CyberGhost vs. Surfshark
We took a closer look at these two VPNs and found that Surfshark is the better choice.
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Last Updated on Jun 18, 2024
- No-logs VPN company based in the Virgin Islands
- Allows unlimited connections, double VPN, and split tunneling
- Choice of OpenVPN, WireGuard, and IKEv2
- Servers in 100 countries
- Headquartered in Romania, outside Five Eyes, Nine Eyes, and 14 Eyes jurisdictions
- Affordable with a variety of subscription options
Comparing VPNs side by side can feel like you’re seeing double, especially if you’re deciding between CyberGhost and Surfshark.
They both have servers in 100 countries, use WireGuard and OpenVPN protocols, and let you watch all the British shows you can’t find on U.S. streaming services. In our thorough evaluation, however, we found that you’ll gain some additional benefits with Surfshark.
Here’s what we discovered.
Head to Head
| CyberGhost | Surfshark | |
|---|---|---|
| Parent company | Kape Technologies | Surfshark B.V. |
| Headquarters | Romania | Netherlands |
| Server locations | Over 11,700 servers in 100 countries | Over 3,200 servers in 100 countries |
| Torrenting | Yes | Yes |
| Netflix | Yes | Yes |
| Encryption/protocols | WireGuard, OpenVPN, IKEv2, L2TP/IPSEC; AES-256-bit encryption | WireGuard, OpenVPN, IKEv2 protocols; AES-256-bit encryption |
| Support | 24/7 customer support | 24/7 customer support |
| Cost | $12.99 for one month | $15.45 for one month |
About CyberGhost
You may recognize the name Kape Technologies. They own several VPNs. See what we thought of its other VPNs in our ExpressVPN review, Zenmate review, and Private Internet Access review. The company is officially based in the U.S., but CyberGhost is located in Romania, which is good news.
Romania is not a member of any of the Eyes alliances and has refused to adopt the data-retention laws made mandatory by the European Union. CyberGhost also has a no-log policy that Deloitte audited in 2022.1 The company even published the full report on its website to demonstrate complete transparency.
>> Read About: CyberGhost VPN Review
About Surfshark
Surfshark’s headquarters are northwest of CyberGhost in the Netherlands. Unlike Romania, the Netherlands is a member of the Nine Eyes international alliance, but it doesn’t enforce rules requiring VPNs to retain customer data.
Even if it did, there’s nothing to share. Surfshark also has a no-log policy. Its privacy policy explains that it locks user IDs and IP addresses, but that information is deleted within 15 minutes of disconnection. Cybersecurity firm Cure53 confirmed the practice in an audit conducted in 2021.2
>> Check Out: Surfshark VPN Review
Comparing Value
At first glance, CyberGhost looks more affordable. There are limits on the number of simultaneous connections, however, and there isn’t a one-year subscription option. Surfshark also offers additional security tools in their premium tiers.
CyberGhost
| Details | 1 month | 6 months | 2 years + 2 months |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost | $12.99 | $6.99 | $2.19 |
| Yearly cost | $155.88 | $83.88 | $26.28 |
| Number of connections | 7 | 7 | 7 |
| Data limits | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited |
Opting for a two-year subscription is the best deal, but you are limited to how many devices you can protect concurrently. Seven seems like it would be enough, but it doesn’t compare to Surfshark’s unlimited connections.
Payment can be made with PayPal, all major credit cards, Google Pay, and Bitcoin. There is a 45-day money-back guarantee for the six-month and two-year + two-month tiers. That’s a bit better than the industry average 30-day money-back guarantee. It’s 14 days for the one-month option. The subscription also comes with 500 GB of cloud storage for a year and alerts for email and password data leaks.
>> Learn More: Is PayPal Safe? What You Need to Know
Surfshark
| Details | Starter | Surfshark One | Surfshark One+ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost | $15.45 | $15.95 | $17.95 |
| Yearly cost | $41.86 | $49.01 | $77.87 |
| Number of connections | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Data limits | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited |
The Starter option will suffice if you need only a VPN, but Surfshark One and Surfshark One+ provide access to other digital-security tools to protect you online, including one of our favorite antivirus softwares for Windows. Head to our review of Surfshark antivirus for more details. Bundling can save money on extra subscriptions for antivirus and malware protection, credit card breach alerts, and data removal services.
