Surfshark vs Proton VPN: which VPN is better in 2026?

In this Surfshark vs Proton VPN comparison, both providers stand out as strong contenders in the VPN market, each with a slightly different focus. Surfshark stands out for its affordability and feature-rich offering, while Proton VPN is highly reputable for its strict transparency and privacy.

For this comparison, I looked into their features, performance, ease of use, and pricing. I also tested Surfshark and Proton VPN in real-life situations. I found that Surfshark is a cheaper option that offers unique features, while Proton VPN comes out on top with its privacy features and larger server network.

In this June 2026 comparison, Surfshark came out as a superior VPN overall. Keep reading to learn how Surfshark and Proton VPN compare and how they stand out.

Surfshark vs Proton VPN: overview

While both Surfshark and Proton VPN are good choices, each provider shines in different areas. Proton VPN is more privacy-focused thanks to its open-source apps, Swiss security standards, and secure core servers. Surfshark, on the other hand, is the better budget pick, offering unlimited connections and extra tools like an antivirus and an Alternative ID.

	Surfshark VPN	Proton VPN
⭐ Rating:	4.7 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★	4.5 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
🥇 Overall rank:	#2 out of #41	#3 out of #41
🖥️ Servers:	4,500+ servers in 100 countries	20,300+ servers in 148 countries
📖 No logs policy:	No logs	No logs
💵 Price:	From $2.49/month	From $2.99/month
🔥 Coupons:	Surfshark coupon 85% OFF	Proton VPN coupon 70% OFF
🔒 VPN protocols:	WireGuard, OpenVPN, IKEv2	WireGuard, OpenVPN, IKEv2/IPsec
🍿 Streaming services:	Netflix, Disney+, Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, and more	Netflix, BBC iPlayer, YouTube, HBO Max, Disney+
🖥️ Platforms:	Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS	Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS
📥 Simultaneous connections:	Unlimited	10
💁🏻 Support:	Knowledge base, 24/7 live chat, email support	Guides, FAQs, support tickets, subreddit

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Key differences between Surfshark and Proton VPN

If you’re short on time, here’s a quick overview of how Surfshark and Proton VPN compare. Both VPNs are among the best VPNs on the market; however, small differences can appeal to different types of users. The following highlights should help you decide which service better fits your needs.

Choose Surfshark if:

• You want stronger value for money. Surfshark is usually the more budget-friendly option, making it a great pick if you want solid protection without paying premium prices.
• You care about faster average speeds. In our tests, Surfshark performed better in most regions, making it a strong choice for streaming, browsing, torrenting, and gaming.
• You need unlimited device connections. Surfshark allows unlimited simultaneous connections, making it perfect for large households or users with many devices.
• You want extra built-in security tools. Features like Alternative ID and integrated antivirus provide additional protection beyond a standard VPN.

Choose Proton VPN if:

• Privacy is your top priority. Proton VPN is built around privacy, with open-source apps, Swiss jurisdiction, and Secure Core servers for added protection.
• You want a strong free plan. Its free version stands out because it has no data cap, which makes it useful for basic everyday protection.
• You need advanced networking features. Proton VPN supports port forwarding, which is useful for remote access, torrenting, and advanced configurations.
• You prefer a massive server network. With a significantly larger server fleet, Proton VPN improves reliability worldwide.

Surfshark vs Proton VPN: Speed, performance, and streaming

To compare Surfshark and Proton VPN, I evaluated their speeds, overall performance, and streaming capabilities. Here’s what I found.

Speed comparison

While both Surfshark and Proton VPN are incredibly fast, Surfshark outshines Proton VPN, delivering slightly higher speeds. To see how both VPNs performed when connected to different servers, see the table below.

Download retention	Surfshark	Proton VPN
Local	96%	94%
US	83%	86%
UK	90%	90%
France	90%	87%
Singapore	74%	73%
Japan	61%	62%
Australia	49%	44%

Surfshark and Proton VPN have implemented proprietary technology to improve their speeds. Surfshark uses SDN (Software Defined Networking), and Proton VPN has a VPN accelerator. However, in the real world, Surfshark outperformed Proton VPN.

