Surfshark VPN Review
Our Verdict
With seriously tempting introductory prices, excellent streaming performance and a polished interface that puts more expensive providers to shame, Surfshark is i of the best-value VPNs on the marketplace today. And with an unlimited device policy, you'll be able to install it on any and all your devices.
For
- Well-priced introductory offering
- Fresh security audit give peace of mind
- Great for streaming
- First-class support
Against
- Rare instances of impale switch failing
- Speeds aren't course-leading (simply close)
Tom's Guide Verdict
With seriously tempting introductory prices, excellent streaming operation and a polished interface that puts more expensive providers to shame, Surfshark is one of the best-value VPNs on the market today. And with an unlimited device policy, you'll exist able to install it on whatever and all your devices.
Pros
- +
Well-priced introductory offer
- +
Fresh security audit give peace of mind
- +
Great for streaming
- +
Fantabulous support
Cons
- -
Rare instances of kill switch failing
- -
Speeds aren't form-leading (merely close)
- -
If you lot're looking to get one of the best VPN services on a budget, Surfshark may well be on your radar. Combining genuinely low prices with premium apps and plenty of functionality, it looks like the all-time of both worlds.
With a recently upgraded network of over 3,200 servers in 65 countries, unlimited simultaneous connections on a single plan and manufacture-standard AES-256-GCM encryption plus a good choice of protocols, on paper it looks similar it should satisfy only most any user – but tin it live up to that in utilise?
In our in-depth Surfshark review, we run downwardly the key features that brand this a real contender, and so popular amid both new and experienced users. You'll acquire whether any sacrifices were made to keep the price and so low, or if you really are getting a top-of-the-range VPN for just a few dollars a calendar month.
To head to a particular part of the review, just click the navigation bar at the top of the page. Otherwise, just keep scrolling for everything you need to know almost Surfshark.
Surfshark one-minute review
While shorter plans are comparatively expensive, sign up for two years and y'all'll go one of the best monthly rates available: just $two.49 a month. And, with regular deals and discounts, y'all might even go it for even less. For example, for Black Fri and beyond, Surfshark offered 3 gratuitous months, dropping the cost to $2.21 a calendar month.
Be enlightened the cost will ascent later on your initial term, though, so make a reminder to check the modest print before you renew.
Surfshark hits all the basics similar AES-256 encryption and over 3,200 servers, but you'll likewise become tons of additional features like MultiHop, which allows you to route through more than one server at a time.
You lot'll also get a separate tunneling feature, which is splendid for torrenting and separating out your connections, and a impale switch on PC and Mac. In our rigorous stress testing, the kill switch did fail a couple of times, but in existent-earth use, this is unlikely to happen.
Beyond those basics, though, Surfshark has actually pushed the gunkhole out in terms of features. GPS spoofing, URL and advertising blocking, multi-hop (routing through 2 consecutive servers for added privacy), wide P2P support, additional password tech which will alert you of leaks, and 'invisible to devices' style, which can hide your device from others on the aforementioned network. Hardly slim pickings, then.
In terms of logs Surfshark's published policies impress, and its base of operations in the British Virgin Islands is a positive. And, a big improvement is its recent server inspect conducted in 2021.
Speeds are good when WireGuard is used, topping out at around 475Mbps. While that'south not quite form-leading, it'southward certainly no slouch. Nonetheless, we were disappointed with OpenVPN speeds of around 100-110Mbps. Merely, while that's hardly perfect, and most users volition apply WireGuard anyhow.
Surfshark actually shines when information technology comes to streaming, and y'all'll be able to unblock Netflix, iPlayer, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+ and more. In this surface area, there's not a lot to be improved at all.
Customer back up is skillful, with articles and live chat available. The articles aren't the gold standard, but suffice for most issues. The alive conversation is comprehensive, if mostly script-led, just in more in-depth circumstances operators do break from the script and offer useful advice.
Overall, Surfshark is a powerful VPN, and its appeal is only enhanced by its strikingly inexpensive price tag.
- Click to head direct through to Surfshark's website
Latest updates
Surfshark has recently updated its iOS and Android apps, including widget support.
The Mac apps are now fully compatible with the new M1 chip, pregnant seamless operation on whatever device yous're using.
Surfshark's already good browser extensions now support split tunneling, which is a neat added feature that offers a genuine benefit.
Finally, while the full report was non published, Surfshark has gone through a total security audit of its servers. As always, this is great to see, and merely increases our opinion of the service.
