CyberGhost vs Proton VPN: A Detailed Comparison

CyberGhost vs Proton VPN at a glance

CyberGhost’s standard subscription and Proton VPN Plus are the fair paid-plan comparison. Proton Free is a separate, restricted tier. Server totals and US-dollar offers can change; the price snapshot below is not a promise of your checkout rate.

The Proton server-directory figures are a live published snapshot on October 1, 2026. Its USD quote was last verified September 30, 2026 because the current public pricing view rendered placeholder amounts.

Paid pricing, renewals and refunds

First payment and term length

CyberGhost’s observed 26-month offer costs $51.74 upfront, or $1.99 per month equivalent. Proton VPN Plus was last verified at $71.76 upfront for 24 months, or $2.99 per month equivalent. The plans differ by two months, and neither is billed monthly. CyberGhost is the cheaper paid introduction by $20.02 in total and $1.00 in monthly equivalent.

CyberGhost’s checkout provides a clearer public annual renewal amount for the reviewed long plan. Proton’s pricing is account-, country- and promotion-sensitive; its current public page did not expose a trustworthy live dollar quote, so the Proton numbers are explicitly dated. Check the amount charged today, bonus months, tax and next renewal amount in your own checkout before paying.

Refund policy and risk

CyberGhost advertises a 45-day guarantee on eligible plans of six months or more and 14 days for monthly billing. Proton offers a 30-day window for eligible direct paid subscriptions. App-store purchases and other channels can follow different terms, and cancelling future billing is separate from requesting a refund. CyberGhost gives a longer test period if you choose a qualifying longer plan.

Proton Free versus CyberGhost’s browser proxy

Proton VPN Free is a real full-device VPN with unlimited data, no advertising and one simultaneous connection. The app initially chooses a nearby free server and offers free servers in 10 countries. When you request a change, it chooses another server randomly; the first change has a 45-second cooldown and later changes have 10-minute intervals. You cannot freely select from Proton’s full paid country list.

The Free tier does not include paid streaming support, P2P servers, Secure Core or NetShield. A streaming service might sometimes load, but Proton does not guarantee it on Free. CyberGhost’s free browser extension is a proxy for browser traffic, not a subscription-free VPN for every app. If you need private browsing across a whole device with no recurring payment, Proton Free is the clear choice. Our Proton VPN review goes deeper into the Free plan and paid features.

Server network, coverage and devices

Proton’s current public directory lists 20,799 servers, 149 countries and 196 locations, including 17,984 Plus servers. Those figures change frequently. CyberGhost’s English directory emphasizes 100 countries and 125 locations; some country pages show 126. Its checkout may advertise a server total, but marketing counts and directory definitions are not consistently comparable. Country and location charts are the cleaner way to show geographic choice.

Both describe RAM-only infrastructure and 10-Gbps-capable network links. These are design or capacity claims, not a speed guarantee. Proton Plus supports 10 concurrent devices; CyberGhost supports seven. On Proton Free, only one device can connect at a time. A compatible router may protect several home devices through a single VPN connection, subject to platform support and router performance.

Privacy evidence and independent audits

CyberGhost operates from Romania and is owned by Kape Technologies. Proton VPN is based in Switzerland. Jurisdiction can affect legal requests, but it is not a privacy score on its own. The Electronic Frontier Foundation’s VPN guide explains that a VPN shifts trust from the network provider to the VPN operator and cannot make someone fully anonymous.

What the audits cover

CyberGhost completed a third Deloitte Romania ISAE 3000 no-logs assurance engagement in late 2025, announced in February 2026. It examined the server network, configuration and change management, incident response and token-based Dedicated IP design; the full report is publicly available. Proton publishes five consecutive annual Securitum no-logs infrastructure assessments through 2026, also with public reports. The latest Proton review examined server and operational controls across its network. Each audit is a point-in-time review, not a permanent guarantee.

Proton additionally publishes the source code for all production VPN apps and separate app-security reports. CyberGhost publishes request statistics and offers separately operated NoSpy servers. Both state that browsing activity is not logged, but subscription account and payment records are different data categories. For a high-risk use case, read the current privacy notice and full audit scope, not just a “no logs” badge. See our CyberGhost review for a closer look at its policies and NoSpy option.

Security, protocols and restrictive networks

CyberGhost supports WireGuard, OpenVPN and IKEv2 where available, with an automatic kill switch, DNS/IP leak protection, Content Blocker and Wi-Fi rules. Proton’s current apps emphasize WireGuard UDP/TCP, Smart Protocol and Stealth, with OpenVPN and IKEv2 availability now varying by platform. Proton Plus adds NetShield domain blocking, Secure Core, Tor over VPN and moresplit-tunneling options. Both providers’ DNS blockers filter domains; neither is a complete antivirus or a guarantee against malicious files.

