Surfshark review: A versatile VPN service packed with extras

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Surfshark continues the trend of other mega-VPN services as a one-stop shop for all things related to personal online privacy and security. The company offers a top-tier VPN product that continues to expand and improve with each new iteration. And since its merger with NordVPN under the parent company Cyberspace, Surfshark is now developing cutting-edge personal security features via its Nexus technology. 

This all sounds great, but are all of these features really worth it in a VPN service? I took a deep dive with Surfshark to find out.

Surfshark in brief:

P2P allowed: Yes

Simultaneous device connections: Unlimited

Business location: The Netherlands

Number of servers: 3,200+

Number of country locations: 100

Cost: $15.45 per month, $41.85 for one year, or $59.13 for two years

What are Surfshark’s features and services?

When you initially open Surfshark you notice that the interface is clean and simple. On the left rail you have options for VPN, Alternative ID, Alert, Antivirus, Search, and Settings. Then in the middle there is a list of all server locations listed alphabetically by country. The right side there is a button to connect to the chosen server. It might not be as sleek and futuristic as some VPN interfaces, but the minimalist approach makes it easy to navigate and use.

Further reading: See our roundup of the best VPN services to learn about competing products.

Surfshark prides itself on the number of servers it provides, which is well over 3,200 across 100 different country locations. There are admittedly a lot of countries that only have one server to connect to, but more popular locations such as the U.S., Canada, and Australia offer multiple server locations spread throughout. 

My only real gripe with Surfshark’s server network is that a large number of them are virtual servers, which aren’t physically located in the countries they claim to be in. This can sometimes lead to privacy risks if your data is routed through a country with invasive privacy laws, or a potential for slower speeds if the virtual server is overloading the physical server it’s borrowing resources from. Surfshark does a commendable job of pointing out which servers are physical and which are virtual though.

In addition to a good server spread, Surfshark allows unlimited simultaneous device connections. This is a big draw since most other VPN providers only offer a modest five or six simultaneous connections.

On the main screen above the servers you can connect to, you’re able to choose between four options: Locations, StaticIP, MultiHop, and the newly added Dedicated IP. Locations is a list of all of the available country servers you can connect. StaticIP allows you to connect to shared servers with IP addresses that never change. MultiHop allows you to further obfuscate your actual location by routing your traffic through more than one external server. Recently Surfshark also added the option, for an additional fee, to get a Dedicated IP address, which is a unique IP address that never changes and only you can use.

I was thoroughly impressed with Surfshark’s multi-hop feature. While many VPN services now offer multi-hop connections, Surfshark stands out by allowing the user to not only choose a predetermined route, but also create their own multi-hop route. This is a nifty feature that gives power users and those concerned about privacy more autonomy in securing their connections.

Surfshark also provides an ad-, tracker-, and malware-blocker called CleanWeb — though it’s not turned on by default. It also offers a split-tunneling feature, which it calls Bypasser. Bypasser allows you the option to route apps and websites through the VPN or keep one or the other connected separately. This is a good option for those who wish to keep their web browsing secure via a VPN while keeping online games outside the VPN connection in order to minimize potential latency issues.

Additionally, Surfshark provides a kill-switch function that will automatically disable your internet connection should your VPN connection drop for whatever reason. There is also a feature called NoBorders, enabled by default, which is its own version of obfuscated servers. This feature allows users in countries that generally restrict VPN connections to maintain access to Surfshark.

Surfshark’s multi-hop stands out by allowing the user to not only choose a predetermined route, but also create their own multi-hop route.

Included with the Surfshark One and Surfshark One+ plans, you’ll also receive Surfshark Alert for real-time identity and data breach monitoring as well as access to its standalone antivirus. Included with all plans is Surfshark’s latest offering called Alternative ID, which allows users to create an alternative email or phone number in order to mask your real contact information from spam and data sharing services.

Suffice it to say, Surfshark provides a ton of features. I spent a good chunk of time just setting everything up before I even connected to the VPN. It may seem a bit overwhelming, but Surfshark does a good job of holding your hand through most of it and providing clear and concise explanations for newbies.