Surfshark on paper
Number of servers: 3,200+
Number of countries: 65+
Platforms supported: Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, Fire Telly, Apple Goggle box, other TVs, PlayStation, Xbox, Chrome & Firefox (browser extensions)
Simultaneous connections: Unlimited
Split tunneling: Yes
Kill switch: Aye
Supported protocols: WireGuard, OpenVPN UDP, OpenVPN TCP, IKEv2
Land of registration: British Virgin Islands
Support: 24/vii live chat, e-mail, knowledgebase
Surfshark VPN price: how much is it, and is there a Surfshark costless trial?
When you look at the price of Surfshark's service on a regular monthly program, information technology doesn't appear that reasonable. In fact, at $12.95 per month, information technology's really more expensive than some of its competitors.
If y'all opt to pay six months in ane get, the cost drops to $6.49 per month – withal fairly pricey – but select the two-year plan and you'll notice a huge drop in toll. The longest option on offer, 24-month plan is simply $ii.49 a month, which undercuts just about every other premium VPN.
Still, at the fourth dimension of writing there's a VPN bargain that offers three extra months on the two-year plan, bringing the price down to $ii.21 a calendar month. Groovy value.
Some users volition undoubtedly be put off past signing upwards for a lengthy plan, simply it's such a cheap VPN when compared to other services of its ilk that it'southward completely worth information technology. Your first two years of access to Surfshark will incur a i-off payment of $59.76. In comparison, NordVPN costs $83.88 for a single year.
There's a 'but' here, though. While that $ii.49-a-month price is seriously tempting, do be enlightened that upon renewal you lot'll be paying more than that - $iv.98 a month to be exact. While that'south still cheaper than many alternatives, we recommend bearing information technology in mind when the commencement two years are up.
- Sign upwards now on the Surfshark website
Surfshark has besides recently launched Surfshark I, which offers the standard VPN features, plus Avira-powered antivirus, data breach monitoring and privacy-friendly net search. Information technology's a good packet for but $1.99 a month extra, and we tin can see a lot of customers going for this.
If you lot fancy trying before y'all purchase, you tin make the nigh of a 7-twenty-four hours VPN gratuitous trial and test the service out on Mac, iOS, or Android. Although this isn't a long trial and there is no option for Windows, many comparable VPN providers offer no trial at all. However, if you really want to test out the service, information technology could be worth just signing up and making apply of the 30-day money-back guarantee if it doesn't live up to your standards.
When it comes to payment options, you lot might be surprised by the variety on offer. It's possible to pay for Surfshark with near leading credit cards, various cryptocurrencies, PayPal, Alipay, Google Pay, and Amazon Pay too.
How individual is Surfshark?
Surfshark is packed with privacy features. You'll find all the classic privacy measures in place – AES-256 encryption, plus the secure protocols OpenVPN UDP and TCP, IKEv2, and WireGuard.
However, there are besides a number of advanced privacy features. Surfshark utilizes a private DNS on every 1 of its server servers that enables users to add together an extra layer of protection and prevent tertiary parties from intercepting browsing sessions.
The service also adopts a VPN chaining mechanism. This system enables users to route their traffic through ii split servers. It can be accessed using the MultiHop push and essentially enables users to connect to one location and exit from another.
This means fifty-fifty if a cyber crook is able to admission the go out server, they won't be able to rails down your IP address. Surfshark offers 15 routes. Server 1 is your connection location, which could exist the U.k., USA, Frg, Singapore, France, kingdom of the netherlands, India, or Australia.
The second is your exit location and where it appears to anyone looking into where you are located. Options for this are Germany, French republic, holland, Hong Kong, Portugal, Sweden, Singapore, the U.k., or the USA.
Finally, Surfshark's servers accept 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 4 issues, none worse than 'medium', and these have been rectified.
How secure is Surfshark?
Surfshark has an in-built Whitelister panel that enables you to create whitelists of apps, IP addresses, and websites that you tin can redirect around the VPN. This process is similar to split up-tunneling, and if yous do find that the VPN disrupts an app or site, whitelisting it should ready the event.
Y'all can also gear up the Whitelister so only your chosen apps and sites are routed through Surfshark. Nosotros tried information technology out and it worked perfectly. We were pleased to see this feature in a desktop app – many VPN providers but offer it for mobile users.
Ads, malicious content, and web trackers are blocked using Surfshark's CleanWeb feature. However, we tried information technology out and weren't overly impressed past the result. Using a defended tool like uBlock Origin enables you to cake more content and take greater command over the action.
There is an option that enables you lot to activate the VPN automatically when you start Windows, and information technology's also possible to toggle betwixt dissimilar protocols depending on your security needs.
