Surfshark vs NordVPN – which VPN wins in 2023?

Coming from the same industry-leading cybersecurity company – Nord Security – NordVPN and Surfshark are both individually high-end VPNs. Both of them applies progressive security measures, seeking to create a secure and private online environment for the user. Regardingly, these providers stand to be the best VPNs of all our tested service providers.

While both NordVPN and Surfshark may appear equally robust, NordVPN is preferred by VPN users for its better connection speeds and unique features, such as Meshnet. On the other hand, Surfshark, being more budget-friendly, is favored for its unlimited simultaneous connections. So, how to know which one is the VPN for you?

By compiling this Surfshark vs NordVPN comparison, we aimed to help you learn why these VPNs are reliable options overall and how each fulfills security needs alone. Below, you will find test results put next to each other regarding NordVPN’s and Surfshark’s speeds, features, security, apps, and quality of their customer support. So, without further ado, read on and see which VPN suits your needs more.

NordVPN vs Surfshark: overview

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Plans and pricing

When comparing short-term and long-term subscriptions, which always offer better deals and lower prices, Surfshark comes as the more budget-friendly pick. Even comparing both long-term plans, 1-year and 2-year subscriptions, Surfshark is a cheaper VPN option than NordVPN.

The monthly subscription is the shortest option, and it will be the priciest. NordVPN costs $12.99, while Surfshark will be a bit less expensive – $12.95.

The longest two-year plan gets you the best savings. NordVPN costs $3.49/month, while Surfshark charges $2.30/month, which is a superb deal.

When it comes to NordVPN payment options – you can use credit cards, PayPal (in particular regions), AmazonPay, ACH Transfer, Apple Pay, Google Pay, cryptocurrencies, and even cash in certain retail stores. Meanwhile, Surfshark accepts credit cards, PayPal, Google Pay, Amazon Pay, Apple Pay, and cryptocurrencies. Hence, if you wish to pay in cash or make an electronic transfer, NordVPN is the provider you should opt for.

Both Surfshark and NordVPN ensure that each user can try their services risk-free by offering 30-day money-back guarantees and 7-day free trials. However, it’s important to note that NordVPN’s free trial can be claimed via Android devices and only after the registration it can be used on any other operating system. Similarly, Surfshark’s free trial is available to claim through your iOS, Android, or macOS device first.

If the pricing seems too much, there might be a discount waiting for you: check out our pages for NordVPN coupons and Surfshark coupons.

Wrapping up

To sum up, Surfshark is a winner here as it’s noticeably cheaper than NordVPN. However, it’s still worth remembering that NordVPN comes with a wider variety of payment methods.

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Security overview: Surfshark vs NordVPN

Both NordVPN and Surfshark are solid cybersecurity providers that strongly focus on ensuring complete privacy and durable online security.

Heading straight to the differences, the first thing we find is that, unlike NordVPN, Surfshark adds Poly1305 authentication next to already advanced AES-256-GCM and ChaCha20 encryption. This addition may prevent attackers from modifying the ciphertexts.

Another hefty disparity is the country of jurisdiction that the VPN is based at. While NordVPN is located in a privacy-friendly Panama, Surfshark resides in the Netherlands, which is a part of the 9-Eyes Intelligence Alliance. Due to the alliance countries' agreement to maintain cybersecurity and counterterrorism, innocent individuals might suffer from privacy violations.

Seemingly, NordVPN and Surfshark are very alike when taking a first glance at their security and privacy measures. However, there are details in each decision of their resulting in different online protection patterns. Let’s review them in detail right below.

Infrastructure and encryption

Both NordVPN and Surfshark have upgraded all of their servers to run on RAM-only hardware. This means there are no hard drives on which the user logs can be written, and RAM-only servers wipe themselves during each restart.

Despite a unique server design, the two have integrated industry-leading AES-256 cipher topped with ChaCha20 cipher. The latter ensures that your connection isn’t only super secure but also fast. However, Surfshark takes the lead regarding encryption, as it also offers the addition of Poly1305 authentication to verify data integrity.

