A proper Surfshark vs NordVPN comparison will help you decide which provider should be your next choice. If you’re considering one, these are among the best affordable VPNs available, offering excellent value for money, security, and privacy.
Surfshark is renowned for its low-cost 2-year plans, unlimited simultaneous connections, and advanced security features. NordVPN is an all-arounder, excelling in security, privacy, streaming, torrenting, and bypassing censorship.
A few years ago, NordVPN and Surfshark collaborated to enhance their services collectively. Therefore, this NordVPN vs Surfshark comparison for 2026 promises to be compelling, as we evaluate these two allies to determine the superior choice. Before you commit to either option, we advise reading this comprehensive analysis.
Both providers offer exceptional features, which we will detail in our comparison of Surfshark and NordVPN. Let’s find out who claims the throne in 2026.
Surfshark vs NordVPN: Overview
After testing both providers, we concluded that NordVPN is better than Surfshark and should be your go-to option. Here’s a brief overview of their features if you don’t have time to read the entire NordVPN vs Surfshark comparison.
| NordVPN 🏆 | Surfshark VPN | |
| 📋 Our Current Ranking | #1 | #5 |
| 🔖 Prices | Starts at $2.69 monthly | Starts at $1.99 monthly |
| 💸 Money-Back Guarantee | 30 days for all plans | 30 days for all plans |
| 🆓 Free Version/Free Trial | No/7 days | No/7 days |
| 📓 Logging/Jurisdiction | No logging/Panama | No logging/Netherlands |
| 🔐 Protocols | NordLynx, NordWhisper, IKEv2, OpenVPN | WireGuard, IKEv2, OpenVPN |
| 🌐 Servers | 9,000+ in 130 countries | 4,500+ in 100 countries |
| 🔝 Specialty Servers | Dedicated IP, Onion Over VPN, P2P, Obfuscated, Double VPN | Static IP, Dedicated IP, MultiHop |
| ⛔ Ad Blocking | Yes | Yes |
| 💾 RAM-Only Servers | Yes | Yes |
| 📺 Working With Netflix | Yes (25+ catalogs) | Yes (30+ catalogs) |
| 🔽 P2P Allowance | Yes | Yes |
| 📱 Concurrent Connections | 10 | Unlimited |
Applications & Ease of Use
This comparison starts with the evaluation of their apps and compatibility. Let’s discuss the latter first. Both VPNs excel in this department, offering applications for all platforms. This makes them great for desktop, mobile, tablet, and laptop users.
Supported platforms include:
- Windows, Linux, and macOS computers and laptops
- Android and iOS smartphones and tablets
- Routers (Tomato, DD-WRT, Asus, TP-Link, and others)
- Smart TV, Apple TV, Fire TV Stick, and other streaming devices
We love their native Fire TV Stick VPN apps, as they’re ideal for streaming geo-blocked content. On top of that, both providers work on an array of router models, so you can use them to protect all devices in your household. What about concurrent connections? Well, Surfshark is better than NordVPN here.
It offers unlimited connections, while NordVPN is capped at ten. While not impressive by any means, it’s way ahead of CyberGhost, which offers only seven. Ease of use is a strength in both providers, so it’s a huge plus.
Surfshark’s desktop app looks funky and professional simultaneously. It’s snappy and easy to use, alas, with a few cases of longer connection times on Windows. Its mobile apps are state-of-the-art, offering plenty of features to enjoy on the go.
NordVPN looks better and is snappier. This applies to all platforms. NordVPN takes up to two seconds to connect and rarely experiences longer connection times. Based on our long experience, NordVPN’s apps are a bit more polished.
Winner: Tie ⚖️
During our Surfshark vs NordVPN evaluation, we thoroughly enjoyed both providers’ apps. While Surfshark beats its rival in simultaneous connections, NordVPN’s overall functionality is slightly better. This makes the initial round of the comparison a tie.
Surfshark vs NordVPN: Price Comparison
We praised Surfshark’s affordable plans in our detailed review. However, we drew the same conclusion for NordVPN. Starting with Surfshark, its price is $1.99 per month for the 2-year Starter plan. There are three tiers – Starter, One, and One+. The Starter plan isn’t very attractive features-wise because it lacks many.
The One plan is extremely good, and for $2.29 monthly with three extra months, you get the antivirus for all systems. Surfshark’s 12-month plans are ridiculously affordable. The One plan, again, shines at $3.19 a month with three extra months.
Sadly, its monthly plans start at over $15.45, which we found to be quite expensive compared to other VPNs. NordVPN’s 2-year plans are more expensive, but they’re very valuable. The Basic 2-year plan starts at $2.69 per month and includes many features of NordVPN, but not the advanced ones.
