There are so many VPNs available, so how do you pick from the bewildering amount of options? This in-depth comparison takes a look at two leading VPN providers, Private Internet Access and CyberGhost. We look at each product in detail, what features they have and how much they cost.
First a quick head-to-head of Private Internet Access versus CyberGhost. After that, each of these features will be looked at in detail to see which VPN provider has the best overall product. Don’t have time to read the whole thing? We can tell you that CyberGhost came out on top when compared to Private Internet Access.
Keep reading to find out how we came to that conclusion and find out everything you need to know about both VPNs.
Highlights
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Private Internet Access vs CyberGhost pricing
| Private Internet Access | CyberGhost | |
| Subscription periods | One Month | One month |
| One Year | One year | |
| Two Years | Two years | |
| Three years | ||
| Special offer | Save 73% on two year plans | 83% discount on three year plan plus three extra months |
| Highest price per month | $9.95 (GBP $7.17) | $12.99 (GBP $9.20) |
| Lowest price per month | $2.69 (GBP $1.94) | $2.25 (GBP $1.59) |
| One-year price | $39.95 (GBP $28.78) | $47.88 (GBP $34.68) |
| Money-back guarantee | 30 days | 45 days |
As is usual for services, there are massive discounts on multi-year plans, with the two and three year plans from CyberGhost even getting additional free months. CyberGhost not only has a cheaper monthly rate, but the extra three months when going with a three year plan has a lot more value than Private Internet Access’s offering.
Private Internet Access’s 2 year plan is the best value due to the large discount. You’ll also get a one year licence to Boxcryptor, a type of cloud security thrown in for free on the two and one year plans.
Both of these services include a money-back guarantee. CyberGhost offers a whopping 45 day cooling off period which is much higher than the industry average of 30, which is the period for Private Internet Access. This means you can try before you buy as long as you cancel within a month (or a month and half in the case of CyberGhost).
BEST DEAL FOR PRIVATE INTERNET ACCESS:Save 73% on two year plans
BEST DEAL FOR CYBERGHOST:83% discount on three year plan plus three extra months
Private Internet Access vs CyberGhost features
| Private Internet Access | CyberGhost | |
| Simultaneous connections | 10 | 7 |
| Operating system apps | Windows, MacOS, Android, iOS, Android TV, Linux | Windows, Linux, MacOS, Android, iOS, Amazon Fire TV/ Firestick |
| Manual install devices | Routers | Routers, set-top boxes |
| Split tunneling | Yes | Yes |
| Free extras | Browser extensions for Chrome and Firefox, Boxcryptor | Automatic Kill Switch, Antivirus, Privacy Guard, and Security Updater, ID Guard, Password Manager, CyberGhost Desktop Private Browser |
Both VPNs are available widely across many platforms. CyberGhost comes with free software such as a password manager.
A must have feature for VPNs is split tunnelling. This enables you to bypass the VPN for certain programs automatically. Some programs will not allow you to connect if they detect you are running through a VPN.
CyberGhost’s split tunneling is easy to set up, however, Private Internet Access’s version requires you to go in and set rules manually. This process was not particularly easy. A VPN needs to be able to get around these issues without requiring too much advanced knowledge, and CyberGhost does this much better.
Private Internet Access allows more devices connected with 10 whereas CyberGhost goes up to seven. Normally you only get a maximum of five with other VPNs, so Private Internet Access or CyberGhost will be giving you more than the average either way.
Per monthly cost, there is not a lot separating them. CyberGhost’s huge dedicated server network plus free months puts it ahead in terms of service but it is close.
Streaming and unblocking
| Private Internet Access | CyberGhost | |
| Netflix | US, Japan, Germany | US, UK, France, India, Japan, Netherlands |
| Hulu | Yes | US, Japan |
| Sky Go | Yes | Yes |
| Amazon Prime Video | Yes | Yes |
| BBC iPlayer | Yes | Yes |
| ABC | Yes | No |
| CBS | Yes | Yes |
Both VPNs work with most streaming services. In recent years, services like Netflix have been blocking VPNs in an aggressive manner, and tests show Private Internet Access cannot access as many international Netflix libraries. If your main reason is to unlock streaming services, CyberGhost may be a better choice.
Which of these VPNs work in China?
Neither work in China. China is constantly preventing VPNs from getting around the Great Firewall of China.
The Great Firewall blocks access to the VPN homepages themselves which prevent VPNs being used effectively. You’ll have to subscribe to and test the VPN before arriving in China. Some users have reported using certain methods that require manual configuration and rely on third-party scripts that can allow a connection. However, it is not guaranteed to bypass the country’s DNS poisoning via the firewall.
