Surfshark Vpn Review: A Fast Vpn For Casual Users

Surfshark is 1 of nan youngest awesome VPNs, but it's grown quickly complete nan past 7 years. Since 2018, it's expanded its web to 100 countries, added a suite of apps to its Surfshark One package and experimented pinch precocious touches for illustration servers that perpetually rotate your IP address.

Formerly a fund VPN, Surfshark is still beautiful affordable but nan costs of a one-month subscription is measurement excessively high. These days, it's much willing successful invention than affordability. Its features whitethorn not ever beryllium cutting-edge — Nexus is fundamentally Tor and Everlink is simply a somewhat amended termination move — but it's uncommon to find either implemented truthful good successful a commercialized VPN. Plus, download and upload speeds are fantastic.

It each adds up to 1 of nan champion VPNs for casual users, moreover erstwhile compared to others successful its weight class. But those already profoundly acquainted pinch VPNs mightiness travel complete immoderate aspects. For this review, I studied 11 different angles connected Surfshark's service, immoderate done hands-on tests and others pinch old-fashioned journalism. Check retired nan sections astir important to you, past caput to nan extremity for my last verdict.

Editors' note: We're successful nan process of rebooting each of our VPN reviews from scratch. Once we do a caller walk connected nan apical services, we'll beryllium updating each reappraisal pinch a standing and further comparative information.

Table of contents

• Findings astatine a glance

• Installing, configuring and utilizing Surfshark

• Surfshark velocity test: Super accelerated pinch immoderate latency

• Surfshark information test: Simple but effective protocols

• How overmuch does Surfshark cost?

• Surfshark broadside apps and bundles

• Close-reading Surfshark's privateness policy

• Can Surfshark alteration your virtual location?

• Investigating Surfshark's server network

• Extra features of Surfshark

• Surfshark customer support options

• Surfshark inheritance check: No existent blemishes

• Final verdict

Findings astatine a glance

This array summarizes everything I discovered astir Surfshark. For specifications connected immoderate slug point, spot its conception successful nan afloat review.

Installing, configuring and utilizing Surfshark

For this section, I'll beryllium going complete really it feels to usage Surfshark. I'll look astatine really easy aliases difficult it is to install, what you person to do to group it up and whether nan personification interface (UI) helps retired aliases gets successful nan measurement connected each platform.

Windows

Surfshark is easy to download and instal connected Windows. You tin get it done nan Microsoft store, but going straight done nan Surfshark website makes judge you person nan latest and astir complete version. The downloader asks you to click "Yes," but mostly handles itself, and finishes up successful a short time.

The first constituent that mightiness disagreement casual users and VPN veterans comes erstwhile you unfastened nan app for nan first time. Surfshark insists connected taking you done a guided setup process for each its features. This is highly adjuvant if you've ne'er utilized a VPN before. If you have, its repeated insistence connected sending you done nan circuit tin get aggravating.

This shape repeated itself arsenic I went done nan app. The beforehand page is sensibly organized and arranged truthful I could spot each nan facts and settings — but it remains measurement excessively reliant connected unskippable pop-ups to supply information. Messages appeared erstwhile I tried to cancel a stuck connection, erstwhile I turned settings connected and disconnected and moreover erstwhile I tried to adjacent nan app. It's usually important information, but displaying a connection that freezes each different fastener is simply a bad move.

It's a shame, because everything other useful fine. The settings tabs do an admirable occupation of packing multiple, semi-related apps into a azygous UI. Just return statement that a batch of worldly is enabled by default, including auto-connect and NoBorders, which whitethorn make nan VPN behave successful ways you don't need.

Mac

Surfshark's app for macOS is mostly nan aforesaid arsenic its Windows app, for amended aliases worse. It's sewage nan aforesaid split-second download and installation and nan aforesaid clear statement of tabs pinch well-explained features. It's besides sewage nan aforesaid relentless popups, settings connected by default and occasionally sticky connections. If it gets hung up astatine 95 percent, conscionable hold — it's still working.

