Surfshark vs NordVPN Since internet privacy and security are more crucial than ever in the digital age, virtual private networks, or VPNs, are a popular choice for users who want to protect their data and access information that is restricted. Among the best VPN services, Surfshark and NordVPN have consistently set themselves apart with their robust features, user-friendly interfaces, and strict security measures. Because each offers unique advantages tailored to different user needs, choosing between the two might be challenging. With the help of this comparison, you can select the VPN that best suits your needs in terms of features, performance, and price.
Contents
- 1 NordVPN vs Surfshark: Apps
- 2 What Makes Surfshark vs NordVPN Stand Out?
- 3 Speed Comparison: Surfshark vs NordVPN
- 4 Pricing and Plans
- 5 Security and Privacy: Which VPN is Safer?
- 6 Streaming and Torrenting
- 7 NordVPN vs Surfshark at a glance
- 8 NordVPN vs Surfshark: Performance
- 9 NordVPN vs Surfshark: Streaming
- 10 How Does Surfshark Compare to Other VPNs?
- 11 NordVPN vs Surfshark: Support
- 12 Conclusion
- 13 FAQs
NordVPN vs Surfshark: Apps

Since the majority of customers will access their VPN using an app, it’s critical that they are user-friendly and feature-rich. However, since it depends on your individual preferences, it’s crucial to examine what you’d want to utilize and to accept our rating with a grain of salt.
The NordVPN desktop layout is clear, simple, and instantly identifiable. Although the map interface isn’t always very helpful, it can be handy for rapidly choosing a nation without having to scroll through a list. In central Europe, of course, it can get a little crowded. The map isn’t very useful on smaller screens, so you’re better off ignoring it completely on mobile devices. Features-wise, everything is plug-and-play and changing settings is incredibly easy on both desktop and mobile devices.
The apps from Surfshark are even more straightforward, eschewing a cluttered design in favor of a server list. If we had to choose one criticism, it would be that Surfshark’s apps are a little too basic, even though you can still quickly adjust settings. Both VPNs offer excellent, dependable, and functional apps that work on practically all devices, so this really comes down to personal preference.
What Makes Surfshark vs NordVPN Stand Out?
Surfshark vs NordVPN Two well-regarded VPN providers that provide outstanding online privacy, safe data encryption, and access to georestricted material are Surfshark and NordVPN. Let’s examine their salient characteristics:
Surfshark Key Features:
- Unlimited device connections: perfect for big homes or lots of devices.
- In camouflage mode, your VPN usage is concealed.
- CleanWeb: prevents viruses, trackers, and advertisements.
- NoBorders Mode: Provides accessibility in places with restrictions, such as China.
- Reasonably priced plans: ideal for consumers on a tight budget.
NordVPN Key Features:
- An additional degree of security is added by double VPN encryption.
- Threat Protection: Prevents harmful websites and tracking software.
- P2P, onion over VPN, and obfuscated servers are examples of specialized servers.
- With the NordLynx Protocol, lightning-fast speeds are guaranteed.
- For more complex privacy requirements, the dedicated IP solution is appropriate.
Speed Comparison: Surfshark vs NordVPN
Surfshark vs NordVPN Because NordVPN uses its own NordLynx protocol, it routinely exceeds Surfshark in the majority of speed testing. Surfshark is a dependable choice for daily usage, though, because it also provides respectable speeds for gaming, streaming, and torrenting.
Pricing and Plans
Pricing is a major consideration when choosing a VPN. Let’s see how the two compare:
Surfshark Pricing:
- Starts at $2.49/month for a 24-month plan.
- Offers a 30-day money-back guarantee.
- Unlimited device connections.
NordVPN Pricing:
- Starts at $3.49/month for a 24-month plan.
- Offers a 30-day money-back guarantee.
- Supports up to six simultaneous connections.
Security and Privacy: Which VPN is Safer?
Surfshark:
- AES-256-GCM encryption is used.
- adheres to a stringent no-logs policy that has been confirmed by independent audits.
- MultiHop servers are offered for increased anonymity.
NordVPN:
- AES-256-GCM encryption is used.
- Data privacy is provided by an audited no-logs policy.
- includes ad-blocking and virus protection through CyberSec.
Streaming and Torrenting
Surfshark vs NordVPN By successfully avoiding geo-restrictions, Surfshark and NordVPN enable users to access media from services like Netflix, Hulu, and BBC iPlayer.
- Surfshark: It is perfect for families because it enables an infinite number of simultaneous connections and functions dependably with streaming services.
- NordVPN provides improved speeds and availability of dedicated P2P servers, guaranteeing a more seamless torrenting experience.
NordVPN vs Surfshark at a glance
Header Cell, Column 0 | NordVPN | Surfshark |
---|---|---|
Number of servers: | 6,800+ | 3,200+ |
Server countries: | 111 | 100 |
Maximum simultaneous connections: | 10 | Unlimited |
Money back guarantee: | 30 days | 30 days |
Lowest monthly cost: | $2.99 | $1.99 |
NordVPN vs Surfshark: Performance
Surfshark vs NordVPN A key element of any VPN is fast connection speeds. After all, even the strongest privacy in the world won’t help if it makes it difficult to browse. To obtain a comprehensive understanding of each provider’s performance, we tested NordVPN and Surfshark on a 1 Gbps line in the US and the UK.
