Proton VPN vs Surfshark
Proton VPN scores 9.2 out of 10, Surfshark scores 8.5. Compared on price, jurisdiction, measured speed loss and logging policy: the same independent tests we run on every provider.
The quick answer
Pick Proton VPN if jurisdiction and minimal data collection matter more to you than raw speed. Pick Surfshark if price is what matters most to you.
| Proton VPN | Surfshark | |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 9.2 / 10 | 8.5 / 10 |
| Verdict | Recommended | Recommended |
| Price / mo | $4.99 | $2.49 |
| Jurisdiction | Switzerland | Netherlands |
| Speed loss | 8% | 14% |
| Logs policy | No-logs, audited (Securitum) | No-logs, audited (Deloitte) |
| Best for | privacy,streaming | budget,multiple devices |
| Proton VPN | Surfshark | |
|---|---|---|
| Kill switch | Yes, standard and advanced modes, all platforms | |
| Split tunneling | Yes, Windows only alongside the kill switch | |
| Tor support | Yes, built in Tor servers | |
| Protocols | WireGuard, OpenVPN (UDP/TCP), IKEv2, Stealth | |
| Encryption | AES-256 / ChaCha20, RSA-4096 key exchange | |
| Ad and malware blocker | NetShield, over 90% of ads blocked in testing | |
| Leak protection | No DNS, IPv6, or WebRTC leaks across 60 countries tested | |
| Full disk encryption | Yes, on all Proton owned servers | |
| Bug bounty program | Yes, public bug bounty program via Bugcrowd, up to $10,000 per report | |
| Gaming latency impact | Roughly 120% ping increase, the weakest area | |
| Customer support | Live chat under 30s response, 9am to midnight CET; email under 24h | |
| Money back guarantee | 30 days on paid plans | |
| Server network | 16,000+ servers advertised across 145 countries, physical presence varies by location | |
| Simultaneous devices | 10 devices on paid plans, 1 on the free plan | |
| Router support | No native router app; manual WireGuard or OpenVPN config on AsusWRT, DD-WRT, OpenWRT, or pfSense | |
| Browser extensions | Chrome, Firefox, and Edge extensions, alongside native apps for every major platform | |
| Works in restrictive countries | Not officially supported; connectivity in restrictive countries is inconsistent | |
| Payment methods | Visa, Mastercard, American Express, PayPal, and Proton credits | |
| Business plan | Yes, Proton VPN for Business is sold separately from consumer plans |
Proton VPN
Swiss jurisdiction, open source audited apps, and the rare free tier that is not a bait and switch.
- Swiss privacy law jurisdiction, outside 5/9/14-Eyes alliances
- Genuinely usable free tier with no data cap
- Secure Core routing through hardened Swiss and Icelandic servers
- Fully open-source, independently audited apps
Surfshark
Unlimited simultaneous connections and the lowest price on this list, with Deloitte-audited no-logs credentials to back it up.
- Unlimited simultaneous device connections
- Deloitte-audited no-logs policy, reverified June 2025
- Dynamic MultiHop lets you pick entry and exit countries
- Lowest headline price of any provider we compared