Is Surfshark owned by NordVPN?

Surfshark and NordVPN have belonged to the same parent company, Nord Security, since a 2022 merger. They still run separate infrastructure, separate apps, separate audit programmes and are based in different countries, so an incident at one does not automatically affect the other.

Which is cheaper over time, NordVPN or Surfshark?

Surfshark. Averaged over three years, Surfshark works out to roughly $42 a year against about $66 for NordVPN, and Surfshark's renewal price is also lower. NordVPN occasionally undercuts it on a single promotional term, but not over a full ownership cycle.

How many devices can I use with NordVPN and Surfshark?

Surfshark allows unlimited simultaneous devices on one subscription. NordVPN caps each account at 10 devices, which is plenty for one person but can run out for a family or a small team.

Which is faster, NordVPN or Surfshark?

Both are far faster than a typical home or office connection, so neither will be your bottleneck. In independent testing the two were nearly tied, while NordVPN kept a slightly larger share of the original connection speed over long distances, which matters more for streaming and video calls.

NordVPN vs Surfshark (2026): Same Owner, Different Deal

Transparency: Some links below are affiliate links. If you buy through them we may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you. We only recommend tools we would use ourselves. Full disclosure.

Quick answer: For most individuals and small teams, Surfshark is the better deal: about $42 a year averaged over three years against about $66 for NordVPN, a lower renewal price, and unlimited devices against NordVPN’s 10. Buy NordVPN if you stream heavily, spend all day on video calls, or need quantum resistant encryption. Both brands have belonged to Nord Security since a 2022 merger.

Most NordVPN vs Surfshark articles treat this as a rivalry. It isn’t one. Since a 2022 merger, both brands belong to the same company, Nord Security. That changes the question you should be asking. You are not choosing between two philosophies of privacy. You are choosing between two products from one owner, priced for different buyers.

Here is what actually separates them, with current prices and the renewal numbers most comparisons leave out.

New to VPNs? Start with our best VPN for small business guide.

The short answer

Buy Surfshark if you want the lower long term cost, or you need to cover more than 10 devices. Check Surfshark →
Buy NordVPN if you mostly stream or video call and want the more mature feature set, including quantum resistant encryption. Check NordVPN →

For most individuals and small teams, Surfshark is the better deal. NordVPN is the better product for a narrower set of people.

The fact most comparisons bury

Nord Security owns both brands. That sounds like it should make them identical, so it is worth being precise about what is shared and what is not.

Separate: infrastructure, apps, audit programmes and legal base. NordVPN operates out of Panama. Surfshark is based in the Netherlands. A breach or outage at one does not reach the other.

Shared: the owner’s commercial interest. Neither brand is going to publish a campaign explaining why you should pick its sibling.

What this means for you: stop weighing “which company do I trust more.” Both have had their no logs policies checked by Deloitte, in 2023 and again in 2025. Choose on price, device count and features instead.

What you will actually pay

Introductory prices only apply to the first term. The renewal price is what you pay for every year after, so it is the number that matters if you plan to keep the VPN.

	Surfshark	NordVPN
First term (two year plan)	about $2.49 to $2.79 a month	about $3.49 to $4.39 a month
Renewal price	about $79 a year (Starter)	roughly $139 to $219 a year, by plan
Average cost over three years	about $42 a year	about $66 a year
Devices per account	Unlimited	10

Two things stand out.

Surfshark is cheaper at every stage. Not just at signup, but at renewal and averaged across a full three years.

NordVPN’s renewal range is wide. It depends on which plan tier you hold and what promotion runs at renewal time. Check the renewal figure on your account page before the term ends, not after.

Devices: the difference that decides it for teams

Surfshark lets you connect as many devices as you like to one subscription. NordVPN stops at 10.

For one person with a laptop, a phone and a tablet, 10 is more than enough. For a family of four, it gets tight. For a small team where everyone uses a laptop and a phone, it runs out at five people.

That is the real reason Surfshark wins for teams. A 12 person company can run on a single Surfshark account. The same company on NordVPN needs two accounts, which roughly doubles the cost and erases NordVPN’s feature advantage.

Speed: why this matters less than it looks

Speed tests make great headlines, so here are the numbers, followed by why you should not buy on them.

In speed tests cited by Surfshark, Surfshark reached peak speeds above 1,600 Mbps and NordVPN above 1,250 Mbps. NordVPN, however, kept slightly more of the original connection speed over long distances.

Now the context. Very few home or office connections get anywhere near 1,000 Mbps, and a typical broadband plan is a fraction of that. Both VPNs are faster than the pipe they sit on. On a normal connection, neither will be the thing slowing you down.

Speed retention is the more useful number. If you stream in high resolution or spend your day on video calls, NordVPN’s better retention is a real, small advantage. For browsing, email and working in the cloud, you will not notice a difference.

Security: one genuine difference

On the fundamentals, they match. Both use strong encryption, both have kill switches, and both have independently audited no logs policies.

The one meaningful gap is quantum resistant key exchange. NordVPN already ships it in its production apps. Surfshark offers it only on macOS, Android and Linux so far.

Who should care? Anyone handling data that needs to stay confidential for many years, such as legal, medical or financial records. The concern is that traffic captured today could be decrypted by future computers. For everyday browsing and business email, this is not a reason to pay more.

Which one should you buy?

Solo user, price matters most: Surfshark.
Family or household with many devices: Surfshark. The unlimited device limit saves you a second subscription.
Small team of five or more: Surfshark, on one account.
Heavy streaming or all day video calls: NordVPN, for the better speed retention.
You handle long lived sensitive data: NordVPN, for the quantum resistant encryption.

What neither one does

A VPN encrypts your traffic between your device and the VPN server. It does not stop phishing emails, weak passwords, malware or a data breach at a company you use. If you are choosing a VPN to “secure the business,” read do you need a VPN for your business first. A password manager and two factor authentication often do more good for less money.

Bottom line

NordVPN and Surfshark are two products from one owner, both independently audited, both fast enough for anything a normal connection can handle. Surfshark is cheaper at signup, at renewal and over three years, and its unlimited devices make it the clear pick for families and teams. NordVPN earns its higher price only if you stream heavily or need quantum resistant encryption.

On a tight budget? See the cheapest VPN that is actually safe.

Sources

Some links above are affiliate links. See our affiliate disclosure. Prices as listed on 12 October 2026 and they change often, so confirm the live price and the renewal price before you buy.

Keep reading in VPN & Privacy

VPN & Privacy How Much Does a VPN Cost for a Company? (2026) Business VPN pricing at 5, 10, 25 and 50 users, with every figure read from the vendor on 21 September 2026, plus the add on fees and the annual billing trap. VPN & Privacy Best VPN for Small Business in 2026: What to Buy and Skip Best VPN for small business in 2026: Surfshark, NordLayer and Proton VPN compared on real per user pricing. Most teams are sold the wrong tier. VPN & Privacy Cheapest VPN That's Actually Safe (2026) The cheapest VPNs that don't cut corners on security. How to pay less for a VPN without ending up with one that logs or sells your data.