CyberGhost vs. Private Internet Access (PIA): What is the Best VPN in 2022? (2023)

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Since its inception in 2011, CyberGhost has risen to become one of the most trusted VPNs on the market. The company continues to win the hearts of consumers, which is why it's a favorite on consumer review sites and other technology publishers.

As of this writing, CyberGhost has an impressive 4.8/5 after more than 14,000 reviews on Trustpilot. It has also been featured on leading technology websites including TechRadar, Cnet, Tom's Hardware, and others, where it has been praised for its security, privacy, and performance.

Private Internet Access is also a trusted brand, but it's certainly not on CyberGhost's level. The company was founded in 2010, but it is not a big name VPN like CyberGhost. As of this writing, Private Internet Access is rated 4.5/5 after over 7,000 reviews on Trustpilot.

Tom's Guide also covered this VPN and credited PIA for privacy, but criticized it for its slow speed. All said and done, PIA is still a VPN worth trying.

CyberGhost is an excellent VPN that offers protection on computers and mobile devices. It works with all desktops, be it Windows PC, Linux or Mac. When it comes to mobile devices, this VPN is compatible with all Android and iOS devices.

Plus, CyberGhost works with a variety of other devices, including smart and Android TVs, Apple TVs, routers, and game consoles. There are also extensions for Chrome and Firefox. When it comes to the number of devices supported, you can connect up to 7 devices.

Private Internet Access is also a great deal when it comes to device compatibility. It is compatible with desktop and mobile computers. You can use it on a Windows PC, Linux Mint 18+, Debian and Arch or Mac.

The service is also available for Android and iOS devices, Android and smart TVs, Apple TV, routers, and game consoles. While equal to CyberGhost in terms of supported devices, PIA wins this round now that it supports more devices. You can connect up to 10 devices simultaneously while CyberGhost only supports 7.

To start using CyberGhost, users need to create an account, confirm their email, and set up the VPN on the server of their choice. Overall, CyberGhost is easy to use thanks to the intuitive interface and simple instructions.

However, on some devices, manual configuration may be required. Fortunately, CyberGhost has plenty of guides and resources to help users get started without a hitch.

Private Internet Access also scores well in terms of usability. Getting started is just as easy. The first thing you need to do is click 'Get started with VPN' and select a plan.

As with CyberGhost, some devices, for example consoles and the Raspberry Pi, may require manual configuration, which can be challenging for some users. There are also many guides on how to use PIA.

CyberGhost is a VPN that ensures security by implementing the latest military-grade encryption – AES 256-bit encryption. This is the industry standard and is literally unbreakable. Even a brute force attack with the most powerful PCs will take more than 2117.8 trillion years. As for the handshake, CyberGhost uses TLS v1.2 and a certificate signed with SHA-256.

PIA is also a secure VPN using AES-128/256 GCM and CBC. With 256-bit encryption, you are guaranteed watertight security as this encryption cannot be broken. When it comes to handshake options, PIA VPN uses ECC-256k1/256r1/521 and RSA-2048/3072/4096.

CyberGhost supports three protocols; OpenVPN, IKEv2/IPSec, and WireGuard. OpenVPN is the most popular protocol as it is flexible in terms of configuration, highly secure, supports multiple cryptographic algorithms, and easily bypasses firewalls. IKEv2/IPSec is also a great option for users looking for speed and mobility. On the other hand, WireGuard is similar to IKEv2/IPSec but offers better performance.

When it comes to PIA, the VPN uses trusted open source protocols like WireGuard, OpenVPN, and IKEv2. These protocols are the same ones used by CyberGhost, so both VPNs are the same. in terms of tunneling

CyberGhost comes with DNS and IP leak protection, so you can be sure that your DNS or IP will never leak. There is also a kill switch that immediately disconnects your device from the internet when you lose the VPN connection, thus preventing your location, IP address or identity from being exposed. Another bonus is split tunneling that allows users to set custom rules for apps that want to connect or bypass the VPN tunnel.

Private Internet access is also a great option here. It also comes with DNS and IP leak protection to keep you safe at all times. This VPN also has an advanced kill switch so that you automatically disconnect from the internet whenever you lose your VPN connection. Split tunneling is also available to allow you to choose which apps connect to the VPN tunnel and which don't. Also worth mentioning is PIA Mace”, a robust security feature that blocks certain domains used to run malware attacks, trackers and ads, as well as SOCKS5 and Shadowsocks proxies.

