Surfshark Review 2024

Surfshark routinely steals a top spot in our VPN rankings. Every time we conduct a Surfshark review, we’re impressed by its speed, unblocking capabilities, and, best of all, its lowest-cost subscription model. We’ve consistently unblocked Netflix from anywhere in the world, and our speeds never fail to deliver high-quality, lag-free streams.

Group all of this with robust security features and unlimited simultaneous connections, and it’s easy to see why so many VPN users and experts like us choose Surfshark. Our detailed Surfshark review contains all the information you’ll need to arm yourself with before choosing the VPN that’s right for you.

And if you come to the same conclusions? Right now, you can grab a discount on Surfshark to make those minute subscription fees even smaller!

Limited offer: Get Surfshark for 85% off plus up to 2 MONTHS FREE!

Surfshark: Pros and Cons

Surfshark is an excellent choice if you’re looking for a strong all-round VPN. With Surfshark, you can hide your online identity, unblock streaming platforms, stream live sports, and play online games — all without breaking the bank. We’ve put this VPN through its paces in all these areas, and the results have impressed us.

Though based in The Netherlands, a Nine Eyes country with data-sharing agreements, Surfshark’s architecture negates that concern. RAM-only servers completely wipe themselves with every reboot. In other words, none of your data is stored, and thus, no data can be shared if the authorities come knocking.

Surfshark is also a great VPN for the whole family. You can use one subscription on an unlimited number of devices. Your $ 2.29 per month will cover everyone’s phones, laptops, tablets, smart TVs, and more. That’s less time spent worrying about the kids’ online security.

Love keeping up-to-date with the latest shows? Our tests showed that Surfshark can unblock any streaming site, from Netflix to Disney Plus. Surfshark speeds also ensure that you won’t experience any lags while binge-watching your favorite shows.

Visit Surfshark to learn more about its unblocking ability and performance or to grab your limited-time discount.

Specifications Surfshark

💵 Price	From $ 2.29 a month
📱 Operating systems	Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux
💻 Connections	Unlimited
💳 Payment methods	PayPal, Cryptocurrency, Credit card, Other
🔒 Protocols	OpenVPN, IKEv2, WireGuard
📥 Torrent options	Torrenting allowed
📅 Money-back guarantee	Money-back guarantee, 30 Days
📋 Logs	Zero logs
🎬 Works with

Deal

Save 85% and pay only $ 2.29 a month!

Visit Surfshark

How Much Does Surfshark VPN Cost?

The cheapest Surfshark price is a two-year subscription, coming in at $ 2.29 per month. This offers the biggest savings we’ve found, especially since you also get an ad blocker and a cookie pop-up blocker. Surfshark will even beat YouTube ads, giving you uninterrupted vlog streams!

Other Surfshark pricing plans include a monthly and annual plan, as seen below. Personally, we recommend opting for a one-year subscription ($3.49/mo) or a two-year subscription ($ 2.29/mo) to enjoy the most savings. For comparison, ExpressVPN’s annual plan costs $ 6.67/mo.

Pricing plans

• Surfshark 24 months $ 2.29mth Deal View offer
• Surfshark 12 months $ 3.49mth View offer
• Surfshark 1 month $ 15.45mth View offer

Surfshark also boasts extra security tools. Surfshark One, starting at $3.19 per month (two-year plan), includes Surfshark Antivirus, webcam protection, and real-time email and ID breach reports. Want something that’ll give you peace of mind when the kids go online? Surfshark One will stop webcam spying attacks in their tracks while also scanning any downloaded files for viruses.

Alternatively, you can get Surfshark One+, which includes Surfshark Incogni, a data removal tool. The two-year subscription starts at $4.97 per month. Data removal tools purge personal information from invasive data brokers’ websites, putting a stop to tedious marketing spam.

Right now, Surfshark services a bunch of varied payment methods, including:

• Credit card (Mastercard, Visa, American Express, and Discover Card)
• PayPal
• Google Pay
• Amazon Pay
• Cryptocurrencies (Bitcoin, Ethereum, Ripple, Dogecoin, Tether, Beam, Monero, and Tron)

To further increase your privacy, Surfshark lets users pay anonymously with cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin via CoinGate and Coin Payments. There are also local payment options, such as Direct Debit, which means you can simply pay using your local bank. We really feel that Surfshark’s gone the extra mile to make everything convenient.

