Best VPN for home in 2024 - Surfshark (2024)

A reliable VPN (Virtual Private Network) is the best VPN for home use. Granted, there are more criteria to look at when choosing the one for your humble abode. That’s why this article will go over some of the best options you have when choosing a VPN for your home. Naturally, I’ll try to make the case that Surfshark is the right choice.

Table of contents

    How does a VPN protect your home network?

    Changing your location

    The first way that a VPN can protect your home network is by changing your location online. When a VPN connection is established, your public-facing IP (Internet Protocol) address changes to that of the VPN server. IP addresses can be used to pinpoint your location in very general terms. Most of the time, it’s used to annoy you with localized ads, but it’s still not the safest bit of data to just leave floating on the internet.

    Keeping your IP safe

    Your IP address is imprinted on every action you take online. So, if anyone on your home network orders a pair of shoes, checks maps for shoe stores, or leaves scathing comments on a TrustPilot page of a local shoe shop, all those actions are branded with your IP. But if you use VPN services, it’s their IP that gets left behind.

    Making your data unreadable (to thieves)

    Another thing that a VPN does is encrypt your data. When a VPN tunnel is established, all the data going through it is scrambled. This means that anyone eavesdropping on your connection won’t be able to see what you’re doing. This means both internet service providers (ISPs) and all sorts of government bodies.

    Plus, the combination of encryption and connecting to a VPN server allows you to access blocked websites. Whether the ISP or a despotic government imposes the blocks, the combination of methods in the way a VPN works ensures access and privacy.

    Securing any online device

    Now, the easiest way for a VPN to protect your home network is to have the VPN installed on your router. The next best thing is a VPN that can be installed on every networked device you own; in this case, look for platform compatibility and unlimited installs to run all those instances simultaneously.

    Discovering the best VPN service for home

    Here are how some of the best VPN providers in the market stack up against Surfshark when it comes to suitability for your home. We also have a more in depth comparison.

    Surfshark vs. NordVPN

    Surfshark and NordVPN are both good VPNs (and, full disclosure, belong to the same parent company). However, they have their points of difference — like server locations. Surfshark has more servers in Asia, Africa, and South America, and NordVPN has more in North America and Europe. And since you’re likely interested in a home VPN that connects to a server in your country, then your choice might already be made for you.

    Another thing to consider is how many devices a single subscription can offer. NordVPN comes with six simultaneous connections, while Surfshark offers unlimited ones.

    Surfshark vs. ExpressVPN

    Surfshark and ExpressVPN are leading virtual private networks — and with good reason. They offer comparable capabilities across the board. However, Surfshark offers some additional spice: ad blocker and cookie pop-up blocker with basic plans, as well as antivirus and data leak alerts with the premium ones.

    Surfshark is also cheaper — with a $2.49/month basic plan compared to the $8.32/month with ExpressVPN.

    Surfshark vs. CyberGhost

    When comparing CyberGhost to Surfshark for the role of your home VPN, CyberGhost offers a greater number of servers but covers fewer locations. This means that if there is a server at your desired location, it’s less likely to be experiencing high traffic, but the chances of having that server in the first place aren’t as good.

    CyberGhost is also cheaper than Surfshark at $2.19/month vs. Surfshark’s $2.49/month, and it also offers a slightly longer money-back guarantee. However, that’s a minimal difference in price when you account for the fact that CyberGhost is missing such privacy and security features like obfuscated servers or a double VPN.

    Surfshark vs. PIA

    Private Internet Access (PIA) is another VPN provider with more servers than Surfshark, but Surfshark covers more server locations. So this really depends on where your home is or what VPN server would best match your needs.

    PIA is slightly cheaper than Surfshark at $2.03/month for a 3-year plan. Meanwhile, Surfshark costs $2.49/month for two years. Surfshark comes with double VPN features (and GPS spoofing, but that’s a feature more pertinent to mobile VPN users).

