Head to head
The gap
The security score is not a total of good things. It starts at 100 and eight channels each take a share of what is left, so one channel can settle a record on its own. Both records are drawn here on the same scale — the model’s own cap of 0.9 — rather than on a scale fitted to this pair, which would make every comparison look equally dramatic.
Line by line
Every field the contract publishes about a provider, in the contract’s own groups, including the rows where the two agree — a table that printed only differences would invent a disagreement, and one that printed only the interesting rows would be us choosing what is interesting. Open a group to read its rows; each one says how many it holds and how many of them the two records answer differently.
A green cell means the methodology itself prices that value below the other one, not that we prefer it. Rows the model does not price carry no mark at all: price is never marked, because nothing in the model says cheaper is safer, and neither is coverage, platform count or devices. Where a value was never established the cell says so instead of showing a zero.
What actually happened
Other pairs
Pairs within the top ten get a page — 80 comparisons in all. Records below that are not paired here: a comparison earns a page where the choice between the two is a real one, and that choice is made near the top of the register.
Security
Usability
Rank 9 of 68 in the register
Romania · Commercial VPN
Exits in 91 countries
Security
Usability
Rank 7 of 68 in the register
United States · Censorship tool
Exits in 4 countries
No demand on the public record
1 documented demand, 1 of which produced data
Open questions
Still open on this record.
Owner-group history. Kape Technologies, CyberGhost's parent since March 2017, traces back to Crossrider, an ad-injection SDK platform whose services were widely abused by adware and malware distributors before the 2016 pivot to VPNs. No documented lie or claim gap ties this history to CyberGhost's own conduct, but the adverse record is why this provider is catalogued at all rather than by a neutral selection rule.
Scale and reach are undocumented. No CyberGhost-specific user count could be sourced from the provider's own pages beyond "millions of customers," so M08_user_scale stands unknown, and no clean 12-month plan exists to price against U04b_price_yearly — CyberGhost sells only 1-month, 6-month and 26-month terms.
Client and build transparency are unexamined. No official CyberGhost source-code repository, reproducible-build attestation or standalone application pentest (Cure53's public index has no entry for CyberGhost or Kape) could be found, leaving V12, V13 and V14 unknown rather than a finding either way.
A disputed breach claim was not independently resolvable. A September 2024 third-party report alleged leaked CyberGhost account credentials; CyberGhost's own response denies a service-side compromise and attributes the credentials to user-side malware, but the underlying report could not be read in this session, so X09_incident_handling stays unknown rather than taking either side's account.
Two of CyberGhost's own pages disagree on its street address: the imprint names 70-72 Dionisie Lupu street, the privacy policy names 68 Polonă street, both in the same Bucharest district and both current pages rather than one being an archived leftover. Neither was treated as authoritative over the other, and the discrepancy is left for a future refresh to resolve rather than guessed at here.
Still open on this record.
Hardware ownership is not stated. Riseup's own government FAQ describes physical control of its core Seattle infrastructure ('not hosted in the cloud'), but says nothing about the VPN gateway machines in Montreal, Paris and Amsterdam, which sit on IP ranges typical of commercial hosts. C08_servers_ownership stays unknown rather than assumed from the Seattle statement.
The bare-minimum VPN log is described only by exclusion. The security page lists everything the 5-day rotating log does not contain (no IP, no fingerprint, no DNS requests, no metadata) but never states what it does contain. C01 is filled none_linkable on that exclusion list, but a reader who wants to know what the bytes actually are will not find it here.
Several usability fields have no documentation to read at all. Split tunneling, simultaneous device limits, P2P policy and streaming access are not addressed on any RiseupVPN page found this session, and the kill switch is confirmed only for the desktop tray client, not for Android.
The only independent audit is a client/infrastructure pentest, not a logging audit. The 2025 SRLabs report examined Bitmask and the Menshen bridge registrar for intercept and DPI risks; it never asked what the VPN servers retain, so V11_audit_findings is not_stated and the retention claim in C01 rests on Riseup's own word alone.
The 2012 seizure often cited against Riseup did not touch Riseup's own data. U.S. federal agents took a server from a colocation facility Riseup shared with May First/People Link, but the machine and its data belonged to a third tenant (European Counter Network); no Riseup account or user data was on it, which is why P01_seizure_event reads none_known rather than crediting an event that was never Riseup's to resist.
Notes
On the record as a whole.
