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There is no evidence-based universal winner between Surfshark and Proton VPN. Both are described in current comparison coverage as supporting WireGuard and popular streaming services, and independent publications have tested both. The useful choice depends on your devices, privacy priorities, P2P needs, and the terms available in your country. Third-party results are specific to each publication’s setup; they are not tests conducted for this article.
Surfshark vs. Proton VPN at a glance
| What to compare | Surfshark | Proton VPN |
|---|---|---|
| WireGuard and streaming | Surfshark’s 2026 vendor comparison says both services support WireGuard and common streaming services. Surfshark’s comparison | The same vendor comparison makes that claim for both services. Streaming access can vary by platform, location, and time. Surfshark’s comparison |
| Privacy and infrastructure claims | Surfshark’s vendor comparison describes its infrastructure as RAM-only and its WireGuard encryption as post-quantum. These are vendor-published claims, not independent verification. Surfshark’s comparison | Surfshark’s vendor comparison points to Proton VPN’s Swiss jurisdiction and Tor-over-VPN feature. Verify current details in Proton VPN’s own documentation before relying on them. Surfshark’s comparison |
| No-logs claims | Comparison and review coverage reports no-logs audit claims. The underlying audit report, date, and scope were not verified here. Surfshark; Tom’s Guide | Comparison and review coverage reports no-logs audit claims. The underlying audit report, date, and scope were not verified here. Surfshark; Tom’s Guide |
| P2P support | Tom’s Guide review coverage describes P2P support. Check current server and plan rules before connecting. Tom’s Guide | Tom’s Guide review coverage describes P2P support and provider-specific server arrangements. Check current server and plan rules before connecting. Tom’s Guide |
| Price, renewal, refunds, and limits | Current local pricing, renewal costs, refund terms, and device limits are not established by the cited coverage. Check Surfshark’s checkout terms for your country. | Current local pricing, renewal costs, refund terms, and device limits are not established by the cited coverage. Check Proton VPN’s checkout terms for your country. |
| Independent comparison or review evidence | The Independent says its reviewer signed up as a new user to evaluate both services. Tom’s Guide also publishes a review with testing observations. Results reflect those publications’ methods, not a controlled test for this article. The Independent; Tom’s Guide | The Independent says its reviewer signed up as a new user to evaluate both services. Tom’s Guide and TechRadar publish reviews with testing observations. Results reflect those publications’ methods, not a controlled test for this article. The Independent; Tom’s Guide; TechRadar |
| Device and operating-system fit | Current device limits and compatibility details are not established by the sources cited here. Check the app and plan support for your actual devices before subscribing. | Current device limits and compatibility details are not established by the sources cited here. Check the app and plan support for your actual devices before subscribing. |
How to choose between the two
Start with the devices you actually use
Check that the service has an app or supported setup for each device you intend to protect, including any TV or router you expect to use. Then verify the current simultaneous-device limit and whether the relevant features are included in the plan you would buy. Those limits and entitlements can change, and they are not established by the available comparison coverage.
Decide what privacy evidence matters to you
A no-logs audit claim is not a complete answer to every privacy question. Before treating either service’s claim as decisive, look for the full audit report and check who performed it, when it was completed, what systems or claims it covered, and whether the report is publicly available. The available coverage reports audit claims for both providers but does not establish those details.
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Jurisdiction, infrastructure, and extra features are separate considerations. Surfshark’s comparison presents RAM-only servers and post-quantum WireGuard encryption as Surfshark advantages, while describing Proton VPN’s Swiss jurisdiction and Tor-over-VPN feature. Because those descriptions come from Surfshark, treat them as the provider’s comparison claims and confirm current technical and legal details in each provider’s own documentation.
#1 Best Overall
- 【Five Gigabit Ports】1 Gigabit WAN Port plus 2 Gigabit WAN/LAN Ports plus 2 Gigabit LAN Port. Up to 3 WAN ports optimize bandwidth usage through one device.
- 【One USB WAN Port】Mobile broadband via 4G/3G modem is supported for WAN backup by connecting to the USB port. For complete list of compatible 4G/3G modems, please visit TP-Link website.
