CyberGhost vs PrivateVPN (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, CyberGhost grades higher than PrivateVPN: 2.4 against 2.2 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 9, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 · graded Nov 9, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
CyberGhost grades higher on value for money and the free plan. PrivateVPN grades higher on ease of use. They get the same grade on features and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
CyberGhost
VPN for seven devices with a 45-day money-back window on long plans
PrivateVPN
Subscription VPN on 10 connections with three term lengths
Which one is for you
Pick CyberGhost if
- Fits if you want 28 months of VPN for $61.32, renewing at the same $61.32 a year
- Works for households with up to seven devices
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if you have more than seven devices, which needs a router setup
- Pricey if you go monthly, at $12.99 a month with only a 14-day money-back window
- Skip it if you want a proper trial, since the card-free one lasts 24 hours and phone trials need a payment method
- Watch out: the dedicated IP and Windows Security Suite add-ons have no price on the plans page
Pick PrivateVPN if
- Fits if you want one account across up to 10 devices
- Works for people who want to pay by PayPal or crypto and use P2P
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want to try before paying, as there's no free tier or trial
- Pricey if you pay monthly, at $9.90
- Watch out: the cheap 36-month price renews at $72 a year
- Watch out: the 30-day refund doesn't apply to renewals, crypto payments or App Store purchases
- Watch out: prices include VAT and move with the tax country you pick, and the offer shows no end date
How we grade them
| 2.4GPACyberGhostFair | 2.2GPAPrivateVPNFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | BThe long plan bills $61.32 for the first 28 months, so the first two years cost about $2.56 a month, inside the cheaper quarter of VPNs but above the $2 an A needs. It then renews at $61.32 a year, about $5.11 a month, right at the category middle. The monthly plan is $12.99. | CSign-up is $72 for the first 36 months, but the listed renewal is $72 a year, or $6 a month, in the middle of the category's $3.99 to $8. Monthly is $9.90. |
| Free plan and trial | DA 24-hour trial on a computer with no card, or 3 days on Android and 7 on iPhone with a payment method. Short either way, and the money-back guarantee doesn't count. | FNo free plan or trial. There's a 30-day money-back guarantee, which isn't a trial, and it doesn't cover renewals, crypto or App Store purchases. |
| Features | B9,600+ servers in over 100 countries, OpenVPN, WireGuard and IKEv2, a kill switch, split tunneling, ad and malware blocking, and ID Guard on the long plan. It covers the whole job, though 7 devices at once is fewer than some rivals allow. | B10 connections, 200+ servers in 63 countries, P2P and port forwarding, a kill switch page, 24/7 support. Nothing in the listing's own gaps touches the core VPN job. |
| Ease of use | C4.23 from about 39,600 App Store ratings, below the 4.3 a crowd that size needs for a B and lower than most VPNs here. | BNo store rating on record. Apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android and Linux that you install and use. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWindows, Mac, Linux, iPhone, Android, TVs and browser extensions. There's no integration list or API on record, so it stops at B. | BMac, Windows, iPhone, iPad, Android, Linux, Kodi and routers. Phones and computers, but no API or integrations. |
| Best for | two years and four months on seven devices for $61.32 | one VPN on up to 10 devices |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: CyberGhost and PrivateVPN. How we grade
Price against what you get
CyberGhost starts at $5.11 a month when paid by the year and scores 2.7 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. PrivateVPN starts at $6 a month when paid by the year and scores 3.0.
PrivateVPN scores higher, and starts $0.89 a month higher: the question is whether the extra is worth that to you. Of the other VPNs on the chart, 5 score higher than CyberGhost for less, and 1 scores higher than PrivateVPN for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- CyberGhost also covers ad and tracker blocking.
- PrivateVPN also covers file sharing.
At a glance
| CyberGhost | PrivateVPN | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Paid |
| Starts at | $61.32 per year at renewal, after a first 28 months for $61.32 | $72 per year at renewal, after a first 36 months for $72 |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | 24-hour desktop trial with no card; 3 days on Android and 7 days on iOS with a payment method | None listed |
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Browser extension | ||
| Made by | CyberGhost S.R.L. | PrivateVPN Global AB |
| Price read from | cyberghostvpn.com | privatevpn.com |
| Checked | Nov 9, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
CyberGhost
- The $2.19 a month covers only the first 28 months of the long plan; it then renews at $61.32 every year.
