Head to head · Updated August 13, 2026
CyberGhost vs IVPN
IVPN takes it by 12.5 points, 82.5 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.
IVPN
82.5A deliberately small, transparent operation that costs more than the market and makes no attempt to hide it.
- From
- $6.00/mo
- Based in
- Gibraltar
- Devices
- 7
- Audits
- 1
We earn nothing from IVPN. This link is included because the ranking says it belongs here.
Criterion by criterion
CyberGhost wins 2, IVPN wins 4, 1 tied. Each row shows the raw score out of ten and the weighted contribution to the total.
| Criterion | Weight | CyberGhost | IVPN | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Independent audit | 20 | 6/10 (12.0) | 8/10 (16.0) | IVPN |
| Jurisdiction and ownership | 15 | 7/10 (10.5) | 9/10 (13.5) | IVPN |
| Protocol and crypto stack | 15 | 9/10 (13.5) | 9/10 (13.5) | Tied |
| Leak protection | 15 | 7/10 (10.5) | 9/10 (13.5) | IVPN |
| Transparency | 15 | 5/10 (7.5) | 10/10 (15.0) | IVPN |
| Price and refund terms | 10 | 9/10 (9.0) | 5/10 (5.0) | CyberGhost |
| Platform coverage | 10 | 7/10 (7.0) | 6/10 (6.0) | CyberGhost |
| Total | 100 | 70.0 | 82.5 | IVPN |
Where each one actually wins
CyberGhost is ahead on
- Price and refund terms. $2.19/month effective on a 26-month term with a 45-day refund window, the longest here.
- Platform coverage. Desktop, mobile, Android TV and router, with 7 simultaneous connections and no Apple TV app.
IVPN is ahead on
- Independent audit. Cure53 audited apps, infrastructure and the no-logs claim, though the most recent published report is older than two years.
- Jurisdiction and ownership. Gibraltar sits outside the Fourteen Eyes agreement and the operating company is named publicly.
- Leak protection. Firewall-based kill switch that blocks traffic outside the tunnel by default on desktop.
- Transparency. Open-source apps, anonymous account IDs, cash accepted, and the affiliate programme was closed to remove reviewer incentives.
Choose CyberGhost if
Readers who want a long, genuinely risk-free evaluation period.
Choose IVPN if
Readers who value published reasoning and anonymous signup over network size.
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 IVPN if: You want a large server network or the lowest possible price. IVPN is explicitly not competing on either.
Questions
- Is CyberGhost or IVPN better?
- IVPN scores higher overall, 82.5 against 70.0, a gap of 12.5 points out of 100. A deliberately small, transparent operation that costs more than the market and makes no attempt to hide it.
- Which is cheaper, CyberGhost or IVPN?
- CyberGhost, at $2.19/mo against $6.00/mo. Both rates require committing to the provider’s longest term; the monthly rates are considerably higher.
- Which one has been audited more recently?
- Both published audits in 2022.
- Does jurisdiction differ between them?
- Yes. CyberGhost operates from Romania and IVPN from Gibraltar. 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.