NordVPN and Surfshark are both leading VPN services with many similarities — but our tests revealed a clear winner with performance, features, and streaming capability.
Surfshark VPN and NordVPN are both popular VPN services with millions of users around the world. Each VPN offers excellent apps and a large server network, but there are also some key differences we discovered in this comparison. To see whether NordVPN or Surfshark VPN came out on top, we conducted numerous speed tests with both services, and then closely examined all aspects of each VPN.
Based on the latest test results, NordVPN was the clear winner. NordVPN offers faster speeds, more security features, and better streaming capability — but Surfshark VPN is also not very far behind.
This table highlights the key facts of each VPN as well as the latest discounts:
| NordVPN | Surfshark VPN | |
| Website | NordVPN.com | Surfshark.com |
| Location | Panama | The Netherlands |
| Servers | 5,500+ | 3,200 |
| Countries | 59 | 100 |
| Logs | No logs (audited) | No logs |
| Torrenting | All servers | All servers |
| Support | Knowledge Base; 24/7 chat | Knowledge Base; 24/7 chat |
| Apps for | Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS | Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS |
| Price | $2.99 (with coupon) | $2.99 |
| Coupon | 68% Off + 3 Months Free > | 82% Off > |
Here’s an overview of what we will cover in this Surfshark VPN vs NordVPN guide:
- VPN apps
- Speeds
- Features
- Security
- Privacy and logging policies
- Jurisdiction
- Connections
- Price
- Streaming
- Torrenting
- Support
Now let’s begin this comparison report by examining the VPN apps of Surfshark VPN and NordVPN.
VPN apps: NordVPN vs Surfshark VPN
Both NordVPN and Surfshark have user-friendly and reliable VPN apps.
The NordVPN apps are well-designed, secure, and easy to use. In comparison to Surfshark VPN, the NordVPN desktop apps (Windows and Mac OS) are a bit larger but offer easy access to all the features. Below is the Windows VPN app from NordVPN.
You can click the down arrow in the box on the top left, then select from the specialty server locations, or click a country from the map. The NordVPN client will automatically select the best server within the country. You can also select specific servers or servers in specific cities. All NordVPN apps include built-in leak protection with a kill switch.
One great aspect of NordVPN apps is that you can easily select features and servers right in the app, without having to open up a second window. This is a noteworthy benefit that gave NordVPN an edge in the ExpressVPN vs NordVPN comparison.
Surfshark VPN apps have a different design than NordVPN and do not incorporate a map for server selection, but instead have a large list, which takes up space on the left.
Like NordVPN, Surfshark VPN apps also incorporate built-in leak protection with a kill switch to block unencrypted data from leaking out of the VPN. Server selection is also easy with Surfshark VPN. Simply tap the “Locations” tab on the left, which opens up a list of servers.
There is one type of desktop VPN app where Surfshark VPN has a definite advantage. That’s Linux, where NordVPN still uses a command-line interface to control its Linux app. The Surfshark team went the extra mile and created a Linux app that looks almost exactly like their Windows and macOS apps.
Unless you are a hard-core CLI user, the Surfshark VPN Linux app should be much easier to use than the NordVPN Linux app. Given how good Surfshark VPN is and how rare it is to see a non-CLI VPN app on Linux, you shouldn’t be surprised to know that Surfshark made our list of the best VPNs for Linux.
NordVPN and Surfshark VPN mobile apps look and work much like their desktop counterparts. However, the Surfshark Android app has an interesting trick for anyone who wants to keep their location private.
When you activate it, the GPS Override feature of the Android app causes your phone to report the GPS location of the VPN server you are connected to, rather than your actual GPS location. This makes your phone’s reported GPS coordinates consistent with your IP address. And prevents snoops from tracking your physical location, while also eliminating one clue (GPS coordinates inconsistent with IP address) that could reveal you are using a VPN.
Support for other devices
Both VPNs provide support for devices that don’t have native VPN support. To accomplish this, they both have a form of SmartDNS. SmartDNS doesn’t encrypt your data or protect your devices as a full VPN does. But in many cases, it can give you access to streaming services that you couldn’t view otherwise. NordVPN’s version is called SmartPlay while the Surfshark VPN version is simply called SmartDNS.
Overall, both apps are great and it all boils down to user preference. As we will examine below, NordVPN and Surfshark VPN both have similar features.
