Surfshark VPN evaluation: A quick VPN for informal customers

Surfshark is without doubt one of the youngest main VPNs, however it's grown quickly over the past seven years. Since 2018, it's expanded its community to 100 international locations, added a set of apps to its Surfshark One package deal and experimented with superior touches like servers that consistently rotate your IP tackle.

Previously a price range VPN, Surfshark remains to be fairly inexpensive however the price of a one-month subscription is approach too excessive. Today, it's extra thinking about innovation than affordability. Its options might not all the time be cutting-edge — Nexus is principally Tor and Everlink is a barely higher kill swap — however it's uncommon to search out both applied so nicely in a business VPN. Plus, obtain and add speeds are unbelievable.

All of it provides as much as among the best VPNs for informal customers, even when in comparison with others in its weight class. However these already deeply conversant in VPNs may journey over some features. For this evaluation, I studied 11 completely different angles on Surfshark's service, some by means of hands-on exams and others with old style journalism. Take a look at the sections most necessary to you, then head to the tip for my last verdict.

Editors' be aware: We're within the technique of rebooting all of our VPN opinions from scratch. As soon as we do a contemporary move on the highest companies, we'll be updating every evaluation with a ranking and extra comparative info.

Desk of contents

• Findings at a look

• Putting in, configuring and utilizing Surfshark

• Surfshark pace check: Tremendous quick with some latency

• Surfshark safety check: Easy however efficient protocols

• How a lot does Surfshark value?

• Surfshark aspect apps and bundles

• Shut-reading Surfshark's privateness coverage

• Can Surfshark change your digital location?

• Investigating Surfshark's server community

• Further options of Surfshark

• Surfshark buyer help choices

• Surfshark background verify: No actual blemishes

• Closing verdict

Findings at a look

This desk summarizes every thing I found about Surfshark. For particulars on any bullet level, see its part within the full evaluation.

Putting in, configuring and utilizing Surfshark

For this part, I'll be going over the way it feels to make use of Surfshark. I'll have a look at how simple or tough it’s to put in, what you need to do to set it up and whether or not the consumer interface (UI) helps out or will get in the best way on every platform.

Home windows

Surfshark is straightforward to obtain and set up on Home windows. You will get it by means of the Microsoft retailer, however going instantly by means of the Surfshark web site makes positive you’ve gotten the newest and most full model. The downloader asks you to click on "Sure," however principally handles itself, and winds up in a short while.

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The primary level which may divide informal customers and VPN veterans comes when you open the app for the primary time. Surfshark insists on taking you thru a guided setup course of for all its options. That is extraordinarily useful for those who've by no means used a VPN earlier than. You probably have, its repeated insistence on sending you thru the tour can get aggravating.

This sample repeated itself as I went by means of the app. The entrance web page is sensibly organized and organized so I may see all of the info and settings — however it stays approach too reliant on unskippable pop-ups to offer info. Messages appeared after I tried to cancel a caught connection, after I turned settings on and off and even after I tried to shut the app. It's normally necessary info, however displaying a message that freezes each different button is a nasty transfer.

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It's a disgrace, as a result of every thing else works tremendous. The settings tabs do an admirable job of packing a number of, semi-related apps right into a single UI. Simply take be aware that a number of stuff is enabled by default, together with auto-connect and NoBorders, which can make the VPN behave in methods you don't want.

Mac

Surfshark's app for macOS is usually the identical as its Home windows app, for higher or worse. It's received the identical split-second obtain and set up and the identical clear group of tabs with well-explained options. It's additionally received the identical relentless popups, settings on by default and sometimes sticky connections. If it will get hung up at 95 p.c, simply wait — it's nonetheless working.

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Android

The Surfshark Android app, obtainable by means of the Google Play Retailer, is prepared after you merely obtain and login. It doesn't reinvent the wheel, however Surfshark's design language seems to be very simple to compress into cell — besides that it's dark-mode by default, whereas all the opposite three are gentle. I discovered every thing I wanted inside moments. Android even removes virtually all of the full-screen stop-everything notifications.

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One factor to concentrate on: while you begin up the Android app, the VPN is seen, however the touchdown web page consists of all of the options of Surfshark One. To get the VPN-only entrance web page, click on the arrow throughout from "VPN" on the high of the display screen. That mentioned, you are able to do virtually every thing you could do irrespective of which web page you're on.

iOS

It's uncommon to see an enormous distinction between a VPN's apps on the 2 cell platforms, however Surfshark switches up its design from Android to iOS. Every little thing now lives in 4 tabs on the underside of the window. The settings tab is nice, largely as a result of it appears to be like like how preferences do on Mac and Home windows.