- 【Abundant Security Features】Advanced firewall policies, DoS defense, IP/MAC/URL filtering, speed test and more security functions protect your network and data.
- 【Highly Secure VPN】Supports up to 20× LAN-to-LAN IPsec, 16× OpenVPN, 16× L2TP, and 16× PPTP VPN connections.
- Security - SPI Firewall, VPN Pass through, FTP/H.323/PPTP/SIP/IPsec ALG, DoS Defence, Ping of Death and Local Management. Standards and Protocols IEEE 802.3, 802.3u, 802.3ab, IEEE 802.3x, IEEE 802.1q
Match streaming claims to your services and location
Both services are described as supporting popular streaming services, but that does not guarantee access to a particular catalog. Streaming services can respond differently depending on the platform, country, server, and time. The Independent’s 2026 comparison and individual reviews from Tom’s Guide and TechRadar provide editorial testing perspectives, but they do not establish a result for every viewer or region. The Independent; Tom’s Guide on Surfshark; Tom’s Guide on Proton VPN; TechRadar on Proton VPN.
Choose P2P access based on server rules
Review coverage describes P2P support for both VPNs, but the reported server arrangements differ. That distinction matters if you need a particular location or want to use P2P on a specific plan. Check each provider’s current server guidance and plan terms rather than assuming all servers or subscriptions permit the same use.
Rank #2
- 【AC1200 Dual-band Wireless Router】Simultaneous dual-band with wireless speed up to 300 Mbps (2.4GHz) + 867 Mbps (5GHz). 2.4GHz band can handles some simple tasks like emails or web browsing while bandwidth intensive tasks such as gaming or 4K video streaming can be handled by the 5GHz band.*Speed tests are conducted on a local network. Real-world speeds may differ depending on your network configuration.*
- 【Easy Setup】Please refer to the User Manual and the Unboxing & Setup video guide on Amazon for detailed setup instructions and methods for connecting to the Internet.
- 【Pocket-friendly】Lightweight design(145g) which designed for your next trip or adventure. Alongside its portable, compact design makes it easy to take with you on the go.
- 【Full Gigabit Ports】Gigabit Wireless Internet Router with 2 Gigabit LAN ports and 1 Gigabit WAN ports, ideal for lots of internet plan and allow you to connect your wired devices directly.
- 【Keep your Internet Safe】IPv6 supported. OpenVPN & WireGuard pre-installed, compatible with 30+ VPN service providers. Cloudflare encryption supported to protect the privacy.
Compare the full cost, not just the advertised rate
Promotional prices can obscure what a subscription costs over its initial term and at renewal. Compare the checkout total, billing period, renewal amount, refund and cancellation terms, and any plan limits for your country. The current local prices and terms have not been established here, so a price-based verdict would be unreliable.
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The Independent says its reviewer signed up as a new user to evaluate both VPNs. Tom’s Guide describes broader product-testing practices in its service reviews, and TechRadar reports WireGuard speed and streaming/P2P observations for Proton VPN. These are independent editorial perspectives, but their results depend on the publications’ testing setups. The Independent comparison; Tom’s Guide on Surfshark; Tom’s Guide on Proton VPN; TechRadar on Proton VPN.
Rank #3
- New-Gen WiFi Standard – WiFi 6(802.11ax) standard supporting MU-MIMO and OFDMA technology for better efficiency and throughput.Antenna : External antenna x 4. Processor : Dual-core (4 VPE). Power Supply : AC Input : 110V~240V(50~60Hz), DC Output : 12 V with max. 1.5A current.
- Ultra-fast WiFi Speed – RT-AX1800S supports 1024-QAM for dramatically faster wireless connections
- Increase Capacity and Efficiency – Supporting not only MU-MIMO but also OFDMA technique to efficiently allocate channels, communicate with multiple devices simultaneously
- 5 Gigabit ports – One Gigabit WAN port and four Gigabit LAN ports, 10X faster than 100–Base T Ethernet.