I tested both Surfshark and Proton VPN to see how they stack up performing everyday tasks. The baseline speed of my connection was 930Mbps download and 600Mbps upload. While Surfshark maintained an average of 77% of my original connection speeds, Proton VPN was a hair slower, maintaining around 76%.

Another thing I noticed: once I tried to connect to Proton’s Secure Core, the connection speed dropped. This means that privacy comes at the expense of speed.

Despite its low price, Surfshark delivers top speed that Proton VPN simply can’t beat. If you want a VPN that offers a seamless streaming, torrenting, and everyday browsing experience, choose Surfshark.

Netflix and streaming performance

Proton VPN is a superior choice for streaming. It offers way more servers across more countries than Surfshark, meaning you can access more content. I tested how good each provider is at unlocking various streaming services. The summary of my findings is available in the table below.

Platform	Surfshark	Proton VPN
Netflix	✅ Yes	✅ Yes
BBC iPlayer	✅ Yes	✅ Yes
Amazon Prime Video	✅ Yes	✅ Yes
Hulu	✅ Yes	✅ Yes
HBO Max	✅ Yes	✅ Yes
Disney+	✅ Yes	✅ Yes
YouTube	✅ Yes	✅ Yes

Both VPNs are good for streaming and can easily unblock popular streaming platforms. However, they have different advantages. Proton VPN has a larger server fleet and covers more countries. This means that with Proton VPN you can unlock more content and have stable connections during peak hours.

Surfshark is faster than Proton VPN and offers a swifter streaming experience. However, its smaller server fleet can be a downside if you’re mainly planning to use a VPN to stream content. Yet, it supports unlimited device connections and offers budget-friendly pricing, making it a more attractive option. In comparison, Proton VPN supports 10 simultaneous device connections.

Torrenting

When torrenting, Surfshark came out as a better option, as in our test, it downloaded a 5.7GB Ubuntu ISO file faster. However, Proton VPN is also a strong choice, as it offers port forwarding and a large server network.

Using a VPN for torrenting is essential for keeping your activity private and anonymous. And you can do that with both Surfshark and Proton VPN. Also, they allow P2P traffic on most of their servers, so you can easily pick a nearby location for the best speeds right from the app.

Proton VPN stands out with its port forwarding feature, a rarity in the VPN market. Many providers avoid offering it due to potential security risks. Proton VPN solves this through its secure infrastructure that routes connections through a firewall, allowing you to torrent safely.

Surfshark also brings something unique to torrenting security. The Surfshark Antivirus adds an extra layer of protection with file scanning and real-time protection. Even if you download a harmful file by mistake, your device will remain secure.

In our tests, both VPNs delivered excellent results. Using the WireGuard protocol and the closest server location, we downloaded a 5.7GB Ubuntu ISO file:

• Surfshark completed the download in 4m 18s, with an average speed of 24.4Mbps.
• Proton VPN completed the download in 4m 26s, with an average speed of 23.3Mbps.

Your results may differ based on file size, peer availability, location, and internet speed. That said, Surfshark downloaded the file quicker, but both VPNs performed impressively and kept the connection secure throughout the process.

Surfshark vs Proton VPN: pricing comparison

Surfshark is the cheaper option if you plan to use a VPN long term, while Proton VPN stands out for its free plan. Both providers offer monthly and multi-year subscriptions, and higher plans add more features. Check out the table below to see how Surfshark and Proton VPN pricing compare side by side.

Plan	Surfshark	Proton VPN
Lowest monthly price	$2.49/month	$2.99/month
Highest monthly price	$21.85/month	$9.99/month
Monthly	$16.45/month	$9.99/month
One year	$3.39/month	$3.99/month
Two years	$2.49/month	$2.99/month
	Check latest Surfshark discounts	Check latest Proton VPN discounts

Note: Prices last checked in June 2026.

Surfshark and Proton VPN use different pricing styles. Proton VPN keeps things simple and focuses only on VPN plans. Surfshark offers plans that differ in the additional features they provide.