Last but not least – the kill switch feature. Whether you choose Surfshark or NordVPN, you receive one of the most crucial security tools. The kill switch protects your IP address if a VPN connection is disturbed. Yet, with NordVPN, it’s possible to use different versions of this feature, where you can modify when the protection should activate itself.

Independent audits

NordVPN and Surfshark conducted numerous independent audits examining their compliance regarding their privacy policy claims.

For NordVPN, two audits were performed by the PwC (PricewaterhouseCoopers) independent agency, and both times the audit concluded that NordVPN does stick to its promises. Later, Deloitte conducted another audit to confirm once again that NordVPN adheres to its zero-logs promises.

Meanwhile, Surfshark was audited by Cure53 penetration testers twice. They checked the browser extensions, server infrastructure, and general security of the tool. Furthermore, Deloitte audited the no-logs policy in 2023, leaving no doubts about Surfshark's integrity.

Moreover, both providers have bug bounty programs, allowing outside hackers and researchers to assist in finding their security gaps before a cybercriminal does.

Jurisdiction

Surfshark is based in the Netherlands. Unfortunately, the country is a part of the 9-Eyes intelligence alliance, meaning that it shares relevant information with other member countries if needed. This may raise some concerns about Surfshark’s logging policy, but rest assured – the VPN provider is not required to log any user-identifying information.

On the contrary, NordVPN has a different pattern, as they place their service in Panama. It's a privacy-friendly location that is out of reach of surveillance alliances. Nonetheless, your data isn't threatened by intrusive legislation, whichever service you decide to pick.

Speed comparison: which is faster, NordVPN or Surfshark?

For this NordVPN vs Surfshark speed comparison, we measured the speed of every protocol across 5 different locations (US, UK, France, Singapore, and Australia) to see which one showed a better speed average. The next step is comparing the providers themselves.

Both NordVPN and Surfshark use WireGuard, although, in NordVPN's case, it’s a slightly fancier version called NordLynx. This is one of the most popular and commonly used protocols, so the speed test results are a big indicator of which VPN provider is better.

Data period: 09.19 - 10.03

Download retention
US (NY)	25% (241 Mbit/s)	24% (236 Mbit/s)
United Kingdom	56% (536 Mbit/s)	55% (528 Mbit/s)
France	85% (816 Mbit/s)	84% (804 Mbit/s)
Singapore	77% (741 Mbit/s)	70% (674 Mbit/s)
Australia	57% (546 Mbit/s)	57% (544 Mbit/s)
Upload retention
US (NY)	23% (224 Mbit/s)	23% (221 Mbit/s)
United Kingdom	47% (450 Mbit/s)	49% (471 Mbit/s)
France	77% (742 Mbit/s)	77% (741 Mbit/s)
Singapore	67% (648 Mbit/s)	66% (632 Mbit/s)
Australia	52% (503 Mbit/s)	52% (497 Mbit/s)

Download/Upload baseline speed - 1000 Mbit/s

See live VPN provider data on our VPN speed test tool

Throughout all the results, it’s clear that NordVPN has the slightest edge over Surfshark. While both providers offer blazing-fast speeds and clearly are two of the fastest VPNs on the market right now, NordVPN is just slightly speedier.

But that’s not all. We also compared their performance with other protocols, including OpenVPN (UDP and TCP variants) and IKEv2.

While comparing the mobile users’ fan favorite IKEv2 protocol, the results were pretty close. NordVPN's average download speed drop was 28%, while Surfshark’s was 27%. So, in terms of download speeds, both providers are almost identical. However, NordVPN is a bit more efficient with upload speeds.

Wrapping up

Overall, NordVPN is a faster VPN than Surfshark as its NordLynx performance is better regarding both download and upload speeds. However, both services are similarly matched when tested speed performance with IKEv2 and OpenVPN (UDP/TCP) protocols.

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Features overview

In terms of features, both NordVPN and Surfshark add a lot of additional subscription benefits.

Although NordVPN has more specialty server options, Surfshark proves its suite with a wider variety of security features included.

