Available Support

I’m not sure exactly what was causing these issues, and support was not able to help much, either. One problem that I had when testing CyberGhost is that it could be really slow to establish connections. This wasn’t always the case, but in many instances, it could take longer than a minute to establish a connection. After doing some troubleshooting with support I was able to get CyberGhost installed correctly on my Windows test machine. For this CyberGhost review, I tested out Version 7 of the Windows client.

Longtime PIA user here and I can confirm many of these problems. But it has gotten worse in the past two years, much worse. Speeds are now attrocious, support does not exist, constant bugs with mobile apps. Hi Peter, interesting, I’ll have to take a look at the next PIA review update.

Nordvpn Vs Private Internet Access Comparison & Test Results 2020

With a 24-hour live chat option you can get instant answers to your questions day or night. PIA has an e-mail ticket systems, but the response time is, on average, a less than impressive 36 hours. NordVPN and Private Internet Access are two of the most popular VPN providers. We set out to determine which one is the best for your needs. No matter which VPN provider that you find is best for your needs, I highly recommend immediately buying a subscription to begin protecting your online activities from prying eyes. NordVPN app support includes Windows, macOS, iOS, Linux, Android and Android TV. Chrome and Firefox browser extensions are available. BitTorrent/P2P file sharing is either the best thing since sliced bread or a way for online users to completely destroy the movie and music industries .

On the homepage, CyberGhost claims to be a “no logs” VPN provider with a “strict no logs policy”. This is fairly common in the VPN industry, where VPNs can get kicked out of data centers for too many copyright violations . Officially, CyberGhost is a torrenting-friendly VPN service. They are based in Romania, which does not fall under any stringent copyright laws . Many VPNs also restrict torrenting, such as TunnelBear.

Below are additional findings from my research of PIA for this review. To understand why this was upsetting to many PIA users, we’ll just take a quick look at Mark Karpeles. Ultimately, the answer is that it depends on your unique needs and threat model, which you should consider when selecting the best VPN service for your needs. Many people disagree about the importance of jurisdiction, and the answer is not entirely clear, simply because we cannot see what’s going on behind the scenes. Various branches of the US government have broad authority to carry out mass surveillance on all internet communications. A seven day refund policy is about average for the VPN industry. I have also seen complaints on the PIA reddit forum about users who were denied refunds on auto-renewal subscriptions they forgot about.

With a great all-around package for security, privacy, and streaming, Surfshark manages to compete with the top names in the VPN industry in spite of being a new service. PIA, however, is a reliable budget VPN with some great features for the price. Unfortunately, it’s dragged down a little by geoblock bypassing problems and inconsistent speeds on some servers. Streaming servers are blocked BBC https://coinbreakingnews.info/ iPlayer streaming server gets blocked, as does Finnish broadcasting company YLE which would be the two streaming services I really care about. A lot of servers are very laggy in Europe, at least compared to my previous VPN provider. With over 3,000 servers in 94 countries, ExpressVPN offers excellent global server coverage, giving you plenty of options to access geographically blocked content.

Later I discovered that I could only make connections with the original software to certain foreign countries. I installed it on a Windows PC two days ago and, despite a few good chats with CG, it still does not work properly. When the PC wakes up from sleep, it takes up to 3 minutes to re-connect and the internet cyberghost vs private internet access is no longer accessible unless CG is turned OFF again. I am still trying to get this corrected but the chat is not available this weekend. I also have an issue with CG on my Fire TV. It doesn’t work with Amazon Video and doesn’t work with Netflix. Also, it seems that it can’t be turned OFF unless you log off.

Speed8 9

I ran a few tests to look for virtual server locations, where the advertised location does not match up with the true physical location of the server. Everything checked out and it does not appear that PIA uses any virtual server locations.

Expressvpn Vs Private Internet Access: Final Verdict

It offers great anti-fingerprinting and a no-logs policy to make you untraceable. Your personal information is safe even when you pay for your subscription since CyberGhost accepts BitCoin. Private Internet Access wins this category by providing 24/7 live chat, with the support staff being professional and very efficient. You can also chat with other users on Private Internet Access’ forum. CyberGhost offers live chat, but it is only available during Eastern European working hours. Their rich knowledge base and FAQ section can also be pretty useful.

If you click the arrows on the left side of the VPN client, a new window will open up that reveals more servers, settings, and configuration options. CyberGhost servers in Europe seemed to be more congested than servers in the US. In the screenshot below, you can see that many CyberGhost UK servers were overloaded, between 75% to 100% + capacity. And as with all of myVPN reviews, I begin by thoroughly researching the parent company and the history of the VPN service.