Android

The Surfshark Android app, disposable done nan Google Play Store, is fresh aft you simply download and login. It doesn't reinvent nan wheel, but Surfshark's creation connection turns retired to beryllium very easy to compress into mobile — isolated from that it's dark-mode by default, while each nan different 3 are light. I recovered everything I needed wrong moments. Android moreover removes almost each nan full-screen stop-everything notifications.

One point to beryllium alert of: erstwhile you commencement up nan Android app, nan VPN is visible, but nan landing page includes each nan features of Surfshark One. To get nan VPN-only beforehand page, click nan arrow crossed from "VPN" astatine nan apical of nan screen. That said, you tin do almost everything you request to do nary matter which page you're on.

iOS

It's different to spot a large quality betwixt a VPN's apps connected nan 2 mobile platforms, but Surfshark switches up its creation from Android to iOS. Everything now lives successful 4 tabs connected nan bottommost of nan window. The settings tab is great, mostly because it looks for illustration really preferences do connected Mac and Windows.

The main VPN model is simply a spot jankier. It useful fine, but successful bid to make nan server database perpetually visible (unnecessary IMO), it relegates nan existent VPN relationship to a floating container that looks for illustration an afterthought. It moreover includes a fastener to unfastened nan server database that's already open. I freely admit this is conscionable a individual complaint, but it still baffles me.

Browser extensions

Surfshark's browser extensions for Firefox and Chromium are almost clones of its desktop apps, pinch a fewer differences. The Alert tab tells you if nan tract you're connected has suffered a information breach recently. CleanWeb 2.0 is nan main logic to adhd Surfshark to your browser; it's a overmuch stronger blocker that moreover useful connected immoderate video insert ads.

Surfshark velocity test: Super accelerated pinch immoderate latency

All VPNs adhd to your web browser's workload, truthful it's normal to spot speeds drop. The champion VPNs negociate to support nan drops arsenic mini arsenic possible. I utilized speedtest.net to spot really quickly my download speeds declined astatine six of Surfshark's server locations — that's a measurement of really accelerated a browser tin load web pages, buffer videos and download ample files.

I besides looked for latency, which affects real-time connection pinch different server (important for gamers) and upload speed, which affects really quickly your instrumentality tin nonstop information (important for torrenting). My results are successful nan table.

In position of download and upload speeds, Surfshark is nan fastest VPN I've tested truthful far, beating retired ExpressVPN, Proton VPN and NordVPN — and nary of those are precisely sluggish. If you look astatine nan Indonesia row, you'll spot I really sewage a higher upload velocity than I did without nan VPN active. That astir apt has much to do pinch earthy fluctuations from my ISP than thing Surfshark did, but it still indicates really small this VPN weighs down your browsing.

Latency is much of a mixed bag. Jumps successful ping clip are expected crossed agelong distances, but I besides saw a reasonably ample jump connected a server successful nan aforesaid authorities arsenic me. Surfshark whitethorn not beryllium perfect for fast-paced online games, but its speeds are conscionable astir cleanable for immoderate different task.

Surfshark information test: Simple but effective protocols

To find whether Surfshark tin support you safe, I'll beryllium looking astatine 3 factors: whether it uses unafraid and up-to-date VPN protocols, whether immoderate of those protocols leak your IP reside and whether encryption is being applied to each information packets. The first is simply a matter of researching nan technology, but I've tally applicable tests for nan different two.

VPN protocols

Surfshark uses nan VPN protocols WireGuard, OpenVPN (over TCP aliases UDP) and IKEv2. All of these are field-tested protocols that trust connected uncracked encryption and proven authentication methods. There's nary proprietary protocol pinch shady root code, nor immoderate outdated bequest options that mightiness airs a consequence if you prime them. My only title is that OpenVPN isn't disposable connected Mac.

Each of these protocols does nan aforesaid thing: found connection betwixt your device, VPN servers and nan internet. They grip nan steps differently, but nan mean personification is only apt to spot mini differences. If 1 protocol isn't working, you tin move to different — aliases conscionable prime nan automatic protocol action option, which worked good during my tests. If you want to prime for yourself, usage nan array beneath for reference.

Leak test

Next, I picked 5 of nan servers I didn't usage for nan velocity trial and checked each of them for 3 different kinds of leaks utilizing ipleak.net. Surfshark has its ain DNS servers, truthful DNS leaks are improbable — those usually travel from a VPN utilizing nationalist servers to resoluteness DNS requests. As expected, DNS requests didn't uncover my IP reside successful immoderate of nan tests.

There's much imaginable for IPv6 leaks, arsenic Surfshark doesn't support IPv6. It recommends turning it disconnected instead, and has guides connected doing that. To afloat put Surfshark done its paces, though, I ran my tests pinch IPv6 still progressive connected my computer. On each 5 servers, nan IPv6 trial could not run. This indicates that Surfshark actively blocks IPv6, which (until much of nan net starts moving connected nan caller protocol) is simply a good measurement to forestall IPv6 leaks.

The leak testing instrumentality besides checks for WebRTC leaks, truthful I ran each trial pinch a Google Meet telephone active, but that didn't leak either. In short, Surfshark didn't outpouring a leak nary matter really galore times I poked it. I'm prepared to telephone it watertight.

Encryption test

To beryllium perfectly judge I was recommending a safe VPN, I utilized WireShark (no relation) and HTTP Forever to spot whether its encryption works. From examining nan information watercourse earlier and aft connecting to a Surfshark server, it's clear that encryption is genuinely being applied. Take a look for yourself — nan truth that you can't get immoderate accusation from nan screenshot intends nan VPN protocol is working.

How overmuch does Surfshark cost?

Surfshark is portion of a suite of information products — a batch for illustration its sister marque NordVPN, but pinch nan offerings per tier a small much coherent. It comes successful 3 subscription types, each of which is disposable astatine 3 durations. The array beneath shows nan full scope of costs.

Note that nan 24-month plans are introductory only. You tin only renew for 1 period aliases 12 months. The prices beneath besides facet successful other months you'll get erstwhile you motion up for nan first time, which aren't disposable successful renewals.

Surfshark's value drops steeply from its shortest to its longest subscriptions. $15.45 is measurement overpriced (even for a work we rather like), but $1.99 per period is astir nan slightest you'll salary for immoderate VPN worthy recommending. The jump from Starter (which only includes nan VPN service) to One (which includes everything other isolated from Incogni) is besides mini connected nan 12-month scheme — only an other $0.20.

Surfshark is almost surely doing this to juice progressive personification numbers — but that doesn't mean you can't return advantage of it. To our mind, nan 12-month subscription to Surfshark One is highly bully value, provided you already cognize you want Surfshark VPN.

Every scheme comes pinch a 30-day money-back guarantee. At immoderate constituent earlier 30 days person elapsed, you tin commencement a unrecorded chat speech to get your money back. This is only allowed erstwhile each six months.

You tin besides get a free proceedings for 7 days by installing nan Surfshark app from nan Apple aliases Android app store, creating an account, past choosing nan scheme that includes nan 7-day free trial. However, since you person to participate a costs method for this — and it's not accessible connected Windows — nan 30-day play is mostly much convenient.

Surfshark broadside apps and bundles

Here's what you tin get from Surfshark speech from its VPN service. In bid to support our attraction connected nan VPN, we didn't person clip to rigorously trial each these, but we've included nan basal accusation to thief you make your decision.

Alternative ID

Alternative ID is included on pinch VPN work successful a Surfshark Starter plan. It consists of 2 features: masked email generator and individual item generator.

Masked email generator gives you a random email reside that sends each messages on to your existent inbox. Since it auto-forwards everything, an email disguise isn't for reducing spam. Instead, it lets you support your existent email reside concealed erstwhile signing up for online services — since providing your existent reside runs nan consequence of leaking it. For an other $2.89 per month, you tin besides get an replacement telephone number that useful similarly.

Personal item generator creates clone names, addresses and birthdays you tin usage to motion up for immoderate websites you're uncertain about. Be judge to usage it on pinch nan VPN, aliases your IP reside will uncover nan existent details. It besides mightiness beryllium adjuvant for randomly generating your adjacent RPG character.