Winner for VPN apps: Tie (both are great, just slightly different designs)
NordVPN vs Surfshark VPN speed tests
Both NordVPN and Surfshark VPN support the WireGuard VPN protocol. Because WireGuard is (generally) much faster than OpenVPN and other legacy protocols, we would expect both NordVPN and Surfshark VPN to offer excellent speeds.
We ran all of the NordVPN vs Surfshark VPN speed tests on a 500 Mbps connection from our lab in the United States. All tests were run with the WireGuard protocol using the official VPN client. So now let’s get to the results.
Test #1: Los Angeles, USA
First up was a NordVPN server in Los Angeles: 304 Mbps.
At over 300 Mbps, these are great speeds with NordVPN.
Here was the Surfshark VPN server in Los Angeles: 346 Mbps.
Surfshark VPN has a bit of an edge over NordVPN for this location, but both are quite fast at over 300 Mbps.
Test #2: Seattle, USA
Here was the NordVPN server in Seattle: 445 Mbps.
This is the fastest VPN speed test result we have clocked so far. Hats off to NordVPN!
And here was the Surfshark server in Seattle: 308 Mbps.
With the Seattle location, NordVPN has a big edge.
We ran a few other tests for each respective VPN review, and the results were pretty similar. Both of these VPNs are fast when you use the WireGuard VPN protocol.
Note: Not all VPNs with the WireGuard protocol are fast. For example, both NordVPN and Private Internet Access support WireGuard. However, in the NordVPN vs PIA comparison, Nord blew the competition out of the water.
Surfshark VPN slower with OpenVPN
One drawback we noted with Surfshark VPN was with the OpenVPN protocol. When testing out speeds with OpenVPN, it was difficult to get above 100 Mbps, which is below average for a fast VPN. For example, here was the Surfshark OpenVPN server in Los Angeles, getting about 81 Mbps download speeds.
We found most all the Surfshark OpenVPN speed tests we ran were in the 70 to 90 Mbps range. This is not very good.
In contrast, we found NordVPN OpenVPN speeds could typically range from 200 to 270 Mbps. Even when running speeds with NordVPN’s double-hop servers (that route traffic over two different servers), we could still get great speeds. Here was the NordVPN USA-Canada (double-VPN) servers with the OpenVPN protocol:
NordVPN delivers excellent speeds with OpenVPN protocol as well as with WireGuard.
Winner for speeds: NordVPN
Other speed comparisons: NordVPN consistently performs well in comparison to other top-rated VPNs. It also came out on top in the NordVPN vs IPVanish comparison tests.
While Surfshark VPN didn’t quite beat NordVPN in this category, it still routinely outperforms other VPNs. You can see this in the Surfshark vs ExpressVPN comparison.
Features comparison
Now we will examine the features offered by NordVPN and Surfshark VPN.
NordVPN features
NordVPN packs in a lot of features – above and beyond most other VPN services. The specialty servers are great for different use cases:
- Double-VPN servers, where traffic is encrypted over two different hops.
- P2P servers that are designated for torrenting with great speeds and security. (NordVPN is currently the best VPN for torrenting with the fastest speeds.)
- Obfuscated servers that hide (obfuscate) VPN to get around VPN blocks or any restrictions.
- Tor-over-VPN servers that encrypt regular VPN traffic a second time through the Tor (Onion) network.
I tested out these specialty servers in the NordVPN review and found them to perform very well.
Another great feature with NordVPN is Threat Protection. This is a specialized filter that is more than just a VPN ad blocker. Threat Protection will block ads, trackers, malware, and phishing domains. It will also scan downloaded documents and delete malicious ones.
One of the biggest features of NordVPN is the WireGuard VPN protocol. NordVPN’s implementation of WireGuard is called NordLynx, and you can easily enable it within the settings area:
Another great feature you will find only with NordVPN is a dedicated IP option. This allows you to utilize a dedicated IP address that no other user has access to. There are both pros and cons to this, as we discuss in our guide on the best VPN for a static IP.
Surfshark VPN features
Surfshark VPN has many similar features to NordVPN.
- Double VPN servers to encrypt traffic over two hops.
- Obfuscation to conceal VPN traffic and get around blocks.
- CleanWeb is a feature similar to NordVPN’s old CyberSec feature. It blocks ads, trackers, and malware domains.