Surfshark’s cheapest plan starts at $2.49/month and includes the basic VPN features. Higher plans unlock more Surfshark features. This makes Surfshark a better choice if you want a VPN for a low long-term price.

Proton VPN has three plans. The Free plan gives a limited version of the VPN at no cost. The Plus plan, starting from $2.99/month, unlocks all VPN features. The Unlimited plan, starting from $7.99/month, adds extra tools like Mail and Drive.

Both providers let you choose from monthly, 12-month, and 24-month plans. Surfshark also includes a 30-day money-back guarantee on all its plans. Proton VPN, however, offers a 30-day money-back guarantee for the 24-month plan only. Surfshark does not have a free plan, but it offers a 7-day free trial. Proton VPN does not offer a trial, but its free plan is always available.

Proton VPN vs Surfshark: server network

Proton VPN offers a broader global server network and a range of specialty servers. Surfshark VPN too offers a good selection of specialty servers, but its server network is considerably smaller, offering 4,500+ servers across 100 countries. Meanwhile, Proton VPN operates a fleet of 20,300+ servers across 148 countries. See the table below for a detailed side-by-side comparison.

	Surfshark	Proton VPN
Servers	4,500+	20,300+
Countries (total)	100	148
Virtual locations	✅ Yes	✅ Yes
Specialty servers	✅ Yes	✅ Yes
RAM-only servers	✅ Yes	❌ No

Proton VPN vs Surfshark: features

Both VPNs offer a good range of features for various online security needs. Of course, there are differences in extra features, how they work, and device support, but overall, it’s hard to find a security concern that Surfshark or Proton VPN can’t tackle.

Double VPN (MultiHop and Secure Core)

Most users will have their needs met with a regular VPN connection. But if you’re a human rights activist, whistleblower, or seeking asylum from oppressive governments, you’ll need multiple layers of encryption. These critical scenarios are precisely what Double VPN is for. Luckily, both VPNs in this comparison grant this feature.

Surfshark calls this tool MultiHop, which gives you an array of connection options with predefined entry and exit locations. The feature is available on desktop and mobile devices.

With Proton VPN, the feature is called Secure Core. One noticeable difference is that there are only three entry options – Switzerland, Sweden, and Iceland – countries specifically selected for their strong privacy laws. As a result, Proton VPN’s Secure Core is more effective for privacy than Surfshark’s MultiHop. And just like with Surfshark, the feature is available on computers and mobile phones.

Split tunneling

Sometimes, it’s important to limit your VPN traffic exclusively to a single app. Alternatively, you might need some apps excluded from the tunnel. Whichever scenario it is, split tunneling is the tool for the job.

Proton VPN did not rebrand this feature, while Surfshark felt the need to call it Bypasser. What’s more, Surfshark’s split tunneling is also available on iOS, which is rare among VPNs. Other than that, the two are practically identical. They have excellent customization options and are available on Android and Windows devices.

Web filters

Besides changing your location, VPNs have the power to alter your browsing experience by filtering out malicious web domains and blocking malware. While this sounds simple, it accomplishes many great things, such as ad blocking, tracker blocking, and phishing attack mitigation.

There’s no standard naming convention among VPN services for this feature. As such, providers come up with their own labels. Proton VPN calls it NetShield, while Surfshark refers to it as CleanWeb. Furthermore, these tools are exclusive to desktop and mobile devices. Surfshark's CleanWeb is also available on your browser extensions (Chrome, Firefox, and Edge). During my testing, I found this feature helpful on both providers – I could easily block malicious ads on sketchy websites and even those annoying video ads on YouTube.

VPN masking

One of the most widespread ways of restricting VPN users is by blocking VPN server IP addresses. However, this isn’t very effective if providers frequently renew their hardware with fresh IP addresses. As such, some online services and networks take things to the next level and block everyone from using virtual private networks.

You’ll encounter such blanket limitations at schools, workplaces, and country-wide in oppressive regions like China. Thankfully, the best VPNs provide a workaround in the form of VPN masking. In short, these tools further obfuscate your VPN traffic and make it appear as regular HTTPS activities.

