NordVPN vs Surfshark 2023: Side-by-side Comparison
All three VPNs also have an automatic killswitch. Killswitches protect your data if your VPN service drops. Instead of allowing a hacker to access your data when your VPN goes down suddenly, it blocks all internet access until you restore the VPN connection.
Surfshark vs NordVPN vs ExpressVPN Review
As an editor, José Omar specializes in personal finance topics and in-depth company reviews. He also writes The Money Section, a weekly newsletter highlighting the most important finance-related news.
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If you’re wondering whether you need a Virtual Private Network (VPN), you may not know the answer of where to turn. You’ll find many options to choose from. Three of the most popular providers are NordVPN, ExpressVPN and Surfshark. Each is a high-quality service, but by examining their differences, you can determine which choice is best for you. Read on to see how Surfshark VPN vs. NordVPN vs. ExpressVPN compare.
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What is NordVPN?
Founded in 2012, NordVPN is a VPN service specializing in protecting your personal data. It is a founding member of the VPN Trust Initiative, which aims to educate the public about cybersecurity and staying safe online. NordVPN is available on Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS, browsers and other devices such as Amazon Firestick.
What is ExpressVPN?
ExpressVPN was launched in 2009 and claims to be the #1 trusted leader in VPNs. ExpressVPN uses top-level encryption to protect millions of users from over 180 countries. Its VPN service works on multiple operating systems, including Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, Linux, routers and browsers.
What is Surfshark VPN?
Founded in 2018, Surfshark VPN offers multiple products to secure your personal information, maintain privacy and stop tracking bots. Surfshark is available on iOS, Android, macOS, Windows and Linux. Surfshark also has extensions for web browsers and works on devices such as Apple TV and PlayStation.
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NordVPN vs ExpressVPN vs Surfshark VPN: How they stack up
NordVPN, ExpressVPN and Surfshark VPN all have their strengths and weaknesses. Here is how they stack up in terms of security and privacy features, pricing, speed, simultaneous connections, server locations, streaming and torrenting.
Surfshark vs. NordVPN vs. ExpressVPN for security and privacy features
Securing your personal data and maintaining your privacy are usually the top reasons to pay for a VPN service. In terms of security, Surfshark VPN, NordVPN and ExpressVPN all have similar setups with top-of-the-line protection. They use Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) 256 for encryption, the same level of encryption the U.S. government uses to safeguard classified data. AES-256 is a symmetric encryption algorithm that can protect your data from nearly any attack.
All three VPNs also have an automatic killswitch. Killswitches protect your data if your VPN service drops. Instead of allowing a hacker to access your data when your VPN goes down suddenly, it blocks all internet access until you restore the VPN connection.
To protect your data, these VPNs use a no-logs policy. A no-logs policy means your browsing history, used bandwidth and network traffic aren’t recorded, nor can anyone view them, including your VPN provider. No-logs ensure your privacy while using the internet.
Surfshark vs. NordVPN vs. ExpressVPN for pricing
Surfshark offers the lowest prices of the three with its 12- or 24-month Surfshark Starter subscription. The monthly Starter plan costs $12.95. Subscribing to the annual package will cost $47.88 for the year, or $3.99 per month. The two-year plan is the cheapest, costing $2.49 monthly and billed once at $56.76. The company also throws in a free month with this plan.
Surfshark’s One and One+ plans are more expensive but include additional features, such as antivirus and malware protection, a private search engine and real-time email breach alerts.
Surfshark offers a 30-day money-back guarantee and a 7-day free trial for Android, iOS and macOS, so you can try it out before subscribing.
ExpressVPN doesn’t have standard and premium pricing tiers. The same features and level of service are available to everyone, with the only things affecting the price being the subscription length and payment terms. Paying for ExpressVPN one month at a time is $12.95 per month. A six-month subscription costs $9.99 per month, while the yearly plan is $6.67 monthly, billed as one up-front payment. ExpressVPN doesn’t offer a free trial, but they have a 30-day money-back guarantee.
