Surfshark VPN Review

Surfshark VPN Review

Although it wasn’t exactly the new kid on the block when it was formed in 2018, Surfshark is still considered a startup. Nonetheless, it has had an incredible surge in popularity and is currently regarded as one of the Big Three in the VPN sector. Furthermore, Surfshark’s development team has had a boost from its merger with Nord Security, the company behind the fabled NordVPN, and is producing innovative and helpful new features at an alarming rate.

On paper, there’s a lot to appreciate, including a robust 3,200 servers spread across 100 locations, industry-standard AES-256-GCM encryption, a variety of protocols, and a generous policy of unlimited simultaneous connections. But will it live up to the promise in real life?

In my expert hands-on Surfshark review, I’ll explore all the features that make Surfshark a tempting provider, and why it’s so popular among both new and experienced users. You’ll learn whether any sacrifices were made to keep the price so low, or if you really are getting one of the best VPNs of 2023 for just a few dollars a month. 

To head to a particular part of this Surfshark review, just click your selected topic in the navigation menu. Otherwise, just keep scrolling for everything you need to know about Surfshark.

SURFSHARK 1-MINUTE REVIEW

The primary allure of Surfshark is its affordability; in the absence of any exclusive offers, the two-year subscription is incredibly affordable at $2.49 per month. But occasionally, there are VPN offers where Surfshark is reduced to almost $2 per month. The cost of a single month for shorter plans is significantly higher at $12.95.

But keep in mind that the cost will increase after your first two-year term, so remember to read the fine print before you renew. To save money, I’d advise canceling and getting a new plan for yourself.

The Surfshark One package costs an extra $1.50 per month and includes antiviral software, data leak warnings, and a private search engine.

With industry-standard AES-256 encryption and fully audited servers, Surfshark ticks the basic online privacy boxes. Split tunneling comes as standard (not on Mac), which is excellent for torrenting and separating out your connections, and a kill switch on PC and Mac. In my rigorous stress testing, I did find a small issue with the kill switch, but in real-world use, this is very unlikely to happen. 

Surfshark is a fast, powerful VPN that’s great for streaming and staying private – and its appeal is only enhanced by its strikingly cheap price tag.

Beyond those basics, though, Surfshark has really pushed the boat out in terms of features. GPS spoofing, URL and ad blocking, multi-hop (routing through two consecutive servers for added privacy), wide P2P support, additional password tech which will alert you of leaks, and an ‘invisible to devices’ mode, which can hide your device from others on the same network. The new Nexus feature also rotates your IP seamlessly. Hardly slim pickings, then.

In my testing for this review, Surfshark was one of the fastest VPNs I tested, maxing out my 1Gbps connection when using WireGuard – and on an even faster line, I reckon it could deliver more. It’s never been slow, but this result is seriously impressive. OpenVPN speeds are OK at best at around 130Mbps, but hardly class-leading, but few will be using the old legacy protocol now.

Surfshark really shines when it comes to streaming, and you’ll be able to unblock Netflix, iPlayer, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+ and more. In this area, there’s not a lot to be improved at all.

Customer support is good, with articles and live chat available. The articles aren’t the gold standard, but suffice for most issues. The live chat is comprehensive, if mostly script-led, but in more in-depth circumstances operators do break from the script and offer useful advice.

Overall, Surfshark is a fast, powerful VPN that’s great for streaming and staying private – and its appeal is only enhanced by its strikingly cheap price tag.

LATEST UPDATES

• Tied with a number of providers in terms of speed, maxing out our 1Gbps connection
• Linux app has a full GUI, hugely increasing usability
• Number of countries has risen to 100, a individual locations up to 180
• Google Pay now available as a payment method 
• Manual WireGuard connections now available, which experts will appreciate
• IP rotating tool Surfshark Nexus has launched, but is yet to be fully fleshed out. There’s definitely potential for a powerful tool in the future, though
• Perhaps old news, but Surfshark merged with Nord Security in February 2022

SURFSHARK ON PAPER

Number of servers	3,200+	Row 0 – Cell 2
Server countries	100	Row 1 – Cell 2
Supported platforms	Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux (GUI), Fire TV, Apple TV, other TVs, PlayStation, Xbox, Chrome & Firefox (browser extensions)	Row 2 – Cell 2
Simultaneous connections	Unlimited	Row 3 – Cell 2
Split tunneling	Yes	Row 4 – Cell 2
Kill switch	Yes	Row 5 – Cell 2
Protocols supported	WireGuard, OpenVPN UDP, OpenVPN TCP, IKEv2	Row 6 – Cell 2
Country of registration	Netherlands	Row 7 – Cell 2
Support	24/7 live chat, email, knowledgebase	Row 8 – Cell 2

