Surfshark vs NordVPN Compared: Is NordVPN or Surfshark Best?

VPNs are fantastic. They bypass firewalls, hide your location and IP address, unblock restricted content, keep your data private, and let you access the internet from a server located almost anywhere in the world.

NordVPN and Surfshark are two of the biggest VPN providers. But in the Sufrshark vs NordVPN battle, which will come out as better, faster, more secure, and with more features? 

Let’s find out together, shall we?

What is the difference between Surfshark and NordVPN?

The main difference between NordVPN and Surfshark is not easy to distinguish just like that, as both VPN platforms offer very similar speeds and security features. We’ll do our best to show you where these two VPN systems differ, and which one is a better choice for you.

For one thing, there are many NordVPN review pieces that claim unequivocally that NordVPN is among the top VPNs ever, up there with ExpressVPN and Tunnelbear, to name a few. Your typical Surfshark VPN review, on the other hand, is a bit more moderate in its praise. But these reviews can be quickly outdated with new features, and this article has the latest and most important data on which VPN is better.

Surfshark vs NordVPN comparison chart

This table breaks down the basics when comparing Surfshark VPN to NordVPN.

NordVPN vs Surfshark VPN features & functionality

Time to look at these two VPN apps and their features side by side. This way you will have a better idea of which VPN service is better to do tasks like unblocking restricted wi-fi access or blocking malicious viruses or ads.
 

Surfshark vs NordVPN pricing

NordVPN has three pricing plans, and you can sign up for each on a per-month basis, a one-year plan or a two-year plan. Surfshark, on the other hand, has only a single plan, although you can subscribe to it as a monthly-plan, an annual plan or a two-year plan. 

The basic monthly price for Surfshark is $12.95 per month, while NordVPN’s cheapest standard plan is $11.99 per month. Paid annually, Surfshark is only $3.99 per month, while NordVPN is $4.49 per month billed annually. Both NordVPN and Surfshark have a 30-day money-back guarantee. Surfshark offers a 7-day free trial, but it seems NordVPN does not.

Both NordVPN and Surfshark accept some form of cryptocurrencies for payment, along with traditional credit cards, PayPal, Google Pay, or Amazon Pay, though NordVPN also offers Apple Pay.

Winner: NordVPN

While Surfshark is just a tad cheaper at the basic plan price level, the fact that NordVPN has several premium packages gives you more options when subscribing, and therefore NordVPN is the winner of the pricing category.
 

Nord vs Surfshark customer support

When it comes to customer service, let’s begin with NordVPN. NordVPN has live chat support, as well as email support, and both are 24/7. There is also a NordVPN help center which is a great FAQ and tutorial resource. 

Surfshark support also offers 24/7 customer service to its users. You can send a message to the support team over their website, or use live chat or email to reach out. Surfshark also offers a help center for various troubleshooting.

Winner: NordVPN

This category of customer support and service is quite a close race. Both NordVPN and Surfshark have very similar customer support and help desk features. NordVPN wins because, on average, it seems their response time via email or live chat is just a tad faster, although this won’t be the case 100% of the time.
 

Surfshark or NordVPN for ease of use?

User-friendliness applies to many aspects of a VPN. We could be talking about setup and installation or how quickly one can learn all the tools and functionalities. Ease of use could also be about how fast, simple and intuitive the interface and dashboards are to navigate.

Desktop

Beginning with the desktop versions, it is not easy to pick a winner, as both NordVPN and Surfshark have incredibly similar interfaces. With both VPN platforms, once you have passed the initial setup, which is rather a quick process, you will hardly experience any difficulty in using these features.

Winner: Surfshark

After careful consideration and many hours of navigating every aspect of the platforms, our experts have concluded that there’s just something about Surfshark that feels a bit more intuitive than NordVPN.

Mobile apps

The best VPN providers have great mobile apps along with their desktop and browser extension versions. This is crucial because when one is in public, especially using free wi-fi, VPN services protect your device from malicious hackers or data thieves. 

Winner: Surfshark 

Once again, Surfshark just barely edges past NordVPN when it comes to the ease of use of their mobile apps, and this should not be too much of a surprise, as it seems Surfshark just understands a little more than NordVPN does when it comes to intuitive buttons and features and simple dashboard design.
 

NordVPN vs Surfshark speed

When testing VPN server speeds, there are many factors you must take into consideration. For example, what is your regular internet connection like? How far is the device from the modem or router? What number of devices are simultaneously logged onto the VPN connection, how many IPs are using the same VPN server network, and so on.

We have conducted several speed tests between NordVPN and Surfshark. When attempting a single-connection speed test, NordVPN gave us an average download speed of somewhere between 150 and 170 Mbps, while Surfshark gave us between 100 and 120 Mbps. 

Then we did a multiple-connection test, and the results were similar, with NordVPN coming in at an average download speed between 160 and 180 Mbps and Surfshark getting again between 100 and 120 Mbps. NordVPN could be said to be among the fastest VPN services out there. 

Winner: NordVPN

In all of our various tests, NordVPN basically came out a bit more on top than Surfshark, although, for most practical uses, the difference won’t be noticeable. One thing to add in Surfshark’s favor is that it had a much faster average time to make a connection with a server, beating NordVPN by about 5 seconds to 10 seconds.
 

Surfshark VPN vs NordVPN security

There are a great many features that the best VPN providers offer as part of their cybersecurity package. Check out this table for a brief overview of which security features can be found with both Surfshark and NordVPN. Below the table, we’ll explain a bit about each security feature.

No-logs policy

A no-logs policy is a VPN promise not to gather your data or log your browsing activity. This means they will not save your data, share it or sell it to third parties for profit, nor will they use this data to identify you so as to target you with ads. It is possible that some internet surfing data retention occurs, but it is anonymized and only used by the VPN platform to improve their services.

NordVPN and Surfshark both adhere to the strictest of no-logs policies.

Encryption

Encryption is the real name of the game when it comes to cybersecurity. This is the protection that your IP address gets to bypass your ISP and access the internet undetected and anonymously. The most common encryption today, and the best, is called AES-256, which stands for advanced encryption standard and uses block sizes of 256 bits to encrypt data. 

AES-256 is considered military-grade encryption, and you can get this security with both Surfshark and Nord, as well as other alternatives like ExpressVPN.

Protocol

VPN protocols refer to the rules and processes by which VPNs move, or tunnel your data from your home IP address to the internet. There are many protocols, some of which are used by both NordVPN and Surfshark. 

Surfshark uses WireGuard, IKEv2, and OpenVPN, while NordVPN uses the protocols of IKEv2/IPsec, OpenVPN, and NordLynx. You will find similar protocols with other VPNs like ExpressVPN.

IP rotator

Your IP is like your real internet address, but a VPN can give you a new IP when you log on so that your real information is masked. An IP rotator can automatically keep switching your IP for you so that you do not remain with one VPN server for long and are, therefore, harder to track.

Surfshark has an IP rotator function, and you can do similar things with NordVPN.

Malware blocking

With Surfshark, browsing the normal internet is done with what they call CleanWeb, which lets you surf protected from all sorts of unwanted ads and malware. NordVPN also has top-of-the-line malware blockers called CyberSec. 

Leak protection

A great VPN should help with DNS leak protection, as well as basic WebRTC leak detectors. Surfshark offers DNS data leak testing and protection with an IPv4 stack, while NordVPN has guides to help you use a third-party DNS leak detector. 

Split tunneling

When you want some of your traffic to go through a VPN but other traffic to go straight to the internet, you can use the split tunneling tool, otherwise known as a whitelister feature because sites you whitelist will not have to go through a private tunnel.

Surfshark does split tunneling, calling it a bypasser tool, while NordVPN also does solid split tunneling.

Server chains

Server chains are when VPNs pass your private data through more than one VPN server in a different location to give you twice the privacy and security. NordVPN calls this the double VPN, while Surfshark calls this feature the MultiHop feature. In both cases, if one VPN server fails, you still have the full protection of the second VPN server. 

Kill switch

Sometimes, your VPN server will blink out or there will be a bigger problem with the VPN provider’s services, and if this happens, you will be temporarily exposed online. A kill switch is a feature that will pause your internet data from flowing whenever the VPN connection drops, so that you never expose your true IP.

