Four of the best VPNs on the market.
NordVPN, Surfshark, ExpressVPN, and CyberGhost.
But which one actually suits your cyber needs best?
In this VPN comparison, I'll discuss each VPN's pros, cons,
and everything in between that you'll need to know.
The first thing to note is that in recent years,
Surfshark and NordVPN have actually joined forces
with a goal of combining their resources to further strengthen security measures.
Also, both ExpressVPN and CyberGhost now
share the same parent company, Kape Technologies.
What does that mean when we compare Nord Security versus Kape
on security and privacy measures?
First of all, these four VPNs offer industry-leading encryption
that adds a protective layer between your network and device.
All four provider's technology is top of the market.
But to be specific,
NordVPN and Surfshark usually show the best results
in terms of speed.
Now, for an absolute must-have for privacy in the VPN world is a no-logs policy,
which means that the VPN itself
doesn't store any of my online activity at all.
All four of these providers have a strict no-logs policy,
and they've even been audited independently to verify it.
Now, another factor
that's actually more important than you think
is where the company is located.
When it comes to comparing NordVPN versus Surfshark,
this is one of the biggest differences I found.
While NordVPN is based in Panama,
that's a privacy-friendly country that doesn't share user's data,
Surfshark is actually based in the Netherlands.
Since this country is part of the 9-Eyes Alliance,
there's a chance that the government could ask for your data at any time.
But as I said, Surfshark has a no-logs policy,
so it's good in my book.
When it comes to ExpressVPN versus CyberGhost,
there's no need to worry
as neither is based in an intelligence-sharing country.
Plus, all these servers use RAM-only servers,
so every time the server is restarted, all the data is wiped clean.
Something noteworthy
is that Kape Technologies itself is based in the UK
and therefore part of the 5-Eyes Alliance.
Hey, besides keeping yourself safe online,
I've gathered a bunch of exclusive discounts
for each of these services,
and I've put them in the description.
Aside from security and privacy,
some of the other major factors I look at when doing a VPN comparison
are performance and server fleets.
Having plenty of service to choose from in multiple countries
grants me access to a ton of new content.
To qualify as a top VPN contender, this is non-negotiable.
As you can see, all these providers have a great range of servers
with CyberGhost definitely taking the lead.
They offer over 9,500 servers in 91 countries.
Even though CyberGhost boasts a high server count,
their performance still isn't quite as impressive
as NordVPN and Surfshark.
It's quantity over quality.
For example, NordVPN's tunneling protocol just cannot be beaten in terms of speed.
Remember, a VPN is a private passageway
that allows your online activity to stay anonymous,
and the tunneling protocol
is what routes the data through VPN servers while encrypting it.
Each protocol has its own benefits,
and some are better suited for mobile device performance,
while others aid in speed or stability.
When it comes to a NordVPN versus ExpressVPN comparison,
you'll find that they're both super speedy.
ExpressVPN uses its reliable, lightweight protocol,
which runs faster than average.
NordVPN, on the other hand, uses NordLynx technology
that's actually based on the powerful WireGuard protocol itself.
Surfshark and CyberGhost both also use the market-favorite, WireGuard option,
so you can expect to see decent results from them as well.
All right, so we've established that when it comes
to comparing NordVPN versus Surfshark versus ExpressVPN versus CyberGhost,
they all provide the security I expect alongside notable performances.
How do all their speeds really compare?
I tested all of them individually
with a baseline of 300 megabits per second.
As you can see, NordVPN and Surfshark are the fastest two.
ExpressVPN comes in at third with slower yet acceptable speeds,
and CyberGhost definitely has some room for improvement.
Something that's important to note
is that when VPNs connect to servers outside their local country,
this can affect the speed.
For that reason, I tried connecting all four providers to a server in Germany
to see how the speeds were,
and then one more time connecting all of them to a Japanese server
to see if there were any noticeable differences.
Alongside speed,
another crucial factor when doing a best VPN comparison
is to see which features are included in the plan.
I mean, this is going to play a pretty big role
when comparing prices later in the video.
The higher the monthly price, the more features I expect to see.
Starting off with NordVPN,
I can see that their plan includes
a pretty lengthy list of quality inclusions.
