Surfshark Wins
Winner
VS
Score Comparison
Criteria
Surfshark
ProtonVPN
Overall Score
8.8
8.7
Security
9.0
9.5
Speed
8.8
8.2
Features
9.0
8.5
Pricing/Value
9.5
8.5
Ease of Use
8.5
8.5
Pricing & Features
Specification
Surfshark
ProtonVPN
Starting Price
$2.49/mo
Free / $4.99/mo
Free Tier
Pricing Model
Subscription
Freemium
Making Your Decision
When to Choose Surfshark
Families and users with many devices who want great value
Surfshark offers the best value in the VPN market with unlimited connections and solid features at budget prices, making it ideal for households with multiple devices to protect.
Strengths
- Unlimited simultaneous device connections
- Excellent value with budget-friendly pricing
- CleanWeb feature blocks ads, trackers, and malware
- MultiHop feature routes through multiple countries
Limitations
- Speeds can be inconsistent on some servers
- Smaller server network than top competitors
- Kill switch occasionally fails to engage
When to Choose ProtonVPN
Privacy advocates who trust the Proton brand and want a free option
ProtonVPN offers the best free VPN tier available with no catches, backed by Swiss privacy laws and the trusted Proton name, making it ideal for privacy-focused users on any budget.
Strengths
- Genuinely free tier with no data limits or ads
- Swiss-based with strong privacy laws
- All apps are open-source and independently audited
- Secure Core servers route through privacy-friendly countries
Limitations
- Free tier limited to 3 server locations
- Speeds can be slower than premium competitors
- Streaming features only on higher-tier plans