Ane of the most important security features on Surfshark is the kill switch. This enables you to disconnect from the cyberspace automatically if your VPN connection is severed. And we did have a few problems with it.
Firstly, there is no middle ground. The kill switch totally disables the net unless you are connected to the VPN. In other words, you cannot use the internet at all unless Surfshark is running. A amend selection would be to sever the connection only if it is lost during a VPN browsing session. This is the standard method employed past VPN providers, enabling a user to continue browsing without having the VPN activated.
Secondly, there was no notification signalling that the kill switch had been activated and our connexion forcibly airtight.
Ane of our tests included simulating a failure of the Windows Surfshark Service, and and then closing an IKEv2 connection. In this admittedly unlikely situation, the connectedness was terminated and the kill switch didn't activate. Plus, the app continued to brandish 'Continued' .
Overall, though, in every twenty-four hour period usage the kill switch is effective, and just had problems when we fake a situation that's unlikely ever to arise in real terms.
Does Surfshark keep logs?
Because of Surfshark's alleged location, the British Virgin Islands, local laws don't require the provider to log many VPN-related activities – and it doesn't. This policy is comparable to that of ExpressVPN, which is located in the aforementioned jurisdiction.
You'll find the full rundown of Surfshark's logging policy on its FAQ folio, but in brief, the service doesn't collect IP addresses, internet action history, VPN server location history, bandwidth usage, information regarding sessions, or timestamps.
All that is recorded is an email address and information for billing forth with some bearding statistical data. For example, this can include crash reports, statistical and performance information, and other like stats.
In terms of security auditing, Surfshark has been audited twice past the leading security visitor 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.
How fast is Surfshark?
Surfshark is a reasonably fast VPN. In our tests, we didn't experience any connection bug whatsoever, and the connectedness speeds were practiced.
When we tested the software on a UK data center capable of 1Gbps, we were slightly disappointed by the OpenVPN results – the boilerplate was a mediocre 100-110Mbps. However, switching to WireGuard fabricated a huge difference, delivering speeds of up to 475Mbps – more than plenty for just about any user. However, this is a piddling slower than we saw in our last circular of testing.
Conveying out the same exam from a location in the US, nosotros saw slightly amend OpenVPN speeds of 170Mbps. WireGuard speeds weren't quite as blazing as in the UK at around 300Mbps, but once more, very few people have admission to connections above 100Mbps, so this is unlikely to exist an result.
On the whole, Surfshark can deliver excellent connections, and if you're working with a regular domestic line information technology won't have a drastic impact on speeds. If y'all want to make the most of a gigabit connexion, though, providers similar NordVPN and IPVanish almost double Surfshark'due south WireGuard speeds.
How good is Surfshark for streaming?
Making up for the somewhat lacklustre operation figures, though, is Surfshark's splendid streaming capabilities. Many other VPN providers brand this merits, but don't live upward to their promises; Surfshark is dissimilar.
As a Netflix VPN, Surfshark has historically been very capable. However, in contempo months Netflix has changed its VPN blocking tech, and later on almost every VPN on the market has seen reduced ability.
In our tests, nosotros had no issue accessing US Netflix from 5 split locations, but UK, Canada, Australia and Japan were unavailable. That's non surprising though, since out of all the VPNs we tested, only ExpressVPN and ProtonVPN could access Netflix beyond the US.
Elsewhere, though, Surfshark is one of the very best.
We were able to watch content from United states YouTube with ease, although this is probably the simplest block to navigate. We likewise had no trouble accessing BBC iPlayer – in our tests from three locations in the United kingdom, each one was successful. We also had success with Disney+ and US Amazon Prime – a total house, so.
Overall, Surfshark is a seriously competent streaming VPN, and nosotros highly recommend it for getting the most out of your subscriptions.
How skillful is Surfshark for torrenting?
Surfshark can exist used as a torrenting VPN, although this isn't one of its primary functions. To this end, the platform enables P2P support for well-nigh of its servers, and for additional anonymity, users can opt to pay for the service using cryptocurrencies, like Bitcoin.
Another office that could assist users corking to utilize Surfshark for torrenting is its whitelisting capabilities. Yous could unmarried out your torrent client, enabling it to bulldoze traffic through the VPN while your other cyberspace traffic is channeled through a standard connection.
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, we downloaded the Windows app from the Surfshark website and were surprised to learn that we could sign up and pay for the service during the installation procedure.
To starting time the VPN, all nosotros needed to exercise was tap the connect push button. After this, a desktop notification appeared to tell united states we were connected. In one case selected, the interface displayed our IP location.
How good are Surfshark's desktop apps?
