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Updated September 29, 2026 · ShieldCue Editorial Team

Disroot vs Surfshark

Disroot scores 9.2 and Surfshark 9.4 out of 10. Compare their differences and shared features below.
Surfshark

Surfshark

Higher score in this comparison

9.4/10
Visit
Disroot

Disroot

9.2/10
See alternatives

Where Disroot and Surfshark differ

Disroot vs Surfshark
CompareDisrootDisrootReviewSee alternativesSee alternativesSurfsharkSurfsharkReviewVisitVisit
Free planYesHas itNo
Free plan limits1GB mailbox, 2GB cloud, 500MB Cryptpad, 64MB attachment limit; free of charge, non-commercial use only7-day free trial, 3 devices
PlatformsWeb, AndroidWindows, MacOS, Linux, Android, iOS, Android TV, Apple TV, Fire TV, Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Routers
Logging policyActivity logs kept no longer than 48 hours; several services store no log data at allNo-logs policy, independently verified by Deloitte in 2023 and 2025; RAM-only server network
Privacy tool typeSearchPrivate dns, Ad blocker, SearchCovers more
ProtocolsNot confirmedWireGuard, OpenVPN, IKEv2, Dausos
Open sourceYesNot confirmed

Same on both: Jurisdiction (NL).

We earn a commission when you sign up through links on this site. Partner status can affect where a brand appears in our rankings. Partners with a live offer in your country come first, then every other brand by score.

Key differences

  • Surfshark scores higher overall: 9.4 vs 9.2.
  • Free plan: only Disroot.
  • Platforms: only Disroot offers Web.
  • Platforms: only Surfshark offers Windows, MacOS, Linux.
  • Support channels: only Disroot offers Community.
  • Founded is lower at Disroot: 2015 vs 2018.
  • Pricing model: only Disroot offers Free.
  • Pricing model: only Surfshark offers Budget.
  • Privacy tool type: only Surfshark offers Private dns, Ad blocker.

Our verdict on each

Disroot

Disroot suits people who want a free mailbox on their own domain with 2 of cloud alongside it. The trade-off is that email is encrypted in transit only, while Zero-knowledge end-to-end encryption covers the vault, and the free tier is for non-commercial use.

Read the full Disroot review

Surfshark

Surfshark suits households and small teams that want a wide network at a modest rate, and it reaches further than most rivals at this price. Its long-term plan price is €2.49, under the site median for long-term plans, €3.97, and every purchase carries a 30 money-back window.

Read the full Surfshark review

Score breakdown

Disroot vs Surfshark
AreaDisrootSurfshark
CostNot confirmed9.6Surfshark's long-term plan price of €2.49 undercuts the site median €3.97, while the monthly plan at €2.49 keeps entry low.
Offer9.49.5HigherThe plan bundles private dns, ad blocker and search with a 7 trial and a 30 money-back window.
Privacy8.8Higher8.7

Availability and regulation

Disroot vs Surfshark
CountryDisrootSurfshark
HeadquartersNetherlandsNetherlands

Where these facts come from

Disroot

  • disroot.org: 12 facts, checked September 26, 2026

Surfshark

  • surfshark.com: 11 facts, checked September 26, 2026
  • en.wikipedia.org: 1 fact, checked September 26, 2026

How they place

Disroot vs Surfshark
RankingDisrootSurfshark
Privacy tools66 of 2817 of 281
Private browsers and search engines12 of 553 of 55

Every fact side by side

Disroot vs Surfshark
FactDisrootSurfshark
Pricing modelFreeBudget
Legal entityStichting Disroot.orgSurfshark B.V.
HeadquartersNetherlandsNetherlands
Founded2015Lower2018
Support channelsEmail, Chat, Help centre, CommunityCovers moreEmail, Chat, Help centre

Password managers

Disroot vs Surfshark
FactDisrootSurfshark
EncryptionZero-knowledge end-to-end encryptionNot confirmed
FeaturesTOTPKill switch, Split tunnelling, Multi hop
Zero-knowledge encryptionNoNot confirmed

Encrypted storage

Disroot vs Surfshark
FactDisrootSurfshark
Free storage2Not confirmed

Identity protection

Disroot vs Surfshark
FactDisrootSurfshark
Monthly priceNot confirmed€2.49
Insurance amountNot confirmed$1,000,000
Free trial lengthNot confirmed7 days
Money-back periodNot confirmed30 days

