Head-to-head
NordVPN vs Surfshark
Two VPNs that Surfshark says sit under one holding company while operating independently. How their device limits, plans, audits and apps compare.
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The short version
NordVPN is run by nordvpn S.A. in Panama, part of Nord Security; Surfshark by Surfshark B.V. in the Netherlands, which says it merged with Nord Security under one holding company in 2022 while operating independently. Each sells its own subscriptions, with its own apps, terms and privacy policy. On paper the two VPNs overlap a lot: apps for computers, phones, Apple TV, Android TV and Fire TV, RAM-only servers, and no-logs policies Deloitte has checked, with the reports shown only to customers. The clearest differences are devices and extras. NordVPN covers 10 devices at once and, from its Complete plan, adds a next-gen antivirus for Windows and Mac, a password manager and encrypted cloud storage. Surfshark allows an unlimited number of devices under a fair-usage policy, with antivirus and breach alerts in One and data removal in One+. Pick NordVPN if 10 devices are enough and you want a password manager and encrypted cloud storage in the same subscription; pick Surfshark if your household has more devices than that, you want antivirus on Android as well as Windows and Mac, or you want split tunneling on a Mac.
Side-by-side
| Feature | NordVPN | Surfshark |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | A VPN plus download scanning on Windows and Mac | Many devices on one VPN account |
| Company and jurisdiction | nordvpn S.A., Panama City, Panama; its terms are governed by Panamanian law. NordVPN's help centre names Nord Security, based in the Netherlands, as its parent company. | Surfshark B.V., Amsterdam, the Netherlands; its terms are governed by British Virgin Islands law. Surfshark says it and Nord Security merged under one holding company in 2022 while operating independently. |
| Devices at once | 10 on every plan. Each proxy connection takes a slot; a router takes one slot for everything behind it. | Unlimited on every plan, under a fair-usage policy. The antivirus covers up to 5 devices and the free trial up to 3. |
| Plans | Basic, Complete and, in the UK, Ultimate Max in NordVPN's September 2026 plan guide; names vary by region. | Starter, One and One+, each in 1-, 12- and 24-month terms, all with the same VPN. |
| No-logs evidence | PwC in 2018 and 2020, then Deloitte since 2022; the latest ran November 10 to December 12, 2025. That report is shown only to customers who sign in. | Deloitte, in 2023 and again in 2025. The reports are available only to subscribers, inside their Surfshark account. |
| Free plan or trial | No free VPN plan; only Meshnet is free. The help centre describes a 7-day trial for new users in the UK and 14 other countries on 1- and 2-year top-tier plans, paid by card or PayPal, and a 3-day trial for new Android users through Google Play. | No free plan. A 7-day trial for new users, started on Surfshark's website with a 12- or 24-month plan and a card, PayPal or Apple Pay entered up front; it covers up to 3 devices. |
| Refund window | Within 30 days of your first purchase, not on renewals. | Within 30 days of your first purchase, once per service and not on renewals; Surfshark's trial pages say the 30 days start when the trial ends. |
| Platforms | Windows, Mac, Linux, iPhone and iPad, Android, Apple TV, Android TV and Fire TV, plus Chrome, Firefox and Edge extensions and manual router setup. No app for Roku, Samsung TVs or game consoles. | Windows, Mac, Linux, iPhone and iPad, Android, Apple TV, Android TV and Fire TV, plus Chrome, Firefox and Edge extensions and manual router setup. No app for Roku, consoles or other smart TVs. |
| Kill switch and split tunneling | Kill switch on Windows, Android 8 and later, and Linux; an App Kill Switch on Windows and the website Mac app; "VPN bypass prevention" on iPhone and the Mac App Store app; none on Fire TV Stick. Split tunneling on Windows, Android, Android TV and Fire TV, not on iPhone or Mac. | Kill switch on Windows, Mac, Linux (not the Flatpak package), iPhone and Android. Bypasser split tunneling for apps and websites on Windows, Mac and Android, and for websites only on iPhone. |
| Extras beyond the VPN | Free Meshnet; Complete adds desktop next-gen antivirus, NordPass and 1 TB of NordLocker; Ultimate Max (UK) adds a dedicated IP and scam loss cover | CleanWeb and Alternative ID in every plan; antivirus and Alert from One; Incogni data removal in One+ (its identity theft coverage is US-only) |
| Skip it if | You need a full antivirus scanner | You want a password manager in the plan |
NordVPN
- Best for
- A VPN plus download scanning on Windows and Mac
- Company and jurisdiction
- nordvpn S.A., Panama City, Panama; its terms are governed by Panamanian law. NordVPN's help centre names Nord Security, based in the Netherlands, as its parent company.
