When it comes to choosing a solid VPN, you may be overwhelmed with options. Surfshark and NordVPN are both fantastic services. Both of these VPNs are at the top of our list of the best VPNs.
But who do you pick if you narrow the field even more? Which is safer and more suitable for streaming? Which of the two definitely has the upper hand?
In this NordVPN vs. Surfshark comparison, the team of Best VPN Comparisons will compare their speed test results, features, security strength, apps, and customer service quality to figure out which VPN has an edge over the other.
NordVPN and Surfshark announced their merger in early February 2022. The firms say they will continue to function as independent entities with different VPN infrastructures.
As a result, you still need to decide amongst the two, and the information in our overview section below remains valid.
So, without further ado, let’s get started.
Surfshark vs NordVPN – Summed up
According to our results, Surfshark is a clear winner, all thanks to its consistent service, fast speeds, and how can we forget the unlimited simultaneous connections and cheap price?
However, here is a quick comparison of both VPNs before we get into the deets:
| Surfshark | NordVPN |
| 3200+ servers in 65 countries | 5600+ servers in 59 countries |
| Offers lightning fast speeds on all servers | Speeds are fast on most servers |
| Equipped with a strict no-logging policy | Its no-logs policy ensures to not leak any data |
| Unblocks Hulu, Amazon Prime, HBO Max, YouTube TV, Disney Plus, and more | Allows you to unblock various streaming services, including Disney+ HBO Max, Vudu, and more |
| Security features include: WireGuard protocol, Whitelister, CleanWeb, MultiHop, AES 256-bit encryption, and more | Security features include: Nordlynx, obfuscation technology, kill switch, DNS leak protection, and more |
| Unlimited simultaneous connections | Six simultaneous connections |
| Costs $2.30/month on its 2 years plan + 2 months free plan | Costs $3.49/month on its 2 years plan |
Pricing Analysis
| Surfshark vs. NordVPN Prices and Plans | Surfshark | NordVPN |
| Periods | 1 month | 1 month |
| 6 months | 1 year | |
| 2 years | 2 years | |
| Special offers and discounts | 82% off on 2 years + 2 months plan | 70% off on the 2-year plan |
| Lowest price per month | $2.30/month | $3.49/month |
| Highest price per month | $12.95/mo | $11.95/mo |
| Annual price | ||
| Money-back guarantee | 30 days | 30 days |
The pricing structures for VPNs are usually very straightforward. The longer your subscription, the more money you’ll save.
Surfshark is less pricey. Surfshark’s greatest price is a two-year package that costs $2.30/month. This plan even includes two months of free service. NordVPN, on the other hand, charges $3.49 for a two-year contract. Both provide a money-back guarantee of 30 days.
Final Result: Surfshark is the Winner!
Payment Policy
| Supported Payment Methods | Surfshark | NordVPN |
| Credit/Debit Cards | Almost all are supported | Almost all are supported |
| PayPal | Supported | Not Supported |
| Giropay | Supported | Supported |
| Cryptocurrency | Supported | Supported |
As you can see, both the VPNs accept payments through multiple payment methods. However, a drawback with NordVPN is that it has stopped accepting payments through PayPal – one of the most widely used payment methods in the world. So, our winner was clear in this regard.
Final Result: Surfshark is the Winner!
Refund Policy
| Refund Policy | Surfshark | NordVPN |
| Policy Duration | 30-day money-back guarantee | 30-day money-back guarantee |
| Free Trial | 7-day free trial on iOS, Android, and Mac | 7-day free trial on Android (requires credit card information) |
| Refund Receiving Duration | 5-7 working days | 5-7 working days |
Surfshark and NordVPN offer similar refund policies to users. You can either test them out using their risk-free 30-day money-back guarantee, or use the free trial on limited devices.
Final Result: It’s a Tie!
