Surfshark vs. NordVPN 2024: Which is Better? (It Depends)

Between NordVPN and Surfshark, Surfshark is the better option for many people because it’s more affordable ($1.99/mo (billed every two years) vs. $2.99/mo (billed every two years)), provides unlimited device connections, and still competes with fast speeds and streaming support.

NordVPN is still a viable option and an excellent choice, especially if you want name-brand reliability. This includes more servers than Surfshark, potentially more focus on privacy, fast speeds, and streaming support.

Let’s dig into our Surfshark vs. NordVPN review to see the details of how both services compare in terms of security features, speeds, customer service, and more.

Surfshark vs. NordVPN at a glance

Having tested Surfshark and NordVPN, we found they both provide fast speeds and plenty of features. They also have high levels of privacy and security with loads of servers to choose from, including if you want to unblock regional streaming content.

The primary differences between Surfshark and NordVPN are pricing, max number of devices, and server network.

• Surfshark: Best for low prices
• NordVPN: Best for high-quality service

How do Surfshark and NordVPN compare?

Starting price	Starts at $1.99/mo (billed every two years)	Starts at $2.99/mo (billed every two years)
Max # of connected devices	Unlimited	10
24/7 customer support
Compatibility	Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS, and more	Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS, and more
# of servers	3,200+ servers in 100 countries	6,800+ servers in 111 countries
VPN protocol	WireGuard, OpenVPN, IKEv2	NordLynx, OpenVPN, IKEv2/IPsec
No-logs policy	No logs	No logs
Unblocks Netflix?
	Get Surfshark Read Surfshark Review	Get NordVPN Read NordVPN Review

Surfshark pros and cons

Between Surfshark and NordVPN, Surfshark is the cheaper option with a starting price of $1.99/mo (billed every two years). But Surfshark isn’t a slouch in other areas either, providing great streaming support, 24/7 customer service, and fast internet speeds.

Most VPNs have a max number of devices you can connect at one time. Surfshark doesn’t have a cap, which gives you unlimited simultaneous connections. This makes it easy to share your account with friends and family. 

NordVPN pros and cons

NordVPN provides the gold standard of VPN services. It has a privacy-friendly headquarters, its no-logs policy is regularly audited, it offers lots of security features, and it excels at unblocking streaming services. 

Nord has thousands of servers more than Surfshark. It also offers servers in a couple more countries. NordVPN also has specialty servers for a number of purposes, including multi-hop, obfuscated, and P2P.

Surfshark vs. NordVPN: prices

	Our Pick
Price range	$1.99–$17.95/mo	$2.99–$17.99/mo
Best value plan	Surfshark Starter 24-month plan for $1.99/mo (billed every two years)	NordVPN Basic 24-month plan for $2.99/mo (billed every two years)
Money-back guarantee	Yes — 30 days	Yes — 30 days
	Get Surfshark Read Surfshark Review	Get NordVPN Read NordVPN Review

Surfshark costs between $1.99–$17.95/mo, with its lowest-priced plan coming in at $1.99/mo (billed every two years) for 24 months.

NordVPN costs between $2.99–$17.99/mo, with its lowest-priced plan coming in at $2.99/mo (billed every two years) for 24 months.

Overall, Surfshark is the cheaper VPN. So if you want to save money on a VPN, choose Surfshark.

But realize that NordVPN isn’t actually that much more expensive, as we’re still in the range of a few bucks a month for either service. So paying less than $2 more might not be a deal breaker, especially if you want access to more servers.

Keep in mind that Surfshark automatically enrolls you in an auto-renew feature after signing up for a subscription. We couldn’t figure out a way to turn off this feature without contacting customer service, which is a bit sketchy. But at least it was an issue that didn’t take long to resolve.

Both Surfshark and NordVPN provide 30-day money-back guarantees, so you can try them out risk-free for a month before determining your pick.

Payment options

NordVPN and Surfshark offer similar options to pay for your subscription. These include credit cards, online payment services, and cryptocurrency.

Surfshark payment options

• Credit or debit card
• Google Pay
• Amazon Pay
• Cryptocurrency via CoinGate

NordVPN payment options

• Credit or debit card
• PayPal
• Google Pay
• Cryptocurrency via CoinGate

Which VPN is faster?

VPNs are known to have a small negative impact on your internet speeds because they tend to eat up some of your bandwidth.

But we test internet speeds before and after connecting to a VPN to see whether the secure connection has a significant impact on internet performance. For example, does a VPN affect your everyday internet activities, including gaming, web browsing, or work?

