PureVPN vs Surfshark
We give PureVPN a 2.2 GPA and Surfshark a 2.8, out of 4.0. 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.
PureVPN
VPN sold in three tiers that add a password manager and data removal
Surfshark
VPN with no device limit, sold alone or in security bundles
How we grade them
| 2.2GPAPureVPNFair | 2.8GPASurfsharkGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | BThe 2-year Standard plan bills $58.20 for the first 27 months, so two years cost about $2.43 a month, inside the cheaper quarter of VPNs. It then renews at $47.95 a year, below the middle. Monthly is $12.95. | 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 | FNothing free: no free plan, and the 7-day trial costs $0.99, then bills $47.95 for a year unless you cancel. The 31-day money-back guarantee isn't a trial either. | 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 | B10 devices, WireGuard, OpenVPN and IKEv2, obfuscated servers, a kill switch, split tunneling and a tracker blocker on every plan, plus a password manager on Plus. Port forwarding and dedicated IPs cost extra, but the core job is covered. | 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 | C4.36 from about 7,900 App Store ratings, under the 4.5 a B needs, and short of the 10,000 ratings that would let a 4.3 count. | A4.7 from about 132,000 App Store ratings. Sign in, hit connect, done. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWindows, Mac, Linux, iPhone, Android, and Chrome and Firefox 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 | a VPN with privacy extras on the same bill | 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: PureVPN and Surfshark. How we grade
Price against what you get
PureVPN starts at $4 a month when paid by the year 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 $2.58 a month higher: the question is whether the extra is worth that to you. Of the other VPNs on the chart, 3 score higher than PureVPN 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
- PureVPN starts at $47.95 per year at renewal (Standard), after a first 27 months for $58.20. Surfshark starts at $79 per year at renewal (Starter), after a first 27 months for $67.23.
- PureVPN also covers password manager.
At a glance
| PureVPN | Surfshark | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Paid | Free trial |
| Starts at | $47.95 per year at renewal (Standard), after a first 27 months for $58.20 | $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 | GZ Systems Limited | Surfshark B.V. |
| Price read from | purevpn.com | surfshark.com |
| Checked | Oct 17, 2026 | Oct 17, 2026 |
Who each one suits
PureVPN
- Households that need a VPN on up to 10 devices
- Buyers who want a password manager and data removal billed with the VPN
- People who need a dedicated IP or port forwarding as an add-on
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
PureVPN
- Advertised prices cover the first 27 or 16 months only; plans then renew yearly at $47.95 to $89.95, depending on tier and term.
- There is no free trial. A 7-day trial costs $0.99 (Standard) or $1.99 (Max), then bills $47.95 or $89.95 for 12 months unless cancelled.
- Refunds fall under a 31-day money-back guarantee, subject to PureVPN's fair-use terms.
- PureVPN for Teams is sold separately, at $7 per user a month on annual billing, with a central dashboard.
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
PureVPN
- Up to 10 devices
- One account can be logged in on 10 devices at once. A Multi-login add-on gives 10 more.
- Protocols and obfuscation
- WireGuard, OpenVPN and IKEv2/IPSec, plus obfuscated servers that make VPN traffic look like ordinary HTTPS on networks that block VPNs.
- Kill switch and split tunneling
- The kill switch cuts the internet connection if the VPN drops, and split tunneling picks which apps go through the VPN.
- Tracker and ad blocker
- Included on every plan, to block ads and the trackers that follow you between sites.
- Privacy extras on higher tiers
- Plus adds a password manager. Max adds requests to remove your data from data brokers, dark web alerts, and a 3GB eSIM valid for 30 days, resold from Truely.
- Paid network add-ons
- Dedicated IPs, port forwarding, a dedicated server, DDoS-protected IPs and a US residential network are sold as extras.
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
PureVPN
Standard, 2 years$47.95
per year at renewal, after a first term of 27 months
VPN and tracker blocker. The first 27 months cost $58.20 ($2.15 a month), then it renews each year at $47.95.
Standard, 1 year$57.95
per year at renewal, after a first term of 16 months
VPN and tracker blocker. The first 16 months cost $40.80 ($2.55 a month), then it renews each year at $57.95.
Standard, 1 month$12.95
per month
VPN and tracker blocker, renewing monthly at the same price.
Plus, 2 years$69.95
per year at renewal, after a first term of 27 months
Adds the password manager. First 27 months $73.80 ($2.73 a month). Also 1 year ($72.80 for the first 16 months, then $69.95) or $17.95 a month.
Max, 2 years$84.95
per year at renewal, after a first term of 27 months
Adds data removal, dark web monitoring and a 3GB eSIM. First 27 months $95.85. Also 1 year ($88.80 for 16 months, then $89.95) or $19.95 a month.
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
PureVPN
- Other savings
First 27 months of a 2-year plan from $58.20
Standard costs $58.20, Plus $73.80 and Max $95.85 for the first 27 months (24 plus 3 extra). They then renew every 12 months at $47.95, $69.95 and $84.95.
- Other savings
First 16 months of a 1-year plan from $40.80
Standard costs $40.80, Plus $72.80 and Max $88.80 for the first 16 months (12 plus 4 extra), before renewing yearly at $57.95, $69.95 and $89.95.
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.
