Surfshark and Windscribe – At a Glance
Surfshark
Surfshark is a reasonably priced VPN provider that doesn’t skimp on its services. It provides reliable online privacy and security for most popular devices. The provider also boasts an impressive global server network, which provides reliable access to geo-defended content around the globe.
Visit Surfshark
Windscribe
Windscribe is reasonably priced but it doesn’t sacrifice fast connections, excellent privacy protections, and reliable customer support. The provider offers comprehensive app support, and it also offers an impressive global server network.
Visit Windscribe
How to Choose a VPN
When you’re deciding on a VPN provider, take the time to carefully research and consider the features provided by each VPN.
I’ll be taking a close look at two popular VPN providers, Surfshark and Windscribe. I’ll take a look at both VPNs and their service offerings, then declare a winner for each feature. I’ll then tally up the overall scores and declare a champion.
By the time you reach the end of this article, you’ll have plenty of information, allowing you to make the right decision about which VPN is best for your particular needs.
Features of Surfshark and Windscribe
In this section, I’ll cover the most important features you should research when deciding on a VPN.
Connection Speeds
No matter what you enjoy doing online, a fast connection is a must. This is especially true if you’re a streaming or gaming fan, or share large files with other users.
I perform VPN connection speed tests on a regular basis. Here’s how it works:
- Tests are performed on a North America-based Windows server with a gigabit Ethernet connection.
- I connect to VPN servers in the United Kingdom, the United States, and Hong Kong, at three different times of day over the course of three days.
- I use the Windows version of the providers’ app for testing, and the app is configured to connect using the Wireguard protocol when available.
- I run the Speedtest.net app after connecting to each VPN server location, exiting and restarting the app in between each speed test.
During my connection speed testing, I saw one provider perform nearly 3.5x better than its competitor.
Windscribe delivered average protected download speeds of 55 Mbps, which should handle any popular online activity.
However, Surfshark’s download speeds came in at more than three times faster, averaging 188.8 Mbps. This is blazingly fast and can easily handle buffer-free 4K video streaming, fast-moving games, and any other online activity.
Your connection speeds will differ from what I experienced, as your speeds will depend on your usual ISP-provided connection speeds, your location, and the location of the VPN server you connect to.
Average Connection Speed Winner: Surfshark
| Provider | Avg. Connection Speed | Link |
| Surfshark | 188.8 Mbps | Visit Site |
| Windscribe | 55 Mbps | Visit Site
Read Review |
Pricing
Prices are on the rise with no end in sight! If you’re like me, you’re looking to save a buck whenever you can. However, you should never subscribe to a VPN solely because it has a super low price or because it is free.
Bargain basement and free VPNs may skimp on online security, provide throttled connections, or lack support for popular devices. Some low-ball VPNs will even sell information related to your usage while connected to the VPN’s servers.
While Surfshark is a low-priced provider. When you opt for the one-year plan, it charges a monthly fee of approximately the price of a medium cup of coffee from that fancy joint on the corner.
Meanwhile, Windscribe’s annual subscription rate averages in at a monthly average of slightly two dollars per month more than Surfshark.
Surfshark offers a 30-day money-back guarantee, while Windscribe offers a sorely limited three-day money-back guarantee (no, that isn’t a misprint, it’s just three days.).
I don’t list exact pricing in my articles, as many VPNs change their pricing and offer special deals on what seems like a daily basis. Visit a VPN provider’s website for their most current pricing.
Pricing Winner: Surfshark
| Provider | Money-Back Guarantee Period | Link |
| Surfshark | 30 Days | Visit Site |
| Windscribe | 3 Days | Visit Site
Read Review |
Privacy
If you’re online without VPN protection, you have left evidence of your activities behind. Your ISP saves logs recording your online travels and there are plenty of nosy folks that would like a peek at those logs. This makes privacy protection an important consideration.
Always consider the following when examining a VPN’s privacy protections:
- Is the provider located in a country that respects online privacy?
- Does the provider save user activity logs?
- Does the provider accept Bitcoin and other private forms of payment?
British Virgin Islands-based Surfshark takes full advantage of the country’s privacy laws, as it saves no user activity logs. Surfshark also accepts cryptocurrency, keeping your payment privacy undercover. If you use a disposable email address to sign up, you’ll score additional payment privacy.
Surfshark operates all of its servers only from RAM, with no data ever being saved to a physical hard drive or SSD. This ensures that all data is totally wiped from the provider’s servers when they are rebooted, shut down, or unplugged to be moved.
Unfortunately, Surfshark brings a privacy concern into the picture by using a third-party chat provider for one of its customer support features. I’ll discuss that later.
Windscribe does not collect records of your online activity, your real IP address, or your browsing history. However, it does keep track of your username, the time of your connection, and how much data you’ve used. While this data is wiped at the end of your VPN session, there is always the possibility that the server you’re connected to will crash, meaning data might not be wiped. While it’s a slim chance, it’s still a chance.
Privacy Winner: It’s a tie
| Provider | Privacy Ranking | Site |
| Surfshark | 4.5 | Visit Site |
| Windscribe | 4.5 | Visit Site
Read Review |
Security
Those nosy folks I mentioned in the Privacy section? They would also LOVE to follow you around in real-time while you’re online. This makes a VPN provider’s encryption and other connection security an important consideration.
Surfshark uses banking-grade encryption and kill-switch protection to keep your online activities incognito. The OpenVPN, WireGuard, and IPSec/IKEv2 connection protocols are available, as is a “Camouflage Mode” that disguises your VPN traffic as normal browser usage.
