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Surfshark and PrivateVPN are both European budget VPNs that stream well, and both operate from countries inside the intelligence-sharing alliances: Surfshark from the Netherlands, PrivateVPN from Sweden. The difference is what stands behind their privacy claims.
Surfshark has two no-logs assurance reports by Deloitte. PrivateVPN has none, and its support reportedly told a reviewer there was nothing to audit because it keeps no logs. PrivateVPN answers with extras Surfshark lacks: port forwarding and a free dedicated IP on one plan.
Surfshark vs PrivateVPN: The Short Answer
Choose Surfshark for verified privacy and a large household. It rates 4.6 in our Surfshark review, sets no device limit and runs a far larger network. It has no port forwarding.
Choose PrivateVPN for port forwarding and a free dedicated IP, if you accept an unaudited provider. It rates 3.2 in our PrivateVPN review and costs around $2 a month on its three-year plan.
Both are strong for streaming and both give 30 days to claim a refund. The choice turns on verification against extras.
Privacy: Reports Against a Support Answer
Surfshark has two no-logs assurance reports by Deloitte, from 2023 and 2025, and Cure53 has reviewed its infrastructure. It belongs to Nord Security, which also owns NordVPN.
PrivateVPN has no audit in seventeen years. Its support’s reported reply, that there is nothing to audit, restates the claim rather than proving it, and the same reviewer was told its servers are disk-based rather than RAM-only. Sources also disagree on whether it is independent or owned by the hosting group Miss Group since 2022. Our audit tracker compares both records.
⚠️ Jurisdiction does not separate them much. The Netherlands sits in the Nine Eyes and Sweden in the Fourteen Eyes. Surfshark’s audits answer that concern in part; PrivateVPN offers no comparable answer. Our no-logs guide explains why evidence matters more than location.
| Provider | No-logs audits | Auditor | Jurisdiction |
|---|---|---|---|
| NordVPN | 6 | PwC, Deloitte | Panama |
| Surfshark | 2 | Deloitte | Netherlands (9 Eyes) |
| ExpressVPN | 3 | KPMG (28 security reports in total) | British Virgin Islands, Kape-owned |
| CyberGhost | 3 | Deloitte | Romania, Kape-owned |
| PureVPN | 4 | KPMG | BVI, operated from Pakistan |
| IPVanish | 2 | Leviathan, Schellman | United States (Five Eyes), Ziff Davis-owned |
| Windscribe | 1 | Packetlabs, production infrastructure | Canada (Five Eyes); Greek case dismissed, no data to give |
| Proton VPN | 5 | Securitum | Switzerland, moving infrastructure to EU |
| Private Internet Access | 3 | Deloitte | United States (Five Eyes), Kape-owned |
| Mullvad | 10+ | Cure53, Assured AB | Sweden (14 Eyes) |
| TunnelBear | Annual since 2017 | Cure53 | Canada (Five Eyes), US parent |
| Norton VPN | 2 | VerSprite | United States (Five Eyes) |
| Hotspot Shield | 0 | protocol audited, policy not | United States (Five Eyes) |
| AirVPN | 0 | none — the client is open source instead | Italy (14 Eyes) |
| IVPN | 8, annual since inception | Cure53 | Gibraltar (status disputed) |
| Hide.me | 1 modern, in 2024 | Securitum, though one source names Altius IT | Malaysia (outside the alliances) |
| PrivadoVPN | 0 | none in six years of operation | Iceland (moved from Switzerland, 2026) |
| TorGuard | 0 | none; settled a lawsuit without disclosing records | United States (Five Eyes) |
| FastestVPN | 1, in 2023 | Altius IT | Cayman Islands (outside the alliances) |
| StrongVPN | 0 | none in over two decades | United States (Five Eyes), Ziff Davis-owned |
| VyprVPN | 1, in 2018 | Leviathan Security, before the 2023 sale | United States (Five Eyes), Certida-owned since 2023 |
| PrivateVPN | 0 | none; support says there is nothing to audit | Sweden (14 Eyes), ownership disputed |
| ZoogVPN | 0 | none; support describes one as planned | Greece (outside the alliances), run from Ukraine |
| Malwarebytes Privacy VPN | 1, in 2026 | X41 D-Sec, white-box over two months | United States (Five Eyes), runs AzireVPN infrastructure |
| Astrill | 0 | — | Disputed: Seychelles or Liechtenstein |
Price
Surfshark Starter costs $67.23 for its first 27 months. Reviewers report $79 a year after that, though Surfshark publishes renewals on a separate billing page, listed by location. Our Surfshark price page explains where to find it.