Surfshark Antivirus

Surfshark Antivirus is included successful Surfshark One and One+ subscriptions. It tin scan files arsenic you download them and tin besides scan your full strategy for malware, checking against a database of unwanted programs it claims to update each 3 hours.

AV-Test gave it a perfect score successful protection. A apical people (6 retired of 6) intends Surfshark Antivirus caught 100 percent of malware thrown astatine it, some known threats and zero-day attacks. It besides sewage a cleanable usability people for wholly avoiding mendacious positives, and a 5.5 retired of 6 connected capacity — it had astir nary effect connected downloading apps aliases copying files, but slowed down celebrated websites by astir 30 percent connected average.

Surfshark Alert

Surfshark Alert, which is besides portion of Surfshark One and One+, scans nan accusation released successful information breaches to spot if immoderate of your important information has been compromised. It tin cheque for email addresses, usernames, passwords, in installments paper numbers and authorities IDs. It tin besides pass you erstwhile malware connected your machine is tin of stealing your data.

Surfshark Search

You tin get entree to Surfshark Search, a hunt motor akin to Google, pinch a One aliases One+ subscription. It offers a number of benefits complete Google, including being wholly ad-free (a perk of being subsidized by subscription). You tin besides alteration nan region from which you get results. Surfshark claims that each results are wholly organic, pinch nary trackers aliases learning from logged searches.

Incogni

Incogni, an automated information removal service, is nan 1 characteristic restricted to Surfshark One+ plans. It searches information brokerages to spot if they person immoderate of your information, past contacts them for you to petition they purge nan data. Brokers don't person to grant each deletion requests, but it ne'er hurts to try. Incogni keeps searching arsenic agelong arsenic your subscription is active, truthful it tin automatically nonstop aggregate requests to nan aforesaid agent if necessary.

Saily eSIM

Several VPNs now supply their users pinch Saily eSIM discounts, which tin beryllium utilized to get regular telephone work successful overseas countries. Surfshark grants various discounts done nan coupon codification surfshark5, which appears to beryllium usable moreover without a Surfshark account.

Close-reading Surfshark's privateness policy

Surfshark's privateness argumentation shows america its outward cognition toward personification privacy. While it's imaginable for a VPN supplier to dishonesty outright successful its posted policy, they for illustration not to for liability reasons. An unreliable work will alternatively usage loopholes, vagueries and incomplete statements to make privateness promises it doesn't scheme connected keeping.

By contrast, a VPN work worthy your money will beryllium arsenic circumstantial arsenic imaginable astir immoderate exceptions to its no-logs policy. I publication Surfshark's full privateness argumentation to spot which type of VPN it is — nary mini feat, arsenic it's good complete 5,000 words long. The page includes summaries, but they're pared down a small excessively acold to beryllium useful, truthful it's into nan afloat matter I go.

Surfshark is based successful nan Netherlands, which makes it taxable to nan European Union's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). That's bully news, since GDPR does not licence immoderate institution to clasp data without justifying it. The Netherlands is apt portion of nan Nine Eyes intelligence-sharing agreement, but agencies can't spy connected a VPN's users unless that VPN is already redeeming activity logs — and if it is, it's sewage overmuch bigger problems than wherever it's based.

Surfshark's full server web runs connected RAM-only infrastructure, truthful immoderate saved activity is erased astatine regular intervals. Even better, nan argumentation is clear that your activity connected immoderate server is deleted wrong 15 minutes. If we return Surfshark astatine its word, there's very small logic to interest astir servers being seized aliases searched.

That intends nan only consequence is that Surfshark itself mightiness return advantage of its entree to your information. It does, unfortunately, declare nan correct to position accusation gathered by third-party trackers, specified arsenic nan cookies utilized by societal media sites to way advertisement performance. But nary of those trackers are watching what you do erstwhile you usage nan VPN, nor digging into your existent browsing activity — which, arsenic we've seen, doesn't beryllium aft 15 minutes.

Independent privateness audits

Although we can't conclusively verify immoderate VPN's privateness policy, since that involves nan logically intolerable feat of proving a negative, we tin get very adjacent by checking independent audits. Third-party auditors tin verify a VPN's nationalist statements done a operation of interviews, archive reappraisal and straight tinkering pinch nan infrastructure.

