Affiliate disclosure: VPN Vetted is reader-supported. Some links below are affiliate links (marked “sponsored”): if you buy through them we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. We recommend by published price, refund terms and audits, never by commission. Surfshark and NordVPN belong to the same group, Nord Security (the companies merged in 2022 and say they run as autonomous companies). We hold Surfshark, NordVPN and Proton VPN to the same criteria.
Prices checked October 30, 2026, between 01:04 and 01:12 BRT, on the official US pages, in USD, before sales tax or VAT.
Verdict in 30 seconds
- Buy Surfshark if you want a low price at renewal as well as at signup, and you have a lot of devices. Starter is $67.23 for the first 27 months, renews at $79 a year, and every plan covers unlimited devices.
- Skip it if you want the newest named no-logs audit (NordVPN’s is more recent), a free plan, or a Switzerland-based, open-source provider (Proton VPN).
- Watch the tier names: Starter and One cost the same today ($67.23 for 27 months) but renew at different prices ($79 vs $99 a year). If you don’t need One’s antivirus and alerts, Starter is the cheaper bill after year two.
Our opinion: on published US prices, Surfshark is one of the cheapest well-known VPNs to keep paying for, not just to start with. The trade-off is that it shares an owner with NordVPN, so “Surfshark vs NordVPN” is not a choice between two rival companies.
What Surfshark offers in 2026
Surfshark sells three consumer plans. Its renewal-terms page lists what each one includes:
| Plan | What the plan includes (Surfshark’s list) |
|---|---|
| Starter | VPN, Alternative ID |
| One | VPN, Antivirus, Alert, Search, Alternative ID |
| One+ | Everything in One, plus Identity Theft Coverage and Incogni |
The pricing page also lists the VPN features shared by the plans: Bypasser (split tunneling), Rotating IP, Dynamic MultiHop, masked email and personal-detail generators under Alternative ID, and a block of features marked “NEW” for scam protection (a scam-text checker, an email scam checker and a web content blocker). It lists 4,500+ servers in 100 countries and 10Gbps servers.
Apps are listed for Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS, Android TV, Apple TV and Fire TV, with browser extensions for Chrome, Firefox and Edge.
One+ adds identity theft coverage. Surfshark says it’s for US residents (except New York), issued by HSB Specialty Insurance Company, with up to $1M in restoration costs, $1,000 in counseling and access to an investigator. We have not reviewed the insurance policy itself, so read the summary of benefits before relying on it.
Surfshark pricing: intro vs renewal
Surfshark’s pricing page defaults to the 2-year plan and today carries a Black Friday deal banner, so the intro prices may move in the coming weeks. Here’s what the official US page showed on October 30, 2026:
| Plan | Per month (as shown) | First 27 months | Renews at (yearly) | Monthly plan (standard rate) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starter | $2.49 | $67.23 | $79/year | $18.95/month |
| One | $2.49 | $67.23 | $99/year | $19.95/month |
| One+ | $3.99 | $107.73 | $119/year | $22.85/month |
The renewal column comes from Surfshark’s own terms page, which lists the standard (non-introductory) rates for each plan: $79, $99 and $119 for both the 1-year and 2-year plans, and $18.95, $19.95 and $22.85 for a month. The same page says the 2-year plan is billed once, then renews for a 1-year term, and that renewals are charged at the standard rate, not the intro rate. Surfshark also says it may A/B test prices, and that the charge currency follows your card’s country (USD for the US and most of the rest of the world). VAT or sales tax may be added.
Intro plus one year of renewal (our arithmetic, before tax):
- Starter: $67.23 + $79 = $146.23 over 39 months, about $3.75 a month
- One: $67.23 + $99 = $166.23, about $4.26 a month
- One+: $107.73 + $119 = $226.73, about $5.81 a month
Our opinion: the month-to-month price ($18.95 for Starter) makes sense only for a short trip or a one-off need. For anything longer, the 2-year deal costs less than four months of the monthly plan.
Paid add-ons (standard rates from the same terms page): Dedicated IP $3.75 a month or $45 a year, Alternative Number $2.29 a month or $27.48 a year, Incogni $3.99 a month or $47.88 a year, and “One add-on” $1.49 a month or $17.88 a year.
Unlimited devices
The pricing page says all plans protect an unlimited number of devices (the free trial on mobile is limited to 3). For a family with phones, laptops, a TV and a tablet, this is Surfshark’s biggest practical advantage. NordVPN and Proton VPN Plus cap a paid account at 10 devices. See our best VPN for multiple devices guide for how the device limits compare.
30-day money-back guarantee
Surfshark offers a 30-day money-back guarantee. Its terms of service add the fine print:
- It applies only to your initial purchase, with one refund per service. Renewal charges are not covered.
- No refund for the Alternative Number feature, an anonymous Dedicated IP, prepaid or gift-card payments, or purchases through resellers other than Paddle, Google Play or Cleverbridge.