Surfshark and NordVPN both have kill switches. 

Dedicated IP

A dedicated IP is also called a static IP. This works by instead of masking your true IP and giving you a brand new IP address every time you access the internet through one of the VPN’s servers, with a dedicated IP, you get your own private IP that will only belong to you, but it will still mask your real location and IP.

NordVPN offers its subscribers a dedicated IP address, but Surfshark does not at this time.

Obfuscated servers

Sometimes, a website or company page will know that you are trying to access it using a VPN, and they won’t like it, and might even be able to block you. An obfuscated server is a VPN function that hides the fact that you are even using a VPN to begin with. 

Surfshark has obfuscated servers it calls camouflage mode. NordVPN also obfuscates its servers. 

Independent audits

For a VPN provider to prove to the market that it truly is secure, that it does not log its users data, and that privacy is guaranteed, they could hire an outside auditing firm for added legitimacy.

Surfshark has hired the services of the German cybersecurity firm Cure53 to do its audits, and Cure53 gave them excellent results. However, Nord hired one of the largest auditing companies in the world to do their independent auditing, which is PriceWaterhouseCoopers, or PWC, and they also got glowing reviews.

Winner: NordVPN

NordVPN gets to win the security and privacy category for the best VPN. This is because it has a dedicated IP option and Surfshark does not. It is also because NordVPN’s auditing form is way more recognized than the one Surfshark used. 

Finally, although Surfshark has its own DNS leak test tool, it doesn’t really matter that much because there are plenty of outside tools which NordVPN suggests you use to test out their DNS leak protection.
 

Surfshark vs Nord device compatibility

While for some it may be common to only need to use a VPN on one kind of device or operating system, because that is all one has, it is still nice to know your VPN functions on a variety of devices, platforms and OS types.

Winner: Surfshark

While it may appear from the above table that both Surfshark and NordVPN cover all the major devices and operating systems, like MacOS, Windows, Android, iOS, and Linux, Surfshark actually goes a bit further. If you have other kinds of devices or operating systems, it’s likely Surfshark will work, whereas NordVPN might not, for example, with Opera, Samsung Smart TVs, LG Smart TVs, Kodi, and PS4. NordVPN, however, is good for Windows Phones. 
 

Simultaneous connections

Well, this is one category that is very simple to judge and pick a winner, as all one has to do is add up the total number of simultaneous connections allowed in each VPN and say the winner is the platform with the higher number. Easy as a cobbler. Simultaneous connections are quite important if you are a large household or office all sharing one VPN subscription.

Winner: Surfshark

No context here, as Surfshare allows for an unlimited number of devices to access the web through VPN simultaneously. Meanwhile, NordVPN’s simultaneous connection number maxes out at six devices at one time, which is still plenty for most household purposes. 
 

NordVPN vs Surfshark for streaming

These days, it is fair to assume that most big names in VPNs cover most of your major streaming channels, including NordVPN and Surfshark, as well as ExpressVPN and IPVanish, to name a few. So, therefore, you don’t really need to consider this category too much when choosing the best VPN for streaming.

Winner: Tie

There really isn’t too much we can use to tell NordVPN and Surfshark apart when it comes to streaming, so take your pick between the two of them, because this is a clear cut tie right down the middle. 

Both Surfshark and NordVPN promise to do no streaming throttling, which gives preferred bandwidth speeds to corporations who pay off the ISPs. They also both take pains to optimize your streaming download speeds regardless of your data use, what time of day it is, or what other apps are using bandwidth. Finally, Surfshark has assembled a killer Netflix Library which shows you which countries have the best TV shows and movies in their local Netflix libraries.
 

NordVPN or Surfshark for gaming?

There are many concerns when choosing the best VPN for gaming. For example, a good gaming VPN should have very fast download speeds for best playing performance, malware blockers and DDoS attack protection, and no bandwidth throttling. VPNs should also have enough global servers so you can switch time zones for early releases.  