NordVPN’s cheapest plan is its Standard plan. The cost of renewing the Standard plan each month is $12.99. The one-year plan from NordVPN costs $59.88 in total, which amounts to $4.99 per month. NordVPN also offers a two-year plan for $83.76, or $3.49 per month. Like ExpressVPN, NordVPN offers a 30-day money-back guarantee instead of a free trial, so you must subscribe to try out their service.
Surfshark vs. NordVPN vs. ExpressVPN for speed
Security.org conducted speed tests to determine the most popular VPNs’ average download and upload speeds. Surfshark, NordVPN and ExpressVPN all placed among the top 10 VPNs in terms of speed.
Surfshark ranked tenth with an average download speed of 87.25 Mbps and an average upload speed of 47.32 Mbps. ExpressVPN was eighth, with a slightly faster download speed of 87.48 Mbps but a much quicker average upload speed of 71.65 Mbps. NordVPN took third place with an average download speed of 89.11 Mbps and an average upload speed of 90.72 Mbps, making it the fastest in both categories out of these three providers.
Surfshark vs. NordVPN vs. ExpressVPN for simultaneous connections
Because Surfshark VPN doesn’t enforce bandwidth limitations, it allows unlimited simultaneous connections. If you purchase one Surfshark account, you or your family members can use it to access the internet on as many devices as you want.
ExpressVPN doesn’t have unlimited simultaneous connections. A six- or 12-month subscription plan allows you to connect up to eight devices, while a monthly subscription limits you to only five simultaneous connections.
A NordVPN subscription lets you connect up to six devices to its service. However, each device that uses the same server must use a different VPN protocol, such as OpenVPN TCP and NordLynx. This may be more technical and complicated for novice VPN users than the other two options.
Surfshark vs. NordVPN vs. ExpressVPN for server locations
Server locations are an essential part of a VPN service. Changing or hiding your location can enhance your privacy and protection. It can also allow you to unlock geo-blocked content from other countries. For example, you can change your location to Buenos Aires to view movies on Netflix only available in Argentina. Changing your location can also help you get around internet restrictions if you live in a country where the government regulates the internet.
Surfshark has the most available locations of the three VPNs, with over 3,200 servers in 100 countries. ExpressVPN has slightly fewer servers, with over 3,000 in 94 countries. NordVPN has more servers than both — over 5,000 — but only in around 50 countries.
Surfshark vs. NordVPN vs. ExpressVPN for streaming
All three VPN services work well with streaming devices, and you can watch movies, shows or sports in 4K without buffering. With any of the three, you’ll be able to enjoy anonymous viewing on just about any streaming service.
Each VPN service offers different advantages. For example, Surfshark’s unlimited connections will be useful if you or your family and friends want to stream on multiple devices simultaneously. NordVPN’s fast download speeds will be advantageous if speed and no buffering are important to you. Finally, ExpressVPN will be attractive to some as it allows five to eight simultaneous connections and has a competitive download speed.
Surfshark vs. NordVPN vs. ExpressVPN for torrenting
When considering which VPN will be best for torrenting (peer-to-peer file sharing), the most essential features are privacy, security and speed. Torrenting should be anonymous, so having a no-logs policy and top-level data encryption are paramount. Surfshark, NordVPN and ExpressVPN all offer these security features. Regarding speed, NordVPN has the edge as it’s capable of faster upload and download speeds than the other two VPN services.
Surfshark vs. NordVPN vs. ExpressVPN: Which one is the overall better option?
Determining which VPN is the best option for you is easiest if you look at each side-by-side.
Is NordVPN better than ExpressVPN?
NordVPN and ExpressVPN are excellent VPN services. Both provide top-level security and privacy for subscribers. NordVPN is slightly faster on average, which can help with streaming speeds, but ExpressVPN isn’t too far behind.
ExpressVPN’s advantage is that it has servers in almost twice as many countries as NordVPN. If you are interested in streaming movies, shows and content from around the world, ExpressVPN is the better choice.
