NordVPN vs Surfshark: which fits your devices?

The decision in practical terms

Choose the provider whose documented controls fit the devices you will actually use. Surfshark is the clearer shortlist choice for more than 10 simultaneous connections, supported Mac app exclusions or iOS website exclusions, and at the quoted US prices its Starter plan also costs less, both upfront and at renewal. NordVPN is worth considering if you need its Windows App Kill Switch or prefer its particular supported app setup and can work within 10 connections.

This comparison uses official documentation and price quotes checked on 13 October 2026. It does not rank measured speed, leak protection, streaming access or app usability: we have not performed those tests for The VPN Deal. A claim that one service is universally better would go beyond the evidence available here.

Selected plans and documented features; checked 13 October 2026

Compare
Selected plan	Basic	Starter
Initial payment · USD	$94.23	$67.23
Initial months	27	27
Monthly equivalent	$3.49 (upfront plan)	$2.49 (upfront plan)
Quoted renewal	$139.08 / 12 months	$79.00 / 12 months
Simultaneous devices	10	Unlimited
Split tunneling	Windows, Android and Android TV app rules; Linux port/subnet Allowlist. No documented Mac or iOS app splitting.	Windows, Android and supported macOS apps/sites. iOS websites only; Linux Bypasser not listed.
Refund policy	30-day initial-purchase guarantee, with eligibility and purchase-channel conditions.	30-day initial-purchase guarantee; renewal payments are excluded under the stated policy.
Details	NordVPN review Offer and sources	Surfshark review Offer and sources

USD quotes checked 13 October 2026, before applicable tax. Currency, campaign and checkout prices can vary. Monthly rates are equivalents of upfront payments. How pricing works.

Compare the full first payment

The selected NordVPN Basic quote is $94.23 for 27 months. Surfshark Starter’s selected quote is $67.23 for 27 months. With those equal initial durations, Surfshark costs $27.00 less before tax for the first term ($94.23 − $67.23). Their monthly equivalents are $3.49 and $2.49 respectively.

Both quotes cover a 2-year plan with 3 extra months. Surfshark is testing different prices for some of its terms, but the 27-month Starter price was the same in every test group checked. Choosing a security or identity bundle instead changes both the services and the bill; the bundles are compared further down.

Renewal and the 39-month total

After the first 27 months, both plans renew every 12 months. NordVPN Basic renews at $139.08 a year and Surfshark Starter at $79.00 a year, both before tax, according to each provider’s published renewal table. That makes NordVPN $60.08 a year more expensive at renewal: $11.59 against $6.58 a month equivalent.

Add one renewal to the first term to see what keeping each plan for 39 months costs:

Over 39 months, Surfshark Starter costs $87.08 less than NordVPN Basic ($233.31 − $146.23): $27.00 in the first term and $60.08 at the first renewal. Each further year at these renewal prices adds another $60.08 to the gap. If you cancel before renewing, only the $27.00 first-term difference applies.

Both providers say their renewal prices may be subject to testing, and both charge renewals plus tax. Check each recurring amount in checkout or the provider’s renewal table before you pay, and keep it with your confirmation if you intend to leave automatic renewal enabled.

Higher tiers: Complete and Prime vs One and One+

Both providers sell bundles that add security and identity services to the VPN. Their 27-month prices and renewals, in USD before tax:

Surfshark One costs the same as Starter today but renews at $99.00 a year instead of $79.00. It adds scam protection, antivirus, Alert and Search. One+ adds identity theft coverage of up to $1 million for US residents outside New York State, plus Incogni data removal. Its first-term price is a default that Surfshark is testing against other prices.

NordVPN Complete adds a next-gen antivirus, an ad and tracker blocker, the NordPass password manager, 1 TB of encrypted cloud storage and Dark Web Monitor Pro. Its full malware protection runs only on Windows and the directly downloaded Mac app; other apps get only the DNS-based scam and phishing protection. Prime adds Coveron credit freeze assistance, identity theft insurance and cyber extortion insurance for US residents (the insurance excludes New York residents), but not Incogni, which is an extra at checkout.

These bundles are not like-for-like, and we have not evaluated their extra services. Price a bundle against the services you would otherwise pay for, not against the other provider’s VPN plan.

Ten connections or unlimited devices?

