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Surfshark vs Mysterium VPN compares a budget audited VPN with a decentralised one. Surfshark covers unlimited devices with 2 Deloitte audits in our table; Mysterium exits through volunteers’ home connections and has no audit.
Price is close on long plans, so the choice rests on proof, devices and residential IPs. This guide compares each point. Our Mysterium VPN review covers the second service in depth.
Surfshark vs Mysterium VPN on Audits
Deloitte has audited Surfshark twice, our audit table records, which puts outside checks behind its policy.
State of Surveillance found no independent audit of Mysterium VPN. Its design also means a stranger’s home connection carries the last hop, so anything sent without HTTPS is visible there. Surfshark leads on proof, and it also avoids the exit-node risk built into Mysterium’s design.
Residential IPs vs Owned Servers
Instead of company servers, Mysterium relies on thousands of home connections: more than 7,500 residential IPs across 100-plus countries, according to Tech Insider. To a website, that traffic looks like an ordinary household.
Surfshark’s servers are ordinary data-centre machines, so sites that block VPN ranges may spot them more easily. Mysterium’s home-style IPs are its real advantage here, and few rivals can copy it.
Speed
In CNET’s tests, Surfshark kept about four-fifths of the base speed, a 21% loss in our speed table.
Mysterium’s speed depends on the volunteer node you use, so results vary from session to session, Tech Insider found. Surfshark’s speed is steadier, since it does not depend on a volunteer’s home line.
Two-Year Cost
Our tables put Surfshark Starter at $67.23 for its first 27 months, roughly $2.49 a month, with renewal near $79 a year and $16.45 monthly.
Long Mysterium plans start near $2.49 a month, Fahimai reports, while rolling monthly tiers run from $10.49 to $18.49. Surfshark’s renewal near $79 a year is the clearer long-term cost.
Free Use and Devices
Surfshark sets no device limit, according to our device table, and offers a 7-day app-store trial rather than a free plan.
Mysterium has no free plan, Tech Insider notes, and allows up to 15 devices, chrisg.com reports. Surfshark’s unlimited devices beat Mysterium’s 15 for large households.
Jurisdiction and Ownership
Surfshark operates from the Netherlands, inside the Nine Eyes, under Nord Security, which also owns NordVPN.
Mysterium runs through companies in Switzerland and Lithuania, MalwareTips reports. Surfshark’s Dutch base sits inside the Nine Eyes, while Mysterium’s companies sit outside it, though Lithuania is an EU state.
Security Features
Surfshark’s apps include a kill switch and CleanWeb for ads and malware; Smart DNS, our tables record, is switched off.
Tech Insider lists a kill switch and DNS leak protection in Mysterium’s apps. Because the app code is open source, outside developers can inspect it.
Platforms and Support
Apps for Surfshark span Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS and smart TVs. Apps cover Windows, macOS, Android and iOS, with router support and a Linux command-line client.
Surfshark’s support includes round-the-clock live chat. Trustpilot users describe slow replies on billing and refunds.
Protocols and Streaming
For protocols, Surfshark offers WireGuard, OpenVPN and IKEv2, and our Surfshark Netflix guide covers how it streams.
WireGuard and OpenVPN are both available, Tech Insider reports. Streaming depends less on protocol than on whether a fair-usage limit kicks in. Surfshark is the steadier streaming choice.
Which Is Better Value?
Surfshark is better value for most readers: similar long-term prices buy audits and unlimited devices. Mysterium’s value is narrow but real for residential-IP needs.
Which Plan to Pick
Pick Surfshark Starter unless you need the extra tools in One or One+, since Starter carries the lowest renewal. With Mysterium, test on a short plan first because of the refund dispute, then move to a long plan if residential IPs work for you.
Payment and Checkout
Before paying for either, read the renewal line at checkout and note the date. For Mysterium VPN and Surfshark alike, tax can raise the headline price.
Refunds
All Surfshark plans carry a 30-day refund window in our refund table.
Sources disagree on Mysterium’s refund window: 7 days or up to 30. Surfshark’s terms are clearer.
Who Each Is For
Surfshark fits families and anyone with many devices on a budget. Mysterium suits people who specifically need residential IPs to reach sites that block VPNs.
In short, pick Mysterium only for residential IPs; Surfshark is the safer value pick for everything else.
What Else to Know About Mysterium VPN
One more point: Node operators earn MYST tokens for carrying traffic. State of Surveillance notes that the terms place responsibility for that traffic on them, which matters only if you run a node.
What Else to Know About Surfshark
Higher Surfshark tiers, One and One+, bundle extra tools and renew near $99 and $119 a year, our tables record; Starter covers the VPN.
Testing Both
Try Surfshark and Mysterium VPN back to back on one connection. Then compare speed, the services you stream and a leak test, using our guide to checking if a VPN is working.
Switching Between Them
Switching is simple: set up the new VPN on every device, confirm it works, then cancel the old plan. Keep any refund deadline in mind.
Related pages on Mysterium VPN cover Proton VPN vs Mysterium VPN, Mysterium VPN alternatives and what Mysterium VPN costs.
Readers weighing similar options can also read Surfshark vs NymVPN and Surfshark vs hidemy.name VPN.
How We Research
For this Surfshark vs Mysterium VPN comparison, Surfshark’s audits, prices, devices, speed and refunds come from our tables. Mysterium VPN’s figures come from our research for the Mysterium VPN review, mainly State of Surveillance’s Mysterium profile, read on 21 October 2026. We do not run our own tests. Our full approach lives on the About Us page.
Surfshark vs Mysterium VPN FAQ
Surfshark for audits and devices; Mysterium for residential IPs.
No; Surfshark has 2 Deloitte audits in our table.
Surfshark, with no limit.
Similar on long plans; Surfshark renews near $79 a year.
Mysterium VPN.
The Verdict
Surfshark vs Mysterium VPN: Surfshark for audited privacy, unlimited devices and steady speed; Mysterium only when residential IPs are essential.