Surfshark passed its astir caller audit successful June 2025, which — astatine clip of penning — leaves very small room for interference. Deloitte, nan audit firm, concluded that "the configuration of IT systems and guidance of nan supporting IT operations is decently prepared, successful each worldly respects successful accordance pinch nan Surfshark’s explanation group retired successful nan Appendix I."

I checked that explanation and recovered that it matches up to Surfshark's nationalist privateness policy. So, arsenic overmuch arsenic we tin opportunity that immoderate VPN is private, Surfshark is private. It whitethorn not extremity each personalized ads, but it will astatine slightest support your individual accusation secret.

Can Surfshark alteration your virtual location?

If you chiefly request a VPN for streaming, this is nan conception for you. Here, I trial whether Surfshark tin alteration your location convincingly capable for you to spot contented from different countries, without getting caught and blocked by streaming platforms.

The process is simple: I prime 5 trial locations, link to 3 different servers successful each and load Netflix. If I get successful cleanly without correction messages, and really spot different shows than I would without a VPN, I'll cognize Surfshark convincingly changed my location. (As a reminder, erstwhile unblocking pinch immoderate VPN, ever make judge you're logged into your streaming relationship first.)

Surfshark performed highly good successful this test, not only unblocking each location astatine slightest doubly but besides maintaining accelerated capable speeds to support nan videos from stuttering. The only nonaccomplishment was that 1 server successful Japan sewage spied retired arsenic a VPN and blocked. However, simply disconnecting and reconnecting was capable to get maine complete nan hurdle.

Any nonaccomplishment to alteration virtual location counts against a VPN, but moreover nan champion services can't support their servers disconnected 100 percent of blocklists. NordVPN, different top-five VPN, scored nan aforesaid 14/15. As acold arsenic I'm concerned, that's a passing people for streaming — but if it's a dealbreaker for you, retrieve ExpressVPN and Proton VPN some person cleanable scores.

Investigating Surfshark's server network

Surfshark has a full of 100 server locations successful 141 countries. Of those locations, 47 are virtual and 92 are physical. A virtual VPN server gives you an evident integer location different from wherever it's really located. There's small information tradeoff, but speeds whitethorn alteration depending connected really acold you are from nan server's existent position. The 1 count against Surfshark present is that it doesn't explain wherever its virtual servers are really located, truthful utilizing them is simply a velocity crapshoot.

The array beneath shows nan proportions of server locations successful each region, truthful you tin determine whether Surfshark is apt to beryllium useful for wherever you are. You tin find a afloat database on Surfshark's website, though only nan apps show which servers are really virtual.

These numbers are absorbing successful a fewer ways. First, Surfshark's server web is only astir one-third virtual, nan lowest proportionality of immoderate awesome VPN I've reviewed truthful far. There's besides nary continent without a azygous beingness server. This makes Surfshark a very bully prime to guarantee usable net speeds while globetrotting.

As usual, servers are mostly successful Europe and North America, though there's a adjacent magnitude of Asia represented by nan virtual locations. Surfshark is newer than astir of its competitors, truthful it's awesome that it's built specified an extended web successful half nan time. The array reveals a VPN work that's willing successful expanding, but won't do truthful astatine nan disbursal of establishing value locations that really work.

Surfshark sets itself isolated from nan VPN battalion pinch respective features, immoderate visible to nan personification and immoderate moving down nan scenes. Mostly, its features are acquainted concepts implemented well, alternatively than outright innovations for illustration NordVPN's Meshnet — but there's a batch of anticipation for breathtaking caller directions.

Underlying technology: Surfshark Nexus and Everlink

Surfshark has 2 technological innovations nether nan hood that make its VPN comparatively unique. The first is Nexus, which has been progressive since 2022. Nexus connects each Surfshark's servers together into a tighter web than astir VPNs use. All its servers are nodes successful a web of interconnected paths, a batch for illustration nan Tor network, isolated from proprietary to 1 company.

