Surfshark vs Proton VPN (2026): Which Is Better?
Surfshark and Proton VPN score within a tenth of a point of each other on our rubric — 8.8 against 8.9 — which undersells how differently they're built. Surfshark is unlimited-device and cheaper ($2.49 against $3.49), with a more recent audit (Deloitte 2025). Proton is Swiss, foundation-owned, includes port forwarding Surfshark doesn't offer, and has the only free plan on this site with no data cap. We have not measured speed or streaming for either. If you're buying on price and device count, Surfshark; if the privacy structure is the actual reason you're buying, Proton.
Who wins each category
- Privacy & securityProton VPNSurfshark 8.3 · Proton 9.5
- SpeedTieSurfshark 0.0 · Proton 0.0
- StreamingTieSurfshark 0.0 · Proton 0.0
- Apps & easeSurfsharkSurfshark 9.4 · Proton 8.8
- ValueSurfsharkSurfshark 9.0 · Proton 7.8
Sub-scores are provisional for Surfshark and Proton VPN — 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 Surfshark if…
- Unlimited devices against Proton's ten, at a lower price
- You want the more recent audit — Deloitte 2025 against Securitum 2024
- You want obfuscation and a rotating IP feature Proton doesn't match
Choose Proton VPN if…
- Swiss jurisdiction and non-profit foundation ownership — the strongest structural privacy case on this site
- Port forwarding, which Surfshark doesn't offer and which private trackers care about
- A genuinely usable free plan: no data cap, no ads, one device
Surfshark vs Proton VPN: the numbers
 Surfshark |  Proton VPN | |
|---|---|---|
| Overall score | 8.8provisional — not tested by us | 8.9provisional — not tested by us |
| Rank · badge | Not ranked · Unlimited devices | Not ranked · Best free tier |
| 2-year price / mo | $2.49 | $3.49 |
| 1-year price / mo | $3.19 | $4.99 |
| Monthly price | $16.45 | $9.99 |
| Renewal | 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 | Billed $83.76 for the first 24 months, then renews at $83.88 every 12 months |
| Money-back | 30 days | 30 days |
| Simultaneous devices | Unlimited | 10 |
| Avg download speed | Not tested by us | Not tested by us |
| Jurisdiction | Netherlands | Switzerland |
| Owner | Nord Security | Proton AG (Proton Foundation) |
| No-logs audit | Deloitte no-logs audit, 2025 | Securitum no-logs audit, 2024 |
| Servers | 3,200+ in 100 countries | 12,000+ in 117 countries |
| Protocols | WireGuard, OpenVPN, IKEv2/IPsec | WireGuard, OpenVPN, IKEv2, Stealth |
| Torrenting | P2P allowed on all servers | P2P allowed on P2P servers (paid plans) |
| Free plan | No | no data cap, no ads, 1 device, auto-chosen country |
| Support | 24/7 live chat, email, help centre | email, help centre, live chat (paid plans) |
| Visit Surfshark | Visit Proton VPN |
Full reviews: Surfshark · Proton VPN
What each one actually costs
The advertised rate covers the first term only. These are the totals once the renewal is counted.
| Surfshark | Proton VPN | |
|---|---|---|
| Plan priced | 24-month plan | 24-month plan |
| Intro rate / mo | $2.49 | $3.49 |
| Then renews at / mo | $6.58 (+164%) | $6.99 (+100%) |
| First term, up front | $59.76 | $83.76 |
| Total over 3 years | $138.72 | $167.64 |
| True cost / mo over 3 years | $3.85 | $4.66 |
| Money-back | 30 days — 30 days, published — we have not claimed one yet | 30 days — 30 days, published — we have not claimed one yet |
| Check Surfshark price | Check Proton VPN price |
Surfshark is cheaper both ways — lower to start and $28.92 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.
Surfshark and Proton VPN 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 Surfshark and Proton VPN review, attributed to whoever measured them.
Streaming, service by service
| Surfshark | Proton VPN | |
|---|---|---|
| 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
| Surfshark | Proton VPN | |
|---|---|---|
| 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.
- 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
- Proton VPNHeld
Fought data requests in court. The claim held — there was nothing useful to hand over. That is the one form of proof no audit can give you, because it happened under real pressure rather than on a scheduled visit.
Audit: Securitum no-logs audit, 2024 · Switzerland
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.
- Surfshark3 categories
- Proton VPN2 categories
No data cap, no ads, no logs, open-source apps on every platform. Limits: one device, an auto-chosen country, no streaming or P2P.
Questions
Is Surfshark or Proton VPN better?
They're within a tenth of a point on our rubric — 8.8 against 8.9. Surfshark is cheaper, has no device limit and a more recent audit; Proton has the stronger structural privacy case — Swiss jurisdiction, foundation ownership, port forwarding, and a free tier with no data cap.
Is Proton VPN worth twice the price of Surfshark?
It isn't twice the price — $3.49 against $2.49 on the long plan — but the extra dollar buys Swiss jurisdiction, foundation ownership, port forwarding and a genuine free tier. If none of those four matter to you, Surfshark is the better buy at the lower price.
Which is better for torrenting?
Proton VPN, because of port forwarding. Without it other peers cannot initiate a connection to you, so downloading works but seeding is weak — and ratio-enforcing private trackers notice. Surfshark permits P2P but has no port forwarding, so it's fine for downloading and not the tool for seeding.
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