Secure Core versus NoSpy

Proton Secure Core routes traffic through its hardened entry infrastructure in Iceland, Sweden or Switzerland before an exit server. It offers an extra routing layer but can add latency, so it is a poor first choice for gaming or 4K streaming. CyberGhost NoSpy uses separately operated servers in Bucharest; it is an infrastructure-control choice, not a multi-hop tunnel. Pick the feature that matches your threat model rather than assuming either always improves speed.

Stealth and split tunneling

Proton’s Stealth and Smart Protocol are more clearly documented for restrictive networks than CyberGhost’s standard protocol set. Neither guarantees a connection through every school, hotel or national firewall. Proton’s paid split tunneling is documented across Windows, Linux GUI, Android, extensions and Android TV, with experimental macOS support. On most platforms it conflicts with the kill switch; Windows is the exception. CyberGhost’s Smart Rules and app exclusions are more platform-dependent.

Neither provider should be described as shipping a general post-quantum VPN mode on the reviewed plans. Proton has discussed groundwork for it, but planned protection is not the same as a released feature.

Speed, reliability and gaming

We did not run matched head-to-head performance tests, so fixed Mbps results or “percentage retained” charts would be misleading. Both providers offer fast WireGuard routes and 10-Gbps-capable infrastructure. Proton’s VPN Accelerator is designed to improve difficult long-distance paths; CyberGhost labels routes by task. Your ISP, device, server load, protocol and distance determine the result. Treat speed as a practical tie until you test the two on your own route.

CyberGhost’s gaming-labeled list is easy to use. Proton Plus offers Moderate NAT on supported desktop and mobile apps to improve peer connectivity, plus a larger network and Stealth for some restrictive connections. Moderate NAT brings a small stated privacy trade-off and cannot be used alongside Proton port forwarding. Neither provider can guarantee lower ping than your direct route, open NAT on every console or protection against every DDoS scenario.

Streaming, TV devices and Smart DNS

CyberGhost’s service-labeled streaming servers are its strongest ease-of-use advantage. Proton Plus supports major streaming services through paid servers and has native Apple TV and Android TV paths, with Fire TV setup through supported Android TV methods. Proton Free does not include a supported streaming guarantee or full country choice. Secure Core adds a hop and is not Proton’s recommended streaming route.

CyberGhost Smart DNS correction: its current support guidance says the feature is no longer compatible with streaming services. For an unsupported TV or console, use a compatible VPN router or protected shared connection. On a supported device, a native VPN app is simpler. Streaming access can change with the service, account tier, title, country and exit IP.

For 4K playback, Netflix recommends a stable 15 Mbps connection. That is a service recommendation, not a benchmark for either VPN. Test your particular device and subscription during an eligible refund window. Our streaming VPN guide compares more TV setups.

Torrenting, P2P and port forwarding

CyberGhost identifies download-optimized locations in supported apps and offers a kill switch, but it does not provide ordinary VPN-side inbound port forwarding. Proton Plus includes P2P servers and NAT-PMP port forwarding through supported Windows, macOS and Linux apps and manual configurations. Its assigned listening port normally changes after reconnecting, so update the torrent client when needed. Proton Free does not include P2P support.

Port forwarding can improve reachability for peers; it does not guarantee a faster torrent. It also exposes the listening application to incoming connections. Proton’s Moderate NAT and port forwarding cannot be used at the same time. If inbound connectivity matters to your workflow, Proton’s documented paid feature is a decisive advantage. For ordinary outbound downloading, either paid VPN can be suitable.

Apps, device limits and support

CyberGhost permits seven simultaneous connections on its paid subscription. Proton VPN Plus permits 10, while Proton Free permits one. Both cover mainstream desktop and mobile systems, but Linux and TV experiences differ. CyberGhost’s Linux setup is more manual or command-line oriented. Proton publishes open-source apps and provides a broader documented paid split-tunneling range, though macOS support is still experimental and certain feature combinations are restricted.

Both providers have help documentation and paid support channels. We did not measure support response times or quality, so a numerical support chart would not be credible. Search the provider’s instructions for your exact device and feature before buying, especially if you rely on a kill switch, a router, split tunneling or port forwarding.

CyberGhost for a simpler paid workflow

Labeled streaming, downloading and gaming routes reduce the time spent looking through server settings.

Proton for deeper control

Open-source clients, Secure Core, Stealth, split routing and paid forwarding give experienced users more options.

Frequently asked questions