NordVPN vs CyberGhost

If you have ever experienced geo-locked content, you know that it is extremely frustrating and tedious, the solution to your woes is a VPN service. On the other hand, if you are someone who values their online privacy and wants the peace of mind of knowing that privacy is completely secure, then a secure and reliable VPN is necessary to help you in many ways.

Today’s post puts two of the most popular VPNs head to head for the ultimate comparison battle to see which one offers the best services, value for money, and an overall superior package. We will explore some of the VPNs’ key features and evaluate them against each other so you can make an informed choice between the two contenders.

Our two contenders are – NordVPN and CyberGhost.

CyberGhost

CyberGhost is a Romania based VPN service, which is now popularly known as one of the best-selling value VPNs. It is widely trusted and known for its reliable features, including torrenting support and unblocking streaming platforms, and its impressively affordable pricing plans. However, CyberGhost isn’t the best option when it comes to its overall speed and performance.

NordVPN

NordVPN is a Panama based VPN service, which is trusted by millions of users across the globe. This feature-rich VPN service is one of the pioneers amongst VPNs. NordVPN is popular for its high-quality, uncompromised VPN service.

It is also well-known for fast connections, exceptional protection features, and its extensive global server coverage. NordVPN is also amongst the popular VPN services for movie lovers because of its consistent access to streaming platforms, including Netflix.

Features

What matters more in any app or tech-based resource than its advantages?

We evaluate the two Vpn services based on their characteristics in this section. When it comes to VPNs, users frequently want to understand what they can gain from them—the features of a Virtual private network app or extension.

NordVPN has a plethora of features aimed at improving the user experience. Following are some examples:

1. A quick-connect button that uses a clever algorithm to find the user’s most efficient and optimal server.
2. Secure encryption to protect user privacy
3. Extremely rapid speeds. Because of its numerous servers located in various countries across the world,
4. Secure access to all social networking and video streaming websites
5. A kill switch that guarantees sensitive information is kept secure.
6. Customer service is available 24/7. NordVPN has a large support staff that is both competent and courteous.

CyberGhost’s notable features are:

1. The option to “Hide Your IP.”
2. Strong encryption ensures privacy.
3. Wi-Fi security that also improves user privacy
4. No logs policy assures that users’ private information is not recorded.
5. Connections that are secure

Features winner – NordVPN

Privacy, Security, and Logging

It’s a draw!

When comparing two VPN services one of the most critical elements to look at is the type of encryption the service uses to keep your sensitive data is protected from prying eyes of hackers looking to infringe on your online identity. After all, keeping your data safe is the entire purpose of a VPN service. So, let’s explore how our two contenders compare?

CyberGhost uses a robust AES-256 bit encryption, which is recognized among experts as one of the best encryption mechanisms. Additionally, CyberGhost maintains highly secure VPN protocols to ensure superior protection of your data against third parties.

Finally, since CyberGhost VPN services are based in Romania, it means that the company isn’t obligated to keep logs and use Bitcoin transactions.

Similarly, NordVPN’s encryption protocol is also AES-256 bit based, along with OpenVPN, that guarantee robust security features. Being based in Panama means that NordVPN isn’t also obligated by the country’s law to maintain user logs because user rights to online privacy are fully respected. You can pay for NordVPN services using Bitcoin.

The countries these VPN services are based in are also beyond the jurisdictions of 5 Eyes Alliance.

Performance and Speed

NordVPN is the WINNER!

When you buy a VPN, you do not get it for slow browsing speeds and broken downloads. Every VPN service will affect your network speeds. However, it’s not the case with all VPN providers. VPN speeds may differ due to many reasons. In most cases, the following are the variables that can affect VPN performance:

• Computer Location
• Server (VPN) Location
• Time of the day

Now that we have quickly discussed the factors behind VPN speed, we come to the most important question of this article.

How do CyberGhost and NordVPN compare when it comes to speed and performance?

Again, the answer is not simple. However, over the years, CyberGhost has not optimized its infrastructure for modern broadband speeds. The VPN provider was once a market leader for fast VPN services. Now, it’s known for laggy speeds, especially if connected on a long-distance server location.