In terms of pricing, choosing a two-year plan from NordVPN will save you quite a bit of money, although it is a long-term commitment. If you pay for ExpressVPN’s annual plan two years in a row, you’ll spend roughly $160, while NordVPN’s two-year plan will cost you $83.76.
Is ExpressVPN better than Surfshark VPN?
ExpressVPN and Surfshark are similar in a lot of ways. They have a similar number of servers in a similar number of countries. In terms of average download speeds, they are also very comparable, but ExpressVPN has a significant edge if you need to upload files while using your VPN.
If you subscribe to ExpressVPN’s six-month or annual plan, you can use eight simultaneous connections, which may be enough. If you need more, then Surfshark VPN’s unlimited simultaneous connections are a big draw.
ExpressVPN is more expensive than Surfshark VPN, but you should consider the length of subscription you want. Surfshark offers a two-year plan for a very low rate, while ExpressVPN’s longest subscription is one year. However, if you want to try a VPN for a few months without paying each month, ExpressVPN offers a six-month plan that’s cheaper than paying monthly. If you want to save on costs, you’ll be better off with Surfshark.
Is Surfshark VPN better than NordVPN?
When deciding between Surfshark VPN and NordVPN, there are a few main features to consider. NordVPN is considerably faster than Surfshark VPN, especially regarding upload speed. If you’re subscribing to a VPN service to upload and download torrents, NordVPN would be a better choice.
On the other hand, don’t discount Surfshark’s unlimited bandwidth. Depending on how many devices and people you plan to share your VPN account with, Surfshark might be the better choice. NordVPN allows up to six devices to connect simultaneously, but they all need different VPN protocols.
Finally, both VPN services offer plans that can stretch up to two years, but Surfshark’s plans are cheaper than NordVPN’s.
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How to choose a VPN service
When choosing a VPN service, you’ll want to consider why you need a VPN and which services can deliver the best package for your needs. If you need a VPN because you live in a country that blocks internet access to certain websites, you may require a different VPN than someone who wants top-level security and speed.
Some VPN features that you may want include the following:
- Security and privacy
- Pricing
- Speed
- Simultaneous connections
- Server locations
- Streaming
- Torrenting
Summary of Surfshark vs NordVPN vs ExpressVPN
Choosing between Surfshark, NordVPN and ExpressVPN can be challenging as they are all excellent services. Surfshark doesn’t have a bandwidth limitation, allowing unlimited connections. NordVPN is the fastest for average downloads and uploads out of the three choices. Finally, ExpressVPN has competitive upload and download speeds and server locations. We included Surfshark, NordVPN and ExpressVPN as top picks for the best VPN services. Take a look at our other choices for the best VPN services and see how they compare.
NordVPN vs Surfshark 2023: Side-by-side Comparison
It’s often difficult to tell which VPN is right for your needs, particularly if you’ve never used one before. Some services brag about the various protocols they offer, their advanced tools, or their traffic obfuscation features. However, unless you have a decent understanding of networking concepts, this information can be confusing.
To make things easier, we’ve created a side-by-side comparison of NordVPN and Surfshark, allowing you to see the strengths and weaknesses of each. We’ll also be explaining exactly what each feature actually means and how it will affect your day-to-day usage of the VPN. Without further ado, let’s get started with our NordVPN vs. Surfshark comparison:
Highlights
NordVPN
- Expansive server network
- One of the top performers for speed
- Works with plenty of popular streaming services
- Strong security and privacy features
Surfshark
- Allows unlimited multiple connections
- Fast, reliable speeds and unlimited bandwidth
- Strong on security, true no logs policy
- Excellent unblocking ability
NordVPN vs. Surfshark pricing
NordVPN and Surfshark both cost $12.95 per month, which is on the higher end. However, as both of these VPNs offer dramatic discounts on their multi-year plans, they’re best-suited to users who are looking for long-term protection.
In fact, the price reductions are so significant that if you’re willing to subscribe for a year, we recommend opting for the two-year plan instead.
