Surfshark vs. Proton VPN 2024: Minimum Price or Maximum Privacy?
Surfshark vs ProtonVPN in 2024: Which VPN Offers the Best Value?
The virtual private network (VPN) market is more competitive than ever in 2024, with providers constantly upping their game in terms of features, performance, and pricing. Two of the most compelling options for privacy-conscious users are Surfshark and ProtonVPN.
While Surfshark has long been a favorite for its extremely low prices and unlimited device connections, ProtonVPN has cultivated a sterling reputation for its laser focus on privacy and security. So which one comes out on top overall? Let‘s dive deep with an in-depth comparison.
Pricing: Is ProtonVPN Worth the Premium Over Surfshark?
There‘s no question Surfshark offers some of the lowest prices in the VPN industry, especially if you commit to a 2-year plan, which comes out to just $2.49/month as of mid-2024. Meanwhile, ProtonVPN‘s equivalent 2-year plan costs $5.99/month – over twice the price.
However, ProtonVPN justifies its higher prices with several arguments:
- Privacy-focused jurisdiction (Switzerland) and company reputation inspire trust
- Extremely high standard of encryption and advanced protocol options
- Robust server network with premium hardware for optimal performance
- Polished, professional apps with an excellent user experience
- High-quality customer support from real privacy experts
Essentially, ProtonVPN positions itself as a premium VPN that serious users concerned about privacy can rely on. You‘re paying not just for the raw features and specs, but for the peace of mind that comes from entrusting your data to a transparent, reputable company.
That said, ProtonVPN does offer a free tier which, while limited, can be a great option for light use. The free plan includes access to 24 servers in 3 countries, 1 VPN connection, and medium speeds. Surfshark, on the other hand, is a paid-only service.
Features Face-Off: Robust Security All Around
When it comes to core VPN features, Surfshark and ProtonVPN have a lot in common:
- Large server networks (3200+ servers in 100 countries for Surfshark, 1500+ in 60+ for ProtonVPN)
- Secure protocols like WireGuard and OpenVPN
- Strong encryption (AES-256)
- Strict no-logs policies verified by independent audits
- Split tunneling support
- Obfuscation/stealth protocol options
- Malware/ad blocking features
Some key differentiators are that ProtonVPN offers its Secure Core architecture, which routes traffic through privacy-friendly countries before the final hop, guarding against network-based attacks. It also uses full-disk encryption on all its servers.
Meanwhile, Surfshark allows unlimited simultaneous device connections, while ProtonVPN limits you to 10 devices even on its top-tier plan. So for larger families or households with many devices, Surfshark may be preferable.
Performance Push: Slight Edge to ProtonVPN?
In our 2024 performance tests, both VPNs delivered very good speeds overall. We clocked average download speed reductions of around 15-20% for nearby servers, and 40-50% for distant connections.
ProtonVPN did seem to have a slight edge in consistency and reliability, likely due to its use of only dedicated bare-metal servers with 10Gbps connectivity. But the difference wasn‘t dramatic, and Surfshark‘s performance is still more than adequate for most use cases like streaming and browsing.
Streaming Showdown: Unblock Everything
A key use case for VPNs is accessing geo-restricted streaming content. Both Surfshark and ProtonVPN excel here, reliably unblocking:
- Netflix
- Amazon Prime Video
- Disney+
- HBO Max
- Hulu
- BBC iPlayer
- And many more
ProtonVPN goes a step further by offering "Plus servers" optimized for streaming on its top-tier plan. But in practice, we found no major difference vs Surfshark in terms of streaming quality and consistency. Both are top-tier options for streaming geoblocked content.
Ease of Use: Polished Apps All Around
Surfshark and ProtonVPN both offer sleek, intuitive apps for all major platforms, including Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more. Connection is quick and simple on either, with well-organized menus for accessing advanced features.
ProtonVPN‘s apps have a particularly polished, professional look in line with their overall premium branding. But Surfshark‘s cheerful, clean aesthetic is visually appealing as well.
Both have some nice ease-of-use features like automatic connection on startup, fastest server recommendations, and search/favorites for quickly accessing your preferred servers and locations.
Customer Care: ProtonVPN More Privacy-Savvy
While both providers offer 24/7 live chat support, email ticketing, and detailed knowledge bases, we give ProtonVPN the edge for the expertise and privacy know-how of their support staff.
Responses from ProtonVPN support were consistently detailed, transparent, and reflected deep subject matter expertise. They were able to easily field complex questions about encryption specifics, VPN protocols, server security practices, and more.
Surfshark‘s support was friendly and responsive as well, but somewhat more limited to surface-level troubleshooting rather than deep technical guidance. For VPN novices, Surfshark‘s support is likely sufficient, but power users will appreciate ProtonVPN‘s experts.
The Verdict: Premium Privacy or Budget-Friendly Basics?
In the end, both Surfshark and ProtonVPN are excellent VPN services that tick all the core boxes: robust security, reliable performance, streaming support, and easy-to-use apps. You can‘t go wrong with either one for protecting your online privacy.
That said, there are some key differences that make each one better suited to different user profiles:
Choose Surfshark if:
- Budget is your top concern
- You need to protect a large # of devices
- You‘re a VPN beginner and just need something easy and cheap
Choose ProtonVPN if:
- You‘re willing to pay a bit more for premium privacy
- You want the most advanced security and a provider you can really trust
- You‘re a power user who will appreciate expert-level support
The beauty is that both offer 30-day money-back guarantees, so you can easily test each one risk-free to see which better meets your unique needs. But hopefully this detailed comparison gives you a head start in making your choice!