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Surfshark vs NordVPN
Our Verdict
NordVPN is technically better than Surfshark. It’s faster on average, better at unblocking streaming services, and has marginally stronger security. However, it’s also more expensive. Although NordVPN wins overall, Surfshark isn’t far behind and is absolutely worth getting if you’re on a budget.
Given they share a parent company, it’s perhaps not surprising that these two VPNs are so similar in so many categories.
NordVPN and Surfshark both offer best-in-class security features. They’re effective for protecting your privacy, unblocking streaming services, gaming, and torrenting. Frankly, the differences between them are fairly minimal.
However, NordVPN won in 7 of our tests, and Surfshark won in 2.
We’re happy to recommend both VPNs, but the better choice is technically NordVPN. It’s faster, more reliable for streaming, and has better privacy credentials. Its jurisdiction means it is not subject to any data retention laws, and its plan to wholly own all its servers is admirable.
There are some circumstances in which Surfshark is the better choice. Its apps are slightly more approachable for beginners, it’s cheaper, and it offers IP addresses in more countries — so it’s the better choice for users on a strict budget.
If you’re struggling to choose, both VPNs offer a seven-day free trial on mobile and a 30-day money-back guarantee, so you can test them for yourself.
Here’s a quick summary of NordVPN and Surfshark’s price and payment options:
| Surfshark | NordVPN | |
|---|---|---|
| Price & Value Rating | 9.4 | 8.5 |
| Best Price | $1.99/mo over 27 months | $2.99/mo over 2 years |
| Credit Card | Yes | Yes |
| Cryptocurrency | Yes | Yes |
| Money-Back Guarantee | 2x 30 Days | 30 Days |
| Free Trial | 7 days (iOS & Android) | 7 days (Android) |
Why Trust Us?
We’re fully independent and have been reviewing VPNs since 2016. Our ratings are based on our own testing results and are unaffected by financial incentives. Learn who we are and how we test VPNs.
Privacy
Winner: NordVPN
Both NordVPN and Surfshark have minimal logging policies that have been audited by third parties. Neither VPN records any identifying data, but Surfshark does record your VPN server location and individual connection timestamps, where NordVPN does not. Despite having the same parent company, only NordVPN operates out of a privacy haven.
The table below shows a comparison of NordVPN and Surfshark’s privacy and logging policies:
| Surfshark | NordVPN | |
|---|---|---|
| Privacy Rating | 8.7 |
8.8 |
| Logging Policy | No Identifiable Data | No Identifiable Data |
| Jurisdiction | Netherlands (EU Member) | Panama (Privacy Haven) |
| Independently Verified | Yes | Yes |
| Warrant Canary | Yes | No |
Surfshark and NordVPN are not strictly no-logs VPNs, but they keep a minimal amount of data, none of which can be used to identify you or your activity.
They both use diskless servers too, so even if a server were to be seized, it wouldn’t contain any data that could be recovered.
Here’s a summary of the data that both VPNs log:
| Logged by Surfshark VPN | Logged by NordVPN | |
|---|---|---|
| Account Information | Yes | Yes |
| Browsing Activity | No | No |
| Date of Last Connection | No | Yes |
| Device Information | No | No |
| DNS Queries | No | No |
| Individual Bandwidth Usage | No | No |
| Individual Connection Timestamps | Yes | No |
| ISP | No | No |
| Number of Simultaneous Connections | No | No |
| Originating IP Address | No | No |
| VPN Server IP | No | No |
| VPN Server Location | Yes | No |
Your public IP address is not stored by either VPN, but Surfshark does store the name of your WiFi network if the auto-connect feature is enabled. This might include sensitive information, such as a location or employer.
Surfshark also stores individual connection timestamps and your VPN server location, which NordVPN does not.
Deloitte has audited both VPNs and confirmed they do not store any additional information about users.
Due to the evidence, we’re confident that both VPN services are trustworthy and safe to use from a privacy point of view. However, NordVPN logs less data and is based in a more privacy-friendly jurisdiction, so it’s the winner in this category.
EXPERT TIP: We recommend you don’t subscribe to NordVPN’s dedicated IP address service. It gives you the same public IP address whenever you’re using the VPN, but this IP address is associated with your account information, including your email address.
