CyberGhost vs ExpressVPN: which is better in 2024

Both CyberGhost and ExpressVPN are well-known in the industry. Especially since they are housed by the same parent company – Kape Technologies. Despite it, these two VPN providers operate separately and excel in different areas. Our goal today is to find out which ones.

In this CyberGhost vs ExpressVPN comparison, I pit these services against each other to evaluate specific factors. These include security, price, performance, device support, and many others. Without further ado, let’s dive in.

CyberGhost vs ExpressVPN: specifications

While they are evenly matched in many aspects, ExpressVPN proves to be much faster due to the proprietary tunneling protocol. It also supports more devices than CyberGhost and is generally more secure, as the court-proven no-logs policy indicates. Yes, CyberGhost is cheaper, coming at $2.03/month, but ExpressVPN beats it in other categories.

CyberGhost vs ExpressVPN – pricing

If you want to keep your wallet happy and filled with cash, CyberGhost is the obvious choice in terms of pricing. It’s significantly cheaper than ExpressVPN, offers several free trials, and even has a longer money-back guarantee.

The provider is a bit lacking in payment options, but privacy-conscious individuals can utilize Bitcoin as an anonymous payment option with either VPN. However, ExpressVPN offers more alternatives, even though it lacks AmazonPay.

CyberGhost pricing

CyberGhost gives you a choice between two different subscription options:

• $6.99/month for the six-month plan
• $2.03/month for the two-year plan

The most extended plan gives you an incredible 84% discount. However, if that’s not good enough for you, many different CyberGhost coupon codes are available online.

It’s worth noting that CyberGhost also offers some optional extras:

• Dedicated IP. A VPN IP address that only you can use. It costs extra.
• CyberGhost ID Guard. Alerts you in case your email address is exposed in a data breach. Free.
• Privacy Guard. A security suite for Windows that lets you disable the intrusive functionalities of your operating system. Free.
• Premium MAC Optimizer

As for payment options, CyberGhost includes the typical credit card and PayPal options, plus Bitcoin and AmazonPay. As a bonus, all the subscription options are protected by a lengthy 45-day money-back guarantee.

ExpressVPN pricing

ExpressVPN has three different pricing plans:

• $12.95/month for the monthly plan
• $9.99/month for the six-month plan
• $4.99/month for the annual plan

By signing up for the annual plan, you end up with a 48% discount. Alternatively, you can try your luck by searching for ExpressVPN coupon codes.

All ExpressVPN plans include ExpressVPN Keys, a built-in password manager. It’s the safest way to generate, store, and share login information.

In addition to the regular payment options, ExpressVPN offers alternative and anonymous payment options. These are Paymentwall and Bitcoin, respectively. Finally, every subscription is protected by the 30-day money-back guarantee.

Speed comparison

Now, an overview of the connection speeds of ExpressVPN vs CyberGhost. Both are well-known for great performance, though our testing has shown that ExpressVPN is faster. Using our in-house VPN speed test tool, we continuously tested both VPNs in three different locations for 7 days straight. Here are our results:

Now while the battle was really close, we noticed that ExpressVPN displayed a way better moment-to-moment connection stability. Most of this comes down to tunneling protocols and how they are implemented. ExpressVPN boasts the proprietary Lightway protocol, which proved to be incredibly fast during multiple tests. Meanwhile, CyberGhost includes WireGuard, and while it’s great in the speed department, it’s not quite better than ExpressVPN’s proprietary Lightway protocol.

CyberGhost vs ExpressVPN: which is more secure?

As some of the most well-known VPNs on the market, CyberGhost vs ExpressVPN have big shoes to fill in terms of security. Thankfully, both services use strong AES-256 encryption and are equipped with a kill switch, along with leak protection to protect sensitive data exposure.

The privacy policies of ExpressVPN and CyberGhost are on different levels but respectable regardless. And each has shown dedication to keeping your personal information secure and confidential. But suffice to say – ExpressVPN is the better choice for optimal security. I cover additional details below.

Privacy

Each VPN provider is based outside the grasp of the Fourteen Eyes alliance. ExpressVPN operates from the British Virgin Islands, while CyberGhost is headquartered in Romania. These countries have no data-retention laws, so the government doesn’t require the services to spy on their users.

ExpressVPN couldn’t log your data even if it wanted to. All hardware is RAM-only, meaning no information can be stored on servers long-term. And if anything happens to them (i.e., they get disconnected), everything is wiped instantly.

CyberGhost, on the other hand, relies on regular hardware. It’s not bad, per se, thanks to the privacy-friendly jurisdiction, but many VPN subscribers that value privacy look for RAM servers. It’s an assurance that no funny business is happening behind the scenes.

Logging

A no-logs policy is essential for any VPN service as it indicates that no user data is collected or stored by it. It’s even better if this policy has undergone independent audits that verify its veracity.

CyberGhost’s strict no-logs policy had its first independent audit in 2022. One of the top auditing firms performed it – Deloitte. Furthermore, the service releases Transparency Reports periodically.

