It can be difficult to figure out which virtual private networks (VPNs) are best for you or your business when so many seem similar to each other. Read our in-depth guide to CyberGhost vs. Private Internet Access to help you decide which of these popular VPNs is best for you.
Featured Partners
1
NordVPN
Lowest Monthly Price
INR 329.07 ($3.99) + 3 months free
Money Back Guarantee
30 days
No. of Servers
5,000+
2
Surfshark
Lowest Monthly Price
INR 197.29 + one month free
Money Back Guarantee
30 days
No. of Servers
3,200+
3
Private Internet Access
Lowest Monthly Price
INR 158.89
No. of Devices
Unlimited
No. of Servers
30,000+
CyberGhost vs. Private Internet Access: At a Glance
Both CyberGhost and Private Internet Access (PIA) are reliable, trustworthy VPN services that would be good choices for individuals or small businesses. They use the industry standard AES 256-bit encryption and give you 24/7 support.
CyberGhost offers a generous 45-day money-back guarantee, though it is a bit pricey for its monthly and annual subscriptions. It has servers in 91 countries, which is more than the industry average. It also works on almost any app, operating system and browser. It’s one of the best choices for those who want a VPN to unblock content on streaming services around the world.
Private Internet Access is one of the most affordable big names in VPN. It has more than 35,000 servers in 84 countries, which is more than most VPN services. It’s a good choice for families or small businesses as it supports up to 10 devices per account. It’s also highly customizable, so it’s a good pick for those who don’t want to stick with the default domain name system (DNS) settings or want to set up proxies and port forwarding.
How CyberGhost and Private Internet Access Stack Up
It isn’t immediately clear which one is best when you compare CyberGhost vs. Private Internet Access. So you have to figure out what’s most important to you. Beyond pricing and server location are features, such as dedicated IPs and malware protection.
Pricing
If you’re looking for the most affordable option, PIA takes the lead with its lower annual pricing. However, CyberGhost gives you more term lengths, so you can choose one month or two years if you’d prefer. Also, CyberGhost offers a short free trial and 45-day money-back guarantee. By comparison, PIA doesn’t have a free trial, only allows 30 days on its money-back offer and you can only choose from one month, one year or three years for contract length.
Max Devices
If you have a lot of devices to protect with a VPN, Private Internet Access would be a better choice—you can connect up to 10 devices while CyberGhost only allows seven. With that said, even seven is more than most VPN services.
Server Locations and Number of Servers
Server location is important if you’re looking to access content from a specific country—CyberGhost has servers in 91 countries and PIA is set up in 84. CyberGhost has more than 9,000 servers evenly distributed across the world, though PIA has more than 35,000 servers across the world.
Compatibility
The final comparison that could be of importance to you is compatibility. Both CyberGhost and PIA support the usuals: Windows, Mac, Linux, Android and Apple iOS. You’ll get more app compatibility from CyberGhost, which works with Amazon Fire Stick, Android TV and Apple TV. You can use PIA on smart TVs, but the VPN service is careful to not guarantee its VPN will work with streaming devices for unblocking some countries’ content. You can use either VPN service on your router.
What You Need to Know About These VPN Services
The comparison of CyberGhost versus PIA above is helpful if you only care about features and cost. Although both VPN services are safe and have strict no-logs policies, privacy concerns may also be of importance.
CyberGhost & PIA Headquarters
CyberGhost’s headquarters are in Bucharest, Romania. Private Internet Access has its base in Denver, Colorado, in the U.S. Although both VPN services have a no-logs policy, only CyberGhost operates in a country that isn’t part of the Five Eyes (or Nine Eyes or Fourteen Eyes) alliance. The concern here is that the countries that are part of these alliances share intelligence with each other. It could gain relevant data from one of its allies even if your country has laws forbidding surveillance of its own citizens. If this is important to you, PIA may not be the best choice because the U.S. is an original member of the Five Eyes alliance.
Data Breaches
Even the biggest VPN services have had data breaches, but they typically notify customers of leaks and perform audits to see where they need to improve security and then make adjustments to prevent future breaches.
In 2020, CyberGhost received notification from Typeform about a data breach. It was reportedly minor and no identifying or sensitive data was leaked.
Private Internet Access reported an IP leak in 2015, but it was quick to notify clients and rectify the issue.
Featured Partners
1
NordVPN
Lowest Monthly Price
INR 329.07 ($3.99) + 3 months free
Money Back Guarantee
30 days
No. of Servers
5,000+
2
Surfshark
Lowest Monthly Price
INR 197.29 + one month free
Money Back Guarantee
30 days
No. of Servers
3,200+
3
Private Internet Access
Lowest Monthly Price
INR 158.89
No. of Devices
Unlimited
No. of Servers
30,000+
Bottom Line
In the battle of CyberGhost vs. Private Internet Access, it’s kind of a tie because they each shine in different areas. They’re both secure, private and reliable. If you don’t want to take chances with your privacy though, CyberGhost may be the best pick based on where it’s headquartered. It’s also the best choice for those who want to access the most media around the world via streaming services. For the most affordable and best value with high customizability, go with Private Internet Access.
See other competitors in our full round-up of the best VPN services.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Is CyberGhost better than PIA?
It depends on what you’re looking for. If you want an easy-to-use VPN that can unlock streaming services around the world, CyberGhost is a great choice. However, PIA offers some of the best pricing and it’s a highly customizable VPN.
Can I be tracked if I use a VPN?
In short, no, but the answer is a bit more complex than that. If you’re connected to a VPN, the active data that you send and receive while online is encrypted and your IP is masked. However, if you provide information or log into apps or websites, a VPN can’t do anything for you. Also, a VPN cannot protect you from malware—only the best antivirus software can do that.
Can I leave my VPN on all the time?
Yes, you can. Many VPN services, including CyberGhost and Private Internet Access, allow you to use a VPN on your router, which protects your entire home network—and can remain on all the time.
Can an email be traced if I use a VPN?
Email cannot be traced back to your IP if you use a VPN because a VPN service masks your IP. However, if you log into an email account, your email provider “knows” you’ve logged in, but it can’t trace where you are.