When I tried both providers, Proton VPN could bypass VPN blocks with its Stealth protocol on Android, iOS, Windows, and macOS. Meanwhile, Surfshark calls this feature Camouflage Mode and supports it on Windows, Android, iOS, and macOS.

Bonus features

The two services can cover other cybersecurity areas if you’re willing to commit to a more substantial subscription. But since these tools are optional, I didn’t consider their efficacy when finalizing my Surfshark vs Proton VPN comparison.

Proton VPN delves beyond cybersecurity and provides tools for keeping your digital assets and activities private. A Proton VPN subscription includes Proton Mail, Drive, Calendar, and Proton Pass, Proton's password manager. These tools are self-explanatory and allow privacy enthusiasts to encrypt practically every aspect of their digital lives.

On the other hand, the Surfshark One bundle includes Antivirus, Alert, and Search. This trifecta is responsible for blocking viruses, notifying you about data leaks, and allowing depersonalized online searches. Additionally, Surfshark offers dedicated IP addresses in 15 countries (including the US, the UK, Australia, and South Africa) for an additional price. With a dedicated IP, the chances of getting blocked by websites are lower, and you can easily avoid excessive CAPTCHA everywhere you go.

Proton VPN vs Surfshark: privacy overview

Proton VPN is a more privacy-focused VPN than Surfshark. It’s evident from their features, overall infrastructure, and core values. To see how these two providers compare, refer to the table below summarizing their privacy features.

	Surfshark	Proton VPN
Encryption	AES-256 and ChaCha20	AES-256 and ChaCha20
Hash	SHA-512	SHA-384
RAM-only servers	✅ Yes	❌ No
Based in	The Netherlands	Switzerland
No-logs policy	Audited	Audited
Obfuscation feature	✅ Yes	✅ Yes
Double VPN	✅ Yes	✅ Yes (more privacy-friendly)
Kill switch	✅ Yes	✅ Yes
IP and DNS leak protection	✅ Yes	✅ Yes

Both Surfshark and Proton VPN use highly secure AES-256 or ChaCha20 encryption to protect your data. Also, they have undergone independent audits, confirming your information is not stored.

But from here, Proton VPN takes the edge. It’s based in Switzerland, a privacy-friendly country, while Surfshark is based in the Netherlands, a member of the Fourteen Eyes alliance. Also, Proton VPN has a Secure Core feature that reroutes your traffic through privacy-friendly countries before connecting to the server of your choice. Surfshark offers a similar feature, MultiHop, but it reroutes your traffic through random servers that may not be particularly privacy-friendly.

Proton VPN is truly dedicated to privacy. It offers full transparency through its open-source code, which anyone can view, and it also undergoes independent audits more frequently than Surfshark. This proves Proton VPN’s position as an advocate for privacy and freedom of speech.

The only benefit that Surfshark has over Proton VPN is that it uses RAM servers. This means that any stored information is wiped off once a server is turned off. But even in this case, Proton VPN argues that RAM servers aren’t necessary if the company is honest with its no-logs policy. After all, if no information is logged, there’s nothing to be deleted.

Surfshark vs Proton VPN: apps and compatibility

After testing Surfshark and Proton VPN on multiple platforms, both providers were equally good in compatibility and user-friendly apps. Surfshark and Proton VPN support Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, and iOS. Also, both VPNs have easy-to-use apps. Check out the table below for a detailed breakdown to see how the two providers compare.

	Surfshark	Proton VPN
Supported OS	Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, iOS	Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, iOS
Other software and devices	Android TVs, Amazon Fire devices, Chromebook	Android TVs, Amazon Fire devices, Chromebook
Browser extensions	Chrome, Firefox, and Edge	Google Chrome, Brave, Microsoft Edge, Chromium, Opera, Vivaldi, Firefox, LibreWolf, and Waterfox
Simultaneous connections	Unlimited	10
Usability level	Easy-to-use	Easy-to-use

From my experience testing both services, I found them to be nearly identical when it comes to device and platform compatibility. Whether I was using my laptop, phone, Android TV, or Fire TV Stick, both VPNs delivered a full-featured experience without any hiccups. I especially appreciated how easy it was to switch between devices without losing functionality. For those like me who like to cover every corner of their home network, both providers offer the option to manually configure a router. While the setup is a bit more advanced, it’s great for protecting devices that don’t directly support VPN connections.