Deloitte's third no-logs assurance report (the only one of three published as a full downloadable PDF rather than gated behind login or an email request to Deloitte) is a limited assurance, ISAE 3000 (Revised) engagement dated as of 31 October 2025 and signed 19 December 2025; it examines CyberGhost's description of its own no-logging controls on a sample basis, not the full fleet, and its conclusion is negative assurance ("nothing has come to our attention"), not a positive finding of no logs.
The privacy policy's non-personal-data list names the Google Advertising ID and gyro-sensor data under website-style language that only a mobile app can actually read.
On the record as a whole.
RiseupVPN is a free client of Riseup Networks, a US 501(c)(4) non-profit collective (riseup.net) operating since 1999; the VPN carries no price of its own and is sustained entirely by donations, which is why U04/U04b are not_applicable. RiseupVPN is a rebrand of the older Bitmask/Riseup-Black client built on the LEAP platform; its four gateways (Seattle, Montreal, Paris, Amsterdam) all sit in countries carrying a logging mandate per countries.csv, and hosting there is physical rather than virtual.
Recent changes
No change logged on this record
No change logged on this record
| ChannelPressure taken from what was left | CyberGhost VPNDominant channel: Retention0 to 0.9, longer is worse | RiseupVPNDominant channel: Retention0 to 0.9, longer is worse |
|---|---|---|
| RetentionDoes a record exist that links traffic to a person, and who checked? | 0.450 | 0.497 |
| IntegrityHas it been caught saying one thing and doing another? | 0.325 | 0.200 |
| JurisdictionCan someone compel what exists, without the provider getting a say? | 0.136 | 0.200 |
| IgnoranceHow much of this did nobody establish? | 0.181 | 0.097 |
| HygieneWhat identifying material is collected in passing, and can the client be checked at all? | 0.150 | 0.070 |
| DisclosureHas it already handed something over? | 0.000 | 0.087 |
| ArchitectureWho operates the exit, and what does it do to the traffic? | 0.050 | 0.000 |
| SilenceTen years, millions of users and nothing on record? | 0.000 | 0.000 |
| What is left of 100The channels multiply: each one takes a share of what the one before it left standing | 21 | 25 |
By circumstance
| CyberGhost VPN | RiseupVPN | |
|---|---|---|
| Torrenting | Allowed yes | — not established |
| Streaming | Reachable yes | — not established |
| Devices at once | 7 | — not established |
| Under censorship | — not established | Claimed to work claimed |
| Exits in mandate countries | 7 United Arab Emirates, China, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Turkey, Vietnam | None |
| Hosting in those countries | Physical and virtual both mixed | — the question does not arise |
| Company under a mandate | No such mandate no | No such mandate no |
| Secret orders | — not established | National security letters or their equivalent nsl_equivalent |
| CyberGhost VPN | RiseupVPN | |
|---|---|---|
| Security | 21 insufficient · rank 9 of 68 | 25 insufficient · rank 7 of 68 |
| Usability | 69 out of 100 | 65 out of 100 |
| Record completeness | 76% usability 92% | 88% usability 64% |
| CyberGhost VPN | RiseupVPN | |
|---|---|---|
| Who operates the exit | Run by the provider itself provider_operated | Run by the provider itself provider_operated |
| Retention as declared | Aggregate counts only aggregates_onlyBcyberghostvpn.com · | Nothing that links traffic to a person none_linkableBriseup.net · |
| RAM-only diskless servers | Yes, checked by someone independent yes_verifiedAdownload.cyberghostvpn.com · | — not establishedno source published |
| IP allocation model | Dedicated address offered as an option dedicated_optionAdownload.cyberghostvpn.com · | — not establishedno source published |
| Signup without email | No, an email address is required noBcyberghostvpn.com · | Yes, on the provider's word yes_declaredBriseup.net · 2 sources · |
| Anonymous payment options | Cryptocurrency through a processorBcyberghostvpn.com · | The service takes no payment at allBriseup.net · |
| Own DNS inside the tunnel | — not established | — not established |
