VPN Comparison 2026: NordVPN, Surfshark, ExpressVPN, Proton VPN and PureVPN
A research-based comparison of five popular VPN services in 2026 built from vendor pages and Wikipedia: jurisdiction, device limits, server scale, audit history and past incidents. Not lab-tested.
Every VPN review site will tell you which service is “the best”. The honest answer is that it depends on what you are protecting yourself from, how many devices you own and how much you trust the company’s record.
This page compares five widely used VPN services on facts that can be checked: where the company is based, how many devices one account covers, how its no-logs claim has been audited and what incidents are on the public record.
How this comparison was made
- This is a research-based comparison, not a lab test. We did not run our own speed, leak or streaming tests, so you will not find benchmark numbers here.
- Most VPN vendors' own sites blocked or did not answer our requests, so apart from Surfshark's page this comparison relies on Wikipedia, read on 18 October 2026. Several of those articles carry notices about promotional tone or company-linked sources, so treat the figures as a starting point and confirm them on each vendor's site.
- We do not publish prices. They change and differ by country. Each provider note links to the vendor's site so you can see the current offer and device limit for your region.
Quick answers
Which one fits which need
- Most devices on one account: Surfshark states "one account, unlimited devices".
- A Swiss company with published source code and repeated audits: Proton VPN (Wikipedia reports source code released on all platforms and no-logs audits by Securitum in 2022, 2023 and 2024).
- A long audit record: NordVPN (PwC in 2018 and 2020, Deloitte in 2022 to 2024, per Wikipedia).
- Know the history first: PureVPN and ExpressVPN each have an incident on the public record, described below.
When a VPN is the wrong tool
- For online games a standard VPN usually adds latency. Read why standard VPNs increase gaming ping first.
- A VPN does not make you anonymous. Accounts you log in to, browser fingerprints and cookies still identify you.
- "Lifetime" or free VPNs with no clear business model deserve extra suspicion.
Side-by-side overview
| NordVPN | Surfshark | ExpressVPN | Proton VPN | PureVPN | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Company location (as stated) | Incorporated in Panama; developed by Nord Security (Wikipedia) | Surfshark B.V., Amsterdam, Netherlands (vendor) | Incorporated in the British Virgin Islands; owned by Kape Technologies since 2021 (Wikipedia) | Swiss company Proton AG (Wikipedia) | Based in the British Virgin Islands (Wikipedia) |
| Simultaneous devices | Wikipedia lists up to six; check the vendor for the current limit | Unlimited (vendor) | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated |
| Server scale (as stated) | 8,000+ servers as of January 2026 (Wikipedia) | 4,500+ servers in 100 countries (vendor) | 94 countries as of August 2022 (Wikipedia, dated) | 20,681 servers in 148 countries (Wikipedia) | Not stated |
| Independent no-logs audits (Wikipedia) | PwC in 2018 and 2020; Deloitte in 2022, 2023 and 2024 | Deloitte no-logs audit at the end of 2022, with assurance procedures in January 2023 and June 2025 | No auditor named in the article | Securitum, with reports dated March 2022, May 2023 and July 2024 | No audit mentioned in the article |
| Open-source apps | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Wikipedia: source code released on all platforms in January 2020 | Not stated |
| Free plan | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | A free tier exists (Wikipedia mentions it being offered to Vivaldi users) | Not stated |
| Money-back period | Not stated | 30 days (vendor) | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated |
“Not stated” means the sources we read do not say it. It does not mean the feature is absent.
Incidents on the public record
- NordVPN: a server at a third-party data centre was breached in March 2018 and became public in October 2019, and critics faulted the delay in disclosure. About 2,000 credentials were reportedly exposed in November 2019 through credential stuffing.
- ExpressVPN: Wikipedia reports that a bug in its software exposed the domains users were visiting when split tunnelling was used, on Windows versions between 19 May 2022 and 7 February 2024.
- PureVPN: in 2017 the company provided information to FBI agents that helped lead to an arrest, which was widely reported given its zero-log marketing. Its privacy policy says it cooperates with investigators who present a proper warrant.
- We found nothing comparable in the sources we read for Surfshark and Proton VPN, which does not mean there is nothing.
Provider notes
NordVPN
Described by Wikipedia as a Lithuanian service incorporated in Panama and developed by Nord Security, whose offices include Lithuania, the UK, Panama and the Netherlands. The article reports an audit record of PwC in 2018 and 2020 and Deloitte in 2022 to 2024, and a 2022 change of policy to comply with legitimate legal requests that drew privacy criticism. Visit NordVPN for the current device limit and offer.
Surfshark
Surfshark’s own page states that it keeps no records of your online activity, runs RAM-only servers, lists 4,500+ servers in 100 countries, offers unlimited devices on one account and gives a full refund within 30 days. Wikipedia reports the Amsterdam headquarters, a merger with Nord Security finalised in early 2022 with both brands operating independently, and audits by Cure53, Deloitte, NowSecure and SecuRing. Visit Surfshark.
ExpressVPN
Incorporated in the British Virgin Islands and owned by Kape Technologies since 2021, according to Wikipedia. The article names no independent auditor and flags itself for promotional tone and source concerns. The 2024 bug described above is the main item on the record. Visit ExpressVPN.
Proton VPN
Operated by the Swiss company Proton AG. Wikipedia reports that it released its source code on all platforms in January 2020, had its no-logs policy audited by Securitum (reports dated March 2022, May 2023 and July 2024) and lists 20,681 servers in 148 countries. We could not read Proton VPN’s own site, so confirm the free-plan limits there. Visit Proton VPN.
PureVPN
Founded in 2007 and based in the British Virgin Islands, according to Wikipedia. Its 2017 case is the best-known part of its history, and the article mentions no independent no-logs audit. Visit PureVPN.
Which one fits which situation
| If you… | Look at | Why (as stated) |
|---|---|---|
| Have many devices to cover | Surfshark | The vendor states unlimited devices on one account |
| Want a free plan | Proton VPN | A free tier exists per Wikipedia; check the limits on Proton’s site |
| Care about jurisdiction and published source code | Proton VPN | Swiss company, source code released on all platforms |
| Want a documented audit record | NordVPN, Surfshark or Proton VPN | Wikipedia lists audits by PwC and Deloitte, Deloitte and others, and Securitum |
| Want a large server network | Proton VPN or NordVPN | 20,681 and 8,000+ servers respectively, per Wikipedia |
| Want the most cautious history review | PureVPN and ExpressVPN | Each has an incident described above |
| Mainly want lower ping in games | None of these first | A standard VPN usually adds latency, see why standard VPNs increase gaming ping |
Whichever you pick, check the current price, device limit and renewal terms on the vendor’s own page.
Why we left out some services
We did not include every service in the market. A budget provider we looked at was left out because the sources we found mix it up with a differently named VPN and we could not document it properly. We will add services only when we can document them.
Disclosure
Some outbound links on this page may be affiliate links. If you buy through them, UtilRank may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Commissions do not influence which services are included or how they are described. Read our affiliate disclosure and editorial policy.
Sources and verification
Read on 18 October 2026. Sources are Surfshark’s own page and Wikipedia. Wikipedia articles may be out of date or carry notices about their sourcing, so confirm on each vendor’s site.
Looking for in-depth evaluations of the tools mentioned in this guide? Check out our hands-on reviews: