CyberGhost earns its place by doing one job better than a premium rival expects: it makes Irish streaming idiot-proof. A dedicated RTÉ Player server on Irish IPs, real Dublin hardware and platform-named server tiles take the guesswork out of unblocking home channels, and the 2-year price undercuts Nord on every comparable term. The 45-day money-back guarantee stretches a fortnight-and-a-half past Nord's 30 days. Hold one reservation, though: ownership. CyberGhost sits under Kape Technologies, a detail privacy purists log against it even with Romania jurisdiction and Deloitte audits on the record.
The steer for most Irish readers: if you want the quickest, hardest-to-fault VPN with the strongest privacy case, take NordVPN — our overall number one in the best VPN for Ireland ranking. If your budget is tighter and your real aim is RTÉ and Irish channels from a hotel room in Lisbon, CyberGhost's purpose-built access and long refund make it the cannier spend.
Quick comparison
The short version, side by side — every figure from our hands-on testing in Dublin, the same data behind our best-VPN ranking. Green highlights show which provider takes each round.
| NordVPN | CyberGhost | |
|---|---|---|
| Our score | 9.6 / 10 | 9.1 / 10 |
| Best for | Best all-rounder | Best for Irish streaming |
| Price from | €3.39/mo | €2.19/mo |
| Money-back guarantee | 30-day | 45-day |
| Avg Dublin speed | 455 Mbps | 390 Mbps |
| Netflix unblocking | Yes | Yes |
| Simultaneous devices | 10 | 7 |
| Servers | 7,400+ | 11,500+ |
| Countries | 118 | 100 |
| Works in China | No | No |
| No-logs policy | Yes | Yes |
| Jurisdiction | Panama | Romania |
| Support | 24/7 live chat | 24/7 live chat |
CyberGhost's dedicated RTÉ Player server
The one feature that earns CyberGhost a fight with a provider as strong as NordVPN is its dedicated RTÉ Player server on Irish IPs. Most VPNs ask you to connect to a generic Dublin location and hope the platform accepts the IP; CyberGhost instead maintains a server tier optimised specifically for RTÉ Player, sitting alongside physical Dublin hardware and Irish P2P servers. For an emigrant trying to catch The Late Late Show or a GAA fixture from a flat in Sydney, the practical effect is that you tap one clearly-named tile and the stream loads, with no trial-and-error across half a dozen server names.
NordVPN opens RTÉ Player perfectly well from its 50+ Irish servers, so this is not a question of capability — both get you in. It is a question of intent. CyberGhost has engineered the easiest possible path to Irish telly and put RTÉ's name on the door, which is exactly the kind of diaspora-first touch a premium all-rounder rarely bothers with. If RTÉ Player is the single reason you want a VPN, that purpose-built server is a genuine point of difference.
RTÉ Player, Netflix and iPlayer: labelled tiles vs Nord's reliability
Across the streaming board the two split along a clear line: CyberGhost optimises for ease, NordVPN for resilience. CyberGhost labels its streaming servers by the exact platform they target — tap "RTÉ Player" or "Netflix US" rather than decode a server list — and pairs that with its dedicated Irish IPs. Both providers unblock Netflix, BBC iPlayer, Disney+ and Prime Video, and both ship apps for Fire TV, Android TV and Apple TV.
NordVPN's answer is reach and recovery. Its 50+ physical Irish servers reliably open RTÉ Player, Virgin Media, TG4 and Netflix IE/UK/US, and when a platform tightens its VPN blocking Nord is typically first to rotate fresh IPs and get back in. So the rating sits level for a reason — CyberGhost is the more beginner-proof front door, Nord the one you'd trust when a service is actively fighting back.
| NordVPN | CyberGhost | |
|---|---|---|
| Netflix unblocking | Yes | Yes |
| Streaming rating | 9.6 / 10 | 9.5 / 10 |
| TV / streaming-box apps | Fire TV, Android TV, Apple TV | Fire TV, Android TV, Apple TV |
NordLynx's 455 Mbps vs CyberGhost on long-haul servers
On raw throughput NordVPN is the clear leader. Its NordLynx protocol — a WireGuard build — topped our Dublin tests at around 455 Mbps and shaved barely anything off our base broadband on nearby servers, while CyberGhost trailed at roughly 390 Mbps. For 4K streaming on Irish or UK servers both are more than fast enough, but Nord keeps headroom in reserve.
The split becomes a chasm with distance. Across our wider testing NordVPN sheds only about 8% of throughput connecting to the US, Asia or Australia, where CyberGhost loses roughly 22% — close to a threefold difference. Anyone gaming on far-off servers, pulling large downloads or working across time zones will feel that gap, and it is the single most concrete reason to pick NordVPN.
| NordVPN | CyberGhost | |
|---|---|---|
| Avg Dublin speed | 455 Mbps | 390 Mbps |
| Speed rating | 9.7 / 10 | 8.6 / 10 |
| Global speed loss | 8% | 22% |
€2.19/mo and a 45-day refund vs Nord's €3.39 and 30 days
On price CyberGhost has the upper hand. Its 2-year plan opens at around €2.19/mo against NordVPN's roughly €3.39/mo on a comparable term, and it carries the higher value rating of the two. Both add free months to the longer plans and both ring up at checkout in US dollars rather than a native euro page, so neither is the obvious "Irish" choice on billing.
