ExpressVPN vs CyberGhost ✅ Which VPN is Better?

Jack Harvey

by Jack Harvey

When it all boils down to the best VPN provider, ExpressVPN and CyberGhost always rise as the creams of the crop. Both of these VPN providers have excellent features but at the end of this article, only one will come off as the ultimate winner.

Today, we will compare ExpressVPN and CyberGhost head to head and determine which is better in terms of ease of use, speed, streaming and torrenting, security and privacy, support, and pricing.

I won’t waste your time with unnecessary information and you can guarantee that this is a reliable list as I have personally tried both VPNs by subscribing to their paid plans. This way, I’m able to fully test them both out and provide you with the most comprehensive comparison and save you time from having to do it yourself. 

I will leave a special discounted link in the description below where you can get the cheapest ExpressVPN or CyberGhost plan for you when you’re ready to proceed.

Let’s get started.

1. Setup & Features – CyberGhost

Right now, I’m using the Windows app for both VPNs but you can still download these VPNs to other devices like Mac, Android, iOS, Linux, routers, Kindle Fire, or add their extension to your browser.

Now, let’s take a closer look at the interface of ExpressVPN and CyberGhost app. In both VPNs, you can instantly connect to the fastest server based on your location using their quick connect feature. However, ExpressVPN has a simpler layout than CyberGhost which I personally prefer as it adds to the ease of use. CyberGhost, on the other hand, is also user-friendly with a touch of a little style on its color palette and layout.

ExpressVPN has servers in 94 countries, which is more than CyberGhost’s 90 countries, but when it comes to the number of servers, CyberGhost has more servers than ExpressVPN by nearly 50%. CyberGhost offers a wide selection of 6,000 servers while ExpressVPN only has more than 3,000 servers.

If you want to test these servers first, both VPNs offer a free trial but in two very different periods. ExpressVPN has a seven-day free trial that you can avail using their mobile app then you can just login to other devices after, while CyberGhost only allows you to try their features for one day which I think is not enough to test its performance to the fullest.

When it comes to devices, here is where CyberGhost claims an edge again over ExpressVPN. While ExpressVPN allows you to use five devices simultaneously, you can use up to seven devices at the same time with CyberGhost which makes it more suitable if you have many devices.

ExpressVPN and SurfShark have their own unique features and both of them are user-friendly but the point goes to CyberGhost here because it allows you to use more devices simultaneously than ExpressVPN and it also has more servers where you can choose from.

2. Speed – ExpressVPN

Now, we’re off to determine which one is faster in the race. I’ll record my original speed first without connecting to any of our top VPNs. The Ookla tool recorded my speed of 20 megabits per second.

For this demo, we’ll connect to three countries using each VPN and find out the percentage reduction of speed. Up first in the U.S. server, ExpressVPN recorded a speed of 13.5 mbps while CyberGhost got a speed of 11 mbps. In the United Kingdom, ExpressVPN beats CyberGhost again with speed of 15 mbps versus 14.1 mbps. And lastly in Canada, the competition is tight as CyberGhost recorded a speed of 15 mbps and ExpressVPN at 13.3  mbps.

Both VPNs here have an average percentage reduction of lower than 30 percent which is impressive but let’s lay out facts straight– ExpressVPN is really good when it comes to speed and it is actually considered one of the fastest VPN providers out there. And with these statistics, ExpressVPN is the clear winner as well. So of course, the point goes to ExpressVPN.

3. Streaming & Torrenting – ExpressVPN

In terms of streaming, ExpressVPN and CyberGhost can both successfully unblock Netflix libraries. ExpressVPN can unblock more than 20 libraries while CyberGhost can do the same but to only seven libraries. Both VPNs also work their magic in unblocking other streaming platforms like Disney Plus, Hulu, BBC iPlayer, HBO and Amazon Prime. 

If you’ve been torrenting unprotected, exposing your IP address to everyone you share files with, ExpressVPN and CyberGhost are the solutions. Both VPNs not just support but also encourage P2P and torrenting. ExpressVPN supports torrenting on all of its over 3,000 servers while CyberGhost only has specialized servers where you can torrent safely. 

Both ExpressVPN and CyberGhost do a great job when it comes to unblocking geo-blocked streaming platforms and allowing the safe use of torrenting but this category comes off with a very clear winner and that is ExpressVPN.

4. Jurisdiction, Security, & Privacy – ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN and CyberGhost are under jurisdiction of the British Virgin Islands and Romania, respectively, which are both not members of the Five Eyes, Nine Eyes, and Fourteen Eyes alliances. This simply means that they are located in countries that do not have mandatory laws for data retention. So, jurisdiction-wise, both VPNs are safe and secure.

Also, both VPNs have been audited to be adhering to the strict no logs policy where they don’t keep records of any of their users’ personal information, credentials, and online activities. Another bonus is that the reputation of both VPNs have been great as they haven’t been hacked before.

ExpressVPN and CyberGhost are both on top of the game when it comes to the type of data encryption they use which is a 256-bit AES encryption, the standard and currently the longest encryption advised by government and banks for website security.

Both VPNs have the kill switch feature that automatically pauses all Internet activities to protect your identity if the VPN connection drops for some reason as well as a split tunneling feature where you can choose which apps in your device will use or bypass the VPN connection.

They also offer a set of protocols including WireGuard which is currently the best VPN protocol for faster speed, security, and privacy. However, ExpressVPN is currently working on Lightway which they consider as the future of all VPN protocols, with technological structure more advanced than WireGuard to give you the best VPN experience.

Among other VPNs in the market, ExpressVPN is also exceptional for having ram-only servers as its network security setup which provides another layer of confidence for you knowing that all data gets wiped in reboot, minimizing the risk of vulnerabilities or misconfiguration. 

ExpressVPN, indeed, has its own special security and privacy features but it does not offer Dedicated IPs which is an add-on that you can avail with CyberGhost for $5 monthly.

Both VPNs are doing extremely well in the field of security and privacy but having more free, built-in, advanced security measures makes ExpressVPN a notch above CyberGhost so, obviously, the point goes to ExpressVPN.

5. Support – ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN and CyberGhost both do not have phone support but they have 24-7 email and live chat support which I have dealt with multiple times. Both VPNs have well-trained live chat agents who never fail to answer and provide references to my questions and I applaud them for that. However, ExpressVPN has a faster response rate than CyberGhost based on my experience. ExpressVPN’s average response time is only a minute or two. CyberGhost, on the other hand, takes up to two to five minutes to reply.

When it comes to my experiences with their email team, ExpressVPN always responds to my email ticket in less than five hours while with CyberGhost, I got a very detailed response with references on it after roughly 24 hours.

So based on the ease of use of the support channels and the sense of urgency of these support channels, which is very significant in important inquiries, ExpressVPN bags the point again in this category.

6. Price – CyberGhost

In terms of pricing, ExpressVPN has a more constant set of subscription plans which are for one month, six months, and one year, while CyberGhost has plans that are more subjected to changes because of discounts and promotional offers. ExpressVPN offers a one-month subscription for $12.95 while CyberGhost offers it at almost the same price for $12.99. If you prefer a longer plan, ExpressVPN can give you a 35 percent discount as you will only have to pay $99.95 for a one year subscription, which decreases the monthly price to only $8.32. But here’s the real deal, CyberGhost also offers a one-year subscription but for a much cheaper price of only $47.88. Technically, their monthly fee has now been reduced to only $3.99 per month. If you want a three-year plan instead, you will only have to pay $87.75. And with their current promo, you even get an additional 3 months on top of the 3-year plan. Now, this really decreased the monthly price even further to just $2.25 per month.

ExpressVPN offers a 30-day money back guarantee while CyberGhost has a 14-day money-back guarantee for its monthly plan and a 45-day money-back guarantee if you are subscribed to their annual or three-year plan. Both plans support cryptocurrency methods of payment aside from credit cards and Paypal if you want to be more anonymous.

In this category, I declare CyberGhost as the winner as it offers the most discounted prices in the VPN market, making it a great alternative next to ExpressVPN if you are on a tight budget.

Final Verdict: ExpressVPN Wins

ExpressVPN got four category wins which include the Speed, Streaming and Torrenting, Jurisdiction, Security, and Privacy, and Support and Reliability. On the other hand, CyberGhost has the crown if we’re going to talk about Set-up and Features, and Price. 

It was a tough fight but overall, ExpressVPN has the advantage over CyberGhost. It might be a bit pricey but every penny that comes out of your wallet is absolutely worth it with its excellent and top-tier features.

If you’re ready to try ExpressVPN or CyberGhost, you can click on the link below to get your chosen plan with massive discounts. For a demo on how to set up and use ExpressVPN or CyberGhost, you can watch these next tutorials. I’ll see you over on that next article!