Updated September 28, 2026 · ShieldCue Editorial Team
Proton AG vs Surfshark One (Antivirus)
What sets them apart
| Compare |  Proton AG |  Surfshark One (Antivirus) |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | YesHas it | No |
| Free plan limits | No data or speed limits, no ads, no time limit, 1 device, servers in 10 countries randomly selected, medium speed. | 7-day free trial, 3 devices |
| Platforms | Windows, MacOS, Linux, Chromebook, Android, iOS, Chrome, Firefox, Android TV, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TVCovers more | Windows, MacOS, Android |
| Protocols | WireGuard, OpenVPN | Doh |
| Logging policy | No activity logs | No-logs policy, independently verified by Deloitte in 2023 and 2025; RAM-only server network |
| Jurisdiction | CH | NL |
| Privacy tool type | Ad blocker | Private dns, Ad blocker, SearchCovers more |
| Open source | Yes | Not confirmed |
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Key differences
- Proton AG scores higher overall: 9.3 vs 8.5.
- Free plan: only Proton AG.
- Platforms: only Proton AG offers Linux, Chromebook, iOS.
- Protocols: only Proton AG offers WireGuard, OpenVPN.
- Protocols: only Surfshark One (Antivirus) offers Doh.
- Support channels: only Proton AG offers Community.
- Founded is lower at Proton AG: 2014 vs 2018.
- Pricing model: only Proton AG offers Free.
- Pricing model: only Surfshark One (Antivirus) offers Budget.
- Privacy tool type: only Surfshark One (Antivirus) offers Private dns, Search.
Our verdict on each
Proton AG
Proton AG suits readers who want a published no-logs audit, a free tier and a bundled privacy suite rather than a bare tunnel, with the company based in Switzerland. Paid plans reach servers in from 140 countries and cover 10 devices, alongside free storage of 5 GB.
Surfshark One (Antivirus)
Surfshark One puts antivirus and a VPN in the same subscription, which separates it from the plans next to it. It suits households that want one bill across a few devices, with a first-year price of €75.33 and a monthly option at €2.49.
Score breakdown
| Area | Proton AG | Surfshark One (Antivirus) |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | 9.3Higher | 8.4 |
| Offer | 9.4HigherTerm choice runs to 24 months with a 30-day refund window, and a free plan anchors entry pricing. | 8.9Extras list a VPN, cover runs to 5 devices on Windows, macOS and Android, and a trial of 7 days is offered. |
| Privacy | 8.9Higher | 8.1 |
Choosing between them
Pick Proton AG if cost, offer, privacy, free plan, and platforms matter most.
Pick Surfshark One (Antivirus) if privacy tool type matter most.
Where they rank in our lists
| Ranking | Proton AG | Surfshark One (Antivirus) |
|---|---|---|
| Privacy tools | 24 of 280 | 9 of 280 |
| Ad blockers and private DNS | 12 of 63 | 8 of 63 |
Availability and regulation
| Country | Proton AG | Surfshark One (Antivirus) |
|---|---|---|
| Headquarters | Switzerland | Netherlands |
Every fact side by side
| Fact | Proton AG | Surfshark One (Antivirus) |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Free | Budget |
| Legal entity | Proton AG | Surfshark B.V. |
| Headquarters | Switzerland | Netherlands |
| Founded | 2014Lower | 2018 |
| Support channels | Email, Chat, Help centre, CommunityCovers more | Email, Chat, Help centre |
Password managers
| Fact | Proton AG | Surfshark One (Antivirus) |
|---|---|---|
| Family plan | Pass Family: up to 6 users, 6 Pass Plus accounts, admin panel | Not confirmed |
| Passkeys | Yes | Not confirmed |
| Security audit | Independently audited by third-party experts; audit reports public | Not confirmed |
| Encryption | Zero-knowledge end-to-end encryption, 256-bit AES-GCM vaults, OpenPGP with ECC Curve25519 for vault keys | Not confirmed |
| Features | Kill switch, Split tunnelling | Not confirmed |
| Zero-knowledge encryption | Yes | Not confirmed |
Secure email
| Fact | Proton AG | Surfshark One (Antivirus) |
|---|---|---|
| End-to-end encryption | The VPN connection from the user's device to Proton's servers; Proton also markets Proton for Business with end-to-end encryption. | Not confirmed |
Encrypted storage
| Fact | Proton AG | Surfshark One (Antivirus) |
|---|---|---|
| Free storage | 5 | Not confirmed |
| Compliance certifications | GDPR, HIPAA, ISO 27001 | Not confirmed |
Identity protection
| Fact | Proton AG | Surfshark One (Antivirus) |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly price | Not confirmed | €2.49 |
| Insurance amount | Not confirmed | $1,000,000 |
| Free trial length | Not confirmed | 7 days |
| Money-back period | 30 days | Not confirmed |
Pros and cons
Proton AG
Pros
- No-logs claims are audited rather than asserted: Securitum's audit (Securitum, 2026) sits behind a No activity logs policy.
