So you’re looking for a VPN. If so, then you will love this CyberGhost vs NordVPN review article. Maybe it’s because you want a way to get access to some geo-restricted content on Netflix to binge. Maybe you like torrenting and using P2P services like BitTorrent often, and you’re not a big fan of your ISP snooping in.
Or maybe you’re just looking to protect your personal information as you surf the web. It’s most likely some mix of those reasons and more, and you’ve picked the right place to find which VPN is best for you. With all that said, it’ll be easier to make an informed decision if you know what a VPN does, so let’s get into a little refresher just in case you forgot.
What’s a VPN?
VPNs are services that protect you from the less-than-safe aspects of the web. People like hackers and ISPs have ways to get directly to your user data while you search the web.
In the case of an ISP, they’re free to do what they want with your information, usually, this means selling it to whoever’s buying. But it can also mean restricted access to the web. In some countries, if your ISP doesn’t want you to continue traveling to a particular site, they can block access to it.
Even if you live in a country where they aren’t allowed to outright block a website, they can always throttle your connection to make using said website a lot less convenient.
Your ISP messing with your internet access isn’t even the worst of it. When you use the internet, you’re putting any information you send over it at risk. This is because it doesn’t take a degree in rocket science to learn how to start snooping on people’s web traffic.
With ISPs, your connection might be hampered and some of your information might be sold. But hackers often have worse intentions with this data.
This is exactly why investing in a VPN right now is such a good idea. More and more people are getting easy access to tools that allow them to try and steal valuable information from you.
But with a VPN, you’re effectively shutting down their whole operation.
So how do VPNs do it?
When you use the internet, your traffic goes through your ISP, and then it’s out to wherever you happen to be visiting on the web. As it travels people can peer in and see the information that you’re sending.
With a VPN, instead of going straight through your ISP, the traffic is sent through the VPN first. The VPN then encrypts the data and sends it out from one of their servers.
This does two things. (Well, it does more than two things, but these are some of the main ones.)
First, the encryption acts as a sort of a tunnel for your information. Once the data gets encrypted, no one can see through the tunnel, they can see that you’re sending information, but won’t be able to see what the information is while it’s en route.
Second, it can mask your location, making it appear as if you’re using the internet from somewhere else. Let’s say you wanted to access content only accessible by Netflix users in the UK; with a VPN that unblocks Netflix, you can access their UK server and make it appear as if that’s where you’re connecting from. Giving you access to any geo-restricted content where the VPN service has server infrastructure.
This applies to countries where certain websites are blocked as well. Want to access a website that you couldn’t normally from your home country? Just connect to another country’s server!
This unrestricted, protected access to the web is what makes VPNs so attractive to people who are using the web on a regular basis, and now is a better time to hop on the VPN wagon. There are countless options out there, the one you choose just depends on your specific needs.
Today the two VPNs we’re going to be comparing are NordVPN and CyberGhost.
About CyberGhost
CyberGhost is a VPN based out of Romania. The service was originally launched in 2004 by Robert Knapp before being sold to its current owner, Kape Technologies.
Kape Technologies was known as Crossrider up until 2018 when the company decided to change its name. This may be cause for concern, as Crossrider was known to have some questionable practices when it came to internet security in the past, but we’ll go more in-depth on that later.
About NordVPN
NordVPN was initially launched in 2012 and is now owned by Tefincom, a company based out of Panama. Being based out of Panama is good news for Nord, as it’s one of the only countries with no mandatory data retention laws, which allows them to upkeep a higher level of privacy for their users.
VPN servers and performance
When you use a VPN to protect yourself on the internet, it doesn’t come without a cost to your connection speed. Since your traffic is now effectively taking a detour, your speeds on the web are going to take somewhat of a hit.
This hit to your performance can be even worse if the VPN you’re using doesn’t have servers in locations near you.
The best VPN services do a good job of mitigating this with wide networks of fast servers.
So how do these two VPNs stack up when it comes to speeds and server coverage?
