Norton Safe VPN vs Surfshark (2024): Which VPN Is Higher? – Uplaza

Surfshark has made a reputation for itself as a high digital non-public community choice out there right now. It affords inexpensive pricing throughout all its plans, gives quick and dependable speeds and doesn’t skimp out on person safety and performance.

Norton Safe VPN, then again, is a VPN from common safety and antivirus supplier Norton. Whereas it affords good VPN speeds, it has a small server community and doesn’t embrace any standout options to set it other than opponents.

• Surfshark VPN: Greatest for many companies searching for a high-quality VPN with quick speeds, robust safety and inexpensive pricing.
• Norton Safe VPN: Greatest for Norton 360 product customers who want fundamental safety and a simple-to-use VPN software.

Surfshark vs. Norton Safe VPN: Comparability

	Surfshark VPN	Norton Safe VPN
Our score	4.6 / 5	3.0 / 5
Safety protocols	OpenVPN, WireGuard, IKEv2	OpenVPN and IKEv2/IPSec
No. of servers	$3,200	1,000–2,000 (reportedly)
VPN server areas	100 nations	28 nations
Information breach monitoring	Sure (Surfshark Starter)	Sure (by way of Norton 360)
Simultaneous system connections	Limitless	As much as 10 gadgets
Free trial or free model	Cell free trial	None
Beginning worth	$2.79 per 30 days (annual)	$2.49 per 30 days (annual)

Surfshark vs. Norton Safe VPN: Pricing

Surfshark’s subscriptions revolve round their fundamental VPN service, with add-ons as you go up with every paid plan. All premium Surfshark plans enable limitless simultaneous system connections, whereas Norton solely permits as much as 10 gadgets related abruptly — relying on the plan you buy.

SEE: The right way to Use Norton Safe VPN (A Step-by-Step Information) (TechRepublic)

Norton Safe VPN can be bought with different Norton merchandise as a part of its Norton 360 bundle of companies. In the event you’re not eager on its different software program, you can too buy the VPN as a standalone product.

For extra on Surfshark and Norton Safe VPN, try our full Surfshark overview and full Norton Safe VPN overview.

Surfshark pricing

Surfshark affords three subscription tiers: Surfshark Starter, One and One+. Starter gives fundamental VPN performance, an advert blocker and a masked e-mail generator. In the meantime, One provides onto that with real-time e-mail breach alerts, an antivirus and webcam safety.

	Surfshark Starter	Surfshark One	Surfshark One+
1 month	$15.45 per 30 days	$15.95 per 30 days	$17.95 per 30 days
1 yr	$2.79 per 30 days	$3.19 per 30 days	$5.09 per 30 days
2 years	$2.19 per 30 days	$2.69 per 30 days	$4.29 per 30 days

Lastly, One+ consists of all options plus knowledge elimination from firm databases and from individuals search websites. Whereas I want Surfshark supplied a free model, it does have a free trial of its cell app and a 30-day money-back assure for all its purposes.

Norton Safe VPN pricing

Norton is exclusive in that it bases its VPN pricing in your desired variety of system connections. That is against most VPNs, which categorize their costs relying on contract size.

1 system	$29.99 first yr or $2.49 per 30 days
5 gadgets	39.99 first yr or $3.33 per 30 days
10 gadgets	$59.99 first yr or $4.99 per 30 days

One nitpick I’ve with Norton Safe VPN’s subscriptions is that their costs are for the primary yr solely, with a attainable enhance after the primary yr upon renewal. I’d’ve most popular it if Norton supplied the identical worth previous the primary yr of subscription — particularly since this isn’t unusual amongst different suppliers.

Thankfully, Norton has a 60-day money-back assure, which provides customers ample time to check their software program and request for a refund through the allotted time.

Surfshark vs. Norton Safe VPN: Function comparability

Safety protocols and encryption

Winner: Surfshark

Each Surfshark and Norton Safe VPN make the most of AES-256 encryption algorithm for his or her VPN companies — which is sweet to see, particularly since AES-256 is taken into account the business commonplace and arguably essentially the most safe encryption algorithm right now.

SEE: The right way to Use Surfshark VPN (A Step-by-Step Information) (TechRepublic)

The deciding issue is that Surfshark consists of OpenVPN, WireGuard and IKEv2 safety protocols, which, for my cash, are the three finest protocols we wish in a contemporary VPN. That is compared to Norton, which lacks the trendy and speed-oriented WireGuard safety protocol.

To Norton’s credit score, its Safe VPN additionally affords each OpenVPN and IKEv2/IPSec. However for customers who need a mixture of each safety and velocity in tunneling protocols, Surfshark is finest for you.

VPN server community and areas

 Winner: Surfshark

Within the server division, Surfshark comes out on high with its 3,200 servers throughout 100 nations. Then again, Norton Safe VPN has a a lot smaller 28-country server community, with a reported server rely amounting to solely 1,000 to 2,000 servers.

Server infrastructure is one in every of Norton’s fundamental downsides, as its 2,000-server rely is far smaller than the common 3,000–4,000 server networks we see on common with fashionable VPNs. Its nation unfold can be miniscule in comparison with Surfshark, proscribing customers’ capacity to entry geographically various areas worldwide.

In case your fundamental objective with a VPN is to entry geo-restricted content material, I like to recommend Surfshark given its far bigger server rely and site unfold.