SURFSHARK PRICE AND PAYMENT

Plan length	Overall cost	Monthly cost
1 month	$15.45	$15.45
1 year	$47.88	$3.99
2 years	$59.76	$2.49 ($2.30 with Tom’s Guide deal

When you look at the cost of Surfshark’s service on a regular monthly plan, it doesn’t appear that reasonable. In fact, at an eye-watering $15.45 per month, it’s considerably more expensive than almost all of its competitors. This price has also risen since my last review, and I’m unsure if it’s a test, or Surfshark is essentially making its short-term plans as unappealing as possible to drive sales of its longer options.

Pay for a year in one go, the price drops to $3.99 per month, but select the two-year plan and you’ll notice an even huger drop in price. The longest option on offer, 24-month plan is just $2.49 a month, which undercuts just about every other premium VPN. However, deals throughout the year can drop this below $2, which really is excellent value – at the time of writing, it sits at $2.30, which includes 2 months free.

Some users will undoubtedly be put off by signing up for a lengthy plan, but it’s such a cheap VPN when compared to other services of its ilk that it’s well worth it. Your first two years of access to Surfshark will incur a one-off payment of $59.76. In comparison, NordVPN costs almost exactly the same for a single year.

There’s a ‘but’ here, though. While that $2.49-a-month price is seriously tempting, do be aware that upon renewal you’ll be paying more than that – $4.98 a month to be exact. While that’s still cheaper than many alternatives, I recommend bearing this in mind when the first two years are up. 

If you can remember to, it’s worth checking out prices on offer to new customers before you renew. It’s likely to save you a bunch of cash if you want to stick with the service.

Surfshark also offers Surfshark One, which offers the standard VPN features, plus Avira-powered antivirus, data breach monitoring and privacy-friendly internet search. It’s a good bundle for just $1.49 a month extra, and I can see a lot of customers going for this.

Additionally, Surfshark will offer you Incogni, their attempt at removing personal data. It’s a worthwhile service to take into consideration if you receive a lot of spam.

You may be amazed at the range of available payment alternatives. Surfshark may be paid for with the majority of popular credit cards, a number of cryptocurrencies, PayPal, Alipay, Google Pay, and Amazon Pay.

IS THERE A FREE TRIAL FOR SUPRFISHARK?

If you use Mac, iOS or Android, you can also make use of a 7-day VPN free trial, but unfortunately there’s no such option for Windows. If you really want to fully test out the service, though, I’d recommend making the most of the 30-day money-back guarantee.

HOW PRIVATE IS SURFSHARK?

Surfshark is packed with all the core privacy features you need in a VPN. You’ll find AES-256 encryption, plus the secure protocols OpenVPN UDP and TCP, IKEv2, and WireGuard.

However, there are also a number of advanced features you won’t see in every bargain-basement provider. Surfshark utilizes a private DNS on every one of its servers that enables users to add an extra layer of protection and prevent third parties from intercepting browsing sessions. 

The service also adopts a VPN chaining mechanism. This system enables users to route their traffic through two separate servers. It can be accessed using the MultiHop button and essentially enables users to connect to one location and exit from another.

Surfshark utilizes a private DNS on every one of its server servers that enables users to add an extra layer of protection and prevent third parties from intercepting browsing sessions.

This means even if a cyber crook is able to access the exit server, they won’t be able to track down your IP address. 

Surfshark previously offered a number of predetermined server pairs for you to choose from, but as an upgrade to Nexus, users can now select any two servers and route between them at will. This gives much more flexibility, especially for those in less well-traveled locations, and brings it in line with NordVPN’s previously better-featured Double VPN offering.

Surfshark Nexus is ongoing, and although its only other current function is as an IP rotator, the provider is promising big things. Watch this space.

Finally, Surfshark’s servers have recently been audited by Cure53, as mentioned above. It’s an essential step for proving any claims made in marketing material, and Surfshark’s results were good. Cure53 found just four issues, none worse than ‘medium’, and these have been rectified. 

HOW SECURE IS SURFSHARK?

Surfshark has a built-in Whitelister panel that enables you to create whitelists of apps, IP addresses, and websites that you can redirect around the VPN. This process is similar to split-tunneling, and if you do find that the VPN doesn’t play nicely with an app or site, whitelisting it should fix the issue.

You can also set up the Whitelister so only your chosen apps and sites are routed through Surfshark. I tried it out and it worked perfectly, and I’m very pleased to see this feature in a desktop app – many VPN providers only offer it for mobile users.

