CyberGhost and Private Internet Access (PIA) are consistently among the best and most affordable VPN providers we’ve tested. While PIA shines with its comprehensive security features including obfuscation and multi-hop, CyberGhost stands out with its superior unblocking capabilities that allows you to enjoy your favorite content from across the world.
Both providers offer excellent speeds and privacy. But what should you consider when trying to pick between the two? We did an in-depth comparison and here’s an overview of which provider wins in some key categories:
- Security: PIA takes the win because it has advanced security options like obfuscation and multi-hop.
- Speed: It’s a tie because both providers offer great speeds across various server locations.
- Streaming: CyberGhost wins because it could unblock more streaming services than PIA, including HBO Max and Amazon Prime Video.
- Privacy: Both are pretty similar but CyberGhost wins because it is based in the privacy-friendly country of Romania.
- Price: Both VPNs are similarly priced when you opt for the two-year plan.
- Ease of use: CyberGhost wins with its simple UI and beginner-friendly options.
- Customer service: CyberGhost wins due to its prompt and knowledgeable customer support team.
Overall, the two VPNs are quite similar but we’ve found that CyberGhost emerges as the winner due to its better unblocking capabilities, ease of use, and strong customer support.
CyberGhost
Check out our full article below for the detailed comparisons across the different categories.
CyberGhost and Private Internet Access (PIA) are among the best VPNs in the market. Both offer great speeds, strong server networks, and foolproof security features at the same price point. So, it can be really tough to pick one over the other.
In this article, we’ll compare CyberGhost and PIA in all the vital aspects to help you pick the right one for your needs. They’re both quite impressive when it comes to their speeds, and ramped-up security and privacy features. Of course, they’re also two of the most pocket-friendly VPNs out there. Though discounts and promotions vary from time to time, their pricing is essentially identical and low.
While both are winners in their own regard, our tests revealed that CyberGhost has a slight edge in terms of streaming performance and customer support.
Keep reading below for all the differences and similarities between CyberGhost and PIA.
CyberGhost vs PIA: Functionality, Features, and Other Options
| Feature | PIA | CyberGhost |
|---|---|---|
| Servers | 33,000+ servers in 84 countries | 9,700+ servers in 91+ countries |
| Torrents/P2P Support | ✔ | ✔ |
| Netflix | ✔ | ✔ |
| Simultaneous connections | No limit | 7 |
| Operating systems | Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux | Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux |
| Protocols | OpenVPN, WireGuard, IPSec | OpenVPN, WireGuard, IKEv2 |
| Price | From $2.19 per month | From $2.19 per month |
| Log policy | No logs | No logs |
| Money-back-guarantee | 30 days | 45 days |
| DNS Leak Test | ✔ | ✔ |
| Obfuscated servers | ✔ | ✖ |
| Double VPN | ✔ | ✔ |
| Dedicated IP | ✔ | ✔ |
| Kill Switch | ✔ | ✔ |
| Split tunneling | ✔ | ✔ |
| Adblocker | ✔ | ✔ |
| RAM Only Diskless servers | ✔ | ✔ |
| Malicious website blocker | ✔ | ✔ |
| Custom DNS option | ✔ | ✔ |
| Online tracker blocker | ✔ | ✔ |
| Link to website |
CyberGhost vs Private Internet Access: Which VPN Is More Secure?
One of the prime reasons to use a VPN is to stay safe online. The right provider should securely encrypt your data and anonymize your online presence so that third parties cannot track you.
Both Private Internet Access and CyberGhost boast advanced security features that will safeguard you from invasive ISPs (internet service providers), spy agencies, hackers, and other malicious parties. These features are summarized in the table below.
| Security feature | PIA | CyberGhost |
|---|---|---|
| Adblocker | ✔ | ✔ |
| Protocols | WireGuard, OpenVPN, L2TP/IPsec | WireGuard, OpenVPN, IKEv2 |
| Double VPN (Multi-Hop) | ✔ | ✔ |
| Browser extensions | Chrome, Firefox, Edge | Chrome, Firefox |
| DNS leak protection | ✔ | ✔ |
| Split tunneling | ✔ | ✔ |
| Obfuscated servers | ✔ | ✖ |
Connection protocols
VPN protocols determine the speed, security, and flexibility of a VPN.
