NordVPN vs Surfshark: Which provider is best?

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Picking the best VPN tin exist a hard process, and it tin be difficult for individuals to directly compare providers cheers to the sheer wealth of information bachelor. That's why we're pitting height providers head to caput, focusing on the key features that should influence your decision – hither, it's NordVPN vs Surfshark.

Possibly the virtually famous VPN service on the market, NordVPN is known not just for its TV ads and sports sponsorships, merely its seriously security-focused product which is trusted by millions worldwide.

Surfshark's certainly the underdog, then, but with some first-class credentials on newspaper plus a hugely tempting price, it's been shaking up the VPN game for some time and is proving itself a real hit with users. Merely how do they compare when stacked up together? Let's become correct into it.

NordVPN vs Surfshark at a glance

NordVPN vs Surfshark – specs on paper
	NordVPN	Surfshark
Number of servers:	5,400+	3,200+
Server countries:	59	65
Maximum simultaneous connections:	half dozen	Unlimited
Coin dorsum guarantee:	thirty days	thirty days
Lowest monthly cost:	$3.71	$ii.49

NordVPN vs Surfshark: Which is more affordable?

As a major factor in most people'southward decision, we'll look at pricing first

Surfshark's one-calendar month plan is pretty pricey in the grand scheme, coming in at $12.95 – that rivals the upper echelons on VPN pricing, on a par with the excellent merely expensive ExpressVPN.

However, commit to a longer plan and you'll beginning saving large. A vi-calendar month plan volition set you dorsum just $6.49 a month, and subscribing for a twelvemonth will drop that to an unbeatable $2.49 a calendar month.

Exercise exist aware that the 12-month plan includes 12 free months, which is what makes the stated price so low – but even afterwards renewal prices are below $5 a month.

NordVPN'south ane-month plan comes in at $xi.95, a footling cheaper than Surfshark. A half dozen-month plan offers a pocket-size discount, coming in at $9 a month, but existent savings are offered on the two-year program, which is set up at $three.71 a calendar month.

However, after your ii-year plan is upwardly, renewals are rebilled at an heart-watering $119 a year, no matter what the initial pricing was. That's a chip of a sly trick from Nord, and definitely loses it some points when it comes to value.

So, when it comes to pricing, if you get for the longer plan then Surfshark is the clear winner.

NordVPN vs Surfshark: Which is faster?

Great connexion speeds are crucial, equally the greatest privacy in the world is no good if it slows your browsing to a crawl. Nosotros tested both NordVPN and Surfshark on 600MB lines in the UK and US so we could accept a skillful overall moving-picture show of each provider'due south performance.

Surfshark impressed with average speeds of around 150MB, but NordVPN delivered unbelievable results, reliably reaching 350MB. That'southward seriously quick no matter how you look at it.

NordVPN's speeds ranged from 125MB to 300MB, and while information technology never dropped plenty to truly affect usage, that fluctuation isn't ideal. Surfshark was more reliable, only didn't max out most as quick – nosotros routinely saw speeds of upward to 200MB.

In practice, both services are more than fast enough for the average user, and on typical connections both will perform identically. Nevertheless, if you've got admission to a loftier-speed connexion, information technology might be worth because what you prioritize more: absolute top speed or consistency.

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NordVPN vs Surfshark: Which is more secure?

Probably the most of import test, we'll now compare the two providers' privacy and security features.

NordVPN boasts excellent encryption, and has some very interesting features such an Double VPN and Onion over VPN. The latter uses the encrypted Tor network for ultimate privacy at the cost of lower speeds.

Surfshark likewise impresses, with its own MultiHop tech which functions much the same equally Nord's Double VPN. Yous won't be able to route through the Tor network, merely Surfshark does offer HackLock and BlindSearch, which assistance protect your online identity.

Both offering a option of protocols to tailor your experience. NordVPN supports OpenVPN, IPSec/IKEv2, NordLynx (Wireguard), and SSTP, while Surfshark supports OpenVPN UDP & TCP, L2TP, IKEv2, WireGuard, and Shadowsocks. Enough of selection, and then.

However, at that place's one matter that sets NordVPN autonomously, and that'south its routine contained audits. That means that the VPN allows an impartial 3rd political party to access its servers and source lawmaking, with the aim of confirming privacy policies and finding vulnerabilities.