Ads, malicious content, and web trackers are blocked using Surfshark’s CleanWeb feature. However, when I tried it out I wasn’t overly impressed by the results. Using a dedicated tool like uBlock Origin enables you to block more content and have greater control over the action.

There is an option that enables you to activate the VPN automatically when you start Windows, and it’s also possible to toggle between different protocols depending on your security needs.

There is an option that enables you to activate the VPN automatically when you start Windows, and it’s also possible to toggle between different protocols depending on your security needs.

One of the most important security features on Surfshark is the kill switch. This enables you to disconnect from the internet automatically if your VPN connection is severed. 

A recent improvement is an alteration of how the kill switch works. Previously, Surfshark’s kill switch was an all-or-nothing affair – if it was active, it would entirely block the internet unless you were connected to a Surfshark server. Now, it functions more typically – cutting your internet if your Surfshark VPN drops, but allowing you to browse normally if you’ve simply chosen not to activate the VPN

When I started terminating lower-level operations to really test the kill switch, it did have some small issues. When I terminated the Surfshark app the kill switch kicked in – good – but afterwards, when the kill switch was active, I couldn’t access the internet. 

Also, when I closed Surfshark’s Windows Service, problems arose. Surfshark’s connection dropped but the app continued to say that I was protected, and the kill switch did not activate. Although hugely unlikely to happen real life, it’s well worth me mentioning these small flaws, as other VPNs like ExpressVPN and NordVPN didn’t suffer the same problems under the same testing.

Overall, in everyday usage the kill switch is effective, and only had issues when I simulated a situation that’s unlikely ever to arise – and elsewhere Surfshark is one of the most secure VPNs on the market.

LOGGING

Surfshark is now based in the Netherlands, but just like its previous home of the BVI, local laws don’t require the provider to log many VPN-related activities. 

You’ll find the full rundown of Surfshark’s logging policy on its FAQ page, but in brief, the service doesn’t collect IP addresses, internet activity history, VPN server location history, bandwidth usage, information regarding sessions, or timestamps.

All that is recorded is an email address and information for billing along with some anonymous statistical data. For example, this can include crash reports, statistical and performance data, and other similar stats.

In terms of security auditing, Surfshark has been audited twice by the leading security company Cure53 – once in 2018, dealing with browser extensions, and once in 2021, which was a more thorough audit of its servers. Thankfully the results of both were positive, and the few risks that were identified have been addressed.

SPEED

WireGuard	950Mbps+
OpenVPN	130Mbps

Surfshark has been a seriously fast provider for a good while now, and in my latest round of testing it only solidified this fact. On my 1Gbps connection it delivered speeds in excess of 950Mbps when using WireGuard, and on a faster line I think it could achieve much more. 

It’s not the only provider to do this, though, with NordVPN, IPVanish, Windscribe, Hide.me and Norton VPN all maxing out my connection.

However, when using OpenVPN, the picture wasn’t quite as rosy. With maximum speeds of just 130Mbps – down from 190Mbps last time – it’s more than enough for a casual user, but nothing like the 500Mbps+ I saw from Mullvad. 

Does this really matter? Not for most people – WireGuard is very much the norm now, and is Surfshark’s default protocol, so I expect almost every user to be connecting with it.

Overall, there’s absolutely nothing to worry about in terms of speed when it comes to Surfshark – it’ll keep up with just about any connection on the planet.

HOW GOOD IS SURFSHARK FOR STREAMING?

Netflix	Working (UK, US, CA, AU, JP)
Prime	Working
YouTube	Working
iPlayer	Working
Disney Plus	Working
10Play	Working
9Now	Working
Hulu	Working
ITV Player	Working
All4	Working

Complementing that excellent performance is Surfshark’s near-perfect streaming capabilities. Many other VPN providers make claims about unblocking streaming sites but don’t live up to their promises; Surfshark is different. 

As a Netflix VPN, Surfshark has historically been very capable. However, a couple of years or so ago Netflix changed its VPN blocking tech, and subsequently almost every VPN on the market has seen fluctuating results.

In my most recent testing, Surfshark was able to unblock every Netflix region I tried, which includes the UK, US, Canada, Australia, and Japan. That’s right up there with the very best, matching NordVPN, ExpressVPN, Private Internet Access, Proton VPN and PureVPN.

I was also able to watch content from US YouTube with ease, although this is probably the simplest block to navigate. I also had no trouble accessing BBC iPlayer – in my tests from three locations in the UK, each one was successful – and Disney+ and US Amazon Prime were unblocked too. A full house, then.

Overall, Surfshark is a seriously competent streaming VPN, and I highly recommend it for getting the most out of your subscriptions.

HOW GOOD IS SURFSHARK FOR TORRENTING?

Surfshark can be used as a torrenting VPN, although this isn’t one of its primary functions. To this end, the platform enables P2P support for most of its servers, and for additional anonymity, users can opt to pay for the service using cryptocurrencies, like Bitcoin.

Another function that could help those keen to use Surfshark for torrenting is its whitelisting capabilities. You could single out your torrent client, enabling it to drive traffic through the VPN while your other internet traffic is channeled through a standard connection.

So, it’ll do you just fine, but some providers like ExpressVPN offer P2P support on every server, and others like Private Internet Access have in-depth features like port forwarding, which may suit avid torrenters better.

HOW EASY IS IT TO INSTALL SURFSHARK?

Installing and connecting to Surfshark for the first time is a very straightforward procedure. For the purpose of this review, I downloaded the Windows app from the Surfshark website and was surprised to learn that I could sign up and pay for the service during the installation process.

To start the VPN, all I needed to do was tap the connect button. After this, a desktop notification appeared to tell us I was connected. Once selected, the interface displayed my IP location.

HOW GOOD ARE SURFSHARK’S DESKTOP APPS?

So, setting up Surfshark’s Windows app is very straightforward. After getting up and running, I tested Surfshark as a Windows 10 VPN, but if you want to install a Mac VPN, there’s a client for this too.

In terms of versatility, the interface was more flexible than I expected and adapted as I played around with the sizing – something notably missing from NordVPN’s fixed-sized client. Before resizing, the app displays a Connect button, information regarding current server status, and a menu containing server locations. When you expand the interface, it reveals different options and selectable panels.

Surfshark’s Static IP list makes it possible to connect to servers in Singapore, the UK, Japan, and Germany so you can have a fixed IP address from a country of your choice every time you connect.

Although the list of locations doesn’t explicitly show latency, icons are present that flag the best choices, while the Favorites tab is a handy way of storing the locations you use the most.

Surfshark’s Static IP list makes it possible to connect to servers in Singapore, the UK, Japan, the Netherlands, and Germany (the Dutch server added since my last review) so you can have a fixed IP address from a country of your choice every time you connect.

Interestingly, Surfshark includes a NoBorders mode, which is essentially the in-house name for obfuscated servers. This clever technology should make it possible for you to log on to the VPN in countries and jurisdictions where they are usually prohibited – great for a China VPN.

As I mentioned earlier in this review, the Windows client also includes the MultiHop feature, Whitelister, and kill switch. You’ll find the same features in the Mac app too, although there are a couple of differences. 

On Mac, there’s an auto-connect feature that gets you protected automatically if you join an untrusted network. However, the Bypasser (split tunneling) tool isn’t present, which is a bit of a disappointment.

Although some minor improvements could be made to both desktop apps, I’m impressed by their functionality, and they’re very straightforward to operate.

MOBILE APPS

As a mobile VPN, Surfshark is impressive. Some VPN providers appear to see mobile apps as an afterthought, but Surfshark’s iPhone VPN and Android VPN are both very functional and packed with advanced features.

Aesthetically, the apps are very clean and easy to use. Small touches like dark mode (pictured on iOS above) make it seem well-rounded and a pleasure to use.

For this review, I tested the Android app and found it to be remarkably similar to the Windows client. There is a similar interface, the list of server locations is identical, and it’s possible to use the split-tunneling, MultiHop, blocking, and whitelisting features too.

If you do run into any issues with the app, it’s possible to send bug reports, raise a ticket, or search for support queries without having to navigate to the central support site.

Mobile users can take advantage of multiple support protocols including OpenVPN/IVEv2, and WireGuard, plus the same kill switch you’ll find in the desktop version. However, Shadowsocks has been dropped, which is a shame.

On top of this, Surfshark’s Android app enables you to optimize performance on mobile networks, automatically connect to the VPN in certain scenarios, and choose from multiple encryption methods – AES-256-GGM or Chacha20Poly1305. 

If you do run into any issues with the app, it’s possible to send bug reports, raise a ticket, or search for support queries without having to navigate to the central support site.

This functionality, minus the Android-specific features like variable encryption options and split tunneling (unavailable on iOS in any form), is replicated in the iOS app too.

HOW GOOD IS SURFSHARK’S BROWSER EXTENSION?

Surfshark has recently launched a Microsoft Edge extension, which completes the classic trifecta of proxy offerings along with Chrome and Firefox. This is now up to par with NordVPN and ExpressVPN, and is very welcome.

