Surfshark only protects against DNS leaks.
Its great that Surfshark and PureVPN have perfect forward secrecy.
However, only Surfshark uses RAM-only servers.
Lastly, I think its great that Surfshark allows for 2-factor authentication.
This feature adds an additional layer of security to your VPN account.
Winner (Security): Its a tie
Surfshark and PureVPN are very secure VPNs.
Each provider offers industry-standard and advanced security features, including a kill switch feature and perfect forward secrecy.
Both providers also offer obfuscation and support Tor traffic.
However, only Surfshark has an ad blocker, which works really well.
Surfsharks CleanWeb blocks intrusive ads, trackers, and malicious websites.
PureVPN, on the other hand, doesnt have an ad blocker.
Privacy Each VPN Is Privacy-Friendly
You get top-notch privacy with both Surfshark and PureVPN.
And, I like that both VPNs have had their no-logs policy independently audited and confirmed.
PureVPN is located in the British Virgin Islands, which has no mandatory data retention laws.
Servers Both VPNs Have Great Server Networks
PureVPN and Surfshark provide extensive server networks.
Surfshark and PureVPN use physical and virtual servers.
Virtual servers assign you an IP address from the chosen country, but the physical servers are located elsewhere.
PureVPN also has Quantum Resistant servers that are designed to withstand potential future threats from quantum computing.
Both VPNs support obfuscation across all servers, which is helpful if you want to hide your VPN traffic.
Lastly, both VPNs offer dedicated IP addresses in 5+ locations for a small fee.
Surfsharks server web connection is spread across 100 countries, while PureVPN has servers in only 66 countries.
Both providers also offer good P2P support, obfuscated servers, and dedicated IP addresses.
I was quite happy with Surfsharks performance on nearby servers.
My speeds slowed down quite a bit on distant servers in the US (Im in Macedonia).
PureVPN was also great on nearby servers.
Websites and HD videos loaded instantly, and 4K videos only took 12 seconds to load without any buffering.
The torrenting speed was slightly slower than Surfsharks the same 20 GB file took about 20 minutes to download.
PureVPNs speeds dropped significantly on servers in the US.
My web pages took 45 seconds to load, and HD videos needed around 56 seconds to start.
Winner (Speeds):Surfshark
Although both VPNs offer decent speeds, Surfshark is slightly faster.
Surfshark maintains better speeds on distant servers, which means less buffering and faster torrenting.
When it comes to smart DNS, only Surfshark has this useful feature.
It also has a smart DNS feature, whereas PureVPN doesnt.
But PureVPN has decent streaming support, too it works well with 10+ streaming sites and 10+ Netflix libraries.
This means that its much easier to find a nearby server for faster speeds with Surfshark.
Both providers work well with popular torrent clients.
Only PureVPN has port forwarding, which allows for faster P2P downloads by connecting you to more peers.
Each VPN has excellent security features for safe torrenting, but I prefer Surfshark.
It also blocks malicious torrenting sites.
Winner (Torrenting):Surfshark
Surfshark wins the torrenting round.
Gaming Surfshark Is Better for Gaming
I liked gaming with Surfshark better.
However, my ping with PureVPN was slightly higher, especially on distant servers, leading to noticeable lag.
Its great that both VPNs allow manual router support.
This allows you to connect all of the devices connected to your router to the VPN.
I was able to playCall of Duty: Warzoneon my PlayStation and gaming consoles, which dont support VPNs.
Winner (Gaming):Surfshark
Surfshark takes the win here.
Also, both VPNs have router support, but only Surfshark also has anti-DDoS protection.
Its also why it takes the #1 spot on our list ofbest VPNs for getting around government restrictions.
I like both VPNs mobile apps.
They have a simple design that makes it super easy to navigate through all of their features.
Their desktop apps are also easy to use and feature-rich.
Both VPNs also allow manual router configuration and are compatible with a lot of popular router brands.
Theyre easy to install and navigate, making both a solid choice.
In addition, both VPNs offer the ability for manual router setup.
Surfshark also allows unlimited connections (PureVPN allows 10, which still covers a lot of different devices).
PureVPN has a 1-month, a 1-year, and a 2-year plan.
Its longest plan offers significant savings, starting at a reasonably low price of IDR67,650 / month.
Surfshark also accepts Amazon Pay.
Winner (Plans & Pricing): Its a tie
This was a tough one.
They also support multiple payment methods and offer money-back guarantees on all of their plans.
Customer Support Surfshark Provides Better Support
I prefer Surfsharks customer support over PureVPNs because its more helpful.
I also dont like that PureVPNs live chat feature is only available to paid users.
In terms of email support, both providers respond in a reasonable time frame.
I sent Surfsharks email support a couple of emails and it typically replied within a day.
PureVPNs email support was slightly faster I generally got a response within 4-5 hours.
However, I found Surfsharks team to be more helpful compared to PureVPNs.
Also, only Surfshark provides video guides in its support articles, which is pretty convenient.
On top of that, it has an extensive and up-to-date support library that includes screenshots and video guides.
PureVPN provides a large server connection of servers across 66 countries and offers strong security and privacy features.
PureVPN also works well with popular streaming platforms and has a decent number of P2P servers across 35+ countries.
However, when it comes to overall performance, I prefer Surfshark.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Surfshark better than PureVPN?
Both VPNs are pretty good, butSurfshark has a slight edge over PureVPN.
Surfshark also has servers in more countries (100) than PureVPN (66).
Which VPN is faster: Surfshark or PureVPN?
Surfshark is a bit faster than PureVPN.
Which VPN is cheaper: Surfshark or PureVPN?
Both VPNs are very affordable, but I think Surfshark provides better value.
Both providers offer money-back guarantees and accept multiple methods of payment.
Which VPN is more secure: Surfshark or PureVPN?
Which VPN is better for streaming: Surfshark or PureVPN?
Surfshark isthe better choice for streaming.
That said, PureVPN also has great streaming support it works with 10+ streaming services.
Read more about the best VPNs in 2025