- Rotating IP is a new privacy feature. Normally, a VPN server presents a single IP address for you, no matter how long you are connected to a site. This could conceivably help to track you, even though your actual IP address is never exposed. When you activate Rotating IP, it automatically rotates your IP address (every 5 to 10 minutes) while your VPN location stays the same. These IP address changes make it much more difficult to associate website activities with a single visitor. The only other VPN we have run into so far that can rotate IP addresses is Atlas VPN. You can see how they stack up against Surfshark in our Atlas VPN vs Surfshark shootout.
Full WireGuard support with Surfshark VPN
Surfshark VPN has also successfully implemented the WireGuard VPN protocol, which we covered above in the speed tests section. Aside from fast download speeds, WireGuard also gives you faster connections, and better performance on mobile devices when switching network interfaces.
Surfshark also has a few extra privacy features, but they are paid add-ons:
- Surfshark Alert – This gives you real-time alerts if your private information has been compromised in a data breach leak.
- Surfshark Search – This is a private search engine.
Winner for VPN features: NordVPN
See all NordVPN features here >>
Security and encryption
In terms of security, both NordVPN and Surfshark VPN are solid choices.
NordVPN security
NordVPN secures traffic with an AES-256 cipher and HMAC SHA256 hash authentication with the OpenVPN and IKEv2 protocols. The WireGuard (NordLynx) protocol uses updated encryption algorithms with the ChaCha20 cipher.
With NordVPN, all apps incorporate a kill switch to secure traffic and prevent any data leaks. The CyberSec feature is an additional layer of security to prevent malicious domains and ads from loading on your device.
For network security, NordVPN runs all servers in RAM-disk mode, which makes it impossible to store logs on any server and provides a higher level of data security for NordVPN users. They have also completed a server assessment to ensure all data centers meet their strict security criteria.
NordVPN is also rolling out colocated (self-owned) servers for all locations. This is a big development that is already partially complete. This eliminates the need to rent servers from third parties and puts all hardware under NordVPN’s control. (Surfshark does not use colocated servers.)
Lastly, NordVPN has also undergone third-party security audits that were conducted by Versprite. These audits included all aspects of NordVPN’s infrastructure as well as penetration testing to identify and correct any vulnerabilities.
Surfshark VPN security
In many ways, Surfshark VPN is similar to NordVPN in the area of security. Surfshark secures your connection with an AES-256 cipher for the OpenVPN and IKEv2 VPN protocols. If you are using a VPN for Mac OS, you can select between OpenVPN, IKEv2, or WireGuard.
In July 2020, Surfshark VPN announced that it had converted all servers in its network to run in RAM-disk mode, just like with NordVPN. This is a good development and growing trend in the VPN industry, as we also noted in our ExpressVPN review.
Like NordVPN, Surfshark has also undergone an independent security audit. Unlike NordVPN, however, the audit was limited to only their browser extensions. Cure53, a German cybersecurity firm, conducted the audit, and you can get more details in our Surfshark VPN review.
While there are many similarities here, NordVPN wins this category for two main reasons:
- NordVPN has undergone more (and more in-depth) security audits
- NordVPN is deploying colocated servers (partially complete)
Winner for security: NordVPN
Privacy and logging policies: NordVPN vs Surfshark VPN
In terms of privacy and logs, both NordVPN and Surfshark are no logs VPN services – but there’s one key difference between these two VPNs.
NordVPN privacy and logs
NordVPN is a no-logs VPN service that does not keep any usage or connection logs. This is clearly explained on their website:
One area where NordVPN differs from Surfshark VPN, however, is that NordVPN has had its logging policies audited and verified. To verify the no-logs claims, NordVPN has undergone two separate audits by PWC AG in Zurich, Switzerland. The first audit was completed in 2019, and the second audit was completed in 2020. The auditors had full access to verify privacy and logging policies.
Why should you care about a no-logs audit?
Well, we’ve seen a few “no logs” VPN services that have turned out to be logging their users. Two examples of this are PureVPN and also IPVanish. We also noted in the HideMyAss review that this VPN handed over logs to US authorities over a hacking claim.
Surfshark VPN privacy and logs
Surfshark VPN is also a no-logs VPN service, as explained on its website.
Unlike NordVPN, however, Surfshark VPN has not yet completed an independent audit to confirm its no-logs policy. However, Surfshark has passed security audits conducted by Cure53.