Data removal

Disroot vs Surfshark
FactDisrootSurfshark
Yearly priceNot confirmed€121.23
Countries coveredNot confirmedUnited States, United Kingdom, Canada, Switzerland

Pros and cons

Disroot

Pros

  • A free plan that puts a mailbox, cloud storage and Cryptpad into a single account
  • Activity logs are cleared after a short window, and several services record nothing at all
  • Open source and run by Stichting Disroot.org under NL law

Cons

  • Mail is encrypted in transit only, so end-to-end protection is a manual step through the Mailvelope browser extension in webmail
  • The free tier tops out at 2 of cloud storage, with set allowances for the mailbox, Cryptpad and attachments, and covers personal, non-commercial use
  • Platforms listed are web and android, so iOS and desktop clients sit outside what is supported

Surfshark

Pros

  • Servers in 100 countries, ranking 7 on coverage among 62 brands compared.
  • The no-logs policy is independently verified by Deloitte, with the current audit listed as Deloitte 2025.
  • A single subscription covers Windows, macOS and Linux.

Cons

  • There is no free plan, so the 7-day free trial, 3 devices is the only way to try Surfshark before paying.
  • Support runs on email, chat and help centre only, with no phone line for urgent problems.
  • Price-first readers have cheaper options: MEGA lists $1.67 and Sinew Software Systems lists $1.99 for a long-term plan.

Who each suits

Disroot

Who it suits

  • People who want a free personal mailbox on a custom domain
  • Readers who like open source software and short log retention
  • Anyone who wants the vault's totp codes and encrypted storage beside their mail

Who should look elsewhere

  • Business users, since the free plan limits are for non-commercial use
  • Apple Hide My Email readers, whose free plan limits exclude the service because it arrives only with a paid storage tier
  • addy.io users who just need forwarding, since unlimited standard aliases fit that narrower job

Surfshark

Who it suits

  • Households covering several device types, with apps across Windows, macOS and Linux.
  • Small teams priced for business, with 100 server countries and privacy extras of private dns, ad blocker and search in one subscription.
  • Readers who put audit evidence first, since the no-logs policy is verified by Deloitte and the current audit is Deloitte 2025.

Who should look elsewhere

  • Readers chasing the lowest long-term rate, where MEGA at $1.67 and Sinew Software Systems at $1.99 sit lower.
  • Buyers looking for antivirus rather than a network, where ESET Brasil is the comparison to read, with 40 to 70 server countries in its coverage.

Current offers

Surfshark

Current offer

  • Bonus

    +3 EXTRA months, Save 85% on Surfshark Starter: Starter EUR 2.49/mo., sale price EUR 67.23 for the first 27 months (old price EUR 444.15)

    24-month plans, VAT may apply, 30-day money-back guarantee

    Source, checked September 26, 2026

  • Free trial

    7-day free trial: 7 days free on 3 devices

    Available on all 12-month and 24-month plans; payment by credit card, Apple Pay or PayPal

    Source, checked September 26, 2026

Country by country

Disroot vs Surfshark
CountryDisrootSurfshark
AfghanistanNoYes
Aland IslandsNoYes
AlbaniaNoYes
AlgeriaNoYes
American SamoaNoYes
AndorraNoYes
AngolaNoYes
AnguillaNoYes

8 of 250 countries where either is available.

Questions about each

Disroot

What does the Disroot free plan include?+

There is a free plan, and it covers more than mail: a mailbox, cloud storage and Cryptpad space in a single account. The cloud portion alone is 2, alongside set allowances for the mailbox, for Cryptpad and for message attachments. Paid tiers sit above this for heavier use.

Is Disroot email encrypted end to end?+

Not by default. Email is secured in transit, and message-level encryption is something you turn on yourself with the Mailvelope browser extension in webmail. The vault is the part that carries Zero-knowledge end-to-end encryption, so files stored there are protected without extra setup.

Surfshark

What does Surfshark cost month to month and on a long commitment?+

Surfshark's monthly plan is listed at €2.49 and the yearly plan at €121.23. The longest plan runs 27 months, which brings the monthly rate to €2.49, below the site median for long-term plans, €3.97. A 30 money-back window sits behind the longer commitments.

Is there a free plan, or only a trial?+

The free plan is no, so nothing runs indefinitely at no cost. What is offered is a 7 trial, and the stated free plan limits read 7-day free trial, 3 devices. After that trial ends, the 30 money-back window is the route to a full refund if the service does not fit your setup.

Other options to compare

Surfshark

Visit

Disroot

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