NordVPN, on the other hand, is currently the crowd’s favorite for high-speed network connectivity. This provider knows the needs of modern internet users. You can have a blazing fast connection anywhere anytime. There can be a few hiccups, but you can circumvent that by picking a nearby server location. The overall loss in baseline speeds is never significant.

When it comes to NordVPN vs. CyberGhost speed fight, Nord kills it with its reliable infrastructure and amazing connectivity.

Multiple-factor Authentication

MFA or Multi-factor authentication stands for the distinct method of synchronizing your data. One frequent method is to use your cellphone to verify one-time passwords (OTPs) after inputting the VPN account password on the official site.

MFA offers a new degree of protection, minimizing the likelihood of your account getting compromised or misused by a third party.

Server Locations

It’s a draw!

Even though both CyberGhost and NordVPN offer near about the same network size – approximately 5000 location servers of each VPN service. However, when it comes to the distribution, Cyber takes the lead with 80 countries, while NordVPN only provides server locations in 62 countries.

However, if you are located in Asia or Africa as CyberGhost provides a very limited number of location servers in African and Asian countries, on the other hand, NordVPN has a more widespread location server network as compared to CyberGhost.

If you want a VPN provider with an impressively widespread server location network, make sure that you read our ExpressVPN review.

Gaming 

While using CyberGhost VPN, we were able to experience speedier connectivity when playing Dota 2. It gave me a low ping on the local servers and an average on the remote ones. The ping was the same with NordVPN; however, on some far-flung servers, I did suffer some slight slowness, which did not affect my ability to play the game.

When We used these servers, our ping was considerably lower than it was on the provider’s non-gaming servers. In addition, CyberGhost VPN features devoted gaming servers in four countries (the United States, Germany, the United Kingdom, and France), which have been optimized to deliver steady ping and connections.

Every server in the CyberGhost VPN network is safeguarded against Distributed Denial of Service attacks (DDoS). This indicates that its servers have the capacity to withstand any DDoS attacks that may be launched against them. The servers that NordVPN uses do not, however, offer DDoS protection. Even if no one is able to target the actual IP address, the IP address that you get from NordVPN can be susceptible to a DDoS assault, which could cause you to lose connection to the internet.

Both companies offer support for manual configurations on routers, enabling you to protect your online gaming even while using devices like gaming consoles that don’t have native support for VPN programs. However, both Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) do not allow cloud gaming, which means there is no assurance that they will operate with services that stream games via portable devices such as laptops and smartphones.

The Meshnet function that NordVPN offers is one of the reasons why it is superior to CyberGhost VPN. This feature makes it possible to create virtual LAN parties. It enables you to connect as many as sixty devices to your network, allowing you to encrypt the connections that your friends make to your network as well.

The choice between these two services was difficult, but in the end, CyberGhost VPN came out on top since it offers quicker gaming speeds, specialized gaming servers, plus anti-DDoS security on all of its servers.

CyberGhost is the WINNER!

Installation Process

The procedures for setting up a connection with NordVPN and CyberGhost are pretty identical. After logging in to one of their websites, you will need to locate the tab that will allow you to download the VPN client and then select the appropriate operating system. 

After that, an executable file (ending in.exe) will be downloaded to the desktop. You open the file and then proceed to follow the instructions that show up on the screen in order to set up the VPN. The only thing remaining to do is launch the program and enter your credentials to sign in. You can accomplish this by logging in with the same username and password that you used when you first created your account.

You can get the VPN app for your smartphone from the provider’s website and install it from there, or you can get it straight from the App Store or, for Android, Google Play and install it from there. If you decide to go with the second choice, you need to make sure that you download the appropriate VPN. They include a large number of applications that are clones of these two industry giants, and you should avoid installing those on your smartphone.

We have no choice but to award this victory to NordVPN because their service provides a slightly superior design and options that are easier to understand. On the other hand, both companies are pretty user-friendly and make excellent choices for VPN customers with varying degrees of prior knowledge.

NordVPN is the WINNER!

Additional Features

The fact that NordVPN has more features and greater functionality gives it the advantage in this comparison. Both of these Virtual Private Networks provide a function known as split-tunneling, which enables users to select which applications and websites should use the VPN connections and which should use the user’s local network. However, only NordVPN provides you with obfuscation, allowing the traffic flowing through your VPN to appear to be standard internet traffic. This results in improved anonymity.