The Plus plan is the one you want, with malware and tracker protection, an ad blocker, and other premium features for $3.19 monthly. NordVPN may also include three free months, depending on the current promotion. Discounts on annual plans are available, but their costs are still way higher than Surfshark’s.
Across the board, NordVPN is considerably more expensive, particularly in its high-tier plans. Surfshark tops out at $4.19 for the most expensive plan. Meanwhile, NordVPN’s Prime offer is $8.99 monthly. In this NordVPN vs Surfshark duel, it’s good to mention a 30-day money-back guarantee on both sides.
Winner: Surfshark 🏆
While NordVPN is undoubtedly affordable, Surfshark swiftly takes this round with its record-low prices that start at $1.99 monthly. Both introductory and renewal costs are lower in Surfshark, making it a clear-cut winner of this round.
NordVPN vs Surfshark Features
Our Surfshark vs NordVPN price comparison might be enough for you to decide. Well, we wouldn’t rush to conclusions just yet. These providers are brimming with features waiting for you to explore them. We’ll help you a bit by explaining how they work.
Shared Features
Given the buddies’ status of these services, they share an awful lot of security features, and we tested and examined them in our in-depth comparison.
- Bank-grade encryption. The strongest encryption is also titled 256-bit AES encryption. It’s a standard in premium VPNs that specialize in privacy and security. Being impenetrable and, in this case, amplified by Forward Secrecy, it’s easy to see why popular options like these use it.
- Double VPN/MultiHop. This is the same feature present in both VPNs. It doubles your encryption by routing traffic through two servers in different countries. As a result, the speed is slightly slower, but the level of security increases.
- Ad Blocker. Both VPNs can block ads, trackers, and malicious sites. NordVPN’s ad blocker is part of its Advanced Protection Pro, while Surfshark has CleanWeb and a Web Content Blocker.
- Kill Switch. This is an integral part of both providers. NordVPN’s kill switch historically works better because its rival struggled with its malfunctions in the past. NordVPN also includes an App Kill Switch, which Surfshark lacks.
- Obfuscation/NoBorders. It’s great for avoiding censorship and getting around firewalls. NordVPN’s obfuscated servers are in all apps, and Surfshark’s NoBorders mode is always turned on out of precaution.
- Dark Web Monitor/Alerts. It’s great for getting alerted about leaked credentials. You can react immediately and resolve the problem to avoid data theft. Both features are available in these VPNs’ mid- to high-tier plans.
- Split Tunneling. A handy feature if you want to exclude certain apps from using a VPN tunnel. Or perhaps include only specific apps. Not unique but very useful.
- Dedicated IP. Both providers offer dedicated IPs for purchase in multiple locations. Surfshark’s dedicated IPs are slightly cheaper than NordVPN’s.
- RAM Servers. They use RAM-only servers for the ultimate privacy. RAM servers lose their data with each reboot, so no information stays on the server.
Unique Features
Despite all the similarities, these providers have their own personality and offer something unique. NordVPN has the NordLynx protocol, an improved version of WireGuard. Surfshark went with the plain WireGuard, but with some tweaks to make it more dependable. Other protocols include OpenVPN and IKEv2 on both sides.
NordVPN also introduces an in-house NordWhisper protocol that combats network filtering. Its Threat Protection Pro includes real-time protection against malicious files and trackers. Surfshark has an antivirus that works incredibly well on all devices. It’s even better than NordVPN’s Threat Protection Pro.
Surfshark includes the Search browser, a bespoke incognito mode for browsing without ISP monitoring. This feature is in the One and One+ plans. Surfshark has the IP Rotation tool to rotate your IP periodically while keeping your connection intact. This means you can’t be tracked even by NSA-level hackers.
We should also mention Surfshark’s Web Content Blocker, a parental control that blocks adult sites (gambling, weapons, tobacco, etc.) NordVPN punches back with Meshnet, which can be used for remote control, remote access, and file sharing. Meshnet also lets you make secure LAN parties when gaming with a VPN.
We love that Surfshark includes Static IPs, but security-wise, they don’t do a whole lot. In this aspect, it’s hard to tell who is the winner because they offer amazing features not found in many other pricier VPN providers.
Winner: NordVPN (By a Notch) 🏆
In our tests, NordVPN was only slightly better than Surfshark, and this round could’ve been a tie. We gave NordVPN an advantage because of a few extras, particularly Meshnet, which seals the deal for many users looking to expand upon basic VPN functions, and NordWhisper, which prevents network filtering.
Do NordVPN and Surfshark Store Logs?
