NordVPN vs Surfshark vs Proton VPN — Which Wins?

At a glance

• Jurisdiction: NordVPN — Panama; Surfshark — the Netherlands; Proton VPN — Switzerland.
• No-logs audit: NordVPN — Deloitte, ISAE 3000 (Revised), a repeated annual series; Surfshark — Deloitte, its second assurance engagement (2025); Proton VPN — Securitum, five consecutive annual audits, most recently 2026, reports published.
• Simultaneous devices: NordVPN — 10; Surfshark — unlimited; Proton VPN — 10 on paid plans, 1 on free.
• Free plan: NordVPN — no; Surfshark — no; Proton VPN — yes, no data cap.
• Protocol: NordVPN — NordLynx (WireGuard-based); Surfshark — WireGuard; Proton VPN — WireGuard plus its Stealth protocol.
• Money-back: 30 days on all three paid plans.
• Stand-out extras: NordVPN — Threat Protection, Double VPN, Onion Over VPN, Meshnet; Surfshark — unlimited devices, RAM-only servers; Proton VPN — Secure Core, NetShield, open-source apps.

Speed

All three ship a modern WireGuard-class protocol, which is what matters most for speed on current hardware, and for everyday browsing and streaming on a nearby server any of them should feel quick. We did not run a first-hand benchmark for this comparison, so we will not rank them on Mbps — published tests disagree depending on hardware, distance and load. If speed is your deciding factor, use each 30-day refund window to test on your own connection; how to evaluate VPN speed claims shows how to do it fairly.

Privacy

Proton edges this on ethos — Swiss jurisdiction, open-source apps, a privacy-first company whose primary shareholder is the non-profit Proton Foundation, and five consecutive annual no-logs audits with the full reports published. NordVPN (Panama) and Surfshark (Netherlands) both run Deloitte-audited no-logs policies on RAM-only servers and are entirely credible; Proton just leans hardest into privacy as identity. If anonymity is the whole point, the other name to weigh is Mullvad — see Proton VPN vs Mullvad.

Devices and value

Surfshark wins outright on devices — unlimited simultaneous connections on one plan, and it is consistently at the cheap end of the premium field on multi-year terms. NordVPN caps devices at 10, generously, at a somewhat higher price. Proton's paid tiers raise the limit to 10 devices, and Proton uniquely offers a usable free tier — no data cap, but one device and an assigned country; Proton VPN free vs paid shows where it runs out. Prices are promotional and region-dependent on all three, so compare renewal rates on each provider's own page rather than a figure in an article.

Streaming

NordVPN is the most consistent unblocker, Surfshark close behind. Proton works but is the least focused on streaming — and on its free plan streaming is not supported at all. Streaming detection changes constantly, so confirm the service you care about during the refund window; our best VPN for streaming guide goes deeper.

Extras

NordVPN has the deepest feature set: Threat Protection (ad, tracker and malware blocking), Double VPN, Onion Over VPN and Meshnet, which links up to 10 of your own devices into a private network and works even without a paid plan. Surfshark matches most essentials around its unlimited-device model. Proton keeps it lean and privacy-focused, adding Secure Core multi-hop and NetShield DNS filtering on paid plans.

The verdict

• Best all-rounder and streaming: NordVPN — see NordVPN's current plans.
• Most devices, lowest long-term price: Surfshark — see Surfshark's plans.
• Privacy-first, with a free tier to test: Proton VPN — see Proton VPN's plans.

You won't go wrong with any of the three — they are all audited and reputable. Match the pick to your priority, buy the long term, and budget for the renewal rather than the headline price. For the wider field, our best VPN 2026 ranking and the full VPN comparison rank the rest on logging policy, jurisdiction and price.

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