Key Takeaways: Key Takeaways: hide.me vs CyberGhost
- The main difference between CyberGhost and hide.me is that CyberGhost has a cheaper long-term plan, but hide.me offers a completely free VPN.
- If you need a dedicated IP address, opt for CyberGhost as hide.me doesn’t provide this feature.
- Although hide.me has a lot to offer, we consider CyberGhost to be the better VPN. It offers more server locations, cheaper pricing and a longer money-back guarantee.
Facts & Expert Analysis: hide.me and CyberGhost
- hide.me Protocols: We’re happy with hide.me’s decision to phase out a raft of obsolete protocols due to security issues, including PPTP and L2TP/IPsec.
- Speed Tests: CyberGhost is the faster VPN, though their speed tests were close. Given its specialized servers, you’re more likely to have a smooth experience with demanding tasks such as streaming and torrenting.
- Parent Companies: CyberGhost is part of the Kape Technologies family, though we couldn’t find any evidence of direct interference by the parent company. Meanwhile, hide.me is owned by eVenture Ltd., a Malaysia-based company.
At first glance, both CyberGhost and hide.me seem pretty evenly matched, with comparable features, geo-unblocking abilities and security protocols. In this hide.me vs CyberGhost comparison, we pit these two services against each other to determine once and for all whether one is better.
Ultimately, we concluded that those who are looking for stronger streaming performances or a free VPN should try hide.me. On the other hand, if you’re after a more feature-rich experience that also lands on our all-around best VPN list, you should subscribe to CyberGhost.
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- : PayPal, Credit card, bitcoin
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- : PayPal, Credit card, bitcoin, Amazon Pay
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Average speedDownload Speed82 MbpsUpload Speed9 MbpsLatency39 ms
Our Comparison Guidelines
For this comparison, we tested the CyberGhost and hide.me VPN apps in essential categories such as security features, streaming capabilities, server locations and VPN protocol options. We evaluated how the VPN services were similar and different from one another, and which VPN might be the better choice depending on the use case.
You’ll find a more in-depth look at each service in our CyberGhost review and hide.me review.
Cloudwards Editor’s Choice: CyberGhost
We found that CyberGhost was the best VPN in this comparison for a couple of reasons. Not only does it give you more servers to choose from, but it’s also the more affordable premium VPN of the two. However, hide.me gives CyberGhost a good run for its money in terms of key features, geo-unblocking ability and buffer-free streaming, plus offering a free plan.
CyberGhost vs hide.me: Comparison at a Glance
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|---|---|---|
| Review | Review | |
| General | ||
| Payment methods | PayPal, Credit card, bitcoin, Amazon Pay | PayPal, Credit card, bitcoin |
| Accepts cryptocurrency | ||
| Simultaneous connections | 7 | 10 |
| Supports split tunneling | ||
| Unlimited bandwidth | ||
| Free trial available | ||
| Refund period | ||
| Worldwide server amount | 9861 servers in 91 countries | 1,900 servers in 40 countries |
| Desktop OSes | Windows, MacOS, Linux | Windows, MacOS, Linux |
| Mobile OSes | Android, iOS | Android, iOS |
| Browser extensions | Chrome, Firefox | Chrome, Firefox, Edge |
| Can be installed on routers | ||
| Streaming | ||
| Can access Netflix US | ||
| Can access BBC iPlayer | ||
| Can access Hulu | ||
| Can access Amazon Prime Video | ||
| Security | ||
| Encryption types | 256-AES, ChaCha20 | 128-AES, 256-AES, ChaCha20, RC4, RC5, DES |
| VPN protocols available | OpenVPN, IKEv2, WireGuard | OpenVPN, L2TP, SSTP, IKEv2, SoftEther, WireGuard |
| Enabled at device startup | ||
| Allows torrenting | ||
| No-logging policy | ||
| Passed DNS leak test | ||
| Killswitch available | ||
| Malware/ad blocker included | ||
| Support | ||
| Live Chat | 24/7 | 24/7 |
| Email support | 24/7 | 24/7 |
| Phone support | ||
| User forum | ||
| Knowledgebase |
Which Is Better: hide.me vs CyberGhost?
CyberGhost is a better VPN than hide.me. Although it doesn’t offer a free version, it has the lowest-priced premium plan and comes with far more server options. Both services include split tunneling, but CyberGhost’s Android client splits tunnels by app, which makes more sense for iPhone and Android in our eyes.
Who Is hide.me For?
- First-time VPN users: hide.me’s apps have a beginner-friendly interface that’s easy to figure out.
