If you need a VPN to safeguard your privacy, bypass regional restrictions, and encrypt your traffic, Surfshark and PureVPN are sensible choices. However, you’re here because you don’t know which one to pick. Luckily for you, this Surfshark VPN vs. PureVPN holds the answer.
We tested Surfshark and PureVPN to determine which is the best overall VPN service. We reviewed their speeds, compatibility, streaming prowess, torrenting abilities, prices, security, and privacy. In the end, we liked Surfshark more, although PureVPN’s improved formula was all but unimpressive. So, should you just pick Surfshark and stop reading here?
You can, yes! However, it’s smarter to stay for the ride and find out what each VPN offers in 2026. This way, you’ll save yourself a headache and pick the right one. Regardless of your decision, the battle starts below.
Surfshark vs. PureVPN: A Quick Comparison
| Surfshark 🏆 | PureVPN | |
| Our Current Ranking 📋 | #5 | #9 |
| Prices 🤑 | Starts at $1.99 monthly | Starts at $2.14 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/Netherlands | No logging/British Virgin Islands |
| Protocols 🌐 | WireGuard, OpenVPN, IKEv2 | WireGuard, OpenVPN, IKEv2 |
| Servers 🏠 | 3,200+ in 100 countries | 6,000+ in 65+ countries |
| Specialty Servers ✅ | Multi-Hop, Dedicated, and Static IP | Port Forwarding, Quantum-Resistant, P2P |
| Ad Blocking 🔺 | Yes | Yes |
| RAM-Only Servers 🛡️ | Yes | Yes |
| Working With Netflix 📺 | Yes (25+ catalogs) | Yes (5-6 catalogs) |
| P2P Allowance ↔️ | Yes | Yes |
| Concurrent Connections 📟 | Unlimited | 10 |
Applications & Ease of Use
PureVPN and Surfshark offer excellent multi-device support. We could list all supported devices and systems, but that would be too much. In short, we’ll mention that they work on all mobile and desktop systems and streaming devices like Smart TVs, Fire TV Sticks, Apple TVs, Nvidia Shield TVs, and others.
Both providers offer extensive router support, so if you need additional home network security, their sites have plenty of setup guides.
Simultaneous connections are part of the compatibility equation, and Surfshark takes the lead in this area. Unlimited simultaneous connections are better than ten in PureVPN. In our experience, Surfshark was way better here, allowing our entire team to use it without interruption.
Meanwhile, we often had to kick out one or two users and interrupt their sessions to avoid breaching PureVPN’s limit. So, the first half of the round goes to Surfshark.
What About Ease of Use?
We must say we prefer Surfshark here, as well.
I mean, you can’t beat its sleek aesthetics sprawling across all supported devices. Below is the desktop app, but the mobile app looks virtually the same. As you can see, servers are listed on the home page, and you can connect to them with a click. Settings are listed on the left.
We love that Surfshark separated its bonus features from Settings, allowing for quicker access.
PureVPN’s applications look nice, but they may be overbearing for beginners. The server list is on the right, and then you have many settings and features on the left. Moreover, it’s not as sleek and responsive as Surfshark, although the experience is more than satisfying.
Our PureVPN review praised its versatile features, but its apps are ‘average’ regarding aesthetics and functionality. We enjoyed PureVPN more on our iOS and Android phones, as they’re just a bit simpler and snappier.
Winner: Surfshark
Surfshark offers unlimited simultaneous connections and more functional, better-looking apps. PureVPN isn’t too far behind, but enough to lose the first round and allow Surfshark to climb the podium.
PureVPN vs. Surfshark Price Comparison
Remember the word ‘flexibility’ because both providers go by this mantra.
Here’s PureVPN’s pricing:
It offers monthly, annual, biennial, and five-year plans. However, five-year plans aren’t necessarily the best value. The best-selling is the biennial Max plan at $3.66 monthly, which includes all PureVPN’s features, such as a password manager, tracker blocker, and others.