I enjoy the ad blocker that comes with CyberGhost VPN, but we think the one that comes with NordVPN is superior. The Threat Protection feature of NordVPN blocks more advertisements than the Content Blocker feature of CyberGhost VPN. What’s more, Threat Protection safeguards you against dangerous downloads without jeopardizing your privacy. It’s also more convenient since you don’t have to be linked to a VPN server for it to work; this eliminates a prerequisite for using the feature.

Both NordVPN and CyberGhost VPN enable Tor traffic across every one of their servers, which means that you may first protect your online activity with a VPN service like NordVPN or CyberGhost VPN prior to visiting the dark web. On the other hand, NordVPN is additionally equipped with Onion Over VPN servers that automatically transfer your data over the Tor network. This lets you view dark websites in ordinary browsers such as Chrome and Firefox.

Furthermore, we like that both companies offer a smart DNS, a fantastic feature that enables you to access streaming websites on devices that do not natively support VPN apps. Some game consoles and other smart TVs, including Apple TV, do not have the capability to connect to a VPN, and so do not allow you to access streaming websites. Both the CyberGhost VPN and the NordVPN services are equipped with dedicated IP addresses that are solely given to the user of the service.

In addition, CyberGhost VPN comes equipped with the following functions, which are absent in NordVPN:

The NoSpy Servers. These servers offer an increased level of secrecy because they are located within the provider’s headquarters in Romania, which means that only the employees of CyberGhost VPN have access to them.

Smart Rules. You are given the ability to specify the preferences for your VPN connection. For instance, we took advantage of this function to have CyberGhost VPN connect to a gaming server automatically whenever we opened Steam.

Identity Guard. This function will notify you in the event that a data breach has caused any email addresses or passwords to become compromised.

In addition, NordVPN provides the following additional features, whereas CyberGhost VPN does not:

Double VPN Function. Increases your protection level by routing all of your VPN traffic via not just one but two separate servers.

Dark Web Monitor. Performs scans of the web and notifies you with notifications if it finds evidence that your login credentials for NordVPN have been stolen or compromised.

Protection against Tapjacking. It prevents fraudulent programs from putting a screen overlay, so it could deceive you into inadvertently disclosing personal information like your login credentials for a bank account. You will receive a notification from the feature of the provider whenever it discovers an app that attempts to install a screen overlay.

Meshnet. You are able to connect up to 60 devices through secure VPN connections that are powered by NordLynx (so you get breakneck speeds). These connections can be used to stream content securely. Meshnet is helpful for hosting safe virtual LAN parties with your friends, as well as for securely transferring data between your phone and home computer when you are away from home.

SOCKS5 protocol. You can switch your IP address using these servers just like you would with a virtual private network (VPN), but they do not provide encryption. As a result, the speeds are substantially quicker.

Although the competition was intensely close, NordVPN emerged victorious in the end. CyberGhost VPN, as well as NordVPN possesses a number of functions that are comparable to one another; however, the Threat Protection feature offered by NordVPN blocks more advertisements and also safeguards you from dangerous downloads. In addition, NordVPN is equipped with a plethora of other features, including double VPN connections, obfuscation, Dark Web Monitor, security against tap jacking, Meshnet, and compatibility with SOCKS5 protocols.

NordVPN is the WINNER!

Simultaneous Connections

CyberGhost is the WINNER!

When it comes to the simultaneous connection between a number of devices, CyberGhost is the winner. However, CyberGhost wins by a very small – 1 device margin. NordVPN supports up to 6 device connections at the same time, whereas CyberGhost supports seven devices.

CyberGhost also supports all major operating systems, including Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, and Linux. Whereas NordVPN only supports Windows, Mac, and Linux operating systems.

Unblocking Netflix And Other Streaming Platforms

It’s a draw!

NordVPN does not claim to unblock any of the popular streaming services. However, we tested it, and we were able to unblock several popular streaming services.

NordVPN unblocked Netflix without any issues. You can easily unblock all major Netflix regions in the world, including the US, UK, Germany, Canada, Australia, Korea, Italy, and many other regions. We had issues when we tried to access BBC iPlayer and Amazon Prime Video via the desktop client, so we used the browser extension to gain access.

