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Surfshark vs NymVPN compares two audited services with different aims. Surfshark covers unlimited devices cheaply; NymVPN hides metadata with a five-hop mixnet and open-source apps.
Both have outside audits, so the question is what you need protection from. This guide compares both. Our NymVPN review covers the second service in depth.
Surfshark vs NymVPN on Audits
Surfshark’s no-logs claim carries 2 Deloitte audits in our table.
Cure53 checked NymVPN’s apps in July 2024, and Nym’s audit list adds reviews by JP Aumasson, Oak Security and Cryspen. The code is open source as well. Both are audited, though NymVPN adds open-source code that anyone can inspect.
A Mixnet vs a Standard VPN
Two modes share one app: Fast mode uses two hops over AmneziaWG, and Anonymous mode adds a five-hop mixnet with cover traffic. The second hides timing patterns that ordinary VPNs leave visible.
Surfshark has no mixnet, so it protects your IP but not your traffic patterns. For most people that is enough; for high-risk users, NymVPN goes further.
Speed
Our speed table records a 21% loss for Surfshark in CNET’s testing, a middle-of-the-pack result.
NymVPN is slow by design: Tom’s Guide found Anonymous mode too slow for normal browsing, and PCWorld found Fast mode hit-or-miss for streaming. Surfshark is much faster for everyday use.
Two-Year Cost
Surfshark’s two-year Starter plan costs $67.23 up front, about $2.49 a month, then about $79 a year, our tables note; monthly is $16.45.
Nym lists $12.99 for a single month and $5.49 a month across two years, and its blog says prices now start from $2.39 a month. On long plans, both cost a few dollars a month after Nym’s price cut.
Free Use and Devices
Unlimited devices on one plan is Surfshark’s standout feature in our device table; a 7-day app-store trial replaces a free tier.
NymVPN offers a free trial rather than a free plan, and covers up to 10 devices, VPNCentral reports. Surfshark covers unlimited devices to NymVPN’s 10, which matters for larger families.
Jurisdiction and Ownership
The Netherlands, a Nine Eyes country, is Surfshark’s base, and its parent Nord Security also owns NordVPN.
Nym Technologies has its base in Neuchâtel, Switzerland. NymVPN’s Swiss base sits outside the Fourteen Eyes; Surfshark’s Dutch base sits inside the Nine Eyes.
Security Features
Every Surfshark plan has a kill switch and CleanWeb, while Smart DNS is currently off, according to our tables.
All of NymVPN’s apps and network software are open source, and the mixnet’s cover traffic masks when and how much you send.
Platforms and Support
Surfshark runs on Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS and TVs. Apps cover Windows, macOS, Linux, Android and iOS.
Round-the-clock live chat is part of Surfshark’s support. Nym runs a support site and publishes technical notes openly.
Protocols and Streaming
Surfshark runs WireGuard by default, plus OpenVPN and IKEv2. See our Surfshark Netflix guide for streaming.
AmneziaWG powers Fast mode and Sphinx packets carry mixnet traffic, with a QUIC disguise added in November 2025, Tom’s Guide reports. Surfshark is the practical choice for streaming.
Which Is Better Value?
For households, Surfshark gives more for the money. For metadata privacy, NymVPN offers something Surfshark does not at any price.
Which Plan to Pick
Starter is the sensible Surfshark plan for most people, ideally on the two-year term. With NymVPN, the monthly plan is a low-risk test thanks to pro-rated refunds, and paying in NYM tokens halves the price.
Payment and Checkout
Prices online often exclude tax, so compare the final checkout figure for each. Then set a reminder before the renewal date.
Refunds
Our refund table lists 30 days for Surfshark.
NymVPN refunds the unused part of your plan within 30 days. Surfshark refunds in full; NymVPN refunds the unused part.
Who Each Is For
Surfshark is the budget pick for many devices with audits. NymVPN suits journalists, activists and anyone who needs metadata privacy more than speed.
In short, families and streamers fit Surfshark; journalists and activists fit NymVPN.
What Else to Know About NymVPN
One more point: Independent operators, not Nym itself, run most of the network’s nodes and earn NYM tokens. That spreads trust across many parties.
What Else to Know About Surfshark
Surfshark also sells One and One+ with extra tools, at about $99 and $119 a year on renewal in our tables, while Starter covers the core VPN.
Testing Both
Give each service the same tasks for a day: browsing, a video call and a stream. Then run a leak test with our guide to checking if a VPN is working.
Switching Between Them
When switching, start the new service before stopping the old one. That way, no device drops back to an unprotected connection.
You may also want Proton VPN vs NymVPN, NordVPN vs NymVPN and NymVPN alternatives.
Similar services are covered in Surfshark vs hidemy.name VPN and Surfshark vs Mysterium VPN.
How We Research
For this Surfshark vs NymVPN comparison, Surfshark’s audits, prices, devices, speed and refunds come from our tables. NymVPN’s figures come from our research for the NymVPN review, mainly Tom’s Guide’s NymVPN review, read on 21 October 2026. We do not run our own tests. Our full approach lives on the About Us page.
Surfshark vs NymVPN FAQ
Surfshark for devices and speed; NymVPN for metadata privacy.
Yes: Surfshark by Deloitte, NymVPN by Cure53 and others.
Surfshark.
NymVPN, based in Switzerland.
Surfshark, with no limit.
The Verdict
Surfshark vs NymVPN: Surfshark for families, streaming and unlimited devices; NymVPN for metadata privacy from a Swiss base. Both are audited.