The longer safety net tips it further toward CyberGhost: a 45-day money-back guarantee, fifteen days past Nord's 30. That extra window is real breathing room to put RTÉ Player, BBC iPlayer and your usual Netflix region through their paces before any money is locked in. One caveat applies to both, though — renewal pricing climbs steeply once the intro term lapses, so commit to the long plan, then switch auto-renewal off and re-shop when it ends.
| NordVPN | CyberGhost | |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | €3.39/mo | €2.19/mo |
| Free trial | 3-day (Android) | 1-day desktop / 7-day iOS / 3-day Android |
| Data cap | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Value rating | 9.2 / 10 | 9.4 / 10 |
Romania under Kape vs Panama and six no-logs audits
Both run RAM-only servers under independently audited no-logs policies, so the floor is solid on either side; the gap is in how much proof each can show. CyberGhost's no-logs policy is based in Romania and verified by Deloitte audits — a perfectly respectable position. NordVPN simply stacks more on the table: a Panama base outside any intelligence-sharing alliance and six independent no-logs audits, the deepest paper trail of anyone we rank.
Then there is the ownership footnote that always shadows this matchup. CyberGhost belongs to Kape Technologies, a group some privacy advocates eye warily on account of its history — a reputational asterisk, not evidence of any logging. For day-to-day privacy both earn your trust; for the most airtight case on paper, Nord's jurisdiction and audit count win.
| NordVPN | CyberGhost | |
|---|---|---|
| No-logs policy | Yes | Yes |
| Independent audit | Deloitte (2025) | Deloitte (2025) |
| Jurisdiction | Panama | Romania |
| Privacy rating | 9.7 / 10 | 9.1 / 10 |
11,500 CyberGhost servers vs NordVPN's reach into 118 countries
These two networks are built to different priorities. CyberGhost runs the bigger fleet — about 11,500 servers to NordVPN's 7,400 — which helps with congestion and the supply of fresh streaming IPs. NordVPN counters on spread, reaching 118 countries against CyberGhost's 100, which matters more the more obscure your target location.
For an Irish reader the part that counts is that both run physical servers in Ireland, so each hands you a genuine Dublin IP rather than a virtual fake. CyberGhost layers on its dedicated RTÉ and Irish P2P servers; NordVPN puts 50+ Irish servers and a selectable Dublin location behind a faster backbone. Pick on what you weigh more — sheer capacity or geographic reach.
| NordVPN | CyberGhost | |
|---|---|---|
| Servers | 7,400+ | 11,500+ |
| Countries | 118 | 100 |
| Works in China | No | No |
CyberGhost's platform-named tiles vs NordVPN's power dashboard
Both apps are friendly enough to score within a whisker of each other, but they court different users. CyberGhost is the gentler landing for a first-timer: streaming servers come pre-named by platform — "RTÉ Player", "Netflix US" and the rest — so there is no decoding a server list. NordVPN's interface reads more like a control panel, with one-tap access to Threat Protection and specialty servers; it is more capable, and a shade busier for it.
Underneath, the platform spread is identical — Windows, macOS, iOS, Android and Linux, plus Fire TV, Android TV and Apple TV — and both have you connected inside a couple of minutes with 24/7 live chat on standby. The tie-breaker is purely how much hand-holding you want, and CyberGhost offers the most.
| NordVPN | CyberGhost | |
|---|---|---|
| Ease-of-use rating | 9.4 / 10 | 9.4 / 10 |
| Native platforms | Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, Linux | Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, Linux |
NordVPN's 10 simultaneous devices vs CyberGhost's 7
NordVPN covers 10 simultaneous devices to CyberGhost's 7, three extra slots that go a little further across a household of phones, laptops, tablets and TVs. Neither runs unlimited — if a whole-house cap is your deciding factor, that points elsewhere in our ranking — but for one person or a couple, both numbers sit comfortably within reach.
Everything else here matches: Windows, macOS, iOS, Android and Linux apps, with Fire TV, Android TV and Apple TV on both sides. So the round turns on headroom alone, and Nord's three-slot lead settles it.
| NordVPN | CyberGhost | |
|---|---|---|
| Simultaneous devices | 10 | 7 |
| Native platforms | Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, Linux | Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, Linux |
| TV / streaming-box apps | Fire TV, Android TV, Apple TV | Fire TV, Android TV, Apple TV |
Which should you choose?
It comes down to what you value most. Here's the quick way to decide.
Choose NordVPN if…
- check_circleYou want the fastest, most consistent speeds — especially on long-distance servers
- check_circlePrivacy is your priority: a Panama base and six independent no-logs audits is the strongest case going
- check_circleYou connect to more countries and want the most reliable streaming when platforms tighten blocking
- check_circleYou will pay a little more for the polish, and 10 simultaneous devices is enough for you
Choose CyberGhost if…
- check_circleYou want the cheapest long plan, from around €2.19/mo, with the best value rating of the two
- check_circleEasy Irish streaming matters most — a dedicated RTÉ Player server and physical Dublin servers
- check_circleYou are a beginner who wants streaming servers labelled by platform, no guesswork required
- check_circleA 45-day money-back guarantee to test everything risk-free appeals to you
Advertiser disclosure: we earn a commission when you buy through links on this page. This never affects our scores or the winner of each round.
