ZoneBlade vs Surfshark

The short answer

In Chrome or Edge, ZoneBlade is the better choice: it's free for good with unlimited data in 6 countries, needs no account, and can give each tab its own country with its own cookies. Surfshark's extension needs a paid subscription and puts the whole browser in one country. Surfshark is the better buy for a household that wants one paid plan on unlimited devices.

Checked against Surfshark's own website and store listing on . Every claim about Surfshark links to its source.

Side by side

ZoneBlade and Surfshark, row by row.

Numbers link to their sources at the bottom of the page.

FeatureZoneBladeSurfshark logoSurfshark
Free planYesNo17-day trial, payment details needed
Works without an accountYesNo2
Free dataUnlimitedNo free plan1
Countries on the free plan6No free plan1
No ads on the free planYesNo free plan1
Doesn't sell your data or share your connectionYesYes3
A different country in each tabYesNo4
The same site in two countries at onceYesEach country keeps its own cookiesNo4
Countries1801005
Apps for your whole deviceNoChrome and Edge onlyYes6
Price, month to month$5.99Premium, monthly$16.457
Lowest price a month$4.00Premium, $47.99 a year$2.498First 27 months, introductory
Surfshark: who runs it
Surfshark B.V., the Netherlands; merged with Nord Security, NordVPN's group, in 2022 [9]
Surfshark: extension
Covers the browser only and needs a subscription [10]
Surfshark: devices
Unlimited on one subscription [11]
Surfshark: Chrome Web Store
4.1 stars from 3,700 ratings, 1 million users [2]
Surfshark: no-logs audits
Deloitte, in 2023 and again in 2025 [12]

Free against paid

Surfshark's Chrome listing says it's free to start, but that means a 7-day trial on its 1- and 2-year plans, with a card, PayPal or Apple Pay. After that it needs a subscription.

ZoneBlade Free has no trial and no end: no account, no card, no ads, and unlimited data in 6 countries. The table above has both prices side by side.

A country in every tab

Surfshark's extension sets one location for the whole browser. ZoneBlade's Each tab mode gives each Chrome tab group its own country, so you can have a site open in Germany in one tab and in the US in the next, each with its own cookies. Handy for comparing prices or search results between countries.

Privacy

Both say they don't sell your data. Surfshark, based in the Netherlands, has had Deloitte check its no-logs policy twice. It's part of the same group as NordVPN since 2022, though both say they run separately.

ZoneBlade, run by a UK company, keeps no record of the sites you visit and counts only data used per device and country.

Countries and devices

Surfshark lists 100 countries and covers unlimited devices with apps for computers, phones and TVs. ZoneBlade Premium covers 180 countries, Free covers 6, in Chrome and Edge.

When Surfshark is the better pick

Choose Surfshark if you want one paid plan for every device in a household, phones and TVs included. ZoneBlade covers only Chrome and Edge, and its no-logs policy hasn't been audited yet.

The verdict

For a VPN in your browser, ZoneBlade wins: free without a trial, no account, unlimited data in 6 countries, and a different country in each tab, which Surfshark's extension doesn't offer. Surfshark is a paid whole-device VPN; you only need it if you want more than your browser covered.

Questions

Is Surfshark's Chrome extension free?

No. It's free to install, with a 7-day trial on longer plans, then it needs a subscription. ZoneBlade is free for good, with no trial and no card.

Can Surfshark give each tab its own country?

No, its extension uses one location for the whole browser. ZoneBlade's Each tab mode gives every tab group its own country.

Are Surfshark and NordVPN the same company?

They merged under Nord Security in 2022 and say they still run separately.

Sources

  1. 1https://support.surfshark.com/hc/en-us/articles/360026123554-Do-you-offer-a-free-trial
  2. 2https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/surfshark-vpn-extension-f/ailoabdmgclmfmhdagmlohpjlbpffblp
  3. 3https://surfshark.com/privacy
  4. 4https://support.surfshark.com/hc/en-us/articles/360003074474-How-to-set-up-the-Surfshark-browser-extension-on-Chrome
  5. 5https://surfshark.com/servers
  6. 6https://surfshark.com/download
  7. 7https://surfshark.com/blog/surfshark-vpn-plans
  8. 8https://api.surfshark.com/v1/product/payment/plans?countryCode=US&currency=USD
  9. 9https://nordsecurity.com/blog/Nord-Security-joins-forces-with-Surfshark
  10. 10https://support.surfshark.com/hc/en-us/articles/26485139456530-What-is-the-Surfshark-browser-extension
  11. 11https://surfshark.com/pricing
  12. 12https://surfshark.com/blog/deloitte-no-logs-audit-2025

Try ZoneBlade before you pay for Surfshark.

Free for good: unlimited data in 6 countries, a country in every tab, no account, no ads. Ready in a minute.

Add to ChromeIt's freeAdd to EdgeIt's free