CyberGhost VPN Review – Scam or not?

Last updated: October 17, 2021
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Whatever its name might indicate, believe us, there is nothing spooky about this VPN. Jokes apart, CyberGhost is a reputed VPN service and has quite convincing features on offer.

In this review, we will have a closer look at various elements related to CyberGhost and would determine if it is the right pick for you or not. Without wasting any time further, let’s get started.

Introduction

First things first, what is the company all about? CyberGhost was previously a Romanian-based company but it recently shifted its base and is now being operated from Israel. The company was founded in 2009 and is known to provide the best VPN services in the market.
CyberGhost was initially owned by a German entrepreneur, Robert Knapp and was based out of Romania. However, the last year, he sold CyberGhost to Crossrider, an Israeli advertising/analytics company for €9.2 million.

The company claims to have 20 million users and offers a network of 3000+ servers in 60+ countries across the globe. The VPN supports a range of devices including desktops, laptops, Mac, Android, Amazon Fire TV/Stick and iPhone.

This was all things basic. Let’s have a deeper look at the important aspects of CyberGhost.

1. Server Locations

As already mentioned, CyberGhost has headquarters in Israel. However, having an offshore headquarter is always the best thing, but Israel is still a good location to offer a VPN service.

It is worth mentioning here that Israel doesn’t have any data retention laws in place, however, we cannot ignore the fact that being located in a conflict zone means that there are higher chances of government keeping an eye on the internet.

Talking specifically about servers, CyberGhost has its servers across range of locations. The United States has 435 servers which makes CyberGhost an undeclared leader when it comes to unblocking entertainment on Hulu and Netflix while you are overseas.
Rest, the company has 3000 additional servers across 60+ countries.

This makes Cyberghost the perfect service to unblock streaming services like Netflix, Hulu, BBC Iplayer or Amazon Video. More here.

User Interface and Features

One of the exciting thing about CyberGhost is its intuitive user interface. The VPN has a super clean dashboard which is beautifully designed and easy to navigate. Everything is sweet and simple – right from installing the client to establishing a connection with an IP address.

While you are connecting to the IP address, CyberGhost would ask you the reason of logging in, and you might need to choose between:

  • Unblock basic websites
  • Surf anonymously
  • Torrent anonymously
  • Unblock steaming websites
  • Protect my Wi-Fi and internet connection

The main reason of extracting this info from the user is to help you connect to the most suitable IP address as per your needs. However, CyberGhost also allows you to manually select the region you want to represent from and the IP address you want to connect to.

But, this is not just about it. In addition to these, CyberGhost VPN also allows you to make use of a range of privacy-related tools like ad blocker, force HTTPs tool, do not track tool and so on.

They have added new features including an easy “One-click VPN Connection”, Smart Rules for customization and “Best Location” that allows you to find the fastest server.

This is how the basic Windows desktop dashboard looks like:

Security and Encryption

Here comes the most important part – the kind of security and encryption that the VPN offers. Needless to say, one of the most basic reason as to why people use VPN is to stay anonymous, private and secure while surfing the web online.

Thankfully, CyberGhost makes use of 2048-bit RSA key and AES 256-bit encryption along with MD5 for HMAC communication.
However, it is important to admit here that this level of encryption is the most basic that you would expect from a VPN, and they could have definitely did a bit better. Thankfully, CyberGhost is in the process of upgrading itself to SGHA-2 authentication soon.

To ensure that you are safe and secure online, CyberGhost uses perfect forward secrecy tool which generates a new token each time you log into the VPN to protect your online history, just in case, your connection gets compromised.

Further, the VPN makes use of a default protocol but you can always adjust the settings and make a switch to PPTP or L2TP manually.
Talking about log files, no the VPN doesn’t keep logs of user history and activity, at least the company claims so. As per the claim made on their website, they do not observe, record or track anything.

It is important to mention here that this claim has not passed the test in the past. There was a related issue regarding the root certificate installation which proved the company’s claims otherwise, however, CyberGhost was able to address the issues satisfactorily, and the same was taken care in the subsequent releases of the software.

Settings and Performance

As it goes without saying, a VPN is useless if it is not fast and doesn’t deliver satisfactory performance, if not extra-ordinary.

CyberGhost uses OpenVPN and all the VPNs that do so definitely lag when it comes to the internet speed. Thus, this is nothing exceptional about CyberGhost as well.

However, this speed change can vary. Sometimes it could be unnoticeable, while the other days, it could be horrible.

I conducted a few speed tests. This was my speed before connecting to the CyberGhost:

Once connected with the Argentina server of CyberGhost, here are the speed stats

On connecting with the Denmark servers, here are the results

As you can see, the internet speed throttled to just half after connecting with the VPN, but this is what happens with most the VPNs that we have with us today.

Rest assured, as per my speed tests, CyberGhost provided enough reliable and fast connections without a problem. Even most of the online streaming services worked fine. I would like to draw your attention towards the fact that when compared to 7-day free trial, paid subscription plan provided better speeds, up to 5 times faster. But, still, the free plan is worth it as well, and the speed offered is in line considering the fact that it is a free service.

Plans and Pricing

When compared to other competitors and other VPN service providers, CyberGhost has quite competitive and affordable plans.
CyberGhost has four plans. You can opt for a 1-month plan for $12.99, a 3 years plan for $2.75/month, a 12-month plan for $5.99/month or a 2 years plan for $3.69/month. Further, all plans now support a maximum of 7 devices at the same time.

