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There is no universal winner between Surfshark and Proton VPN. Choose by comparing the current total cost for your country, the devices you use, and the privacy or streaming features you actually need. Independent publications have tested and reviewed both services, but their results reflect their own setups—not a guarantee of the speed or streaming access you will get.
Surfshark vs Proton VPN at a glance
Both services support WireGuard and popular streaming services, according to current comparison coverage. That does not establish that every streaming platform will work from every location, or that either provider will be faster on your connection. Surfshark’s comparison is useful for identifying features each provider says it offers, but it is vendor-authored and should not be treated as an independent verdict.
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| What to compare | What the available coverage establishes | What to verify for your decision |
|---|---|---|
| Total cost and renewal | Current local prices and renewal costs are not established. | Compare the full initial-term cost, renewal price, billing period, and any taxes at checkout in your country. |
| Devices and operating systems | Specific current device limits and a complete, comparable OS list are not established. | Check support for every device you will use, including any limits on simultaneous connections. |
| Privacy jurisdiction and transparency | Surfshark’s vendor comparison highlights Proton VPN’s Swiss jurisdiction. The sources do not independently establish a complete jurisdiction and transparency comparison. | Read each provider’s current privacy documentation and consider which legal jurisdiction matters to you. |
| No-logs audit | Comparison and review coverage reports no-logs audit claims for both providers, but the underlying reports were not retrieved. Audit dates, scope, and full-report availability are not established here. | Find each full audit report and check its date, what systems and claims it covered, and whether it is publicly available. |
| Protocols and security features | Both are described as supporting WireGuard. Surfshark’s comparison describes RAM-only servers and post-quantum WireGuard encryption for Surfshark, and Tor over VPN for Proton VPN; those feature descriptions are vendor-published claims. | Check the providers’ current official documentation for feature availability on your plan, platform, and app version. |
| Independent speed tests | Independent publications report performance testing, but the results belong to their own methodologies. A comparable protocol, test baseline, endpoints, and conditions are not established across the available coverage. | Read the original tests for the protocol, location, baseline connection, date, and repeat conditions before comparing any reported figures. |
| Streaming | Coverage describes both as supporting popular streaming services. A complete list of tested services, regions, and test dates is not established here. | Check whether the particular service and country you care about were tested recently; access can change over time. |
| P2P | Review coverage describes P2P support for both, with different server arrangements in the reported descriptions. Current server rules and plan eligibility are not established. | Confirm the current P2P policy, eligible plan, and any server-selection requirements in official documentation. |
| Refunds and cancellation | Current refund and cancellation terms are not established. | Read the terms at checkout for your country, including eligibility windows, renewal cancellation, and how to submit a request. |
What independent reviews and tests can—and cannot—tell you
The Independent’s 2026 comparison says its reviewer signed up as a new user to evaluate both services. Tom’s Guide publishes reviews of each VPN and describes broader product-testing practices; its coverage reports product features and testing observations. TechRadar’s Proton VPN review reports WireGuard speed and streaming and P2P observations. These are independent editorial perspectives, not tests conducted for this article, and the results should be read in light of each publication’s setup and methodology.
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#1 Best Overall
- 【Five Gigabit Ports】1 Gigabit WAN Port plus 2 Gigabit WAN/LAN Ports plus 2 Gigabit LAN Port. Up to 3 WAN ports optimize bandwidth usage through one device.
- 【One USB WAN Port】Mobile broadband via 4G/3G modem is supported for WAN backup by connecting to the USB port. For complete list of compatible 4G/3G modems, please visit TP-Link website.
- 【Abundant Security Features】Advanced firewall policies, DoS defense, IP/MAC/URL filtering, speed test and more security functions protect your network and data.
- 【Highly Secure VPN】Supports up to 20× LAN-to-LAN IPsec, 16× OpenVPN, 16× L2TP, and 16× PPTP VPN connections.
- Security - SPI Firewall, VPN Pass through, FTP/H.323/PPTP/SIP/IPsec ALG, DoS Defence, Ping of Death and Local Management. Standards and Protocols IEEE 802.3, 802.3u, 802.3ab, IEEE 802.3x, IEEE 802.1q
Privacy claims need scope, not just an audit label
Available comparison and review coverage reports no-logs audit claims associated with both providers. The underlying reports are not available in the cited coverage, so their dates, scope, and findings cannot be compared here. An audit can provide evidence about what an auditor examined at a particular time; its existence alone does not prove every privacy claim or establish that a provider’s systems have not changed since.
Surfshark’s vendor comparison emphasizes its RAM-only server infrastructure and post-quantum WireGuard encryption, while describing Proton VPN’s Swiss jurisdiction and Tor-over-VPN feature. Treat those as the vendor’s descriptions, not independent verification or a complete privacy ranking. Before relying on any of them, check current provider documentation and whether the feature applies to the device and subscription you plan to use.
Rank #2
- 【AC1200 Dual-band Wireless Router】Simultaneous dual-band with wireless speed up to 300 Mbps (2.4GHz) + 867 Mbps (5GHz). 2.4GHz band can handles some simple tasks like emails or web browsing while bandwidth intensive tasks such as gaming or 4K video streaming can be handled by the 5GHz band.*Speed tests are conducted on a local network. Real-world speeds may differ depending on your network configuration.*
- 【Easy Setup】Please refer to the User Manual and the Unboxing & Setup video guide on Amazon for detailed setup instructions and methods for connecting to the Internet.