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The primary VPN window is a bit jankier. It really works tremendous, however with the intention to make the server checklist consistently seen (pointless IMO), it relegates the precise VPN connection to a floating field that appears like an afterthought. It even features a button to open the server checklist that's already open. I freely admit that is only a private grievance, however it nonetheless baffles me.

Browser extensions

Surfshark's browser extensions for Firefox and Chromium are virtually clones of its desktop apps, with a couple of variations. The Alert tab tells you if the location you're on has suffered a safety breach not too long ago. CleanWeb 2.0 is the primary motive so as to add Surfshark to your browser; it's a a lot stronger blocker that even works on some video insert advertisements.

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Surfshark pace check: Tremendous quick with some latency

All VPNs add to your internet browser's workload, so it's regular to see speeds drop. The very best VPNs handle to maintain the drops as small as doable. I used speedtest.internet to see how rapidly my obtain speeds declined at six of Surfshark's server areas — that's a measure of how briskly a browser can load internet pages, buffer movies and obtain giant recordsdata.

I additionally seemed for latency, which impacts real-time communication with one other server (necessary for avid gamers) and add pace, which impacts how rapidly your machine can ship knowledge (necessary for torrenting). My outcomes are within the desk.

When it comes to obtain and add speeds, Surfshark is the quickest VPN I've examined to date, beating out ExpressVPN, Proton VPN and NordVPN — and none of these are precisely sluggish. For those who have a look at the Indonesia row, you'll see I truly received the next add pace than I did with out the VPN energetic. That most likely has extra to do with pure fluctuations from my ISP than something Surfshark did, however it nonetheless signifies how little this VPN weighs down your looking.

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Latency is extra of a combined bag. Jumps in ping time are anticipated throughout lengthy distances, however I additionally noticed a reasonably large soar on a server in the identical state as me. Surfshark will not be ideally suited for fast-paced on-line video games, however its speeds are nearly excellent for every other process.

Surfshark safety check: Easy however efficient protocols

To find out whether or not Surfshark can maintain you secure, I'll be taking a look at three elements: whether or not it makes use of safe and up-to-date VPN protocols, whether or not any of these protocols leak your IP tackle and whether or not encryption is being utilized to all knowledge packets. The primary is a matter of researching the expertise, however I've run sensible exams for the opposite two.

VPN protocols

Surfshark makes use of the VPN protocols WireGuard, OpenVPN (over TCP or UDP) and IKEv2. All of those are field-tested protocols that depend on uncracked encryption and confirmed authentication strategies. There's no proprietary protocol with shady supply code, nor any outdated legacy choices which may pose a danger for those who decide them. My solely grievance is that OpenVPN isn't obtainable on Mac.

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Every of those protocols does the identical factor: set up communication between your machine, VPN servers and the web. They deal with the steps in another way, however the common consumer is just prone to see small variations. If one protocol isn't working, you possibly can swap to a different — or simply decide the automated protocol choice possibility, which labored tremendous throughout my exams. If you wish to decide for your self, use the desk beneath for reference.

Leak check

Subsequent, I picked 5 of the servers I didn't use for the pace check and checked all of them for 3 completely different sorts of leaks utilizing ipleak.internet. Surfshark has its personal DNS servers, so DNS leaks are unlikely — these normally come from a VPN utilizing public servers to resolve DNS requests. As anticipated, DNS requests didn't reveal my IP tackle in any of the exams.

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There's extra potential for IPv6 leaks, as Surfshark doesn't help IPv6. It recommends turning it off as a substitute, and has guides on doing that. To completely put Surfshark by means of its paces, although, I ran my exams with IPv6 nonetheless energetic on my pc. On all 5 servers, the IPv6 check couldn’t run. This means that Surfshark actively blocks IPv6, which (till extra of the web begins working on the brand new protocol) is a tremendous solution to stop IPv6 leaks.

The leak testing device additionally checks for WebRTC leaks, so I ran every check with a Google Meet name energetic, however that didn't leak both. In brief, Surfshark didn't spring a leak irrespective of what number of instances I poked it. I'm ready to name it watertight.

Encryption check

To be completely positive I used to be recommending a secure VPN, I used WireShark (no relation) and HTTP Without end to see whether or not its encryption works. From inspecting the info stream earlier than and after connecting to a Surfshark server, it's clear that encryption is actually being utilized. Have a look for your self — the truth that you possibly can't get any info from the screenshot means the VPN protocol is working.

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How a lot does Surfshark value?

Surfshark is a part of a set of safety merchandise — rather a lot like its sister model NordVPN, however with the choices per tier a little bit extra coherent. It is available in three subscription sorts, every of which is obtainable at three durations. The desk beneath reveals the entire vary of prices.