Third-party audits and unbiased testing

Winner: Surfshark

Whereas each VPNs supply no-logs insurance policies claiming they don’t report person knowledge, solely Surfshark has undergone a third-party audit, which has confirmed that it’s actually no-logs. Surfshark’s unbiased audit was carried out by Deloitte in 2023, the place it was discovered that the VPN supplier had correctly configured its inner programs “in accordance with Surfshark’s description of its no-logs policy.”

SEE: Is a VPN Actually Value It in 2024? (TechRepublic)

Then again, Norton Safe VPN is but to endure any third get together audit or unbiased testing presently. Regardless of being a preferred safety supplier, I extremely encourage selecting a VPN that may supply verifiable knowledge regarding its no-logs coverage.

Efficiency and velocity

Winner: Tie

Surprisingly, I discovered each Surfshark and Norton Safe VPN carried out effectively by way of velocity and stability. The 2 VPNs carried out equally in day-to-day use of normal searching, researching and streaming content material, in addition to once I carried out add and obtain exams.

One caveat I’ve to say is that Norton Safe VPN’s smaller server community might hinder its capacity to supply customers constant speeds throughout totally different areas. As a result of server velocity relies on how shut you’re to a server’s location, you’ll have a better likelihood of getting good speeds with Surfshark, given its extra various location rely.

For instance, if you happen to use Norton Safe VPN and are in a rustic that’s not supplied on its server community, you’ll probably expertise slower speeds or a much less dependable connection.

Regardless of this, my testing confirmed each VPNs can present persistently quick and secure speeds — offered your location is accommodated by the VPN’s server community.

Standout safety features

Winner: Surfshark

Except for its base VPN performance, Surfshark boasts numerous extra options geared in the direction of elevated safety. With its Starter plan, you’ve got entry to an antivirus, real-time breach alerts and a non-public search instrument.

The nifty factor right here is that they’re all accessible inside the Surfshark VPN app itself, permitting customers to make use of Surfshark as a kind of safety hub in a single desktop software. Then again, Norton affords comparable options like antivirus software program and darkish internet monitoring, however these are all separate companies that aren’t built-in inside the VPN itself.

With Norton Safe VPN, you get an advert and tracker blocker, cut up tunneling and a kill change, and that’s it. Whereas these are good options, Surfshark affords these identical options in its app as effectively.

Ease of use

Winner: Tie

When it comes to person expertise, Surfshark and Norton Safe VPN each include desktop purposes which might be simple to make use of and nice to have a look at. Surfshark does an ideal job of organizing its software and categorizing its safety features intuitively.

Then again, Norton Safe VPN can be user-friendly and takes a extra minimalist strategy in comparison with Surfshark. This can be a product of its extra fundamental VPN software program with a scarcity of extra options, but it surely’s plain that the app can present a seamless expertise nonetheless.

Surfshark professionals and cons

Professionals

• 100-country server community.
• Persistently quick speeds.
• Has WireGuard, OpenVPN and IKEv2.
• Inexpensive pricing throughout plans.

Cons

Norton Safe VPN professionals and cons

Professionals

• Quick and secure VPN velocity.
• Consumer-friendly software.
• May be bundled with different Norton merchandise.

Cons

• Miniscule server community.
• Hasn’t undergone a third-party safety audit.
• Lacks standout safety features.

Ought to your group use Surfshark or Norton Safe VPN?

For my part, it’s clear-cut that most organizations ought to choose to make use of Surfshark over Norton Safe VPN. Whereas Norton Safe VPN performs effectively, it merely lacks many options we anticipate in a contemporary VPN.

Particularly, Norton Safe VPN’s server community spanning solely 28 nations is simply too small in comparison with Surfshark’s 100-country and three,200-server community and infrastructure. Surfshark additionally consists of extra standout safety features, similar to a built-in antivirus and actual time breach alerts, in comparison with Norton’s extra fundamental VPN providing.

SEE: 10 Myths about Cybersecurity You Shouldn’t Consider (TechRepublic Premium)

I additionally give the win to Surfshark by way of third-party testing, as its safety audit affords a far safer guess to customers and companies. I’m hopeful that Norton decides to have their VPN examined by unbiased safety specialists sooner or later, however for now, Surfshark is the smarter alternative.

To not point out Surfshark’s inexpensive pricing, easy-to-use software and persistently quick efficiency — making Surfshark our winner for this head-to-head VPN comparability.

I solely suggest Norton Safe VPN to companies which might be already invested in Norton’s safety merchandise and simply need extra VPN performance with their present suite of options. In any other case, Surfshark needs to be your decide between the 2.

Methodology

My comparability of Surfshark and Norton Safe VPN concerned hands-on time with each VPNs and an in depth evaluation of every service’s options, price and real-world efficiency.

To guage every product, each VPNs had been scored on every little thing from their pricing to their safety protocols. Particularly, we took under consideration 5 fundamental pillars with their corresponding weights:

• Pricing (20%).
• Core VPN options (30%).
• Ease of use (15%).
• Buyer help (30%).
• Knowledgeable evaluation (5%).

I additionally supplemented my findings with real-world person suggestions and respected critiques to spherical out my evaluation of each merchandise.

For velocity and efficiency, I examined each VPNs on a Home windows pc and ran them by means of Ookla’s public Speedtest. Lastly, I additionally thought of how every VPN may finest cater to various kinds of customers, use circumstances and organizations.