CyberGhost vs Hola – At a Glance
CyberGhost
CyberGhost offers an economical way to protect your privacy and security while online. The provider’s fast, well-protected connections provide reliable access to content around the globe, thanks to its impressive global server network.
Hola
While Hola provides fast and protected connections for multiple device platforms, some of the provider’s “features” make it less private. The provider offers a free VPN service that places your device in a network of free users, where each shares their spare bandwidth with other users.
How to Choose a VPN
When shopping for quality VPN protection, you should take the time to carefully research VPNs, just as you’d research any important purchase.
In this article, I’ll be pitting two well-known VPN providers (CyberGhost and Hola) in a head-to-head competition. I’ll compare both VPNs in each service category, declare a winner for that feature, then tally the overall scores and declare a winner.
By the time you finish this article, you’ll know enough to make an informed decision about which VPN is the best one to provide your online protection.
CyberGhost and Hola Features
In the following sections, I’ll cover the features you should consider before subscribing to a VPN.
Connection Speeds
No matter what you do online, a fast connection makes it better. Whether you enjoy streaming video and music, gaming, or sharing files, a fast connection is your friend.
I perform periodic connection speed tests on the VPNs I cover, testing each provider’s download speeds with the Speedtest.net app.
The tests are performed as follows:
- I use a North America-based Windows server with a gigabit Ethernet connection.
- The providers are tested by connecting to VPN servers in New York, London, and Hong Kong, at three different times of day over the course of three days.
- I use the Windows version of the providers’ apps, configured to connect using the OpenVPN protocol over UDP when available.
- The Speedtest app is run after connecting to each VPN server location, shutting down the Speedtest app following each test.
Both VPN providers performed quite well during my testing.
Hola delivered average download speeds of 186.7 Mbps in testing.
Meanwhile, CyberGhost delivered download speeds measuring in at 296.1 Mbps.
Both providers provide more than enough bandwidth for streaming, online gaming, and file sharing.
The connection speeds you’ll see will differ from my results, depending on your usual connection speeds, your geographic location, and the location of the VPN server.
Average Connection Speed Winner: CyberGhost
| Provider | Avg. Connection Speed | Link |
| CyberGhost | 296.1 Mbps | Visit Site |
| Hola | 186.7 Mbps | Visit Site
Read Review |
Pricing
Money is tight right now. The prices of necessities like fuel and groceries seem to be on a daily rise. This means we’re all looking for ways to save money. However, be sure not to make a decision about a VPN based solely on price.
Bargain basement-priced VPNs may seem like a good deal at first, but they often skimp on important features, throttle your connection speeds, impose strict data usage caps, or miss several important features. Always weigh a provider’s pricing against its performance and features.
CyberGhost’s monthly charge is about the price of a large soft drink at the corner 7-11 or Tesco Express when you opt for the two-year plan. A 45-day money-back guarantee is available.
Hola’s “Premium” tier is about a buck more than CyberGhost when you opt for a three-year plan. The price for Premium is more than three times as expensive as CyberGhost if you opt for a one-year subscription.
While Hola offers a free level of VPN service, the free tier is where most of my privacy and security concerns lie. We’ll discuss that a bit later.
Hola offers a 30-day money-back guarantee, while CyberGhost will give you 45 days to make a final decision.
You won’t find exact pricing in my articles. This is because most VPN providers change their pricing structure and offer special deals on a regular basis. Visit a provider’s website for their current pricing.
Pricing Winner: CyberGhost
| Provider | Money-Back Guarantee Period | Link |
| CyberGhost | 45 Days | Visit Site |
| Hola | 30 Days | Visit Site
Read Review |
Privacy
Whether it’s your ISP, advertisers, or law enforcement, everyone would love to see the logs related to your online travels. If you don’t use a VPN, you’re exposing records of your online antics.
The following features should always be considered when researching a VPN service’s privacy protections:
- Is the provider located in a privacy-respecting country?
- Does the provider save user activity logs on their servers?
- Does the provider accept private types of payment like Bitcoin?
Romania-based CyberGhost protects you from anyone learning about your online activities, as they save no logs of user activity. Bitcoin is available as a payment option here.
Hola is based in Israel, which shares information with Five Eyes alliance countries. Hola logs some information when you’re using its servers, including your “IP address, operating system, browser type, web pages you visit, time spent on those pages, access times, and dates.” It does not accept Bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies as payment.
Hola loses points in the privacy column, as its free VPN service routes your data through a network of volunteer nodes (other users’ computers) while also sharing your spare bandwidth with other users. While paying Hola users can opt out of becoming a node, it is disappointing that this is an opt-out “feature.”
Privacy Winner: CyberGhost
| Provider | Privacy Ranking | Site |
| CyberGhost | 5.0 | Visit Site |
| Hola | 3.5 | Visit Site
Read Review |
Security
Bad guys and other nosy types love to track their targeted internet users while they’re online. If you use a VPN, it provides multiple protective measures to prevent being followed around while online.
Hola protects its customers’ connections with government-grade encryption, but uses only the IKEv2 or L2TP/IPSec protocols. The provider lacks auto-connect, a kill switch, or DNS leak protection, as well as obfuscation, split tunneling, or other advanced features.
As I previously noted above, don’t forget that whole less-than-secure “routing your data through a network of volunteer nodes” thing.