NordVPN performance
In terms of servers, NordVPN has over 5500 different of them spread across 60 countries around the world. This means there won’t be many places where you’re far from one of their servers. NordVPN offers server locations in United Kingdom, Germany, China, France, Sweden, Italia, Australia, United States, Canada, Brazil, Japan, Singapore, Netherlands, Switzerland, and more.
As far as speeds go, from wherever you are in the world, you can expect consistently higher than average speeds when using NordVPN.
CyberGhost performance
CyberGhost also has quite an extensive list of servers, coming in at almost 5800 servers in 90 countries. Again, finding a nearby server shouldn’t be a problem from most areas of the world.
When testing connection speeds though, many report that CyberGhost is actually quite slow, despite the extensive server network.
Server Count and Speed — The Winner:
Even if it’s not the only factor, speed is definitely a concern when using a VPN. While the safety they bring is nice, it’s also nice to be able to use the web without a slow connection weighing you down.
When comparing the servers of these VPNs, CyberGhost comes out on top, but when you actually look at the speeds, you’ll find that NordVPN is the winner here by a decent margin.
VPN pricing comparison
Pricing is another important factor to consider. Safety isn’t free, but no one wants to break the bank over a VPN, and luckily both of these VPNs have some great deals when you look at their subscription plans.
NordVPN pricing
When you choose to subscribe to NordVPN, you’ll be given 4 options. The only differentiating factor is how often you’ll be paying your subscription fee.
The first plan is monthly, the monthly plan for NordVPN costs $11.95 per month. Not an awful price by any means, but nothing special either.
Nord’s second plan, however, is where some of the savings start to show. The 1-year plan for NordVPN will cost you $6.99 per month, or a total of $83.88 per year.
Next is the 2-year, which comes in at $3.99. This is grand total of only $95.75 at the end of every two-year cycle.
The best value, however, comes with NordVPN’s 3-year plan. If you choose to pay every 3 years, you’ll only be charged $2.99 per month. That’s only $107.55 every 3 years.
With the great prices that NordVPN offers, let’s see if CyberGhost can compete.
CyberGhost pricing
CyberGhost also has 4 options, in fact, they’re similar to Nord’s. There’s a monthly, a 1-year, 2-year, and finally a 3-year. The only difference between any is how often you pay.
CyberGhost’s monthly plan is going to cost you $12.99 per month.
Their 1-year plan, however, only runs $5.99 per month, or $71.88 every year.
The 2-year plan costs $3.69 a month, totaling $88.56 every 2 years.
And again, the best value for your money is by subscribing for 3-year chunks at a time. If you go with the 3-year from CyberGhost, it’ll net you only $2.75 per month, or $99 every 3 years.
Pricing — The Winner:
Surprisingly these VPNs are extremely close when it comes to prices, but CyberGhost beats NordVPN here in most cases.
The only plan that Nord beats CyberGhost in is the monthly subscription plan, so if you only intend to pay month-by-month, then NordVPN has better prices for you. Otherwise, the cheaper option is going to be CyberGhost.
VPN features comparison
NordVPN features
– Double Encryption – If one level of encryption isn’t enough for you, NordVPN can do it twice. NordVPN’s double encryption option will encrypt your information twice before sending it if enabled. While appreciated, this option isn’t that necessary, as one encryption is enough to keep out any potential hackers.
– Streaming-Friendly – NordVPN is one of the best VPNs available when it comes to streaming. It offers access to a wide variety of geo-restricted content and has Netflix unblocked.
– Onion Access – NordVPN offers an easy way to access the Onion Network for those interested in using the dark web.
– Kill Switch – NordVPN comes with a “kill switch” option, that will cut your internet should your VPN service ever be interrupted, this is to keep any sensitive data from getting leaked due to your VPN stopping.
– 6 Devices at Once – NordVPN supports up to 6 simultaneous connections at any one time
– Bypass ISP throttling
– CyberSec
– SmartPlay technology
CyberGhost features
– Ad Blocking – CyberGhost comes with the ability to block ads, though it’s been reported that the adblocking doesn’t actually work on HTTPS websites.