Differences in Jurisdiction
Following a merger in 2022, Surfshark and NordVPN share a parent company called Cyberspace, which is incorporated in the Netherlands. NordVPN and Surfshark cooperate on developing technology, but they are operated separately.
Despite the Merger, NordVPN is still run by Nord Security, which operates out of Panama — a privacy haven with strong data protection laws. A NordVPN spokesperson told us that the merger does not affect NordVPN’s jurisdiction.
By contrast, Surfshark now operates out of the Netherlands, an EU country with invasive data retention laws. Although Surfshark says its headquarters does not affect its ability to operate a no-logs service, NordVPN still has a more privacy-friendly jurisdiction.
Streaming
Winner: NordVPN
Surfshark and NordVPN both unblock every streaming service we tested them with, including Prime Video, Disney+, Hulu, Max, and Netflix. However, NordVPN unblocks 8 more international Netflix libraries, making it slightly better for streaming overall.
Here’s a comparison of NordVPN and Surfshark’s streaming capabilities:
| Surfshark | NordVPN | |
|---|---|---|
| Streaming Rating | 9.0 | 9.2 |
| US Netflix | Yes | Yes |
| No. of Netflix Libraries | 9 | 17 |
| BBC iPlayer | Yes | Yes |
| Max | Yes | Yes |
| Smart DNS | Yes | Unreliable |
Surfshark and NordVPN both rank amongst our five recommended VPNs for streaming. They’re both far above average when it comes to unblocking regional restrictions, and they work with every major streaming service we tested:
| Streaming Service | Surfshark | NordVPN |
|---|---|---|
| Amazon Prime Video | Yes | Yes |
| BBC iPlayer | Yes | Yes |
| Channel 4 | Yes | Yes |
| Disney+ | Yes | Yes |
| Hulu | Yes | Yes |
| ITVX | Yes | Yes |
| Max | Yes | Yes |
| Netflix US | Yes | Yes |
NordVPN is slightly superior because it unblocks 8 more international Netflix libraries than Surfshark, including Japan, Brazil, France, South Korea, and Switzerland.
Testing NordVPN with US Netflix.
You can see which Netflix libraries Surfshark and NordVPN unblock in the table below:
| Netflix Libraries | Surfshark | NordVPN |
|---|---|---|
| Australia | Yes | Yes |
| Brazil | No | Yes |
| France | No | Yes |
| Germany | Yes | Yes |
| India | Yes | No |
| Ireland | Yes | No |
| Italy | Yes | Yes |
| Japan | No | Yes |
| Mexico | Yes | Yes |
| Netherlands | Yes | Yes |
| South Korea | No | Yes |
| Switzerland | No | Yes |
| Turkey | Yes | No |
| UK | Yes | Yes |
| US | Yes | Yes |
NordVPN tends to perform more consistently, too — especially when it comes to UK streaming services and US Netflix. You might need to cycle through a few servers with Surfshark, whereas NordVPN tends to work on the first try.
There are some edge cases, though. We recommend Surfshark as the best VPN for Disney Plus, as it’s been particularly consistent in our testing. It also unblocks Hotstar India, which NordVPN cannot, making it the top choice for fans of Indian cinema.
NordVPN just about wins thanks to its consistency and Netflix capabilities, but it’s unlikely you’ll be disappointed with the streaming performance of either VPN.
Speed
Winner: NordVPN
Surfshark and NordVPN are both fast. They use a proprietary version of the WireGuard protocol and cause negligible speed loss on local and international connections. However, we recorded slightly faster ping and international download speeds using NordVPN.
Here’s a comparison of NordVPN and Surfshark’s speed test performance:
| Surfshark | NordVPN | |
|---|---|---|
| Speed Rating | 9.1 | 9.7 |
| Local Download Speed | 95Mbps | 95Mbps |
| Average International Download Speed | 83Mbps | 86Mbps |
| Local Upload Speed | 92Mbps | 94Mbps |
| Ping | 9ms | 8ms |
| Time to Connect | 3.4 seconds | 8.4 seconds |
| Fastest VPN Protocol | WireGuard | WireGuard (NordLynx) |
On local connections to servers in the US, both VPNs are incredibly fast, with speed losses of just 5% and 5% for NordVPN and Surfshark respectively.
