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NordVPNvsSurfshark

TL;DR

NordVPN sells three bundles — Basic, Complete and Prime — on 2-year, 1-year and monthly terms: two-year pricing runs $3.49, $4.49 and $7.49 per month with three extra months, one-year runs $5.49, $6.49 and $9.49, and monthly runs $14.99, $19.99 and $29.99, all with a 30-day money-back guarantee and up to 10 devices per account. Surfshark sells three tiers on one subscription for unlimited devices — the current page shows Starter and Surfshark One at $2.49 per month with three extra months, billed as $67.23 for the first 27 months against a list of $444.15 and $511.65, and One+ at $4.49 with $121.23 for the same period — with 4,500+ servers across 100 countries and the same 30-day refund window. Surfshark wins on price per household; NordVPN's higher tiers carry the antivirus, call protection and dedicated IP extras.

Surfshark presents a single price grid with three tiers, and the page currently carries a promotional campaign. Starter is listed at $2.49 per month with three extra months, billed at $67.23 for the first 27 months against a list of $444.15; Surfshark One sits at the same $2.49 and $67.23 against a $511.65 list; One+ is $4.49 per month, billed at $121.23 against $589.95. The 30-day money-back guarantee matches NordVPN's, the network is stated as 4,500+ servers in 100 countries, and the subscription covers unlimited devices. Tabs for 12-month and 1-month terms exist on the page, but their numbers are loaded on selection, so only the 24-month figures are quoted here.

Two structural differences separate them beyond the headline rates. First, device policy: NordVPN allows up to 10 devices on one account, while Surfshark allows unlimited devices, which changes the arithmetic for a household rather than an individual. Second, what the top tier includes: NordVPN's Prime bundle adds next-generation antivirus and scam protection, call protection, a dedicated IP option and dark web monitoring, which is why its $7.49 two-year rate sits above Surfshark's tiers. If the requirement is a cheap VPN everywhere in the house, the Surfshark promo is hard to argue with; if the requirement is security software bundled in, NordVPN is the one carrying it.

Pros & cons

👍 NordVPN Pros

  • Three bundles on three terms: $3.49, $4.49 and $7.49 per month on the two-year plan with three extra months
  • One-year pricing at $5.49, $6.49 and $9.49 per month, and month-to-month at $14.99, $19.99 and $29.99
  • 30-day money-back guarantee on every term, stated on the pricing page
  • Prime adds next-gen antivirus, scam protection, call protection and dark web monitoring

👎 NordVPN Cons

  • Ten-device cap per account, against unlimited devices on Surfshark
  • The cheapest rates require the two-year commitment; monthly pricing starts at $14.99
  • Extras such as a dedicated IP are separate line items rather than part of the base price

👍 Surfshark Pros

  • Current offer: Starter and Surfshark One at $2.49/mo with three extra months, $67.23 for 27 months
  • One+ at $4.49/mo billed at $121.23 for the first 27 months against a $589.95 list
  • Unlimited devices on a single subscription, versus a device cap elsewhere
  • 4,500+ servers across 100 countries, with a 30-day money-back guarantee

👎 Surfshark Cons

  • Promotional pricing is tied to the 24-month term, and renewal terms are not shown on the page
  • Bundle extras are thinner than NordVPN's top tier: no antivirus or call protection in the base plans
  • 12-month and 1-month prices are only revealed after selecting the tab, so they are not quoted here

Side by side

FeatureNordVPNSurfshark
Cheapest 2-year rateBasic $3.49/mo with 3 extra monthsStarter $2.49/mo with 3 extra months
Mid 2-year rateComplete $4.49/mo with 3 extra monthsSurfshark One $2.49/mo with 3 extra months
Top 2-year ratePrime $7.49/mo; first 27 months $202.23One+ $4.49/mo; first 27 months $121.23
One-year rate$5.49 Basic, $6.49 Complete, $9.49 Prime12-month tab on the pricing page
Monthly rate$14.99 Basic, $19.99 Complete, $29.99 Prime1-month tab on the pricing page
DevicesUp to 10 devices on one accountUnlimited devices on one subscription
Refund window30-day money-back guarantee, all terms30-day money-back guarantee, all terms
Network claimBundles priced by features rather than server count4,500+ servers in 100 countries
In-plan extrasPrime adds antivirus, scam and call protection, dark web monitorStarter lists Alternative ID, scam protection, antivirus alert and identity theft coverage

Verdict

Pick NordVPN if

Choose NordVPN if you want security extras in the bundle

Complete and Prime exist because the requirement is more than a tunnel: antivirus and scam protection, call protection and dark web monitoring sit inside the same subscription, and the 10-device allowance covers most individuals. Budget for the two-year term, since the $14.99 monthly rate is what you pay without it.

Pick Surfshark if

Choose Surfshark if the whole household connects

Unlimited devices on one subscription is the decisive difference, and the current $2.49 per month offer for 27 months makes it the cheaper of the two for a family. Take the 30-day refund window seriously and check the renewal price in the checkout flow, since the page quotes only the promotional term.

What the vendors say, and what we did not measure

No independent reviews, ratings or user quotes were collected for this page, so none appear above. Every figure and claim comes from the vendors' own pricing and product pages as retrieved for this article.

Who Should Use Which?

Use NordVPN if you...

  • You want antivirus and call protection under one subscription
  • Ten simultaneous devices cover everyone who needs to connect
  • A one-year term at $5.49 to $9.49 fits the budget better than a two-year lock-in

Use Surfshark if you...

  • More than ten devices need to connect at once
  • The priority is the lowest monthly rate on a long term
  • You want one plan covering VPN, alternative ID and identity extras

FAQ

Which is cheaper, NordVPN or Surfshark?

On the two-year term, Surfshark's current offer is lower: Starter and One at $2.49 per month with three extra months, $67.23 for the first 27 months, against NordVPN's Basic at $3.49 and Complete at $4.49. NordVPN's one-year rates — $5.49, $6.49 and $9.49 — are the comparison when a shorter commitment is wanted.

How many devices can each cover?

NordVPN states up to 10 devices per account on its features page. Surfshark's pricing page states unlimited devices on a single subscription, which is the structural difference for multi-person households.

Do both offer refunds?

Yes. Both pricing pages carry a 30-day money-back guarantee, and NordVPN's offer terms describe the refund process through its 24/7 support within 30 days of purchase.

What do the extra months mean?

Both promotions extend the paid term: NordVPN's two-year bundles add three extra months, making 27 months, and Surfshark's offer does the same. The monthly figures are averages across that period, not a month-to-month charge.

Which one bundles antivirus?

NordVPN's Prime tier adds next-generation antivirus and scam protection, along with call protection and dark web monitoring. Surfshark's higher tier includes scam protection, antivirus alerts and identity coverage instead.

What will I pay when the term renews?

Neither pricing page shows the renewal rate for the promotional term, so that figure has to be read in the checkout flow before purchase. Both pages also list month-to-month prices — from $14.99 on NordVPN — which is a fair indication of list pricing after a discount ends.

Spot an outdated price or feature? Let us know and we'll verify it.

Heraldware analysis engine

reviewed · data sourced from official product pages · sources: nordvpn.com, surfshark.com