PureVPN vs Surfshark (2026): Which Is Better?
PureVPN and Surfshark are close on price — $2.15 against $2.49 on the long plan — and Surfshark scores higher overall (8.8 against 8.1), largely on unlimited devices against PureVPN's ten and a full feature set including obfuscation. Both are audited (Deloitte 2025 for Surfshark, an always-on KPMG programme for PureVPN) and neither has a documented pressure-test incident. PureVPN's advantages are the gentler renewal ($4.00 against $6.58) and port forwarding as a cheap add-on alongside a dedicated IP. Unless port forwarding or the device count decides it for you, Surfshark is the pick.
Who wins each category
- Privacy & securitySurfsharkPureVPN 7.0 · Surfshark 8.3
- SpeedTiePureVPN 0.0 · Surfshark 0.0
- StreamingTiePureVPN 0.0 · Surfshark 0.0
- Apps & easeSurfsharkPureVPN 8.8 · Surfshark 9.4
- ValuePureVPNPureVPN 9.4 · Surfshark 9.0
Sub-scores are provisional for PureVPN and Surfshark — published audits, jurisdiction and public record rather than our own measurement; see the review; 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 gentler renewal — $4.00 a month against Surfshark's $6.58
- You want a KPMG audit that's always-on rather than point-in-time
Choose Surfshark if…
- You need unlimited devices — PureVPN caps at ten
- You want obfuscation built in for restrictive networks
- It scores higher on our published rubric — 8.8 against 8.1
PureVPN vs Surfshark: the numbers
 PureVPN |  Surfshark | |
|---|---|---|
| Overall score | 8.1provisional — not tested by us | 8.8provisional — not tested by us |
| Rank · badge | Not ranked · Cheapest over three years | Not ranked · Unlimited devices |
| 2-year price / mo | $2.15 | $2.49 |
| 1-year price / mo | $2.55 | $3.19 |
| Monthly price | $12.95 | $16.45 |
| Renewal | Billed $58.20 for 27 months, then auto-renews at $47.95 a year | Billed $67.23 for the first 27 months, then renews at $79.00 for a 1-year term. Surfshark does not put that figure on its pricing page — it is on a separate terms-of-service page, two clicks away |
| Money-back | 31 days | 30 days |
| Simultaneous devices | 10 | Unlimited |
| Avg download speed | Not tested by us | Not tested by us |
| 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 | $2.15 | $2.49 |
| Then renews at / mo | $4.00 (+86%) | $6.58 (+164%) |
| First term, up front | $51.60 | $59.76 |
| Total over 3 years | $99.60 | $138.72 |
| True cost / mo over 3 years | $2.77 | $3.85 |
| Money-back | 31 days — 31 days, published — we have not claimed one yet | 30 days — 30 days, published — we have not claimed one yet |
| Check PureVPN price | Check Surfshark price |
PureVPN is cheaper both ways — lower to start and $39.12 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
Neither VPN has been speed-tested by us yet, so there is nothing to chart here.
PureVPN and Surfshark have not been through our speed rig yet, so there is no region-by-region chart for this pair. Speed figures other people have published are on the PureVPN and Surfshark review, attributed to whoever measured them.
Streaming, service by service
| PureVPN | Surfshark | |
|---|---|---|
| Unblocked | 0 of 0 reported (not tested by us) | 0 of 0 reported (not tested by us) |
| Netflix US | n/r | n/r |
| Netflix UK | n/r | n/r |
| Netflix JP | n/r | n/r |
| Netflix CA | n/r | n/r |
| Netflix AU | n/r | n/r |
| Prime Video | n/r | n/r |
| Disney+ | n/r | n/r |
| Hulu | n/r | n/r |
| Max | n/r | n/r |
| Paramount+ | n/r | n/r |
| Peacock | n/r | n/r |
| BBC iPlayer | n/r | n/r |
| ITVX | n/r | n/r |
| DAZN | n/r | n/r |
| n/r — no published result found | n/r — no published result found |
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?
On our published scores, yes — 8.8 against 8.1, with unlimited devices and a more recent audit (2025 against an always-on but unspecific-vintage programme). PureVPN is a fine budget option if you specifically need port forwarding or a dedicated IP.
Which is cheaper, Surfshark or PureVPN?
PureVPN, on both counts: $2.15 against $2.49 on the long plan, and a far gentler renewal at $4.00 against $6.58. Surfshark's unlimited devices can still 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 scoring rubric before any commercial consideration. Disclosure