However, NordVPN has the edge internationally — just. Its average international speed loss was 13% less than Surfshark. It’s not a big difference, but if you’re planning on connecting to far away servers often, it could add up over time.
As you might expect, this difference is greater over longer distances. Connecting from the US to Australia, we measured average download speeds of 87Mbps with NordVPN and 85Mbps with Surfshark, which are both impressively fast results.
Both VPNs also delivered ping speeds of under 100ms between the US East Coast and the US West Coast, Canada, Germany, and UK. With latency times like this, you can expect a smooth, responsive experience with either VPN.
Put simply: both VPNs are optimized for speed. They both use protocols based on WireGuard, which can be twice as fast as OpenVPN thanks to more efficient data transmission.
They’ve taken measures to avoid congested servers, too. Surfshark caps its server load at 40% to prevent slowdowns, while NordVPN automatically connects you to the least-congested server.
If speed is your priority, you won’t have any issues with either VPN.
Security
Winner: NordVPN
Surfshark and NordVPN both use OpenVPN or WireGuard with AES-256 or ChaCha20 encryption. They operate on diskless servers, and we did not detect IP leaks using either service. While both are secure, they do differ in some of their advanced features, where NordVPN is marginally superior.
The table below shows a comparison of NordVPN and Surfshark’s encryption and security features:
| Surfshark | NordVPN | |
|---|---|---|
| Encryption & Security Rating | 9.7 |
9.9 |
| VPN Protocols | WireGuard & OpenVPN, IKEv2/IPSec | WireGuard & OpenVPN, IKEv2/IPSec |
| Encryption Cipher | AES-256 & ChaCha20 | AES-256 & ChaCha20 |
| Kill Switch | Unreliable | Yes |
| Leak Protection | Yes | Yes |
| First-Party DNS | Yes | Yes |
| Colocated Servers | No | Yes |
| Diskless servers | Yes | Yes |
| GPS Spoofing on Android | Yes | No |
| Rotating IP | Yes | No |
| Ads and trackers blocked | 77% | 79% |
Of the 61 VPNs we’ve tested, NordVPN achieves the highest rating for security and technical features, while Surfshark takes second place. You can trust both VPNs to protect your data, but they do differ slightly in the exact features they offer.
When it comes to the basics of security, the two VPNs are very similar. Both VPNs offer WireGuard and OpenVPN protocol equivalents, and IKEv2/IPSec for mobile devices. They also use ChaCha20 or AES-256 for encryption, which is the industry standard.
We tested both VPNs’ encryption using packet-inspection software.
Both VPNs use diskless servers, too, which means no data is stored on removable media. If someone were to steal a server, there would be no storage in it to hack, and no data available to read.
Importantly, NordVPN has a better kill switch than Surfshark. Surfshark’s kill switch is not enabled by default, and we found it leaked our IP address when changing servers on macOS devices.
Surfshark’s kill switch does not stop IP address leaks when changing servers on macOS.
Here’s a quick overview of each VPN’s unique security features:
Surfshark’s Advanced Security Features:
- GPS spoofing. Available on Android, this enables you to bypass geographic restrictions in apps. We used it to watch blackout NHL games on ESPN+, amongst other things.
- IP rotation. This changes your IP address every 5-10 minutes automatically, making it extremely difficult for someone to profile your activities.
- Multi-Hop servers. This setting routes your data through two VPN servers, encrypting it twice.
NordVPN’s Advanced Security Features:
- Two kill switches. If your VPN connection drops, you can choose to drop your entire internet connection or to only block traffic on selected apps.
- Multi-hop servers. Like Surfshark, this feature routes your traffic through two different VPN servers.
- Wholly-owned colocated servers. NordVPN is working towards owning and having exclusive access to all of its servers, rather than renting them from third parties.
- Regular independent security audits. Combined with the bug bounty program, these offer great reassurance regarding NordVPN’s security claims.
- Meshnet. This enables you to connect to the internet via your home PC when you’re away, so you get a residential IP address for free.
Though very similar, NordVPN’s advanced features give it the advantage for security.
