quality hardware and a team of experts, the service strives to provide you with the highest level of security and privacy.
Performance
The service has been tested using several performance testing measures and it's safe to say that it delivers the highest possible speed. Only a handful of service providers offer speeds similar to Cyberghost VPN. Owing to the WireGuard protocols, it was able to work at an excellent speed of 650-670 Mbps in the UK, and 830-850 Mbps in the US. Hence, making it one of the fastest VPNs available today.
The NoSpy servers have been integrated with a dedicated uplink that ensures you get lightening-fast speeds at all times. Further, the service does not monitor your bandwidth consumption, hence offering almost zero traffic congestion, efficient servers and unlimited bandwidth all in one.
Privacy and Kill switch
A privacy software has complete access to your data and browsing history. It is important that the service you use is trust worthy and doesn't use this data for its own benefit, especially without your consent. Owing to critical data breaches observed over the past decade, it is evident that services don't follow up on their word. They might be selling your information while simultaneously claiming to be keeping everything private. To cater to this, CyberGhost provides full transparency, explaining everything in their privacy policy.
It does not store your IP address, browser history, DNS queries, session durations or bandwidth. Further, it does not log user activity and has a kill switch that immediately disconnects you from the internet in case of a connection fault. Hence ensuring that you’re untraceable.
Split tunneling
Lastly, split tunneling is another great feature offered by CyberGhost. It allows you to specify which websites should use a direct connection or a VPN. This is extremely handy as you don’t have to repeatedly turn the VPN on and off depending on your browsing.
Price
CyberGhost offers a range of packages that you can select according to your budget. It has offers extending over long periods of time, that gather the best discounts. Further, all the packages come with a money back guarantee as well. Currently, they are also offering their 17th anniversary package with 83% off. To overview:
One month
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$12.99 per month
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14 days money-back guarantee
One year
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$4.29 per month, billed $51.48 every year
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45 days money-back guarantee
Two years
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$3.25 per month, billed $78 every two years
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45 days money-back guarantee
Best value
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Three years + 4 months
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$2.23 per month, billed $89.31 every three years
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45 days money-back guarantee
While it might seem a little on the pricier end, the price is justified given the wide array of features it offers.
User Experience
CyberGhost VPN values its customers above everything else. Therefore, offering a seamless user experience is its top priority. The website features a clean and straightforward design where you can access the features and get all the necessary information without any hassle.
Further, the setup is extremely easy and can be used on Windows, Mac, Android and iOs. Therefore, regardless of the device you use, it'll have an application for you.
Customer Support
From getting information to setting up your account, the VPN offers support through the entire process. It has web guides that’ll help you in setting up your application. There are detailed screenshots and guidelines to ensure you’re not confused in any stage.
Moreover, there is also an option for live support. It has a team of expert agents always available at your disposal. Connecting to an agent might take a few minutes, however, once you’re through, your queries will be answered in no time.
Conclusion
Overall, there is no doubt CyberGhost VPN stands out from its market competitors. Offering high quality features and great support, it ensures all its customers are content with their subscription. Further, it has millions of users that can vouch for its quality, based on over 14000 five-star reviews it has received. If you're looking for an all-in-one VPN service that's trustworthy and has great performance, this is the perfect choice.