NordVPN vs Surfshark: Device Limits, IP Rotation and Tor Access
NordVPN caps an account at 10 simultaneous devices, though a router set up with NordVPN uses only one slot. Surfshark allows unlimited connections on Starter, One and One+, and its IP Rotator changes the address every 5 to 10 minutes. NordVPN's specialty options include Double VPN, Onion over VPN and obfuscated servers, and its file-scanning malware protection runs without an active VPN connection on Windows and macOS. Surfshark's higher plans bundle Antivirus, Alert and Incogni data removal. For a marketing team the split is device count and IP behavior against specialty routing.
NordVPN
Best for: Freelancers and small remote teams who want a privacy VPN with built-in scam blocking and the option of a static IP that isn't shared with other users.
Surfshark
Best for: Households and individuals who want to cover many phones, laptops and tablets under one VPN account.
| At a glance | NordVPN | Surfshark |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $14.99/mo | See pricing |
| Free plan | No | No |
| Free trial | No | No |
| Market Signal | 81 / 100 | 76 / 100 |
| Built for | Freelancer, Small Business | Freelancer |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, Chrome Extension | Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, Chrome Extension |
| Founded | 2012 | 2018 |
Choose NordVPN if...
you need Tor routing through Onion over VPN, obfuscated servers or malware scanning that keeps working while the VPN is off.
Choose Surfshark if...
you run research on more than 10 devices at once or want your IP address to change automatically during a session.
Feature-by-Feature Comparison
| Dimension | NordVPN | Surfshark |
|---|---|---|
| Simultaneous devices | Stronger here | |
| Automatic IP changes | Stronger here | |
| Tor access | Stronger here | |
| Double-hop routing | Comparable | Comparable |
| Dedicated IP | Comparable | Comparable |
| Malware protection | Comparable | Comparable |
We name a winner for each dimension and never one overall winner. The right pick depends on which of these matters most for your use case.
Plans and Pricing Side by Side
NordVPN
From $14.99/mo
| Plan | Monthly | Annual (mo) |
|---|---|---|
| Basic | $14.99 | Not listed |
Checked September 28, 2026 on NordVPN's pricing page.
Surfshark
| Plan | Monthly | Annual (mo) | Includes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starter | Not listed | Not listed |
|
| One | Not listed | Not listed | |
| One+ | Not listed | Not listed |
Checked October 13, 2026 on Surfshark's pricing page.
Annual columns show the monthly cost when billed yearly. Vendors change prices often, so confirm on their site before you buy.
Market Signal Compared
| Score (0 to 100) | NordVPN | Surfshark |
|---|---|---|
| Market Signal | 81 | 76 |
| Market strength | 89 | 82 |
| Momentum | 54 | 55 |
| Traffic strength | 90 | 83 |
| Search visibility | 88 | 85 |
| Authority | 89 | 79 |
| Brand and market presence | 87 | 80 |
| Data confidence | Medium | Medium |
Market Signal measures each product's online footprint and momentum from Ahrefs and Semrush data, scored against other tools in its category (VPN & Privacy (21 tracked)). It shows market presence, which is not the same as product quality. Data through September 2026. How the score works
Integrations and Support
| NordVPN | Surfshark | |
|---|---|---|
| Support | Chat, Email, Knowledge Base | Live chat, Email, Help center |
| Languages | English, Spanish, French, German, Japanese | English, German, French, Spanish |
| Headquarters | Panama City, Panama | Amsterdam, Netherlands |
From each vendor's integrations and support pages. Lists show notable integrations, not every connector.
Other Tools to Consider
If neither NordVPN nor Surfshark fits, these are the closest alternatives we list, ordered by Overall Score.
Cloudflare
Global network service providing CDN, DNS, WAF, DDoS protection and Workers edge compute.
Proton VPN
Swiss-based VPN with open-source apps, Secure Core multi-hop routing and Stealth obfuscation.
ExpressVPN
Consumer VPN built on its own open-source Lightway protocol and RAM-only TrustedServer infrastructure.
Private Internet Access
Configurable VPN with open-source apps, WireGuard support, split tunneling, and a large server network.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a small team share one Surfshark subscription?⌄
Surfshark allows unlimited simultaneous connections and permits sharing within a household. Its policy reserves the right to restrict accounts used by unauthorized resellers or spread across a very large number of devices, so an agency giving every contractor the same login should read that policy before relying on one account.
How can I cover more than 10 devices with NordVPN?⌄
Set NordVPN up on a router. The router takes one of the 10 device slots and protects everything connected to it. Also note that only five devices can use the same server at once, each on a different protocol such as NordLynx, NordWhisper or OpenVPN TCP and UDP.
Which one gives a fixed IP for allowlisted tools?⌄
Both sell a dedicated IP add-on. NordVPN links the address to your account email and does not support it over IKEv2. Surfshark's dedicated IP location cannot be changed after purchase and one subscription holds one address. Surfshark's static servers also return the same IP on each connection, but that address is shared.
What do the bigger bundles add?⌄
Surfshark One adds Antivirus, Alert data leak monitoring and scam protection to the VPN, and One+ adds Incogni data removal plus identity theft coverage for eligible US customers. NordVPN's higher plans bundle NordPass password management and NordLocker storage on top of the VPN.
Written by SEM Solutions Editorial Team
Last updated October 12, 2026