- If you bought through an app store or reseller, you may need to request the refund from that seller.
How to cancel
Surfshark’s terms say paid services renew automatically, and that you can turn off automatic renewal at any time from your Surfshark account if you bought directly from Surfshark. For plans longer than a month, Surfshark says it emails you before the renewal (its pricing terms say 30 days before). If you bought through a third party, cancellation follows that seller’s rules. Our tip: turn off auto-renewal right after you buy if you’re not sure you’ll keep it. You keep access until the paid period ends.
Privacy, audits and ownership
We attribute every privacy claim to the company or auditor that made it. An audit is a snapshot of a period, not a lifetime guarantee.
- No-logs assurance: On June 16, 2025, Surfshark published a blog post about an independent assurance by Deloitte under ISAE 3000. Surfshark says the report is available to users inside their Surfshark account. We haven’t read the full report ourselves.
- Company and jurisdiction: Surfshark’s privacy policy (last updated October 12, 2026) names Surfshark B.V., Kabelweg 57, Amsterdam, and says Surfshark is based in the Netherlands.
- Ownership: On February 1, 2022, Surfshark announced it was joining Nord Security (the company behind NordVPN) through a merger. It said both would “continue to operate as autonomous companies relying on separate infrastructures.” If you’re comparing Surfshark with NordVPN, you’re comparing two products from the same group.
Our opinion: Surfshark’s privacy story is solid on paper: a named Big Four auditor, a published date, and a clear legal entity. If audit recency is your top criterion, NordVPN’s newest Deloitte report (issued December 12, 2025) is about six months newer than the assurance Surfshark announced in June 2025.
Key features (from Surfshark’s official pages)
Only features Surfshark lists on its own pages, in plain terms:
- Kill Switch: cuts your internet if the VPN drops, so traffic doesn’t leak outside the tunnel. This matters most on public Wi-Fi, like airports, hotels and cafés.
- CleanWeb: Surfshark says it blocks ads, pop-ups, trackers and access to malicious websites.
- Bypasser (split tunneling): choose which apps or sites skip the VPN, which is handy for a local bank app or a printer on your home network.
- Rotating IP: part of what Surfshark calls Nexus; it says it changes your IP every few minutes without dropping the connection.
- Dynamic MultiHop: routes your connection through two servers you pick.
- Alternative ID: masked email and generated personal details for sign-ups, which reduces how often your real email lands in a data breach.
- Scam protection (new): checks for scam texts and scam emails, plus a web content blocker.
- One and One+ extras: Antivirus, Alert (breach alerts for your email and other details), Search, and on One+, Incogni (data-removal requests) and identity theft coverage.
What we would use it for: encrypting traffic on hotel and café networks, cutting ad and tracker noise with CleanWeb, and keeping your real email out of sign-up forms with Alternative ID. If public Wi-Fi is your main reason, our best VPN for public Wi-Fi guide covers what to look for.
Using a VPN with online services: know the rules
Whether you can use a VPN depends on your country’s laws, and many online services set their own rules about VPN use in their terms. A provider’s marketing doesn’t override either. We did not evaluate Surfshark for any use beyond privacy and security, and we don’t recommend using a VPN to break a law or a service’s terms.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Unlimited devices on every plan
- Low renewal on Starter ($79 a year)
- 30-day money-back guarantee with clear written terms
- Deloitte ISAE 3000 no-logs assurance (published June 16, 2025)
- Broad app coverage, including Linux and TV platforms
- Privacy extras (Alternative ID, CleanWeb) even on Starter
Cons
- Starter and One cost the same today but renew $20 a year apart, which is easy to miss
- The 2-year plan renews for a year at the standard rate, so the intro price lasts only 27 months
- Refund excludes renewals, Alternative Number, anonymous Dedicated IP and prepaid cards
- Same owner as NordVPN, so not truly independent competitors
- NordVPN has a newer named audit
- No free plan (only a mobile free trial)
Who should (and shouldn’t) buy Surfshark
Buy Surfshark if:
- Your household has more than 10 devices, or you share an account with family
- You care about the price in year three, not just the signup deal
- You want privacy basics (Kill Switch, CleanWeb, masked email) without paying for a bundle
Skip Surfshark if:
- You want a free VPN (see our best free VPN guide)
- Audit recency is your top criterion (NordVPN)
- You want an open-source, Swiss-based provider (Proton VPN)
- You only need a VPN for a few weeks: the month-to-month plan costs $18.95 or more
Surfshark alternatives
NordVPN (same owner, newer audit)
NordVPN’s US pricing page lists Basic at $3.49 a month, $94.23 for the first 27 months, renewing at $139.08 a year, with 10 devices and a 30-day money-back guarantee. It also carries a Black Friday banner today. Intro plus one renewal year comes to $233.31 over 39 months, about $5.98 a month (our arithmetic), so roughly $87 more than Surfshark Starter. You’d pay that for the newer audit and NordVPN’s extra tiers (Complete adds a password manager and 1 TB of encrypted storage, per its pricing page). Read NordVPN vs Surfshark and Is NordVPN worth it?.