Therefore the winner of this category goes to NordVPN, which has had its no-logs and privacy policies audited twice.
Winner for privacy and logs: NordVPN
Jurisdiction comparison
On the topic of privacy, another important consideration is jurisdiction: where the VPN is legally based. Jurisdiction is important because it determines the laws (and governments) that the VPN must comply with. Generally speaking, we recommend avoiding services that are based in bad privacy jurisdictions, such as the Five Eyes countries (US, UK, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand).
Surfshark VPN jurisdiction: The Netherlands
Surfshark was previously based in the British Virgin Islands (BVI). However, in October 2021, they moved jurisdictions to The Netherlands. The company says the change in jurisdiction was for business reasons.
While I do not consider The Netherlands to be an excellent jurisdiction, it is still not a bad option and is outside of the core 5 Eyes countries that we recommend avoiding.
NordVPN jurisdiction: Panama
NordVPN is based in Panama. Panama is a great location for a privacy-focused service because it is outside of the EU and US jurisdictions. The US, EU, Canada, and some other Western countries do not have favorable privacy laws. In some cases, governments can force VPNs to log user data and turn this over to authorities. This has even happened in Switzerland with ProtonVPN, which we discussed in the ProtonVPN vs NordVPN comparison.
I would consider NordVPN’s jurisdiction in Panama to be better than Surfshark’s jurisdiction in The Netherlands.
Winner for jurisdiction: NordVPN
VPN connection limits: Surfshark VPN vs NordVPN
When we talk about connections with VPNs, we are referring to the number of simultaneous connections you can have under one subscription. Most VPNs impose some kind of limit on connections, where the average is about six.
Surfshark VPN is a standout in this category. It offers an unlimited number of simultaneous connections. From the company’s website:
There are only a few other VPNs that offer an unlimited number of connections, another option being Perfect Privacy. Do you need an unlimited number of simultaneous connections, or would a fewer number of connections be enough?
NordVPN is more in line with the VPN industry average in the category of connections. They offer users six simultaneous connections per subscription. This is on par with most other VPNs, including ExpressVPN and CyberGhost.
Note: There is one trick that you can use with any VPN to get an unlimited number of connections, and that is to use a VPN on a router. A VPN on your router will only count as one VPN connection, but it protects every single device that connects to the router, without having to download VPN software for the devices.
Winner for connections: Surfshark VPN
Price: Surfshark VPN vs NordVPN
Price is another consideration for most people when selecting a VPN. In terms of price, both Surfshark and NordVPN are on our list of the best cheap VPNs, with prices under $4 per month.
NordVPN prices – Right now NordVPN is running a discount with the two-year plans to drop the price down to $2.99 per month. Here are the prices with the NordVPN coupon:
Now we’ll look at Surfshark’s prices.
Surfshark VPN comes in a bit cheaper than NordVPN at only $2.05 per month with the two-year plan. Here are the current prices:
As with all VPNs, NordVPN and Surfshark VPN monthly plans are rather expensive. However, Surfshark VPN is cheaper than NordVPN on their longer subscription plans. Give this category to the sharks.
Winner for price: Surfshark VPN
Netflix and Streaming
Surfshark VPN and NordVPN are among the select few VPNs that work with Netflix. For the respective VPN reviews, we tested both Surfshark VPN and NordVPN with US Netflix. They both worked well and were able to unblock US Netflix without any streaming or playback issues.
Another advantage of both services is that they unblock numerous Netflix libraries around the world, such as Netflix Canada, UK, Germany, and Australia. They will work well if you want to change Netflix regions to access content from anywhere.
But what about other streaming services?
We have also tested these VPNs with BBC iPlayer and Amazon Prime – and the results were good. Once again, both Surfshark VPN and NordVPN work for these streaming services and were able to unblock content in our tests.
In short, both of these VPNs are great VPNs for streaming and they will most likely give you access to any streaming media you are looking to watch. (And if you are getting blocked, just open a chat window and their support staff will help you out.)
Winner for streaming: Tie
Torrenting – Is Surfshark VPN or NordVPN better?
Many people use VPNs for torrenting. This allows you to cover your digital tracks and hide your IP address. Because torrenting can be a grey area when it comes to copyright issues, it’s better to be safe than sorry.
