a complete VPN that lacks transparency

CyberGhostVPN is today a leader in the world of online security thanks to its communication strength and the quality of its application management. But is it a service that deserves your attention? Answer in this review.

CyberghostVPN Features

Who is CyberghostVPN?

CyberGhost VPN was born in 2004 under the company of the same name “CyberGhost SA”, based in Romania. Initially free, the service quickly adapted to the growing VPN market by adopting a monthly and then yearly subscription model. In 2017, the group was taken over by the company Crossrider, which initially specialized in Adware (or adware), seriously tarnishing the VPN’s reputation. Since then, CyberGhost has defended itself against any collusion with its parent company’s previous activities and advocates for a healthy economic model.

The group has changed its name since 2018. Kape Technologies PLC has other VPN services such as ZenMate or Private Internet Access. CyberGhost now has a whopping 38 million users and is built on a communication policy based on partnerships with influencers.

CyberghostVPN: A Successful Advanced Interface

CyberGhost is clearly one of the most intuitive and easy to learn VPNs on the market. First, the service is fully available in French, which is a clear advantage over many of its competitors who still don’t know Molière’s language. Once the application is installed, very few manipulations are required to connect to a server and use the service without the need for technical knowledge.

The interface is as clear as it is instinctive while having a logical layout of menus and functions. The default screen gets straight to the point, offering one-click connection to an optimized remote server or via a chosen destination. Once connected, the VPN displays packets received and sent, the server protocol used, and the duration of the connection in real time. The side menu (in the PC version) shows the list of all available servers, how far away they are and to designate them as favorites.

Ease of use is truly at the heart of the experience, as CyberGhost allows you to connect directly to servers optimized for each type of use: streaming from foreign VOD platforms (Netflix US, among others), for online gaming, to download in P2P or even use a dedicated IP (optional, however).

Other advanced options complete the picture with, in particular, the activation or not of DNS filtering to avoid advertisements and trackers during navigation or even the kill switch automatic This completely cuts the connection in case of a connectivity problem with a server so as not to compromise your anonymity. To complete the picture, it’s possible to set application-specific rules to avoid having to disconnect from the VPN as soon as you start a program that doesn’t use it.

CyberGhost also has a feature called ” split tunneling » through the tab “Smart Rules” allowing you to define a secure connection to a specific service while keeping your local IP for the rest, we are thinking in particular of printers connected to the home network.

Regarding Linux, CyberGhost does not offer a graphical interface and is content to use configuration via the command line terminal to operate. Concretely, only informed users will have full use even if there are FAQs available on the VPN site.

On mobile (Android, iOS), the experience is nearly identical, if not even easier to use. We also appreciate the general unification of the interfaces which makes everything consistent, especially in the context of simultaneous connections. However, not everything is 100% unified. Only the Wireguard protocol is used on the mobile and we noticed the presence of the split tunnelingbut currently only on Android devices.

CyberGhost can also be accessed directly from a browser extension (Chrome, Edge, Safari, Firefox, etc.), but this does not have the performance or functionality of the version. desk or mobile. First, it is limited to web browsing only and a handful of servers can be accessed. Also, to unlock geoblocks linked in particular to VOD services, only a paid subscription is capable of doing so.

CyberghostVPN: It’s Wireguard or Nothing

These are the nerves of war on the side of VPN services, the number of servers and overall performance are an integral part of the features of such a service. In terms of numbers, CyberGhost can boast of offering more than 7,100 servers in 91 different countries. It is neither more nor less than the most widely provided VPN service on this side. However, do these figures have an impact on performance? These are the results obtained after several tests carried out with a Parisian wired fiber connection and from the Nperf site.

*Tests were performed in automatic protocol assignment

Although CyberGhost’s speeds aren’t always as fast as the competition, particularly Nord VPN or Surfshark, they are largely sufficient for watching videos online. transmission from an American server in the best possible quality, which corresponds to the most common use of a VPN. During our tests, most VOD platforms were perfectly accessible (Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+) without even having to create private browsing sessions. Also, mobile apps have made the switch seamlessly without having to go through a browser.

Inevitably, downloading is much more difficult from a server located on the other side of the world. It is also necessary to make a cross on the cloud gamingbut it is not surprising that the ping is so high outside of a server located in the same country.

CyberGhost has also worked hard on server availability in certain authoritarian countries. To the list of countries to which it is now possible to connect in Saudi Arabia, Iran, Turkey, Egypt and even China, although Iraq and Syria are still missing.

By default, CyberGhost automatically assigns a connection protocol. It is also strange that the service currently prefers Open VPN over a connection to an external server and that the more efficient, cheaper and widely promoted WireGuard protocol is transmitted secondhand from a Windows computer. It is also not yet available in the macOS app. However, depending on your needs, it is possible to change the protocols in the settings, but we would have liked the option to be more accessible as it is integrated into the general settings. Even more worrisome, WireGuard remains exclusive to Android platforms on mobile, where iOS has to make do with Open VPN. Despite the complete absence of DNS leaks, CyberGhost still has some work to do to unify its applications and functionality.

CyberghostVPN: A Gray Area Regarding Data Privacy

This is essential when it comes to internet security, the protection of personal data and privacy is a critical point for any VPN service. CyberGhost uses its no data retention policy to reassure its customers, to the point of turning it into a marketing argument. However, this is all for information only and nothing really indicates this to be the case apart from their own transparency report dating back to 2020. The latter is issued by the VPN itself based on its own research and not by an independent firm.

This question is even more legitimate when you meet CyberGhost’s parent company, Kape Technologies PLC and its trajectory in the world of Adware before dedicating its activity to cybersecurity. Officially, CyberGhost claims to not save anything about the use of the service, such as the user’s IP address, the time and duration of the internal session that passes through its servers or even the sites visited. However, this does not prevent the VPN from saving the information provided during registration, namely first and last name, email address and payment method. This is certainly common to most other VPN providers, but it doesn’t necessarily inspire confidence.

This sentiment is further accentuated when one realizes that CyberGhost offers its own servers based in Romania called “NoSpy”. These are more secure servers that guarantee a “Zero Log” policy since they are not under agreement with the jurisdiction of the Five Eyes and even its extension to the 14 eyes.

In all cases, we were able to observe the effectiveness of the mode. kill switch that automatically cuts the connection of your PC or your mobile in case of a problem with a server.

CyberghostVPN – Average customer service

On the technical support side, we cannot say that the CyberGhost model is frankly a success. First of all, support can only be accessed in two ways: via form or via chat. The first one is quite tortuous and requires a lot of information. Certainly not all of them are required, but going through it isn’t the most practical, especially when response is slow thereafter.

Meanwhile, the chat is often not available in French and very often we find the Zendesk bot (communication tool for customer service) not the most relevant or the most responsive. On the other hand, once you meet with human assistance, the contact is very cordial and receptive. So it’s a spotty spot for a service that is now over 10 years old.

CyberghostVPN: Pricing

Like most VPN services, CyberGhost offers several subscription plans. These range from 1 month to 3 years. Basically, even if prices change quite quickly throughout the year, it is always more advantageous to go for the 3-year subscription which naturally has the biggest discount.

Don’t be fooled though, this is simply a method to encourage you to take the longest subscription to capture long-term customers. Compared to other VPN services, the prices are not that prohibitive and are still average. CyberGhost still offers a 45-day trial during which a full refund is possible.