    Surfshark vs. IPVanish

    Surfshark and IPVanish both offer unlimited simultaneous connections, which is a great boon if you’re not planning to put a VPN on your router. And while Surfshark offers more server locations, IPVanish has more servers in the Americas, which may be pertinent if your home is somewhere in, say, the Americas.

    Both VPNs offer great security and privacy features like kill switch, split tunneling, and obfuscated servers. Yet Surfshark goes further with a double VPN, an ad blocker, and smart DNS. Surfshark is also slightly cheaper, at $2.49/month, compared to IPVanish’s $2.99/month.

    Surfshark vs. ProtonVPN

    ProtonVPN allows ten simultaneous connections — not as much as Surfshark’s coverage for unlimited devices, but still a good number for those wanting to secure their entire home. Both VPNs are similar in the security and privacy options they provide.

    However, ProtonVPN doesn’t look that great when it comes to servers and price. It offers fewer servers in fewer locations than Surfshark but costs nearly twice as much at $4.99/month.

    Surfshark vs. Mullvad

    Mullvad is a VPN for a home that cares about anonymity and privacy more than literally any other feature. To create an account, you don’t need to provide any personal details, not even an email, and you pay them by mailing cash to their HQ.

    However, that’s the extent of the benefits it can offer over Surfshark. Surfshark, meanwhile, has more servers, more industry-standard (or even leading) features, and live customer support.

    How to choose the best home VPN

    The best home VPN will have a combination of desirable features like:

    • Server location count: more servers — bigger odds of one being in or close to your town;
    • Server count: more servers means less server congestion;
    • Simultaneous connection count: how many devices can run a VPN on a single account;
    • Price: people generally prefer to save money.

    In conclusion: get the right VPN for your home

    Getting the right VPN for your home is actually easier than it sounds. You simply have to know what you’re looking for in a virtual private network. Hopefully, this article covered all the basics you’d want to know. And maybe it convinced you to choose Surfshark…?

    FAQ

    What VPN is the best VPN for a home router?

    The best VPN for a home router is the one that offers the most support for installing it on a router — or comes on a router already pre-flashed.

    Is it worth using a VPN at home?

    By using a VPN at home, you:

    • Hide your home’s IP address online;
    • Encrypt all the data your home network sends or receives;
    • Prevent any bandwidth throttling by the ISP;
    • Bypass censorship.

    Seems worth it to me!

    Is there a whole home VPN?

    Any VPN can be a “whole home” VPN if you install it on your router. Now, whether the VPN developer has made it possible to do this or whether your router supports a VPN is another question.

    What is the best free home VPN?

    There is no best free home VPN, as free VPN services are less trustworthy and less powerful than premium VPNs. And if you don’t care about such concerns, free VPNs, as a rule, have fewer servers and server locations, as well as capped speeds and data caps that are supposed to convince you to shell out for the premium version. Reputable VPN providers are paid up-front and don’t have to resort to such underhanded practices.

    Best VPN for home in 2024 - Surfshark (2024)

    FAQs

    Best VPN for home in 2024 - Surfshark? ›

    Both Surfshark and NordVPN put security first with robust AES-256 encryption, RAM-only servers, and independently audited no-logs policies. They're also evenly matched in features. Both providers offer features like kill switch, private DNS, obfuscated servers, and double VPN.

    Is Surfshark better than ExpressVPN 2024? ›

    ExpressVPN and Surfshark are both rated one of our best VPNs of 2024. While ExpressVPN is more expensive and limits the number of devices you can use to five, it offers a higher-speed internet connection and more than double the number of server locations as Surfshark.

    Which VPN is better than Surfshark? ›

    NordVPN and Surfshark are two solid options when it comes to a reliable VPN that won't slow down your internet connection. For the annual plan, Surfshark is currently cheaper, but NordVPN does offer an extra three months of service. However, there are a few differences to be aware of when choosing between the two.

