Article Summary
- Free trial length: 7 days, available on desktop and mobile
- Credit card required: Yes, to activate – but you will not be charged if you cancel within 7 days
- Our tip: Cancel immediately after signing up. You keep full access for 7 days regardless
- Maximum free period: 37 days – combine the 7-day trial with the separate 30-day money-back guarantee
- Start here: Activate the Surfshark free trial
Surfshark is one of the few top-tier VPNs that offers a genuine 7-day free trial on desktop without requiring an app store workaround. You enter a card to activate, use the full service for 7 days, and pay nothing if you cancel before the window closes. Here is exactly how to do it.
How to Sign Up for a Surfshark Free Trial on Any Device
The signup process takes under three minutes. Follow these steps exactly to make sure the free trial activates correctly.
- Go to the trial page via our dedicated free trial link. This ensures the trial option appears at checkout. Going directly to surfshark.com without this link may not surface the free trial.
- Select the Starter plan on a 12-month billing cycle. The free trial is attached to this plan.
- Enter your email and payment details. A card is required to activate the trial. You will not be charged during the 7-day window.
- Download the Surfshark app for your device. Once your account is created, it works across Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, Fire TV, and Apple TV simultaneously.
- Cancel immediately after signing up if you want zero risk of being charged. Your 7-day access runs from the moment of signup, not from when you first use the app.
On mobile, the trial is also available through the Apple App Store and Google Play. Download the Surfshark app, tap Sign Up, and the free trial option appears during the signup flow. The same account works across all your devices regardless of where you signed up.
How to Cancel Your Surfshark Free Trial Before Being Charged
Our recommendation is to cancel straight after signup. Surfshark’s terms allow you to cancel auto-renewal immediately and keep full access for the remaining trial period. Waiting until day 6 to cancel introduces unnecessary risk if you forget or run into a timezone issue.
To cancel, log into your Surfshark account at my.surfshark.com, go to Account, then Subscription, and turn off auto-renewal. The process takes under two minutes. You will receive a confirmation email. Keep that email as proof of cancellation.
If you signed up through the Apple App Store or Google Play, cancellation must go through that platform rather than Surfshark directly. On iPhone, go to Settings, tap your Apple ID, then Subscriptions, and cancel from there. On Android, open the Play Store, tap your profile, go to Payments and Subscriptions, then Subscriptions, and cancel.
How to Extend Your Free Trial With the 30-Day Money-Back Guarantee
If 7 days is not enough time to properly test a VPN, Surfshark’s 30-day money-back guarantee gives you a second window. The two cannot be combined on the same purchase, but you can use the free trial first, let it convert to a paid subscription, and then request a refund within 30 days of that charge.
That gives you up to 37 days of access before spending anything permanently. The money-back guarantee covers all plans and is processed through Surfshark’s support team, typically within 5 to 10 business days. To request it, contact Surfshark support via live chat or email and state you want a refund under the 30-day guarantee. No hoops, no lengthy questioning in our experience.
What You Get With the Surfshark Free Trial
The free trial gives you full access to everything in Surfshark’s Starter plan, not a limited demo. That includes 4,500+ servers across 100 locations, unlimited simultaneous device connections, and the following features.
On privacy and security, Surfshark uses AES-256 encryption, the WireGuard protocol by default, a kill switch, and a no-logs policy. The CleanWeb feature blocks ads, trackers, and malicious sites at the network level before they load, which is more thorough than a browser extension doing the same job.
On streaming, Surfshark unblocks Netflix, BBC iPlayer, Disney+, Hulu, and most other major platforms reliably. We use it regularly for exactly this and have not hit a platform it could not access. For a full breakdown of how it compares, see our best VPN for streaming guide.
If you decide to keep Surfshark after the trial, the 2-year plan brings the cost down to $2.49/mo, making it one of the most competitive options at this feature level. For context on how that sits against the broader market, see our cheap VPN guide.