Score Breakdown
Pros & Cons
What We Liked
- Dedicated streaming servers
- Largest server network
- Easy-to-use interface
- 45-day money-back
Room for Improvement
- Romanian jurisdiction
- Some speed drops on long-distance
Speed Performance
CyberGhost VPN reached 680 Mbps download and 480 Mbps upload on our 1 Gbps test line in London. Latency to the nearest server measured 15ms — solid for everyday use. We test each provider across four server locations at both peak (6–9 PM local) and off-peak (2–4 AM) hours and average the results.
| Server Location | Download | Upload | Latency |
|---|---|---|---|
| UK (nearest) | 679 Mbps | 481 Mbps | 15 ms |
| US East | 590 Mbps | 420 Mbps | 90 ms |
| Romania (home) | 712 Mbps | 498 Mbps | 20 ms |
| Australia | 310 Mbps | 215 Mbps | 285 ms |
CyberGhost's WireGuard implementation delivered solid speeds on nearby European servers, though long-distance locations (Australia, East Asia) showed significant throughput drops — often 50 percent or more below the UK baseline. The dedicated streaming server profiles maintained more consistent speeds than the generic country servers during our tests.
Streaming Performance
CyberGhost differentiates itself with dedicated streaming server profiles — pre-configured connections optimised for specific platforms. Rather than connecting to a generic UK server, you select 'BBC iPlayer' or 'Netflix UK' from a dropdown. In practice this improves reliability significantly: Netflix US worked on 9 of 10 test sessions, BBC iPlayer on 8 of 10. Disney+ was inconsistent (6 of 10). The streaming profile system is CyberGhost's biggest advantage for media-focused users.
Unblocked
- ✓ Netflix US
- ✓ BBC iPlayer
- ✓ Amazon Prime
Unreliable / Blocked
- ✗ Disney+ (some regions)
Security
CyberGhost implements AES-256-GCM across all protocols. NoSpy servers — located in CyberGhost's own data centre in Romania — are an optional tier providing additional isolation from third-party hosting providers. The kill switch (called Connection Guard) performed correctly in our tests. DNS leak protection is always-on, with no way for a user to accidentally disable it. We ran the full browserleaks.com battery — DNS, WebRTC, IPv6, and canvas fingerprint tests all passed cleanly.
Privacy & Logging Policy
CyberGhost is incorporated in Romania. Romania is an EU member state subject to GDPR, but sits outside the 5-Eyes and 14-Eyes alliances. Romania's Constitutional Court struck down the country's blanket data-retention law in a landmark ruling; subsequent legislation remains limited in scope compared to other EU states. Deloitte verified the no-logs implementation. However, CyberGhost publishes quarterly transparency reports detailing the volume of data requests received from authorities — these reports reveal that some requests result in partial fulfillment (typically account-level data, not browsing logs). Romania's Constitutional Court struck down blanket data-retention legislation in a landmark ruling; subsequent legislation remains limited. Users should read the transparency reports carefully. No-logs for browsing is maintained; account metadata may be a different matter.
Windows App Experience
CyberGhost's Windows app uses a sidebar navigation model — 'All Servers', 'For Streaming', 'For Torrenting', 'For Gaming' are distinct sections. The streaming category lists specific services (Netflix US, BBC iPlayer, etc.) so users connect to an optimised server for their target platform rather than a generic country. The NoSpy server option is available as a toggle within any connection. On Windows 11, the app defaulted to WireGuard and maintained the connection correctly across sleep/wake cycles. The privacy guard (kill switch) is enabled by default.
Additional platforms include macOS, iOS, Android, Linux, and select router firmware. The Windows client is the primary focus of this review, tested on both Windows 10 22H2 and Windows 11 23H2.
Limitations
No VPN is perfect. Here are the specific weaknesses we identified during our 2026 testing period:
- Romania's quarterly transparency reports — required by local law — reveal that some user-data requests are partially fulfilled; this contrasts with the no-logs claim and warrants scrutiny.
- Long-distance server performance drops significantly; connections to Australia and East Asia saw 50+ percent speed reductions in our tests.
- The 45-day money-back guarantee applies only to annual and longer plans — monthly subscribers get the standard 14-day window.
Pricing
All plans include the same features — the difference is billing cycle. Longer commitments offer a lower effective monthly rate; shorter plans offer flexibility without a multi-year commitment. Prices shown are approximate and may vary by region and promotion.
| Plan | Price/Month | Devices | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly | $12.99/mo | 7 | Most flexible |
| 1-Year | $3.99/mo | 7 | Good value |
| 2-Year | $2.03/mo | 7 | Best per-month rate |
Verdict
CyberGhost ranks #5 for its massive server network, purpose-built streaming profiles, and beginner-friendly interface.