With NordVPN a two-year subscription costs $88.83 and includes three months extra, which effectively cuts the cost to $3.29 per month. With Surfshark, two years costs $59.76 and you get an extra two months for free, averaging out at just $2.30 per month. As you can see, these are huge discounts when compared to the monthly costs.
Both of these services include a 30-day money-back guarantee. This means you can try them out for a month and simply get your money back if you’re not impressed.
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Surfshark vs NordVPN features
Both NordVPN and Surfshark have excellent multi-platform support, with apps for all major platforms and a command line-based installer for Linux systems. These services also have a few helpful privacy features in common, including automatic ad-blocking and malware-scanning, as well as extensions for Firefox and Chrome. It’s worth mentioning that these browser extensions only secure your browser traffic and won’t allow you to use applications like P2P clients or messaging apps anonymously.
That said, each service offers something the other doesn’t. NordVPN has recently introduced a Dark Web monitor that’ll alert you if your data is leaked, as well as MeshNet, a feature that helps users securely connect several of their devices over long distances. Surfshark, meanwhile, has a toggleable stealth mode and a feature that swaps your IP adddress periodically for even greater privacy.
The biggest difference between NordVPN and Surfshark is the connection limit. NordVPN permits up to six simultaneous connections, which is just above the industry average of five. In contrast, Surfshark allows an unlimited number of connections, making it a very attractive option if you’re looking to protect lots of devices at once.
Streaming comparison
These are two of the best services around when it comes to streaming. Previously, NordVPN was the undisputed champion, but Surfshark has improved since the last time we tested it and suceeded everywhere its rival did.
NordVPN is a favorite among users who stream frequently, in part because it unblocks many of the most popular streaming services abroad. However, Surfshark performed admirably in this area, matching NordVPN in most of our tests. While Surfshark was able to unblock several major platforms, it couldn’t bypass ABC’s geo-blocking, whereas NordVPN could.
It’s worth noting that both VPNs perform well with Netflix and can technically access the service whichever server you choose; they’ll just redirect you to the American version if they don’t work with a particular library.
Check out our complete guide on the best VPNs for streaming.
Which of these VPNs work in China?
China has some of the widest-reaching internet restrictions in the world and blocks most VPNs outright. It can be incredibly difficult for most VPNs for bypass such blocks. Despite this, both of these VPNs work in China, once they’ve been configured properly.
All Surfshark users have to do to browse anonymously in China is turn on the NoBorders feature (Settings > Advanced > NoBorders). The process is similar for NordVPN users, although in this case, you have to specifically tell the app that you’d like to use its specialized obfuscated servers (Settings > Advanced > Obfuscated Servers) and then choose one of these from the main screen.
You should note that the Great Firewall currently blocks access to the NordVPN and Surfshark websites. This means that you’ll have to install your chosen service before arriving in China.
Setup and interface
These VPNs both have user-friendly desktop apps. NordVPN has recently had a redesign, giving it a cleaner appearance and bringing features like split tunneling to every version of the app. Users can choose a server location either from a list or a map, and pecialized servers (such as those for torrenting or enhanced privacy) are available directly on the main page.
Surfshark’s desktop app, on the other hand, takes a “less is more” approach. Its main screen has a simple quick-connect button and access to a few of your most recently-used servers. Settings are easy enough to navigate, though it’s worth mentioning that three of the five tabs on the left are for features that you can’t actually use without signing up for Surfshark One, which costs extra.
NordVPN’s mobile app retains the map-based layout from the desktop version, but removes the sidebar, instead placing a quick-connect button and recent servers front and center. Scrolling down reveals a full list of available countries and specialty servers. Certain features have been removed, like the kill switch (on Android) and the ability to use obfuscated servers, but automatic wifi protection and ad-blocking are still available. In fact, Android users recently got the ability to use multi-hop servers too.