Winner: Surfshark

Both NordVPN and Surfshark offer all the standard VPN gaming attributes, like zero throttling, good malware blocking, and DDoS attack protection. Surfsharkl\ appears to put a bit more effort into wanting to be the ultimate gaming VPN for Xbox One, Series S and Series X, and PS4 and PS5. NordVPN is probably a bit better at gaming on a Windows platform, or MacOS, iOS, Linus, or Android.
 

Surfshark vs NordVPN torrenting

What is torrenting? It is a form of P2P file transferring, or peer-to-peer, where one file travels from one terminal to another without needing to go through some corporate webspace. It is used for downloading content, and often our ISPs do not like us to do this because our ISPs are in cahoots with the corporate content creators who view this as digital theft. 

Regardless, there are many other uses for torrenting, and we, as digital citizens, have every right and good reason to block our ISPs from seeing what we torrent or download.

Winner: NordVPN

Because of the shifty reputation of torrenting, it is not common to see a VPN company explicitly advertise its torrenting abilities on its website. This category required some hands-on trials. After doing a bit of torrenting with both NordVPN and Surfshark, the judges have just agreed that the torrenting experience is a bit simpler and faster with NordVPN than it is with Surfdshark.
 

Surfshark vs NordVPN for onion over VPN

Tor stands for The Onion Router, and is not to be confused with torrenting. The onion over VPN is one way to add a second layer of protection from prying companies and spying government agencies. Both NordVPN and Surfshark allow for onion over VPN functionality. This is great for journalists, activists, and citizens of Big Brother states.

Winner: Tie

Tor alone is not totally secure, so using it in tandem with a VPN is a rock-solid method of ultimate privacy and protection. There are not too many good ways to determine whether NordVPN or Surfshark is more ideal for onion over VPN encryption, so therefore, this is another tie.
 

Server locations

For some, comparing VPN systems comes down to very few quantifiable metrics. Speed, bandwidth limits, number of simultaneous devices, and finally, the number of servers and the number of different countries where servers are located.

NordVPN has over 5,000 servers, 5,238 to be exact as of writing this, but that number will surely increase. Servers are located in a total of 59 countries located in the Americas, Europe, Asia Pacific and Africa, and the Middle East.

Surfshark has over 3,200 servers total, which is a lot but fewer than NordVPN. However, Surfshark has servers in 100 countries, which is more than NordVPN. These servers are spread out in Asia Pacific, Europe, the Americas, the Middle East, and Africa.

Winner: NordVPN

While Surfshark may have servers in a larger number of countries than NordVPN, we think that NordVPN’s list of 59 countries is probably more than enough, so it is better to have more servers in general than more server locations because this is how you have more options always to seek out the fastest server speeds.
 

Headquarters location

Why should it matter where a VPN company’s head offices are located? Because VPNs must follow local and national regulations regarding thighs like data retention. This means a country wants a company like a VPN provider to hold onto some data for state security or government spying. 

NordVPN’s offices are in Panama, a country that prides itself on having very pro-privacy data-retention regulation, making it a perfect location for a VPN to offer no-logs and private web browsing. Surfshark is registered in the British Virgin Islands, which also has data retention laws similar to Panama, although Surfshark also does a lot of business out of the Netherlands.

Winner: Surfshark

For now, both Panama and the British Virgin Islands have comparable data retention and privacy laws. However, the situation seems more stable in the British Virgin Islands regarding the future of privacy law, as Panama is less immune from social changes that want to take the country back from global financial pirates and redistribute the goods to its people.

Is NordVPN better than Surfshark? Our conclusion

And so, NordVPN edges our Surfshark by a hair’s breadth for being the best paid VPN for this comparison review article. Of course, there are some reasons why you might want to prefer Surfshark VPN over Nord, and those are valid reasons. Never think your preferences are invalid, even when it comes to choosing the fastest and most secure VPN for your private web browsing needs.  

FAQs

Is Surfshark owned by NordVPN?

Both NordVPN and Surfshark are owned by Nord Security, or Nordsec Ltd. This is the company that made NordVPN, but it did not make Surfshark. Nord Security bought Surfshark in February of 2022, making it a subsidiary of the same parent company that owns NordVPN.