Do you get your money’s worth with Surfshark?

From our experience with 70+ VPNs, we think Surfshark provides excellent value for money. Its annual and two-year plans offer bargain prices considering the features and performance you get in return. It’s no wonder that many of the VPN experts on our team choose this provider as their personal, out-of-office VPN service for surfing the web at home.

Read on to learn how Surfshark performs and how it fares for different purposes. We take a deep dive into streaming, security, and speeds!

Does Surfshark Work With Streaming?

Our Surfshark VPN review revealed that the VPN provider can unblock all major streaming services. And this is not a flash in the pan — in all the years we’ve been testing VPNs with streaming providers, Surfshark’s servers have always bypassed streaming geo-blocks with ease.

Here’s a summary of how Surfshark fared against streaming services in our detailed test circuit:

It’s not every day that a VPN can unblock every service available. Netflix, in particular, has been cracking down on VPN connections. Yet Surfshark continues to give us unwavering access to hidden Netflix TV shows from around the world!

Surfshark and Netflix

Since Netflix implemented VPN and proxy bans, many VPNs have a hard time unblocking the streaming service. This is usually the case with free VPNs.

In our years of testing VPNs, Surfshark always returns to the top of its game when it comes to bypassing Netflix geo-blocks. For instance, we tried watching five seasons of the Netflix US-exclusive Supernatural from The Netherlands, as well as starting hit show Lupin. We gained access the first time and didn’t experience any buffering.

During April of 2024, Surfshark faced some issues due to renewed blocking strategies from Netflix. As of our latest tests, it is still able to unblock US Netflix on both desktop and mobile. Having issues? Simply change your protocol to WireGuard in the VPN’s app settings and reload the Netflix app or page. Then you should be good to go!

Although Surfshark doesn’t have specialized streaming servers like CyberGhost, its 600+ US servers still gave us easy access to Netflix US. Its consistent performance and fast speeds make it one of our best VPNs for Netflix.

Surfshark and Hulu

Hulu’s a great hub for sports fans, so it’s one of our regular tests when we try out a VPN. We’re happy to say that Surfshark can unblock Hulu! If you’re not in the US, you can only access the site with a reliable VPN service.

Surfshark and HBO Max

Surfshark rarely struggles with unblocking a website, so we weren’t too surprised to find that Surfshark will unblock HBO Max US. This gives you access to exclusive American-aired TV series and movies!

Torrenting With Surfshark

Unlike other providers, Surfshark doesn’t have specialized P2P servers for torrenting. However, during our tests, we confirmed that Surfshark’s servers are optimized for anonymous torrenting. In fact, it has a spot on our best VPN for torrenting list.

We were able to access and download movies and books from 1337x and other popular torrenting sites. Most importantly, our real IP address wasn’t exposed while torrenting. This is vital to avoid the legal pitfalls of torrenting, such as download fines.

Surfshark Servers and Locations

Surfshark has a great server infrastructure that includes 3200+ servers across 100 countries. If you’re looking for a specific IP address, you can find Surfshark server locations in the following countries:

• Americas: Argentina, Bahamas, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Puerto Rico, United States, Uruguay, and Venezuela
• Asia Pacific: Australia, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brunei, Cambodia, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Laos, Macau SAR China, Malaysia, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, New Zealand, Pakistan, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam
• Eurasia: Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan
• Europe: Albania, Andorra, Armenia, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Greenland, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Isle of Man, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Moldova, Monaco, Montenegro, Netherlands, North Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, and the United Kingdom
• Middle East and Africa: Algeria, Egypt, Ghana, Israel, Morocco, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, and the United Arab Emirates

Note that some of Surfshark’s server locations are virtual. This means the server could appear to be in a particular country, although the physical infrastructure is in another country. The main challenge of using a virtual server is that you might face slower response times compared to physical servers.

As of the time of writing, Surfshark has about 40 virtual servers in countries such as India, Ghana, Mexico, Monaco, and Laos.

Dedicated IP addresses

Surfshark offers dedicated IP servers and static IPs. A static IP server will give you the same IP address each time you connect. However, other people can use this server as well.

Dedicated IPs, on the other hand, are unique IPs assigned to only one user. In other words, if you purchase a dedicated IP, nobody else can use it. Currently, Surfshark has dedicated IP addresses in the U.S., the UK, The Netherlands, Germany, France, Australia, Japan, Italy, Canada, and Hong Kong.