- Devices at once
- 10 on every plan. Each proxy connection takes a slot; a router takes one slot for everything behind it.
- Plans
- Basic, Complete and, in the UK, Ultimate Max in NordVPN's September 2026 plan guide; names vary by region.
- No-logs evidence
- PwC in 2018 and 2020, then Deloitte since 2022; the latest ran November 10 to December 12, 2025. That report is shown only to customers who sign in.
- Free plan or trial
- No free VPN plan; only Meshnet is free. The help centre describes a 7-day trial for new users in the UK and 14 other countries on 1- and 2-year top-tier plans, paid by card or PayPal, and a 3-day trial for new Android users through Google Play.
- Refund window
- Within 30 days of your first purchase, not on renewals.
- Platforms
- Windows, Mac, Linux, iPhone and iPad, Android, Apple TV, Android TV and Fire TV, plus Chrome, Firefox and Edge extensions and manual router setup. No app for Roku, Samsung TVs or game consoles.
- Kill switch and split tunneling
- Kill switch on Windows, Android 8 and later, and Linux; an App Kill Switch on Windows and the website Mac app; "VPN bypass prevention" on iPhone and the Mac App Store app; none on Fire TV Stick. Split tunneling on Windows, Android, Android TV and Fire TV, not on iPhone or Mac.
- Extras beyond the VPN
- Free Meshnet; Complete adds desktop next-gen antivirus, NordPass and 1 TB of NordLocker; Ultimate Max (UK) adds a dedicated IP and scam loss cover
- Skip it if
- You need a full antivirus scanner
Surfshark
- Best for
- Many devices on one VPN account
- Company and jurisdiction
- Surfshark B.V., Amsterdam, the Netherlands; its terms are governed by British Virgin Islands law. Surfshark says it and Nord Security merged under one holding company in 2022 while operating independently.
- Devices at once
- Unlimited on every plan, under a fair-usage policy. The antivirus covers up to 5 devices and the free trial up to 3.
- Plans
- Starter, One and One+, each in 1-, 12- and 24-month terms, all with the same VPN.
- No-logs evidence
- Deloitte, in 2023 and again in 2025. The reports are available only to subscribers, inside their Surfshark account.
- Free plan or trial
- No free plan. A 7-day trial for new users, started on Surfshark's website with a 12- or 24-month plan and a card, PayPal or Apple Pay entered up front; it covers up to 3 devices.
- Refund window
- Within 30 days of your first purchase, once per service and not on renewals; Surfshark's trial pages say the 30 days start when the trial ends.
- Platforms
- Windows, Mac, Linux, iPhone and iPad, Android, Apple TV, Android TV and Fire TV, plus Chrome, Firefox and Edge extensions and manual router setup. No app for Roku, consoles or other smart TVs.
- Kill switch and split tunneling
- Kill switch on Windows, Mac, Linux (not the Flatpak package), iPhone and Android. Bypasser split tunneling for apps and websites on Windows, Mac and Android, and for websites only on iPhone.
- Extras beyond the VPN
- CleanWeb and Alternative ID in every plan; antivirus and Alert from One; Incogni data removal in One+ (its identity theft coverage is US-only)
- Skip it if
- You want a password manager in the plan
How to choose between them
- Count your devices. NordVPN stops at 10 at once on every plan, with a router counting as one. Surfshark sets no number, though its terms let it limit an immoderate number of connections.