To measure this, we check the results of speed tests to see if using a VPN causes a massive reduction in your overall internet speeds. The table below compares how much of a hit each VPN took to our internet speed while connected to different VPN server locations. 

Server location		Our Pick
US	3.6% slower	44.72% faster
CA	8.6% slower	41.30% faster
UK	9.1% slower	31.47% faster
AU	33.83% slower	12.21% faster
	Get Surfshark Read Surfshark Review	Get NordVPN Read NordVPN Review

NordVPN actually increased our speeds with every server location. It almost doubled our speed with the U.S. server. 

On the other hand, Surfshark slowed our speeds down but it had minimal impact on each one. Other than the Australian server, all the Surfshark servers dropped our internet speed by less than 10%.

It was surprising that our connection slowed down more with a U.S. server than with a U.K. server, but it’s probably nothing to be concerned about. Speeds can fluctuate for a variety of reasons, and it wasn’t a huge drop.

Which VPN is more secure?

Feature		Our Pick
Number of servers	3,200+ servers in 100 countries	6,800+ servers in 111 countries
No-logs policy	No logs	No logs
VPN headquarters	Netherlands	Panama
Encryption	AES-256-GCM	AES-256-GCM
VPN protocol	WireGuard, OpenVPN, IKEv2	NordLynx, OpenVPN, IKEv2/IPsec
Kill switch
Split tunneling
DNS leak protection
Ad blocker
	Get Surfshark Read Surfshark Review	Get NordVPN Read NordVPN Review

Both Surfshark and NordVPN provide strict no-logs policies, kill switches, split tunneling, and torrenting support. You can also use either service to unblock regional Netflix streaming content.

NordVPN has more servers than Surfshark, and now it has servers in a couple more countrries too. Previously, Surfshark had the leg up on the server countries, but Nord has significantly increased itsnetwork. But Surfshark still has servers in 100 countries, which is likely more than enough for most people. 

NordVPN comes off as the more private and secure service because it’s headquartered in Panama. Panama isn’t part of the Five, Nine, or 14 Eyes alliances, but the Netherlands is part of the Nine Eyes alliance. However, we were pleased that both services have had their no-logs policies audited by third parties, 

Individual testing of both VPNs found that they don’t suffer from DNS or WebRTC leaks and can successfully mask your IP address.

One large point in favor of Surfshark over NordVPN is that you can connect unlimited devices with a Surfshark subscription. This means you can use Surfshark on as many desktop computers, laptops, tablets, phones, and other devices as you want. With NordVPN, you’re limited to 10 different devices.

Surfshark vs. NordVPN: compatibility and customer support

Windows
macOS
Android
iOS
Linux
Routers
Smart devices
Browser extensions	Yes — Chrome, Firefox, Edge	Yes — Chrome, Firefox, Edge
24/7 customer support
Customer support options	Live chat, email, online guides	Live chat, email, online guides
	Get Surfshark Read Surfshark Review	Get NordVPN Read NordVPN Review

It was easy to set up the Surfshark and NordVPN Windows apps on our desktop computer. The processes were as simple as downloading the apps from the applicable websites and then taking a few minutes to install them.

Both Surfshark and NordVPN have intuitive, easy-to-use apps. We had no issues navigating their server lists or looking for specific settings.

We also found both VPNs offer plenty of compatibility and functionality with different operating systems, mobile apps, routers, browser extensions, and smart devices. We were personally able to download apps for both providers on Windows, iOS, and Amazon Fire TV Stick. But you can also use macOS, Android, Linux, Apple TV, and more.

Having 24/7 live chat can be extremely helpful if you run into a VPN issue or simply have a question. We tested the live chat options with both Surfshark and NordVPN to see how well they performed.

We had great live chat interactions with both Surfshark and NordVPN. We started each chat with a question about whether the VPN supported torrenting.

In both cases, we were promptly transferred to a live agent within a minute or less. And both agents were understandable, quick to respond, and provided helpful responses.

The end result was confirming that both Surfshark and NordVPN servers can help with torrenting. With Surfshark, you can use any server to torrent. With NordVPN, there are specific P2P-optimized servers, and you should use those for torrenting.

FAQs

Is Surfshark or NordVPN better?

We recommend Surfshark if you want an affordable VPN that also provides fast speeds and streaming support. Surfshark is cheaper and you can also use it with as many devices as you want.

But we recommend NordVPN if you’re willing to pay a bit more for more servers and a focus on user privacy. We also like that NordVPN has had independent audits done to back up its no-logs policy.

Surfshark vs. NordVPN alternatives

Although Surfshark and NordVPN are two of the most popular VPN services, you may not think they're the best options for you. We've compiled some additional VPN recommendations for you to consider: