Surfshark vs NordVPN in China
Surfshark is the better choice for China this week. It is rated "working", while NordVPN is "mostly blocked".
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Side-by-side comparison
| Feature | Surfshark | NordVPN |
|---|---|---|
| Status in China | Working | Mostly blocked |
| Price | From ~$2.50/mo | From ~$3.50/mo |
| Protocols | WireGuard, OpenVPN, NoBorders mode | NordLynx, Obfuscated servers |
| Best for | A cheap second VPN to carry alongside Astrill, or a budget first choice for short trips. | Use outside China. Inside China, bring something else. |
| Good | Cheap. Unlimited devices. NoBorders mode turns on automatically. | Cheap. Good outside China. |
| Not so good | Less consistent than Astrill. Support will not promise it works in China. | Mostly blocked in China. Obfuscated servers unreliable. |
Each VPN in detail
Surfshark
Mostly yes. Surfshark's NoBorders mode is built for restricted networks and is reported to work in China for many travellers, though it is less consistent than Astrill.
NordVPN
Mostly no. Despite the marketing, NordVPN is blocked for most people in mainland China. Its obfuscated servers occasionally connect but are not reliable.