Virtual Private Networks

CyberGhost vs ExpressVPN 2024: Detailed Comparison

CyberGhost vs ExpressVPN is a common debate among internet users looking to purchase a paid VPN. Both CyberGhost and ExpressVPN trades blow throughout our comparison. Be sure to check all the sections to make an informed decision.

This article was last updated on 19 November 2024

CyberGhost vs ExpressVPN At a Glance

This is our ExpressVPN CyberGhost comparison where we put both VPN providers head to head. Just so you know, ExpressVPN is the winner thanks to its broad features. But it would be best if you didn’t take our word for it. Sol, follow along with this CyberGhost vs ExpressVPN battle to know the reasons.

Check out the table to know how ExpressVPN and CyberGhost performed in different areas.

ExpressVPN CyberGhost VPN
Unblocking Streaming Winner Loser
Server Loser winner
Speed Winner Loser
Security Winner Loser
Torrenting Tied Tied
Gaming Tied Tied
Device Compatibility Tied Tied
Privacy Winner Loser
Prices and Plans Tied Tied
Customer Service Winner Loser
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ExpressVPN CyberGhost Comparison

Before we go deep into the features of CyberGhost vs ExpressVPN, we want to give you a summarized version of the discussion.

ExpressVPN

The most popular VPN in the market right now. It’s been offering excellent security for internet users at a very competitive price for a long time. ExpressVPN has the most diverse selection of servers from over 94 countries! Be sure to check our ExpressVPN review to know the ins and outs.

CyberGhost

Among ExpressVPN’s closest competitors, CyberGhost has a notable presence. The VPN is based in Romania. It has over 9,000 servers, the highest among all VPN providers. To learn about the other unique features it offers, read our CyberGhost complete review.

Which One’s Better at Unblocking Streaming?

Let’s start with the biggest use case of VPNs these days. We’ve effectively migrated to the world of streaming. But it comes at the cost of geo-restrictions. For example, Netflix US has many shows that no one outside the country can watch.

So, the first area of our discussion in this CyberGhost vs ExpressVPN guide is which one is better at unblocking streaming platforms. On multiple tests, both VPN providers performed identically. However, CyberGhost lost the connection once which led to an error message on our Netflix account. This gives ExpressVPN the advantage.

For Disney+, however, both VPNs worked well without any connection issues.

Network and Bypassing Geo-Restrictions

What we covered in the previous section of our ExpressVPN CyberGhost comparison is only the surface of geo-restrictions. Pretty much every industry on the internet suffers from some kind of restrictions. It’s a VPNs job to bypass them. Let’s see how our contenders perform.

United Kingdom Coverage

In the UK, many sports events don’t get broadcast. Also, the UK government has banned many websites over the past few years. In our test, we put CyberGhost and ExpressVPN to work and unlock everything a regular British person cannot access.

Thanks to the OpenVPN protocol used by both, they succeed in doing what we wanted. We watched different live sports for a few hours without any interruptions and it’s true for both CyberGhost and ExpressVPN.

ExpressVPN or CyberGhost: Does It Work in China?

There is no way to deny that China is one of the hardest places to live if you like browsing the internet. It’s pretty much cut off from the rest of the world in terms of international social media and streaming platforms.

For our ExpressVPN CyberGhost comparison, it was necessary for us to test them in China’s context. Thankfully, both VPNs managed to break through the firewall the Chinese government has put in place.

But if we have to pick one from ExpressVPN or CyberGhost discussion, ExpressVPN would be the winner. It’s because ExpressVPN managed better browsing speed throughout our experiment. For CyberGhost, we had to reset the connection multiple times.

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CyberGhost and ExpressVPN: Speed

Speed is another major factor for our ExpressVPN or CyberGhost debate. If you’ve ever used any free VPN, you may already know how slow things can get. Thankfully, none of our contenders are as bad as free VPNs.

Here are the test results we conducted for this ExpressVPN CyberGhost comparison.

Local Speed Test Results

When we say “local” in the context of a VPN, it means a server located in your country. For us, it’s the UK. In the local test, ExpressVPN won by a fair margin thanks to its Lightway protocol. It’s a more advanced version of the traditional OpenVPN that takes server load into account and connects you to the fastest one.

CyberGhost VPN, on the other hand, uses the typical OpenVPN protocol. It’s not slow by any means but you can feel it when more users come to the same server.

Long-Distance Speed Test Results

Long-distance or remote speed tests for a VPN are done on servers that are not in your country. For our tests, we’re using a US server. In this test, both CyberGhost and ExpressVPN performed very well. We didn’t spot any noticeable difference between CyberGhost or ExpressVPN when accessing different streaming platforms, games, and online sports outlets.

CyberGhost and ExpressVPN: Security

In case you didn’t know, VPNs were primarily designed to be security tools. We have a false sense of security that no one knows what we’re doing on the internet. In reality, it’s the opposite. Your ISP can track every move you make with their internet which is a major breach of privacy.

VPNs can encrypt the network, hence it’s a “private network” that no one can spy on. There are other security protocols in play too. Let’s take a look at how our CyberGhost vs ExpressVPN battle goes in the realm of security.

Encryption Standard

Advanced Encryption Standard or AES is a common finding among paid VPNs. There is no ExpressVPN or CyberGhost when it comes to encryption as both use the 256-bit AES. It’s also known as a military-grade protection thanks to its impenetrable firewall.

ExpressVPN or CyberGhost: Encryption Protocol

A regular user has enough reason to confuse an encryption standard with an encryption protocol. A protocol refers to a technical/algorithmic standard rather than a general standard.