Observe that the 24-month plans are introductory solely. You may solely renew for one month or 12 months. The costs beneath additionally consider additional months you'll get while you join the primary time, which aren't obtainable in renewals.

Surfshark's worth drops steeply from its shortest to its longest subscriptions. $15.45 is approach overpriced (even for a service we fairly like), however $1.99 per 30 days is in regards to the least you'll pay for any VPN value recommending. The soar from Starter (which solely consists of the VPN service) to One (which incorporates every thing else besides Incogni) can be tiny on the 12-month plan — solely an additional $0.20.

Surfshark is nearly definitely doing this to juice energetic consumer numbers — however that doesn't imply you possibly can't make the most of it. To our thoughts, the 12-month subscription to Surfshark One is extraordinarily good worth, offered you already know you need Surfshark VPN.

Each plan comes with a 30-day money-back assure. At any level earlier than 30 days have elapsed, you can begin a stay chat dialog to get your a reimbursement. That is solely allowed as soon as each six months.

You may as well get a free trial for seven days by putting in the Surfshark app from the Apple or Android app retailer, creating an account, then selecting the plan that features the 7-day free trial. Nonetheless, since you need to enter a cost methodology for this — and it's not accessible on Home windows — the 30-day interval is mostly extra handy.

Surfshark aspect apps and bundles

Right here's what you may get from Surfshark other than its VPN service. To be able to maintain our deal with the VPN, we didn't have time to scrupulously check all these, however we've included the fundamental info that will help you make your resolution.

Different ID

Different ID is included together with VPN service in a Surfshark Starter plan. It consists of two options: masked electronic mail generator and private element generator.

Masked electronic mail generator provides you a random electronic mail tackle that sends all messages alongside to your actual inbox. Because it auto-forwards every thing, an electronic mail masks isn't for decreasing spam. As an alternative, it permits you to maintain your actual electronic mail tackle secret when signing up for on-line companies — since offering your precise tackle runs the danger of leaking it. For an additional $2.89 per 30 days, you can too get an alternate cellphone quantity that works equally.

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Private element generator creates faux names, addresses and birthdays you need to use to enroll in any web sites you're unsure about. Remember to use it together with the VPN, or your IP tackle will reveal the precise particulars. It additionally could be useful for randomly producing your subsequent RPG character.

Surfshark Antivirus

Surfshark Antivirus is included in Surfshark One and One+ subscriptions. It will probably scan recordsdata as you obtain them and may also scan your entire system for malware, checking towards a listing of undesirable packages it claims to replace each three hours.

AV-Check gave it an ideal rating in safety. A high rating (6 out of 6) means Surfshark Antivirus caught one hundred pc of malware thrown at it, each identified threats and zero-day assaults. It additionally received an ideal usability rating for completely avoiding false positives, and a 5.5 out of 6 on efficiency — it had almost no affect on downloading apps or copying recordsdata, however slowed down common web sites by round 30 p.c on common.

Surfshark Alert

Surfshark Alert, which can be a part of Surfshark One and One+, scans the knowledge launched in knowledge breaches to see if any of your necessary knowledge has been compromised. It will probably verify for electronic mail addresses, usernames, passwords, bank card numbers and authorities IDs. It will probably additionally warn you when malware in your pc is able to stealing your knowledge.

Surfshark Search

You will get entry to Surfshark Search, a search engine akin to Google, with a One or One+ subscription. It gives a number of advantages over Google, together with being completely ad-free (a perk of being sponsored by subscription). You may as well change the area from which you get outcomes. Surfshark claims that each one outcomes are completely natural, with no trackers or studying from logged searches.

Incogni

Incogni, an automatic knowledge removing service, is the one characteristic restricted to Surfshark One+ plans. It searches knowledge brokerages to see if they’ve any of your info, then contacts them so that you can request they purge the info. Brokers don't should honor all deletion requests, however it by no means hurts to strive. Incogni retains looking out so long as your subscription is energetic, so it may well robotically ship a number of requests to the identical dealer if mandatory.

Saily eSIM

A number of VPNs now present their customers with Saily eSIM reductions, which can be utilized to get common cellphone service in overseas international locations. Surfshark grants numerous reductions by means of the coupon code surfshark5, which seems to be usable even and not using a Surfshark account.

Shut-reading Surfshark's privateness coverage

Surfshark's privateness coverage reveals us its outward angle towards consumer privateness. Whereas it's doable for a VPN supplier to lie outright in its posted coverage, they like to not for legal responsibility causes. An unreliable service will as a substitute use loopholes, vagueries and incomplete statements to make privateness guarantees it doesn't plan on conserving.

