ProtonVPN and Surfshark are two well-regarded VPN providers that score closely overall, with ProtonVPN earning an 89% overall score and Surfshark close behind at 87%. While both services share a number of core features, including WireGuard protocol support, a kill switch, split tunneling, P2P and torrenting capabilities, and a bug bounty program, they differ meaningfully in several important areas that may influence which service is the better fit for a given user.
Privacy and security is where ProtonVPN sets itself apart most clearly. Based in Switzerland, a country with strong data protection laws and outside the reach of major intelligence-sharing alliances, ProtonVPN earned a perfect 100% score in both its privacy audit and ethics categories. Surfshark, headquartered in the Netherlands, scored 85% on its privacy audit and 67% on ethics, suggesting that while it meets a reasonable standard, it does not match ProtonVPN's level of transparency and principled operation. For users who place privacy above all other considerations, these scores represent a meaningful distinction.
On the performance side, the two providers effectively swap positions. Surfshark achieved a perfect 100% in speed testing, making it the stronger choice for users who prioritize consistent, fast connections. ProtonVPN scored 80% in this category, which is still a solid result but noticeably behind its competitor. Surfshark also scored a perfect 100% in streaming, outperforming ProtonVPN's 86% in that area. Both providers scored equally in the application and GUI categories, each earning 80% and 100% respectively, indicating comparable software quality and user experience across their platforms.
Customer support is a tie, with both providers receiving a perfect 100% in that category. Pricing information was unavailable for both providers at the time of this comparison, making a direct cost comparison difficult. Surfshark's pricing score of 64% trails ProtonVPN's 73%, which suggests that when pricing data is available, ProtonVPN has historically offered a stronger value proposition relative to what it charges.
In summary, ProtonVPN is the stronger option for users who prioritize verified privacy practices, ethical standing, and jurisdiction-based protections. Surfshark appeals more to users focused on raw speed and streaming performance, where it leads by a clear margin.