NordVPN vs SurfShark ✅ Which VPN is Better?

When it comes down to the best VPN provider, there is no question about NordVPN and SurfShark rising up to the surface. Both of these VPN providers have excellent features but at the end of this article, only one will come off as the ultimate winner.

Today, we will compare NordVPN and SurfShark head to head and determine which is better in terms of ease of use, speed, streaming and torrenting, security and privacy, support, and pricing.

I won’t waste your time with unnecessary information and you can guarantee that this is a reliable list as I have personally tried both VPNs by subscribing to their paid plans. This way, I’m able to fully test them both out and provide you with the most comprehensive comparison and save you time from having to do it yourself. 

I will leave a special discounted link in the description below where you can get the cheapest NordVPN and SurfShark plan for you when you’re ready to proceed.

Let’s get started.

1. Setup & Features – SurfShark

I’m using the Windows app of both VPNs but you can still download these VPNs to other devices like Mac, Android, iOS, Linux, routers, Kindle Fire, or add their extension to your browser.

Now, let’s take a closer look at the layout of NordVPN and SurfShark app. In both VPNs, you can instantly connect to the fastest server based on your location using their quick connect feature. However, SurfShark has a simpler layout than NordVPN which I personally prefer as it adds to the ease of use.

SurfShark has servers in 65 countries, which is more than NordVPN’s 59 countries, but NordVPN, in contrast, has more servers than SurfShark which is at 5,000 versus 3,000 respectively.

If you want to test these servers first, you’re not in the good position with NordVPN as it doesn’t offer a free trial.  SurfShark, on the other hand, has a seven-day free trial that you can avail using the mobile app then you can just login to other devices after.

Speaking of devices, here is where SurfShark claims the shining spot in the VPN market. While NordVPN allows you to use five devices simultaneously, SurfShark offers an unlimited number of devices that you can use at the same time which makes it very suitable for bigger households or even smaller companies.

NordVPN and SurfShark have their own unique features and both of them are user-friendly but the point goes to SurfShark as all of its apps are so much easier to use and it doesn’t have any limits to the number of devices you can use all at the same time.

2. Speed – NordVPN

Now, we’re off to determine which one is faster in the race. I’ll record my original speed first without connecting to any of our top VPNs. The Ookla tool recorded my speed of 212 megabits per second.

For this demo, we’ll connect to three countries using each VPN and find out the percentage reduction of speed. Up first in the U.S. server, SurfShark recorded a speed of 168 mbps while NordVPN got a speed of 170 mbps. In the United Kingdom, SurfShark beats NordVPN with speed of 162 mbps versus 157 mbps. And lastly in Canada, the competition is tight as NordVPN recorded a speed of 168 mbps and SurfShark a number lower at 166 mbps.

Both VPNs here have an average percentage reduction of lower than 30 percent which is impressive but since NordVPN snatched two wins over SurfShark’s victory in the United Kingdom speed, the point in this category will have to go to NordVPN.

3. Streaming & Torrenting – NordVPN

In terms of streaming, SurfShark and NordVPN can both successfully unblock Netflix libraries and other streaming platforms like Disney Plus, Hulu, BBC iPlayer, HBO and Amazon Prime.

If you’ve been torrenting unprotected, exposing your IP address to everyone you share files with, SurfShark and NordVPN are the solutions. Both VPNs not just support but also encourage P2P and torrenting.

But both SurfShark and NordVPN only support torrenting on countries where it is not sufficiently strict. But in case you’re torrenting but not connected to their supporting server, NordVPN will automatically switch you to their torrenting server without you being aware of it and I think that’s really a good feature.

This category comes with a very tough decision since both VPNs are the best of the best in terms of streaming and torrenting but I will have to give NordVPN the point here mainly because it has a good feature of automatically switching you to their torrenting server for extra security.

4. Jurisdiction, Security, & Privacy – NordVPN

SurfShark is under the jurisdiction of the British Virgin Islands while NordVPN is under Panama which are both not a member of the Five Eyes, Nine Eyes, and Fourteen Eyes alliances. This simply means that they are located in a country that doesn’t have mandatory law for data retention.

However, there is a long gap between the birth of these VPNs with NordVPN starting in 2012 and SurfShark beginning in 2018.