Storing logs is an unattractive characteristic of many free VPNs. Thankfully, neither of them is free, which sort of implies that none of them keep logs. Examining the privacy policies of NordVPN and Surfshark, we can clearly see minimal logging practices. These VPNs won’t store information like:
- Your IP address
- DNS requests
- Connection logs
- Geolocation
- Traffic metadata, and so on.
We must say we’re impressed with the level of privacy both display. After examining the part about logging, both providers do well with very few bits of information. They’re limited to troubleshooting data and things like your payment info and email. Now, both offer some extras that might require some more information.
In particular, both contain anti-malware and antivirus software, so scanning your computer for threats is naturally going to be privacy-unfriendly. This issue is resolved by anonymizing your data. Even if something arrives at the servers, this information is anonymized, plus all data is wiped after 15 minutes after your session ends.
Besides, both providers have RAM-exclusive servers, so they can easily restart them and wipe all information. Jurisdictions are quite different. NordVPN is in Panama, which is better than Surfshark’s Netherlands. NordVPN also has significant audits from PwC and Deloitte. Surfshark has been audited by Deloitte and Cure53.
Winner: Tie ⚖️
So, which provider to choose for privacy and no logging, NordVPN or Surfshark? Both are amazing and adhere to the strictest privacy-friendly practices. With third-party audits and verified no-logging claims, we have no other option but to give points to both sides.
Which VPN Is Faster: Surfshark or NordVPN?
If we exclude security and privacy, speed may be one of the essential aspects of a VPN service. Today’s Surfshark vs NordVPN comparison for 2026 takes us to another vital face-off, which is all about performance. Before we proceed, we’ll mention a few things. The first thing is our location at the time of testing.
We were in Europe (Belgrade), using a pretty fast internet connection with download and upload speeds of over 340 Mbps and 19 Mbps, respectively. Here are our results:
After performing this test without using a VPN, we did the following. We tested both providers for three days in a row, three times a day, using three locations – the UK, the US, and Japan. Since both offer very fast protocols, we used them for our test: WireGuard in Surfshark and NordLynx in NordVPN.
We also performed our tests on our Windows 11 computer, as these VPNs work very well on Windows, and it was also easier to perform our tests on this platform. Here’s the average speed reduction of both providers based on our tests:
| ⬇️ Download Speed Loss | ⬆️ Upload Speed Loss | |
| Surfshark | 27% | 32% |
| NordVPN | 18% | 7% |
The table above favors NordVPN as the faster of the two. It was quite faster in both download and upload performance; however, the difference is even larger in the latter case. Surfshark’s 32% drop in upload performance was indeed alarming.
NordVPN, on the other hand, stayed composed, with its average speed reduction never going over 20%. Even in practice, the Panamanian VPN performed much better thanks to not only faster overall speeds but also lower latency.
Here are their complete speed test results across all three locations, where you can see how they performed during our three-day testing.
| UK (Download/Upload) | US (Download/Upload) | Japan (Download/Upload) | |
| Surfshark | 306.48/16.97 Mbps | 253.79/12.47 Mbps | 191.07/10.90 Mbps |
| NordVPN | 324.25/18.68 Mbps | 292.75/18.31 Mbps | 223.54/17.85 Mbps |
Winner: NordVPN 🏆
Our tests have shown that NordVPN was faster, with lower latency, and better overall performance for day-to-day tasks. Surfshark performs well, but still has miles to go before it catches up with NordVPN.
Streaming & Torrenting
After the performance evaluation, our Surfshark vs NordVPN duel moves in another direction. In two, to be precise – streaming and torrenting. As they’re respectable premium providers, you’d expect awesome performance from both. Here’s how they perform for some of the most popular online activities.
Streaming Test
Streaming is first, and here, we have an amazing surprise. NordVPN performs exceptionally well, unblocking over 25 Netflix catalogs, BBC iPlayer, Hotstar, and dozens of other streaming platforms. It also works with TV channels abroad – ITV is one of them. We praise NordVPN’s unblocking abilities on all platforms.
Having tested it on Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS, its apps are equally capable of dodging geo-blocks. If your device doesn’t support VPNs natively, NordVPN also includes SmartDNS with an easy setup, but it’s limited to US-based streaming services like Netflix, Disney+, HBO Max, and ESPN+.
Surfshark also includes SmartDNS, a great move for streaming variety. We mentioned one surprise: Surfshark’s convincing streaming performance that overshadows even NordVPN. Surfshark works with 30 or more Netflix catalogs, unblocking Netflix US, Australia, UK, Japan, and even hard-to-access Turkey.
