Head to head · Updated August 13, 2026
CyberGhost vs ExpressVPN
ExpressVPN takes it by 4 points, 74.0 against 70.0. That margin is worth reading past — CyberGhost wins 2 of the seven criteria outright.
CyberGhost
70.0The longest refund window in the market attached to a mid-tier privacy posture.
- From
- $2.19/mo
- Based in
- Romania
- Devices
- 7
- Audits
- 1
We earn nothing from CyberGhost. This link is included because the ranking says it belongs here.
ExpressVPN
74.0Polished software and a genuine router firmware, at a price the rest of the market has moved away from.
- From
- $4.99/mo
- Based in
- British Virgin Islands
- Devices
- 8
- Audits
- 2
We earn nothing from ExpressVPN. This link is included because the ranking says it belongs here.
Criterion by criterion
CyberGhost wins 2, ExpressVPN wins 3, 2 tied. Each row shows the raw score out of ten and the weighted contribution to the total.
| Criterion | Weight | CyberGhost | ExpressVPN | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Independent audit | 20 | 6/10 (12.0) | 9/10 (18.0) | ExpressVPN |
| Jurisdiction and ownership | 15 | 7/10 (10.5) | 7/10 (10.5) | Tied |
| Protocol and crypto stack | 15 | 9/10 (13.5) | 7/10 (10.5) | CyberGhost |
| Leak protection | 15 | 7/10 (10.5) | 9/10 (13.5) | ExpressVPN |
| Transparency | 15 | 5/10 (7.5) | 5/10 (7.5) | Tied |
| Price and refund terms | 10 | 9/10 (9.0) | 5/10 (5.0) | CyberGhost |
| Platform coverage | 10 | 7/10 (7.0) | 9/10 (9.0) | ExpressVPN |
| Total | 100 | 70.0 | 74.0 | ExpressVPN |
Where each one actually wins
CyberGhost is ahead on
- Protocol and crypto stack. WireGuard and OpenVPN shipped on all platforms with modern defaults.
- Price and refund terms. $2.19/month effective on a 26-month term with a 45-day refund window, the longest here.
ExpressVPN is ahead on
- Independent audit. KPMG assured the no-logs claim and Cure53 audited the Lightway protocol source, both with public summaries.
- Leak protection. Network Lock kill switch on desktop, DNS run on the same servers, and a RAM-only fleet under TrustedServer.
- Platform coverage. Apps across all major platforms plus purpose-built router firmware, with 8 simultaneous connections.
Choose CyberGhost if
Readers who want a long, genuinely risk-free evaluation period.
Choose ExpressVPN if
Readers who want a router-level install with vendor-supported firmware.
Reasons to pick neither
Skip CyberGhost if: You want auditable client software, or you are uncomfortable with three of this dataset’s providers sharing one owner.
Skip ExpressVPN if: You are price-sensitive, or you want your provider to be independent of a group that owns several apparent competitors.
Questions
- Is CyberGhost or ExpressVPN better?
- ExpressVPN scores higher overall, 74.0 against 70.0, a gap of 4 points out of 100. That is close enough that the deciding factor should be which criteria matter to you rather than the total.
- Which is cheaper, CyberGhost or ExpressVPN?
- CyberGhost, at $2.19/mo against $4.99/mo. Both rates require committing to the provider’s longest term; the monthly rates are considerably higher.
- Which one has been audited more recently?
- ExpressVPN, most recently in 2023 against CyberGhost’s 2022.
- Does jurisdiction differ between them?
- Yes. CyberGhost operates from Romania and ExpressVPN from British Virgin Islands. Both sit in the same position relative to the Fourteen Eyes agreement.
Related comparisons
Comparison generated from the same dataset as the ranking. Emphasis criterion definitions are on the rubric page. Criterion labels: Independent audit, Jurisdiction and ownership, Protocol and crypto stack, Leak protection, Transparency, Price and refund terms, Platform coverage.