- Commercial-grade Security Anywhere – Protect your home network with AiProtection Classic, powered by Trend Micro. And when away from home, ASUS Instant Guard gives you a one-click secure VPN.
A speed result is meaningful only alongside its protocol, test location, baseline connection, date, and measurement method. No single review measurement predicts the speed you will see from your home or mobile connection. The available findings do not provide a fully comparable, reproducible test record for both providers, so they do not support declaring one VPN faster for all users.
A practical decision checklist
- List the devices and operating systems you need to cover, then confirm each app or setup and the current device limit.
- Identify the streaming platforms and country catalogs you care about; treat published access tests as time- and location-specific.
- If privacy is your deciding factor, read the full, current audit reports and assess their scope rather than relying on a summary claim.
- If you use P2P, check which servers and plans currently allow it.
- Compare the complete checkout and renewal costs, refund terms, and cancellation process for your country.
- If speed is crucial, give more weight to a test that discloses protocol, endpoint, baseline, date, and method—and consider whether those conditions resemble yours.
Verdict: choose by fit, not by a universal ranking
Surfshark and Proton VPN both have support for WireGuard and popular streaming services reported in current comparison coverage, as well as editorial reviews that describe P2P support. The evidence here does not establish a universal winner on speed, price, privacy, or device value. Choose only after checking the current plan terms and feature details against your own devices, privacy requirements, location, and intended use.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- Next-Gen Gigabit Wi-Fi 6 Speeds: 2402 Mbps on 5 GHz and 574 Mbps on 2.4 GHz bands ensure smoother streaming and faster downloads; support VPN server and VPN client¹
- A More Responsive Experience: Enjoy smooth gaming, video streaming, and live feeds simultaneously. OFDMA makes your Wi-Fi stronger by allowing multiple clients to share one band at the same time, cutting latency and jitter.²
- Expanded Wi-Fi Coverage: 4 high-gain external antennas and Beamforming technology combine to extend strong, reliable, Wi-Fi throughout your home.
- Improved Battery Life: Target Wake Time helps your devices to communicate efficiently while consuming less power.
- Improved Cooling Design: No heat ups, no throttles. A larger heat sink and redefined case design cools the WiFi 6 system and enables your network to stay at top speeds in more versatile environments.
Rank #4
- 【DUAL BAND WIFI 7 TRAVEL ROUTER】Products with US, UK, EU, AU Plug; Dual band network with wireless speed 688Mbps (2.4G)+2882Mbps (5G); Dual 2.5G Ethernet Ports (1x WAN and 1x LAN Port); USB 3.0 port.
- 【NETWORK CONTROL WITH TOUCHSCREEN SIMPLICITY】Slate 7’s touchscreen interface lets you scan QR codes for quick Wi-Fi, monitor speed in real time, toggle VPN on/off, and switch providers directly on the display. Color-coded indicators provide instant network status updates for Ethernet, Tethering, Repeater, and Cellular modes, offering a seamless, user-friendly experience.
- 【OpenWrt 23.05 FIRMWARE】The Slate 7 (GL-BE3600) is a high-performance Wi-Fi 7 travel router, built with OpenWrt 23.05 (Kernel 5.4.213) for maximum customization and advanced networking capabilities. With 512MB storage, total customization with open-source freedom and flexible installation of OpenWrt plugins.
- 【VPN CLIENT & SERVER】OpenVPN and WireGuard are pre-installed, compatible with 30+ VPN service providers (active subscription required). Simply log in to your existing VPN account with our portable wifi device, and Slate 7 automatically encrypts all network traffic within the connected network. Max. VPN speed of 100 Mbps (OpenVPN); 540 Mbps (WireGuard). *Speed tests are conducted on a local network. Real-world speeds may differ depending on your network configuration.*
- 【PERFECT PORTABLE WIFI ROUTER FOR TRAVEL】The Slate 7 is an ideal portable internet device perfect for international travel. With its mini size and travel-friendly features, the pocket Wi-Fi router is the perfect companion for travelers in need of a secure internet connectivity on the go in which includes hotels or cruise ships.
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
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