As we covered before in this review, setting up Surfshark's Windows app is very straightforward. Nosotros tested Surfshark equally a Windows ten VPN, but if you lot desire to install a Mac VPN, there is a client for this likewise.
In terms of versatility, the interface was more flexible than we expected and adapted every bit nosotros played effectually with the sizing. Before resizing, the app displays a Connect button, information regarding current server status, and a bill of fare containing server locations. When you expand the interface, it reveals different options and selectable panels.
Although the list of locations doesn't explicitly show latency, icons are present that flag the all-time choices, while the Favorites tab is a handy way of storing the locations you use the well-nigh.
Surfshark's Static IP list makes it possible to connect to servers in Singapore, the UK, Nihon, the The states, and Frg so you tin have a stock-still IP address from a country of your option every time you connect.
Interestingly, Surfshark includes a NoBorders mode. This clever technology should make it possible for you lot to log on to the VPN in countries and jurisdictions where they are usually prohibited – great for a China VPN.
As nosotros mentioned earlier in this review, the Windows client also includes the MultiHop feature, Whitelister, and kill switch. You'll find the aforementioned features in the Mac app too.
Although some minor improvements could be fabricated to the Windows app, we were impressed by its functionality, and it was very straightforward to operate.
How good are Surfshark's mobile apps?
Equally a mobile VPN, Surfshark is impressive. Some VPN providers appear to encounter mobile apps as an afterthought, merely Surfshark'southward iPhone VPN and Android VPN are both very functional and packed with avant-garde features.
Aesthetically, the apps are very clean and easy to use. Pocket-size touches like night mode (pictured on iOS higher up) make it seem well-rounded and a pleasance to use.
For this review, we tested the Android app and found it to be remarkably similar to the Windows client. There is a like interface, the list of server locations is identical, and it'south possible to use the carve up-tunneling, MultiHop, blocking, and whitelisting features too.
Mobile users can take advantage of multiple back up protocols including OpenVPN/IVEv2, WireGuard, and Shadowsocks, plus the same kill switch you'll observe in the desktop version.
On height 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 problems with the app, it'southward possible to send bug reports, raise a ticket, or search for support queries without having to navigate to the fundamental support site.
This functionality, minus the Android-specific features like variable encryption options and split tunneling (unavailable on iOS in whatever form), is replicated in the iOS app too.
How good is Surfshark'south browser extension?
Surfshark has 2 available browser extensions, i for Chrome and another for Firefox. This is slightly limited – other providers like ExpressVPN go the actress mile and include extra versions for Border too – but the range of features included in Surfshark's extensions is adept.
Y'all can take advantage of all of Surfshark's central features when using either browser extension. You lot can connect to over 3,200 servers in 65 countries, benefit from the provider'south private DNS engineering, CleanWeb ad and malware blocking, and more.
What'southward more, Surfshark has also added a split tunneling characteristic to its extensions, and its great to see the developers putting endeavour into an often-neglected areas of a VPN's suite.
What customer support does Surfshark offer?
Surfshark has a defended support site where you lot tin can become the answers to a number of queries. It includes FAQs, guides, and tutorials, which should encompass a decent range of bug, but it isn't entirely definitive.
The majority of the content is related to setup issues, although at that place is some focus on fundamental running queries. That said, the bulk of the articles lack the details you'd wait and could do with existence longer.
In terms of finding the information you need, a lot of improvements could be fabricated in regards to how the articles are organized. For example, if you type in "iOS" to the search bar, y'all receive a listing of articles related to iOS issues, such as how to install Surfshark on an iOS device.
It would be much better to take an choice, like the ane provided by ExpressVPN's customer support, where all iOS-related bug were dealt with in one certificate.
If you're in a rush, or can't observe what you're looking for, thankfully at that place's a capable team of live chat staff on mitt that are prompt and helpful with their replies. At this price point, nosotros're impressed with how goo dthe alive chat is – so if there's annihilation troubling you when using Surfshark, this will probably exist your start port of call.
Final verdict
With Surfshark, y'all'll become a very capable VPN, packed with features, at a surprisingly low initial price. Information technology does have pocket-size issues – namely slightly slower speeds than the very all-time – but it has benefited from some serious improvements recently, such as the introduction of WireGuard integration for iOS and Android apps.
One competing provider that we recommend isExpressVPN. Although more expensive than Surfshark, it delivers better speeds, more locations, and a level of customer service that's unbeatable.
Only, if yous're looking to salvage money and purse a premium-quality VPN, Surfshark should undoubtedly exist your first port of call.
Source: https://www.tomsguide.com/reviews/surfshark-vpn-review
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