CyberGhost VPN review: A fast and reliable VPN for streaming

Apart from having the slickest name, CyberGhost is the perfect VPN service for streaming and torrenting – which are among the most popular uses for a VPN.

You get those benefits with fantastic server speeds and seven supported devices. That’s not bad seeing as you can get a three-year subscription for a fairly desirable price with three months included for free. Those paying for a monthly subscription, however, may not find it as affordable. 

While it has plenty of features, the highlight of this service is its optimized servers for streaming services such as Netflix and Hulu. It’s a shame that when we tried Amazon Prime, it remained blocked. Two out of three isn’t bad when getting wicked speeds while streaming our favorite shows around the globe. Unfortunately, CyberGhost’s speeds dip in some of its servers in certain regions, too.

CyberGhost is one of the best VPN services around, along with being among the best VPN services for gaming. Find out if it’s worth your time below. 

CyberGhost VPN pricing and availability 

CyberGhost VPN is a premium service that, unless you opt for its three-year annual plan, comes at a premium price.

Users can choose between paying $12.99/£10.89 for a monthly plan; $47.88/£41.40 for a yearly plan, which averages $3.99/£3.45 a month; or $83.76/£69.36 for a two-year plan, at $3.49/£2.89 per month.

They can also opt for the long-term three-year option (right now with an extra three months) priced at $87.75/£77.61, which breaks down to $2.25/£1.99 per month. On its monthly plan, CyberGhost offers a 14-day money-back guarantee. However, It has an even better 45-day trial period for its annual and three-year packages, which is a smidgen longer than ExpressVPN and NordVPN’s 30-day money-back guarantee.

In terms of paying monthly, CyberGhost is one of the priciest VPN services around — being only a few cents cheaper than HotSpot Shield. This price pushes potential users toward its much more affordable annual plans, and for what CyberGhost offers, prices for yearly subscriptions are fantastic. But if you’re not after a long-term VPN then there are cheaper options available. 

CyberGhost VPN streaming and unblocking 

CyberGhost has a standalone menu dedicated to streaming servers, and they work fantastically. There are United States servers optimized for Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu, HBO Max, Comedy Central, ESPN+ and more. That’s just for one country.

There’s an optimized server for Netflix Japan, a U.K. server for BBC iPlayer, a Canada server for CBC; the list goes on. 

However, when trying the different dedicated servers, there were a few mishaps. When connecting to servers optimized for Amazon Prime, they couldn’t bypass the strict regulations Amazon puts in place to stop VPNs. I tried each server using the Prime Video app and web browser, and they couldn’t play the latest series, such as Frank of Ireland. However, I noticed the streaming servers suggest “Amazon Prime” rather than “Prime Video,” but you may as well use the normal servers for general Amazon browsing.

When testing out other streaming servers, such as Netflix, I could easily watch country-specific shows. I could watch the latest episodes of Tokyo Revengers and Attack on Titan. However, there was some slight buffering when a lot was happening on the screen. That said, the quality was still clear, and it only lagged for a few seconds. CyberGhost is a fantastic VPN for those who solely use VPNs for streaming.

CyberGhost VPN server locations 

In terms of numbers, CyberGhost blasts the competition away. It boasts a grand   6,983 servers in 112 different locations, and that figure continues to grow.

The number of countries available? A nice 90. As you’ll find in my connection speed test, it’s a tad disappointing that some servers aren’t as speedy as others. However, the servers that do work well, especially in the U.S., U.K., Germany, and even Australia, are very speedy.

CyberGhost lets you know how many users are filling up a region’s server with a helpful percentage detailing available server space. The lower the percentage, the more likely a server will be reliable. Even better, with the number of servers it boasts in each region, including in China, United Arab Emirates and even the Isle of Man, users won’t have to worry about a server being overloaded.

CyberGhost VPN security 

CyberGhost’s security features are at the top of the VPN game – offering AED 256-bit encryption, OpenVPN TCP/UDP, IKEv2, and WireGuard security protocol options (although not for all devices), a Kill Switch, DNS and IP leak protection, no logs and split tunneling (only on PCs).

