Surfshark VPN Review: Best for Streaming & Torrenting 2026

Surfshark is a fierce contender on the VPN playing field – but is it really eating its competition alive? In this Surfshark review, we’ll examine whether this shark-themed VPN has what it takes to eat or be eaten.

Surfshark comes packed with features like a strict no-logs policy, a built-in kill switch, and even a Camouflage Mode to make your VPN traffic look like normal traffic to your ISP. It essentially offers all the top-tier elements you’d expect from a reliable, secure, and easy-to-use VPN service.

Despite being relatively new, Surfshark has made a big splash with its pricing – at about $2.49 per month on a two-year plan (currently bundled with a few extra free months), it’s one of the cheapest premium VPNs available. That aggressive pricing is a big reason why many users now consider Surfshark the best alternative to NordVPN, especially since it matches much of Nord’s feature set at a lower monthly cost. Add to that unlimited device connections and the ability to access many different Netflix libraries, and you might wonder if there’s a catch to a deal this good.
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Let’s dive in to see if Surfshark really is at the top of the food chain in the VPN world.

Surfshark Overview

OVERALL RANK:	#2 Out of 30 VPNs
USABILITY:	Very Easy To Use
LOG FILES:	Strict No Logging Policy (Independently Audited)
LOCATIONS:	100 Locations, 4,500+ Servers
SUPPORT:	Live Chat (24/7)
TORRENTING:	P2P & Torrenting Allowed
NETFLIX:	Unblocks Netflix (Multiple Libraries)
ENCRYPTION/PROTOCOL:	256-bit AES/OpenVPN, IPSec & IKEv2 & Wireguard
COST:	From $2.49/mo
OFFICIAL WEBSITE:	www.Surfshark.com

Easy Setup

Getting started with Surfshark is a breeze. As a new user, you’ll be prompted to create an account or log in with an existing one before installing the app.

The installation process is very user-friendly – in fact, the Surfshark app itself walks you through each step. We’ve outlined the steps below (though most users will find it straightforward without guidance):

Step 1: Download the Launcher From the Surfshark Website

You can download the client directly from Surfshark’s website. While Surfshark offers clients for a bunch of different platforms, we’ll be using Windows for this example.

Step 2: Choose the Destination Folder for the Software on Your Device.

Note: Surfshark’s application is lightweight – it requires only ~32 MB of free space.

Step 3: Run the Installer To Complete the Setup and Then Log In To Activate Your Account.

When you click the installer, Windows will ask you to allow the app to make changes. Click yes and continue with the installation process.

Surfshark will then install. The process is pretty simple, but if you run into any issues you can ask Surfshark’s support staff for assistance through the process.

When you’re presented with the Surfshark login page, you’ll most likely notice how sleek and simple the interface is.

Use your credentials from signing in to Surfshark’s website in the app, and you’ll be able to log in.

Once you’re logged in, just click “Connect” and the app will automatically hook you up to the fastest server available.

Of course, you can still dig into settings and manually tweak your quick-connect location (as shown below), but it’s great that a one-click connect gets you protected in seconds.

Attractive In-App Features

When choosing a VPN, there are a few key things to consider. Security and privacy are paramount, but you also want good speeds for streaming/gaming, reliable malware protection, and useful extras. Surfshark does an excellent job covering all these bases. It not only nails the fundamentals (strong encryption, no leaks, etc.) but also offers a suite of bonus features that sweeten the deal compared to many competitors.

Let’s take a closer look at Surfshark’s notable features and what they mean for you:

Ad-blocking With CleanWeb

Surfshark’s CleanWeb feature is a built-in ad-blocker and malware shield. With CleanWeb enabled, you won’t see annoying ads or pop-ups, and you’re protected from phishing attempts and dangerous websites. In practice, this made our browsing quieter and safer – no surprise redirects or sketchy ads trying to install malware. Surfshark maintains an updated database of known malicious sites (over 1 million entries and counting) to automatically block threats before they load. CleanWeb is available on all major platforms (Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS), and we didn’t notice any slowdown in bandwidth when using it.

(CleanWeb works well for the most part. We only encountered the occasional YouTube ad or browser cookie popup that snuck through – a minor gap, but something to be aware of.)