You can pay for your subscription with a credit card, PayPal, Sofort, Google Pay, Amazon Pay, or crypto.
Verdict on plans and pricing: Surfshark offers greater value. The addition of other cybersecurity tools means you’ll save on subscription costs while getting access to a high-quality VPN with unlimited connections.
A Closer Look at the Features
| Features | CyberGhost | Surfshark |
|---|---|---|
| Simultaneous connections | 7 | Unlimited |
| Total servers | 11,737 | 3,200 |
| Server locations | 100 countries | 100 countries |
| Kill switch | Yes | Yes |
| Split tunneling | Yes | Yes |
| Dedicated IP address | Yes | Yes |
Verdict on features: Despite the significant difference in total servers, Surfshark takes the victory since it doesn’t limit the number of simultaneous connections. You can set up your router and protect all the devices connected to your Wi-Fi, but that isn’t always a suitable option and requires a little bit of technical knowledge. It does, however, count as only one connection.
FYI: Setting up a VPN on your router requires you to log in to the configuration panel using a web or IP address. Some devices will have a VPN client tab, while others will need you to set it up manually using credentials and user datagram protocols (UDP). For full step-by-step instructions, check out our guide to installing and setting up a VPN on a router. You can avoid the setup process by buying a high-quality VPN router.
Testing Speeds
We’ve conducted speed tests on all the top VPN providers, and Surfshark and CyberGhost are no exceptions. We recently tested both on a MacBook, PC, and Android phone from our Brooklyn headquarters. Across all devices, there was a minimal reduction and no significant difference between the VPNs when connected to a U.K. server.
| Baseline | CyberGhost | Surfshark | |
|---|---|---|---|
| MacBook | Download Mbps: 108.60
Upload Mbps: 18.86 Ping ms: 9 |
Download Mbps: 96.94
Upload Mbps: 16.67 Ping ms: 160 |
Download Mbps: 98.14
Upload Mbps: 13.59 Ping ms: 166 |
| PC | Download Mbps: 102.02
Upload Mbps: 18.66 Ping ms: 8 |
Download Mbps: 94.86
Upload Mbps: 16.60 Ping ms: 161 |
Download Mbps: 96.61
Upload Mbps: 14.38 Ping ms: 165 |
| Android phone | Download Mbps: 100.95
Upload Mbps: 17.65 Ping ms: 9 |
Download Mbps: 95.99
Upload Mbps: 16.67 Ping ms: 160 |
Download Mbps: 96.01
Upload Mbps: 14.30 Ping ms: 166 |
Verdict on speed: It’s a draw. The differences between CyberGhost and Surfshark were minimal across all the devices we tested. The ping and upload speeds were also similar.
FYI: The ping is how fast a data signal transfers from your device to the server and back again. It’s beneficial for gamers who play competitively, since the faster your connection, the more accurate your actions will be in multiplayer matches. The ideal range is between 10 and 50 ms. We use it as one of our main criteria when testing the best VPNs for gaming.
Looking for Leaks
With the speeds looking great for CyberGhost and Surfshark, we decided to check how secure our connections were. One of our preferred tools is DoILeak. We show you how to use it in our guide to testing your VPN.
CyberGhost
DoILeak found issues with DNS requests. It said a different company was servicing them than the VPN provider. We investigated further by doing another test at DNSleaktest.com. It passed, and no issues with CyberGhost were found.
Surfshark
Similar issues occurred when we tested Surfshark. It knew we were in Brooklyn and received lookup requests from our ISP. We conducted a second test with DNSleaktest.com and found no issues with the connection’s security.
Verdict on privacy: We’re calling it a draw. Despite an increase in heart rate when the DNS results returned, it reduced after CyberGhost and Surfshark passed further tests.