- 【Pocket-friendly】Lightweight design(145g) which designed for your next trip or adventure. Alongside its portable, compact design makes it easy to take with you on the go.
- 【Full Gigabit Ports】Gigabit Wireless Internet Router with 2 Gigabit LAN ports and 1 Gigabit WAN ports, ideal for lots of internet plan and allow you to connect your wired devices directly.
- 【Keep your Internet Safe】IPv6 supported. OpenVPN & WireGuard pre-installed, compatible with 30+ VPN service providers. Cloudflare encryption supported to protect the privacy.
How to choose for your use
- If price is decisive: compare total charges over the initial term and the renewal price at checkout in your country. A promotional first term alone does not show what continued use will cost.
- If privacy is decisive: read both providers’ privacy policies and full audit reports. Compare audit scope and date rather than treating “audited” as a blanket guarantee.
- If streaming is decisive: check recent tests for your exact platform and region, then account for the possibility that access changes. General claims of streaming support are not a promise of access to a particular catalogue.
- If P2P is decisive: verify which servers and plans currently allow it before connecting; coverage describes different arrangements for the two services.
- If convenience is decisive: confirm that both services have apps or supported setup instructions for all the devices you use, and check any device limit before subscribing.
Bottom line
Surfshark and Proton VPN are both plausible choices if you want WireGuard and streaming capability, but the available evidence does not support declaring one the better VPN for everyone. Choose using the current checkout terms, your device compatibility, and the specific privacy, streaming, or P2P requirements you have. Treat published speed and access tests as results from the named publication’s setup, not a forecast of your own connection.
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Best Value
- Next-Gen Gigabit Wi-Fi 6 Speeds: 2402 Mbps on 5 GHz and 574 Mbps on 2.4 GHz bands ensure smoother streaming and faster downloads; support VPN server and VPN client¹
- A More Responsive Experience: Enjoy smooth gaming, video streaming, and live feeds simultaneously. OFDMA makes your Wi-Fi stronger by allowing multiple clients to share one band at the same time, cutting latency and jitter.²
- Expanded Wi-Fi Coverage: 4 high-gain external antennas and Beamforming technology combine to extend strong, reliable, Wi-Fi throughout your home.
- Improved Battery Life: Target Wake Time helps your devices to communicate efficiently while consuming less power.
- Improved Cooling Design: No heat ups, no throttles. A larger heat sink and redefined case design cools the WiFi 6 system and enables your network to stay at top speeds in more versatile environments.
Rank #4
- 【DUAL BAND WIFI 7 TRAVEL ROUTER】Products with US, UK, EU, AU Plug; Dual band network with wireless speed 688Mbps (2.4G)+2882Mbps (5G); Dual 2.5G Ethernet Ports (1x WAN and 1x LAN Port); USB 3.0 port.
- 【NETWORK CONTROL WITH TOUCHSCREEN SIMPLICITY】Slate 7’s touchscreen interface lets you scan QR codes for quick Wi-Fi, monitor speed in real time, toggle VPN on/off, and switch providers directly on the display. Color-coded indicators provide instant network status updates for Ethernet, Tethering, Repeater, and Cellular modes, offering a seamless, user-friendly experience.
- 【OpenWrt 23.05 FIRMWARE】The Slate 7 (GL-BE3600) is a high-performance Wi-Fi 7 travel router, built with OpenWrt 23.05 (Kernel 5.4.213) for maximum customization and advanced networking capabilities. With 512MB storage, total customization with open-source freedom and flexible installation of OpenWrt plugins.
- 【VPN CLIENT & SERVER】OpenVPN and WireGuard are pre-installed, compatible with 30+ VPN service providers (active subscription required). Simply log in to your existing VPN account with our portable wifi device, and Slate 7 automatically encrypts all network traffic within the connected network. Max. VPN speed of 100 Mbps (OpenVPN); 540 Mbps (WireGuard). *Speed tests are conducted on a local network. Real-world speeds may differ depending on your network configuration.*
- 【PERFECT PORTABLE WIFI ROUTER FOR TRAVEL】The Slate 7 is an ideal portable internet device perfect for international travel. With its mini size and travel-friendly features, the pocket Wi-Fi router is the perfect companion for travelers in need of a secure internet connectivity on the go in which includes hotels or cruise ships.
Rank #3
- New-Gen WiFi Standard – WiFi 6(802.11ax) standard supporting MU-MIMO and OFDMA technology for better efficiency and throughput.Antenna : External antenna x 4. Processor : Dual-core (4 VPE). Power Supply : AC Input : 110V~240V(50~60Hz), DC Output : 12 V with max. 1.5A current.
- Ultra-fast WiFi Speed – RT-AX1800S supports 1024-QAM for dramatically faster wireless connections
- Increase Capacity and Efficiency – Supporting not only MU-MIMO but also OFDMA technique to efficiently allocate channels, communicate with multiple devices simultaneously
- 5 Gigabit ports – One Gigabit WAN port and four Gigabit LAN ports, 10X faster than 100–Base T Ethernet.
- Commercial-grade Security Anywhere – Protect your home network with AiProtection Classic, powered by Trend Micro. And when away from home, ASUS Instant Guard gives you a one-click secure VPN.
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