Proton VPN (Swiss, open source, free plan)
Proton VPN’s pricing page lists VPN Plus at $3.49 a month, billed $83.76 for the first 24 months, then $83.88 every 12 months, with 10 devices. Proton says its apps are open source and its company is Proton AG in Geneva, Switzerland. It also has a free plan (1 device, servers in 10 countries). Intro plus one renewal year: $167.64 over 36 months, about $4.66 a month (our arithmetic). Read Surfshark vs Proton VPN and our Proton VPN review.
Also see: Surfshark vs ExpressVPN and our best cheap VPN roundup.
How we evaluated
We read Surfshark’s official US pricing page (via a US-based fetch, in USD), its renewal-terms page, its terms of service, privacy policy, features page and the blog posts on its Deloitte assurance and the Nord Security merger. We recorded the date and time of each check in BRT, and did the same for NordVPN and Proton VPN. We did not run our own speed, leak or hands-on tests, so nothing in this review is a test result. Audit scopes are as the companies describe them. Opinions are marked as opinions. This is general information, not legal advice.
FAQ
Is Surfshark worth it in 2026?
For most people who want a low long-term price and many devices, yes, in our opinion. Starter is $67.23 for 27 months and renews at $79 a year, with unlimited devices and a 30-day money-back guarantee. If you want the newest named audit or a free plan, look at NordVPN or Proton VPN.
How much does Surfshark cost after renewal?
Surfshark’s terms list $79 a year for Starter, $99 for One and $119 for One+. The 2-year plan renews for a 1-year term at those standard rates (checked October 30, 2026, before tax).
How many devices does Surfshark allow?
Unlimited, on every plan, according to Surfshark’s pricing page.
Does Surfshark have a money-back guarantee?
Yes, 30 days. Its terms say it covers only your initial purchase (one refund per service) and excludes renewals, the Alternative Number feature, anonymous Dedicated IP and prepaid-card payments.
Can Surfshark be trusted?
Surfshark published a Deloitte ISAE 3000 no-logs assurance on June 16, 2025, names its legal entity (Surfshark B.V., Netherlands) and discloses that it merged with Nord Security in 2022. Whether that’s enough is your call; we report what the company and its auditor say.
How do I cancel Surfshark?
If you bought directly, turn off automatic renewal in your Surfshark account. To get money back, request a refund within 30 days of the initial purchase. App-store purchases follow the store’s process.
Surfshark vs NordVPN vs Proton VPN: quick take?
Surfshark is the cheapest at renewal ($79 a year on Starter) and the only one with unlimited devices. NordVPN has the newest named audit but renews at $139.08. Proton VPN Plus renews at $83.88, is Swiss and open source, and has a free plan.
Who owns Surfshark?
Surfshark merged with Nord Security, the company behind NordVPN, announced February 1, 2022. The two say they operate as autonomous companies.
Verdict
Surfshark is a strong value pick in 2026: unlimited devices, a $79 renewal on Starter, a dated Deloitte assurance and clear refund terms. Pick Starter unless you specifically want One’s antivirus and alerts, since One renews $20 a year higher. Choose NordVPN if a newer audit matters more than price, or Proton VPN if you want Swiss jurisdiction, open-source apps or a free plan. Whatever you buy, put the renewal date in your calendar.
Sources (official pages, checked on October 30, 2026)
- Surfshark, pricing (US/USD, 2-year view): https://surfshark.com/pricing (~01:04 BRT)
- Surfshark, renewal prices and plan contents: https://surfshark.com/terms-of-service/pricing (~01:05 BRT)
- Surfshark, terms of service (renewal, refund, cancellation): https://surfshark.com/terms-of-service (~01:12 BRT)
- Surfshark, features: https://surfshark.com/features (~01:04 BRT)
- Surfshark, Deloitte no-logs assurance (June 16, 2025): https://surfshark.com/blog/surfshark-audit (~01:04 BRT)
- Surfshark, merger with Nord Security (February 1, 2022): https://surfshark.com/blog/surfshark-merges-with-nord-security (~01:04 BRT)
- Surfshark, privacy policy (updated October 12, 2026): https://surfshark.com/privacy-policy (~01:04 BRT)
- NordVPN, pricing (US/USD): https://nordvpn.com/pricing/ (~01:11 BRT)
- NordVPN, sixth no-logs assurance (report issued December 12, 2025): https://nordvpn.com/blog/nordvpn-no-logs-assurance-engagement-2025/ (~01:14 BRT)
- Proton VPN, pricing (US/USD): https://protonvpn.com/pricing (~01:12 BRT)