PIA supports the following VPN protocols:
- OpenVPN (TCP/UDP): Ideal for most users thanks to its solid security and good speeds.
- WireGuard: Faster than OpenVPN and just as secure, but it doesn’t support TCP connectivity.
- L2TP/IPsec (iOS-only): Good speeds but easily detected and blocked by firewalls, which limits unblocking capabilities.
On the other hand, CyberGhost supports OpenVPN and WireGuard, along with:
- IKEv2: This is another secure and fast protocol that we have found to be the best choice for mobile devices. It’s also the best option when you’re connecting to unsecured networks, such as when traveling and using airport or hotel Wi-Fi.
Overall, OpenVPN is the best protocol that’s speedy and helps to bypass online censorship to access content that’s locked in your country.
When speed is of utmost priority, such as for gaming and torrenting, we recommend using WireGuard, which is among the latest VPN protocols.
As for IKEv2, it lets you easily switch between networks without dropping the connection. So it’s a good bet when you’re traveling or using your mobile device a lot. However, it’s easily detected by VPN filters and firewalls, so it doesn’t work well for unblocking content.
Encryption and extra security features
Encryption ensures that your data stays secure. Both CyberGhost and Private Internet Access offer AES-256-bit encryption, which is considered the best there is. It’s often called “military-grade encryption,” and is implemented by banks, hospitals, and other institutions.
However, we noticed that by default, PIA uses the lower AES-128 encryption for OpenVPN. Although this offers a slightly faster connection, it’s less secure. You can change it to AES-256-bit in the settings menu for the highest security, which is our recommendation.
Below are some other important security features to note.
Kill switch
A kill switch is an essential VPN security feature that ensures your personal data doesn’t leak when the VPN connection drops. When your secure connection is interrupted, the kill switch automatically disconnects you from the internet to protect your privacy and prevent your ISP, websites, and other third parties from seeing your IP address, location, etc.
Both CyberGhost and Private Internet Access have a kill switch enabled by default in their apps. CyberGhost has the option in its “Privacy” settings. We tested the kill switch and it performed as required to keep our connection private.
Note that we could not find the kill switch option in CyberGhost’s macOS app, but the provider website claims that this option is enabled by default, with no way to disable it. In comparison, PIA offers a standard kill switch as well as an advanced kill switch option. The standard kill switch is enabled by default and worked effectively in our tests.
The advanced kill switch can be enabled in the “Privacy” settings of the app. It takes security to the next level by preventing you from using the internet without first connecting to the VPN. This will ensure you’re always protected when online. It can be useful if you often forget to connect to the VPN or if kids are using the device.
Obfuscation
Obfuscation is a feature that disguises your VPN traffic to look like regular browsing. This can help you deal with censorship in China and other countries.
CyberGhost does not currently offer obfuscated servers. So, it’s not suitable for use in countries where VPNs are blocked, such as China and Russia.
In comparison, PIA offers obfuscation that’s enabled through the multi-hop feature. This routes your VPN traffic through a proxy, adding an additional layer of encryption. However, this is not really effective in circumventing restrictions in countries like China.
Therefore, if you’re looking for a good VPN for China or other restrictive regions, we recommend NordVPN, which works like a charm thanks to its advanced obfuscation technology.
Multi-hop
Multi-hop or “double VPN” is a feature that routes your traffic through two VPN servers instead of one. This adds extra encryption to further bolster your security, though it can also slow down the speed.
CyberGhost does not currently offer this option. As for PIA, it allows multi-hop through an encrypted proxy server. This feature can be enabled in the “Settings” menu, and PIA allows you to choose from specific proxy locations.
It works along with obfuscation and is a useful feature for hiding your VPN traffic in censorship-heavy countries.
Threat protection
Private Internet Access and CyberGhost both have built-in options to block ads and malicious content for a safer browsing experience. But generally speaking, due to ever-evolving threats, they’re not quite sufficient to replace a full-fledged internet security suite.
PIA has the MACE feature that can be enabled in the “Privacy” settings. It blocks domains used for ads, trackers, and malware. But we found that it’s far from adequate since new malicious sites are always popping up on the internet.
Similarly, CyberGhost has the option to “Block Content” in its “Privacy” settings. The feature only works when using the WireGuard protocol in CyberGhost. We found that it works well, but again, to stay completely safe, you’ll need a top-tier antivirus solution.