ExpressVPN has undergone two independent audits by PwC and Cure53. Finally, it had a server seized by Turkish authorities in the hopes of getting some helpful information. However, their hopes weren’t met, and ExpressVPN proved that it doesn’t store any logs.

Servers location

Both VPNs have fairly impressive server networks. CyberGhost has 11700+ servers in 100+ countries. On the flip side, ExpressVPN has 3000+ across 105+ countries. While CyberGhost has the more significant initial numbers, ExpressVPN has one crucial advantage – RAM-only servers. These ensure that no data is stored on hard drives and instead disappears once the servers are rebooted.

However, CyberGhost isn’t completely in the dust as its NoSpy servers offer similar privacy benefits, although arguably not as significant. These servers are owned and managed exclusively by CyberGhost, meaning no snoopers or third parties can gain access to them.

Finally, each provider has a number of 10 Gbps servers to ensure better connectivity. It’s a draw in this department.

Features comparison

ExpressVPN and CyberGhost are equally matched in this category. Each provider has its own perks, making them worthwhile investments.

Smart DNS

Smart DNS helps out when you want to bypass geo-blocks on devices that you can’t directly install a VPN on. Depending on the provider, it usually does so automatically without requiring extra configuration.

CyberGhost includes Smart DNS. You have to enable it by accessing your Account Dashboard and heading to the My Smart DNS tab. After that, you can configure it on a variety of devices.

ExpressVPN offers MediaStreamer. It allows you to get around geo-restrictions, but it doesn’t encrypt your traffic or provide other VPN security benefits. You must also register your IP address on the provider’s website for it to work.

Ad & malware blocker

Ad & malware blockers make your browsing experience much more private and secure. These usually disable user trackers and advertisements and block malicious websites. It all depends on the VPN service, though.

CyberGhost offers Content Blocker. It blocks malicious DNS domains that are used for ads, trackers, and malware and even forces websites to load in HTTPS. The feature only works with WireGuard, though, so you’ll have to switch to that.

ExpressVPN comes with Threat Manager. This feature stops websites and applications from communicating with third parties known for tracking browsing behavior or engaging in malicious practices. It’s only available on iOS, Mac, and Linux.

Split tunneling

Split tunneling is great for those who want to route encrypted traffic through particular apps or services. In essence, it lets you customize your VPN connection.

Cyberghost’s split tunneling is only available on Android and Windows devices. Other devices have the Exceptions feature, which allows you to choose which websites shouldn’t pass through the VPN tunnel.

With ExpressVPN’s split tunneling, you can select which applications and websites should go through the VPN tunnel and which should ignore it. You can enable it on Windows, macOS, Android, and routers.

Specialized servers

Specialty servers are useful for specific online activities. Both CyberGhost and ExpressVPN have them.

CyberGhost includes dedicated servers for:

• Streaming. Optimized to bypass geo-blocks better and provide fast speeds for a smooth streaming experience.
• Torrenting. Streamlined to keep P2P file-sharing fast.
• Online gaming. Keeps ping low, eliminating lag and stuttering in the process.

ExpressVPN includes dedicated servers for:

• Streaming. Ensures an optimal streaming experience.
• Stealth. Used when getting around various internet censorship methods, such as DPI (Deep Packet Inspection).

Other

CyberGhost also comes with:

• A SOCKS5 proxy that boosts speed when torrenting
• Smart Rules, which includes a few features that allow you to customize how CyberGhost behaves in certain situations. For example, Wi-Fi protection allows you to customize your connection to Wi-Fi networks. Meanwhile, App Rules allows you to enable CyberGhost to start up and connect automatically when certain apps are launched.

ExpressVPN also comes with:

• Port forwarding, which allows you to access your home network remotely and also gives various benefits to torrenting users
• Parallel connections which speed up VPN connection times

All in all, CyberGhost and ExpressVPN have versatile toolkits, making them both great in this category.

Netflix and streaming comparison

Both ExpressVPN and CyberGhost are solid choices for streaming and have made it into our best VPNs for streaming list. They work reliably at unblocking various video platforms, such as Netflix, BBC iPlayer, Hulu, YouTube, and more. Naturally, their servers in dozens of countries allow you to alternate between multiple Netflix libraries, not just the US.

From a technical point of view, both WireGuard and Lightway will ensure fast streaming speeds with no buffering at either HD or 4K quality. Plus, CyberGhost even has dedicated servers for specific streaming services, making it easier to get around geographical restrictions.

Device compatibility

In terms of device compatibility, ExpressVPN vs CyberGhost have some common ground. For starters, both have dedicated apps for major OS. Furthermore, these services include browser extensions, and manual VPN configuration on routers is available as well. Meanwhile, ExpressVPN also has a dedicated app for routers.

Although ExpressVPN only supports five simultaneous connections, it’s still the winner in this category due to the broader availability of apps. Plus, the number of simultaneous connections becomes irrelevant once you set up your router with a VPN and can secure as many devices as you wish.

