Surfshark VPN Review: Very Good Low-Cost VPN Service

“A reliable VPN service from Surfshark that is available at a reasonably low price than some competitors. The most impressive thing is that with just one account, you can secure unlimited devices.”

Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) offer several important benefits and serve various purposes, making them a valuable tool for individuals and organizations alike. First of all, VPNs encrypt your internet connection, making it much harder for hackers, government agencies, or other malicious actors to intercept your data. This is especially crucial when using public Wi-Fi networks, as they are often less secure and more susceptible to cyberattacks. VPNs also hide your IP address and online activities from prying eyes, including your internet service provider (ISP) and advertisers. This helps maintain your online anonymity and prevents data tracking for targeted advertising.

Work from home has become a norm nowadays and VPNs enable secure remote access to a company’s internal network for employees working from home or on the go. They ensure that sensitive business data remains protected while being transmitted over the internet. VPNs allow you to bypass geo-restrictions and access content that may be blocked or censored in your region. This is useful for streaming services, websites, and online services that are limited to specific countries.

There are several more benefits of using a VPN but picking the right VPN Service is also important. The number of VPN Services in the recent time has grown exponentially but there are some VPN services that are well-known and popular. Surfshark VPN is one such service that generally has a good track record among many users and reviewers in the VPN industry. It is known for its strong emphasis on security and privacy and provides users with a secure and private online browsing experience with robust encryption and a strict no-logs policy. It has 3,200+ Servers in over 100 Countries. One of Surfshark’s standout features is its unlimited device connections, making it a cost-effective choice for households or individuals with multiple devices. This service also offers a kill switch, multiple security protocols, and a user-friendly interface, catering to both beginners and experienced VPN users. It provides access to geo-restricted content and generally offers decent connection speeds.

All these features seem good on paper. But how does it transform in real-life usage? This is the review of the Surfshark VPN Service. In this review, we will discuss some essential stuff about using the Surfshark VPN such as ease of installing, UI of the app/software, VPN speeds, safety and security, other features, and many more. Continue reading the review to find out more about our thoughts and impressions of the Surfshark VPN Service.

IN THIS ARTICLE

• Initial Setup
• Safety and Security
• Servers and Speed
• Other Features
• Mobile Apps
• Specifications
• Price
• Final Verdict

Initial Setup

Before moving to the setup, we would like to remind that you can install Surfshark VPN on a variety of devices including but not limited to Windows, Mac, Android, iOS, Fire TV, Browser Extensions (Chrome, Firefox, Edge), Android TV, Apple TV, Xbox, PlayStation, and Router. That said, here is a brief installation procedure on Windows system.

To begin, you need to purchase a Surfshark VPN subscription. Visit the Surfshark website and select a plan that suits your needs. Complete the registration and payment process. After completing your purchase and creating an account, you’ll have access to the Surfshark client area. Log in to your Surfshark account, and from your dashboard, look for the option to download the Windows app. Click the “Download” button to start the download.

Once the installer file is downloaded (usually saved in your computer’s Downloads folder), double-click on it to begin the installation process. Follow the on-screen prompts to install Surfshark on your Windows computer. The installer will guide you through the setup, including accepting the terms and conditions and choosing the installation location. After installation is complete, you can launch the Surfshark app. You can do this by finding the Surfshark icon on your desktop or by searching for “Surfshark” in your Windows Start menu.

When you first open the Surfshark app, you’ll be prompted to log in. Enter the username and password associated with your Surfshark account. These are the credentials you created during the registration process. Once logged in, you’ll be presented with the Surfshark app’s main interface. To connect to a VPN server, click the large “Connect” button in the center. Surfshark will automatically connect you to the fastest available server by default. If you want to select a specific server location, click the dropdown arrow next to the “Connect” button and choose a server from the list.

Safety and Security

Surfshark uses Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) with a 256-bit key and Galois/Counter Mode (AES-256-GCM) encryption. This encryption standard is widely recognized as highly secure and is used by government agencies and security-conscious organizations. It ensures that your data is encrypted with a strong cipher before it leaves your device, making it extremely difficult for anyone to intercept or decipher. Surfshark has a strict no-logs policy, which means they do not collect or store any data related to your online activities. This includes browsing history, connection timestamps, session information, and IP addresses. This commitment to privacy ensures that even if Surfshark were compelled by legal authorities, they would have no user data to provide.

Surfshark supports multiple VPN protocols, giving users flexibility in choosing the best protocol for their needs. Known for its strong security, OpenVPN is a widely used and trusted protocol. IKEv2/IPsec protocol is known for its stability and speed, making it a good choice for mobile devices. WireGuard is a cutting-edge protocol known for its efficiency and security. It often offers faster connection speeds than other protocols.

Servers and Speed

Surfshark VPN offers a robust server network, with over 3,200 servers spanning across 100 countries. While it may have fewer servers compared to some competitors, like NordVPN, which boasts 5,800 servers across 60 countries, Surfshark’s server distribution is commendable, covering major regions comprehensively. In addition, Surfshark offers multiple server options within specific countries, enhancing flexibility. This includes countries such as Australia, Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, India, Italy, Poland, Portugal, Spain, the UK, and the USA.

Surfshark’s approach to server infrastructure is transparent and security-focused. The company emphasizes the use of physical servers rather than virtual ones. This means that each server is a dedicated physical machine, ensuring better performance and reliability. There are some virtual servers and Surfshark clearly labels its virtual locations on its website, providing clarity to users.

