Head-to-head comparison
CyberGhost vs Surfshark; Pricing, Privacy Features, and Throughput
Compare CyberGhost and Surfshark on price positioning, privacy feature set, WireGuard behavior, and practical day-to-day speed consistency.
Networking Editorial
Quick verdict
Recommended: Surfshark
Surfshark comes out ahead on feature depth and unlimited-device flexibility, while CyberGhost offers a compelling lower-entry-price route for users who want a straightforward streaming-oriented setup.
CyberGhost
Lower intro monthly pricing with user-friendly onboarding and broad location coverage.
Surfshark
Stronger all-around feature stack plus unlimited concurrent connections.
Methodology
How we test and score
Every provider on this page is scored against the same criteria. Facts (pricing, protocol support, audit dates) are re-verified against vendor sources on the date shown next to each provider.
- Speed
- iperf3 throughput against a same-region endpoint on a 1 Gbps residential uplink, averaged across three consecutive runs at peak hours.
- Privacy
- Jurisdiction, published no-logs audit recency, diskless (RAM-only) server posture, and ownership independence.
- Auditing
- Only third-party audits published within the last 24 months contribute to the score. Vendor self-attestations are excluded.
- Protocol implementation
- Preference for native WireGuard and exportable peer configuration over proprietary protocols that block manual deployment.
- Configuration flexibility
- Router firmware availability, split tunneling, port forwarding, and IPv6 support are graded as boolean feature flags for machine-readable comparison.
Side-by-side comparison
Values below are re-verified against vendor documentation on the date shown in the final row.
| Metric |  |  |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $1.75/mo renews at $4.75/mo | $1.99/mo renews at $15.45/mo |
| Free tier | No | No |
| Refund window | 45 days | 30 days |
| Jurisdiction | Romania | Netherlands |
| Logs policy | No-logs policy with published transparency and third-party verification | No-logs, audited by Deloitte and Cure53 |
| Independent audit | Yes Deloitte | 2022-09-01 | Yes Deloitte, Cure53 | 2025-04-01 |
| WireGuard | Native WireGuard | Native WireGuard | exportable |
| Speed rating | 4.3/ 5 | 4.6/ 5 |
| Median latency | 31 ms | 28 ms |
| Server locations | 100 | 100 |
| Streaming-optimized pools | Yes | Yes |
| Router firmware | No | No |
| Port forwarding | No | No |
| Multi-hop | No | Yes |
| Kill switch | Yes | Yes |
| Split tunneling | Yes | Yes |
| Unlimited devices | No | Yes |
| Facts verified | ||
| Discount | See CyberGhost Discount | See Surfshark Discount |
Value versus feature depth
CyberGhost is the better pure value entry for users focused on cost and easy setup. Surfshark is the better long-term platform when you need broader privacy controls and unlimited-device support.