Actually, there isn’t much that separates the two. Everything stayed incredibly fast while I was connected because they both reached their maximum speed of 950 Mbps. These were the fastest speeds we achieved utilizing the NordVPN NordLynx protocol and Surfshark’s WireGuard protocol.
With speeds of 460 Mbps compared to NordVPN’s 173 Mbps, Surfshark clearly outperformed OpenVPN. These are the two fastest VPN companies available, based on our extensive testing. Both will function in the same way on normal connections. Overall, though, Surfshark is unquestionably the quickest VPN we’ve ever examined. Nevertheless, NordVPN, which offers dependable and quick speeds, is still a very viable second.
NordVPN vs Surfshark: Streaming
With 14 Netflix libraries protected, urfshark flaunts its status as one of the top streaming VPNs. This is encouraging because stating this as a selling point implies that it must continue to provide the service. Another trustworthy option for streaming is NordVPN. It was able to access all of the Netflix libraries we tested. Unblocking other streaming providers wasn’t nearly as simple, though.
NordVPN encountered issues when testing BBC iPlayer, which is frequently even more challenging to unblock than Netflix. We would prefer to use the app, however an article on Nord’s website suggested using the browser extension, which did get us in. The same was true for Amazon Prime as well. However, the first time we tried it, Surfshark was able to access iPlayer and Prime, which is why it wins this category.
How Does Surfshark Compare to Other VPNs?

To give you a broader perspective, here is how Surfshark stacks up against other popular VPN services:
- Surfshark vs ExpressVPN: While ExpressVPN offers faster speeds, Surfshark’s affordability and unlimited connections make it more appealing.
- Surfshark vs CyberGhost: Surfshark provides better features for bypassing censorship, whereas CyberGhost offers more optimized servers for streaming.
- Surfshark vs IPVanish: Surfshark wins with its unlimited connections, while IPVanish offers a better user interface.
- Surfshark vs Private Internet Access: Both are budget-friendly, but Surfshark’s user experience is more refined.
- Surfshark vs ProtonVPN: ProtonVPN’s free plan is attractive, but Surfshark provides more comprehensive premium features.
- Surfshark vs TunnelBear: Surfshark offers better privacy features, while TunnelBear’s free plan is more beginner-friendly.
- Surfshark vs Hotspot Shield: Surfshark is more affordable and better suited for privacy enthusiasts.
- Surfshark vs Windscribe: Windscribe’s free plan is popular, but Surfshark delivers a superior premium experience.
- Surfshark vs VyprVPN: VyprVPN’s Chameleon protocol is impressive, but Surfshark’s overall feature set is more robust.
- Surfshark vs PureVPN: Surfshark edges ahead with its unlimited connections and faster speeds.
- Surfshark vs Mullvad: Mullvad prioritizes privacy, but Surfshark’s usability and features make it more versatile.
- Surfshark vs StrongVPN: Surfshark’s CleanWeb and MultiHop features are more advanced.
- Surfshark vs ZenMate: Surfshark offers better security features and compatibility with streaming services.
- Surfshark vs HideMyAss: Surfshark’s pricing and privacy options are more attractive.
NordVPN vs Surfshark: Support
Surfing NordVPN’s knowledge base of articles and instructions is a bit of a maze. Once you’ve located them, though, the information is thorough and beneficial. We advise bookmarking the hub page if you plan to subscribe to Nord so you won’t have to search the website for it again. After all, when you’re having trouble with something, you don’t want to have to deal with trying to discover a difficult-to-find help guide. With top-notch articles that should answer the majority of questions, Surfshark’s library of tutorials is comparable in both size and quality.
Live chat, however, will be the most helpful support function for the majority of consumers. Fortunately, both VPNs have friendly operators on hand around-the-clock who are informed and appear to be able to resolve most issues quickly and effectively. Despite their tendency to follow a script, both providers’ employees are willing and able to deviate from their standard work to provide individualized assistance and guidance. In summary, there isn’t a certain winner in this case. The help provided by both suppliers is nearly equal and of high quality.
Conclusion
NordVPN and Surfshark are both great options for improving your online security and privacy. Surfshark is a desirable choice for families and individuals on a tight budget because of its low cost and limitless device connections. On the other side, individuals looking for the best performance and dependability are drawn to NordVPN’s sophisticated security features, faster speeds, and wider server network. Your unique demands and objectives will ultimately determine which option is best for you. Whichever option you select, both VPNs offer the resources you need to successfully protect your online presence.
FAQs
Q1: Is NordVPN comparable to Surfshark VPN?
Depending on your needs, yes. While Surfshark is more retoably priced and allows for an infinite number of device connections, NordVPN offers slightly faster speeds and more sophisticated capabilities.
Q2: Is NordVPN inferior to UltraVPN?
No, NordVPN is widely regarded as superior to UltraVPN because of its more sophisticated security, quicker speeds, and wider server network.
Q3: What drawbacks does Surfshark have?
Surfshark lacks a dedicated IP capability and its speeds can be a little slower than those of premium VPNs like NordVPN.
Q4: Are PIA VPN and Surfshark superior?
In general, Surfshark is favored because of its superior streaming capabilities and limitless device connections. When it comes to customized privacy options, PIA VPN shines.