CyberGhost is a VPN provider based in Bucharest, Romania. The company started in Germany but moved to Romania as Southeast Europe's champion country for online privacy and confidentiality.

It is not a member of any watchdog organizations, for example 5 Eyes, 9 Eyes and 14 Eyes, and has in fact declared the EU's mandatory data retention directives unconstitutional. With that said, users can rest assured that CyberGhost cannot, in any way, be coerced by authorities to send user data.

One of the shortcomings of Private Internet Access is that it is based in Colorado and therefore operates under US jurisdictional rules.

As you may know, the United States is among the member states of the 5 Eyes alliance. This means that the VPN may be forced to cooperate with the authorities by sending user data when necessary.

CyberGhost has a zero-logs policy, so even if the authorities come knocking on your door, none of your online activities will be available. The only data collected includes personal data during registration, IP address, country, purchases and transactions.

The fact that PIA is in a 5 eye jurisdiction is a scare, but luckily PIA has a strict 100% no logs policy: only email address, payment details and temporary affiliate cookies are the only information collected. None of your data is recorded.

CyberGhost has over 7,700 servers spread across 113 locations in 91 countries at the time of writing.

One big advantage of CyberGhost is that there are physically located servers, virtual servers, and some P2P servers with dedicated IP addresses (additional cost). This specialization and unlimited bandwidths make this VPN a worthy choice.

On the other hand, PIA has more than 35,000 servers in 78 countries. This is a good thing, as many servers mean fewer crowds, and consequently faster speeds.

However, PIA's server locations are not as many as CyberGhost's. But the good thing is that these high-end servers offer unlimited bandwidth and users can get dedicated IPs (additional cost).

CyberGhost is a great option for anyone looking to stream on geo-restricted platforms. Unlike proxies, CyberGhost encrypts all of your traffic so it won't catch the attention of streaming sites.

We've done extensive testing and are pleased to have unblocked Netflix, Hulu, BBC iPlayer and many other platforms thanks to optimized servers. This VPN also supports torrenting and P2P file sharing, but not on all servers. Users should make sure that the servers they are connected to support torrent/P2P.

Private Internet Access can also unblock geo-restricted streaming sites, but not as effectively as CyberGhost. It managed to unblock UK and US Netflix, but we had errors when trying other Netflix platforms.

As for Hulu, BBC iPlayer, and Crunchyroll, it unblocked them with ease. When it comes to torrenting and P2P file sharing, PIA is also a valid option. As a security measure, this VPN uses the SOCKS5 proxy, which offers worry-free torrenting when used with the kill switch. But like CyberGhost, the company prohibits illegal downloading and sharing of copyrighted material.

CyberGhost understands that the customer is king, which is why they have a strong customer support infrastructure in place. Users can get help through the live chat feature that is available 24/7.

Support agents are knowledgeable and provide almost immediate feedback. We tried the live chat feature and it was awesome. Another support option is email, but feedback isn't instant. CyberGhost has many guides and FAQs in the knowledge base available on the official VPN website.

Private Internet Access is no different from CyberGhost in terms of customer support. Here too, the company has a 24/7 live chat feature available.

The agents are also knowledgeable, but the feedback took a bit longer, probably because there are few support agents. You can also opt for the ticketing system, which is relatively slow, or the PIA knowledge base.

CyberGhost doesn't have a free plan, but there is a free trial for monthly subscriptions and a 14-day money-back guarantee. All other long-term plans come with a 45-day money-back guarantee. Users can pay with BitPay, PayPal, Amex, Visa or MasterCard.

PIA does not have a free plan, but a 7-day free trial is available for iOS and Android. There is also a 7-day money-back guarantee for monthly subscriptions and a 30-day money-back guarantee for long-term plans. Available payment options include Visa, MasterCard, Amex, Discover, JCB, PayPal, BEAM, Amazon Pay, Bitcoin, Zcash, Ethereum, and Litecoin.

Test 1- We checked how fast we could download a 1GB file on a sample of 10 servers

test 2- Speed ​​tested on Canadian servers

test 3- Speed ​​tested on German servers

test 4- Speed ​​checked on servers in Egypt

test 5- Speed ​​checked on Ukrainian servers

Test 1- We checked how fast we could download a 1GB file on a sample of 10 servers

test 2- Speed ​​tested on Canadian servers

test 3- Speed ​​tested on German servers

test 4- Speed ​​checked on servers in Egypt

test 5- Speed ​​checked on Ukrainian servers