Specialty servers

Both NordVPN and Surfshark have specialized servers. They provide additional benefits to your connection and have unique use cases. For example, Surfshark has MultiHop and dedicated IP servers.

MultiHop – with these servers, your connections get passed through 2 VPN servers instead of 1. With the Nexus technology, Surfshark even allows you to choose the entry and exit locations to fit your specific needs.

Static IP – contrary to other dedicated IP options, anyone can use Surfshark's static IP servers. The IP address will not belong to you alone, but you'll get assigned the same IP address each time you connect to them.

Dedicated IP – for an additional price, both providers offer dedicated IP options. The number of locations is subject to change due to the limited amount of dedicated IPs. Nevertheless, a dedicated IP is a worthwile option to consider if you're plagued by captchas or excessive VPN blocks.

Although otherwise, these would be very impressive offerings, NordVPN is just as versatile. It matches MultiHop with Double VPN servers while including a few other unique server types.

Onion over VPN – combines your VPN connection with the Tor network.

P2P – although you can torrent on any of NordVPN’s servers, a dedicated P2P option will have the best speeds.

Obfuscated servers – specialized servers that scramble your traffic by making it appear as non-VPN (although, Surfshark also has a special toggle in the settings).

Split tunneling

Split tunneling is one of the most useful features that a VPN service can have. It gives you a much more precise way to route your Internet traffic.

NordVPN and Surfshark have very similar implementations. You can route only particular apps via VPN or add exclusions from your VPN connection. In both instances, this eliminates the need to disconnect from the VPN when you need to connect directly. And take note that Surfshark's implementation is named Bypasser. You may enable the feature and add apps or websites to the split tunneling list effortlessly. From the main Surfshark page, find the Settings section and toggle the Bypass VPN, and click Add websites or IP addresses to customize your VPN traffic.

The process on the NordVPN app is very similar. You will find the split tunneling feature in the Settings section, where you must enable it to let it work. However, you may also choose whether the added sites and apps are excluded from the VPN traffic or the contrary.

Sadly, both providers have only implemented it on Windows and Android. So, if you're a Mac and iPhone user, this feature won't be available.

Web filters

Whichever contestant you pick, you'll get web filters to protect you when you're browsing. Surfshark's version of this feature is called CleanWeb. It stops intrusive trackers and ads right in their tracks. This is achieved by blocking known IPs associated with adware hosts, malware, or trackers. It works on your selected browser extension: Chrome, Firefox, or Edge.

NordVPN's spin on this formula is called Threat Protection. It makes your browsing safer by blocking ads and trackers, identifying malware, and preventing you from entering malicious websites.

Obfuscated servers

VPN usage in some highly-censored countries is restricted and illegal, and not every VPN works there. However, NordVPN and Surfshark will be able to bypass either The Great Firewall of China or any other VPN block with the help of obfuscated servers.

NordVPN’s obfuscated servers and Surfshark’s NoBorders mode are designed specifically to evade firewalls and Deep Packet Inspection (DPI) that restrictive governments might employ against VPN usage. These servers are most likely to work in China and anywhere else in the world.

However, chances are you will need special configurations in order to use both VPNs in countries with restrictions.

Are there any extras?

When comparing Surfshark VPN vs NordVPN, the value of the VPN provider has reflected in the amount and quality of features you can get with it. Luckily, both of the competitors offer all-around security extras that can benefit individuals and businesses. Yet, note that some additional security tools from NordVPN and Surfshark come for an additional charge.

NordVPN additional features:

• Meshnet – the feature allows you to create a private encrypted network and link up to 60 devices simultaneously. With Meshnet, you can securely share files, create LAN parties, work, or simply browse completely for free, even if you’re not a NordVPN subscriber.
• Dark web monitoring – continuously checks websites and monitors if your data hasn’t been leaked to any of them.
• Password manager – another extra from Nord Security is a market-leading password manager. With it, you can autofill your existing logins, generate complex passwords, and secure your sensitive notes on unlimited devices. When subscribing to NordVPN, the NordPass password manager is offered for an additional price.
• Encrypted file storage – NordVPN’s bundle can also be boosted with the NordLocker secure cloud storage. The tool is excellent for businesses, as it can store up to 2TB, and your files are protected using AES-256, ECC, XChaCha20-Poly1305-IETF, Argon2id encryption ciphers.