Against this, a VPN service value your cash might be as particular as doable about any exceptions to its no-logs coverage. I learn Surfshark's total privateness coverage to see which kind of VPN it’s — no small feat, because it's nicely over 5,000 phrases lengthy. The web page consists of summaries, however they're pared down a little bit too far to be helpful, so it's into the complete textual content I am going.

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Surfshark is predicated within the Netherlands, which makes it topic to the European Union's Basic Information Safety Regulation (GDPR). That's excellent news, since GDPR doesn’t allow any firm to retain knowledge with out justifying it. The Netherlands is probably going a part of the 9 Eyes intelligence-sharing settlement, however businesses can't spy on a VPN's customers until that VPN is already saving exercise logs — and whether it is, it's received a lot greater issues than the place it's primarily based.

Surfshark's total server community runs on RAM-only infrastructure, so any saved exercise is erased at common intervals. Even higher, the coverage is obvious that your exercise on any server is deleted inside quarter-hour. If we take Surfshark at its phrase, there's little or no motive to fret about servers being seized or searched.

Meaning the one danger is that Surfshark itself may make the most of its entry to your info. It does, sadly, declare the suitable to view info gathered by third-party trackers, such because the cookies utilized by social media websites to trace advert efficiency. However none of these trackers are watching what you do while you use the VPN, nor digging into your precise looking exercise — which, as we've seen, doesn't exist after quarter-hour.

Impartial privateness audits

Though we are able to't conclusively confirm any VPN's privateness coverage, since that includes the logically not possible feat of proving a destructive, we are able to get very shut by checking unbiased audits. Third-party auditors can confirm a VPN's public statements by means of a mixture of interviews, doc evaluation and instantly tinkering with the infrastructure.

Surfshark handed its most up-to-date audit in June 2025, which — at time of writing — leaves little or no room for interference. Deloitte, the audit agency, concluded that "the configuration of IT methods and administration of the supporting IT operations is correctly ready, in all materials respects in accordance with the Surfshark’s description set out within the Appendix I."

I checked that description and located that it matches as much as Surfshark's public privateness coverage. So, as a lot as we are able to say that any VPN is personal, Surfshark is personal. It could not cease all personalised advertisements, however it should at the least maintain your private info secret.

Can Surfshark change your digital location?

For those who primarily want a VPN for streaming, that is the part for you. Right here, I check whether or not Surfshark can change your location convincingly sufficient so that you can see content material from different international locations, with out getting caught and blocked by streaming platforms.

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The process is straightforward: I decide 5 check areas, join to 3 completely different servers in every and cargo Netflix. If I get in cleanly with out error messages, and really see completely different reveals than I might and not using a VPN, I'll know Surfshark convincingly modified my location. (As a reminder, when unblocking with any VPN, all the time be sure to're logged into your streaming account first.)

Surfshark carried out extraordinarily nicely on this check, not solely unblocking each location at the least twice but in addition sustaining quick sufficient speeds to maintain the movies from stuttering. The one failure was that one server in Japan received spied out as a VPN and blocked. Nonetheless, merely disconnecting and reconnecting was sufficient to get me over the hurdle.

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Any failure to alter digital location counts towards a VPN, however even one of the best companies can't maintain their servers off one hundred pc of blocklists. NordVPN, one other top-five VPN, scored the identical 14/15. So far as I'm involved, that's a passing grade for streaming — but when it's a dealbreaker for you, keep in mind ExpressVPN and Proton VPN each have excellent scores.

Investigating Surfshark's server community

Surfshark has a complete of 100 server areas in 141 international locations. Of these areas, 47 are digital and 92 are bodily. A digital VPN server provides you an obvious digital location completely different from the place it's actually positioned. There's little safety tradeoff, however speeds might range relying on how far you’re from the server's precise place. The one rely towards Surfshark right here is that it doesn't make clear the place its digital servers are actually positioned, so utilizing them is a pace crapshoot.

The desk beneath reveals the proportions of server areas in every area, so you possibly can determine whether or not Surfshark is prone to be helpful for the place you’re. You will discover a full checklist on Surfshark's web site, although solely the apps present which servers are literally digital.

These numbers are fascinating in a couple of methods. First, Surfshark's server community is just about one-third digital, the bottom proportion of any main VPN I've reviewed to date. There's additionally no continent and not using a single bodily server. This makes Surfshark an excellent alternative to ensure usable web speeds whereas globetrotting.

As ordinary, servers are principally in Europe and North America, though there's a good quantity of Asia represented by the digital areas. Surfshark is newer than most of its rivals, so it's spectacular that it's constructed such an intensive community in half the time. The desk reveals a VPN service that's thinking about increasing, however received't achieve this on the expense of building high quality areas that truly work.