You can save even more by choosing the Standard plan, which costs $2.14, or the Plus plan, which costs $2.96. The Standard plan offers just a VPN and a tracker blocker. Is PureVPN the cheapest VPN we saw? Likely not.
Here’s why:
Surfshark’s Starter plan costs $1.99 monthly. It provides a VPN and a unique Alternative ID feature, which will be explained later in the Surfshark vs. PureVPN test. The best option is the Surfshark One plan, which costs $2.49 monthly for 24 months, as it includes antivirus and other fabulous extras.
The VPN doesn’t offer longer plans; only biennial, annual, and monthly deals are there. Interestingly, even annual plans are inexpensive and start at only $3.19 monthly. Both variants offer three free months, while monthly plans are some of the priciest on the market.
Okay, so what are their refund policies?
- Surfshark has a 30-day refund policy for all plans.
- PureVPN has a 31-day refund policy for all plans.
It’s just a day longer, but that’s really not an issue. It’s good to know that both services offer crypto payments, which won’t be the case with Bitdefender VPN and other ‘mainstream’ services.
Winner: Surfshark
PureVPN is cheap, but its redundant five-year plans offer no notable savings compared to biennial plans. Surfshark has lower initial monthly prices, offers three free months, and is generally a better value for money, which is why it takes the round.
Features Analysis
The most important PureVPN vs. Surfshark comparison is on the way.
We said that Surfshark offers better value, but our statement is rooted in exceptional knowledge of both VPNs. After reviewing both services, we liked Surfshark’s features a bit more. Before we explain why, let’s discuss their similarities.
Shared Features
Surfshark and PureVPN offer basic VPN features, such as:
- 256-bit bank-grade encryption
- Automatic kill switch
- Split tunneling
- DNS and IPv6 leak protection
- OpenVPN and WireGuard protocols
PureVPN offers quantum-resistant encryption, available on a select few servers. It bolsters your connection and prevents quantum computer attacks. Surfshark is yet to implement it (ExpressVPN did!), but in 2026, we don’t see this as a notable problem.
Oh, let’s mention their advanced features.
- Ad blocking
- Dark web monitoring
- Data removal
It’s worth mentioning that dark web monitoring (Alert in Surfshark) isn’t included in their base plans. You have to upgrade a tier or two above to get it. It’s an interesting feature that monitors your email address and alarms you if it detects breaches.
Data removal is in their highest-tier plans and works only in specific regions. It’s used to remove your data from data brokers and provide more privacy.
Differences in Security Features
Okay, so Surfshark and PureVPN are eerily similar, but the former has a few more aces.
Have you read our Surfshark review? If you did, you saw the Alternative ID feature, which makes a fake identity to conceal your real one. You get a fake name, email, birthdate, and everything else, letting you pose as a different person when interacting with people online.
Surfshark includes Search, an incognito browser with no tracking and data storage.
We love another extra feature: antivirus. Antivirus and VPNs work well, especially when the former supports all devices. This lets you clean up the mess and prevent further damage through scheduled scans.
But this isn’t all, folks. Surfshark offers two more features we tested and used extensively:
- Camouflage Mode: Built-in obfuscation that masks your VPN traffic.
- Multi-Hop: It routes your traffic through two servers for more privacy.
- IP Rotation: It rotates your IP every few minutes to make you untraceable.
PureVPN’s quantum-resistant encryption is the best it can offer. You could say it offers dedicated IPs, but so does Surfshark, so there’s virtually no difference.
Winner: Surfshark
Surfshark’s densely packed, yet affordable plans are unparalleled in 2026. Neither VPN displays data leaks. Both provide exceptional security, but Surfshark’s unique features, including antivirus, are too much to handle for PureVPN.
Do PureVPN and Surfshark Store Logs?
We always express privacy concerns when discussing free VPNs, but paid VPNs are usually different. The most notable difference is privacy, and PureVPN and Surfshark naturally excel at this.