Split-Tunnel With Bypasser

Surfshark’s Bypasser allows you to create “split-tunneling” rules – meaning you can let certain apps or websites bypass the VPN. This is useful if you have some services that must see your real IP or local network (for example, a printer on your LAN, or a banking site that blocks VPNs). Instead of turning the VPN on and off, you simply add those trusted apps/websites to Surfshark’s whitelist. We tried this out by whitelisting our local printer’s IP and a streaming app, and it worked like a charm – the whitelisted traffic went outside the VPN while everything else stayed encrypted.

Do note: using Bypasser means that traffic is not encrypted for those chosen destinations, so only whitelist services you trust. It’s a handy feature for advanced users, but beginners should use it sparingly to avoid exposing anything unintentionally.

Extra Privacy Tools (Surfshark Alert & Search)

Surfshark also provides privacy tools beyond the VPN itself. For instance,  Surfshark Alert offers realtime alerts if your email address or other personal data appears in a leaked database. Similarly, Surfshark Search is a completely private search engine – think of it as a Google alternative that doesn’t log your queries or show you ads.

These extras come included if you opt for the Surfshark One bundle (which adds antivirus and other tools to your VPN subscription).We love that Surfshark is expanding into these security niches – it shows they’re aiming to be an all-in-one privacy solution.

(In our testing, Surfshark Alert promptly flagged an old compromised password of ours that appeared online – a helpful heads-up. And Surfshark Search yielded clean, ad-free search results, just as advertised.)

Custom Server Locations

Surfshark makes it easy to find the best server for your needs. In the Locations tab of the app, you can mark favorite servers and quickly toggle between them. You can also let the app pick – using “Fastest Server” (connects to the lowest-latency server available) or “Nearest Country”.

We liked the granularity: if, say, you always use servers in Australia and Japan, you can favorite those and ignore the rest. Surfshark has 100 locations to choose from, so this favorite system is a welcome convenience to avoid scrolling every time.

MultiHop (Double VPN)

For users who want extra anonymity, Surfshark offers MultiHop – the ability to route your connection through two VPN servers in different countries. For example, you can connect through USA and exit in the UK, effectively doubling your encryption and making it even harder to trace your activities. In our tests, MultiHop worked as expected: it did slow down the connection a bit more (as you’d anticipate with two hops), but it provided an additional layer of privacy. Setting up MultiHop is simple in the app (there’s a dedicated MultiHop menu – just choose your entry and exit pair from a list).

Keep in mind, using a double VPN isn’t necessary for most people – a single connection with Surfshark’s strong encryption is already secure. But for the privacy paranoid or those in highly restrictive environments, MultiHop is a fantastic feature to have, and not all VPNs offer it.

Unlimited Device Support

Surfshark really stands out by allowing unlimited simultaneous connections on one account. This isn’t just a gimmick – it means you can protect all your devices (and your family’s devices) without having to juggle logins or buy multiple subscriptions. We had Surfshark running on a Windows PC, a MacBook, two smartphones, and a Fire TV Stick all at once – and it worked flawlessly. This “no limits” policy is a huge value perk (competitors like ExpressVPN and NordVPN both cap simultaneous connected devices at 10). If you have a lot of tech in your household, Surfshark has you covered across the board – one subscription can secure your phones, laptops, desktops, tablets, smart TVs, you name it.

(This also makes Surfshark an excellent family VPN or the perfect choice if you’re the go-to “IT person” for your friend group – you can share your account legitimately. There’s no device counter to worry about.)

Camouflage Mode

Never mind snoopers and scammers – why should even your ISP know that you’re using a VPN? Surfshark’s Camouflage Mode (also called obfuscation) ensures that no one, not even your internet provider, can tell you have a VPN on. It cleverly disguises VPN traffic as regular HTTPS web traffic. This is especially useful if you’re in a country with VPN bans or heavy monitoring. For example, in certain restrictive regions (like China or the UAE), standard VPN connections can be detected and blocked – but with Camouflage Mode, Surfshark blends in with ordinary internet traffic.

Additionally, the Surfshark Android app offers a unique GPS-spoofing feature that can fake your phone’s GPS location to match the VPN server location. We tested this on an Android device – after enabling it, apps that usually pinpoint your physical location were fooled into thinking we were in the VPN server’s city. This is a clever bonus for privacy (and can help with apps or games that check GPS vs. IP location).

(Camouflage Mode activates automatically whenever you use the OpenVPN protocol on Surfshark. In our use, it worked invisibly – which is exactly the point. Even on networks known to block VPNs, we had no issues.)