- Seven devices at once on every plan; covering more needs a router setup.
- The monthly plan gets a 14-day money-back guarantee instead of 45 days, and mobile trials need a payment method.
- Prices for the dedicated IP and Windows Security Suite add-ons are not shown on the plans page.
PrivateVPN
- The $72 sign-up price covers a 36-month first term. The page then shows $72 billed every 12 months, which is the figure recorded as the renewal price.
- Prices on the page are marked as including VAT and depend on the tax residence chosen at checkout.
- The 30-day refund does not apply to renewals, to cryptocurrency payments or to purchases made through the App Store.
- The pricing page is marked as a limited offer with no end date shown.
Key features
CyberGhost
- Server network
- More than 9,600 servers in over 100 countries on 10-Gbps networks, with unlimited bandwidth.
- Seven devices
- Every plan allows 7 VPN connections at the same time; a router setup can cover devices without their own app.
- Content Blocker
- Blocks DNS requests to domains known for ads, trackers and malware.
- Protocols, kill switch and split tunneling
- Switch between OpenVPN, WireGuard and IKEv2, with an automatic kill switch and split tunneling.
- ID Guard and Privacy Guard
- Included at no extra cost with multi-year plans; every plan also gets email leak monitoring.
- Add-ons
- A dedicated IP and the CyberGhost Security Suite for Windows can be added at checkout for 1 month, 6 months or 2 years.
PrivateVPN
- 10 simultaneous connections
- Every plan allows 10 devices at once, with unlimited bandwidth.
- Servers in 63 countries
- The pricing page and the locations page list 200+ server locations in 63 countries.
- Apps for most systems
- The download page lists macOS, Windows, iPhone, iPad, Android, Linux, Kodi and routers.
- P2P and port forwarding
- PrivateVPN has a page for torrenting and file sharing over the VPN, and a port forwarding feature page.
- 24/7 support
- The pricing page lists 24/7 customer support on every plan.
- Payment options
- Checkout takes card (through Stripe), PayPal and cryptocurrency (through Coinify).
Plans
CyberGhost
1 Month$12.99
per month
Renews at $12.99 a month. Covered by a 14-day money-back guarantee rather than 45 days.
6 Months$41.94
every 6 months
$6.99 a month, renewing at the same $41.94 every 6 months. 45-day money-back guarantee.
2 Years + 4 Months$61.32
per year at renewal, after a first term of 28 months
The first 28 months cost $61.32 ($2.19 a month, sold as 83% off), then it renews at $61.32 every year. Includes ID Guard and Privacy Guard.
PrivateVPN
12 Months (36 months at sign-up)$72
per year at renewal, after a first term of 36 months
The '12 Months + 24 Months extra' offer: the first 36 months cost $72 ($2 a month), then the page shows $72 billed every 12 months.
3 Months$17.99
per 3 months, billed every 3 months
Shown as $6 a month, billed every 3 months.
1 Month$9.90
per month, billed monthly
Renews monthly at $9.90.
Ways to pay less
CyberGhost
- Other savings
2 years plus 4 months for $61.32
The long plan bills $61.32 for the first 28 months ($2.19 a month), sold as an 83% Early Access deal with a countdown but no date, then renews at $61.32 a year.
PrivateVPN
- Other savings
12 Months + 24 Months extra for $72
The limited offer gives 36 months for $72 up front ($2 a month); the page then shows $72 billed every 12 months. No end date is displayed.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, CyberGhost or PrivateVPN?
As of Nov 12, 2026, CyberGhost is cheaper to start with: $5.11 a month when paid by the year, against $6 a month when paid by the year for PrivateVPN. CyberGhost starts at $61.32 per year at renewal, after a first 28 months for $61.32, and PrivateVPN starts at $72 per year at renewal, after a first 36 months for $72.
Which has a free plan, CyberGhost or PrivateVPN?
As of Nov 12, 2026, neither CyberGhost nor PrivateVPN has a free plan. CyberGhost has a free trial.
Which platforms do CyberGhost and PrivateVPN run on?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only CyberGhost lists a browser extension. Both list macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS and Android apps. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.