Updated September 28, 2026 · ShieldCue Editorial Team
Proton vs Surfshark One (Antivirus)
Where Proton and Surfshark One (Antivirus) differ
| Compare |  Proton |  Surfshark One (Antivirus) |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | YesHas it | No |
| Free plan limits | Unlimited logins, notes, credit cards and devices; 10 hide-my-email aliases; passkeys and password health alerts; no 2FA authenticator, secure sharing, file attachments or dark web monitoring | 7-day free trial, 3 devices |
| Platforms | Windows, MacOS, Linux, Android, iOS, Web app, Command line interface, Chrome, Safari, Firefox, Edge, BraveCovers more | Windows, MacOS, Android |
| Protocols | WireGuard, OpenVPN | Doh |
| Logging policy | No permanent IP logs by default; temporary IP logs kept to combat abuse and fraud; authentication logging off by default; Proton states it has no technical means to access encrypted passwords or notes | No-logs policy, independently verified by Deloitte in 2023 and 2025; RAM-only server network |
| Jurisdiction | CH | NL |
| Price from | $4.99 | Not confirmed |
| Open source | Yes | Not confirmed |
| Privacy tool type | Not confirmed | Private dns, Ad blocker, Search |
We earn a commission when you sign up through links on this site. Partner status can affect where a brand appears in our rankings.
Key differences
- Proton scores higher overall: 9.3 vs 8.5.
- Free plan: only Proton.
- Platforms: only Proton offers Linux, iOS, Web app.
- Protocols: only Proton offers WireGuard, OpenVPN.
- Protocols: only Surfshark One (Antivirus) offers Doh.
- Support channels: only Proton offers Community.
- Founded is lower at Proton: 2014 vs 2018.
- Pricing model: only Proton offers Free.
- Pricing model: only Surfshark One (Antivirus) offers Budget.
Our verdict on each
Proton
Proton bundles a password manager, VPN and encrypted storage in one account, with Pass starting at $4.99 and a free tier. It suits readers who want passwords, private files and a VPN in a single subscription, and who can live with free plan limits that leave out an authenticator, password sharing and file attachments.
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 | Surfshark One (Antivirus) |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | 9.2HigherEntry at $4.99 sits under the site median of €6.84, with storage at $95.88 per TB per year and a free plan. | 8.4 |
| Offer | 9.5Higher | 8.9Extras list a VPN, cover runs to 5 devices on Windows, macOS and Android, and a trial of 7 days is offered. |
| Privacy | 9.1Higher | 8.1 |
Positions in our rankings
| Ranking | Proton | Surfshark One (Antivirus) |
|---|---|---|
| Privacy tools | 10 of 280 | 9 of 280 |
Availability and regulation
| Country | Proton | Surfshark One (Antivirus) |
|---|---|---|
| Headquarters | Switzerland | Netherlands |
Sources behind this comparison
Proton
- proton.me: 12 facts, checked September 26, 2026
- privacyjournal.net: 1 fact, checked September 26, 2026
Surfshark One (Antivirus)
- surfshark.com: 12 facts, checked September 26, 2026
Every fact side by side
| Fact | Proton | 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 |
VPN
| Fact | Proton | Surfshark One (Antivirus) |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly price | Not confirmed | €2.49 |
| Devices | 10Higher | 5 |
| Server countries | 140 | Not confirmed |
| Features | No logs, Streaming, Travel | Not confirmed |
| Audience | Business | Not confirmed |
| Money-back period | 30 days | Not confirmed |
| Features | Kill switch | Not confirmed |
| Streaming services | Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, Hulu | Not confirmed |
| Owner | Proton Foundation | Not confirmed |
| Longest plan (months) | 24 months | Not confirmed |
Password managers
| Fact | Proton | Surfshark One (Antivirus) |
|---|---|---|
| Family plan | Pass Family: up to 6 users, includes 6 Pass Plus accounts and an admin panel | Not confirmed |
| Passkeys | Yes | Not confirmed |
| Security audit | Independently audited by third-party experts (Cure53 audit published July 2023), open source under GPLv3, public bug bounty | Not confirmed |
