Surfshark Review
If you’re shopping around for a new VPN and you need to save money without sacrificing quality, Surfshark VPN may be a great option for you. With extremely low prices and an impressive lineup of features, Surfshark is a solid option. The service is small, with far fewer users than some other big-name VPN providers, but that doesn’t mean the service isn’t reliable.
Surfshark provides consistently fast speeds when connecting to any of its 800+ servers around the world. Just as important as price is speed and reliability, and it’s easy to tell that Surfshark has put a lot of work and upgrades in their servers. While there are some areas of improvement, such as the mobile app and spotty connection times, Surfshark is a low-cost VPN service that provides similar features to the most popular VPN providers in the world.
In our Surfshark review, we’ll discuss everything you need to know about the service, including pricing, features, speed, and security. We’re impressed with how much you get for a small-scale VPN service, and at competitive prices. Here’s everything you need to know about Surfshark and why you should consider signing up today.
Pricing and Value
You can get Surfshark’s impressive lineup of features for as little as $1.94 per month on a three-year plan. When compared to other top VPN services, $1.94 per month is one of the lowest prices on the market. That comes out to just $69.99 for three full years of service and connectivity. In addition to an incredibly low price, you’re protected with a 30-day money back guarantee if you’re not fully satisfied with the service.
If you don’t need the service for three full years, there are other shorter-term option as well. The two-year option runs at $2.49 per month, or $59.76 in total. Considering the impressive savings that you’ll get with the three-year plan, it really doesn’t make sense to purchase a two-year plan.
The monthly pricing could be more competitive, especially when the two-year plan is just $1.94 per month. The monthly option is currently $12.95, which is one of the higher-priced monthly plans on the market. It pretty much never makes sense to opt for this plan unless you only need it for up to 2 months.
With prices as low as $1.94 per month, the three-year plan offers incredible value. Surfshark deals change regularly, so it’s important to note that three-year plan may only last for a limited time.
Features
For as little as $1.99, you’re getting a long list of world-class features with your Surfshark account. One of the best features that comes with every plan is the ability to connect unlimited devices on your VPN account. That’s right, you can connect all of your devices to Surfshark’s large network of servers. Most providers limit your account to five to ten devices, so it’s nice to see a low-cost service that doesn’t limit the number of devices you can use.
In addition to unlimited devices on your account, you’ll get even more incredible features, including:
⦁ A 30-day money back guarantee on all plan tiers
⦁ Over 800 servers in more than 50 countries worldwide
⦁ An automated kill switch that cuts your internet connection if your VPN connection drop, keeping your information safe and secure online
⦁ MultiHop double VPN encryption that bounces your data through multiple networks to mask your online data
⦁ Proprietary CleanWeb software that blocks ads, trackers, and malware
⦁ Military-grade data encryption
⦁ Dedicated streaming and torrenting support
⦁ Zero logging policy
⦁ Protection on any internet connection
⦁ Masked IP encryption
⦁ Simple to use interface
⦁ 24/7 live support
Surfshark’s dedicated app is available on a wide range of devices, including desktops, laptops, and mobile devices. Using military grade AES 256 bit-key encryption and MultiHop data pass-throughs, your information is extremely safe and secure online.
We love the CleanWeb software that blocks ads, trackers, and malware. A VPN server protects your data from unwanted onlookers, while the state of the art blocker software keeps your computer safe from unwanted software and pesky advertisements and malware.
Obfuscated servers keep your data safe from your ISP as well, and they won’t even be able to detect that you’re using a VPN. When compared to other top VPN providers, Surfshark offers solid features that are included with all of its plans.
Speed
As with any VPN service, the closer the server is to your current location, the faster the speeds will be. In a large majority of servers around the world, speeds remained consistent and fast. More popular locations, such as the United Kingdom and the United States, offered faster speeds. Even less popular servers offered surprisingly fast and reliable connections.
Connecting to a server can sometimes be delayed depending on which server you’re connecting to. A quick connect option automatically connects you to the nearest server, but if you want to connect to a server farther away, you may experience some delays on the initial connection time.
We definitely recommend testing out server speeds in locations you’ll frequently connect to. It’s not common to connect to servers with serious speed issues, but it can happen from time to time. Average speeds are well over 50% of what you’d expect when not connecting to a VPN, which is better than average in the industry.
Keeping a 60-70 Mbps speed on a 100 Mbps connection is impressive, and that’s around what you’ll get with Surfshark’s top performing servers. As a rule, always connect to the server nearest to you. The great news is that Surfshark has servers in more than 50 countries around the world, meaning you’ll virtually always have a server nearby.