Speed tests are essential for users to evaluate the performance of their VPN service, particularly in terms of download and upload speeds when connected to VPN servers. These tests help users determine if their VPN meets their speed requirements, which is crucial for activities such as streaming, online gaming, or downloading large files.

In the case of Surfshark VPN, our speed tests yielded impressive results. Initially, with a 300 Mbps ISP plan, we conducted a standard speed test while connected to a local ISP server, achieving Download speeds of 291.58 Mbps and Upload speeds of 285.23 Mbps. When we enabled Surfshark VPN and connected to a nearby server in a neighboring city, we still obtained very favorable results with Download Speed at 276.63 Mbps and Upload Speed at 266.58 Mbps. This demonstrates that users can enjoy excellent speeds even when connected to servers in the same geographical region, all while benefiting from the VPN’s added security and privacy features.

Furthermore, we tested the “Fastest location” option, which still connected us to the same nearby server in the neighboring city, resulting in similar speed outcomes. We then manually selected and connected to servers located in various regions worldwide, and the following are the speed test results for your reference.

Other Features

The kill switch in Surfshark VPN is a critical security feature. If your VPN connection unexpectedly drops, the Surfshark kill switch will automatically cut off your internet connection to prevent your data from being exposed. This ensures that your real IP address and online activities are not revealed in the event of a connection interruption.

Surfshark’s CleanWeb feature is designed to enhance your online privacy and security by blocking ads, trackers, and malicious websites. It helps reduce the risk of encountering malware and improves your overall browsing experience by removing intrusive advertisements.

Camouflage Mode is particularly useful in countries with strict internet censorship. It disguises your VPN traffic to make it appear as regular HTTPS traffic, making it more challenging for network administrators to detect and block VPN usage.

Whitelister, also known as split tunneling, allows you to specify which apps or websites should use the VPN and which should bypass it. This feature provides flexibility and allows you to access local content or services without routing all traffic through the VPN.

MultiHop is an advanced feature that routes your internet traffic through multiple VPN servers in different locations. This adds an extra layer of security and anonymity by making it significantly more challenging for anyone to trace your online activities back to your real IP address.

Surfshark operates its private DNS servers on each VPN server location. This helps prevent DNS leaks, a potential vulnerability where DNS queries could reveal your actual IP address. By using their DNS servers, Surfshark ensures that all DNS queries are handled securely within the VPN tunnel.

Surfshark incorporates leak protection mechanisms to prevent common types of leaks, including DNS, IPv6, and WebRTC leaks. These protections ensure that your true IP address is not accidentally exposed while using the VPN.

Mobile Apps

Surfshark’s mobile apps offer a user-friendly and visually pleasing experience. The iOS and Android versions maintain a consistent look and feel with their desktop counterpart, ensuring a seamless experience. Users still have access to crucial features such as a kill switch and a choice of protocols, including OpenVPN, IKEv2, and WireGuard.

Mobile VPN apps often offer fewer features than their desktop counterparts, but Surfshark’s Android version stands out for its similarity. While it adjusts the interface for smaller screens, it retains essential features like protocol support, a kill switch, static IP, and Multi-Hop, mirroring what’s available on the desktop version. Notably, the Android app surpasses the desktop versions in some aspects, introducing features like ‘auto-connect on untrusted networks’ (available on Mac but not Windows) and the split tunneling Bypasser system (available on Windows but not Mac).

The iOS app, while lacking certain Android-specific features like split tunneling, mirrors much of the Android functionality, ensuring a consistent and feature-rich VPN experience across devices. Additional mobile-specific features include ‘Override GPS location,’ aligning your device’s GPS with the connected VPN server to enhance privacy, and an option to ‘use small packets’ to optimize performance on select mobile networks.

Surfshark’s commitment to mobile VPN excellence extends to customer support. Users can report bugs and open or browse support tickets directly from within the app, eliminating the need to navigate external websites.

Specifications

Price

Surfshark VPN is available in three tiers: Surfshark Starter, Surfshark One, and Surfshark One+. All the three variants support secure VPN, Ad blocker, and cookie pop-up blocker. The One and One+ variants also have identity protection features (Real-time email breach alerts, Real-time credit card and ID breach alerts, Personal data security reports, Private search engine) and device security features (24/7 antivirus protection, Webcam protection, Antivirus, anti-spyware, and malware protection). Additionally, the One+ variant allows you to remove your data from company databases and people search sites.

All the three variants are available in 1-month, 12-month, or 24-month plans.

Final Verdict

Overall, Surfshark VPN is a serious contender to be one of the best VPN Services out there. With its strong emphasis on security and privacy with robust encryption and a strict no-logs policy, Surfshark can provide users with a secure and private online browsing experience. The standout feature of Surfshark VPN is its unlimited device connections but other features such as kill switch, multiple security protocols, and a user-friendly interface are also important.

Surfshark has servers in numerous countries, which allow users to access geo-blocked or restricted content from various regions, such as streaming services and websites. While VPN speed can vary depending on server location and network conditions, Surfshark VPN generally gave us decent connection speeds.

However, Surfshark’s server network, while substantial, may not be as extensive as some competitors, potentially affecting server availability and speed. Some users have reported mixed experiences with customer support, and like many VPNs, occasional server connectivity issues may occur. The pricing is competitive, but only if you commit for a long time (which we believe most “serious” VPN users will do).