CyberGhost’s Kill Switch feature (under the Smart Rules option) worked flawlessly. It gives you the option to secure your Wi-Fi connection before connecting, or always connect to a VPN server when connecting. It does the same for open Wi-Fi spots in public places. What’s more, every time my smartphone or iPad went to sleep or switched off, my internet connection terminated but immediately turned back on when I started using the devices again. Of course, if I didn’t want this, I could easily switch the behaviour of CyberGhost in its menu.

CyberGhost also has a no-logs policy, which means it does not monitor, record, or log any data traffic when using any of its servers. The personal data it does collect is through the form users sign up with to use the VPN service. In March 2012, CyberGhost had successfully passed an audit and verification conducted by QSCert. While it has been a while since the last audit, those skeptical can chat to CyberGhost for more information. 

CyberGhost VPN user accessibility and support 

When you first sign up, CyberGhost VPN asks if it can send push notifications to let you know when you need to protect your internet connection. That’s already a great start for a VPN.

Navigating through CyberGhost VPN on my iPad Air 2020 is a breeze thanks to its swift user interface. As opposed to many other VPN services, CyberGhost’s app for iPadOS feels as if it has been specifically built for the tablet.

It has a one-click button that quickly connects to the best location and best available server, and even has the option to auto-launch its private browser that provides ad-blockers and tracking protection, along with biometric bookmark security.

CyberGhost’s user interface is snappy and easy to navigate through on every platform. It has a sidebar that lets users easily change their security protocols, and a section to contact 24/7 support and an FAQ page on how to use CyberGhost on various platforms. Its website is filled with information on all you need to know about VPNs, and there are also plenty of video tutorials. 

Lastly, CyberGhost allows up to seven simultaneous connections, although it can also be used with a router that will surpass that number. It has dedicated apps for virtually every platform, from desktops and smartphones to smart TVs and web browsers. You’ll also find it to be compatible across PS5, Xbox Series X and other consoles 

CyberGhost VPN connection speed

Using speedtest.net, I tested the connection speed of CyberGhost VPN using the automatic protocol suggested in the U.S., U.K., Germany, South Africa, and India. This was done using an iPad, with an average internet download speed of 71Mbps, ping rate of 6ms and upload speed of 20Mbps.

When connecting a server in London, which was also the fastest server I connected to when using the one-click connection, I got an average download speed of 69Mbps and upload speed of 19Mbps, with my ping rate being an incredible 7ms. This minuscule decrease in speed goes completely unnoticed when streaming or playing online games, which shows CyberGhost can dish out some stellar speeds.

When connecting to Frankfurt, Germany, I got the same speeds of 69Mbps, upload speeds of 19Mbps, and a slight increase in ping rate of 17ms. That’s outstanding considering these speeds are virtually the same as they were in London.

When I tested Mumbai, India, I saw a bigger dip in speeds. My results showed download speeds of 25Mbps, 11Mbps in upload speed, and a 142ms ping rate. This could be higher, although this can still be used to stream videos and surf the web.

I then tried Johannesburg, South Africa and got an average download speed of 0.48Mbps, an upload speed of 0.89Mbps, and a ping rate of 181ms. Yeah... it took about a minute to even load up speedtest.net at these speeds. While a bad result, my distant location does play a factor in these speeds, too.

Finally, I connected to New York in the United States, the fastest server available in this region, and got speeds of 69Mbps and upload speed of 19Mbps yet again, along with a ping rate of 91ms. While servers in South Africa were near unusable, and India didn’t fare much better, CyberGhost knocked it out of the park in terms of overall speeds in Europe and the United States. 

Bottom Line 

CyberGhost VPN is a fast and reliable VPN service, especially for streaming. While it’s disappointing it doesn’t work with Prime Video despite having optimized streaming servers for it, having servers dedicated to select streaming services across multiple countries is a stellar feature.

While internet speeds in many countries were just as fast as my normal internet speeds, certain regions were severely lacking. This could be an issue for those who are all about server speeds, especially if you’re opting for its very pricey monthly subscription plan.

But the pros far outweigh the cons. Overall, CyberGhost VPN offers a premium service for streaming with tons of locations and fast P2P for torrenting.