After protecting your IP address, the main consideration for torrenting is speed. While both these VPNs are extremely fast with WireGuard, NordVPN is faster when using the OpenVPN protocol. Because speeds are crucial for torrenting large files with a VPN, NordVPN gets the nod here. It is the best VPN for torrenting with extremely fast speeds and strong security.
Winner for torrenting: NordVPN
Support comparison
The last category on our list to examine is support. Fortunately, this one is also easy – and it’s again a tie.
Both NordVPN and Surfshark VPN offer 24/7 live chat support to help get you through any problem or issue. To connect with their support staff, simply go to Surfshark VPN or NordVPN’s website, and then click on the chat icon in the bottom-right corner. For example, here I’m connected to a NordVPN support agent:
You won’t go wrong with either NordVPN or Surfshark VPN. I’ve had many interactions with the support staff of both VPNs and the results have been positive.
Winner for support: Tie
Value comparison
We are near the end of this VPN comparison report. So far, NordVPN has a big lead and has outperformed Surfshark VPN in most categories.
When considering value, we are looking at what you get for your money. While NordVPN is slightly more expensive than Surfshark VPN, it also delivers more features and offers better performance throughout the server network. Surfshark VPN is cheaper than NordVPN, but it doesn’t quite offer as much. But Surfshark VPN has some features (such as Rotating IP) and benefits (like unlimited simultaneous connections) that might be extremely valuable to you. Value, like beauty, is often in the eye of the beholder.
Either way, both of these VPNs are a great value. We’ll call this category a tie.
Conclusion NordVPN wins in 2023
Our testing shows that both Surfshark VPN and NordVPN are among the best VPN services that we recommend in many different categories. However, in this NordVPN vs Surfshark VPN comparison, NordVPN came out on top as the better general-purpose VPN.
Here is a brief overview of the findings with the winner for each category:
- Speeds – NordVPN
- VPN apps – Tie
- Features – NordVPN
- Security – NordVPN
- Privacy and logging policies – NordVPN
- Jurisdiction – NordVPN
- Connections – Surfshark VPN
- Price – Surfshark VPN
- Streaming – Tie
- Torrenting – NordVPN
- Support – Tie
- Value – Tie
As you can see above, NordVPN came out on top in six categories, Surfshark was the winner in two categories, and four categories were tied.
To me, the biggest reasons to go with NordVPN are the following:
- Faster speeds – NordVPN offers faster speeds with the OpenVPN protocol. Both VPNs are fast with the WireGuard protocol.
- No-logs audits – NordVPN has passed two separate no-logs audits. This gives you the assurance they are serious about privacy.
Both do well with streaming, security, VPN apps, and support.
Another big distinction is that NordVPN is already rolling out colocated servers throughout their network. When this is complete, NordVPN’s entire network will run on self-owned hardware, without any use of rental servers. We’ll update this Surfshark VPN vs NordVPN comparison when this milestone is complete.
But there are definitely situations where Surfshark VPN may be your better option.
- Are you a Linux user? Surfshark VPN’s dedicated Linux app is a lot easier to use than the command line interface from NordVPN.
- Are you looking for advanced security features like GPS spoofing, IP rotation/randomization, and dynamic multi-hop servers? NordVPN has nothing to match them.
Still on the fence? Try both risk-free, then cancel one for a full refund
Did I mention that both NordVPN and Surfshark VPN offer a 30-day money-back guarantee with all plans?
This allows you to test both VPNs risk-free for 30 days. Therefore you can purchase a subscription to both VPNs, and then simply cancel the one you don’t want. In a sense, they both work as free trial VPNs within the 30-day refund window.
Whichever VPN you decide to go with, be sure to get the best deal with the discounts below. Here is the NordVPN coupon that’s active right now:
NordVPN Cyber Deal is Live:
Get 68% Off NordVPN (drops the price to $2.99 per month) plus 3 months FREE:
(Coupon is applied automatically.)
Surfshark VPN also provides an opportunity to save some money.
And with the coupon below, it is a bit cheaper than NordVPN.
Surfshark VPN Coupon:
Get 82% off Surfshark VPN (drops the price down to $2.30 per month) plus 2 months FREE:
(Coupon is applied automatically.)
Note: We also have a dedicated guide showing the best VPN coupons, if you want to see other deals and discounts.
That wraps up this Surfshark VPN vs NordVPN comparison. Stay safe and secure online, and feel free to drop a comment below about either of these two VPNs!