CyberGhost uses military-grade encryption, kill switch protection, DNS leak prevention, and IPv6 leak protection to keep its users’ online travels hidden. Wireguard, OpenVPN with TCP/UDP, IPSec, PPTP, and L2TP/IPSec are among the available connection protocols. Blocking of ads, malicious websites, and online tracking are all available.
Security Winner: CyberGhost
| Provider | Overall Security Score | Link |
| CyberGhost | 5.0 | Visit Site |
| Hola | 3.5 | Visit Site
Read Review |
Simultaneous Connections
If you’re like me, you have more than one connected device and use more than one of them at a time. This is why a VPN provider’s simultaneous connections allowance is an important consideration.
CyberGhost limits its users to seven simultaneous connections.
Hola’s Premium VPN plan allows up to 10 devices to be connected at once.
Simultaneous Connections Winner: Hola
| Provider | Simultaneous Connections Allowed | Link |
| Hola | 10 | Visit Site
Read Review |
| CyberGhost | 7 | Visit Site |
Streaming Support
While streaming video is arguably the most popular online activity for many internet users, those viewers are not getting all that they could be from their subscriptions. This is because most popular streaming services are available only to viewers in certain areas of the world or they limit their content to viewers in certain regions.
This is where a VPN comes in handy, as it temporarily grabs a fresh IP address for your connected device. This makes it appear as if you and your device are located in another country, opening up access to streaming content that might normally only be available in that region.
CyberGhost opens up access to multiple streaming providers, including Netflix, HBO, Hulu, Amazon Prime, BBC iPlayer, YouTube, ESPN+, and numerous other streamers in a large number of countries.
Hola did not do well in this arena, as it did not reliably access Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, BBC iPlayer, Disney+, or any other streaming services I tried.
Streaming Support Winner: CyberGhost
| Provider | # of U.S. Streaming Services VPN Unblocks | # of International Services VPN Unblocks | Link |
| CyberGhost | 10+ | 8+ | Visit Site |
| Hola | 0 | 0 | Visit Site
Read Review |
BitTorrent Support
Sharing files via BitTorrent is a popular online activity, as it makes it easy to share files and documents with other users. While file sharing is not illegal – several legitimate organizations use the technology – it is illegal to use it to share copyrighted materials, including movies, music, and games.
Due to pressure from entertainment industry lawyers over the years, many ISPs will throttle or block your internet connection if you engage in file sharing activity, no matter if the files you’re sharing are legal or not.
CyberGhost facilitates file sharing activity on its servers in 70+ countries. The provider’s app has downloading-optimized servers.
Meanwhile, Hola does not allow torrenting activity and actively blocks torrenting connections.
BitTorrenting Winner: CyberGhost
| Provider | # of Countries Where VPN Allows BitTorrents | Link |
| CyberGhost | 70+ counties | Visit Site |
| Hola | None | Visit Site
Read Review |
Global Server Coverage
The larger a VPN’s network, the better access you’ll have to geo-fenced content in other regions of the globe.
CyberGhost has 9,000+ servers stationed in 90+ countries.
Hola says it has servers in more than 200 countries. However, it also uses a peer-to-peer network (of users’ computers) to connect you to VPN protection. This makes it difficult to determine how many actual servers the provider has in service.
Global Server Coverage Winner: CyberGhost
| Provider | Server Count | Countries | Link |
| CyberGhost | 9,000+ | 90+ | Visit Site |
| Hola | ? | 200+ | Visit Site
Read Review |
Multi-Platform Support
If you’re like me, you use more than one connected device on a daily basis. This makes a VPN provider’s app support an important thing to confirm.
CyberGhost offers native apps for Android, Android TV, iOS, macOS, Linux, Amazon Fire, and Windows platforms. Firefox and Chrome browser extensions are also available. The provider also works with select routers. (Pre-configured routers are available through Flashrouters.com.)
Hola offers support for iOS, Android, macOS, Windows, and Fire TV. Browser extensions are available for the Chrome, Edge, and Opera browser platforms. Hola is compatible with the Keenetic Ultra router.
Multi-Platform Support Winner: CyberGhost
| Provider | Platforms Supported | Browser Extensions? | Router Support? |
Link |
| CyberGhost | 7 | Yes (Chrome, Opera) | Yes – Manual setup. Flashrouter options available. | Visit Site |
| Hola | 5 | Yes (Chrome, Edge, Opera) | Single router make and model. | Visit Site
Read Review |
Customer Support
While most VPN providers’ apps are intuitive to use and provide reliable protection, you may still have an occasional question about your VPN.
CyberGhost’s support options include 24/7 live chat, a support request form, and a searchable knowledge base.
Hola customer support offers an FAQ page, a searchable support library, setup guides, email support, and a contact us form.
Customer Support Winner: CyberGhost
| Provider | Customer Support Rating | Link |
| CyberGhost | 5.0 | Visit Site |
| Hola | 4.0 | Visit Site
Read Review |
And The Winner Is…
Hola and CyberGhost offer comprehensive VPN protection. But, this type of article requires me to name an overall winner, so let’s do it.
CyberGhost won by a huge margin, thanks to the provider’s performance in the Connection Speeds, Streaming Support, Privacy, Security, BitTorrent, Global Server Coverage, Multi-Platform Support, Customer Support, and Pricing departments.
Meanwhile, Hola was victorious in only the Simultaneous Connections arena.
For more information or to purchase a subscription, visit CyberGhost.
