Proton VPN vs Surfshark

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

Five straight annual no-logs audits published in full, plus the only free tier here that a privacy-minded reader can honestly be pointed at.

SurfsharkTakes bitcoin

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

Verdict: Proton VPN

Proton VPN carries more independent audits of its no-logs claim: 5 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
Proton VPN: 5
Surfshark: 2

Proton VPN 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.

Proton VPN and Surfshark compared fact by fact from their reviews; a check marks the side a decidable criterion favours.
Fact	Proton VPN	Surfshark
Independent audits	5, latest 2026 (favoured on this row)	2, latest 2025
Real-world tests	0	0
Incidents on record	0	0
Market exits	0	0
Owner	Proton AG	Nord Security
Jurisdiction	Switzerland	Netherlands
Eyes alliance	Outside	Nine Eyes
Price	Free tier, or paid VPN Plus	From $2.49/mo on the 2yr plan
Money-back	30 days	30 days
Crypto accepted	bitcoin	bitcoin, litecoin, ethereum, bitcoin cash, dogecoin
Anonymous signup	No	No
Free tier	Unlimited bandwidth, one device, servers in 10 countries, no ads	None
Servers	Vendor states thousands of servers, with paid plans reaching over 140 countries and the free tier limited to ten	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.

Proton VPN

2026Audit by Securitum: fifth consecutive annual no-logs audit of the production server infrastructure, report published in full
2025Audit by Securitum: annual on-site no-logs audit of the server infrastructure
2024Audit by Securitum: annual on-site no-logs audit of the server infrastructure
2023Audit by Securitum: annual on-site no-logs audit of the server infrastructure
2022Audit by Securitum: first annual no-logs audit, conducted on site

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 Proton VPN or Surfshark better for privacy?

Proton VPN carries more independent audits of its no-logs claim: 5 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 Proton VPN or Surfshark with bitcoin?

Proton VPN takes bitcoin (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, Proton VPN or Surfshark?

Proton VPN: Free tier, or paid VPN Plus. Surfshark: From $2.49/mo on the 2yr plan. Money-back: Proton VPN 30 days, Surfshark 30 days. Prices are from each vendor's own page as of the review date.

Where are Proton VPN and Surfshark based?

Proton VPN: Switzerland (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: Proton VPN and Surfshark, each with its sources, and every VPN we review.

More comparisons

Every other head-to-head Proton VPN or Surfshark appears in.