- Budget-conscious users: The free version, which includes unlimited bandwidth, is a good option for anyone looking to protect their online privacy without opening their wallet.
- Users with multiple devices: hide.me can run on 10 devices simultaneously, making it easier to protect your local network than installing it on a router.
Who Is CyberGhost VPN For?
- Businesses: The “dedicated IP” add-on is useful for connecting to IP-restricted corporate networks without revealing your real IP.
- Torrent client users: CyberGhost has specialized servers for torrenting.
- Both VPN novices and experts: Users can adjust CyberGhost settings for exceptional customization, but the interface is still easy to use for VPN beginners; you can connect in one click.
If You Want to Consider Other Services, Check Out…
NordVPN and ExpressVPN both had better speed test results than hide.me and CyberGhost, making them good options for maintaining the least possible impact on your internet speeds. You can read more about these two providers in our NordVPN vs ExpressVPN comparison.
If hide.me’s 10 simultaneous connections aren’t enough, you may want to try Surfshark instead, as it offers unlimited connections. You can read more about this VPN in our Surfshark review.
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- : PayPal, Credit card, Google Pay, AmazonPay, ACH Transfer, Cash
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Average speedDownload Speed91 MbpsUpload Speed9 MbpsLatency3 ms -
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Average speedDownload Speed91 MbpsUpload Speed9 MbpsLatency6 ms -
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Average speedDownload Speed93 MbpsUpload Speed9 MbpsLatency128 ms -
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Average speedDownload Speed93 MbpsUpload Speed9 MbpsLatency2 ms -
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hide.me vs CyberGhost: Similarities
CyberGhost and hide.me have similarities in offering a kill switch, split tunneling, device support and customer support.
Kill Switch
As an integral part of any good VPN service, a kill switch cuts off your internet connection when your VPN connection drops. This protects your data and online activity from being exposed to your internet service provider (ISP) or anyone else.
main settings.
CyberGhost buries its kill switch within its privacy settings on all its desktop and mobile apps. Meanwhile, hide.me’s kill switch is available only on Mac and Windows apps, but it is easier to locate within the main VPN settings.
Split Tunneling
Split tunneling is a useful feature that lets you handpick which apps and websites go through your VPN connection and which are accessed through your normal, unprotected connection. For example, this would allow you to hide your torrenting activity behind a VPN while using your unprotected connection for regular browsing.
Both CyberGhost and hide.me limit split tunneling capabilities — hide.me only offers it onWindows, Mac and Android, and CyberGhost restricts it to Windows and Android only. In CyberGhost’s desktop apps, setting up split tunneling is done through the “smart rules” feature, whereas hide.me has a simple split tunneling option found in its settings.
Customer Support
Both CyberGhost and hide.me VPN offer live chat and email as support options, along with useful knowledgebases for self-guided troubleshooting.
In this comparison, hide.me is the only one that offers an official community support forum, though CyberGhost does have a subreddit. Unfortunately, neither resources are well maintained.
CyberGhost vs hide.me: Differences
There are several things that set CyberGhost and hide.me apart, including relative speeds, simultaneous connections, server numbers and locations, free plans and pricing, as well as security options.
Speeds
In head-to-head speed tests, CyberGhost and hide.me turned in widely varying results, but there’s no clear winner. In general, hide.me has faster download speeds, while CyberGhost has faster upload speeds and lower latencies. This suggests hide.me is better for general browsing activities, while CyberGhost is superior for live streaming and gaming.
Let’s take a look at CyberGhost’s average speed performance first:
Upload Speed (Higher is better)
Latency (Lower is better)
Its low average download speed is mainly due to inconsistency. It’s incredibly fast in some times and places, but lags in others. On the other hand, upload speeds stayed quite steady, never varying for us beyond a 1 Mbps range. Latencies, which are important for gaming and other live activities, also averaged lower than hide.me (remember, for ping, lower is better).
Now let’s examine how hide.me performed.
| Location: | Download (Mbps) | Upload (Mbps) | Ping (ms) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Portland, Oregon, U.S.A. (unprotected) | 58.53 | 5.86 | 18 |
 USA (fastest) |
56.04 | 5.56 | 25 |
 UK |
54.49 | 5.48 | 303 |
 Brazil |
51.54 | 5.14 | 398 |
 South Africa |
31.66 | 3.89 | 669 |
 Singapore |
39.55 | 2.08 | 519 |
 Australia |
48.74 | 5.30 | 332 |
| Average: | 47.00 (80%) | 4.58 (78%) | 374 (2078%) |
When averaged across the entire world, hide.me is much faster on average. Our practical experience bore this out, as static web pages and video worked more smoothly than they did on CyberGhost.