That said, all the plans come with unlimited traffic and an unlimited bandwidth. It is worth mentioning that the free service of CyberGhost is available only for Android, Mac and window devices. If you want to access the device on other operating systems like Linux, you would need to upgrade your plan.

Further, the company provides an excellent 45-day money-back guarantee with a refund window of seven days which is excellent.

Cyberghost Website

You might find a discussion on the CyberGhost website a bit meaningless, but believe me, this is an important parameter when you are trying to gauge the kind of services offered.

Like the impeccably designed CyberGhost interface, the interface provided by the CyberGhost website is worth an appreciation too. Everything is user-friendly and well-designed and provides you all the info well in time.

You can have a look at the real-time usage of the servers by checking the CyberGhost server overview on the website. Additionally, you can also dig other important information like the total bandwidth of the servers, location of the servers and the number of users that are currently using the service.

Probably, one of the best things that I liked about CyberGhost is its transparency. It is tough to find a transparent VPN, and this task is made easier by CyberGhost. Its website neatly underlines all the important stuff related to VPNs from the malicious activities that have happened so far on CyberGhost servers to the law enforcement notices, DMCA, and government requests and so on.

Customer Support

When it comes to making use of an online service or tool, customer support is the most important criteria, and VPNs are no exceptions.
Thankfully, CyberGhost provides a 24/7 customer support, thus you can contact them anytime without checking the time. However, one thing which might let you down is the restricted availability of the live customer support which is available only during Eastern European working hours.

Despite of the limited live support, you can also contact them by writing email to them. However, one thing that might prove to be irksome is to raise the ticket and wait until the appropriate staff looks at that.

Additionally, you can also make use of a comprehensive Help section that is expected to have solutions to the common problems. You can also look for your solutions in the FAQ area and help center.

VPN Servers

Servers are the most important factor when it comes to choosing a VPN. CyberGhost has a lot of them in the United States where the traffic is highest.
However, what might serve as a bit setback is they do not have a diversity of servers, even in America. If you are traveling or looking for a close connection at a crowded place, this could prove to be an issue.
As of June 2018, CyberGhost ha 3000+ servers located in 60+ countries.

Installation

It is easier to download CyberGhost, set up and make it run. All it would take is just a minute. All you need to do is simply click on the download button at the top of CyberGhost page and follow a series of steps:

  • Choose a plan that is in line with your requirements
  • Sign up and create an account
  • Choose a payment method and pay online

Once you do all these, the download would start automatically and you will receive a welcome email at your registered id along with an invoice email.

Once the app has downloaded, the app would provide easy-to-follow install instructions. You would receive installation info in your email which you need to provide here. Next, you are ready to go and can use this service for 7 devices at a time.

Pros:

  • User-friendly interface and navigation
  • Pocket friendly prices
  • Live chat support
  • Torrent friendly
  • Above average speed and performance
  • Blocks ads and malicious websites
  • Wide geographical distribution of servers

Cons:

  • Limited free plan
  • Might conflict with other VPN clients

Specs:

  • Compatible with: Mac, Windows, Android, iOS
  • Browser compatibility: Chrome and Opera
  • Number of servers: 3000+
  • Number of countries: 60+
  • Payment options: PayPal, Credit Card, Bitcoin
  • Country of registration: Romania
  • Bandwidth usage: Unlimited
  • Maximum number of connected devices: seven
  • Customer support: Live chat and email
  • Privacy policy: no logging
  • Encryption protocol: AES-256

Final Verdict

CyberGhost is a VPN from which you can expect seamless privacy and encryption along with easy accessibility and above the top performance. It is worth mentioning here that CyberGhost was not always the leading VPN services, but it is now, all because of its unbeatable service and commitment to deliver the best.

Equipped with an easy to use interface and a lot of features, CyberGhost delivers impressive performance consistently, no matter the screen size and operating system. Surely, there are a few areas wherein the VPN could improve a bit, but all in all, it is definitely worth considering – especially when you look at their extremely competitive pricing. Cyberghost VPN is a great option.

What are your views on this? Have you ever used CyberGhost? How was your experience? Would you recommend it to your friends and family? Do let us know in the comments below.

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Write a Review about Cyberghostvpn.com:

6 User-Reviews for Cyberghostvpn.com
  1. shmo, 4. February 2016

    The best I’ve found. Pay for premium though. Their free service has limitations…

  2. roi, 8. February 2016

    the best vpn can i have a 1 key please thank you

  3. RB, 17. March 2016

    One of the best VPN networks I used but they have a very poor support system.They take way to long to reply to your problems.They need to work on that issue,it could be second thoughts on choosing them.
    “Come on Cyber get that issue fixed before you loose out!

  4. Hebergeur, 28. May 2016

    This easy-to-install proxy browsing service lets you surf anonymously while protecting your data and identity. It comes with a problem-solver tool and effective tunneling protocols. CyberGhost VPN does a good job keeping your online interactions safe and anonymous.

  5. kendrix, 31. December 2016

    Have used their service for over a year. I love their premium services. I highly recommend this service.

  6. carlos ozzimo, 5. October 2018

    it is a terrible site I pay for 3 years and now every time I want to connect there is a sign asking me to UPGRADE or i will not be able to connect.
    Not only that it is impossible to connect I receive 3 notices from my internet provider.
    telling me not to download movies.
    STAY AWAY FROM THIS SITE IT IS A SCAM

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15 Total Ratings with 4.50/5 possible Rating Points. VPN Provider