– Geo-Unblocking – For those interested in streaming, CyberGhost also comes with some great geo-unblocking features.
– 7 Devices at Once – With CyberGhost you’re able to have 7 different devices connected to the service simultaneously
– Block Malicious Content – CyberGhost offers gives their customers a malware blocker that will verify the URL of the requested site.
– DNS and IP Leak Protection
– Apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, Routers
Features — The Winner:
In terms of features, NordVPN is the winner here. There are just more features to take advantage of, especially when you consider that CyberGhost’s ad-blocking feature isn’t the most reliable.
Ease of use comparison
Ease of use is pretty important when using a VPN. After all, lots of goodies and features are nice, but if you can’t figure out how to use them, it’s no good anyway.
NordVPN
NordVPN makes it easy to install and start using right away. The UI is extremely intuitive and the quick connect feature means you can connect to a nearby server immediately.
CyberGhost
CyberGhost has recently updated its dedicated apps across multiple devices. The service now offers a consistent experience across all supported devices
Again, it’s a pretty easy service to use, and even the less tech-savvy of us shouldn’t have much of a problem.
Accessibility — The Winner:
Both services here offer simple, easy-to-use apps across multiple devices. So this section is a tie.
Security & Privacy
This is an understandably important one for VPNs.
Security and privacy are probably the most important factors to consider when choosing a VPN since the main point of the service is to protect you and your information.
So how well of a job do these VPNs do in protecting your data?
NordVPN
Based in Panama, NordVPN is already in a good spot, since the country doesn’t require them to keep any data about its users. This allows them to uphold a “no data logs” policy.
NordVPN’s policies may be great, but how does the actual service fair?
To put it shortly, it fairs well.
To put it not-so-shortly, NordVPN makes use of the industry-standard AES-256 encryption method. This method is extremely secure, and if anyone manages to break through, it’s not going to be through the encryption itself.
CyberGhost
On paper, CyberGhost is just as safe as NordVPN. They’ve got the same level of encryption, a no-logs policy, and the country they’re based in has no mandatory data retention laws.
But if you look into the details a bit more, you’ll find that some causes for concern.
For one, CyberGhost is run by Kape Technologies, which as said before, was formerly known as Crossrider.
The problem with this is that Crossrider has a history of making software that infects users’ computers with various types of malware, including adware. The name change of the company was an effort to distance themselves from their past practices.
Security & Privacy — The Winner:
We’re going to put NordVPN as the winner here, even if Kape Technologies isn’t guilty of producing malware anymore, it’s still a valid cause for concern when choosing a VPN.
Refund Policies
NordVPN
NordVPN offers a 30-day money-back guarantee with all of their subscription plans. That’s more than enough time to decide whether or not you like the service.
CyberGhost
CyberGhost offers a 14-day money-back guarantee for their monthly plan, but the other plans include a 45-day guarantee. Again, these periods should be enough to decide whether or not you like the service enough to continue using it.
Refund Policies — The Winner:
If you’re going with a monthly plan, NordVPN is the better option, but in all other cases, CyberGhost is the winner for the best refund policy.
Customer Support
When something inevitably goes wrong, it’s nice to have a VPN with customer service that can get back to you with helpful advice quickly.
And luckily, both of these services come with great customer support sections. They both offer help sections on their websites, and if you need more in-depth help they both have 24/7 live chats, so no matter when a problem comes up it shouldn’t be long before you’re able to get it fixed.
Bottom Line
The winner between these two VPNs is NordVPN.
Even without taking Kape Technologies’ questionable past into consideration, NordVPN as a service is more appealing.
The connection speeds are faster, there are more features to choose from, and the prices are only slightly higher than CyberGhost’s. Honestly, you can’t go wrong when choosing NordVPN for your internet safety.
Want to give either of these services a try?
Try NordVPN here: https://nordvpn.com/
Or if you want to give CyberGhost a try for yourself, get it here: https://www.cyberghostvpn.com/