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This NordVPN vs Surfshark VPN comparison report was last updated on January 2, 2023.
It would be nice if Surfshark or Nord have ways to buy through Amazon like Mullvad.
I’m a surfshark user (v 4.4.1). yesterday I discovered a very big trouble in p2p security. Just for fun, during my test of rotating IP feature, I went in ipleak.com and checked torrent address detection. In the related box, I saw my isp ip and surfshark ip! I tested different pc, I disabled ip rotation but my isp ip is still there. I changed nation and server but nothing changed. And live support 24/7 is missing. Bye bye surfshark.
PS please Sven, stress vpn much more during your test. Your site is very interesting
With the latest version of Surfshark apps on Windows and Android, we did not find any leaks.
Sven and team, thanks for reply. Please how have you verified leak in p2p session?
I found the solution (thanks reddit). In qbittorrent, I went in setting – advanced – network interface and set surfshark wireguard. Only in this case, my true IP is not exposed. I haven’t seen this procedure in any vpn review. I think that there a lot of people absolutely sure to be anonymous with vpn during p2p session.
No procedure is available in surfshark site.
I can attest that some Netflix servers do work with Surfshark (US, UK, Canada, France, Italy, Turkey), but Surfshark DOESN’T UNBLOCK BBC iPlayer, and I have tried all the servers and all the possible protocols, which took a lot of time.
NordVPN is still working with BBC iPlayer as of last month (last time I tested it).
Hi Steven, I am subscribed to both Nord VPN and Surfshark VPN. Both are great VPNs with fast speeds. Cheaper Surfshark is surprisingly good. Nord although has a slightly higher price offers some powerful additional features like Threat protection on Windows while Surfshark’s antivirus is a paid Addon for a little extra cost, so Nord more than makes up for the slight extra price when compared to Surfshark VPN.
My subscription to Nord will remain fixed at 3 USD per year for life and will most likely remain fixed at 2.3 USD per year for Surfshark VPN for life (early subscriber benefit). So a great value for money for my simple usage and online security and privacy. No toxic Netflix and No illegal torrenting.
I’ve been using Surfshark for almost 2 years now and I am quite dissatisfied with it: no way to connect to Netflix (even when connected physically and virtually via VPN to the same region – Netflix simply won’t load when connected to a VPN server), friendly but incompetent support (still cannot use WireGuard from my home wireless network on Win10 but no problem with cable or with macOS or from another network), more and more websites just don’t load or react (even with CleanWeb deactivated), no auto-update of the app on Win10, difficulty to turn off auto-renewal of subscription, and several trials are often necessary to connect to a VPN server.
So I’ll give NordVPN a try!
I forgot to mention that Surfshark did not implement its bypass (whitelisting) feature on macOS/iOS:
https://surfshark.com/features/split-tunneling
Also, a true kill switch is not available on macOS; it is actually more like an “auto-reconnect” option. This can be seen in the description of the function in the screenshot here:
https://support.surfshark.com/hc/en-us/articles/360016978413-How-to-use-Kill-Switch-#h_01ETEC7Z5S2BFE9NA2J5B8ME9V
It seems to be a true kill switch on Win10, Android and iOS at least. I was told by the chat support that installing from the DMG file (rather than from the App Store) enables a true kill switch on macOS (but I haven’t tested it).
Now I have tested it: no true kill switch on macOS, whatever installer (DMG or App Store) used. The DMG installer actually has no advantage: openVPN protocols are not available anymore!
Why does NordVPN block some websites when my NordVPN is “Connected”? I verified several times, once NordVPN was turned off, my website or App are back in connection? I felt that somehow NordVPN is filtering my website connections…
Do you have the CyberSec feature enabled? This may be filtering some sites if they are on blacklists.
I do not know if I am the only one,but I know I tried these two VPNs in a short time by purchasing a monthly subscription.I will summarize my experience as I announced it in Support of both VPNs.
SUPPORT NORD / Apr 5, 2021, 16:00 GMT + 3
* Onion Over VPN does not work…(North’s answer was that the Onion over VPN servers are currently a bit faulty. That is why they sometimes appear and sometimes disappear from the server list).
