Surfshark vs. Avast VPN: A Tale of Two Industry Leaders

There’s an interesting juxtaposition when you look at Surfshark and Avast. The former got started as a VPN provider, but has recently expanded to offer identity theft protections and antivirus software. The latter started as an antivirus software provider, and has recently introduced a virtual private network into its product lineup.

Based on those facts, many might (understandably) come to the conclusion that Surfshark is the better VPN option. After all, its main product is a VPN, whereas Avast is primarily an antivirus brand. We don’t like speculating, though, so to find out which is better, we tested Surfshark and Avast’s VPNs side by side.

What You Get From Each VPN

Several critical distinctions immediately jump out if you take a quick look at Surfshark VPN and Avast SecureLine.

Servers

For starters, Surfshark operates three times as many servers as Avast. It has over 3,200 servers in 100 countries, while Avast has only about 1,000 servers in 55 locations.

To be fair, that is by no means a bad stat line. It’s just that it’s up against Surfshark, one of the best VPNs in the market. With the right features, even a VPN with as few servers as Avast can be a great choice. Just take a look at our Atlas VPN review. Atlas has about just as many servers as Avast, but it received a 9.0 out of 10 from us.

Devices

Another notable difference between Surfshark and Avast is the number of devices they can protect. Surfshark includes VPN access for unlimited devices in each subscription. Avast’s subscriptions cover only up to 10 devices.

Again, that is not a bad number. According to Pew Research, 97 percent of U.S. adults own a laptop or smartphone.1 Even if you live in a household of five, each with a mobile device and a computer, one Avast subscription is still enough for the entire house. Avast is good, but Surfshark is better.

Features

When trying out or buying a VPN, we recommend looking for three staple features: kill switch, split tunneling, and multi-hop.

In essence, the kill switch stops your device from connecting to the internet if and when your VPN connection fails. Multi-hop, on the other hand, connects you to two VPN servers instead of just one to boost your privacy. Both the kill switch and multi-hop are useful in protecting your privacy.

On the other hand, split tunneling is more of a productivity feature. You’ll need this if you want to keep your VPN connection but have a few apps that don’t work with a VPN. For example, many online banking apps refuse to connect if you’re on a VPN network. You can use split tunneling to give those apps a non-VPN network to connect to.

Surfshark offers all those three features, but with Avast, only the kill switch is available. For many, though, the kill switch alone is enough. It’s the only one of the three features that is absolutely necessary. Not everyone needs the extra security of multi-hop and the convenience of split tunneling. Of course, if you need those features, you should definitely go with Surfshark.

Which One Performs Better?

You can draw those comparisons just by looking at each VPN, but features are just half of the equation. We tested Surfshark and Avast side by side to see how they actually perform in the real world.

Security: Are There Any Leaks?

The main job of a VPN is to protect your privacy through encryption and by hiding your IP address. So, if exploits like DNS and WebRTC leaks can reveal your real IP address, then the VPN has already failed.

Fortunately, both Surfshark and Avast SecureLine prevented any leaks. One at a time, we connected Surfshark and Avast to a server in Australia and performed our DNS and WebRTC leak tests. All our tests returned favorable results. They detected the server’s IP address in Australia, not our actual IP, which was exactly what we wanted.

We’d like to note, though, that using obfuscation technology, Surfshark goes a step further. It can evade detection by network firewalls. For example, in countries that ban the use of VPNs, governments have firewalls that can detect traffic headed to or coming from a VPN server. Surfshark camouflages its traffic to look like normal online traffic so it’s less likely to be detected. Avast offers no similar technology.

Speed: Which One Is Faster?

Another critical performance metric is the speed. In most circumstances, using a VPN will slow down your internet connection. The fastest VPNs, however, will have a less noticeable impact on your original network speed.

To test Surfshark and Avast SecureLine fairly, we tested their respective speeds one at a time using the same device on the same Wi-Fi network. For reference, our normal internet speed is around 300 Mbps. We also made sure to connect to the same server location (Australia).

We got mixed results. On one hand, Avast was about 2 Mbps faster than Surfshark in terms of download speed and about 40 ms faster in terms of latency, or ping. On the other hand, Surfshark’s upload speed was almost twice as fast as Avast’s upload speed.

Which Is More Private?

Lastly, let’s take a look at how each VPN treats users’ privacy. Using a VPN protects your online traffic from outside threats, such as hackers possibly spying on your network or your ISP logging your every move online and selling your data.2 That said, when you use a VPN, your online data goes to its servers instead, so if your VPN provider is not careful with your data, you still risk facing the backlash of a data leak.

Surfshark and Avast SecureLine are both “no-logs” VPNs, which is the term VPNs use to describe their privacy practices. This means they don’t log or collect any identifiable information about what you do while using their services. They don’t remember your browsing history, IP address, or downloads.

However, Avast SecureLine does store two types of usage-related information: connection time stamps and amount of data transmitted. The company swears to use these pieces of data only to improve its services; for example, to plan for network capacity or server improvements. Moreover, all logged information is deleted after 35 days.

Which Is More Practical?

Surfshark offers three subscription levels and three different durations, which we detail in our guide to Surfshark’s prices, but here’s a quick breakdown:

The starter subscription gets you Surfshark’s VPN as well as an ad blocker and some basic identity theft protection — something we’re seeing a lot more of with VPN services these days. A Surfshark One subscription adds more advanced ID protections as well as antivirus software. A Surfshark One Plus subscription adds data removal from people finder and data broker sites through Incogni. Those are some pretty advanced features, so let’s compare that to Avast.

Avast’s pricing breakdown is a little simpler when it comes to their VPN. Here’s what that looks like:

If you’re just looking for a VPN and you want to pay month to month, Avast is going to be cheaper. If you want to use the service long term, or if you want to enjoy some supplemental protections to your plan, Surfshark is the better value.

>> Additional Resources: The Top Avast Antivirus Alternatives

Which VPN Is Better Overall?

Our comparison of Surfshark and Avast SecureLine makes clear which is better: Surfshark. It bested Avast in the four areas we looked at: features, performance, privacy, and cost. It is the second-highest-rated VPN on our site, after all, with a 9.5 out of 10 Editor’s Rating.

Avast SecureLine did put up a good fight, though. We still think it’s a good option, especially if you’re using Avast’s antivirus software, as you can bundle the two services and enjoy some savings. However, if a top-notch VPN is what you’re looking for, we recommend Surfshark over Avast.

>> More from Surfshark: Incogni Data Removal Services