Last updated: September 2026
#AFFILIATE-PLACEHOLDER-* in our code) until we join programs — at which point every affected page gets a clear, conspicuous disclosure. Full disclosure. We have not tested these services ourselves; everything below comes from the published sources listed at the bottom.
| Spec | NordVPN | Surfshark | CyberGhost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Promo price | $3.49/mo | $2.49/mo | $2.19/mo |
| First term (total) | $94.23 / 27 months | $67.23 / 27 months | $56.94 / 26 months |
| Renewal (per year) | $139.08 ($11.59/mo) | $79.00 ($6.58/mo) | $56.94 ($4.75/mo) |
| Network | 9,300+ servers, 137 countries¹ | 3,200–4,500+ servers, 100 countries² | 11,690 servers, 100 countries³ |
| Simultaneous devices | 10 | Unlimited | 7 |
| Money-back guarantee | 30 days | 30 days | 45 days |
| P2P / torrenting | Dedicated P2P servers (40+ countries) | All servers | 50+ optimized P2P servers |
| Port forwarding | No | No | No |
| Protocols | NordLynx (WireGuard-based), OpenVPN, NordWhisper | WireGuard, OpenVPN, IKEv2 | WireGuard, OpenVPN, IKEv2 |
| Kill switch | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| No-logs audits | Yes (multiple, incl. PwC) | Yes (Deloitte) | Yes (Deloitte) |
| Headquarters | Panama | British Virgin Islands | Romania (Kape Technologies group⁴) |
Pricing from Gizmodo's Sep-2026 comparison of advertised first-term and renewal rates. ¹Security.org. ²CyberWaters / WizCase. ³WizCase. ⁴WizCase ownership disclosure (Kape also owns ExpressVPN and PIA). Server counts are provider-reported and change frequently. Protocol rows: NordVPN's protocol list from Security.org; Surfshark/CyberGhost protocol support is provider-published. Audit firms: widely reported; verify current audit reports on each provider's site before relying on them.
NordVPN has the broadest reported unblocking (Netflix, Hulu, BBC iPlayer, Disney+, Prime per CyberInsider) and the strongest Reddit streaming consensus. Surfshark matches it on the major platforms per community reports at a lower price with unlimited devices — the sensible pick for a multi-screen household. Full breakdown: best VPN for streaming.
All three lack port forwarding. NordVPN and CyberGhost offer designated P2P servers; Surfshark allows P2P everywhere. If port forwarding matters to you (heavy seeders), look at PIA or ExpressVPN instead — see best VPN for torrenting.
Unlimited simultaneous connections is genuinely rare at this price. A family with phones, laptops, TVs, and consoles on one account is Surfshark's ideal customer.
45 days is the most generous window here. Combined with the lowest renewal price, it's the cheapest way to test-drive a premium VPN for six weeks.
Gizmodo's Sep-2026 pricing analysis is blunt: every provider here advertises a low monthly figure and charges more at renewal — NordVPN's effective rate roughly triples. CyberGhost is the exception that stays flat ($56.94/year at renewal). Whatever you choose, check the renewal price on the checkout page, not just the headline deal.
We don't publish our own speed claims. Third-party measurements vary by test setup: Gizmodo (Sep 2026, 190 Mbps line) measured 7.8% loss for NordVPN, 9.6% for Surfshark, and 13.3% for CyberGhost — a real but modest spread. Your base connection matters far more than the difference between these three.
It's a legitimate factor some Reddit users weigh: Kape Technologies (owner of ExpressVPN, CyberGhost, and PIA) has a controversial history in the adware business. Others note the services operate under audited no-logs policies regardless of ownership. We state the fact; the risk tolerance is yours.
Yes — that's what the money-back windows are for. Buy during a promotion, test with your actual use case (streaming services, torrent client), run our leak test to confirm no IP exposure, and cancel within the guarantee period if it falls short.