- Free limits come with no caps on data or speed, no ads and no time limit.
- 10 simultaneous devices, above the ranked VPN median of 8.
Cons
- Support runs on email, chat and help centre, and there is no phone line among them.
- The free plan limits put you on a single device at medium speed with randomly selected countries, so constant use points at a paid plan.
- End-to-end encryption is marketed for Proton for Business, while the consumer plan encrypts only the connection from your device to Proton's servers.
Surfshark One (Antivirus)
Pros
- Extras include a VPN, so protection and privacy arrive on one subscription (vpn)
- Covers 5 devices on Windows, macOS and Android
- A trial of 7 days lets you test the paid tier first
Cons
- No free version, so a subscription is the only way to run the protection
- Support runs on email, chat and help centre, with no phone line among them
- 5 devices sits under the group median of 7
Who each suits
Proton AG
Who it suits
- Readers who want a VPN, a passkey vault and encrypted storage under a single account instead of separate subscriptions.
- Families sharing storage, since Pass Family covers several users and Pass Plus seats through a single admin panel.
- Teams buying under a business audience (business) who need GDPR, HIPAA and ISO 27001 certifications on file.
Who should look elsewhere
- Anyone needing more devices on a single account: Proton covers 10, while ESET Brasil plans run 3 to 25 devices.
- Readers choosing purely on server spread: AVG lists from 100 countries, a base close to Proton's from 140.
- Readers who want a different audit trail to compare: Session Technology Foundation lists Quarkslab 2021 against Proton's Securitum, 2026.
Surfshark One (Antivirus)
Who it suits
- Readers who already pay for a VPN and want malware protection on the same bill
- Households that fit within 5 covered devices
- People who want one subscription across security tools rather than several separate buys
Who should look elsewhere
- Apple Inc. users, who get security features across iOS, iPadOS and macOS from the operating system itself
- Comodo (Xcitium) users who need room for 50 devices on a single plan
- ESET Brasil readers after a different first-year quote, since its first-year price is BRL 64.22
Current offers
Surfshark One (Antivirus)
Current offer
First period offer
Surfshark One 24-month plan with 3 extra months: EUR 75.33 for the first 27 months (Save 85%)
Surfshark One plan on the 24-month term; Starter EUR 67.23 and One+ EUR 121.23 also discounted; VAT may apply
Source, checked September 26, 2026
Free trial
Free trial: 7 days free
Free trial limited to 3 devices; 30-day money-back guarantee if you subscribe after the trial
Source, checked September 26, 2026
Questions about each
Proton AG
What does Proton VPN cost, and how long are the commitments?+
The longest plan runs 24 months, the service is listed on a free model, and paid plans carry a 30-day money-back window. Across the ranked VPN field, monthly pricing has a median of €7.02 and long-term pricing a median of €3.97, which frames any quote you see.
Is there a free plan, and what are its limits?+
Yes. The free plan has no caps on data or speed, no ads and no time limit. It runs on a single device, reaches servers in a randomly selected group of countries and delivers medium speed, so the paid tier, which covers 10 devices, is the practical step for constant use.
Surfshark One (Antivirus)
What does Surfshark One cost at the start and after renewal?+
The first-year price is €75.33, and the monthly option is listed at €2.49. Set the opening figure against the group median of €49.95. What a renewal costs depends on the checkout terms, so the total shown at the point of payment is the figure to check.
Does the plan include a VPN or is that bought separately?+
A VPN is bundled into the same plan and listed among the extras, so antivirus and privacy cover arrive on one subscription rather than two. That bundling is what separates this offer from antivirus sold on its own. Around 97.1% of the products in this group also bundle a VPN.
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