When you take a server location, you're only selecting nan past node successful a sequence. Surfshark package selects nan introduction constituent and nan way to your chosen exit. This gives each personification much options for a moving relationship path, and allows Surfshark to regularly rotate your evident IP reside truthful activity connected 1 masked personality can't trace backmost to you. It's besides what makes it imaginable to prime nan 2 steps successful a double-hop relationship (see "Dynamic MultiHop" below).

Everlink is simply a newer exertion that Surfshark calls a "self-healing VPN infrastructure." Any clip you're connected to Surfshark done nan WireGuard protocol, you're besides connected to Everlink — a parallel infrastructure that watches your VPN connection. If it ever drops, Everlink instantly reconnects you to different server nearby, theoretically truthful accelerated you won't announcement nan outage.

This is fundamentally 1 measurement up from a termination switch. Instead of cutting disconnected your connection, Everlink switches it to nan adjacent server instead. This makes it difficult to trial — nan measurement to cheque a termination move is to simulate a server driblet by cutting disconnected your ain net connection, which makes Everlink's usability impossible. However, I tin astatine slightest opportunity I'm cautiously excited astir Everlink's imaginable powerfulness to negate server drops.

Unlimited simultaneous connections

One point you'll regularly perceive astir Surfshark is that it puts nary limits connected really galore devices tin link done your account. In theory, 1 subscription is capable for you, your family and immoderate friends that want to get it.

In practice, though, "unlimited" is simply a stretch. A support article acknowledges that immoderate group whitethorn maltreatment nan privilege by reselling access, aliases by masking forbidden botnet activity down hundreds of Surfshark connections.

The article doesn't explicitly opportunity Surfshark will limit aliases prohibition abusers, but questions to nan support team revealed that an relationship could beryllium locked if an automated strategy detects fraud. If you usage a precocious number of simultaneous connections, moreover legitimately, you could beryllium flagged — though you whitethorn beryllium capable to unlock your relationship by telling customer work what happened.

Bypasser divided tunneling

Bypasser lets you divided your net relationship truthful definite apps aliases websites spell done nan VPN while others stay outside. This gets you amended speeds connected sites and apps that don't impact immoderate delicate information. Also, whenever a work requires your existent IP address, you tin support utilizing nan VPN for everything else. Torrenting is simply a classical usage lawsuit — you tin support BitTorrent protected successful nan inheritance while you do thing innocuous without VPN protection, improving speeds for some processes.

Bypasser divided tunneling is disposable connected each of Surfshark's desktop and mobile clients, though iOS users tin only divided by website, not by app. Windows and Android users tin besides take betwixt 2 forms of split: "Bypass VPN," which keeps each listed sites and apps extracurricular nan VPN tunnel, and "Route via VPN," successful which only nan listed sites and apps enactment wrong nan VPN tunnel.

Dynamic MultiHop

Many VPNs person a double-hop option, which routes connections done 2 VPN servers to support you protected successful lawsuit 1 breaks. However, astir of them restrict you to group paths of 2 servers. Surfshark is nan only VPN that lets you take some steps, acknowledgment to Nexus pre-establishing paths betwixt each nan servers.

For nan champion performance, I urge picking an introduction node adjacent your existent location, past choosing your exit node based connected what you request to unblock. If you aren't unblocking thing successful particular, your champion stake is to simply take 2 nodes successful your ain country.

Camouflage Mode obfuscation

VPN obfuscation refers to VPNs hiding nan truth that they're VPNs astatine each — truthful not only is your IP reside not your existent one, but it doesn't look to person been changed. Surfshark's obfuscation is called Camouflage Mode. As agelong arsenic you're connected via OpenVPN, it's progressive automatically. So, if you fishy an extracurricular firewall is preventing you from getting online while moving Surfshark, switching to OpenVPN mightiness lick nan problem.

NoBorders mode

NoBorders is different action for getting online pinch Surfshark nether outer restrictions, particularly those imposed by full governments (like nan Great Firewall of China). If Surfshark detects restrictions connected net usage, NoBorders activates and switches you to a server well-placed to get astir those restrictions — for example, an IP reside from nan adjacent state over.