Windscribe also uses banking-level encryption to keep your online travels undercover. It offers several connection protocols, including OpenVPN, WireGuard, and IKEv2. IP/DNS leakage prevention is also part of the protective package. The provider also offers ad blocking.
Security Winner: It’s a tie
| Provider | Overall Security Score | Link |
| Surfshark | 5.0 | Visit Site |
| Windscribe | 5.0 | Visit Site
Read Review |
Simultaneous Connections
I’d venture to say that most of you own and use multiple connected devices. I use tablets, smartphones, computers, streaming, and gaming devices on a daily basis. This is why a VPN provider’s concurrent connections allowance is an important feature to keep in mind.
Surfshark allows users to connect an unlimited number of devices at once to its servers.
Windscribe also puts no limit on simultaneous connections.
Simultaneous Connections Winner: It’s a tie
| Provider | Simultaneous Connections Allowed | Link |
| Surfshark | Unlimited | Visit Site |
| Windscribe | Unlimited | Visit Site
Read Review |
Streaming Support
No matter how many streaming services you subscribe to, you are not getting all that you could out of your subscriptions. This is because streaming services restrict the availability of content to designated countries.
Luckily, a VPN temporarily assigns a new IP address to your device, making it appear as if you are connecting to the internet from another country. This provides access to content that might normally be unavailable at your location.
Surfshark provides access to Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, BBC iPlayer, Disney+, ITV Hub, All 4, Hotstar, HBO, Sky, and numerous other streaming services.
To be honest, Windscribe does not claim to unblock any geo-fenced content. And that’s a good thing, as the provider could not access any streaming service I tried it with.
Streaming Support Winner: Surfshark
| Provider | # of U.S. Streaming Services VPN Unblocks | # of International Services VPN Unblocks | Link |
| Surfshark | 10+ | 8+ | Visit Site |
| Windscribe | 0 | 0 | Visit Site
Read Review |
BitTorrent Support
BitTorrent is a popular way to share files and documents with other internet users. File sharing is legal in most areas of the world (several organizations use the technology to share files and documents). However, it is illegal to share copyrighted materials, including movies and music.
This means the entertainment industry pressures your ISP to disable BitTorrent sharing by throttling or blocking customers’ internet connection if file sharing is detected, legal or not.
A VPN encrypts your internet connection and temporarily assigns a fresh IP address to your device. This means no one can see what you’re doing online or see your real IP address, preventing anyone from detecting your hot P2P action.
Surfshark and Windscribe allow P2P file sharing on their entire server networks.
BitTorrenting Winner: Tied
| Provider | # of Countries Where VPN Allows BitTorrents | Link |
| Surfshark | All of them | Visit Site |
| Windscribe | All of them | Visit Site
Read Review |
Global Server Coverage
The larger a VPN’s server network is, the better your access to content located in other countries is. This means that you should look for a provider with servers stationed in multiple countries. Also, look for a provider that has more than one server in a single country. This helps avoid having any single server from being overloaded by too many users.
Surfshark has 3,200+ servers stationed in 100+ countries worldwide.
Windscribe’s network has over 480 server locations in more than 63 countries.
Global Server Coverage Winner: Surfshark
| Provider | Server Count | Countries | Link |
| Surfshark | 3,200+ | 100 | Visit Site |
| Windscribe | 480 locations | 63 | Visit Site
Read Review |
Multi-Platform Support
Since many of my readers own multiple connected devices, a VPN provider’s app selection is an important consideration.
Surfshark provides native app support for iOS, macOS, Android, Android TV, Windows, Linux, and Amazon Fire TV devices. Browser extensions for the Chrome, Edge, and Firefox platforms make an appearance. The provider also offers extensive router support, with pre-configured routers through Flashrouters.com.
Windscribe’s native app support includes options for Windows, Android, macOS, iOS, Android TV, Huawei, and Amazon Fire TV devices. Linux devices can be set up manually. Browser extensions for the Chrome, Edge, and Firefox platforms are available. The provider offers compatibility with DD-WRT and Tomato routers, while also offering its own proprietary VPN router.
Multi-Platform Support Winner: Windscribe
| Provider | Platforms Supported | Browser Extensions? | Router Support? |
Link |
| Surfshark | 7 | Yes (Chrome, Edge, Firefox) | Yes – Manual setup. Flashrouter options available. | Visit Site |
| Windscribe | 8 | Yes (Chrome and Firefox) | Yes – On its proprietary VPN router. | Visit Site
Read Review |
Customer Support
While both Surfshark and Windscribe offer intuitive and reliable VPN services, you may still have an occasional question.
Surfshark offers several support options, including live chat, email support, and a searchable support library. Unfortunately, Surfshark uses a third-party contractor (Zendesk) for its live agent chat feature. Any time a third-party is used for anything, it introduces a privacy risk.
Windscribe offers 24/7 live support chat, a trouble ticket system, a searchable knowledge base, and a support chatbot named “Garry” (yes, with two “r’s”).
Customer Support Winner: It’s a tie
| Provider | Customer Support Rating | Link |
| Surfshark | 5.0 | Visit Site |
| Windscribe | 5.0 | Visit Site
Read Review |
And The Winner Is…
While both VPNs provide comprehensive VPN protection and enhancement, It’s time to name an overall winner.
Surfshark is the overall winner this time around, thanks to its performance in the Connection Speed, Pricing, Streaming, and Global Server Coverage service departments.
Meanwhile, Windscribe scored a single victory, in the Multi-Platform Support arena.
It was a tie in the Security, Privacy, Simultaneous Connections, BitTorrent Support, and Customer Support columns.
For more information or to purchase a subscription, visit Surfshark.
