Surfshark isn't quite the new kid on the block anymore, but being founded in 2018 still makes it something of an upstart. However, it's seen a stratospheric rise to success, and is arguably now one of the Big Three in the VPN industry. What's more, since its merger with Nord Security – creators of the legendary NordVPN – Surfshark's development team has had a shot in the arm, and is adding useful extra features and innovations at an alarming rate.
With a healthy 3,200 servers in 100 locations, industry-standard AES-256-GCM encryption, a wide range of protocols and a generous unlimited simultaneous connections policy, on paper there's a lot to like – but in practice can it live up to the hype?
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 2024 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
Surfshark's biggest draw is its price, and without any special deals, the 2-year plan now comes in at an excellent $2.19 a month and three months free on top. However, VPN deals often crop up where Surfshark could drop its fees even more. Shorter plans are much pricier, with a basic subscription for a single month costing around $15 now.
Be aware that the price will rise after your initial 2-year term, though, so make a reminder to check the small print before you renew. I'd recommend canceling and bagging yourself a fresh plan to save money.
The Surfshark One package adds on antivirus, data leak alerts, and a private search engine – but this comes at an additional cost of around $1 a month.
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. The provider recently added a Dedicated IP option, too, for those willing to pay a little extra. Hardly slim pickings, then.
In my testing for this review, Surfshark was on 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 also experienced a boost during my last round of testing, jumping from 130 to 640 Mbps - the faster results I got overall when using this protocol.
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
- Added a new dedicated Apple TV VPN app
- Added a new Dedicated IP feature
- Open VPN speeds increased from 130 to 640 Mbps
- Tied with a number of providers in terms of speed, maxing out our 1Gbps connection
- Android app passed Google Mobile App Security Assessment (MASA)
- Redesigned dashboards for desktop and mobile apps
- New iOS widgets allow you to connect, pause, and disconnect the VPN without opening the app
- Linux app has a full GUI, hugely increasing usability
- The number of countries has risen to 100, and individual locations up to 180
- The new Alternative ID service provides a fake email address that you can use to sign up for services
- Manual WireGuard connections are 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
Surfshark price and payment
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 $10.99 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 $2.29 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.
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 $59.94. In comparison, NordVPN costs almost exactly the same for a single year.
There’s a ‘but’ here, though. While that $2.29-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 about $1 a month extra, and I can see a lot of customers going for this.
You'll also be offered Incogni, which is Surfshark's foray into personal information removal. It's a good service, and if you get a lot of spam it's well worth considering
When it comes to payment options, you might be surprised by the variety on offer. It’s possible to pay for Surfshark with most leading credit cards, various cryptocurrencies, PayPal, Alipay, Google Pay, and Amazon Pay too.
Does Surfshark have a free trial?
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.
The provider recently added an Alternative ID tool to its service, at no extra cost. This can help you keep your email private as it allows you to create a fake address that forwards messages to your preferred account. Bear in mind that, for now, you only get six countries to choose from: the United States, Australia, Brazil, Denmark, Germany, and Portugal.
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
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.
OpenVPN speeds were also brilliant - the very best results I got last time, in fact. With top speeds jumping from 130 to 640Mbps, you'll get a speedy VPN experience no matter the protocol you choose.
How good is Surfshark for streaming?
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.
A recent revamp made it look even better. The location picker takes most of the dashboard now, and manages to cram in recommended locations (the fastest servers for you), a Recently Used list, your Favorites, filter options for various location types (standard servers, MultiHop servers, dedicated and static IPs), and a Search box to quickly find the country or city you need.
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.
Clicking your location of choice (or just ‘Quick Connect’ to access the fastest server) gets you connected, and a right-hand panel gives you lots of session-related stats: the connection time, your chosen location and new virtual IP address, the current protocol and the amount of data you’ve uploaded and downloaded.
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.
The panel also displays the various connection settings you’ve enabled: the kill switch, AutoConnect option, malware and ad-blocking CleanWeb, and more.
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 - and they now come with a new revamped design.
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. It also outperforms the desktop editions in some areas as it includes the split tunneling Bypasser system (not available on the Mac), and IKEv2 protocol support (not available on Windows.)
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. Small but welcome recent additions include support for Siri shortcuts and the ability to connect and disconnect directly from an iOS widget.
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 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.
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 of all, we do check the provider websites, and note useful information like the number of servers and locations, whether you’re allowed to use every server for P2P, which encryption protocols are supported, the variety of operating systems it runs on, and tons more. We also check the pricing at this stage.
This initial scan gives us a baseline understanding of the service, and if there are any bold claims on-site we note them to make sure the customer isn’t being misled.
We’ll then dig into privacy policies. This is a very important piece of literature for any company, but for VPNs they need to be absolutely watertight. We’ll also go through the logging or zero-logging policy to look for gaps, and read any information available on independent audits.
Then it comes to testing the applications themselves. We test how easy it is to download and install, noting if any data collection options are clearly outlined to the user. We then inspect the default configuration to see what you have to ‘opt in’ for, and what features are available overall. We then play around with any additional features, such as ExpressVPN’s server speed test or NordVPN’s Double VPN. After we’ve gone through everything on the surface, the fun bit starts – trying to break things.
We throw all sorts of curveballs at these VPNs, like connecting to oddly configured networks, and killing processes to see if we can get the VPN to stop without activating the kill switch.
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.