You can take advantage of all of Surfshark’s key features when using these browser extensions. You can connect to over 3,200 servers in 100 countries, benefit from the provider’s private DNS technology, CleanWeb ad and malware blocking, and more.

What’s more, Surfshark has also added a split tunneling feature to its extensions, and its great to see the developers putting effort into an oft-neglected areas of a VPN’s suite.

WHAT CUSTOMER SUPPORT DOES SURFSHARK OFFER?

Surfshark has a dedicated support site where you can get the answers to a number of queries. It includes FAQs, guides, and tutorials, which cover a decent range of issues, but it isn’t entirely definitive.

The majority of the content is related to setup issues, although there is some focus on fundamental running queries. That said, the bulk of the articles lack the details you’d expect and could do with being longer.

At this price point, I’m impressed with how good the live chat is – so if there’s anything troubling you when using Surfshark, this will probably be your first port of call.

A revamp of the layout, however, has seen the search function greatly improved. It’s now super simple to get the info that you need without trawling through disorganized menus.

If you’re in a rush, or can’t find what you’re looking for, there’s also a very capable team of live chat staff on hand that are prompt and helpful with their replies. At this price point, I’m impressed with how good the live chat is – so if there’s anything troubling you when using Surfshark, this will probably be your first port of call.

SURFSHARK VPN REVIEW: FINAL VERDICT

Surfshark is a mightily impressive service, with tons of features and class-leading performance. And, when you consider how cheap the introductory 2-year plan is, any small issues – like the poor OpenVPN speeds or slightly problematic kill switch – start to fade away. 

If you’re just looking for a VPN that works reliably on tons of devices, will keep you anonymous online and can tap into a huge amount of global streaming sites, Surfshark is a seriously tempting option.

Tom’s Guide rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐½

Subscribe if:

✔️ You’re looking for quality on a budget. Surfshark is an absolute bargain, and we’re consistently amazed that it can offer such a good product for the price.
✔️ You have a need for speed. Surfshark is quite simply the fastest VPN we’ve tested, peaking at 950Mbps.
✔️ You have tons of devices. Surfshark’s unlimited simultaneous connections policy means you can use one plans on as many devices as you like.

Don’t subscribe if:

❌ You truly rely on your kill switch. While it’s very unlikely to happen in real life, our testing was able break Surfshark’s kill switch. This didn’t happen to ExpressVPN or NordVPN.
❌ You’re a hardcore torrenter. Surfshark is more than capable of torrenting effectively, but if your main use case is sharing P2P, try ExpressVPN or PIA.

Feature	Comments	Rating
Design	Minimalistic, clean, and intuitive design	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Ease of use	Beginner-friendly and easy to understand	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Performance	Fastest VPN I’ve ever tested	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Unblocking	Great at unblocking streaming apps and getting around censorship	⭐⭐⭐⭐
Security and privacy	Kill switch isn’t the best, but everything else is excellent	⭐⭐⭐⭐
Customer support	Decent 24/7 customer support and tons of help articles	⭐⭐⭐⭐
Price	Cheap VPN with excellent value for money	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

HOW WE TEST VPNS

Understanding how our team of experts tests VPNs is important. It lets you know that we really have got hands-on with these products, and that we’ve considered every feature, no matter how small. Some sites just give a rundown of specs found on a provider’s website – we endeavor to do quite a bit more than that.

First, we visit the websites of the providers and take note of important details like the quantity and locations of servers, if P2P is permitted on each server, the range of encryption methods supported, the range of operating systems it is compatible with, and a ton of other information. At this point, we verify the price as well.

We have a basic understanding of the service from this first scan, and we take note of any strong claims made on the spot to make sure the consumer isn’t being duped.

Next, we’ll go into privacy regulations. This is a crucial document for any business, but in the case of VPNs, it must be impenetrable. Additionally, in order to find any holes, we’ll review the logging or zero-logging policies and read any information available on independent audits.

Next, the applications themselves need to be tested. We test the download and installation process, noting whether the user is given clear instructions on any data gathering options. After that, we look over the default settings to determine which features you must “opt in” for and which functions are available generally. Next, we experiment with any extra features, like the Double VPN option from NordVPN and the server speed test from ExpressVPN. Once we’ve covered all the obvious ground, the enjoyable part begins: attempting to break things.

We try connecting to strangely configured networks and stopping processes to see if we can get the VPN to terminate without turning on the kill switch, among other daring maneuvers.

After we’ve had our fun, we check in with the support team to see if they’re helpful. Then, we’ll check a wide range of streaming sites to see if the VPN is able to access geo-blocked content, and we’ll run a series of speed tests over a few days and nights to get an accurate picture of what sort of connection speeds you can expect.