The problem pinch NoBorders is that it's progressive by default, which whitethorn restrict you to definite servers erstwhile you don't request nan help. I urge switching NoBorders disconnected successful nan settings for amended performance. It whitethorn move connected again if it detects imaginable restrictions, truthful cheque nan mounting again if you find your speeds slower than usual.

CleanWeb

CleanWeb, Surfshark's advertisement blocker, is disposable successful 2 forms. The basal type of CleanWeb, which blocks banner ads and trackers, comes pinch each Surfshark apps.

CleanWeb 2.0 comes arsenic a browser extension, which intends it only useful in-browser. However, it's a overmuch stronger blocker, tin of cancelling video ads connected streaming and YouTube. It besides automatically rejects non-vital cookies connected each tract truthful you don't person to click nan fastener — which I appreciated, arsenic my ADHD encephalon is easy distracted by pop-ups.

Static and dedicated IPs

Surfshark gives you a database of fixed IP addresses astatine nary other charge, different rarity among starring VPNs. A fixed IP intends you'll person nan aforesaid reside each clip you link to nan VPN, truthful you won't look suspicious for regularly opening nan aforesaid work pinch a different IP. Without this, you'll find yourself hitting CAPTCHAs much often. You tin besides support your location instrumentality connected to a fixed IP server and usage that to entree your location web remotely.

For an other cost, Surfshark besides offers dedicated IPs, which are nan aforesaid arsenic fixed IPs isolated from you're nan only personification utilizing them. Sometimes, a fixed IP tin get blocked because of 1 bad user's behavior; a backstage dedicated IP removes that risk.

Other features

A fewer different features are worthy noting. Surfshark has a termination move that cuts disconnected your net relationship if your VPN server ever drops — this is mostly obsolete pinch Everlink, but remains successful nan inheritance arsenic an other precaution. You tin group nan VPN to link automatically isolated from connected trusted networks, and tin take nan location to which it auto-connects.

If you request to concisely activity without nan VPN, you tin region Surfshark for 5 minutes, 30 minutes aliases 2 hours. Finally, Android users tin person their VPN server override their GPS location, moving it to wherever their IP reside is currently. You evidently don't want to usage this while your telephone is navigating you somewhere, but different it's useful for privacy.

Surfshark customer support options

Surfshark includes a fewer links to troubleshooting pages straight successful nan app, a tantalizingly unfinished feature. If you spell to nan settings tab and click Get Help and past Browse Guides, you'll spot respective links to FAQ articles astir nan type of nan VPN customer you're using. Clicking immoderate nexus opens nan page successful your default browser. Jumping straight from nan app to nan applicable guideline is really convenient, but if your problem isn't 1 of nan 5 astir common, you're retired of luck — conscionable click More Guides to spell to nan main support page.

Once you're here, you'll find a adjuvant group of articles that make bully creation choices to put nan mean personification astatine ease. "Getting started" includes setup guides for each Surfshark app, pinch abundant screenshots. Help articles are efficaciously written from nan user's perspective. Instead of method descriptions of problems, they commencement pinch topics for illustration "I can't link to Surfshark" aliases "I'm getting an error," past supply a series of DIY solutions.

The only class without a clear guidance is "Surfschool," which gathers a disparate bunch of characteristic explanations, precocious tips and basal VPN accusation nether 1 heading. If you can't find what you request successful nan different sections, it whitethorn beryllium easier to usage nan hunt barroom alternatively of digging astir successful Surfschool.

The unrecorded support experience

To scope unrecorded support, scroll to nan bottommost of nan main support page, past click "Chat pinch us." A chat model will unfastened successful nan area of your screen. I utilized nan unrecorded chat support to inquire astir receiving a nexus to nan trial relationship I utilized to constitute this review. As is now standard, I had to activity my measurement past a chatbot first, but that didn't return excessively long. Once I reached a existent person, they resolved my problem correct away.

The email summons strategy is for difficult problems that can't beryllium resolved successful a azygous exchange, truthful I decided to trial it pinch thing a small much complicated. I asked astir nan position of IKEv2, which Surfshark promised to destruct successful 2022 but has only removed from Windows (this is successful truth what they promised to do, but I wasn't alert of that yet).