Surfshark is also working hard to bring new and innovative ideas to the VPN scene. In 2023 it rolled out Nexus Technology. Nexus is a single network made up of Surfshark VPN servers. There are huge potential security and privacy boosts from this including rotating your IP address without disconnecting your active VPN connection, further obfuscating your browsing activity. Nexus also uses a Dynamic MultiHop feature to connect you to the fastest available entry server and exit through any desired location, presumably increasing connection speeds across the board.

How much does Surfshark cost?

Surfshark comes with three different plans: Surfshark Starter, Surfshark One, and Surfshark One+. Each plan option is available in monthly, 1-year, and 2-year terms. 

Surfshark Starter provides the basic VPN along with an ad- and pop-up blocker, plus access to its Alternative ID feature. The monthly rate is a steep $15.45 per month, dropping down to a much more reasonable $41.85 for the first year, or $59.13 for the first two years. As of the time of writing, that likely places Surfshark as the most expensive monthly plan of any VPN I can recall.

A Surfshark One subscription comes with everything from the Starter pack plus identity and data breach monitoring, private search tools, and access to its antivirus software. The rate is $15.95 monthly, $47.85 for the first year, or $72.63 for the first two years.

Surfshark’s top-tier One+ plan gives you all of the above plus a personal data removal service for $17.95 per month, $76.35 for the first year, or $115.83 for the first two years.

It’s worth noting that if you opt for the one- or two-year plans on any bundle, the renewal price after the initial term will typically default to a more expensive yearly plan.

How is Surfshark’s performance?

During my testing I rated connection speeds across Surfsharks’ servers in six different countries around the world and then compared them to my baseline internet speed. Surfshark server speeds were once again solid, if not particularly outstanding. Similar to the last time I tested the service, speeds averaged just over 61 percent of the base download speed and a slightly more impressive 70 percent of the base upload speed. That isn’t the best I’ve seen, but depending on your own home internet, it should be more than enough to do most things, including streaming HD video without any issues.

For those looking to use the service to bypass location restrictions on streaming websites, my testing showed that Surfshark was overwhelmingly successful. Across every server tested and for all major streaming services, the VPN was able to bypass geo-restrictions. This included sites such as Netflix, Amazon Prime, HBO Max, Hulu, and Disney Plus. This excellent result puts Surfshark among the very best VPNs for streaming Netflix right along with NordVPN and ExpressVPN.

How is Surfshark’s security and privacy?

Surfshark states that it doesn’t collect any of your online activity, including browsing history, session information, bandwidth used, connection time stamps, network traffic, or IP addresses. This no-logs policy claim was verified to be true by the company Deloitte during an independent audit of Surfshark most recently in January of 2024. This is exactly the type of reassurance users should expect from a top VPN company and it goes to show that Surfshark is serious about its customers’ privacy.

The service also keeps privacy in mind during setup. When signing up for a Surfshark subscription you only need to supply an email address and the company accepts payments via credit cards, PayPal, Google Pay, and various cryptocurrencies. 

One thing to note, though, is that Surfshark has moved its headquarters from the British Virgin Islands to the Netherlands in recent years. This probably isn’t an issue as the Netherlands’ data retention laws are generally privacy-friendly. However, the Netherlands is still subject to Fourteen Eyes jurisdiction, which means that the government could potentially require Surfshark to share certain information about customers. 

Thankfully, as the latest no-logs audit proves, this shouldn’t be a major concern as Surfshark doesn’t log or keep any user data anyway — no records means nothing to share.

In regards to security, Surfshark uses standard AES 256-bit encryption. It also offers options for several VPN protocols including OpenVPN, WireGuard, IKEv2 — depending on your operating system.

Is Surfshark worth it?

Surfshark offers unlimited device connections, good speeds, full compatibility with major streaming services, and an impressive number of extra features. The Windows app is well designed and easy enough to understand. It also has some nice extras such as ad-, tracker-, and malware-blocking as well as split-tunneling and multi-hop.

With all of these great features, Surfshark is a solid all-around VPN service. The monthly price is enough to make you choke, but if you opt for the two year contract you’ll get all of this for a bargain price. Overall, whether it’s getting around region blocks or just enjoying a more private and secure browsing experience, Surfshark remains one of my favorites.

Editor’s note: Because online services are often iterative, gaining new features and performance improvements over time, this review is subject to change in order to accurately reflect the current state of the service. Any changes to text or our final review verdict will be noted at the top of this article.

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