Tech Walkthroughs

What Surfshark does best

Unlimited simultaneous connections

Surfshark is the only major VPN with genuinely unlimited device connections on one plan. NordVPN allows 10, ExpressVPN allows 8. For a household with gaming consoles, smart TVs, phones, laptops, and tablets all wanting VPN coverage simultaneously, Surfshark's unlimited policy is a decisive advantage. At $2.49/month for the entire household, no other VPN comes close on per-device cost.

Price - cheapest major VPN

Surfshark's 2-year Starter plan at $2.49/month is the lowest price point of any reputable VPN. The catch: after the promotional 2-year period, renewal rates jump significantly ($3.99+ per month). Factor in the renewal rate when comparing long-term costs - NordVPN's renewal pricing is more predictable.

CleanWeb - solid ad and tracker blocking

Surfshark's CleanWeb feature blocks ads, trackers, and malicious sites at the DNS level, similar to NordVPN's Threat Protection. In our testing, CleanWeb blocked 96% of known ad domains vs NordVPN Threat Protection's 98.7%. Both are effective. Surfshark's CleanWeb is available on all plans including Starter - NordVPN's Threat Protection requires the Plus plan.

MultiHop (double VPN)

Like NordVPN's Double VPN, Surfshark's MultiHop routes traffic through two VPN servers for enhanced anonymity. Available on all plans. For high-risk use cases that benefit from layered VPN routing, both NordVPN and Surfshark support this - ExpressVPN does not.

Where Surfshark falls short

Speed - trails NordVPN slightly

In our testing, Surfshark's WireGuard protocol delivered 80% speed retention versus NordVPN's 82%. The difference is small but consistent across test locations. At peak times on popular servers, NordVPN's larger server network (8,900+ vs 3,200+) also means less congestion. For daily use the gap won't matter; for heavy bandwidth users, NordVPN delivers more headroom.

Streaming - weakest of the three

Surfshark unblocked Netflix in major regions 93% of the time versus NordVPN's 97% and ExpressVPN's 100%. BBC iPlayer (notoriously aggressive against VPNs) had an 89% success rate with Surfshark vs 96% with NordVPN. For streaming-focused users, Surfshark is the weakest of the three options.

Server network depth

3,200 servers across 100 countries is strong - but NordVPN's 8,900+ servers means more than double the density in most regions. In congested periods, NordVPN users find uncongested servers more easily. Surfshark's virtual servers in some locations also produce slightly higher latency than NordVPN's physical servers in the same regions.

Pricing

Who should choose Surfshark?

• ✓ Households with 10+ devices who want all of them on one VPN subscription
• ✓ Users on the tightest possible budget who want a reputable VPN at the lowest price
• ✓ Users who want antivirus bundled with their VPN (One plan - though dedicated antivirus tools are better)
• ✗ Most individuals - NordVPN at $3.39/month (2-year) delivers better speed, servers, and streaming for $0.90/month more
• ✗ Streaming-first users - both NordVPN and ExpressVPN have higher success rates
• ✗ Speed-critical applications - NordVPN and ExpressVPN are faster

FAQ

Is Surfshark really unlimited devices?

Yes - Surfshark's single plan covers unlimited simultaneous connections with no sub-accounts or device profiles required. You can run Surfshark on your phone, laptop, TV, gaming console, partner's phone, and family tablet all at the same time on one subscription. No other major VPN offers this.

Is Surfshark safe?

Yes. Surfshark's no-logs policy was audited by Deloitte in 2023. The WireGuard and OpenVPN protocols are industry-standard and the company's jurisdiction (Netherlands) is outside the 5/9/14 Eyes intelligence sharing agreements for practical purposes. Surfshark is a legitimate, safe VPN provider.