| Encryption | End-to-end encryption; 256-bit AES-GCM encrypted vaults; OpenPGP with ECC (Curve25519) for vault keys | Not confirmed |
| Zero-knowledge encryption | Yes | Not confirmed |
Secure email
| Fact | Proton | Surfshark One (Antivirus) |
|---|---|---|
| End-to-end encryption | All fields end-to-end encrypted: passwords, usernames, web addresses, credit cards, note contents and metadata; 256-bit AES-GCM vaults; only the user can decrypt, Proton cannot | Not confirmed |
| Custom domains | Yes | Not confirmed |
Encrypted storage
| Fact | Proton | Surfshark One (Antivirus) |
|---|---|---|
| Free storage | 5 | Not confirmed |
| Price per TB per year | $95.88 | Not confirmed |
| Compliance certifications | ISO 27001, SOC 2 Type II | Not confirmed |
Identity protection
| Fact | Proton | Surfshark One (Antivirus) |
|---|---|---|
| Insurance amount | Not confirmed | $1,000,000 |
| Free trial length | Not confirmed | 7 days |
Where each stands against the rest
| Fact | Proton | Surfshark One (Antivirus) | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price from | $4.99below the median | Not confirmed | $8 |
Median across 82 listed providers.
Pros and cons
Proton
Pros
- A single account covers a password manager, a VPN and end-to-end encrypted storage, with a free plan to start.
- Passkeys, custom domains and a Family plan with an admin panel suit single-user and shared use.
- Vaults use AES-GCM encryption with OpenPGP and ECC keys, and only the account holder can decrypt.
Cons
- Support runs on email, chat and help centre with no phone line.
- Free plan limits leave out the authenticator app, password sharing, attachments and dark web monitoring.
- Extra storage costs $95.88 per TB per year beyond 5 GB free.
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
Who it suits
- Readers who want a password manager, a VPN and private files under a single subscription rather than separate products.
- Households and small teams that need shared accounts, since the Family plan bundles several Pass Plus accounts and an admin panel.
- Buyers who care about open source under a copyleft licence, outside security audits and a public bug bounty.
Who should look elsewhere
- Apple Hide My Email at $0.99 if email aliasing is the whole job, since Proton adds a VPN, storage and a password manager.
- Apple Inc. at $0.99 when aliasing is the priority; Proton's $4.99 entry brings a VPN, storage and password manager in the same account.
- EasyOptOuts at $19.99 for a single higher priced subscription, against Proton's $4.99 entry and a free plan.
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
Proton
Current offer
Discount code
40% off Pass Plus: 40% off
Shown on the Proton Pass pricing page alongside a 30-day money-back guarantee; applies to the Pass Plus paid plan
Source, checked September 26, 2026
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
How much is Proton Pass at the entry price?+
Proton Pass starts at $4.99, and there is a free plan beside it. The paid tiers widen the set of features, so the entry price only pays off if you want more hide my email aliases, passkeys and password health alerts.
What does the free plan leave out?+
The free plan covers as many logins, notes, cards and devices as you like, but it leaves out the authenticator app, sharing with other people, file attachments and dark web monitoring. Those sit on paid Pass plans, where entry starts at $4.99.
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.
Other options to compare
Other matchups
- Proton vs NordVPN
- Proton vs NordVPN Threat Protection
- Proton vs WEBROOT master
- Proton vs Apple Inc.
- Proton vs addy.io
- Proton vs Apple Hide My Email
- Proton vs Runbox
- Surfshark One (Antivirus) vs Qwant
- Proton vs Kaspersky
- Proton vs Kaspersky Latam
- Proton vs Kaspersky
- Proton vs NordPass
- Proton vs ESET Brasil
- Proton vs ESET
- Surfshark One (Antivirus) vs SpyHunter
- Proton vs Surfshark Alert
- Surfshark One (Antivirus) vs Proton Mail
- Surfshark One (Antivirus) vs Proton Pass
- Surfshark One (Antivirus) vs Proton Drive
- Proton vs AdGuard