Accessing Entertainment
We wanted to see how well CyberGhost and Surfshark satisfied our entertainment needs. The good news is that both platforms made it easy to access streaming services from other countries, download torrents, and play video games online.
Streaming Services
We connected to a U.K. server and tested CyberGhost and Surfshark on Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+, and BBC iPlayer. One of CyberGhost’s great features is its servers, which are optimized for specific streaming services. That’s how it made it onto our list of the best VPNs for Prime Video.
It has a U.K. server specifically for BBC iPlayer and another optimized for ITV, which makes it a great choice for getting a U.K. IP address. There are also servers for Netflix catalogs in Singapore, Italy, Japan, and more. It’s a great feature if you primarily use a VPN to access streaming services in other countries.
Downloading Torrents
CyberGhost also has a dedicated page in its app for downloading torrents. They are all P2P optimized, which means you’ll connect directly with another computer and share files across the network. It’s ideal for larger file types.
In our testing, however, we found that Surfshark performed better. The server automatically changed to a P2P server when it detected we were downloading torrents. There is also an option to choose a server before you connect. Surfshark scoring higher in the speed test also means it downloaded files faster. They’re both among our favorite VPNs for torrenting though.
>> Read More: How to Use a VPN for Torrenting
Playing Games
Surfshark and CyberGhost are console-friendly, but you’ll need to set up the VPN on your router for it to work, which isn’t ideal for everyone.
We recommend choosing a server close to your location to reduce latency. In our testing, we set up our VPN for our PlayStation 5 and then played a few games of Rocket League on it. When connected to a U.K. server, some lag resulted in us letting in some goals. Well, that’s the story we’re sticking with. On the New York servers, however, we were on par with Lionel Messi if he was a bright purple vehicle.
FYI: One of the main reasons gamers use VPNs is that they provide the flexibility to choose their own server. They can find options that have lower pings than the default options on consoles.
Verdict on streaming, gaming, and torrenting: For streaming services, we recommend CyberGhost. The dedicated options for international catalogs make it easy to find something to watch in another country. For torrenting, go with Surfshark. The faster speeds mean you’ll get your files quicker. It’s a draw for gaming. Both options require you to set up your router to access the VPN, which performs well when connected to local servers.
What Devices Can You Protect?
Apps for CyberGhost and Surfshark are available for multiple devices. You can use your VPN on Xbox or PlayStation consoles, but you’ll need to set up your router to get it to work. The good news for CyberGhost is that it will count as only one connection.
Here’s a list of devices with dedicated apps for CyberGhost and Surfshark.
| Device | CyberGhost | Surfshark |
|---|---|---|
| Chrome | Yes | Yes |
| iOS | Yes | Yes |
| MacOS | Yes | Yes |
| Android | Yes | Yes |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| FireTV | Yes | Yes |
| Firefox | Yes | Yes |
| Edge | Yes | Yes |
| Apple TV | No | Yes |
Verdict on compatible devices: Surfshark is the better choice because it offers unlimited simultaneous connections and an Apple TV app, which is where we watch most of our TV shows and movies. The Surfshark website even has guides for Oculus Quest 2 and Raspberry Pi.
Check Out: Best Apple TV VPN in 2024
What Do Customers Think?
Thousands of customers have left reviews for CyberGhost and Surfshark on Apple’s App Store and the Google Play store. Here’s what they have to say.
CyberGhost
As of the time of writing, CyberGhost has over 150,000 reviews on the Google Play store and close to 35,000 on the Apple App Store. It’s rated 4.2 out of 5 in both locations.
Customers love:
- Speed: “It’s very fast, and I was able to access an app I couldn’t because of my location.”
- Customer service: “Had a mobile connection issue this morning with one of my devices, which was solved in one hour… with great advice and handy tips.”
- Simplicity: “Very easy to use and works every time!”
But there were also some issues raised.
- Chrome issues: “Every IP address appears to be logged by Alphabet, so don’t use Chrome unless you want to be clicking pictures of bicycles for five minutes before you go online.”