Simultaneous Connections
Having simultaneous connections means you can protect multiple devices with a single VPN subscription. hide.me’s Premium plan triumphs in this area, allowing you to connect up to 10 devices compared to CyberGhost’s seven. If you want other VPN suggestions, read our best VPNs for multiple devices guide.
| Simultaneous Connections | |
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|---|---|---|
| Number of Simultaneous Connections | 1 (free version) 10 (premium version) |
7 |
Servers
hide.me keeps its actual number of VPN servers close to its chest, revealing only that it has IP addresses in 89 different server locations across six continents. CyberGhost offers 11,800 servers in its 100 locations, a good sign that its resources aren’t spread too thin.
| Region: | |
|
|---|---|---|
| Total Countries | 55 | 100 |
| The Americas | 7 | 18 |
| Europe | 31 | 45 |
| Asia-Pacific/Other | 17 | 37 |
Free Plans and Pricing Options
While both providers are among the most affordable VPNs on the market, CyberGhost narrowly wins out as the cheaper of the two. Its best deal costs $2.37 per month (two-year plan), compared to hide.me’s $4.58 per month (one-year plan).
However, hide.me’s free plan is where this VPN triumphs, earning it a reputation as one of the best free VPNs around. In contrast, CyberGhost has no free plan. CyberGhost’s brief free trial is limited to 24 hours on the Mac and Windows apps, three days on Android and seven days on iOS.
If you opt for the premium version of either VPN and change your mind later, hide.me offers a 30-day money-back guarantee. CyberGhost goes one step further with a 45-day money-back guarantee on subscriptions longer than six months. On monthly subscriptions, the CyberGhost refund guarantee period lasts 14 days.
| Plans & Features | |
|
|---|---|---|
| Free Plan | ||
| 1-Month Price | $9.95 per month | $12.99 per month |
| 6-Month Price | $2.69 per month | $6.99 per month |
| 12-Month Price | $4.58 per month | N/A |
| 2-Year Price | N/A | $2.37 per month |
| Dedicated IP | N/A | $2.50 per month |
Security
In terms of quantity alone, hide.me has more VPN protocol options than CyberGhost. However, a closer look reveals that CyberGhost proactively abandoned support for SSTP due to concerns about its security.
Beyond that, both VPN services are pretty similar, offering AES-256 and ChaCha20 encryption as well as support for industry-standard VPN protocols. You can read our most secure VPN guide for more options.
| Protocol: | |
|
|---|---|---|
| OpenVPN | Y – All | Y (Windows and Android) |
| IKEv2 | macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android | macOS, Windows, iOS |
| WireGuard | macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android | macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android |
| SSTP | macOS, Windows, Linux, Android | N |
| SoftEther | macOS, Windows, Linux | N |
CyberGhost vs hide.me: Which Service Is Better for Streaming?
Both CyberGhost and hide.me performed well on streaming sites. Each was able to access all six of the tested services on the first try, even when we switched between countries. Both providers also offer dedicated streaming servers for major platforms, but we found overall better results with CyberGhost — our guide on how to use Netflix with CyberGhost has more information.
| Streaming Service | |
|
|---|---|---|
As we tested these specialty servers, we found that while both VPNs were capable of unblocking restricted content, hide.me VPN gave us less trouble than CyberGhost.
CyberGhost required us to change our VPN server a few times to get into BBC iPlayer, whereas hide.me breezed through on all servers. CyberGhost also presented us with more buffering issues on iPlayer, while hide.me’s dedicated servers had some buffering problems on the Japanese and Australian Netflix sites. You can also check out our best VPN for streaming guide.
The Verdict: Why We Think CyberGhost Wins Overall
Although it was a close call in some categories, CyberGhost VPN ultimately beat hide.me thanks to its vast server network, dedicated IP and advanced features like “smart rules.”
That said, your experience may differ. The good news is that you can try both VPNs for free to see which one you prefer. While hide.me offers a free plan, you can also try CyberGhost with its money-back guarantee.
Do you disagree with our decision? Is there an aspect you like or dislike about either service that makes you prefer one over the other? Let us know in the comments below, and as always, thanks for reading.
FAQ: CyberGhost and hide.me Comparison
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CyberGhost’s main disadvantages are that some of its specialized streaming servers don’t always work the first time, and it offers a very limited free trial.
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CyberGhost is a secure and reliable VPN service — it has a strict no-logs policy that has been verified by an audit, along with effective security features.
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