Although it doesn’t support GPS spoofing or IP rotation like Surfshark, NordVPN’s commitment to colocated servers, regular security audits, and reliable kill switch makes it the better choice for the most security-conscious users.
Server Locations
Winner: NordVPN
NordVPN has servers in 11 more countries than Surfshark. However, Surfshark offers a greater selection of city-level server choices in 12 countries, whereas NordVPN does so in only 7. Both options excel in this area, ensuring that you’ll have ample options.
The table below shows a comparison of NordVPN and Surfshark’s server networks:
| Surfshark | NordVPN | |
|---|---|---|
| Server Locations Rating | 9.5 | 9.7 |
| Countries | 100 | 111 |
| Countries with City-Level Choice | 12 | 7 |
| Total Number of Cities | 142 | 90+ |
| Servers | 3,200 | 6,328 |
NordVPN has a larger server network than Surshark, with 3128 more individual servers, and IP addresses available from 11 more countries.
That said, Surfshark has more city-level server choices than NordVPN, particularly useful for bypassing regional blackouts on content such as NFL or MLB games. You can compare these in the table below:
| Surfshark | NordVPN |
|---|---|
|
|
Both VPNs use virtual server locations to simulate IPs from countries without physical servers. Surfshark marks these virtual servers with a “v” in its apps, while NordVPN labels them as “Virtual,” helping you make more informed choices.
NordVPN’s US city servers on iOS.
Both VPNs offer multi-hop servers and static IP addresses, with minimal differences between the two.
User Experience
Winner: NordVPN
While both VPNs provide a solid user experience, NordVPN’s refined interface and additional security features offer a slight edge for users seeking a more polished and secure VPN solution.
| NordVPN | Surfshark | |
|---|---|---|
| User Experience Rating | 9.3 | 8.5 |
| Clicks Required to Connect | 1 | 1 |
| Consistent App Design | No | Yes |
Both NordVPN and Surfshark offer well-designed apps that are easy to use across desktop and mobile platforms, but NordVPN stands out for its advanced features and polished design, despite some minor usability challenges.
NordVPN’s Apps Offer Simplicity
NordVPN provides a clean and professional interface with thoughtful features like presets, which allow users to customize server locations, protocols, and websites, creating shortcuts for specific tasks such as streaming Netflix in a particular region.
While the desktop app takes up more screen space than necessary and server selection on Windows requires additional clicks, these issues are outweighed by its intuitive Quick Connect feature and clear focus on functionality. The mobile apps are particularly well-executed, offering simple navigation and reliable performance.
Surfshark’s Apps Are Effective but Have Shortcomings
Surfshark, while consistent across platforms and straightforward to use, has a few drawbacks that hinder the experience.
The main menu is cluttered with promotions for additional services, and the kill switch is not enabled by default, which could lead to accidental data exposure.
While Surfshark excels in making server switching easy and its dark mode is a nice touch, it lacks the level of refinement and advanced options NordVPN offers.
Overall, NordVPN’s advanced features, like presets and robust functionality, make it the better choice for users who value versatility and customization, even if it requires a bit more effort to navigate on some platforms. Surfshark’s simplicity may appeal to beginners, but NordVPN delivers a more professional and feature-rich experience.
Torrenting
Winner: NordVPN
NordVPN has a faster average download bitrate, a better jurisdiction, a more reliable kill switch, and over a thousand more P2P-optimized servers. This makes it the better choice for torrenting, though Surfshark is still a safe choice if you’re on a budget.
The table below shows a comparison of NordVPN and Surfshark’s torrenting performance:
| Surfshark | NordVPN | |
|---|---|---|
| Torrenting Rating | 8.6 | 9.0 |
| Average Download Bitrate | 8.7MiB/s | 9.8MiB/s |
| No. of P2P Servers | 3,200 | 4,771 |
| Logging Policy | No Identifiable Data | No Identifiable Data |
| Time to download a 20GB torrent | 37 minutes | 34 minutes |
| Kill Switch | Yes | Yes |
| Port Forwarding | No | No |
Both Surfshark and NordVPN work well to hide your identity and activity when torrenting. They conceal your true IP address, use AES-256-bit or ChaCha20 encryption, and store no logs of your activities.
We tested both VPNs on torrent clients like qBitorrent.
