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Cybersecurity · head to head

CyberGhost VPN vs Ory Kratos

C

CyberGhost VPN

Cybersecurity

Consumer VPN operated from Romania and owned by Kape Technologies, with a no-logs claim audited by Deloitte.

From
$2.19/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Ory Kratos logo

Ory Kratos

Cybersecurity

Headless identity and user management API

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Ory Kratos has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: CyberGhost VPN kape Technologies, the parent, was formerly Crossrider, a browser extension platform whose technology was widely used to distribute adware, and Kape now also owns VPN review sites, so third-party rankings a buyer might use to verify the product can come from the same corporate group.; Ory Kratos headless means you build every screen, which is significant work compared with a hosted login page
  • They diverge on capability: CyberGhost VPN covers NoSpy servers, Ory Kratos covers Headless API.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which CyberGhost VPN and Ory Kratos actually diverge.

Attributes where CyberGhost VPN and Ory Kratos differ
AttributeCyberGhost VPNOry Kratos
Starting price$2.19/monthFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionOpen-source self-hosted, with a paid managed network
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, Desktop, MobileLinux, Docker, Kubernetes, Self-hosted
Founded2011Unknown

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Cybersecurity).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in CyberGhost VPN

  • NoSpy servers
  • Audited no-logs policy
  • WireGuard, OpenVPN and IKEv2
  • Streaming-labelled servers
  • Dedicated IP via token
  • Kill switch
  • Split tunnelling
  • Smart Rules

Only in Ory Kratos

  • Headless API
  • Self-service flows
  • Multi-factor authentication
  • Pluggable identity schemas

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

CyberGhost VPN

  • A household that wants one subscription covering several devices for streaming and public Wi-Finot Ory Kratos
  • A buyer who specifically wants a provider outside the Fourteen Eyes with a published third-party no-logs auditnot Ory Kratos
  • Torrenting on a connection where the internet provider throttles or logs peer-to-peer trafficnot Ory Kratos
  • Travellers needing to reach home-country services from abroad without configuring anything technicalnot Ory Kratos

Ory Kratos

  • Products needing complete control over the look and flow of authenticationnot CyberGhost VPN
  • Applications that must not hand user identity data to a third partynot CyberGhost VPN
  • Teams building identity as infrastructure across several servicesnot CyberGhost VPN

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

CyberGhost VPN

  • Kape Technologies, the parent, was formerly Crossrider, a browser extension platform whose technology was widely used to distribute adware, and Kape now also owns VPN review sites, so third-party rankings a buyer might use to verify the product can come from the same corporate group.
  • Pricing is structured so that the deep discount applies to the longest initial term and the standard rate applies at renewal, which means the figure used to make the decision is not the figure paid in year three unless the subscriber renegotiates or churns.
  • The Deloitte engagement is point-in-time assurance over stated policy and server configuration, so it confirms things were as described when examined and says nothing about how the infrastructure behaves today or after an ownership change.
  • Client capability differs sharply by platform: the Linux client is command-line only and lacks the kill switch and split tunnelling that the Windows client has, so a mixed-device household does not get the protection that reviews of the Windows app describe.
  • Streaming-optimised server labels go stale because platforms block address ranges continually, and the practical support answer is to try a different server, which makes the labelled-server feature less dependable than the marketing implies.

Ory Kratos

  • Headless means you build every screen, which is significant work compared with a hosted login page
  • More moving parts than a monolithic IAM: Kratos handles identity, and OAuth2 needs Ory Hydra alongside
  • Documentation assumes real familiarity with identity concepts and is not a gentle introduction
  • Self-hosting identity carries the security and availability burden that hosted providers absorb

Pricing, plan by plan

CyberGhost VPN

$2.19/month
  • 1 Month$12.99/month
    • 7 devices
    • 9000+ servers
    • Unlimited bandwidth
  • 2 Years + 2 Months$2.19/month
    • All features
    • Best value
    • 45-day guarantee
  • 6 Months$6.99/month
    • All features
    • 45-day guarantee

Ory Kratos

Free
  • Self-hostedFree
    • Full identity server
    • All flows
    • Community support

Which should you pick?

Choose CyberGhost VPN if

  • You need nospy servers.
  • You work on Web, Desktop, Mobile.
  • You also want audited no-logs policy.
CyberGhost VPN review

Choose Ory Kratos if

  • You need headless api.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, Docker, Kubernetes, Self-hosted.
  • You also want self-service flows.
Ory Kratos review

Questions people ask

Is CyberGhost VPN or Ory Kratos better?
Neither clearly leads. CyberGhost VPN starts at $2.19/month and Ory Kratos at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, CyberGhost VPN or Ory Kratos?
Ory Kratos has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $2.19/month for CyberGhost VPN and Free for Ory Kratos.
Does CyberGhost VPN or Ory Kratos run on more platforms?
CyberGhost VPN runs on Web, Desktop, Mobile. Ory Kratos runs on Linux, Docker, Kubernetes, Self-hosted.
Can I use Ory Kratos for free?
Yes. Ory Kratos has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. CyberGhost VPN starts at $2.19/month.
What is CyberGhost VPN best used for?
CyberGhost VPN is most often used for a household that wants one subscription covering several devices for streaming and public wi-fi, a buyer who specifically wants a provider outside the fourteen eyes with a published third-party no-logs audit, torrenting on a connection where the internet provider throttles or logs peer-to-peer traffic, travellers needing to reach home-country services from abroad without configuring anything technical. Of those, a household that wants one subscription covering several devices for streaming and public wi-fi and a buyer who specifically wants a provider outside the fourteen eyes with a published third-party no-logs audit are not what Ory Kratos is typically brought in for.
What can CyberGhost VPN do that Ory Kratos cannot?
CyberGhost VPN covers NoSpy servers, Audited no-logs policy, WireGuard, OpenVPN and IKEv2, Streaming-labelled servers. Ory Kratos covers Headless API, Self-service flows, Multi-factor authentication, Pluggable identity schemas.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

CyberGhost VPN: Who owns CyberGhost?

Kape Technologies, which acquired it in 2017. Kape was formerly called Crossrider and also owns ExpressVPN, Private Internet Access and Zenmate, plus the review sites vpnMentor and Wizcase.

Ory Kratos: Is Ory Kratos free?

Yes, open source and free to self-host. Ory Network is a paid managed service.

CyberGhost VPN: Has the no-logs claim been independently audited?

Yes. Deloitte has examined the no-logs policy and server configuration and published an assurance report. Note that this is a point-in-time engagement, not continuous monitoring.

Ory Kratos: What does headless mean here?

Kratos provides identity flows as APIs and no user interface. You build the login, registration and recovery screens yourself.

CyberGhost VPN: What jurisdiction is it under?

The service is operated from Romania, which has no mandatory communications data retention law in force and is not a member of the Five, Nine or Fourteen Eyes intelligence-sharing arrangements. Ownership sits with Kape, headquartered in the UK.

Ory Kratos: Does Kratos do OAuth2?

No. Kratos handles user identity; OAuth2 and OpenID Connect provider functionality is Ory Hydra, a separate component.

CyberGhost VPN: Does it work with streaming services?

Often, using the servers labelled for each service, but this changes constantly as platforms block address ranges. Treat streaming access as a feature that may stop working on any given day rather than a guarantee.

CyberGhost VPN: Can I use it on Linux or a router?

There is a command-line Linux client with fewer features than the desktop apps, and router use requires manual OpenVPN configuration rather than an official app.

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