Which VPN Should You Choose?

As one of the most popular VPNs today, NordVPN offers a strong balance of fast performance, convenient security features and an overall polished user experience. On the other hand, CyberGhost has also built a reputation for being a solid VPN with its large server fleet, intuitive application and optimized server offerings.

With these two quality options, it may be difficult to decide which VPN is right for you and your business. Fortunately, there are key differences that help set CyberGhost VPN and NordVPN apart.

In this article, we take a look at which VPN provider is right for you and your organization.

• CyberGhostVPN: Best for individuals and small teams with specific VPN use cases like streaming, torrenting or gaming.
• NordVPN: Best for most businesses looking for an all-around VPN that offers reliable speeds, a refined user experience and useful extra features.

CyberGhost VPN vs NordVPN: Comparison

While both VPNs can easily establish encrypted connections for you and your business, they differ in key areas such as device connections, server networks and free trial access. Below is a summary looking into these features:

CyberGhost VPN vs NordVPN: Pricing

CyberGhost VPN pricing

CyberGhost has three subscription options: a monthly, six-month and two-year plan. I personally would have loved for CyberGhost to offer a one-year subscription plan as well, since this offers a relatively reasonable contract length at a lower monthly price.

• 1 month: $12.99 per month.
• 6 months: $6.99 per month.
• 2 years: $2.19 per month.

One convenient offering from CyberGhost is its 24-hour desktop free trial. At first glance, one might think this is too short for a trial. However, it’s unique in that it’s one of the few free trials that doesn’t require any payment or credit card information.

SEE: Does a VPN Slow Down Your Internet Speed? (TechRepublic)

This is in contrast to other VPN free trials, which either require some form of payment information or only give free trial access to the VPN’s mobile application, not desktop.

In this regard, I really commend CyberGhost for being generous to interested users in letting them test drive its software with no strings attached. Hopefully, other VPN providers will follow suit in making their free trials more accessible.

If you want to learn more, read our full CyberGhost VPN review.

NordVPN pricing

NordVPN has three subscription tiers, with each tier having a monthly, an annual and a two-year plan option. The tiers are NordVPN Basic, Plus and Complete, and have varying feature inclusions as you go further up.

Below is a quick summary of pricing and features included with each subscription tier:

While NordVPN has a seven-day free trial, it’s only accessible via its Android mobile app. Even if you can try out its desktop counterpart after accessing the trial on Android, I still wished NordVPN had at least the same free trial offering for iOS users as well.

SEE: Can a VPN Be Hacked? (TechRepublic)

This would at least make the free trial accessible to most smartphone users, not just those in the Android ecosystem.

If you want to learn more, read our full NordVPN review.

CyberGhost VPN vs NordVPN: Feature comparison

Security protocols and encryption

Winner: Tie

In terms of security protocols and encryption, it’s a tie. Both CyberGhost VPN and NordVPN come with the requisite VPN protocols we want in a modern VPN solution. Ideally, we want a mix of security-focused protocols like OpenVPN and speed-centric protocols like WireGuard.

Fortunately, both VPNs hit this mark. CyberGhost comes with OpenVPN, WireGuard and IKEv2 protocols. Meanwhile, NordVPN carries OpenVPN and NordLynx — its WireGuard based proprietary protocol.

SEE: NordVPN vs ExpressVPN: Which VPN Is Best? (TechRepublic)

The two VPNs also utilize top-tier encryption algorithms for their respective services. Both CyberGhost VPN and NordVPN use 256-bit encryption, widely recognized as the industry standard encryption algorithm. For context, government agencies, banks and even military institutions use AES 256 to secure their data against malicious third parties.

VPN server network and locations

Winner: NordVPN

NordVPN takes the round when it comes to having the better VPN server fleet. As of July 2024, NordVPN has 6,400+ servers across 111 countries — hitting a really good sweet spot over the 3,000-4,000 and 65-country average I’ve seen across other VPNs.