Besides that, Surfshark has an edge over Proton VPN in this category in one significant way. The Surfshark account permits limitless device connections, while Proton VPN allows only 10.

Desktop apps

When I tested the desktop apps of both services, it was clear that they took slightly different approaches to presenting their features.

With Proton VPN, I liked how intuitive the interface felt – especially the interactive world map, which made picking a server location surprisingly satisfying. What stood out to me was how accessible key features such as the Kill switch, NetShield, port forwarding, and split tunneling were on the main screen. Meanwhile, other settings were tucked away in the settings tab, so if you enjoy tweaking settings like I do, be sure to check that tab out.

All in all, I found Proton VPN's interface clean and easy to use – animations were smooth, and nearly everything was accessible right from the main screen.

On the flip side, Surfshark features a minimalist design. The main menu sticks to the essentials – just a server list and a search bar, with no clutter or map to scroll through. A small side panel on the left lets you adjust settings and enable extra features like Search, Alert, and Antivirus. I liked how simple, clean, and easy it was to use.

So, I recommend Surfshark to those who prefer minimalistic applications. It has separate compartments for different features, keeping the main menu uncluttered and to the point.

Mobile apps

When I tested both Surfshark and Proton VPN on my Samsung phone, both apps seemed easy to use and were similar to their desktop counterparts. However, I still preferred the Surfshark app since it offered a more seamless experience between desktop and mobile.

When I reviewed Surfshark’s mobile app, I noticed it closely resembled the desktop version, with the same minimalistic layout and similar animations. While a few features were missing, the app included some mobile-exclusive ones, such as GPS Spoofing.

On the other hand, the Proton VPN app was a bit cluttered before, but the recent update has improved that. When I tested the new layout, it felt much smoother and more intuitive than before, with a cleaner interface that's easy to navigate. You can still choose your connection via the map or a country list, but now the whole experience feels a lot more polished.

Customer support

I contacted the customer support teams of both providers to see how helpful and responsive they are. And again, Surfshark took the win, one-upping Proton VPN by offering 24/7 live chat. In this section, I summarize my findings on how both providers handle their users' problems.

	Surfshark	Proton VPN
24/7 live chat	✅ Yes	❌ No
Email	✅ Yes	✅ Yes
Phone line	❌ No	❌ No
Guides and articles	✅ Yes	✅ Yes
FAQs	✅ Yes	✅ Yes

There’s a slim chance of running into VPN-related issues regardless of which service you purchase. However, these problems are barely an inconvenience if you can quickly resolve them by reaching out to experts. And as you know, the swiftest way to do that is via 24/7 live chat.

Sadly, Proton VPN lacks round-the-clock support, which puts it at a disadvantage compared to Surfshark VPN. However, you can contact customer support via email with both Surfshark and Proton VPN. In addition, if you prefer written guides and tutorials, both providers will meet your needs.

Surfshark vs Proton VPN – which one wins?

After a detailed Surfshark and Proton VPN comparison, Surfshark came out as the better provider. It was faster and more affordable, and handled torrenting better than Proton VPN. However, Proton VPN is not far behind, making the differences between the two providers minimal.

Category	Surfshark	Proton VPN
Streaming	❌	✅
Price	✅	❌
Security	✅	✅
Speed	✅	❌
Features	✅	✅
Servers	❌	✅
Torrenting	✅	❌
Ease of use	✅	✅
Customer support	✅	❌

Proton VPN remains a great choice if you are in the market for a VPN with strong privacy. It’s based in privacy-friendly Switzerland and has open-source apps. However, if you prioritize balance of performance and value, choose Surfshark.

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