Here are some benefits of using dedicated IPs:

• Improved unblocking: Some websites may block or limit access from shared IP addresses. Having a dedicated IP address can help you bypass those types of restrictions.
• Less likely to be blacklisted: Shared IP addresses can get blacklisted due to the actions of other users who may have used that IP address to commit illicit activities. With a dedicated IP address, your online activities are isolated from others, reducing your risk of being affected by IP blacklisting.
• Reduces the number of CAPTCHA requests: Using a dedicated IP address cuts down the number of CAPTCHA prompts you get on Google and other sites.

Note that dedicated IP addresses are more traceable than shared IP addresses. However, Surfshark has users covered with their anonymous Dedicated IP option, which deletes all information about your dedicated IP address stored in their database.

How Fast is Surfshark?

We tested Surfshark VPN while surfing, watching videos, downloading torrents, and playing online games, and it provided a fast, stable connection every time.

While browsing, we didn’t notice Surfshark’s effect on our internet speeds at all. Loading websites, emailing, downloading attachments, and browsing social media went very smoothly. We had no issues watching videos on YouTube or streaming the best shows on Netflix, either.

On top of this, we didn’t experience any lag while gaming during our Surfshark VPN review. We connected to both local and US servers without noticeable delays. We tested graphics-intensive, first-person shooting games like Battlefield 2042 to see how Surfshark VPN would hold up. There was a slight latency drop, but it was marginal. Gameplay wasn’t affected at all.

Speed test results for Surfshark (2024)

We ran several speed tests on Surfshark from our base in The Netherlands. The aim was to try different Surfshark servers and evaluate the impact on download and upload speeds.

First, we checked latency, upload, and download speeds without a VPN connection. Next, we tested Surfshark’s speeds in at least one country on each continent. This gave us a bird’s-eye view of how Surfshark performed. We’ve summarized the results in the table below.

When we connected to servers close to our testing location, we did not experience a significant impact on our upload and download speeds. We were able to maintain at least 94% of our initial speeds on the European-based servers we tested. Our latency on those servers increased, but not by much.

For distant servers in countries such as Brazil, Australia, and South Africa, our speeds dropped slightly, and our ping increased. However, compared to other VPNs that we tested, Surfshark’s latency is better than most.

Pound for pound, Surfshark’s upload and download speeds are some of the best and fastest speed test results of any of the VPNs we’ve tested, making it one of the fastest VPNs on the market. Here’s a quick comparison against our most recent download speed test results from other top-drawer VPNs:

• Surfshark’s fastest server maintained 94.81% of our initial speed.
• ExpressVPN’s fastest server gave us 58.94% of the download speed we started with.
• With CyberGhost, we saw download speeds peak at around 93.20% of our starting speed.
• NordVPN, our all-around best VPN, held 93.30% of our starting speed.

Is Surfshark Safe?

After analyzing its security features, we’re confident that Surfshark can offer you a high degree of protection. From hiding your true IP to encrypting your traffic and not storing personal data, Surfshark passes every test with flying colors.

Does Surfshark leak your data?

Surfshark passed our IP leak tests with flying colors. Much like how a leaky pipe drips with water, a VPN leak can allow data to slip through the encryption protocol, potentially exposing your real identity, location, or browsing activity. As part of our Surfshark VPN review (and all of our VPN reviews), we tested for common data leaks.

First, we checked for IP leaks using our custom-built IP address verification tool. By using our tool, you can double-check that your VPN connection is correctly cloaking your real IP address. We’re based in The Netherlands, so Surfshark passed this test when showing our VPN server’s IP address in France.

Next, we used a different service to test for DNS and WebRTC leaks. It’s good news all around — Surfshark didn’t leak our data.

Regardless of the location we tested, Surfshark kept both our original IP address and VPN use secret. The following image gives an overview of the effectiveness of Surfshark VPN at keeping us hidden in different countries worldwide.

Can you sign up to Surfshark anonymously?

Yes, you can subscribe to Surfshark anonymously. Using a private and secure email address and paying for a VPN with cryptocurrency can further conceal your identity. You can also use an alias to sign up instead of your real name.