Leak protection
When a VPN doesn’t function properly, it can leak information like your IP address, location, and browsing activity without you realizing it. So, it’s necessary to test a VPN for such leaks.
We’re happy to report that both PIA and CyberGhost passed all our leak tests, so you can rest assured that they perform as required to keep your data secure.
The screenshots below show that there were no IP leaks when we were connected to CyberGhost’s US servers and PIA’s Singapore servers, respectively.
We ran the tests multiple times when connected to different server locations and did not find any leaks at all. So, both PIA and CyberGhost are reliable when it comes to protecting your sensitive data.
Split tunneling
Split tunneling allows you to route only specific apps and websites through your VPN. For instance, you could choose to have a local news app ignore the VPN connection so that you get localized news while still using the VPN to change your location for accessing other content.
You can activate PIA’s split tunneling feature in the “Settings” section of the app, as shown below.
As for CyberGhost, it offers split-tunneling as part of its “Smart Rules” feature, as shown in the screenshot below.
Unfortunately, split tunneling is currently not available on CyberGhost’s macOS app. So, you can only use it on the Windows and Android apps.
Which VPN should you choose for safety?
Both CyberGhost and PIA are highly secure VPNs that you can trust to anonymize your online activities. However, we found that PIA has an edge over CyberGhost with additional features like obfuscation and multi-hop. It also has a more well-rounded macOS app than CyberGhost, with essential features like a kill switch and split tunneling.
Most secure VPN: PIA
CyberGhost vs Private Internet Access: Which VPN Is Faster
Using a VPN can slow down your internet speed. So, we tested CyberGhost and PIA speeds to see which one provides a faster, smoother experience for online activities such as browsing, streaming, gaming, etc. They pretty much came out even when it came down to those all-important speeds.
We used the trusted website speedtest.net to conduct the speed tests from our office in The Netherlands. The results are summarized in the table below.
Please note that several factors can affect speed, such as your location or even the time of day. So these numbers are just a sampling of our experience and may be different for you.
| Speed metric | No VPN | PIA | CyberGhost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Download speed – Netherlands (Mbps) | 203.82 | 192.59 | 193.49 |
| Upload speed – Netherlands (in Mbps) | 244.72 | 232.46 | 230.66 |
| Ping – Netherlands | 3 ms | 5 ms | 14 ms |
| Download speed – Fastest server (in Mbps) | – | 193.76 | 194.25 |
| Upload speed – Fastest server (in Mbps) | – | 236.32 | 232.29 |
| Ping – Fastest server | – | 6 ms | 4 ms |
| Download speed – United States server (in Mbps) | – | 123.47 | 193.15 |
| Upload speed – United States server (in Mbps) | – | 171.14 | 129.01 |
| Ping – United States server | – | 101 ms | 92 ms |
As you can see, PIA and CyberGhost perform quite similarly when it comes to speed. There were only negligible differences, and this did not affect our online experience in any way.
We could smoothly browse different websites, including social media, stream videos on YouTube and Netflix, and play online games like Minecraft using both VPN providers.
We did not experience any interruptions or lags on both geographically close and distant servers. Therefore, CyberGhost and PIA do an equally good job when it comes to speed. Either is an excellent choice for everyday use. So, it’s a tie in this category.
Fastest VPN: Tie
CyberGhost vs Private Internet Access: Streaming Performance
A major advantage of using a VPN is that it helps unlock streaming services such as Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, etc. Our testing revealed that CyberGhost and PIA both work well to unblock several streaming services across the globe, as shown in the table below.
| Platform | Can PIA unblock it? | Can CyberGhost unblock it? |
|---|---|---|
| Netflix | ✔ | ✔ |
| Disney Plus | ✔ | ✔ |
| Hulu | ✔ | ✔ |
| BBC iPlayer | ✔ | ✔ |
| HBO Max | ✖ | ✔ |
| Amazon Prime Video | ✖ | ✔ |
With both VPN services, we did not face any speed issues and could stream smoothly in HD without any lags.
However, CyberGhost takes the lead in this category because it can unblock more services than PIA, even though PIA has a wider server network.
For instance, we could not unblock Amazon Prime Video and HBO Max with PIA despite trying several different servers. CyberGhost’s streaming-optimized servers worked like a charm for all the streaming services we tried, which makes it a great VPN for streaming.