Kill Switch

Surfshark includes an essential safety net called a Kill Switch. If for any reason your VPN connection drops unexpectedly, the Kill Switch will instantly cut off your internet access, preventing your device from leaking any unencrypted data. This feature is critical if you’re downloading via P2P or transmitting sensitive info and want to avoid accidental exposure. Surfshark’s Kill Switch is available on Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android apps (only Linux lacks it, currently).

Enabling the Kill Switch is simple in Surfshark’s settings (under the Connectivity section – just toggle it on). We tested it by abruptly disconnecting our VPN to simulate a crash – Surfshark correctly halted all traffic and popped up a notification that it had “killed” the connection for safety. Once we reconnected the VPN, traffic resumed. This gave us confidence that even if something goes awry, Surfshark won’t let our real IP or data slip through.

(Important: if your internet ever seems to “drop” while using Surfshark, check the app – the Kill Switch might be doing its job due to a momentary VPN hiccup. It’s better to briefly lose connectivity than to leak data.)

No Logging Policy

When using a VPN, a no-log policy should be standard, as this keeps your data, history, IP address, traffic, and connection timestamps from being collected and stored. Surfshark protects all traffic with AES-256-GCM encryption, which is the industry-leading standard. This also keeps your traffic from suffering from any IP, WebRTC, or DNS leaks.

According to Surfshark’s privacy policy, the only data they keep about users is account info (email address and encrypted password) and basic billing/payment info – purely for account management. They do collect some anonymous usage statistics (like crash reports and aggregated performance data) to improve their apps, but this cannot be tied back to any individual user or activity.

Surfshark’s no-logs commitments aren’t just talk – they’ve been independently audited. In 2023, and again in 2025, Surfshark invited Deloitte (one of the Big Four auditing firms) to examine their servers and operations to verify the no-logs policy. Deloitte’s audits confirmed that Surfshark is indeed not storing users’ identifiable data or activity logs. This external verification is a big green flag for privacy-conscious users. (Very few VPNs have undergone multiple audits – the fact Surfshark has done it twice shows a proactive approach to transparency.)

No Borders Mode (Bypass Censorship)

If you’re traveling or living in a region with heavy internet censorship, Surfshark’s NoBorders mode becomes invaluable. This feature kicks in to allow access to the open internet when it detects you’re on a network that restricts connections. For example, behind the “Great Firewall” of China or on certain Middle Eastern ISPs, many sites and services are blocked – but NoBorders mode helps automatically optimize Surfshark’s settings to bypass those geo-restrictions. It will present you with a list of servers that are known to work under those conditions.

In our 2025 tests in China, Surfshark (with obfuscation) did work, though not as consistently as some top rivals. With recent improvements like NoBorders and new server locations, Surfshark remains a viable option for censored regions (just note that performance can vary). It’s reassuring that they have a dedicated mode for this scenario – it shows Surfshark is catering to users in restrictive internet environments.

Private DNS and Leak Protection

Every Surfshark server uses private DNS to handle your lookups, and all servers have built-in leak protection when using IPv4. In non-geek speak: your DNS queries (the websites you visit) are kept within the encrypted tunnel and not sent to any third-party DNS like your ISP’s. This, combined with Surfshark’s leak protections, means you don’t have to worry about data sneaking out through cracks in the VPN. We ran extended leak tests and, as mentioned, found zero leaks – no IP address leaks, no DNS leaks, nothing (these results mirror our “Leak-Free Record” section below).

Encryption

Surfshark employs industry-standard top-tier encryption. It uses AES-256-GCM cipher by default, which is effectively unbreakable by any modern supercomputer. This encryption secures all data passing through the VPN. Additionally, Surfshark has started implementing post-quantum encryption algorithms on some protocols to future-proof against quantum computer attacks. The bottom line is that Surfshark’s encryption meets the highest standards of the VPN industry – your connection security is on par with what banks and militaries use.

(For those curious: AES-256-GCM vs. AES-256-CBC – Surfshark’s chosen variant (GCM) is just a newer mode that provides authenticated encryption with less overhead. It’s as secure as it gets.)

Secure Protocols

Surfshark lets you choose from several VPN protocols: OpenVPN (UDP/TCP), IKEv2/IPsec, and WireGuard. By default, the apps often select IKEv2 or WireGuard automatically (depending on your device) for the best balance of speed and security.

