CyberGhost VPN vs Surfshark VPN

CyberGhost’s 2-year-plus-2-month offer costs $51.74 upfront for 26 months, or $1.99 per month equivalent, and the observed offer says it renews at $51.74 annually. The six-month term is $6.99 per month and renews at $41.94 every six months. The month-to-month plan is $12.99.

Surfshark Starter costs $67.23 upfront for 27 months, or $2.49 per month equivalent. Its current plan guide lists the 12-month equivalent at $3.39 per month and month-to-month at $16.45. Surfshark says the long plan renews annually at the applicable rate but does not expose one stable public renewal amount across every visitor and region. Screenshot the checkout disclosure.

CyberGhost’s refund period is unusually generous: 45 days for subscriptions of six months or longer and 14 days for the monthly plan. Surfshark generally offers 30 days for an eligible first purchase. It also has a seven-day trial for eligible new users taking selected 12- or 24-month web offers with supported payment methods; the trial is capped at three devices, while a paid plan becomes unlimited.

Surfshark One ($2.79/month equivalent for the observed 27-month offer) adds Antivirus, Alert, and Search. One+ ($4.49) adds Incogni. CyberGhost’s core VPN does not mirror that suite, though it includes Identity Guard, Content Blocker, and optional Dedicated IP. Compare only bundles you will use.

CyberGhost is based in Romania and owned by Kape Technologies. Surfshark B.V. is based in the Netherlands and belongs to the Nord Security group while operating as its own service. Corporate ownership and jurisdiction deserve scrutiny, but neither alone proves what a VPN records. Policies, technical architecture, audits, and request transparency are more useful evidence.

CyberGhost completed its third Deloitte Romania ISAE 3000 no-logs assurance engagement in late 2025, announced in February 2026. The scope included its server network, configuration/change management, incident response, and token-based Dedicated IP system. Its public transparency reporting showed 117,539 DMCA complaints and nine police requests in the first half of 2026, with the company saying it had no activity logs to associate with individual users.

Surfshark completed Deloitte assurance work in 2023 and 2025. The public 2025 report covered standard, static, and multiport servers plus configuration and deployment processes. Its August 2026 policy says it does not retain visited IPs, browsing history, session history, bandwidth, stored connection timestamps, or traffic logs. A disclosed April 2026 warrant response produced account-existence and payment information, not online-activity data.

Both reports are point-in-time assessments, not permanent guarantees. Both providers still process account, payment, fraud-prevention, login-security, and optional diagnostic data. Dedicated IP features also have distinct privacy implications. CyberGhost uses a token-based design intended to separate its dedicated address from account identity; Surfshark offers conventional and anonymous purchase paths with different refund treatment.

Both supply strong encryption, kill switches, private DNS handling, and modern fast protocols. Surfshark wins because it has more defense-in-depth and routing options. Rotating IP changes the visible address every five to ten minutes without dropping the tunnel, but it cannot run with Dedicated IP, Static IP, or MultiHop. Dynamic MultiHop lets users select custom entry and exit locations.

Surfshark’s post-quantum option adds a quantum-resistant layer to WireGuard on supported apps. It protects VPN key establishment, not every application or destination. The NIST finalized post-quantum standards overview explains the broader transition. Dausos is promising and independently assessed, but it was still a macOS App Store beta when checked; it should not be treated as Surfshark’s universal default.

CyberGhost’s NoSpy servers are physically located and directly operated in Bucharest with dedicated uplinks. That is a meaningful high-trust option. Its weakness is censorship resistance: it lacks a leading, broadly documented stealth protocol comparable to Surfshark’s NoBorders/Camouflage combination.

CyberGhost’s primary English directory lists 100 countries, 125 locations, and 21 Dedicated IP locations. It no longer foregrounds one stable global server total, although some localized checkout pages still advertise 9,800+. We use the live country/location measures rather than perpetuating an old fleet number that the main directory does not consistently support.

Surfshark publishes 4,500+ servers in 100 countries. It says every server has at least a 10Gbps connection, with selected high-demand infrastructure reaching 100Gbps. The entire network is advertised as RAM-only, and FastTrack can select multiple internal server hops to improve routes while Everlink repairs tunnel interruptions.

CyberGhost also describes its current network as RAM-only and highlights many 10Gbps endpoints. Its interface labels servers for streaming, downloading/P2P, and gaming, while NoSpy and colocated hardware provide higher-control paths. The 125-location breadth and task filtering earn it a narrow win; Surfshark’s transparent fleet total and reliability engineering keep the round close.

On a nearby uncongested server, either VPN can preserve most of a fast broadband connection with WireGuard. Surfshark’s 10Gbps baseline and selected 100Gbps upgrades provide substantial headroom, while CyberGhost’s 10Gbps deployment, NoSpy uplinks, and load-aware selection help users avoid crowded routes.