- Disconnections: “It keeps disconnecting on its own accord. It won’t stay connected for more than half an hour. It’s getting worse. It just disconnected after 15 minutes.”
- Difficult to cancel: “The cancellation process was odd: You cancel the renewal, but your actual cancellation must be made by contacting support via a buried little statement in the initial cancellation email.”
Surfshark
The reviews for Surfshark’s apps are more favorable. It has a rating of 4.9 out of 5 on the Apple App Store from 15,000 ratings and 4.4 out of 5 on the Google Play store from almost 100,000 reviews.
Some of the highlights include:
- Value: “I would rate it as one of the best VPNs available. Not to mention the suite of products it comes with, like antivirus, private search bar, alt ID, and a few others. Best VPN on the market to offer that much for such a competitive price.”
- Ease of use: “Easy to use, reliable, and fast — all the things you need from a top VPN.”
- Customer service: “Wrote an email to Surfshark, and they responded promptly to resolve it.”
Some customers had negative experiences though.
- Connection issues: “Very hit and miss. Sometimes it works, but more often than not it doesn’t.”
- Battery drainer: “Drains the battery like crazy.”
- Leaking information: “It leaks your IP and DNS every now and then.”
Verdict on customer reviews: Customers rated Surfshark higher than CyberGhost. It still has some issues, but it depends on your device. Fortunately, its customer-support team appears to be able to resolve them quickly.
Accessing Customer Support
We didn’t have any issues that required customer support, but we thought we’d check how easy it was to get in touch with them.
CyberGhost and Surfshark have excellent knowledge bases and guides featuring articles that can solve a range of issues. There is also easy access to the live chat teams 24/7.
Verdict on support options: It’s a draw. We liked the Recent Activity section on CyberGhost’s Help page, since it displays previous issues that have since been resolved. Some even had instructions for how to fix them if you’re still struggling with the problem.
Verdict: CyberGhost or Surfshark?
CyberGhost is an excellent VPN. It’s fast, it’s secure, and we really liked its dedicated servers for streaming services and torrenting, but it limits the number of simultaneous connections you can have unless you set it up on your router.
You won’t have that issue with Surfshark. It allows unlimited connections, and it performed slightly faster in our speed tests. Like CyberGhost, it has dedicated servers for torrenting, and we had no issues streaming content from other countries. We could even use the dedicated app on our Apple TV.
Surfshark also offers greater value. You’re getting one of the best VPNs of 2024 and a suite of cybersecurity tools that will save you from paying for individual subscriptions while keeping you protected online.
FAQs
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Which VPN is better than Surfshark?
Our review of NordVPN scored higher than Surfshark. It provides access to more than 6,000 servers in 111 countries compared to Surfshark’s 3,200 in 100 locations.
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What are the disadvantages of CyberGhost VPN?
In our testing, CyberGhost VPN was not as fast as Surfshark. It also limits you to seven simultaneous connections, whereas Surfshark is unlimited. You can get around that by setting up CyberGhost on your router to protect every device connected to your Wi-Fi. Setting it up, however, can be complex if you’re not tech-savvy.
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Can I trust Surfshark?
Surfshark is located in the Netherlands, which is a member of the Nine Eyes Alliance, but the company has a no-log policy. That means it does not retain any data about you or your activity.
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Did NordVPN buy Surfshark?
Not quite. NordVPN and Surfshark merged, but they operate autonomously and have separate infrastructures. They also offer their own product suites.
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Where is CyberGhost based?
CyberGhost’s headquarters are in Romania. It is owned by Kape Technologies, which is based in the U.S. and owns other popular VPNs, including ExpressVPN.
CyberGhost. (2024). CyberGhost VPN Announces Completion of Independent Audit Conducted by Deloitte.
cyberghostvpn.com/privacyhub/privacy-audit/Surfshark. (2021). Surfshark server infrastructure undergoes an independent audit.
surfshark.com/blog/surfshark-server-infrastructure-undergoes-independent-audit