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CyberGhost VPN Review (2025): Is it the right choice?
By Tibor Moes / Updated: January 2025
CyberGhost VPN Review
Perfect privacy and solid streaming, at a fair price. CyberGhost offers fast download speeds and a large server network. If you’re in the market for a budget-friendly VPN, CyberGhost is one of the VPNs out there.
- Privacy: 100%. CyberGhost’s clear no-logs policy and security features ensure complete online privacy.
- Streaming: 100%. CyberGhost offered reliable streaming at Netflix, Disney+, Hulu, Prime, Max, and BBC iPlayer in our tests.
- Speed: 100%. CyberGhost’s download speeds are excellent, making it perfect for streaming and gaming.
- Security: 100%. CyberGhost offers top-tier encryption, protocols, a kill switch, split tunneling, and more.
Thanks to the 45-day return policy, you can try it risk-free.
Key Data
CyberGhost VPN is ranked #4 of the 25 best VPNs of 2025.
Below are the key facts of our CyberGhost VPN review.
Privacy
CyberGhost VPN puts user privacy first with a strict no-logs policy, verified by an independent audit from Deloitte. The audit confirmed that CyberGhost’s servers don’t track or identify users.
The company also uses diskless servers, meaning no user data can be physically accessed or seized.
What CyberGhost Logs
CyberGhost collects minimal, anonymous data to improve its services, such as general device info and the date of the last connection. This data can’t be linked to individuals. Crucially, CyberGhost doesn’t log browsing history, IP addresses, DNS queries, or bandwidth use.
To build trust, CyberGhost releases transparency reports every three months. These reports share details about legal requests, such as DMCA notices and law enforcement inquiries, but the company has no user activity data to provide.
Jurisdiction
CyberGhost is based in Romania, a country with privacy-friendly laws. Unlike most EU nations, Romania has rejected mandatory data retention laws, calling them unconstitutional. This makes it a secure location for a VPN provider.
Ownership
CyberGhost started in 2011 and was acquired by Kape Technologies in 2017. Although Kape’s history with ad software raised concerns, the company has since shifted focus to privacy and now owns other leading VPNs like ExpressVPN and Private Internet Access.
Concerns and Reassurances
Some users may wish for more transparency. CyberGhost has not released the full Deloitte audit report, saying this could lead to misunderstandings.
Additionally, their transparency reports don’t specify if any legal requests were fulfilled. Privacy advocates might find this lack of detail frustrating.
Still, CyberGhost’s privacy measures—independent audits, transparency reports, diskless servers, and its location in Romania—make it a secure and trustworthy VPN for most users.
Streaming
CyberGhost is a strong contender for streaming enthusiasts, offering reliable access to a variety of platforms and regions. One of its standout features is its ability to unblock an impressive 10 Netflix libraries, including those in the US, UK, Canada, France, and Germany.
Additionally, CyberGhost boasts dedicated streaming servers optimized for platforms in regions such as Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, and Poland.
A major highlight is the inclusion of its Smart DNS feature, which bypasses geo-restrictions on multiple platforms, extending its usability beyond just US-based services. CyberGhost also excels with British streaming platforms, delivering consistent performance with BBC iPlayer, Channel 4, ITVX, and the UK Netflix library.
However, CyberGhost is not without its shortcomings. It is unable to access DAZN, which is a notable limitation for sports fans. While the VPN generally offers fast speeds, users may experience occasional inconsistencies depending on server load and their distance from the server.
Overall, CyberGhost is a dependable choice for streaming, with robust coverage across Netflix and other major platforms. That said, users prioritizing maximum streaming compatibility or consistently faster speeds might find NordVPN or Surfshark to be more suitable alternatives.
Speed
CyberGhost offers excellent speeds on local servers, with only a minimal 6% drop compared to base speeds—ideal for most online activities. However, performance declines on long-distance connections, with speeds dropping by up to 19%, impacting activities like streaming and gaming in faraway regions.
Performance Overview:
- Local Speeds: Average download of 94Mbps, virtually indistinguishable from a standard connection. Browsing and streaming remained smooth with no noticeable delays.
- International Speeds: Average download of 80Mbps, but connections to distant servers (e.g., Europe, Asia, Australia) showed reduced speeds, slower loading times, and occasional buffering in Full HD streams.
Key Metrics Across Servers:
- Best Performance: Local servers (e.g., New York or Toronto) with negligible speed loss and low latency.
- Challenging Connections: Far-off locations like South Africa and Australia, where download speeds dropped to 60Mbps and 80Mbps, respectively, with higher latency.
Compared to top-tier competitors like NordVPN, CyberGhost falls behind, particularly in international performance. While suitable for casual users on nearby servers, heavy users or those needing reliable speeds globally may find better options elsewhere.
Security
CyberGhost is a highly secure VPN with strong encryption and protective features, making it a solid option for privacy-focused users.
