For freelancer use — protecting logins and client data on shared networks — both do the job. The differences are in price structure and device limits.
The comparison
| NordVPN | Surfshark | |
|---|---|---|
| Long-term price | ~$3–4/mo (2yr) | ~$2–3/mo (2yr) |
| Devices | ~10 | Unlimited |
| Audits | Multiple independent no-logs audits | No-logs audit (Cure53) |
| Standout | Speed, mature apps | Unlimited devices, cheaper |
How to choose
- One laptop + phone → either; pick whichever long-term deal is live
- Whole household or many devices → Surfshark's unlimited plan wins
- Maximum-speed requirement (big file uploads to clients) → NordVPN's WireGuard implementation is consistently faster in real-world tests
Both beat free VPNs decisively — free VPNs monetize your data, which defeats the entire purpose.
Bottom line: NordVPN for speed and brand maturity; Surfshark if you're covering several devices. Whichever you buy, enable the kill switch before your next café session.