FastestVPN vs Surfshark (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, we pick Surfshark: it is third in our ranking of VPNs, and it grades higher too, 2.8 against 2.4.
Checked Nov 2, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 · graded Nov 2, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
Surfshark grades higher on the free plan and ease of use. They get the same grade on value for money, features and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
FastestVPN
Low-priced VPN with 15 logins and a bundled password manager
Surfshark
VPN with no device limit, sold alone or in security bundles
Which one is for you
Pick FastestVPN if
- Fits if you want one VPN account across up to 15 devices
- Works for people who want P2P servers and an ad blocker included
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you want to try it first: there's no free trial, only a 31-day money-back guarantee
- Watch out: the two-year plan recurs but the buy page doesn't state the renewal price
- Watch out: Lifetime Plus at $40 carries a Black Friday label and could change
- Pricey if some features matter: network add-ons are paid extras
- Watch out: the privacy policy says it's based in the Cayman Islands; we didn't find the legal entity
Pick Surfshark if
- Fits if your household has more devices than a capped VPN allows
- Works for handing out masked email addresses to sites you don't trust
Look elsewhere if
- Pricey if you pay monthly, at $18.95 a month for Starter
- Watch out: the $2.49 a month covers the first 27 months only; it then renews at $79, $99 or $119 a year
- Skip it if you want to try it without a card, as the 7-day trial needs a payment method and covers 3 devices
- Not for you if you want identity theft cover outside the US or in New York, or Incogni outside the US, UK, EU, Switzerland and Canada
- Watch out: the refund excludes Alternative Number, anonymous dedicated IPs and most reseller or gift-card purchases
How we grade them
| 2.4GPAFastestVPNFair | 2.8GPASurfsharkGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | B$5 a month billed monthly, the category's middle. The two-year plan is $19.95 for the first term, but its renewal price isn't stated, so we don't grade on it. | BThe 2-year Starter plan bills $67.23 for the first 27 months, so two years cost about $2.80 a month, inside the cheaper quarter of VPNs. After that it renews at $79 a year, above the middle of the pack. Going monthly is $18.95. |
| Free plan and trial | FNo free plan and no trial. A 31-day money-back guarantee isn't a trial. | DA 7-day free trial on 1- and 2-year plans bought on the website, but it needs PayPal, Apple Pay or a card and is limited to 3 devices. The money-back guarantee doesn't count. |
| Features | B15 simultaneous logins, several protocols, ad and malware blocking, P2P servers and a password manager. Nothing in the listing is missing from the core job of a VPN. | BUnlimited devices, ad and cookie pop-up blocking, Bypasser, Rotating IP, MultiHop, masked emails with Alternative ID, and antivirus and breach alerts on One. More than 4,500 servers in 100 countries. Nothing in the listing is missing. |
| Ease of use | BNo store rating on record. Install it and connect. | A4.7 from about 132,000 App Store ratings. Sign in, hit connect, done. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWindows, Mac, Linux, iOS, Android and a browser extension. No API or integration list. | BMac, Windows, Linux, iPhone, Android and browser extensions. There's no integration list or API on record, so it stops at B. |
| Best for | a cheap VPN with 15 devices | covering every device in the house |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: FastestVPN and Surfshark. How we grade
Price against what you get
FastestVPN starts at $5 a month and scores 3.0 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Surfshark starts at $6.58 a month when paid by the year and scores 3.3.
Surfshark scores higher, and starts $1.58 a month higher: the question is whether the extra is worth that to you. Of the other VPNs on the chart, 1 scores higher than FastestVPN for less, and none scores higher than Surfshark for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- FastestVPN also covers password manager and malware protection.
At a glance
| FastestVPN | Surfshark | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Paid | Free trial |
| Starts at | $5 per month, billed monthly ($19.95 first 2 years, renewal not stated) | $79 per year at renewal (Starter), after a first 27 months for $67.23 |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | None listed | 7-day free trial of 1- and 2-year plans bought on the website, limited to 3 devices |
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Browser extension | ||
| Made by | FastestVPN | Surfshark B.V. |
| Price read from | fastestvpn.com | surfshark.com |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Nov 2, 2026 |
Worth knowing
FastestVPN
- The two-year plan recurs, but the buy page does not state its renewal price, so the $19.95 is a first-term figure.
- There is no free trial; new purchases carry a 31-day money-back guarantee.
- The Lifetime Plus price carries a Black Friday label and could change when that promotion ends.
- Its privacy policy says it is based in the Cayman Islands; the legal entity was not found on the pages read.
Surfshark
- The advertised $2.49 a month covers only the first 27 months of a 2-year plan; after that it renews yearly at $79, $99 or $119 depending on the plan.
- The 30-day money-back guarantee excludes Alternative Number purchases, anonymous dedicated IPs and most reseller or gift-card purchases.