Surfshark’s mobile app is almost identical to its desktop version, except the sidebar runs along the bottom of the screen. More importantly, most of its security features are available, and in some cases, expanded upon. For instance, the Android app lets you send smaller packets to conserve data when on mobile wifi, and you can choose between Surfshark’s kill switch and the one that’s built into the OS.
Servers and performance
NordVPN has a larger network by far (5,000+ servers vs around 3,200) but this doesn’t tell the full story. After all, every server is configured differently, so it’s not simply a case of more being better. We can see that Surfshark offers a significantly higher number of locations, something it’s put a lot of effort into over the last year.
So how does these services compare when it comes to performance? Almost identically! They each averaged around 190 Mbps in our most recent tests, though it’s worth mentioning that for NordVPN, this actually represents a steep reduction in average speeds since the last time we checked. In any case, these remain two of the fastest VPNs on the market.
Below, you’ll find a list of every country where these VPNs have servers:
| NordVPN | Surfshark | |
|---|---|---|
| Albania | ✔ | ✔ |
| Argentina | ✔ | ✔ |
| Australia | ✔ | ✔ |
| Austria | ✔ | ✔ |
| Azerbaijan | ✔ | |
| Belgium | ✔ | ✔ |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | ✔ | ✔ |
| Brazil | ✔ | ✔ |
| Bulgaria | ✔ | ✔ |
| Canada | ✔ | ✔ |
| Chile | ✔ | ✔ |
| Colombia | ✔ | |
| Costa Rica | ✔ | ✔ |
| Croatia | ✔ | ✔ |
| Cyprus | ✔ | ✔ |
| Czech Republic | ✔ | ✔ |
| Denmark | ✔ | ✔ |
| Estonia | ✔ | ✔ |
| Finland | ✔ | ✔ |
| France | ✔ | ✔ |
| Georgia | ✔ | |
| Germany | ✔ | ✔ |
| Greece | ✔ | ✔ |
| Hong Kong | ✔ | ✔ |
| Hungary | ✔ | ✔ |
| Iceland | ✔ | ✔ |
| India | ✔ | ✔ |
| Indonesia | ✔ | ✔ |
| Ireland | ✔ | ✔ |
| Israel | ✔ | ✔ |
| Italy | ✔ | ✔ |
| Japan | ✔ | ✔ |
| Kazakhstan | ✔ | ✔ |
| Latvia | ✔ | ✔ |
| Luxembourg | ✔ | ✔ |
| Macedonia | ✔ | ✔ |
| Malaysia | ✔ | ✔ |
| Mexico | ✔ | ✔ |
| Moldova | ✔ | ✔ |
| Netherlands | ✔ | ✔ |
| New Zealand | ✔ | ✔ |
| Nigeria | ✔ | |
| Norway | ✔ | ✔ |
| Paraguay | ✔ | |
| Philippines | ✔ | ✔ |
| Poland | ✔ | ✔ |
| Portugal | ✔ | ✔ |
| Romania | ✔ | ✔ |
| Russia | ✔ | |
| Serbia | ✔ | ✔ |
| Singapore | ✔ | ✔ |
| Slovakia | ✔ | ✔ |
| Slovenia | ✔ | ✔ |
| South Africa | ✔ | ✔ |
| South Korea | ✔ | ✔ |
| Spain | ✔ | ✔ |
| Sweden | ✔ | ✔ |
| Switzerland | ✔ | ✔ |
| Taiwan | ✔ | ✔ |
| Thailand | ✔ | ✔ |
| Turkey | ✔ | ✔ |
| United Arab Emirates | ✔ | ✔ |
| United Kingdom | ✔ | ✔ |
| United States | ✔ | ✔ |
| Ukraine | ✔ | ✔ |
| Vietnam | ✔ | ✔ |
NordVPN has servers in 60 countries, which is around the industry standard. Notably, this includes a few less-commonly-seen locations like the UAE and Vietnam. Surfshark, however, has much more representation across the Middle East, Asia, and Africa, with servers in Ghana, Algeria, Morocco, Sri Lanka, and Nepal, to name but a few places.