Desktop applications

Design-wise, both providers offer intuitive, easy-to-use applications for Windows and macOS. The apps look similar across the operating systems.

The main difference is that ExpressVPN offers identical features for both OS, while CyberGhost includes less in the macOS app.

The services also have dedicated applications for Linux. They lack a GUI, so everything on them is controlled via the command-line. ExpressVPN is compatible with Ubuntu, Debian, Fedora, Raspberry Pi OS, Linux Mint, and Arch, while CyberGhost supports Ubuntu, Fedora, Mint, Kali, and CentOS distributions. In both cases, some of the features are missing.

Mobile applications

You can use ExpressVPN and CyberGhost on Android and iOS, too. They look just as good as their desktop counterparts, but there are a few caveats concerning features.

ExpressVPN’s Android client Android includes Protection Summary that shows when your IP stays hidden and Security Assistant that gives you tips on staying safe online. The iOS app doesn’t have these features, along with split tunneling. But there are Parallel Connections.

CyberGhost’s Android app additionally includes split tunneling, Port Randomization, and Data Compression. In comparison, the iOS client has a limited feature package, and split tunneling is also missing. At least there’s a Private Browser.

Torrenting

In the case of CyberGhost, it only allows P2P traffic on specific servers, doesn’t offer port forwarding, and has split tunneling only on Windows and Android. However, it does have a SOCKS5 proxy to secure your torrent client.

On the other hand, ExpressVPN allows P2P traffic on all servers and has split tunneling and port forwarding on most devices. However, it lacks a SOCKS5 proxy, which doesn’t seem like much of an issue when you have split tunneling. Unfortunately, split tunneling is unavailable for iOS users.

Out of the two, ExpressVPN is the better choice for torrenting. Especially when you consider the excellent speeds facilitated by the in-house Lightway protocol. And if you want to check out alternatives, head to our best VPN for P2P list.

China

When it comes to sieging the Great Firewall of China, ExpressVPN should be your weapon of choice instead of CyberGhost. The former has Stealth Servers, which are highly effective against DPI. Meanwhile, the latter VPN has no such features and isn’t a go-to choice for users in China.

However, if you’re looking for the most reliable tool for your arsenal against internet censorship, we recommend perusing the best VPNs for China.

Customer support

If you’re ever in need of assistance, both CyberGhost and ExpressVPN have an army of well-trained customer support agents at their disposal. Both offer help 24/7, and you can reach them by live chat or email. Alternatively, you can try fixing things yourself using any of the available guides on their official websites.

ExpressVPN’s live chat was very responsive, the agents were competent and quick to respond. I didn’t have to wait long for an answer. Furthermore, I also submitted a few tickets and got responses within hours. The emails were both detailed and concise.

CyberGhost’s live chat agents were helpful, knowledgeable, and quick to reply. There were some cases where I had to wait for answers in email form, but they arrived within a few hours.

CyberGhost vs ExpressVPN – which is better?

Finally, it’s time to tally the results of this comparison. Even though it’s pricier, ExpressVPN won against CyberGhost. Bigger price tags don’t usually equate to better quality in the VPN industry, but in this case, it’s applicable.

ExpressVPN is faster, more secure, and supports more devices than CyberGhost. Furthermore, you’ll have a better time with it when torrenting and trying to use the free internet in China.

Streaming enthusiasts might have a hard time choosing between CyberGhost vs ExpressVPN since the two services are on par in this regard. The same can also be said about features and the size of the server fleets. Even their customer support is equal in terms of quality. Still, in our eyes, ExpressVPN is the way to go.

Which VPN would you choose? Let us know by leaving a comment!

---

You may also like to read:
CyberGhost vs PIA
CyberGhost vs NordVPN
ExpressVPN vs NordVPN
ExpressVPN vs Astrill VPN
NordVPN vs ExpressVPN vs Surfshark

---

FAQ

Is CyberGhost better than ExpressVPN?

No, CyberGhost is not better than ExpressVPN. Although cheaper, it’s slower, the privacy policy isn’t as solid, and device compatibility isn’t as good.

Is CyberGhost safe?

Yes, CyberGhost is safe to use. It’s based in Romania and has a strict no-logs policy. It’s also equipped with a fair number of security features and doesn’t suffer from IP or DNS leaks.

Is CyberGhost free?

No, CyberGhost is not free. However, it does have several free trials and an exceptionally long 45-day money-back guarantee.

Is ExpressVPN illegal?

ExpressVPN isn’t illegal to use. However, some authoritarian countries, such as China, restrict or outright block VPN software. Check your country’s laws regarding VPNs before you purchase one.

Which is faster – CyberGhost or ExpressVPN?

ExpressVPN is faster. This is primarily achieved thanks to the proprietary Lightway tunneling protocol. CyberGhost is not far behind, though, facilitating speedy connections with WireGuard.