VPN for me

Head to head

Proton VPN vs Surfshark

Swiss, open source, audited every year, and the only serious free tier. Against: cheapest way to cover every device in the house.

Proton VPN
Surfshark
Best plan
$3.49/mo · 2 years
$2.49/mo · 2 years + 3 months·
Up front
$83.76
$67.23·
Renews at
$83.88/yr
$79.00/yr·
Monthly
$9.99·
$16.45
Devices
10
Unlimited·
Countries
140·
100
No-logs audit
Securitum 2026·
Deloitte 2025
Open source
yes·
no
Pay without a name
cash·
crypto
Based in
Switzerland (no alliance)·
Netherlands (9 Eyes)
Netflix
iPlayer
·
Torrenting
·
Blocked networks
·
Speed
Refund
30 days
30 days
Free tier
yes·
no

A dot marks the better number on that row. Numbers carry their dates on each provider’s page.

Which one, for which job

Proton VPN

  • +Open-source apps, audited every year, reports public
  • +Switzerland, outside every intelligence alliance
  • +A real free tier with no data cap
  • –Streaming is hit and miss outside Netflix and iPlayer
  • –P2P only on some servers
Visit Proton VPNNot an affiliate link. Opens the provider's site.

Surfshark

  • +Unlimited simultaneous devices
  • +Lowest intro price of the audited providers
  • +P2P on all servers
  • –Netherlands is a 9 Eyes country
  • –Not open source
Visit SurfsharkNot an affiliate link. Opens the provider's site.