Surfshark additional features:

• GPS spoofer – allows you easily spoof your location on Android devices. So, you can trick the websites and apps that detect your geographical location.
• Alerts – Surfshark’s Alerts feature helps you monitor all data that are related to your credit cards, national IDs, and email addresses.
• IP rotator – to guarantee you stay untraceable, Surfshark uses the IP rotator to switch your VPN-given IP every other minute.
• Incogni – when opting for the Surfshark One+ bundle, you receive multiple security features, including Surfshark Incogni, which can remove all your personal information from data brokers' databases.
• Antivirus – Surfshark antivirus expands the protection from only your data online to securing your device from any malware threats as well. The feature is available for an extra charge.

Wrapping up

And even though both VPNs have similar features to offer, we must declare that Surfshark offers a more comprehensive suite of security than NordVPN. It includes GPS spoofing, antivirus, and even more that makes Surfshark a winner.

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Server locations

In terms of where the VPNs have their servers, both NordVPN and Surfshark have a solid number of servers and versatile locations, so you’re able to connect to almost any location around the globe.

Both providers have different strengths. NordVPN has 5,800+ servers across 60 countries, while Surfshark has 3,200+ servers in 100 countries. So, with the first one, you're getting more servers. With the other, you're getting more countries to choose from.

Additionally, Surfshark uses virtual locations, whereas NordVPN doesn’t implement this.

It's worth considering that NordVPN in Europe and the US has as many servers as Surfshark's entire network. You can expect the bigger fleet to provide more consistent performance across different locations.

Wrapping up

Overall, NordVPN has more server locations than Surfshark, which leads to NordVPN's win in this category.

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Which VPN is better at unblocking streaming services?

Both Surfshark and NordVPN are really capable of unblocking geo-restricted streaming sites, including one of the most popular streaming giants – Netflix. Both providers are considered to be the best VPNs for streaming.

As expected, neither NordVPN nor Surfshark struggled when unblocking foreign Netflix libraries and other platforms with notorious geo-blocks.

During our tests, we were able to unblock US exclusives and managed to connect to Japan. However, when we tried unblocking Netflix NZ, we had to reconnect to make it work.

Overall, both Surfshark and NordVPN worked with plenty of global streaming sites, including BBC iPlayer, Hulu, different Amazon Prime Video catalogs, Max, iQiyi, Crunchyroll, and many others.

We did encounter a couple of errors with the two. However, it’s completely normal for a VPN to be interrupted by a streaming platform, as these are known for vigilantly blocking VPN activities. After reconnecting to another server, both providers maintained video quality in full HD.

Finally, you can use the Smart DNS feature that both offer to stream foreign content libraries on devices that don’t support VPN apps, like your smart TV. Yet, note that Surfshark’s Smart DNS requires a manual setup and works with the US servers only. Similarly, NordVPN’s Smart DNS mainly works with the US streaming services; however, the feature is enabled automatically.

Torrenting

Surfshark allows you to torrent on all of their servers, however, the speeds will be a bit lower. While NordVPN is a bit more restrictive, you can also choose whichever server.

In addition, NordVPN includes a SOCKS5 proxy, which is a useful alternative for P2P connections since it will provide faster download speeds than a VPN tunnel. And you may also boost torrenting speeds with the split tunneling feature that allows you to choose which apps or sites will go through the VPN route.

Wrapping up

All in all, both NordVPN and Surfshark are good for torrenting, however, NordVPN includes a free SOCKS5 proxy for faster downloads, which allows us to name NordVPN as the winner in the torrenting category.

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Platforms, interface, and ease of use

NordVPN and Surfshark excel in their usability and user-friendliness. They have a very diverse selection of apps, which are super easy to use.

NordVPN and Surfshark support a wide variety of operating systems. Additionally, they have a couple of browser extensions and work with other devices, like smart TVs. The apps are very easy to use, intuitive, and developed nicely. So, no matter the platform you use, setting up will be really easy.

Overall, both providers don't restrict your usage cases with wide device support and convenient UI.

Simultaneous connections

Surfshark offers unlimited simultaneous connections, while NordVPN caps it off at 6 connections maximum. You can secure your devices and the whole household with unlimited connections with a single Surfshark subscription account.

Alternatively, to cover more devices with NordVPN, you’d have to manually set up your VPN on a router; only when connected to that Wi-Fi connection would unlimited devices be secured. Setting up a VPN on a router can be a bit of a challenge for beginner users. Therefore, Surfshark, with its unlimited connections, might be a better choice.

Desktop apps

Starting from noticeable strengths, Surfshark has a dedicated app for Linux with a nice visual interface and a feature-rich suite of features. On the contrary, , with NordVPN you'll be using the terminal by typing in your intended servers.

Moving further, Surfshark’s Windows users get the best treatment. Not only do they get an aesthetically pleasing user interface, but they are also given quite a bunch of features that are unavailable on macOS, like Split Tunneling/Bypasser.

It's worth noting that the macOS version for Surfshark comes in two forms – the Apple Store version and the website version. Both versions come with all of the tunneling protocols. Yet, the Apple Store app doesn’t work with the Surfshark One bundle, meaning you won’t be able to get an antivirus and other additional security features.

Now NordVPN’s Windows and macOS versions are very similar, have the map interface, and are easy to navigate and use.

Just like with Surfshark, NordVPN’s macOS app also has two versions – the website one and the App Store. The website version will have more recent updates, unique features, such as Presets to custom VPN connections for specific apps and sites, as well as the WireGuard andOpenVPN tunneling protocols.

Mobile apps

Both NordVPN and Surfshark have a superb Android VPN apps, while iOS is a bit behind.

Surfshark's Android version has Bypasser and GPS spoofing – a feature that no other competing VPN has implemented yet. The iOS version also includes a kill switch, an IP rotator, and the NoBorders mode. But other additions are only CleanWeb and auto-connect. You can read more about these features in our Surfshark VPN review.

NordVPN’s Android app is feature-rich and very easy to use. You can select your servers from a map interface or a list of servers. Additionally, it has all the useful features, like a kill switch, split tunneling, pausing, auto-connect feature, Meshnet, Threat Protection Lite, and more.

NordVPN's iOS app has a built-in kill switch, favorites tab, and dark web monitoring. There’s also a map interface, but you can also use the list of countries to pick your server.

Customer support

When it comes to reaching out for technical help, both Surfshark and NordVPN have excellent customer support services in terms of options of support and its speediness.

If you run into any issues, you'll get many customer support options, no matter you choose Surfshark or NordVPN. Both have up-to-date customer support web pages with guides and FAQs available.

None of the providers offer phone service, but if you prefer a more direct approach or need to get in touch with a human, NordVPN and Surfshark have a 24/7 live chat. So, you'll be able to find help even in the middle of the night.

For instance, NordVPN's agent quickly responded to our question about payment methods and additionally provided us with an informative guide:

Meanwhile, Surfshark's customer support agent cheered us up using a friendly tone of voice and giving answers about their antivirus service within less than a minute:

Our experience with both providers was pleasant. We didn't have to wait in long queues, and when we got assigned an agent, they proved to be knowledgeable and quickly answered all our questions.