Best streaming VPN: CyberGhost
CyberGhost vs PIA: Which VPN Handles Data Better?
Security and privacy go hand in hand. So we had a close look at the privacy policies of CyberGhost and Private Internet Access to see how they handle user data.
Below are our findings about the privacy practices of both providers.
| VPN | Location | Anonymous signup possible | Passed security audit | Data collected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PIA | US | ✔ | ✔ | Email address, billing info, approximate location, anonymized statistics (global number of users, server uptime, bandwidth capacity) |
| CyberGhost | Romania | ✔ | ✔ | Email address, billing info, approximate location, anonymized statistics (global number of users, server uptime, bandwidth capacity) |
PIA’s privacy details
- PIA is based in the United States, which is part of the 5 Eyes intelligence alliance. This means the company may be ordered to provide users’ information to assist with lawsuits or investigations. However, since PIA has a strict no-logs policy, it has no user information to hand over to authorities.
- You can create a PIA account simply by providing a viable email address.
- Crypto payments are supported, which is an almost anonymous way of purchasing your subscription.
- PIA was audited by Deloitte in 2020, and the results confirmed that PIA takes its zero-logs policy quite seriously.
- PIA uses diskless RAM-only servers, which are more resistant to breaches or tampering by hackers.
CyberGhost privacy details
- CyberGhost is headquartered in Romania, which is a privacy-friendly region outside the 5, 9, and 14 Eyes alliances. The company will never have to hand over customer data to the government or any other authorities.
- All you need to register with CyberGhost is an email address.
- You can pay with cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin for optimal anonymity.
- The provider was independently audited by Deloitte in 2022, which verified its no-logs claim.
- CyberGhost uses diskless RAM-only servers, which are more secure than disk-based servers.
Considering the above points, we find the distinction between the two VPN services too negligible to declare a landslide winner.
However, if you don’t want to take chances with your privacy, CyberGhost may be the best pick based on the fact that it’s headquartered in privacy-friendly Romania.
Most privacy-focused VPN: CyberGhost
CyberGhost vs PIA: Which Provider Is Cheaper?
The great thing about both CyberGhost and PIA is that they are the cheapest VPNs you can get. Promos and discounts can vary, but their pricing is really similar and the most common affordable plan is the two-year subscription for just $2.19 a month.
- Private Internet Access (PIA) 2 Years (Plus 4 free months) 2.03mth Deal View offer
- Private Internet Access (PIA) 6 Months $7.50mth View offer
- Private Internet Access (PIA) Monthly $11.99mth View offer
- CyberGhost 2 Years $2.03mth Deal View offer
- CyberGhost 6 Months $6.99mth View offer
- CyberGhost 1 Month $12.99mth View offer
Please note: With long-term subscriptions, you usually pay once for the entire subscription period. Therefore, you would be billed per subscription period and not per month. Also, even though we try to keep this table up-to-date, prices may fluctuate. Always visit a VPN provider’s website to see the current price.
The cheapest VPN: A Tie
CyberGhost vs Private Internet Access: Which App Is Easier to Work With?
CyberGhost and PIA are among the best VPNs that are intuitive and easy to work with. However, subtle differences can make an app more user-friendly.
So, let’s compare PIA and CyberGhost in this regard.
Installation process
The installation processes for CyberGhost and PIA are pretty straightforward and similar to each other.
Once you’ve created an account, you log in to the website and download the appropriate file for your operating system. You open this file, after which the VPN will be installed. All you need to do after that is log in with your chosen credentials.
On smartphones or tablets, you can download the VPN app from the provider’s website or from the App Store or Google Play. After downloading and installing the app, you only have to give it permission to adjust your network settings. When you click “Agree,” the VPN will be ready to go.
PIA vs CyberGhost user interface
We found that the desktop apps of Private Internet Access and CyberGhost have a clean and modern user interface.
However, CyberGhost makes it a bit easier to select servers based on what you’re doing, such as downloading or streaming. You can see below.
PIA has a long list of server locations that can be cumbersome to scroll through.
PIA also has a bunch of other options that might overwhelm users who are not as tech-savvy.