Interestingly, these providers don’t have dedicated streaming servers, and they work with all the popular streamers out-of-the-box. While both are impressive, Surfshark has a slight edge because it unblocks more Netflix libraries.
Torrenting Test
Torrenting and P2P are enjoyable regardless of the provider. NordVPN’s P2P servers are excellent, offering impressive speeds and stability for daily downloads. After testing them, we found that speed reductions are nonexistent. We used nearby servers in Europe to download torrents without hassle.
NordVPN even has the SOCKS5 proxy that you can combine with torrent clients for slightly better performance. Surfshark also works for torrenting on all servers. There’s no port forwarding or other extras to enhance torrenting. In our experience, this extra is unnecessary if you’re already using a fast P2P VPN such as these two.
NordVPN and Surfshark are P2P-friendly, but the former is slightly faster, as expected. That’s why NordVPN is a tad better than Surfshark for P2P downloads.
Download Torrents With NordVPN
Winner: Tie ⚖️
Surfshark holds the title in the streaming sub-round. Meanwhile, NordVPN was quicker for torrenting. Given the final result, the round is a tie, as both VPNs provide sufficient performance for these popular activities.
Server Locations of Surfshark and NordVPN
Having a large server park isn’t necessarily better if the server quality is lacking. Luckily, this isn’t the case here. NordVPN and Surfshark have 10 Gbps RAM-only servers, resulting in the best experience. NordVPN has 9,000+ servers in 130 countries. It includes specialty servers and dedicated IP addresses.
We can praise this server network, which excels in security, privacy, and speed. Its servers are distributed well, so it’s another plus. It even has Indian VPN servers that work with Hotstar and other India-locked content abroad. We appreciate its Onion over VPN servers, which people mostly use to visit the dark web through Tor.
Surfshark offers 4,500 servers in 100 countries. It effectively has half as many servers as its rival (even more), so it’s at a disadvantage. However, this number isn’t critically small and won’t produce overcrowding, nor will it prevent you from finding the server you need. But you don’t get many types of special servers.
Like its rival, Surfshark possesses dedicated IP addresses and static IPs. Static IP addresses can’t be found in NordVPN. The provider has nearly thirty fewer countries than NordVPN, which isn’t too alarming considering its amazing server distribution across every continent, with a constantly growing server fleet.
Winner: NordVPN 🏆
NordVPN takes the round with its larger, more spread-out server fleet. It also offers a fair number of dedicated servers for P2P, Double VPN, Onion over VPN, and obfuscation. In short, NordVPN beats Surfshark in numbers and variety.
Bypassing Censorship: Which VPN Does It Better?
Avoiding censorship is never easy, especially in China. The Great Firewall trumps even some of the best providers, one of which is CyberGhost. If you’re using it, switch to NordVPN, which uses obfuscated servers. Having tested them in China, we concluded that obfuscated servers can get over the firewall.
There’s a minor speed drop because of the encryption in the background. However, the performance is more than sufficient, including for gaming. Surfshark uses NoBorders or Camouflage Mode to achieve the same. It’s obfuscation applied to your connection, which masks it and makes it look like a regular connection.
This lets you get over the Great Firewall and use it in China hassle-free. It’s efficient in practice, but we noticed that it’s slightly less reliable than NordVPN, with a few connection problems here and there. That’s usually resolved by using Open VPN TCP, which is often better for firewall bypassing.
The main thing is that both can be used in China. NordVPN is a bit better. Other countries like Iran, the UAE, Turkey, and Russia aren’t problematic for either. Their censorship means aren’t as strong as China’s, so both can work efficiently and without connection issues. No wonder they’re some of our favorites for the UAE.
Winner: NordVPN 🏆
NordVPN slightly edges out Surfshark in this round, but really, both are pretty competent for sidestepping annoying censorship. We advise NordVPN for China, but you can use Surfshark in other countries as a more cost-effective option.
Conclusion: NordVPN Wins Against Surfshark
Now that we have all the cards on the table, let’s sift through them and see which provider is better – Surfshark or NordVPN. If we do the math, we can see that NordVPN won the majority of this duel’s rounds. NordVPN is faster, offers more servers, and is better at bypassing censorship in China in 2026
Surfshark is cheaper, offers unlimited connections, and is slightly better for Netflix. Other aspects, such as torrenting, security, privacy, and compatibility, are a tie, making the VPNs some of the best choices around. In the end, our ultimate choice is NordVPN. It’s better and only slightly pricier than Surfshark.
Having more servers and being faster is important to us. If you’re more value-inclined and want to save as much money as you can, it’s okay. In that case, opt for Surfshark, and you’ll have the best VPN for under $2 per month.