PureVPN vs Surfshark (2026): Which Is Better?
Surfshark is the better VPN at almost the same price: faster, more streaming services, unlimited devices, a cleaner privacy history and better apps. PureVPN's remaining advantages are its longest multi-year promotions, port forwarding and a cheap dedicated IP. Unless you specifically need one of those, Surfshark is the pick.
Who wins each category
- Privacy & securitySurfsharkPureVPN 8.7 · Surfshark 9.5
- SpeedSurfsharkPureVPN 7.9 · Surfshark 9.2
- StreamingSurfsharkPureVPN 8.6 · Surfshark 9.6
- Apps & easeSurfsharkPureVPN 8.3 · Surfshark 9.0
- ValueSurfsharkPureVPN 9.2 · Surfshark 9.7
Sub-scores from this month's tests; weights are privacy & security 30%, speed 25%, streaming 15%, apps & ease 15%, value 15%. Methodology
Choose PureVPN if…
- You need port forwarding or a dedicated IP
- You want the lowest possible price on a multi-year plan
- You want the widest country list
Choose Surfshark if…
- You want more speed and better streaming for about the same price
- You need unlimited devices
- You'd rather have the cleaner privacy track record
PureVPN vs Surfshark: the numbers
 PureVPN |  Surfshark | |
|---|---|---|
| Overall score | 8.4 | 9.4 |
| Rank · badge | #5 · Best long-term deal | #2 · Best value |
| 2-year price / mo | $2.14 | $2.19 |
| 1-year price / mo | $3.32 | $3.19 |
| Monthly price | $12.45 | $15.45 |
| Renewal | renews at the 2-year rate | renews at the 1-year rate |
| Money-back | 31 days | 30 days |
| Simultaneous devices | 10 | Unlimited |
| Avg download speed | 466 Mbps | 655 Mbps |
| Jurisdiction | British Virgin Islands | Netherlands |
| Owner | GZ Systems | Nord Security |
| No-logs audit | KPMG always-on audit | Deloitte no-logs audit, 2025 |
| Servers | 6,500+ in 65 countries | 3,200+ in 100 countries |
| Protocols | WireGuard, OpenVPN, IKEv2 | WireGuard, OpenVPN, IKEv2/IPsec |
| Torrenting | P2P allowed on P2P servers | P2P allowed on all servers |
| Free plan | No | No |
| Support | 24/7 live chat, email, help centre | 24/7 live chat, email, help centre |
| Visit PureVPN | Visit Surfshark |
What each one actually costs
The advertised rate covers the first term only. These are the totals once the renewal is counted.
| PureVPN | Surfshark | |
|---|---|---|
| Plan priced | 24-month plan | 24-month plan |
| Intro rate / mo | $2.14 | $2.19 |
| Then renews at / mo | $2.14 — no jump | $3.19 (+46%) |
| First term, up front | $51.36 | $52.56 |
| Total over 3 years | $77.04 | $90.84 |
| True cost / mo over 3 years | $2.14 | $2.52 |
| Money-back | 31 days — refunded in 6 days | 30 days — refunded in 3 days via live chat |
| Check PureVPN price | Check Surfshark price |
PureVPN is cheaper both ways — lower to start and $13.80 less across three years once the renewals are counted. Same arithmetic as our price calculator: the first term at the advertised rate, every month after it at the rate the provider publishes for renewals.
Speed by region
Download on a 940 Mbps line, 3 runs per server, median reported. Highlighted cell = fastest.
| PureVPN | Surfshark | |
|---|---|---|
| US East | 540 Mbps | 712 Mbps |
| UK | 498 Mbps | 690 Mbps |
| Singapore | 410 Mbps | 618 Mbps |
| Australia | 416 Mbps | 600 Mbps |
| Added latency | +11 ms | +6 ms |
Streaming, service by service
| PureVPN | Surfshark | |
|---|---|---|
| Unblocked | 12 of 14 | 13 of 14 |
| Netflix US | ||
| Netflix UK | ||
| Netflix JP | ||
| Netflix CA | ||
| Netflix AU | ||
| Prime Video | ||
| Disney+ | ||
| Hulu | ||
| Max | ||
| Paramount+ | ||
| Peacock | ||
| BBC iPlayer | ||
| ITVX | ||
| DAZN |
Security features
| PureVPN | Surfshark | |
|---|---|---|
| Kill switch | ||
| Split tunnelling | ||
| Obfuscation / stealth | ||
| Port forwarding | ||
| Dedicated IP | ||
| Ad & tracker blocking | ||
| Multi-hop (double VPN) | ||
| RAM-only servers | ||
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, Android TV, Fire TV, Apple TV, browser extensions, routers | Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, Android TV, Fire TV, Apple TV, browser extensions, routers |
Has the no-logs promise ever been tested?
Every VPN on this page says it keeps no logs. The claim only means something once someone has demanded the data — a police raid, a court order, a subpoena. Here is what happened to each of these two when that came up, and what it means if it never has.
- PureVPNNever tested
No police raid, court order or subpoena against PureVPN has been made public. That is not a mark against it — most providers have never been asked — but it does mean the policy has never had to hold up under pressure.
Audit: KPMG always-on audit · British Virgin Islands
- SurfsharkNever tested
No police raid, court order or subpoena against Surfshark has been made public. That is not a mark against it — most providers have never been asked — but it does mean the policy has never had to hold up under pressure.
Audit: Deloitte no-logs audit, 2025 · Netherlands
What each one is our top pick for
One of these scores higher overall, which does not make it the right buy for every job. These are the use cases where each one comes first on its own list.
- PureVPN1 category
Regular 5-year promotions at the lowest per-month price of any audited VPN; renews at the same 2-year rate.
- Surfshark3 categories
Questions
Is Surfshark better than PureVPN?
Yes, in our tests: 9.4 against 8.4, with clear wins on speed, streaming and apps, plus unlimited devices. PureVPN is a fine budget option if you need port forwarding or a dedicated IP.
Which is cheaper, Surfshark or PureVPN?
About the same on the 2-year plan; PureVPN's longer promotional plans go lower. Surfshark's unlimited devices make it the better value per household.
Does Surfshark have port forwarding?
No. PureVPN offers it as a paid add-on; PIA and Proton VPN include it.
We may earn a commission when you buy through links on this page. Scores and the winner are decided by the tests before any commercial consideration. Disclosure