Surfshark only requires the following information to create an account:

• Email address
• Payment details

Logging and privacy

Surfshark is based in The Netherlands. The country is part of the Nine Eyes, which is a global surveillance and data-sharing alliance. However, since Surfshark uses RAM-only servers, which wipe on every reboot, the chances of your data being accessed are low.

Surfshark VPN also has a strict no-logs policy and makes every effort to record as little personal information as possible. Here is the information Surfshark collects about you when you use its services:

• Email address
• Payment details
• Account registration date
• Information about subscription
• Encrypted password

Surfshark’s strict no-logs policy was verified by independent security audits in 2018 and 2021. In December 2022 and 2024, Deloitte once again audited and confirmed the legitimacy of Surfshark’s policy.

In January 2024, Surfshark also passed the MASA (Mobile App Security Assessment) audit. This backs up the VPN’s commitment to processing sensitive data, offering strong encryption, and more. With all of this in mind, we’re confident that your data is safe with Surfshark.

Protocols and encryption

Under the hood, Surfshark’s packs AES-256-GCM encryption (which is faster than regular AES-256 encryption) and uses some of the safest VPN protocols currently available to VPN providers. Here’s a list of the protocols you can use:

• OpenVPN (TCP/UDP): This is our first choice of VPN protocols, owing to the fact that it’s open-source and widely used among VPN providers. This translates to constant improvements and patches that deliver stable, consistent speed and security in our tests.
• WireGuard: This protocol is incredibly fast and uses a secure ChaCha20 encryption algorithm. WireGuard has under 4,000 lines of code (OpenVPN has 400,000+), which reduces loading times and vulnerabilities hackers might exploit.
• IKEv2/IPsec: We recommend this protocol to mobile users because of its reconnection capabilities. We recommend it if you’ll be switching between mobile networks and Wi-Fi networks often.

Our Surfshark VPN review revealed that these protocols work just as advertised with Surfshark: they were able to encrypt our data. Plus, switching protocols was just as easy.

Surfshark also offers NoBorders mode, which helps users bypass censorship in restrictive regions. In our Surfshark tests, we were impressed by this feature’s performance, as it detects restrictions on your network and recommends the most optimized servers.

Access in China is inconsistent, however. Our tests showed that it was possible to go online in China while connected to Surfshark, but you might have to try many different servers. Even then, your location and provider might determine whether or not your VPN works.

Finally, Surfshark offers perfect forward secrecy, no matter what protocol you choose. Forward secrecy constantly changes encryption keys, so if there’s ever a breach, the stolen keys become useless once you turn your VPN off. All these features have landed this VPN service a place on our list of the best no-log VPNs.

Kill switch

Surfshark’s got a built-in kill switch on Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android. We tested the feature and confirmed that it works seamlessly. You can enable the option by going into the settings on your Surfshark app.

Bear in mind that on your first use, you might need to install Surfshark’s kill switch helper tool. This is harmless, and we encourage you to follow the steps so that your connection can be fully protected.

Surfshark’s capability here goes further, with both a soft kill switch and a strict kill switch. The soft kill switch will disconnect your internet access whenever the VPN connection is interrupted. On the other hand, the strict kill switch is a system-wide kill switch that doesn’t allow your device to connect to the internet altogether unless you’re connected to a VPN.

A kill switch is an essential security feature for any VPN. As the name suggests, it instantly “kills” your internet connection if your VPN malfunctions unexpectedly for whatever reason. This prevents data leaks and keeps you protected whenever your VPN falters.

Surfshark Nexus

Surfshark Nexus is the VPN’s latest upgrade to improve security and user experience. We think Nexus is an improvement for Surfshark users’ online privacy. You’ll be able to rotate between servers without losing your VPN connection, protecting your real IP address from being intercepted.

Nexus connects users to the VPN’s entire network of servers instead of to an individual location (or subgroup of servers). The infrastructure has already been deployed, though full features are still being gradually rolled out. This process began in 2022 and has continued over the course of 2023.

These features include:

• IP Rotator: Automatically changes your IP address every five to 10 minutes while your VPN location stays the same
• IP Randomizer: Gives you a new IP address each time you visit a new website or open a new app
• Dynamic MultiHop: Allows you to pick your own entry and exit points for MultiHop

At the time of writing, only the “IP Rotator” feature was live. You can activate this feature by following these steps:

1. Go to “Settings” in the Surfshark app.
2. Click on “VPN Settings.”
3. Scroll down and tap “Advanced Settings.”
4. Enable “Rotating IP.”