Security
These services both allow you to connect using OpenVPN protocols but Surfshark also supports WireGuard, the newest major player in the industry. This feature is known for being easier to audit, and faster over long-distance connections. In fact, NordVPN actually bases its own proprietary protocol, NordLynx, on WireGuard, citing its “lean architecture” as a major selling point.
Both use 256-bit AES encryption, which is effectively uncrackable. This essentially scrambles your traffic using a secret key, meaning anyone looking in can only see meaningless data. NordVPN uses a 4096-bit RSA key to let your device communicate with the VPN privately. In contrast, Surfshark uses 2048-bit RSA keys, which are still secure, but slightly less so.
NordVPN and Surfshark both offer a kill switch on desktop (though mobile users may have to replicate this using their phone’s settings). A kill switch stops all data transferal whenever you lose connection suddenly, ensuring you never browse without protection. Additionally, these VPNs both use private DNS servers, meaning no third party ever has access to your internet traffic.
Finally, each service has its own cloaking technology, which is used to circumvent VPN-blocking and country-wide internet restrictions. NordVPN uses Obfsproxy, a tool that reshapes your traffic, hiding the signs that you’re using a VPN at all. Surfshark, however, has its own proprietary software called NoBorders, which presumably works in a similar manner. We do, however, always recommend being vigilant when using proprietary software as it is much more difficult for us to test on your behalf.
Privacy
NordVPN and Surfshark are based in Panama and the Netherlands, respectively. These countries don’t have any mandatory data retention laws, making them ideal locations for operating a VPN.
NordVPN does not keep any logs whatsoever, though it does record advertising IDs on mobile. Over a long enough period, these could be used to identify you, so we’d recommend clearing them regularly.
Surfshark keeps limited information such as how often you use the service and if the app has crashed, but none of this can be used to identify you. As such, whichever of these services you use, you’ll be nearly completely anonymous online. If you’d like even greater privacy, you can sign up with a throwaway email address and pay with cryptocurrency.
Surfshark vs NordVPN for Gaming
NordVPN and Surfshark both have apps for Windows, MacOS, Android, and iOS. This means you can easily use either of the VPNs for gaming.
Users who want to play games on consoles like a PlayStation or Xbox, have the option to either share their VPN connection with their PC or Mac via an ethernet connection – or by setting up their computer as a VPN-enabled virtual router.
In addition, both Surfshark and NordVPN have router compatibility. This means you can set up the VPN connection on a VPN-compatible router (both providers have guides for various makes and models) and then connect your console to the wifi to protect it with the VPN. This removes the need to connect to the VPN on the console itself.
It is also worth noting that both Surfshark and NordVPN provide a Smart DNS service, at no extra cost. This provides another way to set up your console with a spoofed location, which gives you another option for accessing foreign game servers. Just remember that a Smart DNS connection will not provide the additional privacy benefits you get with a fully encrypted VPN tunnel.
Perhaps the only noticeable difference between these two VPNs for gaming is that NordVPN is slightly faster. That said, they both provide exceptionally fast speeds and they both provide Wireguard connections (NordLynx is a Wireguard fork). Thus, overall, there is little to set these two VPNs apart when it comes to using them for online gaming.
NordVPN vs Surfshark for torrenting safely
Both NordVPN and Surfshark permit torrenting throughout their network, and they have servers that have been setup to be optimized for P2P connections. In addition, both of these services offer robust AES encryption, and highly secure VPN tunnels that can be used to torrent privately and securely.
The VPN tunnels with either of these services will prevent your ISP tracking what you do while torrenting. They also prevent fellow peers from being able to detect your home IP, which could create issues if you connect to a nefarious peer (by allowing them to scan for open ports, for example.)
It is also worth noting that neither NordVPN nor Surfshark offer port forwarding, so if this feature is important to you, you may want to look elsewhere. That said, both these VPNs offer exceptional speeds and security for torrenting regularly on either a Mac or Windows machine.