And yes, both PIA and ExpressVPN are good options for sharing P2P files. Ideally, the more devices you can connect, the better. A single ExpressVPN account allows you to connect up to 5 devices at the same time, which is an increase from the previous cyberghost vs private internet access 3 simultaneous connections. If you want a VPN for family use or your small business, then you might choose one that allows multiple simultaneous connections. This way everyone’s connection will be protected using a single VPN account.

Does Pia Work With Netflix? (not For Me)

For most users, mostly international clients, PIA may not meet their content-unblocking needs. Even US users might be challenged using PIA to unblock content restricted to specific states. More so, ExpressVPN is equipped with a ‘kill switch’ feature, which keepings your IP address under wraps if your connection is interrupted. Coupling this ability with the VPN’s no-logs policy and high encryption standards, its a safe option for torrenting enthusiasts. Any VPN worth its salt should support P2P file sharing.

PIA will not process a refund through some payment processors, or if they have decided to terminate your account for some reason. In the latest PIA review, I found the applications to work well without cyberghost vs private internet access any bugs, crashes, or other problems. Below I’m adjusting preferences within the PIA Windows client. Here is a screenshot of the ExpressVPN Windows client I tested out in my review of ExpressVPN.

They do offer some helpful guides that will explain some of the more technical aspects, such as choosing the best protocols, but you shouldn’t need them for basic use. When it comes to customer support NordVPN is the clear winner.

But they do have unique features that give each a competitive edge than the other. The VPN also accepts crypto payments, including Bitcoin and Ethereum. Though considering the anti-privacy laws in the US, one can’t help but trust ExpressVPN more, as far as privacy is concerned. If you are on a tight budget, however, PIA can be your saving grace.

Private Internet Access background – For many years, Private Internet Access was one of the leading VPN services, perhaps peaking in 2017. In my tests and observations, PIA has been going downhill for the past few years. Many people have been cancelling their subscriptions and venting concerns in various forums. I’d been asking the Cyberghost support team for help with the frequently dropping connections. The software is not smart enough to brake a connection that is blocked and choose a new server.

Most of these “review” websites ignore the fact that CyberGhost, Private Internet Access, and ZenMate are all owned by the same company, called Kape. Kape is an Israeli business with a history of producing malware and collecting data for profit.

Even though CyberGhost and PIA have a lot to offer their users, they are two wildly different VPNs. Again they monitor your use so the ads are targeted specifically to your browsing. However, sometimes the code can be very close to malware which can be very difficult to remove from your computer without doing a full wipe to clean it. PIA is a lightweight VPN software, this means that it will download quickly and not take up too much space on your computer. Whether you’re using it on a PC, Mac, Linux, or for a mobile device, the process is quick and easy.

• When you set up an open source VPN for yourself, Private Internet Access does not have a restricted free version and even takes it a step further by offering an open sourced client.
• Because your data and privacy can be at risk if you use a free VPN that sells your data, it is risky even to test free VPN services.
• Private Internet Access boasts more than 3200 servers located in 25 countries around the world.
• The best free VPN doesn’t exist because there is this risk.
• When testing out the CyberGhost VPN apps, I noticed that many servers were overloaded with users.

Make your choice and you will be able to see what other users think. The speed tests didn’t really reveal any jaw-dropping information. PIA VPN tested a little bit better with regards to download, upload, and latency. However, CyberGhost didn’t perform substantially worse than Private Internet Access VPN, with exception to the upload rate. The Premium version does add apps for Android and iOS and doesn’t include any invasive ads. But if you ask me, the Premium version isn’t worth its salt.

Being a new service, Surfshark hasn’t gotten a lot of notice yet – either from VPN users or from anti-VPN websites and governments. cyberghost vs private internet access That low profile works wonders for unblocking geo-restricted streams like US Netflix or bypassing the Great Firewall of China.

Plus, PIA VPN doesn’t separate its service into different packages. Leave a review of a VPN you have tested and help others make the right choice for their online safety. CyberGhost protects your privacy with OpenVPN, cyberghost vs private internet access L2TP/IPSec, and PPTP protocols. Private Internet Access also supports Mac, Windows, Android, iOS, and Linux. CyberGhost’s recent upgrades to its iOS app have skyrocketed the VPN’s performance on Apple devices.