SurfShark vs. NordVPN: Which VPN is best? [2024]

Subscribing to a VPN is a no-brainer. It not only secures your device's connections and your online identity, but it also lets you browse the web from another location and access content that may not be available where you live. Which VPN is best for you, though, isn't always clear cut.

Over the years, NordVPN and SurfShark have stood out among other VPN software with their comprehensive protection. Unlike most options, their services aren't limited to a VPN. They can keep you safe from malware and third-party trackers and alert you if your personal information is leaked in a data breach, among other security features.

I've been testing NordVPN and SurfShark for the last few weeks. Here's which one's best for you. 

SurfShark vs. NordVPN at a glance

This table will give you a quick overview of the differences between SurfShark and NordVPN, but keep reading to learn more based on my experiences with each one. 

NordVPN's network is more expansive and reliable

When you first connect to a VPN, you'll notice your internet bandwidth takes a hit. On many VPN apps, this dip can be significant enough to ruin your browsing experience. NordVPN is an exception. 

In my use, NordVPN's performance makes it almost seem like it's not switched on. It had a minimal impact on my internet speeds, and in official benchmarks like Ookla's speed test, it was consistently 5–10% quicker than SurfShark. 

Because VPNs reroute your traffic through an additional channel, data can often be lost in the process. This could mean, for example, that some of the email content you're trying to read fails to render at all, and you'd have to reload. That's only happened twice in my experience with NordVPN, while on SurfShark, I faced data loss nearly every other day. 

Since NordVPN operates double the number of servers across over 100 countries (6,000+ vs. 3,000+), its network is also more dependable in the event of large-scale outages and does a better job of connecting you to the closest host. 

SurfShark does more than just protect your internet connection

Both SurfShark and NordVPN bundle a host of security tools that complement their VPN services. 

NordVPN can scan the dark web for you and tell you if your credentials are compromised or on sale. You can pick and build a custom network of devices and encrypt them. And its Threat Protection tool, similarly, can guard you against malicious links and files online. 

But SurfShark goes a step further to help you stay private on the internet. 

For starters, SurfShark's desktop software comes equipped with an antivirus program that can continuously be on the lookout for any malware or suspicious files on your computer. It adds an extra layer of security to your local files and folders, so a hacker can't steal them and potentially blackmail you for a ransom in exchange. I also appreciated that it can inform me if and when an unverified app or website tries to access my laptop's webcam. 

SurfShark includes access to its in-house private search engine in its One and One+ subscriptions. It strips off the typical search experience of ads and any trackers that companies like Google may use to target you. It's powered by Microsoft's Bing platform, and except in regards to real-time news, I found SurfShark Search's results to be thorough and high-quality. 

Even with all that, the highlight of SurfShark for me is its ability to produce an alternate ID from scratch. It can instantly generate a disposable email address and an alternate persona, such as name and address, for you. You can enter these details instead of your own into online forms and have the correspondence forwarded to your real email. Once you're no longer interested, you can unsubscribe with a click of a button. It's incredibly effective in cutting down spam in your inbox and the footprints you leave behind on the internet every time you punch in your private data to register for a service. 

Surfshark's apps are smarter and easier to learn

You won't spend much time on a VPN app, but when you do, you'll find SurfShark's cleaner design far less intimidating. Unlike NordVPN, it doesn't try to stuff as much information as possible on one screen and leaves ample blank space between elements to ease new users in. On the SurfShark app's home screen, for example, you'll find options to quickly connect to the fastest and the nearest locations, whereas you'll have to dig into some menus to reach those options on NordVPN. 

The main page of NordVPN, on the other hand, is dominated by a world map, which isn't the most convenient way to look for a server, and it buries at the bottom handy tools like the choice of bouncing your connections off of more than one server to double down on privacy. 

Finally, SurfShark's desktop and mobile apps look nicer and are cleverly split in contrasting backgrounds—white and black—to highlight advanced options and their one-click counterparts. 

Both are secure, but NordVPN has been audited more

Once you sign up for a VPN, all your internet traffic flows through its channels. So it's key that the service you pick has a solid security infrastructure that can protect your information from threats and breaches. 

NordVPN and SurfShark check all the essential security boxes. They encrypt your data with virtually impenetrable 256-bit keys and offer a kill switch that automatically pauses your internet connection in case the VPN is down. On both, you can also pay extra to set up a dedicated IP, a static online address unique to you and not shared with the VPN app's other customers, to ensure it's not compromised or blocked by websites. 

One security advantage from NordVPN: its no-logs policy (translation: like other VPNs, it claims it doesn't store any of your sensitive data on its servers) has been tested and independently audited four times as opposed to SurfShark's one. Having said that, if the number of audits is important to you, an app like ExpressVPN has an even better track record.

SurfShark's annual plans are a better bang for your buck

When subscribing to a VPN provider, chances are you'll opt for an annual package as it typically costs a fraction of the monthly fee. 

While NordVPN's monthly subscription is cheaper than SurfShark's, SurfShark's yearly plans will save you about $3/month. Plus, SurfShark bundles access to additional premium tools that will be better suited to the majority of people's needs, such as the antivirus tool, private search engine, and alternate ID maker. 

One thing worth mentioning, though: if you subscribe to NordVPN's top-end plan, you get access to 1TB of online encrypted storage, which typically costs several times more.

NordVPN vs. SurfShark: Which VPN should you choose?

If you're exclusively looking for a no-compromise VPN experience, NordVPN is the way to go. It's a little faster, has had more security audits, and has double the servers than SurfShark. But if you want an end-to-end solution to upgrade your online privacy, SurfShark makes more sense because of the useful suite of security utilities it offers.

Related reading:

• Why our VPN doesn't use passwords

• What is Tailscale?

• How to force a public Wi-Fi network login page to open