CyberGhost is one of the best VPNs for streaming services because CyberGhost filters services based on their support for various locations and services. Therefore, you can successfully unblock geo-restricted streaming sites without any issues. With CyberGhost, we were able to gain easy access to all major streaming services, including Netflix, BBC iPlayer, Hulu, YouTube, and several others.

NordVPN vs. CyberGhost: Which Proves To Be The Best For China?

To put it bluntly, NordVPN is the best choice for a VPN for China. Although you might have some success with CyberGhost, and it’s not a complete failure, it simply lacks the necessary tools to overcome the Chinese government’s infamous Deep Packet Inspection (DPI). Without complex features, you will be unable to reliably establish a secure VPN connection to circumvent China’s Great Firewall.

NordVPN offers Obfuscated servers that are dedicated for use in China and other countries that restrict internet access. This technology makes your traffic appear to come from somewhere other than a VPN. As a result, the government has more difficulty blocking such connections.

As we said, CyberGhost VPN is not the worst option for China. Through its servers, you will be able to connect via a random port number, which is helpful, mainly when traffic is limited to HTTP and HTTPS. Finally, CyberGhost offers a Tor over VPN tool that provides users additional privacy, even though it slows down the connection, which is a huge tradeoff.

NordVPN vs. CyberGhost: Best Value For Money

Finally, we will consider the issue of value. Is NordVPN or CyberGhost a better value for money?

Remember that CyberGhost’s lowest monthly price was around $2.75, while NordVPN’s was $3.29. Although CyberGhost is less expensive than NordVPN, the essential aspect to consider is value and how well the VPN performs.

Based on the results of all of the tests in our independent CyberGhost vs. NordVPN comparison, NordVPN has a clear winner overall. Except for the price, NordVPN was the clear winner in every category. NordVPN outshines CyberGhost because it has more features that perform well. If you want to get the most bang for your buck, NordVPN is the way to go, even if you have to pay slightly more.

Pricing

CyberGhost is the WINNER!

Although NordVPN vs CyberGhost offers a somewhat similar pricing structure, however, when it comes to affordable long-term pricing plans and money-back guarantee – CyberGhost is definitely taking the lead.

Money-Back Guarantee

NordVPN provides a 30-day money-back guarantee with all of its plans. CyberGhost provides 14-day money-back guarantee with its monthly plan and a 45-day money-back guarantee with its Yearly, 2-Year, and 3-Year plans.

NordVPN vs CyberGhost offers a somewhat similar pricing structure (CyberGhost is less pricey). But when it comes to affordable long-term pricing plans and money-back guarantee – CyberGhost is definitely taking the lead.

User Interface

NordVPN is the WINNER!

Although at first look, CyberGhost seems simple, compact, and easy to use with its minimalist user interface. However, if you will use the app in detail, you will find it quite complex as most features are difficult to find in the dropdown menu.

On the other hand, NordVPN has a smarter, more efficient user interface. The interface looks like an easy-to-read map with blue markers to help you browse the options more efficiently.

Customer Support

NordVPN is the winner! (This was a close one)

When it comes to customer service, both NordVPN and CyberGhost gave each other tough competition. Both VPNs offer a live chat service that connects you with a real person rather than a robot that gives automated responses. 

We tested both the services and got appropriate answers/solutions. The only drawback of the live chat is that the service is only available in English. 

For additional information, you can easily find an ample knowledge base, including several guides, articles, Q&As, and more. We found both this knowledge base very helpful. However, if you compare the knowledge base of the two, CyberGhost is outdated, whereas NordVPN’s website is packed with an increasing number of latest articles and guides.

Verdict

Suppose you read the CyberGhost vs NordVPN article in its entirety, then you must have noticed that both VPNs have their strengths and weaknesses. In some aspects, they were also on par with each other, which proves why these two are considered as the top-performing services.

However, after all our tests and demonstrations, NordVPN came out on top as the better service. NordVPN took the lead in two key areas, which are performance and user interface, that have the biggest impact on user experience. Nonetheless, CyberGhost gives NordVPN a run for their money by giving stiff competition in other areas.

Ultimately, the ease of use of NordVPN’s service gives it the competitive edge that new users look for when choosing a VPN. However, we are interested in hearing about your experiences with two services; share both the good and the bad aspects below.

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