ExpressVPN vs CyberGhost (2026): Which Is Better?
Worth knowing before anything else: these are two products from the same company, Kape Technologies, so this isn't a choice between owners. CyberGhost actually scores higher on our published rubric — 9.1 against ExpressVPN's 8.8 — on the strength of its Deloitte audit and quarterly transparency report, and it's cheaper too: $1.99 against $2.99 on the long plan. ExpressVPN's case is obfuscation, which CyberGhost has none of at all — a real gap on a network or in a country that filters VPN traffic — plus a pressure-tested record (a 2017 server seizure in Turkey that produced nothing) and three more devices. CyberGhost answers with a 45-day refund window, the longest on this site, and streaming servers labelled by service.
Who wins each category
- Privacy & securityTieExpressVPN 9.5 · CyberGhost 9.5
- SpeedTieExpressVPN 0.0 · CyberGhost 0.0
- StreamingTieExpressVPN 0.0 · CyberGhost 0.0
- Apps & easeExpressVPNExpressVPN 8.3 · CyberGhost 8.1
- ValueCyberGhostExpressVPN 7.8 · CyberGhost 9.4
Sub-scores are provisional for ExpressVPN and CyberGhost — published audits, jurisdiction and public record rather than our own measurement; see the review; weights are privacy & security 30%, speed 25%, streaming 15%, apps & ease 15%, value 15%. Methodology
Choose ExpressVPN if…
- Obfuscation, which CyberGhost has none of — the difference between working and not on a filtering network
- You want the pressure-tested record: a 2017 server seizure produced nothing
- Ten devices against CyberGhost's seven, and Aircove router support
Choose CyberGhost if…
- The cheaper price and the higher published score — 9.1 against 8.8, from the same parent company
- 45 days to change your mind, the longest window of any VPN we rate
- Servers labelled by streaming service, which removes the guesswork
ExpressVPN vs CyberGhost: the numbers
 ExpressVPN |  CyberGhost | |
|---|---|---|
| Overall score | 8.8provisional — not tested by us | 9.1provisional — not tested by us |
| Rank · badge | Not ranked · Widest platform support | Not ranked · Streaming servers |
| 2-year price / mo | $2.99 | $1.99 |
| 1-year price / mo | $6.67 | $6.99 |
| Monthly price | $12.95 | $12.99 |
| Renewal | Billed $83.72 for the first 28 months, then autorenews at $99.95 a year | Billed $51.74 for the first 26 months, then autorenews at $51.74 a year |
| Money-back | 30 days | 45 days |
| Simultaneous devices | 10 | 7 |
| Avg download speed | Not tested by us | Not tested by us |
| Jurisdiction | British Virgin Islands | Romania |
| Owner | Kape Technologies | Kape Technologies |
| No-logs audit | KPMG no-logs audit, 2024 | Deloitte no-logs audit, 2024 |
| Servers | 3,000+ in 105 countries | 11,500+ in 100 countries |
| Protocols | Lightway, OpenVPN, IKEv2 | WireGuard, OpenVPN, IKEv2 |
| Torrenting | P2P allowed on all servers | P2P allowed on P2P servers |
| Free plan | No | No |
| Support | 24/7 live chat, email, help centre | 24/7 live chat, email, help centre |
| Visit ExpressVPN | Visit CyberGhost |
Full reviews: ExpressVPN · CyberGhost
What each one actually costs
The advertised rate covers the first term only. These are the totals once the renewal is counted.
| ExpressVPN | CyberGhost | |
|---|---|---|
| Plan priced | 24-month plan | 24-month plan |
| Intro rate / mo | $2.99 | $1.99 |
| Then renews at / mo | $8.33 (+179%) | $4.31 (+117%) |
| First term, up front | $71.76 | $47.76 |
| Total over 3 years | $171.72 | $99.48 |
| True cost / mo over 3 years | $4.77 | $2.76 |
| Money-back | 30 days — 30 days, first-time users only — we have not claimed one yet | 45 days — 45 days on the long plans but only 14 on the monthly one — we have not claimed one yet |
| Check ExpressVPN price | Check CyberGhost price |
CyberGhost is cheaper both ways — lower to start and $72.24 less across three years once the renewals are counted. Same arithmetic as our price calculator: the first term at the advertised rate, every month after it at the rate the provider publishes for renewals.