Netflix
Surfshark is very straightforward about its Netflix and its geo-blocking policy. When you connect to Surfshark’s servers, you have access to US Netflix content. It does not unblock other geo-restricted content, so if you’re looking to sign up for a VPN to unblock Netflix content in other countries, this is not the service for you.
The great news about Surfshark’s Netflix policy is that there’s no guessing when it comes to accessing Netflix. You’ll have access to Netflix on almost every server in the world. In addition to Netflix, you’ll have access to Youtube and other geo-restricted sites, so be sure to test out your favorite streaming services to see if you have access to additional content.
Torrenting
If you’re interested in P2P sharing, you’re in luck. Surfshark offers torrenting support on almost all of its servers. While there are no specified torrenting servers, it’s nice to see a VPN service provider that supports torrenting on a large-scale. You may need to test P2P sharing on multiple servers to find one that works for you.
Dedicated servers often provide higher levels of support and reliability but offering P2P support on almost all of the 800+ servers means you always have access to torrent. Your information will always be safe, secure, and private as well.
Windows PC
You can download the dedicated Windows PC client right to your desktop. The simple, streamlined interface makes it easy to set up the app and connect to a server quickly. Compatible with Windows 7 and later, the application provides a fast, consistent experience every time.
Not only does Surfshark keep your internet session private and secure, but you’ll get additional protection with free CleanWeb software. Windows PCs are often susceptible to malware and other viruses, and the free proprietary software keeps your device virus-free. You can download the secure desktop application right from the Surfshark website.
Mac
Available on macOS 10.12 and later, the Surfshark app is the perfect addition to your laptop or desktop. The interface is clean and simple to use, making it easy to connect to any server in the world and switch servers on-demand. Surfshark is so confident that you’ll enjoy the app that they’re currently offering a 7-day free trial for Mac users.
You’ll get all the same, secure features on your Mac that you’d get with all of your other devices, including fast connection speeds and enhanced security protocols. As we mentioned, Surfshark is available for all of your devices, including Android, iOS, Linux, and even browsers and connected devices such as Fire TV.
The mobile app could use some work, and it’s easy to see that the team at Surfshark put more effort into the desktop app. While it’s easy to use, a simple update would make the experience as enjoyable as the desktop version.
Servers
With over 800 servers in more than 50 countries, Surfshark’s network is impressive for how relatively small the userbase currently is. That means that you’ll rarely see servers that have heavy traffic, allowing you to browse and stream without lag or delays. You can connect to servers on four continents, making Surfshark the ideal service for frequent travelers.
Popular server locations are the United States, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Italy, Canada, Belgium, and Canada. The best part about the servers is the consistent speeds, reliable connections, and world-class security.
Security
Privacy and security are two areas where Surfshark really excels. Using military grade AES 256 bit-key encryption, you can browse knowing that your information is secured. You can choose from multiple security protocols including IKEv2 and OpenVPN. These impressive security features are enhanced even further with MultiHop, which bounces your data through multiple servers. Connect to a server in Belgium and it may be passed through a server in Brazil before reaching its final destination.
This double encryption adds an extra layer of security to your internet session without compromising the quality and speed of your connection. Top that off with an automatic kill switch that cuts your internet connection if your VPN connection drops, and you’ve got one impressively secure connection.
When it comes to logging, your information will never be stored. Surfshark is based in the British Virgin Islands, which has no data collection requirements, which is a huge win for users. Your IP address, browsing information, traffic data, history, bandwidth, and session information are never stored.
Customer Support
If you have issues with setting up or using your Surfshark VPN account, you can access a sizeable database full of self-help articles and tutorials. Set up in multiple categories that are easy to navigate and understand, you can browse FAQs, general setup and troubleshooting, and advanced technical help.
You can use the search bar at the top of the support page to quickly find just what you need. For more advanced issues, Surfshark has a dedicated live chat team that’s available 24/7. Responses are quick and efficient, making it the easiest way to get your issue resolved. If you don’t have enough time to dedicate to a support chat, you can submit an email request as well. You’ll get a response within one to two days.
Summary
Overall, Surfshark has a lot to offer, and with prices as low as $1.99 per month, it’s one of the most affordable options on the market. We don’t recommend signing up for the monthly or one-year option. There’s a 30-day money back guarantee that comes with every plan, making it completely risk-free to sign up.
With a world-class lineup of security features available on all of your devices, you can browse and stream safely whenever you’d like. What really sets Surfshark apart is the fact that you can connect all of your devices. All you need is one Surfshark to connect unlimited devices and browse the web securely.
Whether you’re looking for an upgraded security protocol or an inexpensive VPN service, Surfshark is a great option.
