Surfshark vs Windscribe (2026)
Head-to-head on price, speed, privacy posture and features - based on our independent reviews of both providers.
Score comparison
| Surfshark | Windscribe | Winner | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 8.6 | 8.5 | Surfshark |
| Speed & reliability | 8.8 | 8.4 | Surfshark |
| Privacy & trust | 8.2 | 8.6 | Windscribe |
| Features & coverage | 8.9 | 9.3 | Windscribe |
| Value for money | 9.3 | 9.2 | Surfshark |
| Ease of use | 9.0 | 8.2 | Surfshark |
Side by side
| Surfshark | Windscribe | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $2.49/mo | $1/mo |
| Service types | Consumer VPN | Consumer VPN, Free VPN |
| Jurisdiction | Netherlands in the 9 Eyes | Canada in the 5 Eyes |
| Logging policy | No-logs, independently audited | No-logs claimed, no public audit |
| Independent audits | Deloitte (2025) Cure53 (2023) | None published |
| Network | 3.2K servers | 1.3K servers |
| Country coverage | 100 | 69 |
| Money-back guarantee | 30 days | 3 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 Windscribe if this fits: best flexible pricing and best paid-tier free plan. Windscribe is the enthusiast's value pick: a genuinely useful 10 GB free tier, a pay-per-location plan nobody else offers, deep controls, and a company that talks to users like adults.
Overall, our scores favor Surfshark (8.6 vs 8.5) - but the right choice depends on which trade-offs matter to you. Read the full Surfshark review and Windscribe review.