ExpressVPN comes to the top with more protocols. At the time of writing, it’s offering Lightway, OpenVPN, PPTP, L2TP-Ipsec, UDP/TCP, and SSTP protocols. On the contrary, CyberGhost offers OpenVPN, IKEv2, and WireGuard protocols to keep your data safe on the internet.

To be honest, there is no clear winner in this ExpressVPN CyberGhost VPN battle.

Ad and Malware Blocker

In our testing, CyberGhost vs ExpressVPN battle ended in a tie. Thanks to the strong security protocols and encryption offered by both VPNs, no malware, ad, or virus can enter your system. This goes for Windows, Mac, Android, iOS, Linux, Mac, and all other operating systems.

ExpressVPN CyberGhost Comparison: Leak Protection

If you keep an eye out for cyber threats, you must’ve heard of DNS leaks. It’s the leading cause of information theft by 3rd parties. Thankfully, understanding our CyberGhost vs ExpressVPN debate can give you a secure channel.

When we put CyberGhost and ExpressVPN head-to-head to stop DNS leaks, ExpressVPN wins. It’s simply because the safety layers ExpressVPN offers cover both IPv4 and IPv6 standards. CyberGhost, on the other hand, only offers IPv4 protection.

Speciality Servers

In simple terms, specialty servers offer additional security on top of what VPN servers already offer. This is one of the rare cases where CyberGhost beats ExpressVPN with its selected range of specialty servers. ExpressVPN doesn’t have any.

Server Security

Everything is about servers when you’re connected to the internet. So, it’s crucial that a VPN provider offers secure servers for all users. In this CyberGhost vs ExpressVPN comparison, we’ve found that both companies have their own rendition of a security feature.

Let’s start with ExpressVPN and its TrustedServer technology. The primary feature here is that every time the servers reboot, all past data is removed. It’s part of the reason why ExpressVPN can claim a complete no-logging policy.

CyberGhost VPN has TrueCrypt which is somewhat similar to TrustedServer technology. Access to CyberGhost servers is restricted to 4 people in the world. It sounds straight out of a sci-fi movie if you ask us!

Thanks to the strong features offered by both companies, we can’t decide a winner for this section.

Security Infrastructure Audits

By definition, an audit is “an official inspection of an organization’s accounts, typically by an independent body”. In the case of VPN providers, audits are performed to check the integrity of the security infrastructure.

In our CyberGhost vs ExpressVPN debate, ExpressVPN is a clear winner for this section as it’s the only one to audit its infrastructure by 3rd parties.

Torrenting Safety and Speed

Torrenting is banned pretty much everywhere in the world unless your country doesn’t have any legislation on it. We know for a fact that it’s banned in the UK. But we’re creatures of habit and we want to use torrents whenever possible.

Torrenting is made easy and secure with VPNs. When we compare CyberGhost and ExpressVPN, both did an amazing job of security torrenting channels.

ExpressVPN or CyberGhost: Gaming

Connecting to other players in a server with low ping is often hard for multiplayer gamers. Competitive games from many disciplines like Valorant, CSGO, Rainbow Six, etc. can benefit by accessing low-load and low-latency servers.

This ExpressVPN vs CyberGhost VPN battle is also a tie in our opinion.

CyberGhost and ExpressVPN: Privacy and Anonymity

Here are some very important privacy aspects for our ExpressVPN or CyberGhost discussion.

  • Headquartered in 5, 9, or 14 Eyes: You’d be glad that none of the VPN providers have headquarters in these countries.
  • User Information: The only data you need to provide when purchasing is your email address. It’s for simple record-keeping.
  • Anonymous Payment Methods: Both VPNs offer anonymous payments via cryptocurrency.
  • Privacy Policy Independently Audited: CyberGhost may not audit its infrastructure but it sure does for the privacy policy. The same goes for ExpressVPN.
  • Warrant Canary: Warrant Canary means no governments can make these VPN providers give up user information and both the VPNs have it.
  • Logging Policies: None of the said VPNs log any data.
  • User Data Storage: No user data is stored except for the email address.

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Pricing, Payments, and Money-Back Guarantee

If you read through our ExpressVPN CyberGhost comparison guide to get a deal only, we recommend Cyberghost. It’s currently offering an 84% discount with a 45-day money-back guarantee. There is also a 3-day free trial.

ExpressVPN too is offering a 49% discount along with 3 extra months on the purchase. There is no free trial but there is a 30-day money-back guarantee.

ExpressVPN CyberGhost Comparison: Customer Support

Here is what the customer support approach by both companies looks like.

  • ExpressVPN Customer Support: ExpressVPN has 24/7 customer support via live chat and email as well as a great FAQ section to answer common questions.
  • CyberGhost Customer Support: CyberGhost only allows customers to reach out via the email form on the website. It also has a detailed FAQ section for the users.

ExpressVPN or CyberGhost: Conclusion

If you’ve stuck to the end, you already know that ExpressVPN is the winner and you also know why. In case you’re in the market for a VPN, get ExpressVPN right now at a 49% discount. You’ll also get 3 extra months on the subscription on us!

Bernice L.

Bernice is a seasoned cybersecurity expert with a wealth of experience in writing articles and reviews. With a strong passion for the online world, particularly in the domains of security and privacy, she remains dedicated to staying up-to-date with the latest developments in the field. With Bernice's expertise and dedication, readers can count on receiving well-informed and valuable content, enriching their understanding of cybersecurity and privacy matters. For inquiries or collaborations, feel free to contact Bernice via email at: bernice@privacycritic.com

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