IVPN vs Surfshark

Comparing: two VPNs
Decided by: Independent no-logs audits
Last reviewed: 2026-08-26

IVPNTakes bitcoin

Eight straight years of Cure53 security audits, cash or Monero accepted, and a company that publicly refuses to commission another no-logs audit.

SurfsharkTakes bitcoin

Unlimited devices and Deloitte-verified no-logs, from a company that merged into the same group as NordVPN in 2022.

Verdict: IVPN

IVPN carries more independent audits of its no-logs claim: 3 against 2 for Surfshark. We publish no rating for VPNs, so the audit count is the one criterion that decides.

Criterion: Independent no-logs audits
IVPN: 3
Surfshark: 2

IVPN and Surfshark, fact by fact

Every row is from the two reviews as of their review dates, with sources on each. A check marks the side a decidable criterion favours; rows without one are information, not a score.

IVPN and Surfshark compared fact by fact from their reviews; a check marks the side a decidable criterion favours.
Fact	IVPN	Surfshark
Independent audits	3, latest 2026 (favoured on this row)	2, latest 2025
Real-world tests	0	0
Incidents on record	0	0
Market exits	0	0
Owner	IVPN Limited	Nord Security
Jurisdiction	Gibraltar	Netherlands
Eyes alliance	Outside	Nine Eyes
Price	From $60/yr on Standard	From $2.49/mo on the 2yr plan
Money-back	30 days	30 days
Crypto accepted	bitcoin, monero	bitcoin, litecoin, ethereum, bitcoin cash, dogecoin
Anonymous signup	Yes	No
Free tier	None	None
Servers	Vendor runs a deliberately small network, in the low tens of countries, rather than competing on server counts	Vendor states more than 4,500 servers across 100 countries, all upgraded to 10Gbps ports
Last reviewed	2026-08-26	2026-08-26

No-logs evidence, side by side

Dated audits and real-world tests from each review. An empty column is a finding: the claim has not been independently checked.

IVPN

2026Audit by Cure53: eighth annual security audit, covering the cryptography and privacy model of the Unlinked Access system
2023Audit by Cure53: penetration test and configuration review of the new VPN gateway infrastructure, report published in full
2019Audit by Cure53: the no-logs audit of the VPN gateway and authentication servers, which IVPN says was its first and only audit of that format

Surfshark

2025Audit by Deloitte: independent assurance that the service does not monitor or log user activity, announced June 2025
2023Audit by Deloitte: first Deloitte no-logs assurance engagement on the server configurations

Frequently asked questions

Is IVPN or Surfshark better for privacy?

IVPN carries more independent audits of its no-logs claim: 3 against 2 for Surfshark. We publish no rating for VPNs, so the audit count is the one criterion that decides. Audits, court and seizure records and incidents are dated on each review with their sources.

Can I pay IVPN or Surfshark with bitcoin?

IVPN takes bitcoin and monero (processor: In-house). Surfshark takes bitcoin, litecoin, ethereum, bitcoin cash and dogecoin (processor: CoinGate). Each review quotes the vendor's own refund sentence for crypto purchases verbatim.

Which is cheaper, IVPN or Surfshark?

IVPN: From $60/yr on Standard. Surfshark: From $2.49/mo on the 2yr plan. Money-back: IVPN 30 days, Surfshark 30 days. Prices are from each vendor's own page as of the review date.

Where are IVPN and Surfshark based?

IVPN: Gibraltar (outside the five, nine and fourteen eyes alliances). Surfshark: Netherlands (nine eyes member). A jurisdiction matters less than a court record showing what the provider could hand over; the reviews carry those where they exist.

The full reviews: IVPN and Surfshark, each with its sources, and every VPN we review.

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