PrivadoVPN vs Surfshark
We give PrivadoVPN and Surfshark the same GPA: 2.8 out of 4.0. PrivadoVPN grades higher on value for money and the free plan. Surfshark grades higher on ease of use. They get the same grade on features and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
PrivadoVPN
VPN with a 10GB free plan and ad blocking on paid plans
Surfshark
VPN with no device limit, sold alone or in security bundles
How we grade them
| 2.8GPAPrivadoVPNGood | 2.8GPASurfsharkGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | AThe 24-month plan is $1.11 a month for the first 27 months, about $30 in all, so two years cost about $1.25 a month, well under the $2 an A needs. The renewal price isn't stated, so check it before month 27. Monthly is $10.99. | 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 $16.45. |
| Free plan and trial | C10GB every 30 days on one device, with a subset of servers. Fine for café Wi-Fi and the odd trip, but streaming will burn through it. | 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 | BUnlimited data, 10 connections at once on any number of installs, an ad and tracker blocker, threat protection, parental controls, a SOCKS5 proxy, a kill switch, split tunneling and smart DNS. It covers the whole job; antivirus is $1.99 a month extra. | 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 | C3.99 from about 740 App Store ratings, below most VPNs here and well short of the 4.5 a B needs. | A4.7 from about 132,000 App Store ratings. Sign in, hit connect, done. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWindows, Mac, Linux, iPhone, Android, Fire TV, Android TV, Apple TV and browser extensions. There's no integration list or API on record, so it stops at B. | BMac, Windows, Linux, iPhone, Android and browser extensions. There's no integration list or API on record, so it stops at B. |
| Best for | the cheapest first two years of VPN | covering every device in the house cheaply |
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: PrivadoVPN and Surfshark. How we grade
Price against what you get
PrivadoVPN starts at $1.11 a month and scores 2.7 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 $5.47 a month higher: the question is whether the extra is worth that to you. Of the other VPNs on the chart, none scores higher than PrivadoVPN 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
- PrivadoVPN starts at $1.11 per month for a first 27 months (24-month plan); renewal price not stated. Surfshark starts at $79 per year at renewal (Starter), after a first 27 months for $67.23.
- PrivadoVPN has a free plan. Surfshark does not, though it has a free trial.
At a glance
| PrivadoVPN | Surfshark | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free trial |
| Starts at | $1.11 per month for a first 27 months (24-month plan); renewal price not stated | $79 per year at renewal (Starter), after a first 27 months for $67.23 |
| Free plan | 10GB of data every 30 days on one device, with access to a subset of servers. | 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 | Privado Networks ehf | Surfshark B.V. |
| Price read from | privadovpn.com | surfshark.com |
| Checked | Oct 17, 2026 | Oct 17, 2026 |
Who each one suits
PrivadoVPN
- Light users who need a few gigabytes of VPN a month for free
- Buyers who want an ad blocker and parental controls with the VPN
- Households with many devices on one account
Surfshark
- Households with more devices than a capped VPN allows
- Buyers who want antivirus and breach alerts in the same subscription
- People who hand out masked email addresses when signing up to sites
Worth knowing
PrivadoVPN
- The pricing page gives the 24- and 12-month plans only as a monthly rate and does not say what they renew at; the terms say renewals use the then-current price.
- Antivirus costs $1.99 a month extra on the 12- and 24-month plans.
- The pricing page calls PrivadoVPN Switzerland-based, but its terms name Privado Networks ehf of Iceland as the provider since May 1, 2026.
- The terms allow personal, non-commercial use only, and there is no free trial of paid features.
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
PrivadoVPN
- Ad blocker and threat protection
- Paid plans block ads and trackers and warn about phishing and malware sites.
- Parental controls
- Listed on every paid plan, and the homepage pairs them with social filters.
- 10 connections, unlimited installs
- Paid accounts can be installed on any number of devices and connect 10 at once; free accounts connect one.
- SOCKS5 proxy and kill switch
- A SOCKS5 proxy is included alongside the VPN, and a kill switch cuts traffic if the VPN connection drops.
- Smart DNS and split tunneling
- Control Tower smart DNS and split tunneling, which lets chosen traffic bypass the VPN, are part of the feature set along with VPN SmartRoute.
- Apps for TVs and browsers
- Apps for Fire TV, Android TV, Apple TV and Wear OS, plus proxy extensions for Chrome, Edge, Firefox and Brave.
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
PrivadoVPN
Free$0
10GB every 30 days on one device.
24 Month Plan$1.11
per month for a first term of 27 months; renewal price not stated
24 months plus 3 free. Unlimited data, 10 connections, ad blocker, threat protection and parental controls. Shown as 90% off the monthly plan.
12 Month Plan$1.33
per month for a first term of 15 months; renewal price not stated
12 months plus 3 free, with the same features. Shown as 88% off the monthly plan.
1 Month Plan$10.99
per month
The same features billed monthly, with no saving.
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 $50.85 ($3.39 a month), then it renews each year at $79.
Starter, 1 month$16.45
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 ($50.85 first 15 months) or $18.95 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 $121.23. Also 1 year ($112.35 first 15 months) or $21.85 a month.
Ways to pay less
PrivadoVPN
- Other savings
24-month plan plus 3 free months at $1.11 a month
The first 27 months are priced at $1.11 a month, shown as 90% off the $10.99 monthly plan. The page does not state the renewal price.
- Other savings
12-month plan plus 3 free months at $1.33 a month
The first 15 months are priced at $1.33 a month, shown as 88% off the monthly plan. The page does not state the renewal price.
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+ $121.23. The plans then renew every 12 months at $79, $99 and $119.
- Other savings
First 15 months of a 1-year plan from $50.85
Starter and One cost $50.85 for the first 15 months (12 plus 3 extra) and One+ $112.35, 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.
