Head to head · Updated August 13, 2026
CyberGhost vs Windscribe
CyberGhost takes it by 3 points, 70.0 against 67.0. That margin is worth reading past — Windscribe 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.
Windscribe
67.0Unusually honest about its own incidents, but Canadian jurisdiction and a three-day refund window are real costs.
- From
- $5.75/mo
- Based in
- Canada
- Devices
- Unlimited
- Audits
- 1
We earn nothing from Windscribe. This link is included because the ranking says it belongs here.
Criterion by criterion
CyberGhost wins 2, Windscribe wins 2, 3 tied. Each row shows the raw score out of ten and the weighted contribution to the total.
| Criterion | Weight | CyberGhost | Windscribe | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Independent audit | 20 | 6/10 (12.0) | 6/10 (12.0) | Tied |
| Jurisdiction and ownership | 15 | 7/10 (10.5) | 3/10 (4.5) | CyberGhost |
| Protocol and crypto stack | 15 | 9/10 (13.5) | 9/10 (13.5) | Tied |
| Leak protection | 15 | 7/10 (10.5) | 8/10 (12.0) | Windscribe |
| Transparency | 15 | 5/10 (7.5) | 8/10 (12.0) | Windscribe |
| Price and refund terms | 10 | 9/10 (9.0) | 6/10 (6.0) | CyberGhost |
| Platform coverage | 10 | 7/10 (7.0) | 7/10 (7.0) | Tied |
| Total | 100 | 70.0 | 67.0 | CyberGhost |
Where each one actually wins
CyberGhost is ahead on
- Jurisdiction and ownership. Romania sits outside the Fourteen Eyes agreement, but the company is owned by Kape Technologies.
- Price and refund terms. $2.19/month effective on a 26-month term with a 45-day refund window, the longest here.
Windscribe is ahead on
- Leak protection. Firewall-based kill switch enabled by default on desktop, with the R.O.B.E.R.T. DNS filter layered on top.
- Transparency. Open-source clients, signup possible without an email, and the 2021 server seizure was disclosed publicly by the company itself.
Choose CyberGhost if
Readers who want a long, genuinely risk-free evaluation period.
Choose Windscribe if
Readers who need a free tier or want to pay only for two or three specific locations.
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 Windscribe if: You want a long trial period before committing. Three days and 10 GB is the tightest refund policy in this dataset.
Questions
- Is CyberGhost or Windscribe better?
- CyberGhost scores higher overall, 70.0 against 67.0, a gap of 3 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 Windscribe?
- CyberGhost, at $2.19/mo against $5.75/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 Windscribe from Canada. CyberGhost is outside the Fourteen Eyes agreement; the other is not.
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.