Surfshark VPN review: One of our favorite budget VPNs with unlimited connections

November 15, 2024 TH Author

ZDNET’s key takeaways

Surfshark is an affordable VPN if you buy the extended plans, like the 24-month (and 4-month free) plan for $56.
It offers an overwhelming list of features for privacy protection, reliable speeds across the globe, and unlimited simultaneous connections with one account.
Connecting to switching Surfshark servers might sometimes take up to a minute.

Sitting at the helm of the cheapest VPN shortlist, Surfshark steals the show on both price and many other fronts. After extensively testing the popular VPN, I can appreciate the solid built-in features meant to conceal user privacy. Also, the VPN can easily pass as one of the best VPNs for international travel, thanks to a robust proprietary tech that circumvents even the toughest network restrictions.

Surfshark is under the same ownership as NordVPN. You might find some close similarities, but the latter is better on most performance benchmarks, becoming one of the best VPN services overall. However, Surfshark also has the upper hand in that you can secure unlimited devices with one account.

Because Surfshark doesn’t have a free trial (except on the phone maybe), I will give a sneak peek into what to expect with the service, before you can decide whether it’s worth paying for. With the assistance of my colleagues at ZDNET, I put the software to the test (for the hundredth time now) and have the details on speed performance, streaming, security capabilities, and more.

Surfshark’s high focus on online privacy is a boon for anyone who values their peace of mind

While going through the Surfshark app, I couldn’t help but marvel at the extra tools and settings to help you customize user privacy. My top highlight is the Alternative ID feature that allows you to create a fake identity, including name, address, phone number, and so forth. You can then use these to browse sites where you don’t want to leave your sensitive data (that can later be used for spamming, for example).

Surfshark VPN — Screenshot by Kennedy Otieno/ZDNET

Surfshark’s IP rotation feature also assigns you a new IP address after a few minutes, making it difficult for third parties to find your real IP or track you online. I could go on about why Surfshark is an ideal VPN for hiding your privacy, but again, the headquarters in the Netherlands is a bit of a spoiler (I’m about to explain why).

Starting with the basics, let me highlight encryption and protocols. Surfshark uses AES 256-bit and ChaCha20 encryptions. These two offer sophisticated data protection and are even used for military communications. Encryption is the process by which data sent or received by your device is scrambled into unreadable characters and secured with private keys for safe transit. Only the authorized recipient has the keys to decrypt and read the information. Encryption is the Achilles’ heel of any robust VPN, and Surfshark doesn’t disappoint on that part.

You can switch between protocols like WireGuard, OpenVPN (UDP/TCP), and IKEv2/IPsec (on mobile devices). Surfshark doesn’t have a proprietary protocol, like NordVPN and ExpressVPN. This isn’t a limitation per se, given that WireGuard and OpenVPN also have fast speeds and are secure.

A VPN’s ability to hide your IP address (never to be detected) is another crucial aspect. I therefore performed multiple leak tests on Surfshark, including IP and DNS request leaks. It never exposed my identifiable information. Aside from the fact that the VPN is designed to prevent leaks, there’s also a built-in kill switch. This will block your device from accessing the internet if the VPN stops working or is disconnected, all to avoid accidental IP exposure. You can choose between soft and strict kill switch settings, the latter ensuring your device can’t access the internet without a VPN at all times.

There are even more tools in place to mask your digital identity. Multihop servers, for example, will bounce your traffic on multiple servers, wiping off trails of data that can reveal your real IP address (same as the IP rotation feature I mentioned earlier). You can also opt for a static IP address that remains the same at all times, and these IPs come with your regular subscription.

But if you don’t want to use the shared IP addresses, you can pay for a dedicated IP. No one else uses these except you. They can help to improve your reputation with IP-sensitive sites that block traffic from suspicious IPs. One dedicated IP can even be used on all your devices for uniformity.

CleanWeb and cookie blocker (available browser extensions) are other Surfshark’s built-in features to limit distractions and annoyances while browsing. They can stop malicious ads, pop-ups, and malware, thereby keeping your online experience clean and free from spyware or trackers that can compromise your safety.

Surfshark’s headquarters are in the Netherlands, which doesn’t have stringent data retention laws like the US. However, the Netherlands belongs to the 14 Eyes Alliance, which is a coalition of several nations sharing intelligence on their citizens. That can be off-putting to some people because there is a potential risk that their information might end up elsewhere if push comes to shove.

Aside from the overwhelming privacy features, Surfshark adheres to a no-logs policy. It means the app doesn’t collect or store records of your sensitive data, including online searches. Also, all its servers are RAM-only and will auto-delete any stored data during scheduled server reboots.