In short, neither VPN stores logs of your browsing history, IP address, DNS queries, etc.
While Surfshark is based in the Netherlands, PureVPN’s legal jurisdiction is the British Virgin Islands. To be fair, we prefer the latter’s jurisdiction, but it doesn’t always matter that much. For example, PIA VPN is excellent for privacy, and it’s based in the United States (5 Eyes).
Before you ask, Surfshark and PureVPN have multiple third-party audits.
They come from renowned companies like Deloitte, Altius, Cure53, and others. It’s worth mentioning PureVPN’s troubled past. A minor (or major?!) “accident” sparked unrest in PureVPN’s users when the company provided user data to the FBI to help arrest the alleged cyberstalker.
At that time, PureVPN was advertised as a no-log VPN, technically misleading its user base. Surfshark hasn’t experienced anything similar, making its reputation much cleaner.
Before we wrap it up, it’s worth mentioning that both VPNs rely on RAM servers. They’re frequently associated with privacy because each restart wipes them clean. So, even if data on the server exists, one restart erases everything, leaving the VPN with a clean slate.
Winner: Tie
Despite PureVPN’s ‘inconvenience’ years ago, it’s now a fully audited and trustworthy VPN that doesn’t store logs. Its jurisdiction is even more privacy-friendly than Surfshark’s, but ultimately, both get a point, as we couldn’t find a single concerning clause in their privacy policies.
Which VPN Is Faster: PureVPN or Surfshark?
If you favor speed and love using VPNs for entertainment, PureVPN and Surfshark are solid options, albeit not the best. Having tested dozens, if not hundreds, of VPNs, we prefer NordVPN over PureVPN. To be fair, NordVPN is the fastest VPN overall, so it’s a logical decision.
How do these two compare? Let’s answer this question through practical tests. Here’s how we do it:
- Both VPNs are tested for three days in a row
- All tests are repeated three times a day
- We use three server locations: the UK, the USA, and Japan
- Our testing location is Eastern Europe (Serbia)
Let’s designate a starting point, which is our native internet speed (without a VPN):
Having set both VPNs’ protocols to Automatic, we began our testing. The table below displays their speed retention percentages, so let us analyze the results:
| PureVPN | Surfshark | |
| Download Speed Retention | 68% | 67% |
| Upload Speed Retention | 95% | 76% |
PureVPN is clearly faster than Surfshark, but the difference is most pronounced in upload speeds. Download speeds are nearly equal, which may matter more if you use a VPN for torrenting or content consumption. Here are the concrete speed test results we achieved for more context:
| UK (Download/Upload) | US (Download/Upload) | Japan (Download/Upload) | |
| PureVPN | 46.77/9.64 Mbps | 37.31/9.22 Mbps | 22.6/9.74 Mbps |
| Surfshark | 40.99/8.33 Mbps | 35.74/9.53 Mbps | 27.85/4.82 Mbps |
Winner: PureVPN
PureVPN outpaced Surfshark in our speed tests. While not a flawless victory, the provider’s considerably faster upload speeds and superior download speed retention earned it a title in this round.
Streaming & Torrenting Comparison
So, which VPN is better for streaming and torrenting, Surfshark or PureVPN?
To answer that, we performed extensive tests on both and found that Surfshark is just a bit better for streaming, while torrenting was nearly on par. Let us explain.
Streaming (Surfshark)
Do Surfshark and PureVPN work on Netflix? We expected this question, so here’s the answer: they do!
Surfshark unblocks more than 25 catalogs, from popular ones (US/UK/AU/CA/JP) to less popular ones from South America, Asia, and Africa. Frankly, this is one of the best Netflix VPNs you can get, especially at this price, and with a helpful browser extension with location spoofing for added unblocking prowess.
But Netflix isn’t everything, so Surfshark works with all other services, including BBC iPlayer, Hulu, ESPN Plus, Discovery Plus, Max, and dozens more.