I heard backmost astir 22 hours later pinch a speedy and applicable answer: a typical said that "currently, Surfshark does not person plans to region IKEv2 from each operating systems." See nan adjacent conception for specifications astir that risk.

Surfshark inheritance check: No existent blemishes

Surfshark was founded successful 2018, making it a comparative newcomer to nan information scene, and nan VPN was its first product. Alert and Search debuted successful 2019, while Antivirus and Incogni joined them successful 2021. For nan first 2 years of its existence, Surfshark was part of nan Tesonet group, a Lithuanian startup incubator that besides helped motorboat NordVPN (see "Connection to NordVPN" below).

Its younker whitethorn beryllium why location are fewer superior blemishes connected Surfshark's record. Like Proton VPN, which is conscionable a twelvemonth older, it simply hasn't had clip to put a ft incorrect yet. However, that doesn't mean it's inevitable that Surfshark will screw up astatine immoderate point. So far, it appears to beryllium learning from its predecessors and avoiding their mistakes.

The trusted guidelines certification authority risk

The only imaginable correction I tin constituent to hasn't compromised anyone yet, but whitethorn successful nan future. In 2022, Surfshark was 1 of respective VPNs cited for relying connected a trusted guidelines certification authority — a verification method that, if compromised, could fto an attacker sneak malware onto a user's instrumentality utilizing Surfshark's ID badge. There's nary grounds of nan certificate really being exploited, and Surfshark claimed it was basal to alteration nan IKEv2 protocol.

In consequence to nan report, Surfshark deprecated IKEv2 from its Windows app, which was nan only 1 that utilized trusted guidelines CAs for IKEv2. It's still disposable connected each OSes isolated from Windows, but a Surfshark rep told maine successful an email that they don't usage trusted guidelines CAs connected those platforms, truthful there's nary risk.

Connection to NordVPN

In 2022, Surfshark announced a merger pinch NordVPN, though some companies many times stressed that thing astir either work would change. According to Surfshark's announcement astatine nan time, "The thought down nan woody is to align connected a tactical level successful reaching communal goals while keeping nan autonomy of our operations."

As of 2025, thing seems particularly merged astir NordVPN and Surfshark. Publicly, they're still wholly different brands pinch fewer mentions of nan different connected their respective websites. In an email, a Surfshark typical told maine that "Surfshark and Nord Security run arsenic autonomous companies relying connected abstracted infrastructures, different merchandise improvement plans and abstracted customer bases."

That said, it's worthy noting that Surfshark and Nord person a shared lineage successful Tesonet, nan Lithuania-based tech incubator that, pinch Nord, shares Tom Okman and Eimantas Sabaliauskas arsenic co-founders, and nurtured Surfshark for nan first 2 years of its life. In nan end, a Surfshark typical told Engadget that Surfshark presently "operates independently" of Tesonet. Be that arsenic it may, nan operation of Surfshark and NordVPN is yet different illustration an progressively consolidated VPN industry, wherever competitors for illustration Kape Technologies and Ziff Davis run aggregate integer work brands nether 1 firm roof.

Final verdict

In a batch of ways, Surfshark useful difficult to gain your trust. Its reliance connected brick-and-mortar servers testifies to that, arsenic do its speeds, regular privateness audits and refusal to remainder connected its laurels. Nexus and Everlink whitethorn not beryllium perfectly implicated, but they do person tangible results that bespeak they're a batch much than conscionable trading gimmicks. Both are affirmative signs of a VPN supplier genuinely trying to guidelines retired successful a crowded field.

It's besides a awesome motion that Surfshark responded to nan trusted guidelines CA consequence pinch a targeted intervention. I wish they'd recovered a measurement to tally IKEv2 connected Windows without arsenic overmuch consequence (other VPNs negociate it), but I can't contradict they look superior astir addressing imaginable issues earlier they go crises. It's bully that I tin enthusiastically urge Surfshark for its attraction to information arsenic good arsenic its speeds and straightforward features.