NordVPN vs Surfshark: price and which to choose
Quick verdict
In the US both sell a 2-year plan whose intro price covers 27 months, and both refund within 30 days. NordVPN has far more US servers (2,435 in 55 cities), shows its renewal price and adds sales tax at checkout; Surfshark allows unlimited devices, lists 24 US locations with none marked virtual, and doesn’t show its renewal price.
Option A
Option B
We compare plans with a similar purpose, whose features may differ; prices before sales tax; prices for other plans and periods are in the reviews.
Feature comparison
| Criterion | NordVPN | Surfshark |
|---|---|---|
| Devices | 10 | Unlimited |
| US servers | 2,435 in 55 cities | 24 locations |
| Jurisdiction | Panama | Netherlands (EU) |
| Renewal price shown | Yes | No |
| Port forwarding | No | No |
| Money-back | 30 days | 30 days |
NordVPN and Surfshark are the two most-compared VPNs. Here is what their US price lists and server lists say about devices, servers, plans, tax and renewal.
If you don’t want to read further
More than 10 devices, or identity theft coverage bundled — Surfshark. The biggest US server network, Panama jurisdiction and a renewal price you can see before buying — NordVPN.
What really sets them apart
In each row, the last sentence matters most — what the difference means for you.
How many devices?
NordVPN
10 at once.
Surfshark
Unlimited.
Big households lean Surfshark.
How many US servers?
NordVPN
2,435 servers in 55 cities; 170 marked virtual.
Surfshark
24 locations; none marked virtual; no server count published.
Nord covers more cities; Surfshark’s locations are all listed as physical.
Is the renewal price on the price list?
NordVPN
Yes — the yearly renewal after 27 months is shown.
Surfshark
No — only the price for the first 27 months.
With Nord you know the second-term price before buying.
Where is the company?
NordVPN
Panama — outside the 14 Eyes; six independent audits, the latest in 2025.
Surfshark
Netherlands — EU; latest audit 2025.
If jurisdiction matters to you, Nord is outside the intelligence alliances.
What do the upper plans add?
NordVPN
Complete adds antivirus, a password manager and 1 TB cloud storage; Prime adds identity protection.
Surfshark
One adds antivirus, scam protection and breach alerts; One+ adds Incogni data removal and identity theft coverage (not for New York State residents).
Both bundle security tools; check which ones you’d use.
Linux?
NordVPN
Command-line app; Kill Switch by command.
Surfshark
App with Kill Switch (Debian 11, Ubuntu 20.04, Mint 20 and newer).
Both cover Linux – check your distribution.
TV apps?
NordVPN
Fire TV Stick app – without Kill Switch there.
Surfshark
Apple TV, Android TV and Fire TV apps.
No app for your TV? A VPN router covers it.
Where they don’t differ, even though it seems they should
This part is often more useful than the list of differences — it saves money for anyone who was about to pay for an imaginary advantage.
27 months on the 2-year plan
Both add 3 months to the 2-year intro term.
30-day money-back
Both refund within 30 days.
No port forwarding
Neither offers it.
Tax on top
Both note that tax may be added to the listed price.
Which one fits whom
| Your situation | What to choose | On what condition |
|---|---|---|
| You have more than 10 devices | Surfshark | Unlimited devices on every plan. |
| You want the most US cities | NordVPN | 55 US cities. |
| You want identity theft coverage bundled | Surfshark One+ | Not for New York State residents. |
| You want to know the renewal price up front | NordVPN | Shown on the price list. |
- NordVPN adds sales tax at checkout depending on your state.
- Surfshark’s price list doesn’t show what the long plan renews at.
- Surfshark’s identity theft coverage excludes New York State residents.
- Both 2-year plans renew automatically unless you turn it off.
Where the facts come from
Sources: NordVPN’s and Surfshark’s US price lists and server lists. Prices are in the price blocks on each service’s page.
Facts in the text checked: .
FAQ: NordVPN or Surfshark
Other comparisons
The same products against other competitors, and other comparisons in the “VPN services” category.
Where their scores differ
Only criteria we’ve checked for both services and where the scores differ. Equal criteria and criteria without data aren’t shown here, because they add nothing to the decision.
If what matters most is — modern protocol: NordVPN Basic
NordVPN Basic: on all major platforms (5,0/5) · Surfshark Starter: on some platforms (2,5/5)
If what matters most is — network coverage: NordVPN Basic
NordVPN Basic: 150 countries (5,0/5) · Surfshark Starter: 100 countries (3,0/5)
If what matters most is — jurisdiction: NordVPN Basic
NordVPN Basic: outside the 14 Eyes, no data retention obligation (5,0/5) · Surfshark Starter: EU (3,5/5)
If what matters most is — what’s included in the same plan: Surfshark Starter
NordVPN Basic: ad blocking, split tunneling (2 of 3) (3,7/5) · Surfshark Starter: ad blocking, tracker blocking, split tunneling (3 of 3) (5,0/5)
If what matters most is — free way to try it: Surfshark Starter
NordVPN Basic: refund within 30 days (3,0/5) · Surfshark Starter: free trial: 7 days (4,0/5)
If what matters most is — devices at once: Surfshark Starter
NordVPN Basic: 10 (4,0/5) · Surfshark Starter: unlimited (5,0/5)
If what matters most is — price now: Surfshark Starter
NordVPN Basic: 3,49 USD/mo before tax (4,0/5) · Surfshark Starter: 2,49 USD/mo before tax (4,6/5)
The scores and their weights are the same as in the reviews of both services. How we calculate
Comparison text updated: