NordVPN vs Surfshark

NordVPN and Surfshark are both owned by Nord Security since 2022. The infrastructure overlaps; the differences come down to price, devices, and jurisdiction. For most people, Surfshark is the better default — same quality at a meaningfully lower price with unlimited devices. The reasons to pay extra for NordVPN are specific.

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Contender A

NordVPN

8.5/10

Best all-round VPN — premium price, premium features.

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Contender B

Surfshark

8.0/10

Best value — unlimited devices, low price, NordVPN-owned.

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Specs

Side-by-side

Features	NordVPN	Surfshark
Rating	8.5/10	8.0/10
from	$3.69/mo	$2.19/mo
Jurisdiction	Panama	Netherlands
Five Eyes	No	No
14 Eyes	No	Yes
Open source	No	No
Audited	Yes	Yes
Court-tested	No	No
Servers	6,400+	3,200+
Countries	111	100
Devices	10	Unlimited
Port forwarding	No	No
Netflix	Yes	Yes
BBC iPlayer	Yes	Yes
Last verified	2026-05-04	2026-05-04

The verdict

Pick NordVPN or Surfshark?

Pick A

Choose NordVPN if

Choose NordVPN if you want the most reliable streaming unblocking, you live in a household with fewer devices but care about premium polish, or you specifically prefer Panama jurisdiction over the Netherlands.

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Pick B

Choose Surfshark if

Choose Surfshark if you have many devices to protect (phones, laptops, smart TVs, routers — Surfshark allows unlimited connections, NordVPN caps at 10), if you're price-sensitive on long plans, or if you don't care that the underlying infrastructure is the same.

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Frequently asked

Frequently asked questions

Are NordVPN and Surfshark the same company?

Yes, both are owned by Nord Security since the 2022 merger. They share infrastructure, no-logs policy approach, and security audits. The brands and apps remain separate.

Is Surfshark really cheaper than NordVPN?

Yes, on long plans. Surfshark's 2-year plan is around $2.19/month vs NordVPN at $3.69/month. At full monthly price they're closer. Renewal prices for both jump significantly after the introductory term — set a calendar reminder.

Which has better privacy: NordVPN's Panama or Surfshark's Netherlands?

Panama. NordVPN's jurisdiction is outside Five/Fourteen Eyes and has no mandatory data retention. The Netherlands is in 14 Eyes. Both companies operate the same way technically (RAM-only servers, audited no-logs), so practical risk is similar — but Panama is the cleaner answer on paper.

Which is faster?

NordVPN by a small margin in our testing. Both use WireGuard-based protocols (NordLynx vs WireGuard). Differences are usually within 5% of each other on European routes — not noticeable for streaming or browsing.