Encryption and Protocols
CyberGhost uses AES-256 encryption, the industry standard for top-notch security. It supports multiple VPN protocols, including WireGuard, OpenVPN (TCP/UDP), and IKEv2, allowing users to balance speed, security, and reliability. WireGuard’s ChaCha20 encryption boosts performance without compromising safety.
Tests confirmed CyberGhost effectively encrypts all traffic through its servers. Tools like Wireshark verified that data is securely obfuscated, proving the VPN meets its security claims.
Kill Switch and Leak Protection
CyberGhost includes a kill switch, which automatically blocks internet access if the VPN connection drops. This prevents accidental exposure of your IP address or data. It also protects against DNS and WebRTC leaks, keeping sensitive information secure.
However, during server switching, the kill switch doesn’t protect your IP address. This gap could expose your real IP temporarily and is a flaw CyberGhost should address.
Specialized Servers
CyberGhost provides specialized servers tailored for different needs. Streaming servers help unblock platforms like Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime Video. Torrenting servers in 82 countries enable secure, fast P2P file sharing, while gaming servers in locations like Frankfurt and New York offer low-latency connections for smooth gaming.
For extra privacy, NoSpy servers, hosted in CyberGhost’s secure Romanian data center, avoid third-party infrastructure for full control over hardware and security.
Dedicated IP Addresses
Users can purchase a dedicated IP address for $2.50/month (with a two-year plan) to bypass CAPTCHAs and blocklists or maintain a consistent online identity. Dedicated IPs are available in several locations, including Australia, Canada, Germany, Japan, the UK, and the USA.
Room for Improvement
CyberGhost’s security features are strong but not perfect. It doesn’t offer quantum-resistant encryption, and its apps aren’t open source, limiting transparency. The kill switch issue during server changes is another weakness.
Even with these shortcomings, CyberGhost’s robust encryption, user-friendly tools, and specialized servers make it a reliable choice for most users. Addressing these gaps could make it one of the most secure VPNs available.
Servers
CyberGhost stands out in the VPN world with one of the largest server networks, spanning nearly 100 countries. Most of its servers are physically located, offering reliable performance, though the company doesn’t own its entire infrastructure. While its coverage is impressive, competitors like NordVPN offer a broader reach in some regions.
Growing Presence
CyberGhost’s network continues to expand, especially in Oceania, with significant growth in Australia and New Zealand. In popular areas like Germany, France, Indonesia, and South Korea, users benefit from multiple server locations, making it a solid choice for reliable connections in these hotspots.
Transparency
A standout feature is CyberGhost’s transparency. Its server list clearly identifies physical and virtual servers—a detail many other VPNs overlook. Virtual servers make up only 30 out of its nearly 100-country network, a relatively small share for such extensive coverage.
These virtual servers help CyberGhost provide access in harder-to-reach areas like the Middle East and Africa while keeping the majority of its infrastructure physical.
The Trade-Off
Unlike some VPNs that own their servers, CyberGhost rents many of them. While this is common across the industry, owning servers, as IPVanish does, can offer added privacy and control. Despite this, CyberGhost’s commitment to transparency and its rapid growth ensure users still enjoy a competitive and trustworthy VPN experience.
With an expanding network, user-focused transparency, and a robust presence in key regions, CyberGhost remains a strong contender for anyone seeking wide-reaching VPN coverage.
Prices
CyberGhost has excellent prices. In price per year, it’s well below premium competitors like NordVPN, ExpressVPN, and Bitdefender. Alternative options that are priced similarly include Surfshark, Norton, and TotalVPN.
User reviews
We analyzed user reviews across all VPN brands, using scores and review counts from TrustPilot, a leading platform for user feedback. While these reviews offer valuable insights, it’s important to approach them with caution, as some brands actively work to boost their ratings.
CyberGhost stands out with strong user reviews, ranking near the average of the top 10 best VPNs we’ve tested.
Ownership
CyberGhost is owned by Kape Technologies, a London-based security software provider with ties to Israel. Kape also owns ExpressVPN, Private Internet Access, ZenMate, and Intego Antivirus, with over 7 million paying subscribers across its products.
Kape Technologies
Kape Technologies acquired CyberGhost in March 2017.
Kape’s history is notable:
- 2012: Teddy Sagi, an Israeli entrepreneur, acquired Crossrider, a browser extension development company later associated with adware.
- 2014: Crossrider went public on the London Stock Exchange.
- 2016: New management pivoted to privacy and security.
- 2017-2021: Kape acquired CyberGhost VPN, Intego, ZenMate, Private Internet Access, and ExpressVPN.
- 2023: Kape delisted from the London Stock Exchange and became private.
Some worry that Kape is largely a financial holding company, focusing on subscriber growth, while limiting the R&D spend in its companies.

Author: Tibor Moes
Founder & Chief Editor at SoftwareLab
Tibor has tested 28 antivirus programs and 25 VPN services, and holds a Cybersecurity Graduate Certificate from Stanford University.
He uses Norton to protect his devices, NordVPN for his privacy, and Proton for his passwords and email.