- Decide which extras you'd use. NordVPN's Complete plan adds download scanning on Windows and Mac, NordPass and 1 TB of NordLocker storage. Surfshark's One adds antivirus on Windows, Mac and Android plus breach alerts, and One+ adds Incogni data removal. If you only want the VPN, Basic or Starter covers it.
- Check the features on your own devices. Neither has an app for Roku or game consoles. On a Mac or iPhone, NordVPN offers no split tunneling; Surfshark's Bypasser is listed for Mac and handles only websites on iPhone.
- Read the trial terms first. Both 7-day trials take payment details up front and roll into a paid plan, and both refund first purchases within 30 days, not renewals. NordVPN's own pages describe its trial differently, so check what checkout offers.
Want the detail? Read the full NordVPN review and Surfshark review, or see how six VPNs we review line up in Best VPN.
Who should pick which
Pick it if this is you
NordVPN · Audited VPN with desktop download scanning
Pick NordVPN if 10 devices are enough and you want the NordPass password manager and 1 TB of NordLocker cloud storage in the same plan as your VPN — not if your household needs more than 10 devices at once.
- No-logs policy reviewed by PwC and Deloitte since 2018
- 10 devices, with apps for computers, phones and TVs
Pick it if this is you
Surfshark · One VPN account for every device in the house
Pick Surfshark if your household has more than 10 devices, or you want antivirus on Android as well as Windows and Mac, or split tunneling on a Mac — not if you want a password manager or cloud storage in the same plan.
- Unlimited simultaneous devices on every plan
- No-logs policy checked by Deloitte in 2023 and 2025
Sources · checked 30 Oct 2026
- NordVPN — General Terms of Service
- NordVPN — NordVPN Additional Terms
- NordVPN Help Center — Where is NordVPN based
- NordVPN Help Center — How many devices can I use with NordVPN?
- NordVPN — NordVPN bundles explained
- NordVPN Help Center — What is NordVPN's Next-gen antivirus?
- NordVPN — A leading no-log VPN for online privacy in 2026
- NordVPN — NordVPN passes its no-logs assessment for the sixth time
- NordVPN — Cure53 has assessed NordVPN's security once again
- NordVPN — Why the NordVPN network is safe after a third-party provider breach
- NordVPN — NordVPN Trust Center
- NordVPN — Meshnet
- NordVPN Help Center — Does NordVPN have a free trial?
- NordVPN — Try a VPN risk free for 30 days
- NordVPN Help Center — How to download NordVPN software?
- NordVPN Help Center — Set up NordVPN on a Smart TV or Console
- NordVPN Help Center — How to use NordVPN with Roku
- NordVPN Help Center — NordVPN Kill Switch: how does it work
- NordVPN Help Center — What is Split Tunneling and how to use it with NordVPN?
- NordVPN Help Center — How do I use CarPlay, Android Auto, or cast while connected to NordVPN?
- NordVPN Help Center — Installing NordVPN on Amazon Fire devices
- NordVPN Help Center — What features does NordVPN have?
- NordVPN Help Center — Netflix doesn't work with NordVPN
- NordVPN Help Center — I can't find NordVPN P2P servers
- NordVPN — Best VPN server locations: View the full list
- Surfshark — About us
- Surfshark — Surfshark Terms Of Service
- Surfshark — Surfshark Privacy Policy
- Surfshark Help Center — How many devices can I use with Surfshark simultaneously?
- Surfshark — Compare plans & pricing
- Surfshark Help Center — What is Surfshark One?
- Surfshark — Surfshark's trust center
- Surfshark — Our no-logs policy was verified again
- SecuRing — Security Assessment Confirmation (June 9, 2025)
- SecuRing — Penetration Tests of Network Infrastructure for Surfshark (public report)
- Cure53 — Security Assessment of Surfshark VPN Architecture & Crypto, Management Summary, 03.2026
- Surfshark — Security update: September 2026 incident report
- Surfshark Help Center — Does Surfshark offer a free trial?
