Surfshark vs Proton VPN
Surfshark (Amsterdam, Netherlands) and Proton VPN (Switzerland) are both paid VPNs with a 30-day money-back guarantee. Proton VPN has a free plan and open source apps; Surfshark has no free plan, lists unlimited simultaneous devices and bundles antivirus and data-removal tools, with plans from EUR 2.49 a month on a 24-month term.
Choose Surfshark if
you want unlimited simultaneous devices, the lowest advertised monthly price on a long term, and extras such as antivirus and alert tools in the same subscription.
Read the Surfshark reviewChoose Proton VPN if
you want a free plan, fully open source apps, a Swiss base and the option to add Mail, Drive and Pass in the same account.
Read the Proton VPN reviewSurfshark and Proton VPN side by side
| Surfshark | Proton VPN | |
|---|---|---|
| Company | Surfshark B.V. | Proton AG |
| Headquarters | Amsterdam, Netherlands | Geneva, Switzerland |
| Founded | Not stated in our data | 2017 |
| Jurisdiction | EU (Netherlands) | Switzerland (adequacy decision, outside the EEA) |
| Where the data sits | Not stated in our data | 90+ countries |
| Pricing | From about €2.49/month on a heavily discounted 24-month plan (promotional rate, renews higher); Starter, One and One+ tiers; 30-day money-back guarantee | Free tier / from about €4.99/month |
| Entry-level list price (vendor site, checked 8 October 2026) | Starter EUR 2.49, One EUR 2.79, One+ EUR 4.49 per month on a 24-month promotion (27 months billed); no free plan | Proton Free (shown as $0 on the page checked); VPN Plus and Unlimited prices not rendered on the page checked |
| Free tier or trial | 30-day money-back guarantee | Free tier, unlimited data |
| Certifications and checks | No-logs policy verified by Deloitte (2023, 2025) | Independently audited, all apps open source |
| Source code | Closed source | Open source |
| Usually replaces | NordVPN, ExpressVPN, CyberGhost | NordVPN, ExpressVPN, Surfshark |
| Position in our VPN Services guide | #8 of 12 | #2 of 12 |
Both are listed in our European VPN Services guide. The table is built from the same directory data as those entries, except the list price, which is quoted from each vendor's own pricing page (see Sources below); how we check it is described in the editorial process.
Where Surfshark and Proton VPN differ
Across the five points below, Surfshark has the edge on 2 points, Proton VPN on 2 points and one is a tie. A count like that is a summary, not a verdict: the point that matters to you may be the one the other product wins.
Free plan
Proton VPN has a free plan: 1 device at a time, medium speed, servers in 10 countries chosen for you, no credit card needed. Surfshark's pricing page says no free plan is offered and mentions a limited free trial of 3 devices.
Edge: Proton VPN
Entry price
Surfshark lists Starter at EUR 2.49 a month, One at EUR 2.79 and One+ at EUR 4.49 on a 24-month promotion (27 months billed in total), and says prices vary by currency, VAT and coupons. Proton VPN Plus shows prices that vary by billing cycle, but the amounts did not render when checked, so only Surfshark's price can be quoted.
Edge: Surfshark
Devices
Surfshark says paid plans allow unlimited simultaneous device connections. Proton VPN Plus allows 10 devices at once.
Edge: Surfshark
Transparency and jurisdiction
Proton says it is Swiss-based and that its apps are 100% open source so anyone can examine the code. Surfshark says it has an audited no-logs policy and is based in Amsterdam (Surfshark B.V.), but we did not see an open source claim.
Edge: Proton VPN
Extras
Surfshark bundles antivirus, alert, scam protection and data removal. Proton Unlimited bundles VPN Plus with Pass, Mail, Calendar, Drive, Docs and Sheets. The two bundle different things, so which is better depends on what you already use.
No clear winner on this point.
When neither Surfshark nor Proton VPN fits
If neither fits, see our Mullvad vs Proton VPN and Proton VPN vs NordVPN pages. We did not re-verify their details for this page.
Surfshark vs Proton VPN: questions
No. Its pricing page lists paid plans only, with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Yes, Proton Free covers 1 device with medium speed and servers in 10 countries. VPN Plus and Proton Unlimited are paid.
Surfshark says unlimited on paid plans. Proton VPN Plus says 10 at once.
Surfshark lists Amsterdam, Netherlands. Proton says it is a Swiss-based company.
Sources
Facts, prices and plan details on this page were checked on the vendors' own websites on . Prices and plans change; the vendor's current page is authoritative.
- Surfshark pricing: Plan prices, unlimited devices, bundled extras, 30-day guarantee, Amsterdam, audited no-logs, no free plan (checked 8 October 2026)
- Proton VPN pricing: Free plan limits, VPN Plus 10 devices, Unlimited bundle, 30-day guarantee, Swiss base, open source apps (checked 8 October 2026)