Surfshark has the stronger continuity story through Everlink, and FastTrack may improve selected long-distance paths. CyberGhost makes manual optimization easier for beginners because its apps expose task categories and favorites. In both cases, MultiHop, antivirus inspection, obfuscation, distance, Wi-Fi conditions, and peak-hour load can reduce throughput or raise latency.

CyberGhost organizes streaming endpoints around supported services and countries, so a new user can choose a labeled route instead of guessing among cities. It supports Android TV and Fire TV apps plus router/shared-connection options. Surfshark supports Apple TV, Android TV, and Fire TV natively and offers broad country choice, but its normal location interface is less task-specific.

Do not rely on old SmartDNS advice for either provider. CyberGhost Smart DNS still exists for general DNS and device configuration, but its current help page explicitly says it is no longer compatible with streaming services. Surfshark discontinued SmartDNS entirely on February 2, 2026; users with old settings must restore automatic DNS. Surfshark Public DNS is not an encrypted VPN substitute.

Streaming access changes with platform enforcement, account region, rights, IP reputation, and app updates. Neither provider can guarantee permanent catalog access. Test actual playback on every required device within the refund period and follow service terms. Our best VPNs for streaming guide covers more platform-specific choices.

CyberGhost advantage

Beginner-friendly service labels and a 45-day long-plan test window.

Surfshark advantage

Unlimited household devices and strong native TV coverage.

CyberGhost’s gaming-labeled routes simplify endpoint selection, and its app can show useful server information. Surfshark does not create the same task-specific category, but unlimited devices, WireGuard, broad 10Gbps capacity, Everlink, and NoBorders make it more flexible across PCs, phones, handhelds, and shared households.

Either VPN hides the residential IP from direct peers and can reduce exposure to IP-targeted DDoS attacks. Neither can protect a game’s own servers, fix weak Wi-Fi, guarantee a lower ping, or bypass game rules safely. Connect near the game server, not simply near your house. Console coverage generally requires a router or protected hotspot; SmartDNS does not provide encrypted IP masking.

CyberGhost is easier for one beginner gaming PC; Surfshark wins the broader household round. See our gaming VPN guide for console setup and latency-focused alternatives.

CyberGhost labels download-optimized/P2P servers in supported countries, which makes setup straightforward. Surfshark supports P2P across suitable routes and offers unlimited devices, auto-connect, and a kill switch. With Bypasser, users must confirm the torrent client is not accidentally excluded from the VPN.

Neither provider documents ordinary VPN-side inbound port forwarding. Downloads can still work through outbound connections, but seeding and small swarms may be less efficient. A Dedicated IP does not automatically add forwarding. Bind the client to the VPN adapter where supported, verify the visible IP, and use only files you are legally allowed to share.

CyberGhost wins usability; Surfshark wins household capacity and routing controls, leaving the round even. Compare port-forwarding and power-user options in our top VPNs for torrenting.

CyberGhost permits seven simultaneous connections. It has native Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS apps; Android TV and Fire TV support; Linux manual/command-line options; selected router configurations; and free Chrome/Firefox proxy extensions. Those extensions protect browser traffic only and are not substitutes for the device-wide VPN.

Surfshark permits unlimited devices on paid subscriptions and supports Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS, Apple TV, Android TV, Fire TV, extensions, and manual router setups. That is a substantial advantage for families, shared homes, labs, and users who do not want to count active connections.

Split tunneling deliberately exposes excluded traffic to the normal connection. Test both included and excluded routes after configuration. Surfshark wins because Bypasser is documented across Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, and extensions, while CyberGhost’s controls vary more sharply by platform.

Surfshark’s NoBorders can surface suitable routes on restrictive networks, while Camouflage mode makes OpenVPN traffic less obvious. Its Dausos beta adds another censorship-resistance direction, though current platform limits make it a supplement rather than a universal solution. Unlimited devices also suit travelers carrying phones, laptops, and tablets.

CyberGhost provides random-port options on some clients, Wi-Fi protection, Smart Rules, and broad geographic reach, but it lacks an equally mature dedicated stealth/obfuscation mode. Both providers offer 24/7 live chat, email support, and large help centers. CyberGhost’s 45-day long-term refund period offers more time to test, but users should install and sign in before entering a restrictive country.

A VPN encrypts traffic to its server; it cannot make a phishing site legitimate or secure an infected device. The FTC’s public Wi-Fi guidance explains why HTTPS, software updates, multifactor authentication, and scam awareness still matter. Check local law before VPN use. Our travel VPN guide covers pre-departure preparation.