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NordVPN and Surfshark are two of the most popular VPNs on the market, and they both share the same parent company. The two platforms offer reliable and encrypted internet access and both ranked as one of our top 10 VPNs overall. Read on to learn more about how these two VPNs compare from a price, security and features perspective, so you can decide which is best for your needs.
Featured Partner Offer
1
NordVPN
Starting price
As low as $3.29 USD ($4.40 CAD) per month
No. of Devices
6
Encryption
AES-256
2
ExpressVPN
Starting price
$12.95 USD ($17.33 CAD) per month
Number of servers
3,000-plus
Encryption
AES-256
3
SurfsharkVPN
Plan costs
As low as $2.49 CAD per month
Number of servers
Over 3,200
Encryption
AES with 256-bit keys
4
Private Internet Access
Starting price
$11.95 USD ($15.80 CAD) per month or $39.95 USD ($52.82 CAD) for the first 12 months
Number of servers
Not advertised
Server locations
84 countries
NordVPN vs. Surfshark: At a Glance
NordVPN and Surfshark are two solid options when it comes to a reliable VPN that won’t slow down your internet connection. For the annual plan, both companies charge a similar price—less than $70 USD and $80 CAD. However, there are a few differences to be aware of when choosing between the two. While Surfshark allows you to connect to an unlimited number of devices, NordVPN caps the number of devices at six. Both VPNs are compatible with Android, iOS, Windows, Mac and Linux, but NordVPN is compatible with Android TV, while Surfshark is compatible with Fire TV.
BEST VPN ADD-ONS
NordVPN
Dedicated IP Address
Yes
No. of Devices
6
Encryption
AES-256
Dedicated IP Address
Yes
No. of Devices
6
Encryption
AES-256
NordVPN is a fast and secure VPN service with a range of unique features. It’s one of the most secure VPNs out there, combining AES-256 encryption with an ad and malware blocker, as well as double VPN services, aka multihop connections. If you want to bury your online presence, NordVPN provides the tools.
NordVPN’s standard plan comes with a $59.88 price tag for one year, which is reasonable considering its range of features, allowance for six simultaneously connected devices and access to more than 5,000 servers located in more than 55 countries.
NordVPN has a robust set of add-ons to your VPN plan, including NordLocker, a file encryption service; NordPass, a password manager; and most importantly a dedicated IP address. Customers in the United States can also use the Incogni add-on which works with data brokers to help remove your personal information from third-party databases.
Should you need it, NordVPN also offers a Team subscription for small businesses, though its pricing is opaque.
Learn More: Read our NordVPN Review.
Who should use it: Those who have a flexible VPN budget but do want value in return.
- Built-in malware and ad blocker
- Dedicated IP address add-on
- Easy to use
- Lacks transparency of pricing for business tiers
Speed and performance: We test VPN speeds and latency weekly. NordVPN has an average upload speed between 4.63 and 14.08 Mbps and a download speed between 0.55 and 4.58 Mbps.
Type of VPN: Personal, Remote, Mobile, Split Tunnelling
Server number and locations: NordVPN has over 5,000 servers, located in more than 50 countries.
BEST FOR UNLIMITED CONNECTIONS
Surfshark
Dedicated IP Address
No
No. of Devices
Unlimited
Encryption
AES-256
Dedicated IP Address
No
No. of Devices
Unlimited
Encryption
AES-256
In a market of copycat VPNs, Surfshark manages to stand out with a list of unique features. That includes split tunnelling, allowing you to send only selected apps through the VPN tunnel and multihop connections, which bounce your tunnel across multiple servers for extra security.
Surfshark has a fairly large network with over 3,200 servers and is reasonably priced at $78.64 for a year. Additional features include CleanWeb for ad-free browsing, Camouflage Mode to limit ISP snooping, NoBorders mode to access the VPN in restricted areas and more. The standard plan also allows an unlimited number of simultaneously connected devices to boot. All told, it’s great for personal use.
Unfortunately, Surfshark does not offer dedicated IP addresses. However, it does let you manually connect to a limited number of shared static IP addresses for free, which may help with accessing work documents remotely. This feature alone could make it the perfect fit for users with niche workflows.
Learn More:Read our Surfshark Review.
Who should use it: Those looking for a solid, feature-rich VPN primarily for personal use and secondarily for working from home.
- Multiple unique features, such as GPS-spoof and the ability to unblock most streaming networks
- Unlimited simultaneous connections
- Easy to use
- No logs policy
- No dedicated IP address
Speed and performance: We test VPN speeds and latency weekly. Surfshark has an average upload speed between 14.18 and 14.26 Mbps and a download speed between 13.69 and 14.26 Mbps.
Type of VPN: Personal
Server number and locations: Surfshark has more than 3,200 servers located in over 100 countries.