PrivateVPN costs around $2 a month on its three-year plan, well under Surfshark’s first-term rate of $2.49. Check the renewal at checkout before committing to three years, as our renewal price table explains.
Where PrivateVPN Leads
Port forwarding: PrivateVPN includes it, with SOCKS5 support; Surfshark offers neither. For seeding and private trackers, that is the deciding feature, as our port forwarding guide explains.
Dedicated IP: one PrivateVPN plan includes a free dedicated address. Surfshark sells one as an add-on in 20 locations. Our dedicated IP guide explains who needs one.
Where Surfshark Leads
Devices: Surfshark sets no limit; PrivateVPN allows ten. Our multi-device guide compares the options.
Network and speed: PrivateVPN runs around 200 servers in 63 countries, mostly in the UK and US, and its speed reports range widely. CNET measured a 21% average loss with Surfshark. Our speed guide explains the figures.
Apps and support: PrivateVPN’s interface is widely described as dated, and its live chat is not staffed around the clock. Surfshark’s apps are built for a general audience.
P2P everywhere: Surfshark allows torrenting on every server, including the United States, which is enough for ordinary downloading.
Streaming
Both are strong. Surfshark opened the major Netflix libraries in 2026 tests, as our Surfshark and Netflix page records. Reviewers report Netflix, iPlayer, Disney+ and Prime Video working reliably on PrivateVPN, although access on any provider can change without notice.
What Each One Lacks
Surfshark lacks port forwarding and a printed renewal. Its renewal sits on a separate billing page, and a dedicated IP costs extra.
PrivateVPN lacks an audit, RAM-only servers and a large network. Its ownership is disputed, its speed reports vary widely, and support is not available around the clock. ExpressVPN vs PrivateVPN covers the same choice from another angle.
Both lack a jurisdiction outside the alliances. For that, our ownership guide covers providers based elsewhere, and our torrenting guide lists alternatives with port forwarding and audits together.
Which One
Surfshark for households, verified privacy and a large network, at a low price on its long plan.
PrivateVPN for port forwarding, a free dedicated IP and the lowest price, bought knowing its no-logs claim has never been checked. NordVPN against PrivateVPN and PrivateVPN against Mullvad set it against two audited rivals.
How We Research
Surfshark’s first-term price comes from its pricing page, read on 25 September 2026, and its reported renewal from Security.org and VPNOverview. Our Surfshark review and tables supplied its audits, devices, speed and P2P policy. PrivateVPN’s support answers, price, features, network and the disputes over its ownership come from our PrivateVPN review, which names its sources. We do not run our own tests. Our full approach lives on the About Us page.
Surfshark vs PrivateVPN FAQ
For verified privacy, devices and network size, yes. Surfshark rates 4.6 against PrivateVPN’s 3.2 in our reviews. PrivateVPN’s advantages are port forwarding, a free dedicated IP on one plan and a lower price.
PrivateVPN, at around $2 a month on its three-year plan. Surfshark Starter costs $67.23 for 27 months, then a reported $79 a year.
No. PrivateVPN includes it, along with SOCKS5 support. Surfshark does allow P2P on every server.
No. Its support reportedly said there was nothing to audit because it keeps no logs. Surfshark has two Deloitte no-logs reports, from 2023 and 2025.
Both perform well in published reports. Surfshark opened the major Netflix libraries in 2026 tests, and reviewers report PrivateVPN working with Netflix, iPlayer, Disney+ and Prime Video.
The Verdict
Surfshark is the better choice for households and anyone who wants verified privacy. It pairs a low long-plan price with audits, unlimited devices and a large network.
PrivateVPN is a credible budget option for torrenting, thanks to port forwarding and a free dedicated IP, as long as you accept that its privacy claim rests on its word alone.