Due to the regulatory environment in China, you just cannot expect VPNs to work. CyberGhost states that using the L2TP protocol when attempting to connect in China but success has been limited.
Setup and interface
| Private Internet Access | CyberGhost | |
| Automatic setup wizard | Windows, MacOS, iOS, Android | Windows, Android, MacOS, Linux, iOS |
| Main location selection | List-based | List-based |
| Extra settings pages | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile-friendly | Yes | Yes |
CyberGhost’s installer was simple to run across all tested platforms. The main page presents basic settings with both programs offering a quick overview. The menus are simple to navigate with it being easy to find what you need. On a different page there are advanced settings that allow for more advanced configurations.
CyberGhost and Private Internet Access have mobile apps. Private Internet Access’s configuration made it harder to see all available settings, but this wasn’t a major issue.
Servers and performance
| Private Internet Access | CyberGhost | |
| Server countries | 95 | 91 |
| Total number of servers | 11,745+ | 7,453+ |
Private Internet Access has similar geographical reach to CyberGhost, available in 95 countries versus CyerGhost’s 91. Private Internet Access states it has at least 11,745 servers. Both providers have a dedicated server network, including coverage in most areas. These huge networks are important as it means that Private Internet Access and CyberGhost can boast that they offer faster speeds than most other competitors.
This is important to know before purchasing a VPN. More servers means quicker speeds, as well as more options if a server gets blocked, and less slow down at peak times.
This means that both providers can also have a good claim on the big selling point that as everyone connecting is spread over a larger quantity of servers, they can guarantee better average performance. This means you get a low-latency and high-speed connection.
Below, you’ll find a list of every country where these VPNs have servers:
| Private Internet Access | CyberGhost | |
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| Albania |  |
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| Algeria | |
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| Andorra | |
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| Argentina | |
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| Armenia | |
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| Australia | |
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| Austria | |
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| Azerbaijan | ||
| Bahamas | |
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| Bangladesh | |
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| Belarus | |
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| Belgium | |
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| Bosnia and Herzegovina | |
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| Brazil | |
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| Bulgaria | |
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| Cambodia | |
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| Canada | |
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| Chile | |
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| China | |
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| Colombia | |
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| Costa Rica | |
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| Croatia | |
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| Cyprus | |
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| Czech Republic | |
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| Denmark | |
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| Egypt | |
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| Estonia | |
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| Finland | |
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| France | |
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| Georgia | |
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| Germany | |
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| Greece | |
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| Greenland | |
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| Hong Kong | |
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| Hungary | |
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| Iceland | |
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| India | |
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| Indonesia | |
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| Iran | |
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| Ireland | |
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| Isle of Man | |
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| Israel | |
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| Italy | |
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| Japan | |
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| Kazakhstan | |
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| Kenya | |
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| Latvia | |
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| Liechtenstein | |
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| Lithuania | |
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| Luxembourg | |
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| Macau | |
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| Macedonia | |
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| Malaysia | |
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| Malta | |
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| Mexico | |
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| Moldova | |
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| Monaco | |
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| Mongolia | |
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| Montenegro | |
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| Morocco | |
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| Netherlands | |
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| New Zealand | |
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| Nigeria | |
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| Norway | |
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| Pakistan | |
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| Panama | |
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| Peru | |
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| Philippines | |
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| Poland | |
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| Portugal | |
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| Qatar | |
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| Romania | |
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| Russia | |
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| Saudi Arabia | |
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| Serbia | |
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| Singapore | |
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| Slovakia | |
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| Slovenia | |
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| South Africa | |
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| South Korea | |
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| Spain | |
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| Sri Lanka | |
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| Sweden | |
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| Switzerland | |
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| Taiwan | |
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| Thailand | |
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| Turkey | |
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| Ukraine | |
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| United Arab Emirates | |
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| United Kingdom | |
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| United States | |
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| Venezuela | |
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| Vietnam | |
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Full information on every country Private Internet Access is located in is not readily available. However, both providers have a large dedicated server network. A look at the country list and you’ll see that both these VPNs have servers all over the world.
This is particularly important when considering stream services like Netflix. To stop VPNs, streaming services ban IPs that they think belong to VPNs providers. More servers means that there is another path the VPN could connect to the streaming service through.