Speed by region
Neither VPN has been speed-tested by us yet, so there is nothing to chart here.
ExpressVPN and CyberGhost have not been through our speed rig yet, so there is no region-by-region chart for this pair. Speed figures other people have published are on the ExpressVPN and CyberGhost review, attributed to whoever measured them.
Streaming, service by service
| ExpressVPN | CyberGhost | |
|---|---|---|
| Unblocked | 0 of 0 reported (not tested by us) | 0 of 0 reported (not tested by us) |
| Netflix US | n/r | n/r |
| Netflix UK | n/r | n/r |
| Netflix JP | n/r | n/r |
| Netflix CA | n/r | n/r |
| Netflix AU | n/r | n/r |
| Prime Video | n/r | n/r |
| Disney+ | n/r | n/r |
| Hulu | n/r | n/r |
| Max | n/r | n/r |
| Paramount+ | n/r | n/r |
| Peacock | n/r | n/r |
| BBC iPlayer | n/r | n/r |
| ITVX | n/r | n/r |
| DAZN | n/r | n/r |
| n/r — no published result found | n/r — no published result found |
Security features
| ExpressVPN | CyberGhost | |
|---|---|---|
| Kill switch | ||
| Split tunnelling | ||
| Obfuscation / stealth | ||
| Port forwarding | ||
| Dedicated IP | ||
| Ad & tracker blocking | ||
| Multi-hop (double VPN) | ||
| RAM-only servers | ||
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, Fire TV, Apple TV, browser extensions, Aircove router | Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, Android TV, Fire TV, Apple TV, browser extensions, routers |
Has the no-logs promise ever been tested?
Every VPN on this page says it keeps no logs. The claim only means something once someone has demanded the data — a police raid, a court order, a subpoena. Here is what happened to each of these two when that came up, and what it means if it never has.
- ExpressVPNHeld
2017 server seizure in Turkey. The claim held — there was nothing useful to hand over. That is the one form of proof no audit can give you, because it happened under real pressure rather than on a scheduled visit.
Audit: KPMG no-logs audit, 2024 · British Virgin Islands
- CyberGhostHeld
Quarterly transparency report. The claim held — there was nothing useful to hand over. That is the one form of proof no audit can give you, because it happened under real pressure rather than on a scheduled visit.
Audit: Deloitte no-logs audit, 2024 · Romania
What each one is our top pick for
One of these scores higher overall, which does not make it the right buy for every job. These are the use cases where each one comes first on its own list.
- ExpressVPN2 categories
Built for iOS's always-on setting specifically, with reconnects between Wi-Fi and cellular, and the same app carries over to Apple TV. We have not benchmarked reconnect speed ourselves.
- CyberGhostNo category
CyberGhost is not our top pick in any of our use-case lists. It can still be the right buy on price or on one feature — the rest of this page is where that case gets made.
Questions
Are ExpressVPN and CyberGhost the same company?
Yes. Both belong to Kape Technologies, which also owns Private Internet Access — three of the ten VPNs we rate share one owner. They run as separate products with separate apps, servers, audits and prices, but the ownership question applies identically to both, so it cannot be the thing that decides between them.
Is ExpressVPN worth more than CyberGhost?
Not obviously — CyberGhost actually scores higher on our published rubric, 9.1 against 8.8, and is cheaper. ExpressVPN's case is obfuscation, which CyberGhost lacks entirely, and its own pressure-tested history. For ordinary home use on an unfiltered network, CyberGhost is the rational purchase at the lower price.
Which is better for streaming?
We have not tested this. CyberGhost labels servers by service, which removes the guesswork of picking one; ExpressVPN doesn't do that but advertises broad streaming support generally. Check either against the specific service you want before relying on it.
We may earn a commission when you buy through links on this page. Scores and the winner are decided by the scoring rubric before any commercial consideration. Disclosure