In comparison, CyberGhost reportedly has around 11,000+ servers in 100 countries. Despite CyberGhost having significantly more servers, I find more value in NordVPN’s larger country/location count in comparison. This is because a larger country count gives businesses more flexibility in being able to access a larger variety of geo-restricted content.

If your business primarily wants a VPN with a geographically diverse server suite, NordVPN’s 111-country server network is the better choice over CyberGhost’s 100-country fleet. The larger country count will also benefit businesses that travel, as it gives them more options when choosing a new VPN IP address or location.

Third-party audits and track records

Winner: Tie

For third-party security audits and overall security record, I score it a tie. Both CyberGhost VPN and NordVPN have thankfully undergone independent audits assessing their respective VPN services.

As of July 2024, NordVPN has completed four independent audits. Specifically, these audits assessed NordVPN’s no-logs policy — looking into whether its service doesn’t record user browsing data as it claims.

Meanwhile, CyberGhost has also recently completed its second independent audit conducted by Deloitte and published last May 2024. This audit examined CyberGhost VPN’s “server network and its management systems.”

I commend both VPNs for showing commitment to third-party testing, especially since it’s so easy to make claims about how VPNs handle user data. However, I would say that both CyberGhost and NordVPN could be more transparent in sharing their audit results.

SEE: Surfshark vs NordVPN: Which VPN Is Better in 2024? (TechRepublic)

Both VPNs’ opted not to share the full results to the public, with the full report only accessible if you have an existing CyberGhost VPN or NordVPN account. According to them, this was done to avoid any of the audit findings to be taken out of context.

While this is understandable, I personally think the better move would be to publish the results — good or bad — as a means to build trust and credibility with the public.

Standout features

Winner: NordVPN

When it comes to additional features, I give it to NordVPN. On top of its VPN, NordVPN includes a ton of extra security capabilities and VPN-focused features for an enhanced experience. It includes a dark web monitor that alerts users of leaked logins and built-in threat protection against trackers and malware.

One highlight addition is NordVPN’s Meshnet feature, which lets users create a secure private network that enables encrypted file-sharing on multiple devices.

I also like how NordVPN goes all-in in terms of security with their server technology. For example, it has obfuscated servers that hide the fact that you’re using a VPN — a critical feature in regions that restrict VPN use. It also has a double VPN feature that automatically changes IP addresses twice for added security.

This isn’t to say that CyberGhost doesn’t have standout functionality as well. I really like CyberGhost VPN’s convenient categorization of its optimized servers. In particular, its desktop application separates servers optimized for streaming, torrenting and gaming.

It also has a powerful Smart Rules panel that lets users configure automations after certain events or actions are fulfilled. For example, you can set CyberGhost VPN to automatically connect to a server of your choice after you launch the desktop client.

While CyberGhost has tricks up its sleeve, I feel NordVPN just has a stronger offering of additional features alongside its main VPN service.

Performance and speed

Winner: NordVPN

For VPN speed and performance, NordVPN gets the advantage over CyberGhost VPN. Per my testing, it recorded the overall faster speeds and showed more consistency in terms of connectivity.

To provide context, I tested for speed by connecting to a VPN server from each service and doing my usual workflow as a writer. This involved having multiple Chrome tabs open for research, streaming the occasional 1080p YouTube video, attending online video meetings and using Google apps like Docs and Drive, among others.

SEE: Free VPN vs Paid VPN: Which One Is Right for You? (TechRepublic)

In these tasks, I actually had zero issues with either CyberGhost VPN and NordVPN. I didn’t encounter any slowdowns and generally had a good browsing experience with both.

The difference came in speed testing, where NordVPN recorded really impressive results compared to CyberGhost. Compared to my internet service provider, NordVPN had a drop of only 5.80% for download speeds and 16.18% for uploads.

On the other hand, CyberGhost had an equally respectable 7.52% drop in downloads and a more significant 48.21% decrease for uploads.

While I personally think both VPNs can provide fast and reliable speeds, my testing showed that NordVPN will offer better performance in both download and upload-intensive tasks.

Ease of use and design

Winner: Tie

For ease of use, we get another tie. In my opinion, CyberGhost VPN and NordVPN both offer very intuitive and well-designed desktop clients that can accommodate all types of users.

