Surfshark vs. Windscribe: Which unlimited device VPN is best?

You use more than one device, so it makes sense to use a VPN to protect privacy on all your computers, laptops, tablets, and phones. If you’re like me, that’s a lot of devices, making Surfshark and Windscribe top candidates.

While the best VPNs offer solid cybersecurity with excellent speed, some limit the number of simultaneous connections. That means you might need to disconnect your phone before using the VPN on your laptop. That can be frustrating if you’ve left your phone upstairs or in another room to charge, so I compared both Surfshark and Windscribe to see which is the better solution.

Specs

Tiers and pricing

If you want to connect to a VPN on multiple devices, your cost per device could be incredibly low. Still, it’s important to stay aware of prices since subscription fatigue is an ongoing concern.

Surfshark charges $15.45 per month, which is expensive. You can save over $100 annually with a longer-term plan. It’s $48 per year or $56 for two years, plus new subscribers get four bonus months. The cost increases to $60 annually to renew either long-term subscription.

To get the best deal on a VPN, you need to subscribe for a year or more, but you can try Surfshark for free with a seven-day trial, and a 30-day money-back guarantee gives you an opportunity to get a refund if it didn’t suit your needs.

Windscribe’s best option for unrestricted use is the $69 annual subscription with a 30-day money-back guarantee of satisfaction. Two monthly plans are available: a full-featured VPN for $9 and a unique Build-A-Plan subscription that starts at $3 per month.

The least expensive option, Windscribe’s Build-A-Plan is restricted to 30GB of data and a selection of three server locations. You can add more server locations and 10GB of data for $1 each. For $1 more, you can unlock unlimited data.

Windscribe also has a free app that starts with a 2GB data cap, but can be boosted to 15GB by providing your email address and posting about the service on social media. You can access free servers in 10 countries at no cost.

If you don’t want to pay for a VPN, Proton Free is one of the best solutions. It includes an uncapped VPN, secure email, encrypted cloud storage, and more.

Features

Surfshark is easy to use and is one of the best and fastest streaming VPNs available. I was impressed with almost instantaneous connections and high-speed downloads at locations around the world.

A U.S. server reached 728Mbps while routing traffic through a secure server that encrypts data. That’s 81% of my unprotected Ethernet speed, a small loss compared to competing VPNs that cut internet speeds in half to protect my privacy.

Surfshark also performed well in worldwide speed tests, exceeding 579Mbps in European countries and reaching 306Mbps when I chose an Australian server.

Windscribe has a user interface that will appeal to gamers. It’s sleek and small, but functional. The app is intelligent and alerted me to a software conflict that was causing a CPU slowdown.

It offers stable connections and offers hundreds of servers in 69 countries. The list isn’t as large and widespread as Surfshark’s, but I was able to connect to all my favorites.

In my Windscribe review, I found that the fastest speeds were with a U.S. server that measured 451Mbps. Overseas is always slower, and Windscribe averaged 190Mbps for Europe and 136Mbps for Australia.

Both VPNs support obfuscation, so either is a good choice for a VPN to use in school. Administration firewalls often block VPNs, but obfuscation disguises usage.

Support

Surfshark customers get 24/7 live chat support. In my testing, an AI responded first and offered helpful suggestions. When I asked for a human, I was quickly connected to a live agent to help with account issues or provide more personal assistance with technical questions.

Windscribe also has an informative chatbot, but live agents weren’t available. Email support is relatively quick, but it could take up to 24 hours to get a reply.

With either service, you can browse or search the support center to find your own solution.

Privacy and security

One of the primary jobs of a VPN is protecting your privacy. Surfshark and Windscribe take this issue seriously and only collect what’s needed to provide the service you pay for.

Windscribe is an open source app so you can scan the code to check for privacy loopholes or activity logging routines.

Both Surfshark and Windscribe have independent audits to verify their no-log claims are accurate and that security systems are sufficient to protect your data.

Which unlimited device VPN is best?

While some services restrict how many devices you can connect, the best multi-device VPNs let you protect them all. Surfshark and Windscribe are top picks that let you share your account with your family. That means you’ll get great value from either service.

Windscribe has a lower monthly cost, but a more expensive $69 annual plan. The Build-A-Plan option is quite unique, but you’d probably want to pay the extra dollar to get unlimited data, raising your monthly cost to $4.

By comparison, Surfshark’s annual plan starts at $48 and comes with a four-month bonus, an equivalent monthly cost of $3. You must pay in advance, but it’s worth the expense to get access to one of the best VPNs available.

Our top pick for a VPN for a home with lots of devices is Surfshark. It’s faster that Windscribe, has plenty of features, costs less, and offers 24/7 support.