MultiHop, Bypasser, and CleanWeb

Surfshark has a strong roster of extra features to help keep you safe online, as we discovered during our Surfshark VPN review. Three of the big ones are MultiHop, Bypasser, and CleanWeb. All of these did exactly what the provider said when we tried them for this Surfshark review.

MultiHop

MultiHop (also known as “double VPN”) allows you to “hop” from one VPN server directly to another, giving you extra security. Basically, all of your traffic now goes through two encrypted connections, so your VPN IP address continually changes.

Unfortunately, this does have a negative impact on your internet speeds. When connecting to a server in Paris from the UK, one of our VPN experts saw download speeds of 479.52 Mbps. After switching to MultiHop, on a Paris server routed via London, it dropped a tad to 474.22 Mbps. It’s a completely negligible drop that you won’t even notice.

This small impact is understandable, as your internet network traffic now has to jump through additional hoops before reaching its destination.

Bypasser

If you’re looking for a split tunneling feature in Surfshark VPN, you’ll be happy with their Bypasser. This tool lets you connect to specific apps and websites using your own IP address instead of that of the VPN server.

We found this useful for using services that are already based in our country; this way, you don’t need to suffer a speed drop (even if it’s minimal).

CleanWeb 2.0

Lastly, CleanWeb 2.0 is new for 2024 and is Surfshark’s powerful and recently upgraded ad blocker, which performed surprisingly well during our tests. CleanWeb is currently one of the only VPN ad blockers that can bypass YouTube ads! In fact, because of the CleanWeb feature, Surfshark is one of our top ad blocking VPNs.

We put CleanWeb to the test, launching a film trailers summary for 2024. Like us, you’ll know that these kinds of videos are packed with ads that pop up at the start and partway through the video. Here’s us watching the video without a VPN – we saw ads immediately.

Once we connected to Surfshark, CleanWeb blocked the YouTube ads. Few ad-blockers can boast of this achievement, which highlights the quality of Surfshark’s blocker software.

NoBorders and Camouflage Mode

Surfshark has two additional VPN modes on top of its regular VPN service. Camouflage Mode is Surfshark’s version of “obfuscation technology.” It’s designed to disguise your VPN traffic so you can bypass any content filtering, making it more difficult to monitor your activities. Camouflage Mode runs automatically when you pick OpenVPN (TCP or UDP) as your protocol.

If you’re located in a region with restricted internet, NoBorders Mode can get you past even the strictest internet blocks. When Surfshark detects any kind of restrictions on your network, it automatically enables the NoBorders mode. This gives you a selected list of servers that perform well despite network censorship.

Unlike Camouflage Mode, you’ll have to enable NoBorders yourself via your VPN Settings menu, as seen in the screenshot below.

GPS spoofing

Recently, Surfshark added a GPS spoofing function to its service. GPS spoofing allows your phone’s location to match your VPN server’s. This feature is useful if you want to cloak your real GPS location on apps, such as if you’re worried about privacy on Tinder or BeReal.

Surfshark’s GPS spoofing option is only available on Android right now. Setting up this option also takes some time, but we’ve summarized the process below based on our own experience:

1. In the Surfshark software, go to “Settings” in the bottom right corner, then click on “VPN Settings.”
2. Scroll down and click on “Advanced Settings.”
3. Click the slider next to “Override GPS Location” so it turns green.
   
   
4. Likely, Surfshark VPN will tell you that you need to adjust your phone’s settings to allow you to override your GPS. If so, go to your phone’s “Settings” and scroll down to “About Phone” at the very bottom.
5. Scroll to the bottom of the “About Phone” menu until you see “Build number,” and tap this option seven times. Once done, your device will tell you you’re a developer.
6. Go back to your phone’s “Settings,” click on “System,” and unfold the “Advanced” menu at the bottom.
   
   
7. Tap “Developer Options.”
8. Scroll down and tap on “Select Mock Location App.” When prompted, choose “Surfshark.”
   
   
9. Go back to the Surfshark app and tap “VPN” in the bottom left corner.
10. Connect to a server of your choice.

You’ll now be connected to the VPN server of your choice, and your GPS will match the location of that server.

Surfshark Alert and Surfshark Search

Surfshark Alert and Surfshark Search are only available with the Surfshark One package, which is an all-in-one solution that includes more than just the VPN service, as we discovered during our Surfshark VPN review.

Surfshark Alert will notify you when your email or passwords might be in danger of being compromised. Surfshark Search is Surfshark’s answer to the anonymous search engine DuckDuckGo.

On top of these smaller tools, Surfshark One also includes a separate antivirus program. The Surfshark One package costs $0.70 per month on top of your regular plan.

Surfshark Alternative ID

Surfshark’s latest feature is Alternative ID, which allows you to create a new online profile with a new name, age, gender, and email address. This feature is useful if you visit sites with shady privacy practices. Rather than sharing your real name and email address with them, you can use your alternative ID details—essentially, a fake ID for yourself.

Using an alternative ID also keeps your email away from data brokers and reduces the chances of spam or promotional emails. You can set up the Alternative ID to forward emails to your actual email address.

Best of all, this feature is available to every Surfshark user. Previously, it was bundled with Surfshark One – the company’s excellent antivirus solution. This change reassures us of Surfshark’s ongoing commitment to providing top-tier cybersecurity protection on a budget.

Is Surfshark Easy to Use?

Surfshark excels at user-friendliness. Its website and desktop and mobile apps are very easy to use, and the installation process is quick and effortless. Among the VPN companies we’ve reviewed, this is one of the most beginner-friendly tools.

All the features are right at your fingertips, whether you’re a newcomer to VPNs or an advanced user. Once you’ve signed in, you won’t be overwhelmed by countless options and settings. Instead, you’re only shown settings that matter to the average VPN user.

All options and settings include a clear description, and the different menus are easy to navigate. Plus, the customer support team is quick to respond and ever-ready to help, making Surfshark a very user-friendly VPN.

Surfshark’s website and account dashboard

During our Surfshark VPN review, we noticed that Surfshark’s website is very well-organized, and all the important information is right at your fingertips. This made navigation simple and straightforward as we moved around the website.

The “My Account” section of the website is as simple as possible. Here, you can download software for specific operating systems and see details about your account and subscription. As a result, managing your Surfshark account is very easy.

Surfshark on Windows

As expected, the Surfshark user experience is seamless, making this VPN one of the best for Windows. We tested the app on both Windows 10 and Windows 11. The app dashboard is clean and well-organized, with the features within reach.

We also found Surfshark’s server list very easy to navigate. It also allows you to choose which server location to connect to, a feature that’s rarely seen in free VPNs.

Surfshark’s Windows client is available for download from your account dashboard.

We found the Windows installation process simple and straightforward. Here’s a step-by-step guide for installing Surfshark on Windows:

1. Head over and choose a Surfshark subscription, then follow through with the sign-up process.
2. Log in to the Surfshark VPN website and click on the Windows icon to download the software.
   
   
3. Open the .exe file you downloaded.
4. Go through the steps of the installation wizard to install Surfshark VPN.
   
   
5. Open the Surfshark app once it’s installed.
6. Log in with the Surfshark login information you created for your account.
   
   
7. Select a server, then enable Surfshark.
   
   

Surfshark on Mac

Many service providers tend to falter when it comes to installing their VPN on macOS, but Surfshark rides the wave pretty well. The installation process is nearly identical to the process for Windows above.

During our Surfshark VPN review, we tested Surfshark’s 2024 VPN package on a brand-new MacBook Air, and the software worked perfectly with macOS. Surfshark VPN also works perfectly with the latest Apple M1 Pro chip, so you don’t need to worry about tinkering in the Command Terminal to get it running properly on macOS.

You can also take advantage of a seven-day free trial on Mac. If you need a robust VPN for Mac, you can’t go wrong with Surfshark.

Surfshark on Linux

Surfshark has an excellent dedicated graphical user interface (GUI) app for Linux. We tested the app and found it exceptionally easy to use. The selection of commands you have to learn is limited, making Surfshark our top VPN for Linux.

Surfshark VPN on Linux also includes a number of neat extra features, such as an automated selection of the best available servers, a kill switch, MultiHop, and the ability to switch between UDP and TCP servers easily.

The app is available on Debian 11 and Mint 20 distros, but you’ll enjoy it most on Ubuntu. That said, the likes of NordVPN support more distros, including CentOS, Elementary OS, OpenSUSE, and RHEL.

Surfshark’s browser extension

Surfshark’s dedicated browser extension works for Chrome, Firefox, and Edge and allows you to use the VPN exclusively within your browser. We only needed a few minutes to install Surfshark’s Chrome extension, and it was a breeze.

Surfshark’s extension comes with some useful extra options, such as:

• Netflix VPN blocks bypassing: In the rare case that Surfshark’s software doesn’t work with Netflix, the browser extension provides a simple solution. Clear your cookies, connect to a server, and enjoy your favorite Netflix show.
• Ad blocker: Instead of downloading a separate ad blocker extension, you can use Surfshark to block advertisements and trackers within your browser.
• Pop-up blocker: Use Surfshark’s blocker to stop annoying cookie consent pop-ups while browsing.
• Data breach alert: While the extension is active, Surfshark will warn you about sites with a history of data breaches by displaying a thin red line at the top of the screen.
• Malware alert: Similar to the data breach alert, Surfshark will monitor malicious activity and warn you if it finds anything suspicious.

The browser extension works well for its purposes. Moreover, it’s an especially good solution for getting around streaming blocks.

Surfshark’s unlimited simultaneous connections

One of Surfshark’s unique features is that you can use it on an unlimited number of devices. This is perfect if you need a VPN for multiple devices or if you want to share your subscription with friends and family.

Surfshark’s unlimited connections offer is impressive because most top VPNs cap the number of devices you can connect to at the same time. For example, you can use NordVPN on only 10 devices simultaneously, while ExpressVPN caps it at eight.

Customer service

During this Surfshark review, we discovered that Surfshark VPN provides multiple support options, including:

• Knowledge base
• Live chat
• Email support

You can find the knowledge base tucked away under the “Resources” section of the website. It covers everything from installation guides to connectivity issues, with plenty of FAQs. We were quickly able to locate answers to our questions.

You can reach out to Surfshark’s customer support agents by emailing [email protected].

If you want real-time support, you can use the live chat function. Note that you’ll have to go through a chatbot first. However, you can switch to a live agent whenever you want.

In our experience, we were assisted by an actual employee within a minute. We reached out because of initial problems with watching American Netflix, and customer service was able to help us fix our issue in no time.

The support agents were patient, kind, and helpful, and we were able to resolve the problem.

Surfshark’s money-back guarantee: How to get a refund

Surfshark offers a 30-day money-back guarantee as long as you abide by its terms of service. You can use this refund option to try Surfshark for free for a full month, and after that, you can cancel Surfshark if you want. Moreover, this subscription can be used on unlimited devices.

To ask for a refund, simply send a message to [email protected] or get in touch with any of the live chat agents.

Surfshark also offers a seven-day free trial for its macOS, iOS, and Android app. All you have to do is download the Surfshark VPN app from the Apple App Store or the Google Play Store, sign up for an account, register your payment method, and start the trial.

Your card will be charged after seven days unless you choose to cancel. In case you accidentally keep a subscription, you’re still eligible for Surfshark’s 30-day money-back guarantee, so it’s a win either way.

Get Surfshark for free — for longer!

Did you know that you can use Surfshark for free for up to two years? While the money-back guarantee is great, you’ll have to subscribe to use the service for longer than 30 days. Luckily, Surfshark’s refer-a-friend program lets you extend your free period.

When you subscribe, you’ll receive a custom link, which you can find under the “Settings” menu in your app. If your friend signs up with the link and sticks around for a month, you’ll earn free subscription extensions. Here’s how it works:

• Invite one friend (Iron): 1 month free
• Invite three friends (Bronze): 2 months free
• Invite five friends (Silver): 3 months free
• Invite ten friends (Gold): 6 months free
• Invite 20 friends (Platinum): 12 months free

The only downside is that Surfshark doesn’t specify how many invites you must send to hit “Diamond” status and gain 24 months for free. But few other providers offer such incentives, so this was a great addition to see.

Comparisons With Other VPNs

How does Surfshark measure up against other VPNs? Check out this table below:

		Editor’s Pick
VPN
Score	9.0	9.3	8.8	8.8	8.6
Price	$ 2.29	$ 3.09	$ 6.67	$ 2.03	$ 2.19
Payment methods	PayPal, Cryptocurrency, Credit card, Other	Sofort, Cryptocurrency, Credit card, Other	Sofort, MINT, UnionPay, PayPal, Bitcoin, iDeal, Cryptocurrency, Credit card	PayPal, Cryptocurrency, Credit card, Other	PayPal, Cryptocurrency, Credit card, Other
Operating systems	Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux	Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux	Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux	Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux	Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux
Servers	3000-5000	5000+	Thousands	5000+	Thousands
Connections	Unlimited	10	8	7	Unlimited
Logs	Zero logs	Zero logs	Zero logs	Zero logs	Zero logs
Protocols	OpenVPN, IKEv2, WireGuard	OpenVPN, IKEv2, WireGuard	OpenVPN, IKEv2, L2TP/IPsec, Lightway	OpenVPN, IKEv2, WireGuard	OpenVPN, WireGuard, L2TP/IPsec
Compatibilities
Money-back guarantee	Money-back guarantee, 30 Days	Money-back guarantee, 30 Days	Money-back guarantee, 30 Days	Money-back guarantee, 45 Days	Money-back guarantee, 30 Days
	Visit Surfshark	Visit NordVPN	Visit ExpressVPN	Visit CyberGhost	Visit Private Internet Access (PIA)

NordVPN remains our highest-rated VPN, thanks to its advanced security features. However, Surfshark is the clear option if you’re prioritizing affordability. The $ 2.29/mo price tag is hard to beat, especially when you factor in its unlimited simultaneous connections.

We recommend picking Surfshark if you want a premium VPN on a budget. While other premium VPNs can match its ease of use, they can’t match its killer combination of speed, features, and affordability.

What Do Reddit Users Think About Surfshark?

During our Surfshark VPN review, we thoroughly checked over 100 Reddit reviews. We can see that many Redditors are impressed with Surfshark’s prices and security features. In fact, Reddit seems to largely agree with us—Surfshark is one of the best VPNs, according to Reddit users.

It’s true that Surfshark packs a lot of value into an inexpensive subscription. It’s regularly one of the cheapest premium VPNs while offering some of the best possible speeds. Value for money has only improved with the addition of the Alternative ID feature to all user plans. Previously, it was only available to Surfshark One antivirus subscribers.

These points mirror our experience, too. We’ve seen consistent and positive results across every device we tested, including Windows, Linux, Android, and iOS versions thanks to unlimited devices. The comment on customer service is particularly accurate too. Recently, we’ve even see Surfshark helping Russian Redditors to overcome geo-blocks with manual setup.

Of course, not all the reviews were singing Surfshark’s praise. Some redditors raised concerns about Surfshark’s speeds.

In our opinion, this shouldn’t raise a red flag; VPN servers can experience slowdowns because of server congestion. In this case, you can opt for a dedicated IP or simply try a different server. Surfshark’s customer service should also be able to offer help in these cases.

Do We Recommend Surfshark?

Based on our Surfshark VPN review, we can confidently say that Surfshark is a top-drawer VPN for most things you’ll want to do online. It’s reliable, secure, fast, can connect to unlimited devices, and works well for browsing, streaming content, downloads, and torrents. And through all of that, it still manages to remain one of the cheapest premium VPNs around.

At the same time, it boasts great security features like a kill switch, dedicated IP addresses, ad blocking, GPS spoofing, and access to varied Netflix libraries. Want to watch videos on YouTube instead? Surfshark’s the best VPN for blocking YouTube ads.

On top of that, its affordability makes it a great alternative to using free VPN services that often come with limitations and security issues. All this for just $ 2.29 per month — with a full refund if you’re unhappy within 30 days.

It’s no surprise that Surfshark is currently the second-best VPN in our books. Check out our comparison guides below to see how Surfshark fares against NordVPN and other top VPN providers:

• Surfshark vs. ExpressVPN
• Surfshark vs. NordVPN
• Surfshark vs. CyberGhost

Personal Opinions From VPNOverview Experts

“A reliable and fast VPN with great features”

9.0

Naj Ahmed

Editor

Surfshark continues to innovate and grow. In such a short amount of time, it’s become one of the most popular VPNs in the world. It’s got a whole bunch of interesting features, and it’s a great choice for both casual users who need a VPN for streaming or for unblocking websites or those who are serious about their privacy.

Deal

Save 85% and pay only $ 2.29 a month!

Visit Surfshark

From price provider_id="324189" a month