PureVPN worked quite well and unblocked all popular Netflix libraries. However, our tests have shown it’s a bit less efficient at circumventing more ‘stubborn’ geo-blocks. This is especially prevalent on Prime Video, where we couldn’t access a few popular libraries.
The streaming experience was top-notch with both, thanks to respectable performance. We watched 4K content and experienced little to no buffering or excessive loading times.
Torrenting (Tie)
Torrenting usually has two parts:
- Privacy and security
- Speed
So far, our Surfshark vs. PureVPN test has shown satisfaction with both. When we tested Surfshark and used a nearby server, we noticed practically no speed reduction, allowing for smooth downloading and seeding.
PureVPN behaved similarly, and we tested it with many European servers. However, we noticed that PureVPN offers port forwarding, which is said to improve transfer speeds via a direct connection between peers. We used it, but haven’t achieved spectacular results.
In the end, both VPNs allow torrenting, while PureVPN has special P2P servers for this scenario. Whether you use them or Surfshark’s “unlabeled” servers, speed, privacy, and security won’t be lacking.
Overall Winner: Surfshark
Surfshark takes the lead here primarily because of its otherworldly streaming performance. It’s notably better than PureVPN, particularly for Netflix. If you prioritize torrenting, there’s no wrong choice, and even PureVPN will do the job adequately.
Server Locations: Surfshark vs. PureVPN
Both providers have robust, ever-present server fleets, but we still prefer Surfshark. If you wonder why, let’s examine their server parks together:
- Surfshark has 3,200+ servers in 100 countries.
- PureVPN has 6,000+ servers in 65+ countries.
It appears the latter has roughly two times more servers, but Surfshark offers better distribution. That’s precisely the point! We value server distribution more, as it provides more variety and is better for overcoming geo-blocks. Meanwhile, more servers mean less congestion and faster speeds.
Oh, wait, that’s exactly what happened in this comparison.
Their servers are strategically placed. For instance, Surfshark has Indian VPN servers, while PureVPN has servers in China. All servers are RAM-based and with 10 Gbps ports, so size is hardly the whole story. Quality matters, and it’s delivered on a silver plate.
Winner: Surfshark
Surfshark edged out PureVPN in this round because of more server locations. Objectively, this round could be a tie, as PureVPN has considerably more servers than Surfshark. In practice, it made no significant difference, at least for our experts.
Bypassing Censorship: Which VPN Does It Better?
Surfshark and PureVPN are useful if you want to overcome stubborn censorship.
When we say censorship, we primarily refer to China as the most consistent in this aspect. Having tested Surfshark and PureVPN in this country, we can confirm they work, but not as well as you’d expect. The Great Firewall received massive upgrades, making each VPN less effective in 2026.
However, with enabled obfuscation, Surfshark and PureVPN worked half the time, with decent connection speeds for streaming and browsing. We also tested Surfshark and PureVPN in other censored countries. They worked particularly well in the United Arab Emirates, for instance.
Our many acquaintances reported that they also work in Turkey and Qatar, so you won’t have issues regardless of where your life takes you. This, in turn, makes both VPN excellent for traveling, whether on a vacation or a business trip.
Winner: Tie
Considering their remarkable performance in China and other censored regions, the only logical outcome of this round is a tie. Remember to always enable obfuscation, as it is required in heavily censored regions. Otherwise, neither VPN will work reliably.
Surfshark vs. PureVPN: Closing Remarks
Our PureVPN vs. Surfshark duel is done, and in 2026, the latter emerged victorious.
After extensive testing, we realized how improved PureVPN is, and frankly, at the price, it’s actually a pretty good option. However, Surfshark stood out with its unlimited connections, snappy apps, unique security features, admirable streaming prowess, and competitive pricing.
PureVPN was a tad faster and offered more servers, albeit in fewer countries. Ultimately, we sided with Surfshark as an overall better, yet less expensive option. If you’re interested, you can claim an exclusive Surfshark coupon here and save over 85% on the chosen 24-month plan, or do that through the button below.