Proton VPN vs Surfshark

Proton VPN

• Trying a VPN for free without a data cap
• People who want open-source VPN apps
• Proton Mail users who want the VPN on the same bill

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

Proton VPN

• The free plan covers one device and picks the server country for you from 10 countries.
• The headline $3.49 a month is the first 24 months of VPN Plus; it then renews at $83.88 a year, and the 1-year plan's $53.88 also covers only the first year.
• Ad and malware blocking, streaming and P2P are paid features; VPN Plus covers 10 devices.

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.

Proton VPN

Free plan without a data cap

Proton Free has no data or artificial speed limits, but connects one device to servers in 10 countries that you cannot choose.

Secure Core

Routes traffic through Proton's own servers in hardened data centers in Switzerland, Iceland or Sweden before it leaves the network.

Stealth protocol

An obfuscation protocol based on WireGuard tunneled over TLS, meant to get past firewalls and VPN blocking.

NetShield

DNS filtering on paid plans that blocks ads, trackers and domains known for malware.

Open-source, audited apps

All apps are open source, and Proton publishes the results of the independent audits it commissions.

Port forwarding and kill switch

Port forwarding for P2P, plus a kill switch and always-on VPN in every app.

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.

Proton VPN

• Proton Free$0

  One device, servers in 10 randomly selected countries, medium speed, no data limit and no ads.

• VPN Plus, 1 month$9.99

  per month

  10 devices, 20,000+ servers in 140+ countries, streaming, P2P and the NetShield blocker, billed monthly.

• VPN Plus, 1 year$83.88

  per year at renewal, after a first year for $53.88

  The same features as monthly. The first year costs $53.88 ($4.49 a month), then it renews at $83.88 a year.

• VPN Plus, 2 years$83.88

  per year at renewal, after a first term of 24 months

  The first 24 months cost $83.76 ($3.49 a month), shown against $9.99 a month, then it renews every 12 months at $83.88.

• Proton Unlimited, 1 year$119.88

  per year

  VPN Plus plus premium Proton Mail, Calendar, Drive (500 GB) and Pass. Also sold monthly at $12.99.

• Proton Unlimited, 2 years$119.88

  per year at renewal, after a first term of 24 months

  The first 24 months cost $191.76 ($7.99 a month), then it renews every 12 months at $119.88.

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.

Proton VPN

• Other savings

  VPN Plus 2-year plan: first 24 months for $83.76

  The 2-year VPN Plus plan bills $83.76 for the first 24 months ($3.49 a month), then renews at $83.88 every 12 months.

• Other savings

  VPN Plus 1-year plan: first year for $53.88

  The 1-year VPN Plus plan bills $53.88 for the first year ($4.49 a month) before renewing at $83.88.

• Other savings

  Proton Unlimited 2-year plan: first 24 months for $191.76

  The 2-year Proton Unlimited plan bills $191.76 for the first 24 months ($7.99 a month), then renews at $119.88 every 12 months.

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.