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Cybersecurity · head to head

CyberGhost VPN vs Sardine

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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
Sardine logo

Sardine

Cybersecurity

Device intelligence and behaviour biometrics for fraud and compliance

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • 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.; Sardine signal quality depends on the SDK being embedded in your own web and mobile clients, so fraud improvements become dependent on your app release cycle and any coverage gap is a blind spot.
  • They diverge on capability: CyberGhost VPN covers NoSpy servers, Sardine covers Device intelligence.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which CyberGhost VPN and Sardine actually diverge.

Attributes where CyberGhost VPN and Sardine differ
AttributeCyberGhost VPNSardine
Starting price$2.19/monthOn request
Pricing modelsubscriptionquote
PlatformsWeb, Desktop, MobileWeb, iOS, Android
Founded2011Unknown

Identical on both: free tier (No), 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 Sardine

  • Device intelligence
  • Behaviour biometrics
  • Scam detection
  • Onboarding risk scoring
  • AML transaction monitoring
  • Dispute and chargeback handling
  • Rules editor

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 Sardine
  • A buyer who specifically wants a provider outside the Fourteen Eyes with a published third-party no-logs auditnot Sardine
  • Torrenting on a connection where the internet provider throttles or logs peer-to-peer trafficnot Sardine
  • Travellers needing to reach home-country services from abroad without configuring anything technicalnot Sardine

Sardine

  • A neobank losing money to authorised push payment scams where the customer genuinely approved the transfernot CyberGhost VPN
  • A crypto exchange trying to detect accounts being operated by remote access rather than by their ownernot CyberGhost VPN
  • A fintech seeing synthetic identity signups that pass document verification but share device characteristicsnot CyberGhost VPN
  • A lender wanting first party fraud signals at application time that a credit bureau file does not containnot 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.

Sardine

  • Signal quality depends on the SDK being embedded in your own web and mobile clients, so fraud improvements become dependent on your app release cycle and any coverage gap is a blind spot.
  • Behavioural and device telemetry collection needs a documented lawful basis under GDPR, and EU privacy reviews frequently delay rollouts that were scoped as engineering work.
  • Pricing is per session or per active user, so a consumer product with many low value sessions pays in proportion to traffic rather than to fraud exposure.
  • As a younger private company it lacks the enforcement-tested audit history that a bank examiner expects, which makes it a harder sell inside a regulated bank than inside a fintech.
  • It is strongest on session-time signals and weaker as a system of record for long horizon AML typologies, so larger institutions end up running it alongside a traditional monitoring platform rather than instead of one.

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

Sardine

On request
  • Sardine$undefined/year
    • Priced per user session or per monthly active user
    • Annual contract with volume commitment
    • SDK for web, iOS and Android

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 Sardine if

  • You need device intelligence.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want behaviour biometrics.
Sardine review

Questions people ask

Is CyberGhost VPN or Sardine better?
Neither clearly leads. CyberGhost VPN starts at $2.19/month and Sardine at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, CyberGhost VPN or Sardine?
CyberGhost VPN starts at $2.19/month and Sardine at On request.
Does CyberGhost VPN or Sardine run on more platforms?
CyberGhost VPN runs on Web, Desktop, Mobile. Sardine runs on Web, iOS, Android.
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 Sardine is typically brought in for.
What can CyberGhost VPN do that Sardine cannot?
CyberGhost VPN covers NoSpy servers, Audited no-logs policy, WireGuard, OpenVPN and IKEv2, Streaming-labelled servers. Sardine covers Device intelligence, Behaviour biometrics, Scam detection, Onboarding risk scoring.

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.

Sardine: Does Sardine do document verification?

It focuses on device, behavioural and transaction signals, and integrates identity verification providers rather than being one. Treat it as complementary to a KYC vendor.

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.

Sardine: What does it need from us to work?

An SDK in your web and mobile applications plus transaction feeds. Without the client side collector you lose the signals that differentiate it.

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.

Sardine: Is pricing published?

No. It is quoted, typically per session or per monthly active user with an annual volume commitment.

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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