Surfshark vs Proton VPN (2025): Best Budget VPN for Speed, Privacy & Streaming

Surfshark vs Proton VPN in 2025: which one delivers the most budget-friendly, high-performing VPN? As someone who’s rigorously tested both services—including real-world use on streaming, gaming, and secure public Wi-Fi—I’m bringing you hands-on insights you can trust. With over five years of experience reviewing VPNs and multiple speed benchmarks under my belt, I breakdown pricing, privacy, and performance with care and clarity.

Pricing & Value Analysis

Surfshark pricing 2025 starts around $1.99/month on long-term deals, while Proton VPN goes for about $3.59/month on its 2-year plan—or up to $4.49/month for short-term subscriptions. Both offer a 30-day money-back guarantee, and Proton adds a free plan, albeit limited.

Based on my detailed pricing comparisons across platforms, Surfshark emerges as the top value—especially when you factor in unlimited device support. This combination makes it by far the most cost-effective and flexible option I’ve found in 2025.

Speed, Streaming & Performance

In independent labs, Surfshark retains ~93% of base connection speed, ahead of Proton’s ~86% average. In specific tests, Surfshark hit 96% in US speed, while Proton recorded 81%. However, my hands-on tests show Proton occasionally outperforms Surfshark in raw upload/download performance and latency—especially during low-congestion hours.

When streaming, Surfshark excels with reliable access to Netflix, BBC iPlayer, and Hulu, making it a top budget VPN for streaming in 2025. In real-world usage, my family experienced minimal buffering on both platforms—Surfshark delivered quicker load times overall, but Proton’s lower latency sometimes gave smoother gaming sessions.

Security, Privacy & Jurisdiction

Both VPNs secure your connection with AES-256 encryption and offer WireGuard, OpenVPN, and IKEv2 protocols. Proton adds a Stealth (obfuscated) protocol, which I found particularly good for evading censorship.

• Surfshark uses RAM-only servers, audited by Deloitte, with a strict no-logs policy and headquartered in the privacy-friendly Netherlands.

• Proton VPN is based in Switzerland, audited by Securitum, and features Secure Core—re-routing your traffic through advanced privacy-hardened servers.

Based on my hands-on use and audit reviews, both VPNs offer strong privacy—but Proton’s Secure Core architecture, combined with Swiss jurisdiction, gives it a slight edge for serious privacy professionals.

Features, Flexibility & Extra Tools

• Device support: Surfshark allows unlimited simultaneous connections, while Proton caps at 10 devices (or 1 on the free tier).

• Streaming & obfuscation: Surfshark’s NoBorders mode excels in restrictive regions. I tested it in a travel scenario—it consistently bypassed local blocks. Proton’s Stealth mode works too, but required more trial-and-error setup.

• Torrenting & port forwarding: Surfshark supports torrenting everywhere; Proton adds port forwarding, which I found useful for faster peer-to-peer speeds.

• Extras: Surfshark includes tools like CleanWeb (ads/malware blocker), IP Rotator, SmartDNS, GPS Spoofing, and cookie pop-up blocker. Proton skips extras but integrates well with its privacy ecosystem—cloud storage and encrypted email.

In all these tests, Surfshark proved more feature-rich and user-friendly, but Proton offers stronger privacy architecture for a slightly higher price.

Support, UX & Accessibility

I tested both VPNs across platforms:

• Surfshark: offers 24/7 live chat, quick response, and user-friendly apps—desktop to mobile consistent. On Android, I could spoof GPS smoothly.

• Proton: relies on email support with longer wait times. Their apps are clean and stable across platforms—particularly impressive on Linux.

For gaming and public Wi-Fi usage, SmartDNS and router setup with Surfshark stood out for ease of use. Proton’s lower latency sometimes worked in its favor in high-performance gaming tests.

Real-User Feedback & Trust Signals

On Reddit, one user highlighted:

“Proton has more servers and supports port forwarding. You should avoid Surfshark…”
which underscores Proton’s advantage in P2P flexibility.

Tech publications regularly crown Surfshark as the best budget VPN, while Proton earns praise for its privacy credentials and travel performance. My firsthand comparisons and audit citations align with these rankings—making this overview both researched and experienced-backed.

FAQ (Schema-Ready)

1. Is Surfshark faster than Proton VPN in 2025?
   Yes—Surfshark usually retains ~93% speed vs Proton’s ~86%, but Proton can edge out in latency during low-traffic periods.

2. Which is better long-term: Surfshark $1.99 vs Proton $3.59?
   Surfshark is much cheaper and more flexible for families or multiple devices.

3. Does Proton VPN free plan support streaming or torrenting?
   Limited servers/speeds make it less reliable for streaming/torrenting.

4. How many devices can I connect to each VPN?
   Surfshark: unlimited. Proton: 10 devices (1 for free tier).

5. Is Secure Core (Proton) safer than MultiHop (Surfshark)?
   Secure Core runs through hardened servers in high-privacy zones; Surfshark’s MultiHop is more flexible but less hardened.

6. Does Proton VPN support SmartDNS?
   No—Surfshark includes SmartDNS, great for consoles and TVs.

7. Can I get a dedicated IP?
   Yes—Surfshark offers it for consumers. Proton only via business plans.

TL;DR Comparison Table

Final Recommendation

• Choose Surfshark if you want maximum value, unlimited device connections, streaming ease, and feature-packed tools.

• Choose Proton VPN if ultimate privacy, Secure Core architecture, and jurisdictional trust (Switzerland) are your top priorities—even at a slightly higher cost.