The server coverage goes beyond 100 countries, offering you IP addresses in multiple locations

Surfshark’s network of 3,200+ servers in 100 countries is nothing out of the ordinary. It’s within the same range as CyberGhost and ExpressVPN. More global server locations also imply more IP addresses to access content. While Surfshark doesn’t mention the total number of server locations worldwide, you can find city-specific servers in the countries where it has servers. There are 600+ servers across 22 cities in the US. This is a relatively smaller number than others like Private Internet Access, which, for example, has servers in all the US states.

After launching the Surfshark app, I was instantly recommended an optimal server location to connect to (the nearest country). This Quick Connect feature saves you the time you might have to spend finding a fast server. That being said, Surfshark doesn’t offer specialized servers for streaming, gaming, or torrenting like CyberGhost does, so that means you will still have to test the servers manually. If you find the best-performing servers, you can “favorite” them, and they will often appear at the top of the list for easy access.

Some Surfshark servers are virtual, meaning the infrastructure is in a different location from the country where it offers the IP address. This enables the provider to offer servers in locations where it’s costly to set up physical infrastructure, or those experiencing censorship issues. In my reviews, I have tested virtual servers from several VPN providers, including Surfshark, and haven’t noticed any major differences with the regular servers. So, using the virtual servers won’t have any impact on performance.

How fast is Surfshark?

In our testing, Surfshark has always been consistent in speeds. This year, once again, it features in our fastest VPN shortlist, ranking fourth after ProtonVPN, ExpressVPN, and NordVPN. My speed test findings for this review still show it has reliable connections, if not getting better.

We took several speed readings with and without Surfshark across borders. From my end, I experienced speed drops of between 5% to 11% on the closest server location, South Africa. My counterparts in the US, however, said that sometimes they didn’t see any speed losses when connecting servers in their respective states. That’s to be expected given they use internet providers with terrific connections of up to 1Gbps. VPNs have the best speed performance when you connect to server locations closest to you.

My experience with the US servers (from South Africa) was a different story. The connections dipped by as much as 34% on Los Angeles servers. But even that didn’t hinder me from streaming in the best video quality 4K with my baseline internet connection of 120Mbps. Below is a summary of speed losses on server locations across different continents.

Streaming

Even without dedicated streaming servers, Surfshark is still a great VPN for watching content online. It’s ideal for streaming on platforms with tons of exciting content, including Netflix. Some of these sites use firewalls to filter and block VPN traffic. Surfshark is consistently updated to be at par with the most sophisticated VPN-blocking firewalls. Also, the OpenVPN protocol has a Camouflage Mode to hide the fact that you’re using a VPN and bypass geo-restrictions with ease.

I was able to access Netflix, Hulu, Disney Plus, and Peacock TV with Surfshark’s US servers. My Hulu bundle also includes ESPN+, so I watched live Formula One streams, too. When I switched to the UK servers, I also accessed British shows on BBC iPlayer and ITVX, which are region-exclusive platforms. All these sites piqued my interest because they’re tough on blocking VPNs. Thankfully, Surfshark performed without any glitches, including on other less-restrictive platforms like Amazon Prime Video and Showtime.

Surfshark’s NoBorders mode feature also comes in handy when using restrictive networks, like school Wi-Fi, to stream or access content online. It automatically detects the type of network restriction and chooses the servers likely to work. The setting can also be useful when traveling to countries that censor access to some content sites, communication apps, or VPN usage at large.

Torrenting

Surfshark isn’t built for torrenting. It used to offer peer-to-peer (P2P) servers but that’s no longer the case. While going through the website, I noticed that the provider refrains from giving any information about using the VPN for torrenting. These are indications that no efforts are in place to market the software to torrenters. Generally, torrenting is a contentious area that some providers may avoid because it’s associated with people who want to break the law by illegally sharing copyrighted content.

Still, Surshark works with torrenting. I connected to a few servers to secure my connections while testing BitTorrent. It worked, but large file downloads were taking forever. The best VPNs for torrenting should offer tools like optimized servers, port forwarding, and easy compatibility with torrent clients.

Surfshark has affordable pricing, but also check the renewal costs

Though celebrated for its low price, Surfshark is only cheaper if you’re buying extended plans. The Surfshark Starter plan is only $55.72( $1.99/month) for 28 months. This is the basic subscription tier, and two more tiers with extra add-ons are available, namely Surfshark One and Surfshark One+.

Plan	1 month	1 year (+4 months free)	2 years (+4/6 months free)
Surfshark Starter	$15.45	$47.84 (2.99/month)	$55.72 (1.99/month)
Surfshark One	$19.95	$54.24 (3.39/month)	$69.72 (2.49/month)
Surfshark One+	$20.65	$95.84(5.99/month)	$119.70 (3.99/month)

Surfshark One and Surfshark One+ provide offline and online antivirus and malware protection, data breach scanner, and webcam protection. Surfshark One+ incorporates Incogni data removal services, that is if you want to delete personal information from search sites and company databases.