- Surfshark — Start Surfshark VPN free trial
- Surfshark Help Center — Surfshark Features
- Surfshark Help Center — How to use Bypasser on iOS
- Surfshark — A fast, secure VPN for Linux
- Surfshark Help Center — How to set up VPN on my Smart TV or console
- Surfshark — Stream safely on Roku
- Surfshark — Get a VPN for Amazon Fire TV Stick
- Surfshark Help Center — How to set up Surfshark on Amazon Fire TV Stick
- Surfshark Help Center — How to securely watch Netflix with Surfshark
- Surfshark Help Center — How to troubleshoot streaming issues
- Surfshark — Surfshark VPN servers
- NordVPN Help Center — How to protect your identity with Coveron?
Frequently asked questions
NordVPN or Surfshark: which is better?
Neither is better on every count; it depends on what you need. NordVPN suits people with up to 10 devices who want a password manager and encrypted cloud storage in the same subscription. Surfshark suits households with more devices than that, anyone who wants antivirus on Android as well as Windows and Mac, or split tunneling on a Mac. Both have apps for computers, phones and three TV platforms, and both have Deloitte-checked no-logs policies. We haven't tested either; this compares their own published pages.
Are NordVPN and Surfshark the same company?
They share a holding company, Surfshark says, but they're separate companies and services. NordVPN is run by nordvpn S.A. in Panama, and its help centre names Nord Security, based in the Netherlands, as its parent. Surfshark is run by Surfshark B.V. in Amsterdam and says that in 2022 it and Nord Security merged under one holding company while operating independently. Each has its own apps, plans, terms and privacy policy, and you subscribe to them separately.
Is NordVPN safer than Surfshark?
We can't rank them on safety, and the evidence each publishes is similar in kind. Deloitte has checked both no-logs policies, NordVPN's most recently in late 2025 and Surfshark's in 2025, and both reports are for customers only. Both cite outside security tests: Cure53 for NordVPN's apps and servers in 2025; SecuRing for Surfshark's apps and network in 2025, and Cure53 for its Dausos protocol in 2026. Each has disclosed an incident: NordVPN says a rented server in Finland was accessed in March 2018, which it learned of in April 2019 and made public in October 2019, and that no user credentials or activity logs were exposed; Surfshark's September 9, 2026 report says an outsider reached a misconfigured internal test server, some internal engineering material and a separate proxy server, flagged on August 31 and contained on September 2, and that no user data or VPN services were affected.
NordVPN or Surfshark for streaming or torrenting?
Going only by what each says: NordVPN's help centre says it works with the big streaming services, though it also has troubleshooting pages for Netflix, Hulu and Disney+. Surfshark says its VPN works with Netflix, advises connecting to a server in your home country, and notes that streaming services block individual IP addresses. For P2P, NordVPN's help centre says every standard server now supports it, though its server list page still points to separate P2P servers, and Surfshark's server list marks P2P by country. Both forbid illegal use, and Surfshark's terms name distributing copyright-protected material. We haven't tested streaming or torrenting with either.
Can I use NordVPN and Surfshark on the same number of devices?
No. NordVPN allows 10 devices at once on every plan, counts each proxy connection as a slot, and lets a router use one slot for everything connected to it. Surfshark allows an unlimited number at once on Starter, One and One+, under a fair-usage policy, though its antivirus covers up to five devices and its free trial up to three.
Do NordVPN and Surfshark work on a Fire TV Stick?
Both have Fire TV apps in the Amazon Appstore, as well as Android TV and Apple TV apps. NordVPN says first- and second-generation Fire TV Sticks and the Fire TV Stick Basic can't run its app, and that its kill switch isn't available on Fire TV Stick. Surfshark's app needs Fire OS 7.0 or later. Neither has an app for Roku.