• OpenVPN is the classic protocol – very secure and reliable (Surfshark offers it in both UDP and TCP forms).
• IKEv2/IPsec is excellent for mobile devices because it reconnects seamlessly when switching networks (and it’s the default on iOS).
• WireGuard is the newest addition – and a game-changer for speed. WireGuard is extremely lightweight and fast while using solid cryptography. In our experience, Surfshark over WireGuard often achieves 90-95% of our base internet speed, which is fantastic.

We recommend using the Automatic/WireGuard setting for most situations, since it gave us the best performance. But it’s great that power users can manually switch protocols if needed. Having all three options means Surfshark can adapt to whatever your situation is (e.g., OpenVPN-TCP for maximum reliability, or WireGuard for mobile streaming, etc.).

Surfshark’s Killer Benefits and Advantages

Surfshark impressed us not only with its features, but also with how it leverages them to benefit users. Many of Surfshark’s capabilities – like MultiHop, CleanWeb, Bypasser, etc. – aren’t even offered by some VPNs. And when it comes to everyday use, we found a lot of “quality of life” advantages that make Surfshark stand out.

Here are the major benefits we found during our Surfshark testing:

New “Nexus” Network Technology

Surfshark recently rolled out an innovative technology called Surfshark Nexus. When you connect via Nexus, you aren’t just connected to a single VPN server – you’re connected to an entire network of servers at once. Think of it as joining a secure VPN cloud. Within that network, Surfshark can implement special features:

• IP Rotator: This periodically changes your exit IP address during a VPN session without disconnecting you. It makes it even harder for anyone to track your movements online because your apparent IP keeps hopping.
• IP Randomizer: Every website you visit could see a different IP address. Normally, when you’re on a VPN, all sites see the same exit IP. With IP Randomizer, Surfshark (using Nexus) can serve up a fresh IP for each new connection, drastically boosting anonymity.
• Dynamic MultiHop: Unlike the fixed MultiHop pairs in the standard feature, Dynamic MultiHop (via Nexus) lets you choose any entry and exit server combination on the fly. So you can truly create a custom double VPN path suited to your needs.

In everyday terms, Nexus is a cutting-edge approach to VPN architecture that few other providers have. It can potentially also improve speeds and reduce latency as the technology matures, because your traffic can take optimized paths through the network.

We tried the IP Rotator feature in Nexus – indeed our IP changed seamlessly in the background while streaming, without dropping the connection. It’s pretty impressive. These kinds of developments show Surfshark is on the forefront of VPN innovation.

(Nexus is still being rolled out across Surfshark’s network, so expect even more benefits from it in the future.)

Huge Server Network (Now 100 Locations)

Having a wide selection of VPN servers is more than just a numbers game – it improves your chances of finding a fast, nearby server and accessing geo-blocked content worldwide. Surfshark now boasts 4,500+ servers in 100 locations. For context, that country count puts Surfshark near the very top of the industry. In the past year they’ve expanded to more locations, meaning if you need a VPN server in, say, a less-common country in Africa or Eastern Europe, there’s a good chance Surfshark has it.

All Surfshark servers support P2P file sharing, so you don’t have to guess which ones allow torrenting – a plus for simplicity (some VPNs segregate P2P servers). And importantly, all Surfshark servers run on RAM-only (volatile memory). This is great for security because RAM servers cannot physically store data long-term – every time a server reboots, any data is wiped. There are no hard drives in Surfshark’s VPN servers at all, which aligns perfectly with their no-logs policy. Even if a server were seized, there would be no logs or history to retrieve.

Check out their server list here.

Minimal Speed Loss (~5-20%)

One of the biggest concerns when using a VPN is speed: will it slow down your internet noticeably? With Surfshark, our answer is no – not noticeably. In fact, Surfshark now ranks among the fastest VPNs we’ve tested. Using the WireGuard protocol especially, Surfshark retained a very high percentage of our base speed.

We tested the speed using Surfshark on five different servers. For reference, prior to using the VPN, our benchmark speed test showed 249 Mbps download and 248 Mbps upload.