- Identity theft coverage is for US residents outside New York State, and Incogni only serves the US, UK, EU, Switzerland and Canada.
- The free trial needs PayPal, Apple Pay or a credit card and applies only to 1- and 2-year plans bought on the website.
Key features
FastestVPN
- 15 simultaneous logins
- Every plan allows 15 multi-logins; the checkout sells additional devices at $1 each.
- Protocols
- WireGuard, OpenVPN, IKEv2, IPSec, OpenConnect and L2TP are listed, with unlimited bandwidth and server switching.
- Ad blocker and malware protection
- Both are listed as free on every plan, alongside a kill switch and a NAT firewall.
- P2P servers
- Servers optimized for torrenting are listed on every plan, among servers in 100+ locations.
- Password manager
- FastestPass is included free for a stated period depending on the plan, and for life with the Lifetime Plus plan.
- Paid network add-ons
- A dedicated IP (US, Russia or Germany) is $1.49 a month and port forwarding is $1.20 a month on the monthly plan.
Surfshark
- Unlimited devices
- One subscription connects as many devices at once as you like. During the free trial the limit is three.
- Ad and cookie pop-up blocking
- The VPN apps include an ad blocker and a blocker for cookie consent pop-ups.
- Bypasser, Rotating IP and MultiHop
- Bypasser lets chosen apps and sites skip the VPN, Rotating IP changes your address during a session, and Dynamic MultiHop routes traffic through two servers.
- Alternative ID
- Generates a masked email address that forwards to your inbox and a made-up persona for sign-ups. A virtual phone number is a paid add-on.
- Antivirus and breach alerts
- The One and One+ plans add real-time and scheduled antivirus scans, webcam protection, and alerts when your email, card or ID details leak.
- Server network
- More than 4,500 servers in 100 countries, which Surfshark says have all been upgraded to 10Gbps.
Plans
FastestVPN
1 Month Plan$5
per month, billed monthly
Renews monthly at $5. All plans include 15 logins, the VPN apps, an ad blocker and a password manager.
1 Year + 1 Year Free$19.95
first term of 2 years, billed once; renewal price not stated
Advertised as $0.83 a month for 24 months paid up front, with a 83% saving shown. It is a recurring plan, but the page gives no renewal price.
Lifetime Plus Plan$40
one-time, lifetime
Labeled a Black Friday exclusive with 93% off and no end date shown. Includes a lifetime family password manager.
Surfshark
Starter, 2 years$79
per year at renewal, after a first term of 27 months
VPN and Alternative ID. The first 27 months cost $67.23 ($2.49 a month), then it renews each year at $79.
Starter, 1 year$79
per year at renewal, after a first term of 15 months
VPN and Alternative ID. The first 15 months cost $44.85 ($2.99 a month), then it renews each year at $79.
Starter, 1 month$18.95
per month
VPN and Alternative ID, billed monthly at the same price each month.
One, 2 years$99
per year at renewal, after a first term of 27 months
Adds Antivirus, Alert and Search. First 27 months $67.23, the same as Starter. Also 1 year ($44.85 first 15 months) or $19.95 a month.
One+, 2 years$119
per year at renewal, after a first term of 27 months
Adds Incogni data removal and US identity theft cover. First 27 months $107.73. Also 1 year ($104.85 first 15 months) or $22.85 a month.
Ways to pay less
FastestVPN
- Other savings
2 years for $19.95 up front
The 1 Year + 1 Year Free plan costs $19.95 for its first term, shown as $0.83 a month. The page does not say what it renews at.
- Lifetime license
Lifetime Plus Plan for $40
A one-time $40 payment, labeled Black Friday exclusive, with 93% off and no end date displayed.
Surfshark
- Other savings
First 27 months of a 2-year plan from $67.23
Starter and One cost $67.23 for the first 27 months (24 plus 3 extra) and One+ $107.73 in a Black Friday deal. The plans then renew every 12 months at $79, $99 and $119.
- Other savings
First 15 months of a 1-year plan from $44.85
Starter and One cost $44.85 for the first 15 months (12 plus 3 extra) and One+ $104.85, before renewing yearly at the full price.
- Education
Student discount through Student Beans
Students who verify their status with Student Beans get a discount code for checkout. Surfshark's page does not state the size of the discount.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, FastestVPN or Surfshark?
As of Nov 12, 2026, FastestVPN is cheaper to start with: $5 a month, against $6.58 a month when paid by the year for Surfshark. FastestVPN starts at $5 per month, billed monthly ($19.95 first 2 years, renewal not stated), and Surfshark starts at $79 per year at renewal (Starter), after a first 27 months for $67.23.
Which has a free plan, FastestVPN or Surfshark?
As of Nov 12, 2026, neither FastestVPN nor Surfshark has a free plan. Surfshark has a free trial.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.