| Worst third-party SDK category in the app | Install attribution attributionBcyberghostvpn.com · | No third-party SDK noneBplay.google.com · |
| Worst third-party tracker category on the site | Analytics analyticsBcyberghostvpn.com · | No third-party tracker noneBriseup.net · |
| Who owns the hardware | — not established | — not established |
| Offered countries that sit under a logging mandate | 7 United Arab Emirates, China, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Turkey, VietnamBcyberghostvpn.com · | NoneBapi.black.riseup.net:443 · |
| Hosting in the mandate countries it offers | Physical and virtual both mixedBcyberghostvpn.com · | — the question does not ariseBapi.black.riseup.net:443 · |
| Incorporation country mandates retention | No such mandate no | No such mandate no |
| Beneficial owner sits under a retention regime | No such regime no | No such regime no |
| Persistent device identifier | A resettable advertising identifier resettable_ad_idBcyberghostvpn.com · | None held noneBriseup.net · 2 sources · |
| Weakest protocol still offered | — the question does not arise | — the question does not arise |
| What the exit does to passing traffic | — not establishedno source published | Traffic passes through unaltered noneBriseup.net · |
| CyberGhost VPN | RiseupVPN | |
|---|---|---|
| At least one independent audit | Yes, and the report was read yes_verified | Yes, and the report was read yes_verified |
| How the report is published | The full report is published full_pdf | The full report is published full_pdf |
| Subject of the audit | The no-logs claim itselfAdownload.cyberghostvpn.com · | The infrastructure · The protocol · The app's securityAopentech.fund · |
| Server fleet coverage | A sample of servers sampleAdownload.cyberghostvpn.com · | — the question does not ariseno source published |
| Auditor name |
| CyberGhost VPN | RiseupVPN | |
|---|---|---|
| Server seizure by law enforcement | No seizure on record none_known | No seizure on record none_known |
| Actual disclosure history | No disclosure on record none_knownBcyberghostvpn.com · | Account data was handed over account_data_disclosedBriseup.net · |
| Court record of compelled production | No court record none_knownno source published · | Produced account data produced_account_dataBriseup.net · |
| Response to a national logging mandate | — not establishedno source published | — the question does not arise |
| CyberGhost VPN | RiseupVPN | |
|---|---|---|
| Documented gap between claim and behaviour | No documented lie none | No documented lie none |
| Marketing against audit findings | No gap on record none | No gap on record none |
| Ownership structure transparency | Ownership is stated and checkable clear | Ownership is stated and checkable clear |
| Adverse events on the owner group record | A history of adware or malware adware_malware_historyCen.wikipedia.org · | Nothing adverse on record cleanBriseup.net · |
| How the service is paid for | Paid subscriptions only paid_onlyBcyberghostvpn.com · |
| CyberGhost VPN | RiseupVPN | |
|---|---|---|
| Legal entity | CyberGhost S.R.L.Bcyberghostvpn.com · | Riseup NetworksBriseup.net · 2 sources · |
| Where the company sits | Romania ROBcyberghostvpn.com · | United States USBriseup.net · |
| Year the service launched | 2011Bcyberghostvpn.com · | 1999Briseup.net · |
| CyberGhost VPN | RiseupVPN | |
|---|---|---|
| Platforms with a client | 9 Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS, Android TV, Fire TV, Routers, Browser extensionBsupport.cyberghostvpn.com · 2 sources · | 4 Linux, macOS, Windows, AndroidBriseup.net · |
| Countries with an exit | 91 countriesBcyberghostvpn.com · | 4 countriesBapi.black.riseup.net:443 · |
| Paying monthly | $12.99 per monthBcyberghostvpn.com · | — the question does not arise |
CyberGhost VPN and RiseupVPN were assessed by the HushFleet team and both placed in the Insufficient band: CyberGhost VPN scores 21/100 for security, RiseupVPN 25/100. They share an independent audit. The 4-point gap opens widest on Integrity — “Has it been caught saying one thing and doing another?” — taking 33% from CyberGhost VPN and 20% from RiseupVPN.