Features
| Features | Surfshark | NordVPN |
| Split tunneling | Yes | Yes |
| Obfuscation technology | Yes | Only on Windows |
| DNS leak protection | Yes | Yes |
| Kill switch | Yes | Yes |
| SmartDNS | Yes | Yes |
| RAM-only servers | Yes | Yes |
| Encryption | AES 256-bit | AES 256-bit |
| Obfuscation technology | Yes | Yes |
| Browser extensions | Firefox, Edge & Chrome | Chrome & Safari |
| Compatible apps | iOS, Android, macOS, Windows, FireStick, and more | macOS, Android, iOS, Windows, FireStick, and more |
| Simultaneous connections | Unlimited | Six |
| Additional features | MultiHop, CleanWeb, 24/7 live chat support | No-logs, ad-blocker, live chat support |
| For more information, do check out | Surfshark review | NordVPN review |
Both VPNs have their advantages when it comes to beneficial features. With NordVPN, you can connect up to six devices at once with a single account.
Surfshark has no restriction, making it a perfect choice for business owners who may need to give their account to a variety of people. All in all, both the VPNs offer quite similar features.
Final Result: Surfshark is the Winner!
Geo-Unblocking Capabilities
| Streaming Channels | Surfshark | NordVPN |
| Netflix | Unblocks 12+ Netflix content libraries, including US, UK, Canada, Australia, India, Mexico, and more | Multiple libraries, including Canada, India, Australia, Ireland, and Malaysia |
| Amazon Prime
Video |
Yes | Yes |
| CBS | Yes | Yes |
| Hulu | Yes | Yes |
| BBC iPlayer | Yes | Yes |
| Disney Plus | Yes | Yes |
| Hotstar | Yes | Yes |
| HBO Max | Yes | Yes |
| ABC | Yes | Yes |
| Channel 4 | Yes | Yes |
| DAZN | Yes | Yes |
| NBC | Yes | Yes |
Both these VPNs perform very well in unblocking and streaming geo-restricted channels in HD quality. Both of them could bypass geo-blocks easily and allow users to enjoy their favorite TV shows and movies.
Final Result: It’s a Tie!
Surfshark vs. NordVPN – Torrenting
Torrenting is another popular use for VPNs, which both Surfshark and NordVPN can handle. Both feature extremely well-optimized P2P servers that enable you to download torrents at incredible speeds with no limits.
We tested two of the most significant things required for torrenting – speeds and IP leaks.
Surfshark Torrenting Speeds
| Surfshark Servers | Torrenting Speeds |
| Australia – Melbourne | 78.21 Mbps |
| UK – Manchester | 77.65 Mbps |
| Canada – Vancouver | 79.12 Mbps |
NordVPN Torrenting Speeds
| NordVPN Servers | Torrenting Speeds |
| UK – London | 80.01 Mbps |
| Canada – Toronto | 81.56 Mbps |
| Australia – Sydney | 79.23 Mbps |
Surfshark IP Leak Test
NordVPN IP Leak Test
Final Result: It’s a Tie!
Surfshark vs. NordVPN – Netflix Unblocking
You may access Netflix libraries of over a dozen countries using NordVPN and Surfshark, including the United States, Canada, Japan, the United Kingdom, Australia, and the Netherlands.
Surfshark allows you to access Netflix in the United States, Japan, France, India, the United Kingdom, and the Netherlands.
Final Result: It’s a Tie!
Surfshark vs. NordVPN – China Unblocking
China has some of the most extensive internet restrictions in the world, and most VPNs are outright blocked. Regardless, both of these VPNs operate in China once they’ve been correctly installed.
To browse anonymously in China, Surfshark users only need to enable the NoBorders function. For NordVPN customers, the method is similar, though you must explicitly notify the app that you want to utilize its specialized obfuscation servers and then select one from the main page.
Access to the NordVPN and Surfshark websites is presently blocked by the Great Firewall. This means you’ll need to set up your preferred service before traveling to China.
Final Result: It’s a Tie!
App User Interface & Usability
| App Interface and Usability | Surfshark | NordVPN |
| Selection of servers | List-based | List and Map based |
| Auto-updates | Available | Available |
| Mobile-friendly apps | Available | Available |
| Auto-setup wizard | iOS, Windows, Android, Linux, and Mac | Windows, Linux, iOS, Android, Mac |
Final Result: It’s a Tie!
Servers
| Servers | Surfshark | NordVPN |
| Server count | 3200+ servers | 5600+ servers |
| Number of countries | 65 countries | 59 countries |
| Virtual servers | Yes | No |
| Obfuscation | Yes | Yes |
| Speeds | 76.21 Mbps | 79.47 Mbps |
There is a clear winner when it comes to servers. NordVPN has a total of over 5600+ servers located in 59 different countries. Surfshark, on the other hand, has 3200+ servers spread over around 65 countries. Although the selection is excellent, nothing compares to what NordVPN has to offer.
High number of servers mean the network as a whole has less strain. This increases your chances of getting a high-speed, low-latency connection, allowing you to browse easily without interruption.
Surfshark provides a solid connection, however NordVPN is less likely to have any problems during high hours. We confirmed this by testing both VPNs during peak hours and here are the results:
Surfshark vs. NordVPN Speed Tests
Here is a speed test of NordVPN:
Final Result: NordVPN is the Winner!
Surfshark vs. NordVPN – Security Policy
| Surfshark vs. NordVPN – Privacy & Security Features | Surfshark | NordVPN |
| Jurisdiction | British Virgin Islands | Panama |
| Encryption | AES 256-bit | AES 256-bit |
| Logging policy | No-logs | No-logs |
| Kill switch | Available | Available |
| DNS leak protection | Available | Available |
| Tunneling protocols | IKEv2, OpenVPN, WireGuard, Shadowsocks | PPTP, IKEv2,
OpenVPN, L2TP/IPSec, SSTP |
| WebRTC Leak | Yes | No |
Surfshark is situated in the British Virgin Islands, while NordVPN is based in Panama. There are no data retention rules in either of these nations, making them suitable locations for hosting a VPN.
Furthermore, neither service will keep any records of your internet activities. In terms of security, both services include a kill switch that stops all data transfers if you lose your connection unexpectedly. This ensures that you never use the internet without being protected.
They both feature private DNS servers as well, ensuring that no one else has access to your online traffic.
Final Result: It’s a Tie!
Customer Service
| Customer Service | Surfshark | NordVPN |
| Email/Ticketing | Yes | Yes |
| Live chat | Yes | Yes |
| Video guides | Yes | Yes |
| Phone support | No | No |
Regardless of which service you choose, you’ll have a lot of customer care choices if you have any problems. Both feature updated customer support pages that include tutorials and FAQs.
If you prefer a more direct method or need to speak with a live person, NordVPN and Surfshark both offer live chat 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. As a result, you’ll be able to get assistance even in the wee hours.
Even if your question proves to be more difficult, it will be converted into a ticket, and you will receive an email with a solution in a short time. So, any service you choose, you can expect excellent customer service.
Final Result: It’s a Tie!
FAQs
Surfshark vs NordVPN, which one is better for gaming?
Amongst the two, NordVPN is better for gaming as it offers better speeds than Surfshark. These speeds result in no delays and low pings, which are excellent for gaming.
Is Surfshark VPN better than NordVPN?
Well, yes. Surfshark is definitely a better VPN than NordVPN, considering its price, reliability, unblocking capabilities, and features such as MultiHop, CleanWeb, and more.
Is ExpressVPN better than NordVPN?
If we compare ExpressVPN and NordVPN, then the former is definitely better in speeds, security, and unblocks Netflix libraries easily. Not only does it work in China, but it also accepts payments through PayPal, which the latter doesn’t.
Final Takeouts
After comparing both VPNs on 11 tests, here are the results of which is better in Surfshark vs. NordVPN comparison – it’s Surfshark! However, that clearly doesn’t mean that NordVPN isn’t worthy of your attention.
With both services, there are some incredible benefits. While Surfshark has several excellent security features and is slightly less expensive, NordVPN has fast speed but a higher cost.
It all basically comes down to what you need from a VPN in the end. Both VPNs provide a 30-day money-back guarantee, which you should use.