CyberGhost vs. NordVPN

VPNs are often so similar in function that it’s hard to distinguish between them. There’s a lot of overlap between all the available options. They all do the same thing, which is protect our privacy. Even the way they do that is often the same: They encrypt our traffic and they tunnel it through a secure VPN server. So, with all the options available, how do we compare VPNs like CyberGhost and NordVPN?

We put them through rigorous testing and live with them for several days or weeks. Then, armed with this info, you’re able to tell the little details that make one better than the other. Here’s our verdict for CyberGhost vs. NordVPN.

The Similarities and Differences

Looking into the similarities and differences between two VPNs is a good way to determine which is better, so let’s have a look, shall we?

CyberGhost vs. NordVPN In A Nutshell

If you’re in a hurry, here’s an overview of the key points of comparison between CyberGhost and NordVPN. This should give you a general idea of which VPN would work better for you, but as always, we encourage you to read our CyberGhost review and NordVPN review before pulling the trigger.

Their Key Similarities

It’s inevitable for two VPNs to have some similarities. For CyberGhost and NordVPN, these were the biggest similarities we found:

• Jurisdiction: CyberGhost is based in Romania, while NordVPN’s headquarters is in Panama. Both sit outside the jurisdiction of the Five Eyes, Nine Eyes, and 14 Eyes alliance, which is a good thing because countries that are part of the alliance can force companies under their jurisdiction to hand over user data.
• Kill Switch: A kill switch is a contingency measure that disables all Internet activity in case the VPN suddenly disconnects. Both VPNs had a kill switch, which was useful as it stopped our online activity from leaking whenever we forgot to close our browser before disconnecting. We’re forgetful at times.

• Netflix and Torrenting: CyberGhost and NordVPN gave us access to both Netflix and torrenting. That’s expected, as 30 percent of those who use VPNs do so to access better entertainment content.1 There were limitations though. With NordVPN, we’ve only had luck torrenting using uTorrent. With CyberGhost, Netflix U.K. was off-limits except when we borrowed an account registered to a U.K IP address.
• Encryption: In its very essence, a VPN encrypts users’ online traffic. To do that, CyberGhost and NordVPN used AES-256 encryption, which is the industry standard and by far the hardest to crack using current technologies.2
• DNS and WebRTC Leaks: We tested both VPNs for DNS and WebRTC leaks that could compromise our privacy. Both showed no signs of leaks.

• Customer Support: Lastly, CyberGhost and NordVPN both had 24/7 customer support via live chat and email as expected given that they have customers all over the world, although we wished there was phone support as well.

Their Key Differences

We’ve learned from experience that when it comes to comparing VPNs, it’s often their differences that matter. Take a look at the key differences between NordVPN and CyberGhost, and decide for yourself which can provide for your digital security needs better.

• Monthly Rates: Both VPNs made our list of the best cheap VPNs, but the length of our subscriptions ultimately decided which cost less. NordVPN’s monthly plan was cheaper by a full dollar, but CyberGhost’s 18-month subscription had a lower monthly rate.

• Speed: During our tests, we measured how much each VPN affected our Internet speed by testing our upload speed, download speed, and ping with and without each VPN. The results are shown below and it’s clear that CyberGhost had a more solid performance particularly in the upload speed department. It was fast enough that we were able to upload videos to our YouTube channel3 without much delay.

• Servers: CyberGhost had 6,300 servers in 90 countries, while NordVPN had 5,300 servers in almost 60 countries. Having more servers and server locations is an advantage, so CyberGhost takes this one even though both were impressive.
• Dedicated IP Addresses: Although both VPNs gave us static shared IP addresses by default, NordVPN offered the option to pay for a dedicated IP address for $70 a year. It’s nice to know the option exists in case we get tired of completing captchas, which is an inconvenience that often comes with the use of a shared IP address.

• Split Tunneling: We couldn’t count how many times we’ve had to suddenly connect to a VPN to search for something while watching Netflix on a public network. Split tunneling is always the solution for that, as it allows simultaneous connections to a public and private (VPN) network. We could do that with CyberGhost, albeit on Windows and Android devices only, but not with NordVPN.
• Multi-hop: What NordVPN could do was offer more privacy using double VPN a.k.a. multi-hop. We had the option to encrypt our web traffic twice through two different VPN tunnels, a luxury CyberGhost didn’t give us.
• Simultaneous Connections: Both VPNs imposed a limit on the number of devices we could connect to their servers at any given time. With NordVPN, the limit was six; with CyberGhost, it was seven.
• Manual configurations: While both VPNs supported major desktop and mobile operating systems, CyberGhost allowed manual configurations to route the web activity of consoles, smart TVs, and routers through their VPN. NordVPN stuck to computers, mobile devices, and Android TVs.

• Logging Policy: Although many VPNs claim to have a “no-logging” policy, only a handful can live up to their claims. We found that CyberGhost and NordVPN in fact collected some of our data, including our names, usernames, email addresses, and payment methods. Both also kept track of our device information, IP address, and approximate location when visiting their websites. While connected to the VPN, NordVPN also logged crash reports, in-app events, statistical data, and non-identifying device information. As for CyberGhost, they collected our VPN usage data like the version of the VPN we were running and the number of connection requests and successful connections. It’s worth noting that most of what they collected was either non-personal data or anonymized, which meant that they couldn’t be tied to our personal data (names, email addresses, payment methods, etc.). That said, we’re calling it a tie, so we recommend reading through each VPN’s privacy policy to find out exactly what log.

Who Won, CyberGhost or NordVPN?

CyberGhost and NordVPN both performed well in our tests, but all things considered, our final recommendation goes to NordVPN. It provided better privacy thanks to features like the double VPN and kill switch. Plus, it was more stable and reliable when we conducted our tests. However, that’s not to say that CyberGhost is no good. So before you make your final decision, here’s the takeaway.

No matter which VPN you choose, the important thing is that you get what you’re looking for. If you feel that CyberGhost and NordVPN don’t completely satisfy you, check out our best VPN list. But if you’ve made your decision, there’s no better time than now to get a VPN and start hiding your web traffic.