    Is Surfshark still a good VPN? ›

    Surfshark is a good VPN service provider that uses secure encryption, offers modern VPN protocols, and has a vast server infrastructure. This combination ensures the security and speed of your VPN connection.

    Which Surfshark VPN is best value? ›

    Surfshark Starter plan's 24-month subscription is the best option for those who only need a VPN service at an affordable price. For more features, I'd choose the Surfshark One plan – its 2-year subscription isn't much more expensive than the Starter one, and offers an excellent quality-to-price ratio.

    Which is the best VPN in 2024? ›

    The best VPNs in 2024: my top three
    • The best VPN service overall: NordVPN. NordVPN is the best VPN right now. ...
    • The best VPN for beginners: ExpressVPN. If you just want a VPN that does everything for you, ExpressVPN's apps are super simple and easy to get up and running. ...
    • The best cheap VPN: Surfshark.
    May 1, 2024

    Should I get Surfshark or ExpressVPN? ›

    ExpressVPN and Surfshark are two of CNET's top VPNs for a reason: They're both well-rounded VPNs and each is a solid choice for most any online activity. Surfshark exhibited better speed performance than ExpressVPN overall, but ExpressVPN's Lightway protocol demonstrated slightly faster speeds on MacOS devices.

    What is the #1 best VPN? ›

    What is the best VPN in 2024?
    • ExpressVPN holds CNET Editors' Choice Award for best overall VPN. ...
    • Surfshark is a great choice for folks seeking good features on a budget. ...
    • NordVPN is an excellent feature-packed VPN.
    5 days ago

    Why is NordVPN better than Surfshark? ›

    In short, NordVPN has a larger server network, offering over 6,000 servers in 111 countries, while Surfshark has 3200 servers in 100 countries. However, Surfshark allows unlimited simultaneous connected devices, while NordVPN caps the number of devices at ten. Pricing-wise, Surfshark costs less across all plans.

    Is Surfshark owned by NordVPN? ›

    In 2022, Nord Security, the developer of NordVPN, merged with Surfshark. However, Surfshark and NordVPN operate autonomously, relying on separate infrastructures and product roadmaps.

    Is Surfshark owned by China? ›

    Surfshark is a brand of VPN services offered by a Netherlands-based company of the same name.

    Can you be tracked with Surfshark VPN? ›

    There is no way to track live, encrypted VPN traffic.

    That's why police or government agencies who need information about websites you visited have to contact your internet service provider (ISP for short), and only then your VPN provider.

    Why is Surfshark blocked? ›

    Our VPN application makes minor modifications to your connection settings, which may be flagged as a security threat by some antivirus software, resulting in a blocked connection attempt. Additionally, different VPN applications may use conflicting connection configurations, leading to connection cancellation.

    Which VPN is better Nord Express or Surfshark? ›

    Even though both VPNs have similar features to offer, we must declare that Surfshark offers a more comprehensive suite of features than NordVPN. It includes GPS spoofing, antivirus, and even more that makes Surfshark a winner. Get Surfshark, now 83% off!

    Is there a better VPN than ExpressVPN? ›

    Verdict: NordVPN offers more features at a lower cost

    Overall, NordVPN's security and other features place it slightly ahead of ExpressVPN. Although some of those features can only be accessed in the Plus and Ultimate tiers, it still has a lower annual cost than ExpressVPN.

    What is the number one best VPN? ›

    ExpressVPN. ExpressVPN is currently CNET's pick for the best VPN overall, scoring an 8.8/10 on our VPN rating scale. It's a veteran VPN provider that consistently demonstrates a strong commitment to privacy and transparency. It's also excellent for streaming and the easiest VPN app to use on any platform.

    Is ExpressVPN really the best? ›

    With a VPN connection, you'll be able to bypass geo-restrictions, content libraries, and unblock various location-based streaming platforms. Based on our tests, ExpressVPN is an excellent streaming VPN due to its ability to bypass restrictions and stable connection speeds, leading to a lag-free streaming experience.

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