NordVPN employs a sleek and modern design that I found to be easy to understand and pleasant to use. There’s no clutter, and I felt like I was using a premium service from the get-go. In addition, I never found Nord’s desktop client overwhelming, even with its extensive suite of features, as all of it was neatly organized within the app.

SEE: How Much Does a VPN Cost? + Savings Tips (TechRepublic)

On the other hand, CyberGhost VPN uses a darker-themed application but provides a similarly intuitive experience. It has an organized set of tabs where you can find its servers and other features, as well as a prominent On/Off button which handles establishing or ending VPN connections.

A big plus for me with CyberGhost’s desktop client is its nifty categorization of its optimized servers for streaming, torrenting and gaming. I can envision this saving a lot of time for users who want to quickly connect to a specialized server in a pinch.

Regardless of which VPN you choose, I’m confident that both CyberGhost and NordVPN will leave you pretty satisfied with their respective user experience.

Simultaneous device connections

Winner: NordVPN

When it comes to simultaneous device connections, NordVPN wins. Right now, NordVPN allows for a maximum of 10 devices connected at the same time. Meanwhile, CyberGhost VPN allows only a maximum of seven devices connected simultaneously.

SEE: How to Start a Career in Cybersecurity (TechRepublic Premium)

While I would have loved it if both VPNs allowed for unlimited simultaneous device connections, NordVPN’s three more additional devices is a significant advantage. This lets businesses connect their smartphones, laptops and other devices more freely with the less restrictive device limit.

If you have multiple devices or have multiple employees you want connected to a VPN server at the same time, NordVPN is going to be the better option here.

CyberGhost VPN pros and cons

Pros

• Customizable Smart Rules automation panel.
• Server network across 100 countries; 11,000+ servers.
• Optimized servers for streaming, torrenting and gaming.
• 24-hour desktop free trial, with no payment details required.

Cons

• No 1-year subscription.
• Only allows up to 7 devices connected at a time.
• Audit is only accessible with an official account.

NordVPN pros and cons

Pros

• Servers spread across 111 countries; 6,400+ servers.
• Fast download and upload speeds.
• Up to 10 simultaneous device connections.
• Includes security-focused additional features.

Cons

• Independent audit results require a NordVPN account.
• On the more expensive side.
• Free trial is via Android only.

Should your organization use CyberGhost VPN or NordVPN?

Between the two VPNs, NordVPN gets my vote as the better overall VPN solution. It includes an extensive suite of features that complement its VPN service; offers a diverse 111-country server suite to unblock geo-restricted content; and provides consistently fast VPN speeds that can handle both download and upload-heavy tasks.

This is on top of having an easy to use and well-designed VPN application and a more generous device limit when it comes to simultaneous device connections. It’s no wonder NordVPN has garnered a strong reputation as an all-around VPN service.

NordVPN is best for most businesses that want a no-nonsense VPN that’s reliable, includes a variety of security features and offers an extensive server fleet.

This isn’t to diminish CyberGhost VPN’s quality at all. On the contrary, I feel CyberGhost is a solid pick for small teams or individual users that specifically have streaming, torrenting or gaming as their main reasons to use a VPN.

It’s also a good choice for prospective users interested in trying a premium VPN application, through its generous 24-hour desktop free trial.

Methodology

My comparison of CyberGhost VPN and NordVPN involved an in-depth analysis of both VPN’s features, real-world performance and value.

To evaluate each VPN, both services were scored on everything from their server networks to their pricing. In particular, I took into account five main pillars, each having corresponding weights:

• Pricing (20%).
• Core VPN features (30%).
• Ease of use (15%).
• Customer support (30%).
• Expert analysis (5%).

I also looked into real user testimonials and reputable reviews to round out my final recommendations for both CyberGhost VPN and NordVPN.

For speed and performance, I tested both VPNs on my personal Windows computer and ran them through Ookla’s public Speedtest. Finally, I thought about which types of businesses or individual users would best benefit from either CyberGhost VPN or NordVPN.