| Security Research Labs (SRLabs)Aopentech.fund · |
| Auditor category | One of the Big Four big4Adownload.cyberghostvpn.com · | A security specialist security_specialistAopentech.fund · |
|---|
| Assurance standard | ISAE 3000 isae3000Adownload.cyberghostvpn.com · | No standard stated noneAopentech.fund · |
|---|
| Date of latest report | 2025-12-19Adownload.cyberghostvpn.com · | 2025-05-16Aopentech.fund · |
|---|
| Audit cadence | Repeated, at no fixed interval repeated_irregularBcyberghostvpn.com · | One-off one_offBopentech.fund · |
|---|
| Total published audits | 3Bcyberghostvpn.com · | 1Bopentech.fund · |
|---|
| Retention as the report states it | Aggregate counts only aggregates_onlyAdownload.cyberghostvpn.com · | The report does not address retention not_statedAopentech.fund · |
|---|
| Client source code published | — not establishedno source published | Every client allBgithub.com · 2 sources · |
|---|
| Reproducible builds | — not established | — not established |
|---|
| Separate pentest | — not establishedno source published | Yes, and the report was read yes_verifiedAopentech.fund · |
|---|
| Strength of the assurance opinion | A limited-assurance conclusion limitedAdownload.cyberghostvpn.com · | — the question does not ariseno source published |
|---|
| Transparency report | Current, with request numbers fresh_with_numbersBcyberghostvpn.com · | No report noneBriseup.net · |
|---|
| Reported numbers plausible for this scale | The numbers are plausible at this scale plausibleBcyberghostvpn.com · | — the question does not ariseno source published |
|---|
| Warrant canary discipline | — not establishedno source published | Kept current maintainedBriseup.net · |
|---|
| Requests received | 11Bcyberghostvpn.com · | — the question does not ariseno source published |
|---|
| Requests that produced data | 0Bcyberghostvpn.com · | — the question does not ariseno source published |
|---|
| Secret-order regime | — not establishedno source published | National security letters or their equivalent nsl_equivalentBriseup.net · 2 sources · |
|---|
| Chronology of documented enforcement events | 0 No demand on the public recordBcyberghostvpn.com · | 1 documented demandBriseup.net · |
|---|
freemium_funded| Claims of 100% anonymity or military-grade crypto | Makes no such claim no | Makes no such claim no |
|---|
| Aggressive lifetime subscriptions | Does not no | Does not no |
|---|
| Coverage exists only on affiliate sites | — not establishedno source published | Covered outside affiliate sites too noBhelp.riseup.net · |
|---|
| Security incident and how it was disclosed | — not establishedno source published | Disclosed by someone else third_party_disclosedAopentech.fund · 2 sources · |
|---|
| Affiliate programme and payout tier | A standard payout standardBcyberghostvpn.com · | No affiliate programme noneBriseup.net · |
|---|
| Owner-run review media discloses the tie | — not establishedno source published | — the question does not ariseno source published |
|---|
| App store declaration | — not establishedno source published | The store form matches the published policy matches_policyBplay.google.com · |
|---|
| User base scale (mass >=10M, mid >=1M, niche <1M) | — not established | — not established |
|---|
| Ultimate beneficial owner as written | Teddy Sagi, sole owner of Unikmind Holdings Limited (Isle of Man), which holds Kape Technologies plc — CyberGhost's parentBunikmind-holdings.com · 2 sources · | Riseup Collective (self-governed autonomous collective; no external owner)Briseup.net · |
|---|
| Other businesses of the owner group | Antivirus · A portfolio of other apps · A review directoryBkape.com · | None disclosedBriseup.net · |
|---|
| Country of the ultimate beneficial owner | IMBunikmind-holdings.com · | USBriseup.net · 2 sources · |
|---|
| Owner group | kapeBkape.com · 2 sources · | independentBriseup.net · |
|---|
| Date the current owner took control | 2017-03Bkape.com · | — the question does not ariseno source published |
|---|
| Role of this brand inside the group | A brand the group acquired acquired_brandBkape.com · | The group's principal brand principalBriseup.net · |
|---|
| Infrastructure shared with cluster siblings | — not establishedno source published | Separate infrastructure separateBriseup.net · |
|---|
| Paying yearly | — not establishedno source published | — the question does not ariseno source published |
|---|
| Usable free tier | No free tier noneBcyberghostvpn.com · | A free tier with no data cap unlimited_freeBriseup.net · |
|---|
| Works under active censorship | — not establishedno source published | Claimed to work claimedBriseup.net · 2 sources · |
|---|
| Protocols offered | 3 WireGuard, OpenVPN, IKEv2Bsupport.cyberghostvpn.com · | 2 OpenVPN, An obfuscated protocolBapi.black.riseup.net:443 · |
|---|
| Kill switch coverage | On some platforms partialBcyberghostvpn.com · 2 sources · | On desktop only desktop_onlyBriseup.net · |
|---|
| Split tunneling available | Available yesBsupport.cyberghostvpn.com · | — not establishedno source published |
|---|
| Simultaneous connections | 7Bcyberghostvpn.com · | — not establishedno source published |
|---|
| Friction to start using it | An email address only email_onlyBcyberghostvpn.com · | No account needed no_accountBriseup.net · |
|---|
| P2P allowed | Allowed yesBcyberghostvpn.com · 2 sources · | — not establishedno source published |
|---|
| Major streaming services reachable | Reachable yesBcyberghostvpn.com · | — not establishedno source published |
|---|
