Platforms: Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, Linux, Chrome, Firefox, Amazon Fire Stick, Android TV, routers | Server locations: 125 in 100 countries | Notable features: Smart Rules automation, streaming-optimized servers, NoSpy servers, ad blocker | Best price: $56.94 for 26 months

We're in the process of re-testing CyberGhost for a full review.

There's a lot to recommend with CyberGhost. Its streaming-optimized servers meet a high standard for playback quality and its Smart Rules offer some of the most customizable VPN automation on the market. The ad blocker works well, and the NoSpy servers are a neat idea — CyberGhost keeps them under lock and key near its Romania headquarters and carefully fine-tunes all their settings.

CyberGhost has also worked hard recently to bring its apps up to scratch. I already liked the designs on paper, but the actual experience has improved as well, with interfaces built to be welcoming to new users while carefully organizing a deep well of features. Once connected, you're likely to enjoy fast download and upload speeds, and low latencies on average.

There are still some problems: there's often lag when connecting to a VPN server. Also, the kill switch can be overactive, sometimes blocking internet access even when the VPN is working perfectly. I also have some concerns about how it handles user information, since its privacy policy retains the right to share your personal data with its parent company, Kape Technologies — although there's no direct indication of misuse, I'd be careful about using CyberGhost for anything deeply private.

But with all those flaws acknowledged, I have to admit this VPN is fantastic for the price. With Private Internet Access having fallen in my esteem lately (see its entry below), CyberGhost is the obvious choice to replace it. Its 26-month plan may not be quite as cheap as PIA's three-year option, but it's not that much more expensive month-over-month — and you get a lot more for the money.