* Unprecedented inability to connect to many locations in Europe and elsewhere… My wait for each connection ranged between 15-20 seconds…
* Incomplete function of the Split-Tunneling feature…
* Moderate speed with NordLynx protocol and tolerable moderate speed with OpenVPN (TCP) protocol…
* Unfortunately,the cons are ahead of the pros …
SURFSHARK SUPPORT / Apr 9, 2021, 19:57 GMT + 3
* Using OPENVPN(TCP)the speed is slightly moderate,but using OPENVPN (UDP), IKEv2 and WIREGUARD the speed is quite fast.
* Features and settings offer a very important help in the application.
* Especially the Whitelister feature literally saved me because using a VPN,it’s the first time I can finally run my email smoothly.
* SURFSHARK VPN completely satisfies me so far.
I can conclude that SurfSark is the ideal VPN for me and my homeland,Greece.
Thank you for posting my review,I did not expect it.
I guess you who made the comparison between NordVPN and Surfshark and have a lot of experience in these matters,disagree with my review.I think your disagreement would be justified.
I tried to be fair and impartial in testing these two VPNs.
My tests were based on switching servers,browsing websites,running applications,speed tests and email management.My feelings were intense and mixed.
With Nord,I felt a dissatisfaction,a frustration and a bitterness.
With Fairf, I felt a satisfaction,a complacency and a calmness.
They were not premeditated emotions but spontaneous and genuine.
And of course guided by your own comparison between NordVPN and Surfshark,I discovered the most desirable vpn,Surfshark. Thank you a lot.
According to Surfshark features page they are audited, and was in 2018, here is the vlog https://surfshark.com/blog/blog-surfshark-browser-extensions-stand-out-for-their-robust-security-independent-investigation-revealed
Yes, their browser extension was audited by Cure53. But this audit was limited to just examining the browser extension. NordVPN has undergone a much more in-depth security audit that examined all apps, VPN servers, and infrascture. Additionally, NordVPN has undergone an audit verifying privacy policies (the no-logs audit), which Surfshark has not done (yet).
This is a very informative article. I’ve been using IP Vanish for some time and now I’m really considering the swap to NORDVP. I’m not doing anything that should raise the eye browse of the authorities; however, if a VPN said that they do not share or divulge customer information / logs and then they do, well my trust in them is lost forever. I work in an industry that makes IVDs or in vitro diagnostic products (under International Standards for Organization (ISO 9001) or 13485 certifications to even do business). In order to attain and maintain these certifications our company is continually audited by several agencies (US/International) since we sell products world wide. I’m not sure if there are specific certifying agencies that can routinely audit all of the big VPN players and assign some sort of certification(s)? So, we as customers, just need to see their certification by going to the company website and know instead of just wondering. If the company that I work for had recalls, missing signatures on controlled documents, shipping issues and problems with excessive customer complaints, we could be in serious trouble. Possibly fined into the next century or even shut down. So, if there are no accrediting agencies that do this for VPN companies, maybe there should be.
Hi Sooth, I also concur on the topic of trust. When it’s been violated, then it’s gone.
I have an article on what you are describing: no logs VPNs that have been verified.
NordVPN has now undergone two separate annual audits to verify their no-logs claims, in 2019 and again this year (2020).
I’m only seeing Nord for $4.04 per month. But you are showing a price of $3.30 per month. Am I missing something here?
NordVPN recently updated pricing, BUT you can still get the 68% discount pricing with the links above. This brings the price down to $3.30 from $4.04 per month. See here:
68% Discount on NordVPN >>
I’m wondering if anyone else is having problems with Surfshark on Amazon tablet?
It works fine on my android phone and firestick, but with help from surfshark’s chat team I imaged to get it on my tablet only to find a couple of days later it says can only be used on older version of Amazon OS until developer updates.
I work at a large hospital in L.A. with an open, non-password protected guest Wi-Fi. I spent 4 days trying to get Surfshark to work there. Ultimately I got this message from them:
“Unfortunately it would appear that your company’s network is too restricted for our VPN to work.“
I had the same issue with Surfshark. I work in a big university here in Atlanta with an open guest wifi but for some reasons I can’t get SS to work. I think IT is blacklisting VPN connections.
From my experience it is not that Surfshark doesn’t work, it’s all about the protocol. I had the same issue with NordVPN and it’s NordLynx. If you switch the protocol to a simpler IKEV2 (TCP or UDP) it might work out. Try different protocols and see which one bypasses the firewall. Certain protocols are new and there might be issues when going through the firewalls regardless of the brand of the VPN.