How NordVPN and Surfshark Stack Up
Both of these VPNs cost about the same for the annual and monthly plans. However, Surfshark offers a better rate on their two-year plan which comes out to $3.27 per month billed at $78.64. Meanwhile, NordVPN charges $3.49 per month for the two-year plan (an initial charge of $83.76).
Both companies offer the same encryption, a 30-day money-back guarantee and 24/7 support. If you want the option to use a dedicated IP, you will be better suited with NordVPN, as Surfshark does not offer this feature. However, Surfshark is more compatible with users with many devices, as the service enables an unlimited number of devices to use the VPN. NordVPN, on the other hand, is capped at six devices, still a considerable amount depending on your specific needs.
NordVPN and Surfshark both have a similar number of server locations: around 60. However, NordVPN has more servers (5,000+) compared with Surfshark’s 3,200+. If you’re planning to connect your VPN to specific locations, you can look up which location each company’s servers are connected to online.
Additional Features
NordVPN dedicated IP allows you to access IP-restricted networks while still maintaining your privacy. The dedicated IP costs $5.83 extra per month (or $70 per year).
NordVPN also offers NordLayer, which provides internet privacy for companies and businesses. NordLayer makes it easy to manage and maintain the privacy of all the account members of your team. For an additional cost, NordVPN also offers a password manager called NordPass and NordLocker, a feature that gives you the ability to encrypt your files on your computer or cloud.
Both NordVPN and Surfshark come with a bypasser feature that makes it easy to whitelist the websites you need to access and are not able to with a VPN (an online bank, for example). This feature means you don’t have to keep connecting and disconnecting your VPN every time you want to check your bank account’s balance.
NordVPN and Surfshark both come with a kill switch, which automatically disconnects your internet connection when your device is not connected to the VPN, ensuring your privacy is not compromised. For an extra layer of security, and to ensure there is truly no way for your internet IP address to be exposed, NordVPN and Surfshark also come with the option of configuring your VPN directly onto your router. This will ensure an automatic connection to your VPN when you use your router so that you do not have to connect to your VPN every time you go online. To set this up, you’ll want to first ensure your router is compatible with either company or install a third-party firmware to allow for the setup. You can follow the instructions for Surfshark here or NordVPN here.
Bottom Line
Both NordVPN and Surfshark are great options that ranked on our list of best VPNs in 2024. Both VPNs cost about the same price for the annual plan, but if you’re interested in a two-year commitment, Surfshark’s offering will save you nearly $50.
If you want a VPN you can use on unlimited devices, choose Surfshark. If you need a dedicated IP for your company or personal use, choose NordVPN. If you’re interested in using a VPN for your company or team, choose NordVPN, as NordLayers will allow you to protect the privacy of each team member’s account and internet access.
Related: Compare VPNs: IPVanish, NordVPN And Surfshark
Featured Partner Offer
1
NordVPN
Starting price
As low as $3.29 USD ($4.40 CAD) per month
No. of Devices
6
Encryption
AES-256
2
ExpressVPN
Starting price
$12.95 USD ($17.33 CAD) per month
Number of servers
3,000-plus
Encryption
AES-256
3
SurfsharkVPN
Plan costs
As low as $2.49 CAD per month
Number of servers
Over 3,200
Encryption
AES with 256-bit keys
4
Private Internet Access
Starting price
$11.95 USD ($15.80 CAD) per month or $39.95 USD ($52.82 CAD) for the first 12 months
Number of servers
Not advertised
Server locations
84 countries
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Are there any VPNs that are less expensive than NordVPN and Surfshark?
There are some free VPNs available, such as Hotspot Shield, though we recommend choosing a paid option as free VPNs are less secure and come with many advertisements. If budget is an issue, you can find many cheap VPNs to choose from.
How secure are VPNs?
Both NordVPN and Surfshark provide military-grade AES 256-bit encryption. This is the same security that governments and armed forces around the world use to protect sensitive information. They both come with a kill switch that automatically disconnects your internet connection when your device isn’t connected to the VPN. Surfshark’s CleanWeb feature blocks ads and malware, preventing any phishing attempts. NordVPN offers NordLayer, which provides internet privacy for businesses.
Is Surfshark a good VPN?
Surfshark is a great middle-of-the-road solution, especially for personal use. There are plenty of features that make it stand out, including multi-hop connections and split tunnelling. Unfortunately, Surfshark doesn’t offer a dedicated IP address, but even with that drawback, it ranked in our assessment of the best VPN services.
Can I be tracked while using a VPN?
Yes, but it depends on your activity and your awareness. A VPN protects active data transfers while you’re online. If you’ve enabled cookies on websites you visit, advertisers can track your activity (but with a VPN they won’t be able to connect your activity to your IP). Malware is another risk, but a VPN can’t protect you from installing malware.