The Threat Protection feature acts like a stand-in antivirus,
so if you don't already have one installed on your device, this is a great option.
Okay, yes, it doesn't allow me to run a scan
to detect malware as a standard antivirus software would,
but instead, it works in the background
to monitor and delete any malware that's been downloaded.
Plus, it blocks ads, trackers, and malicious URLs
to keep my device at optimal safety.
I don't even need to be connected to the VPN for it to work.
Moving on to the useful split tunneling feature.
This allows me to customize which browsers or apps
that I want the VPN to be active on or not.
There's also a Dark Web Monitoring feature,
which, as the name suggests,
monitors the entirety of the Dark Web pretty much
to make sure you're immediately informed if any of your personal data is leaked.
Lastly, the SmartPlay tool works great
at accessing tons of geo-restricted streaming services
on devices that wouldn't normally support a VPN.
Now let's take a look at Surfshark's notable features.
The first one that stands out is their camouflage mode,
which basically makes your VPN itself undetectable.
Considering that many sites and services are starting to block VPN use,
this is a super helpful tool.
In case you should find yourself in a location
that has network restrictions or internet censorship,
the NoBorders feature, that's got your back.
After enabling NoBorders mode,
you'll be able to have a select list of servers
that they'll bypass any network restrictions.
Surfshark also has a CleanWeb function built-in,
which acts as an ad blocker.
This keeps away any ads, pop-ups, or banners.
If you're using two combined servers at once,
it's a must-have.
You'll be able to find that feature in the MultiHop tab.
Like NordVPN and Surfshark,
ExpressVPN also adds an extra layer of protection to your device
thanks to its feature called Threat Manager,
which blocks trackers and malicious websites.
Now, CyberGhost, on the other hand,
offers servers that are specifically optimized
for streaming, torrenting, and gaming.
But if you really want to customize your VPN experience,
I suggest trying out their dedicated IP as a paid add-on.
While a standard VPN hands out the same IP addresses to all of its users,
a dedicated IP is a unique address that only you have.
You'll also find a content blocker feature
that blocks any annoying ads, trackers, and malware.
All four VPNs offer a decent lineup of features,
but NordVPN is by far
one of the best VPN providers in this category
thanks to its variety of tools and extras.
All right, we've almost covered all our VPN bases,
but I know some of you are still wondering
which VPN to use for streaming and torrenting.
Well, thanks to the variety of servers, all these providers I've listed
are able to help you access tons of streaming platforms.
Regardless of the number of countries available,
I was able to comfortably find the content I was searching for.
As far as torrenting goes,
all providers offer P2P-friendly servers that make the process even easier.
Okay, now that we've covered everything from security and performance
to extra features and streaming,
exactly how much will one of these premium plans cost you?
Well, ExpressVPN definitely comes in as the priciest plan.
With NordVPN following in second,
Surfshark and CyberGhost are certainly on the more affordable side,
but still offer solid security and quality performance.
NordVPN, Surfshark, and ExpressVPN all offer 30-day money-back guarantees,
so you can try them out risk-free.
CyberGhost even has an impressive 45-day guarantee.
If one of these VPNs is starting to call your name,
be sure to head to the description where I've left you an exclusive discount
to make it even more affordable.
But before you do that, I have one more important note
that might help you choose which provider best suits your lifestyle.
How many simultaneous devices does each provider offer?
Well, NordVPN allows users access on six devices at once,
and it's available to download on all major platforms.
But Surfshark definitely wins this round.
It grants users unlimited simultaneous device use.
ExpressVPN offers eight devices
and has a pretty beginner-friendly router setup.
CyberGhost, on the other hand, allows up to seven devices at once.
Let me know in the comments which VPN is best for you.
NordVPN offers the best security and features,
while Surfshark offers unlimited connections
and is very affordable.
ExpressVPN is super easy to set up on your router,
and once you do,
it'll instantly protect all your household devices at once.
Of course,
CyberGhost has an extended money-back guarantee
and has those optimized servers that are excellent for entertainment use.
If this video is helpful,
feel free to check out the rest of our channel
for more in-depth video reviews on these providers,
and stay tuned for more.
Cheers.