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NordVPN vs Surfshark: Which one is better?

NordVPN offers exceptional extra features for its price tag.
8,900+ servers covering 129 countries means a fast and stable VPN connection.
Preconfigured options make NordVPN great for everyday use online.

NordVPN vs Surfshark: Key features overview

How do NordVPN and Surfshark compare when pitted against each other? Before we do a deep dive, let’s have a brief look at what each has to offer.


VPN servers	8,900+	3,200+
Server countries	129	100
Devices per account	10	Unlimited
Protocols	WireGuard (NordLynx), OpenVPN, IKEv2, NordWhisper	WireGuard, OpenVPN, IKEv2
Data encryption	AES-256	AES-256
10 Gbps servers
Supported platforms	Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS, Chromebook, tvOS	Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS, Chromebook, tvOS
Dedicated IPs (paid)
Ad blocker
Malware protection
Dark web monitoring
Password manager	NordPass
24/7 customer support
Money-back guarantee	30 days	30 days
No activity tracking
No-logs policy verified (number of times)	5	2
	Get NordVPN

The information in this comparison table was last verified on September 12, 2025, on the official Surfshark and NordVPN websites. The United States was the key location. The plans for comparison were chosen based on the offered features and related product categories. These plans may differ in price or subscription length, and the information is subject to change over time.

What do users say about NordVPN?

Millions of people trust NordVPN to protect them while they browse, stream, or work online every day. Don’t take our word for it — here’s what everyday users, tech experts, and influencers think of NordVPN.

PewDiePie

110M subscribers

Watch on YouTube

Using @NordVPN for 6 months across the UK, Germany, the usa, Switzerland and now Spain 5g and hotel wifis. Using for WhatsApp calls, video calls and work email with no noticeable performance loss. Recommend.

Laurie Mercer

@NoMeNoMy

This is completely unsolicited praise, @NordVPN, is very helpful as an advertiser testing search ads, and as a work-anywhere person who needs to ensure I have a safe internet connection. Great value. So easy to use, I actually use it. Keep up the good work.

Nathan Corliss

@MrNathanCorliss

As VPN services go, it's hard to beat NordVPN. It has a large and diverse collection of servers, an excellent collection of advanced features, strong privacy and security practices, and approachable clients for every major platform.

Max Eddy

Software analyst, PCMag

CaseyNeistat

12.6M subscribers

Watch on YouTube

The bottom line here is: When you’re online, you don’t have to worry about being secure or about your information getting out there if you have a VPN. NordVPN makes it simple.

Tech of Tomorrow

Tech reviewer, YouTube

NordVPN vs Surfshark: Pricing and plans

NordVPN and Surfshark offer multiple plans to cater to your specific cybersecurity needs. For a fair comparison, we’ve compared prices across all subscription tiers, taking into consideration what each has to offer.


Cheapest monthly plan	Basic ($12.99/mo)	Starter (€15.45/mo)
All-inclusive monthly plan	Ultra ($16.59/mo)	Surfshark One+ (€20.85/mo)
Lowest average monthly cost	2-year Basic ($3.09/mo)	2-year Surfshark Starter (€1.99/mo)
Plan recommended by the provider	2-year Plus ($3.99/mo)	2-year Surfshark One (€2.29/mo)
Cheapest all-inclusive option	2-year Ultra ($6.59/mo)	2-year Surfshark One+ (€4.19/mo)

Prices last checked on the providers’ websites on September 12, 2025.

NordVPN edges out Surfshark on all monthly plans, making it the best option if you only need a VPN for a short while. Surfshark offers cheaper long-term plans, but the low cost comes at a price — it has far fewer VPN servers and unique features (like Threat Protection Pro™, cloud storage, and a password manager) than NordVPN.

NordVPN vs Surfshark: Speed

All VPNs will impact your connection due to encryption and data rerouting, but a high-speed VPN will keep the slowdown to the minimum. While both services make use of 10 Gbps servers for the best possible user experience, according to VPN speed tests we conducted in mid-March of 2024, NordVPN holds a demonstrable edge over Surfshark.

	Download speed	Download speed
US	2,063 Mbps	1,783 Mbps
UK	2,542 Mbps	2,153 Mbps
Netherlands	2,881 Mbps	2,528 Mbps
Singapore	1,426 Mbps	1,268 Mbps

NordVPN vs Surfshark: VPN protocols

Encryption protocols are the backbone of any VPN service. Surfshark and NordVPN providers use the following protocols to protect your data during transit:

IKEv2

IKEv2 is particularly good at maintaining an uninterrupted VPN connection when you’re jumping between networks — such as when you’re browsing on the go.

OpenVPN

Before the advent of WireGuard, OpenVPN was the gold standard for VPN protocols. It is still a great choice for users who want exceptional stability and security.

WireGuard

WireGuard is a relatively recent protocol that offers exceptional speed and efficiency. NordVPN has its own unique version of WireGuard called NordLynx, which uses a double NAT system to reinforce your privacy.

NordWhisper

NordWhisper is unique to NordVPN, designed to overcome local network restrictions, such as filtering at offices, campuses, or public hotspots.

NordVPN vs Surfshark: Respect for your privacy

You trust your VPN to protect your privacy from others — so let’s see what NordVPN and Surfshark do to earn that trust.

Activity logging

Both NordVPN and Surfshark are colloquially referred to as “VPNs with no logs” — they do not track or store your online activity data. NordVPN was the first VPN service to hire independent specialists to review its practices, with the latest successful NordVPN security audit carried out in 2024. By contrast, Surfshark had its logging practice reviewed twice in 2022 and 2023.

RAM-only servers

NordVPN and Surfshark use RAM-only hardware, which erases all data stored on the server each time it reboots. This means the servers contain no data when powered down, keeping your information secure in case someone infiltrates the data center and absconds with the device.