NordVPN documents 10 simultaneous connections. Surfshark documents unlimited simultaneous connections. Count devices connected at the same time across the people who will use the subscription; owning more than 10 devices does not necessarily mean all of them are active together.

Both providers list desktop, mobile and supported TV apps, plus browser extensions. A console or other device may need a router or alternative setup. App availability alone does not establish the same feature set on every platform, and a browser extension does not cover every desktop application.

If your household has a modest number of active devices, the allowance may not decide the purchase. If many devices stay connected all day, Surfshark’s documented allowance removes one practical constraint. It remains subject to account and usage terms and does not guarantee a particular internet speed.

App exclusions: Mac and iOS change the comparison

NordVPN documents Windows and Android app split tunneling. Linux uses an Allowlist for ports and subnets. Its platform coverage does not document Mac or iOS app splitting. Surfshark’s Bypasser documents Windows, Android and supported Mac app/site routing, and iOS website exclusions.

For a Mac user who needs one desktop application outside the tunnel, Surfshark’s supported Bypasser is the stronger documented match between these two. Current Mac guidance requires macOS 12 or later and approval of a system extension. Check the installed app version and the exact rule type.

For an iPhone user, website exclusion is the established Surfshark feature; full app exclusion is not. A site that needs a direct route and an app that needs a direct route are separate requirements. If you need arbitrary app splitting on iOS, neither provider’s documented coverage here establishes that capability.

Linux app rules are another distinction. NordVPN’s port/subnet Allowlist is not per-app routing, and Surfshark does not list Linux Bypasser. A Linux user who specifically needs desktop app rules should also examine Private Internet Access.

Kill switches: closing an app versus blocking traffic

NordVPN’s Windows App Kill Switch closes selected programs; its Internet Kill Switch controls connectivity. The provider warns that Internet Kill Switch can take priority over split-tunnel exclusions. Its Mac website and App Store distributions use different protection designs, so identify the actual app you will install.

Surfshark describes soft protection after an unexpected VPN disconnect and strict protection when the VPN is off, including manual disconnection. Its platform setup guide does not prove that every OS offers both selectable modes. Look for the actual control in the current app instead of relying on a generic feature label.

If closing a specific Windows program is your requirement, NordVPN’s documented App Kill Switch is a meaningful distinction. If you want network blocking, compare the platform-specific behavior after manual disconnection, app exit and reboot. Neither this page nor a “kill switch: yes” table is a substitute for that check.

Refunds, cancellation and purchase channels

Both providers state a 30-day initial-purchase guarantee, with conditions. Surfshark’s support policy excludes recurring payments. NordVPN’s ordinary guarantee also focuses on initial purchases, with local-law qualifications in its terms. Purchases through an app store or retailer can require a different refund route.

Canceling automatic renewal is separate from seeking a refund. NordVPN uses Nord Account’s Billing area; Surfshark uses account → Subscription → Payments. Keep a record of the cancellation confirmation and the remaining paid term.

Our recommendation by need

• Many active devices: shortlist Surfshark for its documented unlimited allowance.
• Mac app routing: shortlist Surfshark if the current Mac requirements and Bypasser rules fit.
• Windows selected-app closure: examine NordVPN’s App Kill Switch.
• Lowest bill: at the quoted prices, Surfshark Starter is $27.00 less for the first 27 months and $87.08 less over 39 months.
• Performance or streaming access: establish it on your devices under the applicable purchase policy; we have not independently tested it here.

Before paying, use the NordVPN offer guide or Surfshark offer guide to review the current full total and recurring amount. Regional and affiliate offers can differ from the USD quotes in this article.

Common questions

Is Surfshark cheaper than NordVPN?

At the quoted US prices, yes. Surfshark Starter is $67.23 for 27 months and then $79.00 a year; NordVPN Basic is $94.23 and then $139.08 a year. Over 39 months that is $146.23 against $233.31, before tax.

Do both renew at a higher price?

Yes. Each introductory price covers the first term only, after which the plan renews every 12 months: $139.08 for NordVPN Basic and $79.00 for Surfshark Starter. Turning off auto-renewal before the first term ends avoids that charge.

Are NordVPN and Surfshark the same company?

They are related. Nord Security and Surfshark finalized a merger agreement in 2022, and Nord Security describes the result as a group of companies. NordVPN said at the time that the two would operate autonomously, with separate infrastructures and product roadmaps.