Security
| Private Internet Access | CyberGhost | |
| VPN protocols | OpenVPN, Wireguard, IPsec (iOS) | OpenVPN, IKEv2, Wireguard |
| OpenVPN data encryption | AES-256 | AES-256 |
| OpenVPN control channel encryption | RSA-4096 | RSA-4096 |
| Cloaking technology | None | None |
| App security | Kill switch (all platforms) | Kill switch (all platforms) |
| DNS status | MACE | Private DNS |
Private Internet Access and CyberGhost use common encryption techniques. Private Internet Access only allows IKEv2 on iOS whereas CyberGhost has configuration options for other protocols. Both use industry standard 256-bit AES encryption.
CyberGhost has much more functionality as you can configure it to the protocol that you wish whereas Private Internet Access only offers a few configuration options. If you want maximum flexibility with your encryption, CyberGhost is the winner hands down.
CyberGhost and Private Internet Access offer a VPN Kill Switch as part of their plans. This feature cuts off the internet connection if the VPN connection disconnects for whatever reason. This is one of the most crucial features for a VPN, as otherwise your details may be compromised as soon as you have a temporary issue with connecting to the VPN.
Neither provider leaks any information via DNS. Private Internet Access additionally uses a system called MACE, which prevents tracking cookies.
Privacy
| Private Internet Access | CyberGhost | |
| HQ base | Denver, United States | Bucharest, Romania |
| Connection logs | Yes | Yes |
| Activity logs | None | None |
| User details for signup | Email address | Email address |
| Anonymous payment options | Bitcoin | Bitcoin |
CyberGhost complies with the GDPR as it is subject to European Union jurisdiction. This raises some privacy concerns but previous requests by the authorities for CyberGhost’s information has shown that no usable or identifying customer information is able to be tied to specific access to websites or similar.
Private Internet Access’s location in the United States means it is a major player in the Five Eyes Alliance, an information sharing network between the intelligence services of the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom.
CyberGhost does keep limited logs but this does not include about the sites visited or data downloaded. Most VPNs use logging to keep track of diagnostic data, which is anonymized anyway. This is generally for enforcing device connection policies which only requires logging of non-specific user data.
You’ll be anonymous to the outside no matter which of these services you use. Of course the privacy concerns relating to any company subject to United States jurisdiction means that CyberGhost has the better overall privacy.
Configuration
| Private Internet Access | CyberGhost | |
| Address allocation | Shared | Shared |
| Dedicated IP address possible | Yes | Yes |
| DDoS protection | Yes | Yes |
| NAT firewall | Yes | Yes |
These VPNs use shared address allocation, meaning your individual connection is obfuscated. Everyone connected to the server uses the same IP address, which makes it impossible to trace online activity back to an individual user.
Customer service
| Private Internet Access | CyberGhost | |
| Live chat | No | Yes |
| Ticket support | Yes | Yes |
| Email support | Yes | Yes |
| Phone support | No | No |
| Searchable knowledge base | Yes | Yes |
| Video guides | No | No |
CyberGhost has a manned live chat feature allowing you to directly contact support or accounts. Private Internet Access relies primarily on an email based support system started via their website’s support page.
We tested both support schemes via questions and a recording of response times. Three questions each were sent to Private Internet Access and CyberGhost. We list their average response time below, as well as whether our question was answered or not:
| Private Internet Access | |||
| Question | Initial response time | Number of emails | Question answered |
| Can I install Private Internet Access VPN on a DD-WRT router? | 3 hours, 52 minutes | 1 | Yes |
| How do I set up Private Internet Access VPN for use in China? | 4 hours, 44 minutes | 1 | Yes |
| Does Private Internet Access VPN protect against WebRTC leaks? | 9 hours, 15 minutes | 1 | Yes |
| CyberGhost | |||
| Question | Initial response time | Number of emails | Question answered |
| Can I install CyberGhost on a DD-WRT router? | 5 hours, 47 minutes | 1 | Yes |
| How do I set up CyberGhost for use in China? | 9 hours, 25 mins | 1 | Yes |
| Does CyberGhost protect against WebRTC leaks? | 21 minutes | 1 | Yes |
Although the email response times were similar to each other, CyberGhost’s offering of live support makes it the clear winner. It was also the case that CyberGhost’s replies in general answered the queries better as well as providing links to guides on their website which were up to date.
The winner: CyberGhost
Private Internet Access is a good VPN in its own right, but CyberGhost was the clear winner in our comparison. Not only does it have significantly more servers, but it also comes with a number of premium features as standard.
Although CyberGhost is reasonably priced on a month plan, you can get the most value from longer-term subscriptions. There is a 45-day money-back guarantee, too, if you change your mind.
L’article Private Internet Access vs CyberGhost: Which Wins? est apparu en premier sur Comparitech.
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