So, overall, we think CyberGhost has a somewhat more user-friendly interface. It also comes preset to use the highest level of encryption, while PIA allows you to customize the encryption, which can make it slightly more confusing for new users. We’ve often said that CyberGhost is one of the best VPNs for newbies due to its user-friendliness, so it certainly gets the win here.
Most user-friendly VPN: CyberGhost
Customer Service: How Well Are Users Supported?
Good customer service comes in handy when you run into questions or technical problems with a VPN. So, we tried the customer support options for both CyberGhost and PIA. Here’s what we found.
| Customer service offered via | PIA | CyberGhost |
|---|---|---|
| Live chat | ✔ | ✔ |
| ✖ | ✔ | |
| Phone | ✖ | ✖ |
| FAQs | ✔ | ✔ |
- Both PIA and CyberGhost offer live chat support.
- PIA does not offer email support, while CyberGhost VPN service can also be reached via email support@cyberghost.ro
- Both support agents were able to provide us with appropriate answers to our questions. However, CyberGhost was much quicker to respond and provided more information. For PIA, we had to wait longer for a response.
- Both PIA and CyberGhost have a support database containing the answers to frequently asked questions and helpful guides.
The difference between the customer service of these two providers was very small. However, CyberGhost takes the win because it has the option to email the customer support team and we received answers faster from them.
VPN with the best customer service: CyberGhost
Private Internet Access or CyberGhost: Which VPN Is Better?
To wrap up, CyberGhost and Private Internet Access VPN are quite similar in terms of security and performance. Both VPN providers offer unlimited simultaneous connections on a range of devices at an affordable price point.
However, after extensive testing, we believe that CyberGhost offers a better service overall. PIA is an excellent VPN provider, but with CyberGhost, you get far better unblocking capabilities for media around the world, paired with strong customer support.
You can view the results of the PIA vs CyberGhost battle in the table below.
| Category | Winner | Why this VPN is the best choice |
|---|---|---|
| Security | PIA | Both VPNs have similar security features that will keep you safe online. |
| Speed | Tie | Both VPNs have equally fast speeds. |
| Streaming performance | CyberGhost | CyberGhost is based in privacy-friendly Romania, while PIA is based in the US. |
| Privacy | CyberGhost | CyberGhost is based in privacy-friendly Romania while PIA is based in the US. |
| Price | Tie | Both VPNs are similarly priced and are among the cheapest providers in the market. |
| Ease of use | CyberGhost | CyberGhost is slightly easier to use for beginners. |
| Customer support | CyberGhost | CyberGhost has more customer support options and offers faster responses. |
To conclude, both PIA and CyberGhost are excellent VPN providers that consistently do well on our tests for speed, security, and privacy. They are also affordably priced when you opt for a two-year subscription. While PIA has a slight edge in terms of security features, CyberGhost wins with its unblocking capabilities, privacy, and strong customer support.
It has an extended 45-day money-back guarantee, which means you can try the service risk-free. Or you can even download the app for 24 hours and give it a run, no strings attached.
Can’t get enough head-to-head VPN rundowns? Check out other VPN comparisons:
- Surfshark vs NordVPN: Which VPN Takes the Lead?
- ExpressVPN vs Surfshark: The Ultimate Showdown
- CyberGhost vs Surfshark: A Battle of VPN Titans
- PIA vs NordVPN: Which Top VPN Is Better?
Got questions about which VPN is better, CyberGhost or Private Internet Access? We’ve got some quick answers in our FAQ section below. Click or tap a question to view the answer.
After testing dozens of VPNs, we have found NordVPN to be the best VPN provider overall. It has the best combination of high speeds, solid security, foolproof privacy, and unblocking features. Other top VPNs that are better than PIA include Surfshark, ExpressVPN, and CyberGhost.
Yes, PIA is among the best VPN providers out there with a strict no-logs policy. It has been independently audited and the results showed that it upholds its no-logs policy. Additionally, it also uses features like secure VPN protocols and AES-256 bit encryption to keep you safe online.
Our tests have revealed that CyberGhost is slightly better than PIA when it comes to unblocking the internet. You can access almost any streaming service with CyberGhost VPN while staying anonymous and secure. While PIA has great security features, it does not unblock the internet as extensively as CyberGhost does.
Yes, according to our tests, we found CyberGhost to be slightly better than PIA when it comes to unblocking geographically restricted content. It also has stronger customer support and is extremely fast, secure, and user-friendly.