Jurisdiction

Both Surfshark and NordVPN operate out of privacy-friendly countries. NordVPN falls under the jurisdiction of the Republic of Panama, which does not oblige NordVPN to store logs of its users’ online activity, while Surfshark is headquartered in the Netherlands.

NordVPN vs Surfshark: Security

Strong security is essential to any VPN service. NordVPN and Surfshark both take steps to protect their users, but there are important differences between the two.

Kill switch

A Kill Switch cuts off your online traffic if you unexpectedly lose your VPN connection. Both NordVPN and Surfshark have system-wide kill switches, but NordVPN also offers the option to cut traffic from specific apps only.

Obfuscation

Both services offer VPN obfuscation, which lets you enjoy VPN protection without revealing to others that you’re using a VPN. NordVPN has special obfuscated servers, while Surfshark has a NoBorders mode you can toggle in the app.

Multi-factor authentication (MFA)

MFA protects your account by adding an extra security step when logging in. Surfshark supports authenticator apps and email-based codes, while NordVPN uses authenticator apps and security keys.

VPN protocols

NordVPN and Surfshark use IKEv2, OpenVPN, and WireGuard (implemented as NordLynx for NordVPN) — the most secure VPN protocols on the market. However, NordVPN also offers NordWhisper for surfing on restrictive networks.

Multi-hop VPN

Multi-hop routing directs your online traffic through several VPN servers for additional protection. NordVPN offers preconfigured Double VPN servers, making it a great choice for less experienced users, while Surfshark’s Multi-hop feature must be configured manually.

Advanced encryption

NordVPN and Surfshark both use AES-256, widely considered the best standard in the industry for VPN encryption.

DNS leak protection

Both providers automatically route DNS requests to company-operated DNS servers to prevent DNS leaks.

NordVPN vs Surfshark: Servers and locations

Having a large number of VPN servers in many places around the world is a key factor in bypassing censorship, avoiding price discrimination, and enjoying good VPN speeds.


Number of servers	8,900+	3,200+
Countries covered	129	100
Multi-hop/Double VPN
P2P servers
Obfuscated servers
Onion Over VPN

A man connecting to a VPN server via his phone.

NordVPN operates one of the largest VPN server networks on the market, covering 129 countries with over 8,900 high-speed servers. NordVPN also has several specialized options for more advanced users — in addition to Double VPN and obfuscated servers, NordVPN offers P2P servers for secure file sharing and Onion Over VPN for access to the Onion network without having to use the Tor browser.

Surfshark vs NordVPN: Customer support

Everyone needs a little help sometimes — and when it comes to customer service, NordVPN and Surfshark are some of the best in the industry. Both have videos and detailed guides covering setup, features, and billing issues, and offer 24/7 live chat to help you with any issue.


24/7 live chat
Email support
Guides and articles

Surfshark vs NordVPN: Extra features

Both NordVPN and Surfshark come with useful extra features to improve your everyday online experience. Some are duplicated across both brands — for example, both NordVPN and Surfshark support split tunneling, both VPNs can protect multiple devices, and both have the option to purchase a dedicated IP. But what’s different?

	NordVPN Plus	NordVPN Ultra	Surfshark One	Surfshark One+
Dedicated IP
Smart DNS
Split tunneling
Protection for multiple devices
Password manager
1 TB cloud storage
File encryption
Personal data removal (Incogni)
Malware scanner
Ad blocker
AI-based phishing detection
Antivirus
Dark web monitoring
Malicious website blocker
Onion Over VPN servers
GPS spoofing

The biggest difference is that the higher tiers of NordVPN subscription include two whole additional cybersecurity products — an advanced password manager and 1 TB of secure cloud storage. NordVPN’s Threat Protection Pro™ also gives you a malware scanner, an ad blocker, and certified anti-phishing capabilities. By contrast, Surfshark’s main offerings are antivirus and GPS spoofing for Android.

Surfshark vs NordVPN: Key takeaways

Both Surfshark and NordVPN offer a premium VPN experience — but NordVPN seems to go the extra mile where it counts.

Price

If you only need the VPN for a month or two, NordVPN’s monthly plans are cheaper than Surfshark’s. Surfshark long-term plans are cheaper, but they also offer fewer features and significantly less server coverage than NordVPN.

Performance

NordVPN has nearly twice the number of servers and covers more countries than Surfshark. VPN speed tests also show that NordVPN is faster.

Protocols

Both NordVPN and Surfshark use the most popular VPN protocols for encryption — however, NordVPN also has NordWhisper available for restrictive networks.

Respect for privacy

On paper, both NordVPN and Surfshark show the same commitment to your privacy. In practice, NordVPN’s no-logs policy has successfully passed five audits, the latest of which was in 2024, while Surfshark passed two audits in 2022 and 2023.

Security

NordVPN and Surfshark offer similar levels of security for their users, although NordVPN’s Kill Switch is more customizable — it can be configured to affect only certain apps instead of blocking all traffic.

Extra features

NordVPN has more features than Surfshark — at the highest level, NordVPN comes along with a password manager, 1 TB cloud storage, and protection against phishing attacks and ads.

Customer support

Both VPN services offer 24/7 customer support via live chat, and both have excellent help centers with detailed tutorials for all features.

Do industry experts trust NordVPN?

Renowned tech experts and online privacy enthusiasts place NordVPN among the best VPNs in the market — if not outright crowning it as their favorite VPN. NordVPN reviews consistently praise its strong pro-privacy stance and exemplary security features.

CNN Underscored

Editors' Pick 2024

PCMag Magazine

Editors' Choice 2024

TechRadar

No.1 VPN in 2024

Forbes Advisor