Surfshark vs Proton VPN (2026)
Head-to-head on price, speed, privacy posture and features - based on our independent reviews of both providers.
Score comparison
| Surfshark | Proton VPN | Winner | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 8.6 | 9.3 | Proton VPN |
| Speed & reliability | 8.8 | 9.1 | Proton VPN |
| Privacy & trust | 8.2 | 9.8 | Proton VPN |
| Features & coverage | 8.9 | 9.4 | Proton VPN |
| Value for money | 9.3 | 9.2 | Surfshark |
| Ease of use | 9.0 | 8.8 | Surfshark |
Side by side
| Surfshark | Proton VPN | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $2.49/mo | $3.59/mo |
| Service types | Consumer VPN | Consumer VPN, Free VPN |
| Jurisdiction | Netherlands in the 9 Eyes | Switzerland outside 5/9/14 Eyes |
| Logging policy | No-logs, independently audited | No-logs, independently audited |
| Independent audits | Deloitte (2025) Cure53 (2023) | Securitum (2025) Securitum (2024) |
| Network | 3.2K servers | 12K servers |
| Country coverage | 100 | 117 |
| Money-back guarantee | 30 days | 30 days |
| Free tier | - | ✓ |
| Support | chat, email, knowledge-base · 24/7 | tickets, email, knowledge-base |
| Pay with crypto | ✓ | ✓ |
Which should you pick?
Choose Surfshark if this fits: best value for households and heavy device users. Surfshark gives you most of what NordVPN does for about half the money, with unlimited devices as the headline. The Dutch jurisdiction and the Nord Security ownership are the trade-offs.
Choose Proton VPN if this fits: best vpn for privacy, and the best free tier anywhere. Proton VPN is the strongest overall package for anyone who cares why they are buying a VPN: open-source audited apps, Swiss jurisdiction, and a free tier with no data cap and no catch.
Overall, our scores favor Proton VPN (9.3 vs 8.6) - but the right choice depends on which trade-offs matter to you. Read the full Surfshark review and Proton VPN review.