We checked Surfshark’s speeds when connected to the nearest server, as well as servers on the US east and west coast, Europe, and Asia. Here’s what we found:

Quick Connect: Fastest/Closest Location

• Ping: 1ms
• Download: 242 Mbps
• Upload: 240 Mbps

US East 

• Ping: 97ms
• Download: 218 Mbps
• Upload: 226 Mbps

US West

• Ping: 161ms
• Download: 206 Mbps
• Upload: 234 Mbps

Asia

• Ping: 264ms
• Download: 195 Mbps
• Upload: 216 Mbps

Europe

• Ping: 25ms
• Download: 238 Mbps
• Upload: 244 Mbps

The tests will have different results based on the time of day and node saturation, but we found that Surfshark was consistently very fast with almost negligible speed drops connecting to Europe and US east servers.

Torrenting and P2P Use Is Allowed

VPNs for torrenting are practically a necessity to keep your anonymity when downloading or seeding torrents, and Surfshark claims that they’re the best VPN out there for that exact purpose.

Your internet providers can throttle your connection speed based on the content you download or torrent, so a VPN helps you avoid this. Using a VPN especially while torrenting can also offer protection from possible downloaded malware. 

This is no different with Surfshark. But what makes Surfshark stand out is its compatibility with all P2P clients, including uTorrent, BitTorrent, Vuze, and many others.

Surfshark VPN is compatible with any torrent site, so you can access your favorite P2P sites without restrictions, such as ThePirateBay and LimeTorrents.

You can get top-notch P2P speeds while using Surfshark’s servers in the following countries:

• United States (US) 
• United Kingdom (UK) 
• Canada (CA) 
• Germany (DE) 
• Italy (IT) 
• Poland (PL) 
• Spain (IS) 
• Norway (NO) 
• Denmark (DK) 
• Luxembourg (LU) 
• Hong Kong (HK) 
• Singapore (SG) 
• Netherlands (NL) 
• Bulgaria (BG) 
• Belgium (BE) 
• Switzerland (CH) 
• Slovakia (SK) 
• Serbia (RS) 
• Finland (FI)

This doesn’t mean you have to stick to these countries’ servers when torrenting, however. If you’d prefer, Surfshark can reroute you to other servers located in the Netherlands, Canada, or the United States, depending on your actual physical location. 

These P2P connections include streaming players like VLC or PopcornTime, as well as torrent software like BitTorrent, Vuze, or uTorrent.

Surfshark also allows for connection to the Tor network to fully secure your browsing experience. Tor is “the onion router,” which ensures that all of your online web traffic remains completely anonymous. 

Because the Tor network is run by volunteers, security is not always guaranteed. Running Tor with Surfshark grants you that anonymity with the security and safety of a reliable VPN.

Read more about our top VPNs for Torrenting.

Near-Perfect Streaming (Netflix & More)

You’re in luck – watching Netflix with Surfshark is easy as it gets. Surfshark is one of our best VPNs for Netflix.

Netflix offers different content in different countries depending on where you are located. Using a VPN with Netflix allows you to access the content you wouldn’t normally be able to watch.

Here are the Netflix platforms you’ll find on their corresponding servers:

• Netflix US – Works from any Surfshark server except (UK, India, Japan, Germany, Turkey, France, Australia, Brazil and Singapore). In other words, to get US Netflix, connect to basically any country other than those 9, and you’ll get the American catalog.
• Netflix UK – Use a UK server.
• Netflix Japan – Use a Japanese server.
• Netflix Germany – Use a German server.
• Netflix India – Use an Indian server.
• Netflix Italy – Use an Italian server.
• Netflix Canada – Use a Canadian server.
• Netflix France – Use a French server.
• Netflix Australia – Use an Australian server.
• Netflix Brazil – Use a Brazilian server.
• (And so on for other regions.)

You don’t need to take Surfshark’s word for it, either. We took Surfshark for a test drive on a bunch of different Netflix regions to test its unblocking capabilities.

Connecting to US Netflix was easy enough, allowing us to stream Fauda without any issues.

We then jumped over to the UK Netflix library to stream Friends. We needed to change to a UK server for this one, but it worked without any buffering once we did.

With two successes in the bag, we tried out DE Netflix to see whether Surfshark’s servers in Germany worked as well. The answer’s yes, we were able to stream Breaking Bad first time.

Finally, we tried out JP Netflix where we were able to stream Last Samurai Standing straight from Netflix’s Japanese content library.

Surfshark maintains a helpful list internally, and it matched our testing results above. Essentially, Surfshark is one of the best VPNs for Netflix because it has so many servers and actively works to evade Netflix’s VPN detection.

Surfshark isn’t just great for Netflix, either. We tested out some other popular streaming services and Surfshark performed just as well. Paramount Plus worked perfectly on UK servers, allowing us to stream Landman in 4K.

Want to watch content on BBC iPlayer while you’re on holiday? Surfshark worked flawlessly here too,

Of course, it’s the same story for Amazon Prime Video on their US servers too.

Disney Plus also worked flawlessly in the US, allowing us to watch Zootopia.

Finally, we were able to access HBO Max in the US too.

To sum up, that means we were able to stream the following providers using Surfshark:

• BBC iPlayer
• Disney+
• Amazon Prime Video (US)
• HBO Max
• Paramount Plus

(Pro tip: If you ever have issues with a streaming service, connect to a different city in the same country or clear your cookies – Surfshark has multiple servers per region, and one bad node doesn’t mean the whole region is blocked.)

Proven No-Leak Security

Security is at the core of Surfshark’s service, and it lived up to expectations. We ran multiple independent leak tests to ensure that when Surfshark is on, only the VPN’s IP/DNS shows, not our real ones. Our most recent tests for Surfshark use BrowserLeaks and ipleak.net. With Surfshark connected, every test showed our location as the VPN server and found no leaks whatsoever.

We used ipleak.net to check whether Surfshark leaks your home IP through DNS requests.

One note here: the VPN tests through ipleak.net show that the IPv6 test doesn’t work.

IPv6 is a sticking point for many VPNs. It’s difficult to correctly stop your IP leaking through IPv6 on Windows, so Surfshark has made the decision to stop IPv6 routing entirely. This shouldn’t interrupt your day-to-day internet usage, but it’s important to know if you’re trying to use IPv6 for a specific purpose while connected through Surfshark.

Next up, we used BrowserLeaks.com to check whether Surfshark leaks your IP through WebRTC. While some VPNs struggle to correctly disguise your home IP through the WebRTC protocol, Surfshark handles it with ease. Our tests indicate that in all cases, Surfshark only shows your VPN IP.

We’ve also tested Surfshark’s obfuscation settings for IP leaks. You may notice when you choose your protocol that there’s no option to turn on obfuscation.

That’s because obfuscation is on by default whenever you connect by OpenVPN. There’s no extra settings to enable, so all of our OpenVPN IP tests also test Surfshark’s obfuscation too.

Reliable Customer Support Offered 24/7

Surfshark offers round-the-clock customer support, which we found to be responsive and helpful. You have a few options:

• Live Chat (24/7): Available on their website – we used it a couple of times at odd hours and always got a support agent within a minute or two. The agents were knowledgeable about technical details (for example, they could recommend a specific server for unblocking a certain website and knew about the latest features like Nexus). This is great for immediate troubleshooting or questions.
• Email Support: You can also submit a ticket via email. We tried this for a non-urgent query and got a thorough reply in under 8 hours.
• Help Center & Tutorials: Surfshark’s website has a pretty extensive help section with setup guides, FAQs, and even some research articles. The app itself sometimes points you to these for detailed steps (like how to manually configure Surfshark on a router, etc.). We found the guides well-written and up to date.

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Physical Location: Netherlands (Privacy Implications)

Surfshark is headquartered in the Netherlands (Amsterdam), which is a change from when it first launched. Originally, Surfshark was registered in the British Virgin Islands (outside of surveillance alliances), but today its main operations are in the EU. This raised a question for us: the Netherlands is part of the Nine Eyes intelligence-sharing alliance (an extension of the Five Eyes countries). Does this impact user privacy?

The short answer is NO, not in a practical sense – and here’s why:

• Surfshark maintains a strict no-logs policy (verified by audits), so even if a Dutch court or authority requested user data, Surfshark would have no identifiable logs to hand over. They can’t share what they don’t have. This is our biggest reassurance.
• Many top VPNs operate in jurisdictions that are technically within 5/9/14 Eyes countries. For example, ExpressVPN was based in the BVI (now owned by a company in the UK), NordVPN’s parent is in Panama (outside Eyes), and others like CyberGhost are in Romania (14 Eyes member). The industry standard, regardless of base country, is to enforce no-logging so that location becomes less relevant.
• Surfshark has been transparent about this change. They publicly moved to the Netherlands and updated their policies accordingly. We also know Surfshark merged with Nord Security (NordVPN’s parent company) in early 2022 – both companies said they’d continue to operate independently, and so far there’s no evidence of any data sharing between them. It seems more a corporate alignment than anything affecting users.

(For the truly ultra-cautious: you could consider using Surfshark in tandem with additional privacy measures – but honestly, Surfshark’s setup already covers the bases. We appreciate their openness about where they operate, and it hasn’t impacted our trust in the service.)

Multiple Pricing Plans Offered

 

Surfshark is well-known for its affordable pricing, especially compared to older providers like ExpressVPN. They offer three main subscription options as of 2025:

• 1 Month: $15.45 per month (no commitment) – on the higher side for monthly VPN pricing, but provides flexibility.
• 12 + 3 Months: ~$3.19 per month (billed $47.85 for the first 15 months) – this is effectively a 15-month subscription when you count the 3 free months. It’s a great value upfront (about $3.19 a month on average).
• 24 + 3 Months: ~$2.49 per month (billed $53.73 for 27 months with a Surfshark coupon). You pay about $53.73 and get 2 years + 3 extra months of service. $2.49 a month for a top-tier VPN is one of the lowest prices in the industry.

Each of these plans includes all core VPN features. The difference is just how much you pay upfront and how long you’re committing. Surfshark also introduced tiered plans (Surfshark “Starter,” “One,” and “One+”), but those refer to add-ons like antivirus and identity protection:

• The Starter plan (the prices quoted above) is just the VPN.
• Surfshark One (usually a couple dollars more per month) includes the VPN + Surfshark Alert + Surfshark Search + Antivirus.
• Surfshark One+ (a bit more on top) includes all of the above + an identity theft protection tool (data broker removal via Incogni).

For payment, Surfshark offers a lot of flexibility. You can pay via credit cards, PayPal, Google Pay, Amazon Pay, crypto (Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies through CoinGate), and even AliPay for those who prefer it. They pretty much have every major payment method covered, including region-specific ones.

Money-Back Guarantee

As mentioned, Surfshark comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee on all plans. If you decide within the first month that it’s not for you, simply contact their support (live chat is easiest) and request a refund. They’ll process it, no hassle. This guarantee makes trying Surfshark a no-brainer – you can test all its features for a few weeks while knowing you can get your money back if needed.

We signed up directly on the website for the two-year deal, and knowing the refund option was there put us at ease.

(We ended up keeping the service, but it’s good customer-friendly policy.)

Free Trial

Surfshark offers a genuine 7-day free trial on desktop and mobile, with no app store workaround needed. On desktop, use our free trial link, select the Starter 12-month plan, and the trial activates directly through the browser. Enter a card to start, cancel immediately after signup, and you will not be charged. You keep full access for the 7 days regardless of when you cancel.

The trial is also available through the Apple App Store and Google Play for mobile users. Either route gives you the same 7 days of full access. Once your account is active it works across all devices simultaneously, so signing up on desktop or mobile makes no practical difference to how you use it.

If 7 days is not enough, Surfshark’s 30-day money-back guarantee gives you a second window. Let the trial convert to a paid subscription and request a refund within 30 days of that charge. Combined, that is up to 37 days before you spend anything permanently.

Conclusion – Does Surfshark Beat the Competition?

After thoroughly testing Surfshark, we have to say – it lives up to the hype. For the price, it offers an outstanding array of features and performance that you normally only get from much costlier VPNs. Speeds are among the fastest we’ve seen; in day-to-day use, we hardly noticed any slowdowns. The app’s usability is top-notch (with support for unlimited devices, it’s also one of the most flexible services out there), and Surfshark’s privacy and security measures are absolutely on par with industry leaders.

At around $2.49 per month for a two-year package, it’s hard to find a better deal that doesn’t skimp on quality. Surfshark punches well above its weight class – it’s a budget-friendly VPN that feels like a premium service. We would recommend Surfshark to anyone looking to protect their digital life on a budget, or frankly to anyone who just wants a really solid VPN for streaming, torrenting, and secure browsing.

If you’re still not sure, you can check out NordVPN (our top rated provider).

Visit Surfshark.com 

→ Get Surfshark from $2.49/mo + 3 EXTRA months
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P.S. I’m always interested in user-reviews so if you’ve used Surfshark before, leave a review! Let us know if you’re experience matched ours.