Both VPNs have a kill switch, but you need to enable it manually in Surfshark, which is disappointing and adds room for error while file-sharing. We can’t recommend Surfshark for torrenting on macOS either, because its kill switch leaks your data when changing servers.
We found that NordVPN is faster for torrenting, too: it delivered an average download bitrate of 9.8MiB/s in our tests, compared to 8.7MiB/s using Surfshark. Neither VPN supports port forwarding, which often enables faster torrenting speeds.
Surfshark allows torrenting on all of its servers, while NordVPN limits torrenting activity to 85% of its server network. This might seem like a limitation, but NordVPN still has more torrenting servers to choose from simply because its server network is so large.
Torrenting is not allowed in 14 countries, including Argentina, Israel, and South Korea. If you try to torrent using servers in an unsupported country, NordVPN will automatically route your traffic through dedicated P2P servers in Canada and the Netherlands.
We don’t rule out either VPN for torrenting, as they both work well. However, NordVPN performs better overall: it causes minimal speed loss, and the experience is almost seamless.
Device Compatibility
Winner: Surfshark
Both NordVPN and Surfshark have apps for every major desktop, mobile, and streaming device, as well as a Smart DNS. However, Surfshark is better overall because it offers unlimited simultaneous connections while NordVPN caps connections at 10.
| NordVPN | Surfshark | |
|---|---|---|
| Device Compatibility Rating | 8.9 | 9.1 |
| Simultaneous Connections | 10 | unlimited |
| Desktop Apps | Windows, macOS, Linux | Windows, macOS, Linux |
| Mobile Apps | Android, iOS | Android, iOS |
| Browser Extensions | Chrome, Firefox, Edge | Chrome, Firefox, Edge |
| Streaming Devices | Android TV, Apple TV, Fire TV | Android TV, Apple TV, Fire TV |
| Smart DNS | Yes | Yes |
| Router App | No | No |
Both NordVPN and Surfshark support major platforms like Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, and iOS, along with streaming devices like Android TV, Apple TV, and Fire TV. Both also offer browser extensions and Smart DNS services for added compatibility.
The key difference lies in simultaneous connections: Surfshark allows unlimited devices, while NordVPN limits connections to 10, which may be restrictive for larger households. Neither offers a router app, but both can be manually configured on routers.
Overall, Surfshark’s unlimited connections make it the more flexible choice for users with multiple devices.
Additional Features
Winner: Surfshark
Surfshark offers key additional features like an ad blocker and multi-hop servers at no extra cost, while NordVPN charges for essentials like a dedicated IP and ad blocker. Surfshark also allows unlimited device connections, making it a more budget-friendly option for everyday users.
| NordVPN | Surfshark | |
|---|---|---|
| Additional Features Rating | 7.6 | 8.3 |
| Split Tunneling | Yes | Yes |
| VPN Obfuscation | Yes | Yes |
| Multi-Hop Servers | Yes | Yes |
| Dedicated IP | Yes | Yes |
| Ad Blocker | Yes | Yes |
| Password Manager | Yes | No |
| Meshnet | Yes | No |
| Onion Over VPN | Yes | No |
| 24/7 Live Chat Support | Yes | Yes |
While NordVPN offers a broad range of advanced features, many of them come with additional costs, making Surfshark a more budget-friendly and practical option for everyday users.
NordVPN includes features like Onion Over VPN, Meshnet, and a password manager, but some core tools require extra payment. For instance, its Dedicated IP is an add-on, and the CyberSec ad blocker is bundled only with premium plans. These extra charges can add up, making NordVPN less appealing for users who simply want robust, all-in-one protection without additional costs.
In contrast, Surfshark provides its essential features—including the CleanWeb ad blocker and Multi-Hop Servers—at no extra cost. This makes it a straightforward and value-packed choice for users who want comprehensive protection without hidden fees.
Another standout feature of Surfshark is its unlimited device connections, which ensures all your devices can be secured under a single subscription. NordVPN, by comparison, limits simultaneous connections to six, potentially requiring additional accounts for larger households.
While NordVPN’s extensive feature list may appeal to power users, Surfshark offers all the necessary tools at a more accessible price, making it a better fit for users who value simplicity and cost-effectiveness.