NordVPN and Surfshark comparison with other VPN providers

	NordVPN	Surfshark	IPVanish	PrivateVPN	ExpressVPN	CyberGhost
Brand
Review	NordVPN review	Surfshark review	IPVanish review	PrivateVPN review	ExpressVPN review	CyberGhost review
Rating	4.9 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★	4.7 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★	4.5 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★	4.2 ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆	4.3 ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆	4.2 ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
Price	From $3.19/month	From $2.30/month	From $2.99/month	From $2.00/month	From $6.67/month	From $2.11/month
Servers	5,800+ servers in 60 countries	3,200+ servers in 100 countries	2,200+ servers in 52 countries	200+ servers in 63 countries	3,000+ servers in 94 countries	9,600+ servers in 91 countries
Simultaneous connections	6	Unlimited	Unlimited	10	8	7
Based in	Panama	The Netherlands	United States	Sweden	British Virgin Islands	Romania
Logging	No logs, independently audited twice by PwC	No logs, independently audited by Deloitte	No logs, independently audited by Leviathan	No logs, not audited	No logs, independently audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers	No logs, independently audited by Deloitte
Streaming	✅ Yes	✅ Yes	✅ Yes	✅ Yes	✅ Yes	✅ Yes

What do Redditors think about NordVPN and Surfshark?

Reddit is a fantastic resource for finding frank reviews of many products, including VPNs. You can choose the best provider by consulting the countless subreddits devoted to discussing VPNs for certain uses, problem-solving, and more. So, let’s look at Surfshark vs NordVPN Reddit edition.

Redditors have positive opinions on both NordVPN and Surfshark providers, giving credit to their privacy features and ease of use. Ultimately, the effectiveness of these VPNs may vary based on individual preferences and usage patterns, for instance, gaming, streaming, or bypassing content blocks at schools.

Some Redditors discuss their differences in apps and interfaces, while others care more about streaming, privacy, and whether the providers can assure data safety. For example, NordVPN is mainly being praised for its progressive security, excellent connection speeds, and unmatchable streaming capabilities.

Meanwhile, Surfshark is mostly loved due to its unlimited simultaneous connections benefit and intuitive apps for all popular devices.

If you’d like to learn more about what Redditors take into consideration before choosing a VPN, take a look at our review of best VPNs according to Reddit.

Video review: NordVPN vs Surfshark

For those who are short on time or prefer visual information, we have prepared a video of a NordVPN and Surfshark comparison. Click Play right below:

Comparison methodology: NordVPN vs. Surfshark VPN

Here’s a summary of all the criteria we had to test while comparing NordVPN vs Surfshark VPN.

• Pricing structure. Affordable prices should be accompanied by free trials, generous money-back guarantees, massive discounts, and impressive payment method variety.
• Security tools. The best VPNs on the market should boast exceptional extra security features that swiftly deal with any cyberthreat you come across.
• Connection quality. A worthwhile VPN must keep upload and download speeds high regardless of what country location you pick.
• Server network. A good server network is the bread and butter of any VPN provider. It influences speed and showcases what foreign content users can unlock. Bonus points if specialty servers are available.
• Censorship removal. Digital censorship is enforced in many technological ways, meaning some VPNs may struggle to nullify them.
• Bonus features. Customers should have the opportunity to customize as many settings as possible to make the product fit their specific needs.
• Customer support. Users should have plenty of options to reach the service’s representatives for solving various technical issues.
• Streaming performance. A good VPN must unlock as much foreign video content as possible while keeping connections fast enough for lag-free streaming.
• P2P support. Torrenting is a contentious topic and many providers opt for restricting P2P traffic to prevent digital piracy. However, we must give credit to those who impose only minor limitations or none at all.

Which is better – NordVPN or Surfshark?

So, who’s the ultimate winner? Even though both NordVPN and Surfshark goes hand in hand in many aspects, one is slightly better than the other. Let’s look at the final rundown.

Winner

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NordVPN wins by a narrow margin and is the better VPN than Surfshark. The only area in which the gap between NordVPN and Surfshark was the most obvious was security points. NordVPN just went through more public audits, so it has very tangible proof about ultimately being the safer option.

Whether it’s streaming or torrenting, you’ll get the right tools for the job with both providers. Yet, NordVPN gives you a more fleshed-out suite, which you should be looking for when shopping for a VPN.

However, both Surfshark and NordVPN provide comparable protection and versatility. Surfshark can almost match (and sometimes bypass) NordVPN in speeds, features, protection, torrenting, price, and clients. So, it should be no surprise that both these services end up in most best VPNs lists.

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