Both VPNs have been audited to be adhering to the strict no logs policy where they don’t keep records of any of their users’ personal information, credentials, and online activities.

NordVPN might have started seven years before SurfShark was born but still, both VPNs are on top of the game when it comes to the type of data encryption they use which is a 256-bit encryption, the standard and currently the longest encryption advised by government and banks for website security.

Both VPNs also have the kill switch feature that automatically pauses all Internet activities to protect your identity if the VPN connection drops for some reason.

They also offer a set of protocols including WireGuard which is currently the best VPN protocol for faster speed, security, and privacy. 

NordVPN also has a split tunneling feature where you can choose which apps in your device will use or bypass the VPN connection. 

NordVPN and SurfShark both have their own special security and privacy features. NordVPN has its unique ad blocker called CyberSec. It also offers Double VPN and Dedicated IP as a paid add-on which are two important features that SurfShark doesn’t have in bag. Surfshark, on the other hand, has its unique add-ons called HackLock and BlindSearch.

HackLock sends you email alerts if it appears that your email address becomes included in stolen identities after possible website breaching while BlindSearch is a private search engine that you can use to make sure that the results of your searches are not skewed by your previous searches. It also offers Double VPN is an important feature that NordVPN doesn’t have.

Still, NordVPN gets the point in this category since it has more unique features plus security and privacy innovations that could possibly change the game for VPNs in the coming years. In addition, NordVPN has a more established reputation than SurfShark.

5. Support – SurfShark

NordVPN and SurfShark both do not have phone support but they have 24-7 email and live chat support which I have dealt with multiple times.

Both VPNs have well-trained live chat agents who never fail to answer and provide references to my questions and I applaud them for that. However, SurfShark has a faster response rate than NordVPN based on my experience.

NordVPN, on the other hand, has a rigorous and systematic live chat channel where you have to interact with a robot first who will only provide you sources before you can have the option to connect to a live agent. Because of this, the normal inquiries could take up to more than five minutes to get resolved with response time ranging from three to four minutes.

When it comes to my experiences with their email team, SurfShark always responds to my email ticket in less than 10 hours while with NordVPN, I got a very detailed response with references on it after roughly 14 hours.

So based on the ease of use of the support channels which is significant in urgent inquiries, SurfShark bags the point again in this category.

6. Price – SurfShark

In terms of pricing, NordVPN has a more constant set of subscription plans which are for one month, six months, and one year, while SurfShark has plans that are more subjected to changes because of discounts and promotional offers.

NordVPN offers a one month subscription for  $11.95 while SurfShark offers a one-month subscription for $12.95. But if you prefer a longer plan, NordVPN offers a 58 percent discount on their one-year plan for $59, where the monthly price has been heavily reduced to only $4.92.

On the other hand, SurShark has a six-month plan and a two-year plan with a bonus of three months. If you pick up a six-month plan, you will only pay $38.94. Technically, the monthly fee has now reduced to only $6.49 per month. If you choose the two-year plan plus three months, you will have to pay $59.76. Now, this really decreased the monthly price down even further to just $2.21 per month.

Both VPNs offer a 30-day money back guarantee and a cryptocurrency method of payment aside from credit cards and Paypal if you want to be more anonymous.

But in this category, I declare SurfShark as the winner as it offers the most discounted prices in the VPN market, making it a top alternative next to ExpressVPN if you are on a tight budget.

Final Verdict: NordVPN wins

As a summary, NordVPN and SurfShark are tied with three wins each. NordVPN got three category wins which include the Speed, Streaming and Torrenting, and Jurisdiction, Security, & Privacy. On the other hand, SurfShark has the crown if we’re going to talk about Setup & Features, Support and Price. 

It was a close fight but overall, NordVPN has the slight advantage over SurfShark. NordVPN’s three category wins are listed to be the important features of a VPN. Speed, Streaming and Torrenting, and Jurisdiction, Security, & Privacy speaks more of the quality and privacy of your device. 

If you’re ready to try NordVPN or SurfShark, you can click on the link below to get your chosen plan with massive discounts. For a demo on how to set up and useNordVPN or SurfShark, you can watch these next tutorials. I’ll see you over on that next articles!