ExpressVPN vs CyberGhost (2026): Which Is Better?
Worth knowing before anything else: these are two products from the same company. Kape Technologies owns both, so this is not a choice between owners or privacy postures — it is a choice about what $2.80 a month buys inside one group. It buys a lot: ExpressVPN is 9.1 to CyberGhost's 8.1, 598 Mbps against 470, the best apps of the ten against middling ones, and obfuscation that CyberGhost lacks entirely, which rules CyberGhost out on restrictive networks and in countries that filter VPNs. CyberGhost's answers are a 45-day refund window — the longest we track — and streaming servers labelled by service, which worked first time in 11 of 12 cases when we tested them.
Who wins each category
- Privacy & securityExpressVPNExpressVPN 9.4 · CyberGhost 8.6
- SpeedExpressVPNExpressVPN 9.0 · CyberGhost 8.1
- StreamingExpressVPNExpressVPN 9.3 · CyberGhost 8.8
- Apps & easeExpressVPNExpressVPN 9.8 · CyberGhost 8.0
- ValueExpressVPNExpressVPN 8.2 · CyberGhost 7.9
Sub-scores from this month's tests; 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
- 598 Mbps against 470, and apps rated 9.8 against 8.0
- Eight devices and a refund we claimed in two days
Choose CyberGhost if…
- $2.19/mo against $4.99 — less than half, 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 worked first time in 11 of 12 of our tests
ExpressVPN vs CyberGhost: the numbers
 ExpressVPN |  CyberGhost | |
|---|---|---|
| Overall score | 9.1 | 8.1 |
| Rank · badge | #3 · Easiest apps | #7 · Streaming servers |
| 2-year price / mo | $4.99 | $2.19 |
| 1-year price / mo | $6.67 | $6.99 |
| Monthly price | $12.95 | $12.99 |
| Renewal | renews at the 1-year rate | renews at the 1-year rate |
| Money-back | 30 days | 45 days |
| Simultaneous devices | 8 | 7 |
| Avg download speed | 598 Mbps | 470 Mbps |
| 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 | $4.99 | $2.19 |
| Then renews at / mo | $6.67 (+34%) | $6.99 (+219%) |
| First term, up front | $119.76 | $52.56 |
| Total over 3 years | $199.80 | $136.44 |
| True cost / mo over 3 years | $5.55 | $3.79 |
| Money-back | 30 days — refunded in 2 days | 45 days — refunded in 5 days |
| Check ExpressVPN price | Check CyberGhost price |
CyberGhost is cheaper both ways — lower to start and $63.36 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
Download on a 940 Mbps line, 3 runs per server, median reported. Highlighted cell = fastest.
| ExpressVPN | CyberGhost | |
|---|---|---|
| US East | 650 Mbps | 545 Mbps |
| UK | 622 Mbps | 505 Mbps |
| Singapore | 560 Mbps | 398 Mbps |
| Australia | 558 Mbps | 402 Mbps |
| Added latency | +7 ms | +12 ms |
Streaming, service by service
| ExpressVPN | CyberGhost | |
|---|---|---|
| Unblocked | 13 of 14 | 12 of 14 |
| Netflix US | ||
| Netflix UK | ||
| Netflix JP | ||
| Netflix CA | ||
| Netflix AU | ||
| Prime Video | ||
| Disney+ | ||
| Hulu | ||
| Max | ||
| Paramount+ | ||
| Peacock | ||
| BBC iPlayer | ||
| ITVX | ||
| DAZN |
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
The most reliable always-on behaviour on iOS, instant reconnects between Wi-Fi and cellular, and the same app on Apple TV.
- 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 double CyberGhost?
If you need obfuscation, yes without argument — CyberGhost has none, so it simply fails on a network or in a country that blocks VPN traffic. Otherwise it is buying speed and app quality: 598 Mbps against 470, and the best clients of the ten. For ordinary home use where neither matters, CyberGhost at $2.19 is the rational purchase.
Which is better for streaming?
Closer than the scores suggest. ExpressVPN unblocked 13 of 14 services to CyberGhost's 12, but CyberGhost labels servers by service, which removes the guessing — we got in first time on 11 of 12 attempts. If streaming is the whole reason you are buying and you are not on a restrictive network, CyberGhost does the job for less.
We may earn a commission when you buy through links on this page. Scores and the winner are decided by the tests before any commercial consideration. Disclosure