Surfshark’s renewal prices could, from time to time, be slightly different from the entry prices. Also, the prices I’ve listed are subject to change. You can check the most up-to-date prices from the website.

All Surfshark plans, including the 1-month subscriptions, are backed by a 30-day money-back guarantee. This gives you an alternative way to test the service without risk since Surfshark doesn’t offer a free trial. But you can get a 7-day free trial if you download the mobile app from the App Store or Google Play Store.

Max your account with Surfshark’s unlimited simultaneous connections allowance (and see if your device is compatible)

Something even more attractive about Surfshark is that you can connect as many devices as you want. One subscription is all you need to secure the entire household. Those who want to watch their favorite shows can do so on their personal devices from anywhere.

Surfshark is compatible with almost every device and operating system, starting from the very basic ones like Mac, Windows, Linux, iOS, and Android. The other supported systems are:

Smart TVs like Android TV, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Roku TV, and more
Gaming devices like Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo Switch, Apple Vision Pro, and Oculus Quest 2
Browsers like Chrome, Firefox, and Edge
Routers

With Surfshark’s smart DNS feature, you can stream on devices that don’t support direct VPN installation such as consoles. You only need to change the DNS server address on your device by replacing it with the VPN’s smart DNS, and then you can access geo-restricted content. However, smart DNS doesn’t offer online protection like a VPN.

Sharing my user experience with the Surfshark VPN app

There were some ups and downs while putting Surfshark to the test. The app was sluggish while opening it on my Windows PC, sometimes taking a full minute wait (I experienced the same with NordVPN). Once I had access to the app, navigating to the essential features was straightforward. The server list is strategically placed on the app, though you can also use the “Quick Connect” button to connect to the fastest server for your location.

I like that you can easily connect to any server simply by tapping it once (no need to use the connect button once you’ve chosen a server). Multiphop, Static IP, and Dedicated IP servers are also directly accessed from the server list. However, I experienced very long delays (again) when connecting or switching servers. The response wasn’t as fast as some services; Private Internet Access, for example, took less than 7 seconds to connect when I reviewed the service.

Surfshark also has a built-in speed test tool in the settings. With this, you can quickly find fast and low latency servers in any continent by performing real-time speed tests.

My overall experience with Surfshark was smooth. I would recommend it even to first-time users. There were no hiccups at all with the download and installation. Customer support can be accessed via chat and email if you need assistance at any time of the day. Initially, I encountered a chatbot on the live chat feature and after a few exchanges (and upon my insistence) was connected to a human agent.

ZDNET’s buying advice

I consider Surfshark to be an affordable alternative to ExpressVPN and NordVPN, two of the most dynamic and elite services in the VPN universe. Although the VPN launched not long ago (in 2018), it has quickly become a well-rounded product and earned a top spot among the best. You can conveniently use the app in most contexts, whether it’s streaming online or protecting your digital identity. So if you’re ready to invest in a VPN, Surfshark should feature in the list of prospects. Also, check out our best VPN deals offered in the market currently.

How can I get the Surfshark discount or promo code?

You can get Surfshark’s promotional discounts and giveaways from reviews and coupon sites online. Do a simple search with the keywords “Surfshark coupons/promo code” to unlock a whole list of websites offering promotional discounts. Celebrities and influencers on YouTube and other social media sites also offer special deals if you buy Surfshark using their referral links or custom coupons. Learners can also benefit from Surfshark’s special discounts tailored for students (check the website for more information).

Why does Surfshark keep disconnecting or won’t connect?

The server you’re trying to connect to could be temporarily out of service or experiencing high-use traffic. Unstable internet connection and missing app updates can also cause connection problems. Other applications on your device, like a VPN or antivirus, can prevent Surfshark from functioning properly.

Start by ensuring your internet connection is stable. Next, choose a different server location and see if you’re able to connect. The issue could also be due to a bug, so ensure that you’re using the most current version of the app. Uninstall other VPN apps on your device that might be causing the issue. Uninstall and reinstall the Surfshark app if the problem persists or reach out to the standby support team.

Can Surfshark block YouTube ads?

Turning on the CleanWeb ad block feature on the Surfshark app won’t stop YouTube ads. It can reduce the number of banners, pop-ups, and in-feed ads, but it’s not effective with pre-roll or in-video ads on YouTube. There are ad blockers, especially browser extensions, designed to work with YouTube ads like AdBlock, Adblock Pro, and Adblock Plus. YouTube is also cracking down on ad blockers, so some ad block tools may not be reliable for the platform.