Surfshark is nevertheless to undergo whatsoever such audit, and that's why we take to give this round to NordVPN.

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NordVPN vs Surfshark: Which is ameliorate for streaming?

Surfshark wears its streaming VPN abilities on its sleeve, guaranteeing access to fourteen Netflix libraries. This bodes well, as challenge this as a selling point means it'due south obliged to proceed the service upward.

NordVPN is no slouch, though, and in our testing it accessed every Netflix library we tried. Yet, other streaming services were a trivial more awkward.

When testing BBC iPlayer (often even more difficult to unblock than Netflix), NordVPN came unstuck. An article on-site advised us to use the browser extension, and that did become us in, simply we'd rather just utilise the app. It was the aforementioned story for Amazon Prime, likewise.

Surfshark, however, aced iPlayer and Prime number start-time round, and information technology'south for that reason that nosotros're giving it this round.

NordVPN vs Surfshark: Which is better for torrenting?

Using a torrenting VPN is a must if you're sharing P2P, and so which of these two is improve-suited to protecting your torrents?

Both services support P2P traffic on some servers, and both tin too detect if you're torrenting and switch you to a suitable server if you're not already connected. Both also have a built-in impale switch and the ability to split tunnel, which is really useful.

However, NordVPN's wider range of servers (at the fourth dimension of writing it's got five,400+ compared to Surfshark's 3,200+) means that yous may be more than likely to find a fast server that supports P2P in the location you desire.

In practice, nosotros oasis't noticed a huge amount of difference, but if having enough of servers is high on your list, then NordVPN takes this one.

NordVPN vs Surfshark: Which has ameliorate apps?

Seeing as the apps are how you lot'll be controlling your VPN, it's important that they're simple, powerful, and tin do everything you need.

On desktop, NordVPN's layout is clean, effective, and immediately recognizable. While non actually that helpful, the map interface can be useful for quickly selecting a country without scrolling through a listing. It can get a bit cramped in central Europe, though – and on mobile y'all're all-time off ignoring the map entirely as information technology isn't much adept on smaller screens.

In terms of features, it's super uncomplicated to change settings on both desktop and mobile, and everything is totally plug-and-play.

Surfshark's apps are simpler notwithstanding, forgoing any zany interface for a uncomplicated server listing. While you'll nevertheless exist able to change settings easily, if we had to pick a fault it'd exist that Surfshark's apps are too simple.

However, this is really downwards to personal taste, and both VPNs provides excellent, stable, usable apps for tons of devices.

NordVPN vs Surfshark: Which has better support?

It's bit of a labyrinthine journey to go to NordVPN'southward knowledgebase of guides and articles, only once y'all've institute your style there the content is dandy. If you were to sign upwardly, we'd recommend bookmarking the hub to avoid any frustration further down the road.

Surfshark's bank of guides is very similar, with splendid articles that should embrace most issues.

However, for well-nigh users, live chat will be your first and only port of telephone call, and thankfully both providers have operators available 24/seven who are knowledgeable and seem to exist able to sort the majority of problems.

While they tin can seem like they're following a script (let's confront it, they are), staff from both providers aren't agape of straying away from that to offers helpful advice – and there's no clear winner here.

NordVPN vs Surfshark: Final verdict

Both NordVPN and Surfshark provides stellar services that are hands among the very best on offering today.

If y'all're looking for accented privacy, NordVPN'south independent inspect practice is a real selling point, and may well sway your decision. Plus, starting at just $3.71 a month, it's swell value, either.

If you're looking to spend as piffling every bit possible, though, Surfshark is just the best bargain VPN on the market. Yous'll go a huge amount of in-depth features for just $ii.49 a month, and it's well worth testing out.

If, however, you're looking for the very best service on the market place, we'd have to steer yous towards ExpressVPN. With over iii,000 servers worldwide, unrivalled streaming power and intuitive apps, it brings together everything you demand from a VPN in a way that no other provider tin.

Mo is VPN Editor at Tom's Guide. Solar day-to-twenty-four hour period he oversees VPN, privacy, and cybersecurity content, and as well undertakes contained testing of VPN services to ensure his recommendations are accurate and up to date. When he'southward not getting stuck into the nitty-gritty settings of a VPN you lot've never heard of, you'll detect him working on his Peugeot 205 GTi or watching Peep Show instead of finally putting upwardly those shelves.