Proton VPN vs Surfshark
Proton VPN
protonvpn.comSurfshark
surfshark.comSide by side
| Figure | Proton VPN | Surfshark |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | — |
| Free plan | Yes | — |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| iOS | Yes | Yes |
| Android | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 3 | 4 |
| Spec score · VPN services | 8.9 (#9) | 8.9 (#11) |
| Spec score · VPNs for Iran | 8.3 (#6) | 8.2 (#8) |
| Spec score · VPNs for Argentina | 8.3 (#5) | 8.2 (#6) |
| Spec score · VPNs for Mac | 8.2 (#9) | 8.2 (#10) |
| Spec score · Vpn Client | 8.3 (#10) | 8.3 (#11) |
| Founded | 2014 | 2018 |
| Free plan | Yes | No |
| Headquarters | Geneva, Switzerland | Amsterdam, Netherlands |
| Kill switch | A kill switch protects the user's IP address if the VPN connection is lost. | Yes |
| No-logs audit | Proton VPN describes its service as no-logs, open-source, and independently audited. | Yes |
| Server network | The service advertises 20,000+ servers in 140+ countries. | More than 4,500 servers in 100 countries, upgraded to 10Gbps |
| Streaming support | Paid plans support Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, and other major streaming platforms. | Yes |
| Supported platforms | Apps are available for Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS, browsers, Chromebook, Android TV, Apple TV, and Fire TV. | Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS, Android TV, AppleTV, and FireTV |
| Torrent support | The service supports torrenting with fast download speeds and unlimited bandwidth. | Yes |
| WireGuard support | Yes | Yes |
Plans
Surfshark
- StarterPrice not published
- Surfshark One$2.79, paid once
- Surfshark One+$4.49, paid once
- Surfshark Starter$2.49, paid once
In their own words
Proton VPN
Proton VPN is a virtual private network service from Proton, founded in 2014 and headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland. It encrypts traffic with AES-256 or ChaCha20 over WireGuard or OpenVPN, and lists a kill switch, streaming support and torrent support. Proton describes the service as no-logs, open-source and independently audited. Its free plan has unlimited data, no artificial speed limits and no ads; it supports one device at a time and connects to randomly selected servers in 10 countries. Paid plan listings show VPN Plus and Proton Unlimited at $0.00 per month, with the first month and renewal also listed at $0.00; both support 10 devices. Apps are listed for Windows, macOS, Linux, Android and iOS, as well as browsers, Chromebook, Android TV, Apple TV and Fire TV. NetShield uses DNS filtering to block ads, trackers, phishing scams, malicious sites and malware. The service advertises 20,000+ servers in 140+ countries. Payments can be refunded within 30 days, and subscriptions can be canceled at any time.