3 Surfshark Alternatives Our Experts Recommend in May 2026

1. NordVPN

SecurityScore:

9.7 /10

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Product Specs

Server locations	137 countries countries
Average Speed Loss	6% download & 4% upload
Apps	Windows, MacOS, Linux, Android, iOS, Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Android TV, tvOS
Best Monthly Rate	$3.09/mo with a 2-year plan
Money-Back Guarantee	30 days full refund

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Why Choose NordVPN Over Surfshark?

NordVPN offers enterprise-grade security features that go beyond standard VPN protection.

We think NordVPN is a better pick if you want access to high-end VPN security features. This is mostly due to the VPN’s Threat Protection Pro feature. It blocks ads, ad trackers, and shady websites just like Surfshark’s CleanWeb feature. But, on top of that, it also protects your device from malware-infected downloads. What’s more, on Windows, it also alerts you about app vulnerabilities.

Plus, NordVPN also comes with Dark Web Monitor and double VPN servers. Dark Web Monitor alerts you if data associated with your NordVPN account is leaked on the dark web. And double VPN servers secure your data with an extra layer of encryption — this is similar to Surfshark’s Dynamic MultiHop feature. Both features provide similar protection levels, but we think Surfshark offers more flexibility. You can customize server combinations with Surfshark, whereas NordVPN uses preset duos.

Finally, NordVPN has Meshnet, which is excellent for securely sharing files, and is also available for free. It’s a feature that allows you to link up to 60 devices over an encrypted VPN connection (which is powered by NordVPN’s proprietary VPN protocol, called NordLynx). Meshnet worked perfectly in our remote work scenarios. We could securely transfer files between home and office devices without needing cloud storage.

User Experience

NordVPN has excellent cross-platform compatibility, just like Surfshark. Both VPNs have apps for Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, Android TV, Fire TV, and Apple TV, and they allow manual router setups. The key distinction lies in the Linux experience. Surfshark’s GUI-based Linux app significantly reduces the learning curve compared to NordVPN’s command-line interface.

When we tried both VPNs’ apps, we found them very intuitive. It’s very simple to connect to a server, and find and change a setting or enable a feature. NordVPN’s interactive map interface is a more engaging connection experience. We could visually select server locations with a single click. This was helpful when frequently switching between regions.

Pricing

Like Surfshark, NordVPN also has tier-based subscriptions. But we’re only going to be looking at how NordVPN’s first two subscription tiers compare to Surfshark’s first subscription tier, as these tiers include all VPN features from each service. If you’d like to learn more about NordVPN’s subscriptions, check out our full NordVPN pricing guide.

Here’s the current pricing for NordVPN’s core subscription tiers:

No matter which subscription tier you pick, NordVPN is pricier than Surfshark. We recommend the Plus tier. It offers the best security value despite the higher cost. We also think the addition of malware protection and vulnerability scanning justifies the price.  And NordVPN backs all purchases with a 30-day money-back guarantee (just like Surfshark).

2. Private Internet Access

SecurityScore:

9.4 /10

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Product Specs

Server locations	91 countries
Average Speed Loss	5% download & 84% download
Apps	Windows, MacOS, Linux, Android, iOS, Chrome, Firefox, Android TV, tvOS
Best Monthly Rate	$1.98/mo with a 3-year plan
Money-Back Guarantee	30 days full refund

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Why Choose Private Internet Access Over Surfshark?

We recommend Private Internet Access for torrenters due to its purpose-built P2P features.

Private Internet Access (PIA) is a much better pick if you’re mainly looking for a VPN to use while torrenting. In fact, PIA actually made it to our list of the best torrenting VPNs in 2026.

Both VPNs support torrenting on all of their servers, and their server networks are pretty matched in terms of size — PIA has servers in 91 countries, while Surfshark has servers in 100 countries.

However, PIA also has additional P2P-related features that might improve torrenting speeds. For one, it has built-in support for port forwarding, which is a feature that lets you connect to more peers while torrenting. Plus, it has SOCKS5 proxy support — you can configure the SOCKS5 proxy server in your P2P app (it will hide your IP address, but it won’t encrypt your traffic).

User Experience

Both VPNs are matched when it comes to cross-platform compatibility — they both have apps for desktop, mobile, and smart TVs, and they allow manual router setups. In addition, both PIA and Surfshark allow unlimited simultaneous connections.

We also found both of their apps very simple to use. We tried out PIA and Surfshark’s Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, and Android TV apps, and it always took us less than 10 seconds to find and connect to a VPN server. PIA’s interface allows for more granular control over connection settings. Even if you’re not tech-savvy, it’s still accessible for beginners through its simple mode toggle.

Pricing

PIA and Surfshark are both some of the best cheap VPNs in 2026. Surfshark has several tier-based subscriptions, but we’ll only compare its Surfshark Starter Subscription prices with PIA since that subscription includes all VPN features. Here’s PIA’s current prices:

You really can’t go wrong with either VPN if you’re on a tight budget. Month-to-month, Surfshark is more expensive, but keep in mind that’s because its Surfshark Starter subscription includes an extra security service (Alternative ID) on top of the VPN. For long-term commitments, both services offer good value at under $3 per month. And PIA and Surfshark both come with a 30-day money-back guarantee for all plans.

>> Learn More: How Much Does Private Internet Access Cost in 2024?

3. CyberGhost VPN

SecurityScore:

8.9 /10

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Product Specs

Multihop	No
Obfuscated Servers	No
Kill Switch	Yes
Split Tunneling	Yes
Netflix	Yes
Torrenting	Yes

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Why Choose CyberGhost VPN Over Surfshark?

CyberGhost VPN is ideal for gamers wanting specialized infrastructure.

We think CyberGhost VPN is a good alternative if you’re into gaming — it’s actually one of the best gaming VPNs in 2026. The service has over 90 dedicated gaming servers across four strategic locations (US, France, Germany, and UK). Each one is optimized to minimize latency and prevent packet loss during gaming sessions.

We also like how you can manually set up CyberGhost VPN’s gaming servers on your router. This means you can use the VPN to protect your Xbox Series X, PlayStation 5, and Nintendo Switch 2 without compromising performance.

Finally, we like how CyberGhost VPN supports cloud gaming, which means it works with platforms like GeForce Now and Xbox Cloud Gaming. Surfshark, on the other hand, doesn’t guarantee cloud gaming support — it worked with GeForce Now in our tests, but we can’t promise it’ll work for you.

User Experience

CyberGhost VPN and Surfshark both have apps for desktop, mobile, and smart TV devices, and also support manual router setups. Keep in mind that CyberGhost limits you to seven simultaneous connections. Surfshark doesn’t have any device limits.

Both VPNs have apps that are great for beginners — they’re easy to install and navigate, and you get helpful explanations for all features and settings. We’ll give bonus points to CyberGhost VPN due to its Smart Rules feature, which allows you to automate VPN connections.

Pricing

We’re only going to compare CyberGhost VPN’s pricing to Surfshark’s lowest subscription tier (Surfshark Starter), as that’s the one that has all VPN features. Here’s CyberGhost VPN’s latest prices:

CyberGhost is cheaper if you go month-to-month, but that’s only because Surfshark Starter also includes an extra security service (Alternative ID). At $2.03 per month, CyberGhost’s two-year plan is one of the industry’s best deals. CyberGhost also offers a generous 45-day money-back guarantee on long-term plans.