Proton VPN

VS

Surfshark

VPNs Comparison

Proton VPN vs Surfshark: Side-by-Side Comparison

Proton VPN
Surfshark
Rating
★★★★★★★★★★
4.6/5
★★★★★★★★★★
4.5/5
Free Tier
Yes
No
Trial Days
30-day trial
30-day trial
Pricing
Free tier available. Plus from $4.99/month (2-year). Proton Unlimited from $7.99/month.
Starter from $2.49/month (2-year). One from $3.49/month. One+ from $5.99/month.
Company
Proton AG
Surfshark B.V.
Founded
2017
2018
Best For
Privacy advocates wanting an audited open-source VPN with free tier and Swiss legal protection
Families or teams needing VPN on every device simultaneously without per-device restrictions

Pros & Cons

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Proton VPN

Based in Switzerland with the strongest legal privacy protections of any VPN jurisdiction
Open-source apps with published code independently audited by SEC Consult
Secure Core routes traffic through privacy-safe countries before exiting to destination
Free tier available with no data limits and no ads or tracking
Netshield ad-blocker and Stealth protocol included on all paid plans
Speeds on the free plan are noticeably slower due to server congestion
Fewer total servers than NordVPN or Surfshark limits server selection variety

Surfshark

Unlimited simultaneous device connections on a single subscription
CleanWeb blocks ads and malware with significantly fewer ads than browsing without VPN
Nexus IP rotation changes your IP address continuously without dropping connection
Camouflage mode hides VPN usage from ISPs in countries monitoring VPN traffic
Budget-friendly pricing especially on 2-year plans compared to Nord or Express
Speeds are slightly inconsistent across different server locations
No-logs audit is less frequent than competitors who audit annually

Use Case Analysis

Which is better for Privacy?

Both Proton VPN and Surfshark support Privacy workflows. Proton VPN has a slight edge with a 4.6 rating and Only major VPN with fully audited open-source apps and a genuinely unlimited free tier. If Privacy is your primary use case, Proton VPN is the safer pick.

Which is better for No Logs?

Both Proton VPN and Surfshark support No Logs workflows. Proton VPN has a slight edge with a 4.6 rating and Only major VPN with fully audited open-source apps and a genuinely unlimited free tier. If No Logs is your primary use case, Proton VPN is the safer pick.

Which is better for Encryption?

Both Proton VPN and Surfshark support Encryption workflows. Proton VPN has a slight edge with a 4.6 rating and Only major VPN with fully audited open-source apps and a genuinely unlimited free tier. If Encryption is your primary use case, Proton VPN is the safer pick.

Which is better for Streaming?

Both Proton VPN and Surfshark support Streaming workflows. Proton VPN has a slight edge with a 4.6 rating and Only major VPN with fully audited open-source apps and a genuinely unlimited free tier. If Streaming is your primary use case, Proton VPN is the safer pick.

Verdict

Proton VPN edges out Surfshark with a 4.6 vs 4.5 rating. Proton VPN's main advantage: Only major VPN with fully audited open-source apps and a genuinely unlimited free tier. That said, Surfshark may still be the better choice if Families or teams needing VPN on every device simultaneously without per-device restrictions.

Try Them Yourself

The best way to choose is to trial both. See full details on each:

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