Further options of Surfshark

Surfshark units itself other than the VPN pack with a number of options, some seen to the consumer and a few working behind the scenes. Principally, its options are acquainted ideas applied nicely, relatively than outright improvements like NordVPN's Meshnet — however there's a number of risk for thrilling new instructions.

Underlying expertise: Surfshark Nexus and Everlink

Surfshark has two technological improvements beneath the hood that make its VPN comparatively distinctive. The primary is Nexus, which has been energetic since 2022. Nexus connects all Surfshark's servers collectively right into a tighter community than most VPNs use. All its servers are nodes in an internet of interconnected paths, rather a lot just like the Tor community, besides proprietary to 1 firm.

Whenever you select a server location, you're solely deciding on the final node in a sequence. Surfshark software program selects the entry level and the trail to your chosen exit. This offers each consumer extra choices for a working connection path, and permits Surfshark to repeatedly rotate your obvious IP tackle so exercise on one masked identification can't hint again to you. It's additionally what makes it doable to choose the 2 steps in a double-hop connection (see "Dynamic MultiHop" beneath).

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Everlink is a more moderen expertise that Surfshark calls a "self-healing VPN infrastructure." Any time you're related to Surfshark by means of the WireGuard protocol, you're additionally related to Everlink — a parallel infrastructure that watches your VPN connection. If it ever drops, Everlink immediately reconnects you to a different server close by, theoretically so quick you received't discover the outage.

That is principally one step up from a kill swap. As an alternative of reducing off your connection, Everlink switches it to the subsequent server as a substitute. This makes it tough to check — the best way to verify a kill swap is to simulate a server drop by reducing off your personal web connection, which makes Everlink's operate not possible. Nonetheless, I can at the least say I'm cautiously enthusiastic about Everlink's potential energy to negate server drops.

Limitless simultaneous connections

One factor you'll repeatedly hear about Surfshark is that it places no limits on what number of gadgets can join by means of your account. In principle, one subscription is sufficient for you, your family and any associates that need to borrow it.

In follow, although, "limitless" is a stretch. A help article acknowledges that some individuals might abuse the privilege by reselling entry, or by masking unlawful botnet exercise behind tons of of Surfshark connections.

The article doesn't explicitly say Surfshark will restrict or ban abusers, however inquiries to the help workforce revealed that an account may very well be locked if an automatic system detects fraud. For those who use a excessive variety of simultaneous connections, even legitimately, you would be flagged — although you could possibly unlock your account by telling customer support what occurred.

Bypasser break up tunneling

Bypasser permits you to break up your web connection so sure apps or web sites undergo the VPN whereas others stay exterior. This will get you higher speeds on websites and apps that don't contain any delicate info. Additionally, at any time when a service requires your actual IP tackle, you possibly can maintain utilizing the VPN for every thing else. Torrenting is a traditional use case — you possibly can maintain BitTorrent protected within the background whilst you do one thing innocuous with out VPN safety, bettering speeds for each processes.

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Bypasser break up tunneling is obtainable on all of Surfshark's desktop and cell shoppers, although iOS customers can solely break up by web site, not by app. Home windows and Android customers may also select between two types of break up: "Bypass VPN," which retains all listed websites and apps exterior the VPN tunnel, and "Route by way of VPN," during which solely the listed websites and apps keep throughout the VPN tunnel.

Dynamic MultiHop

Many VPNs have a double-hop possibility, which routes connections by means of two VPN servers to maintain you protected in case one breaks. Nonetheless, most of them limit you to set paths of two servers. Surfshark is the one VPN that permits you to select each steps, due to Nexus pre-establishing paths between all of the servers.

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For one of the best efficiency, I like to recommend selecting an entry node close to your actual location, then selecting your exit node primarily based on what you could unblock. For those who aren't unblocking something particularly, your finest wager is to easily select two nodes in your personal nation.

Camouflage Mode obfuscation

VPN obfuscation refers to VPNs hiding the truth that they're VPNs in any respect — so not solely is your IP tackle not your actual one, however it doesn't seem to have been modified. Surfshark's obfuscation known as Camouflage Mode. So long as you're related by way of OpenVPN, it's energetic robotically. So, for those who suspect an out of doors firewall is stopping you from getting on-line whereas working Surfshark, switching to OpenVPN may clear up the issue.

NoBorders mode

NoBorders is an alternative choice for getting on-line with Surfshark beneath exterior restrictions, particularly these imposed by total governments (just like the Nice Firewall of China). If Surfshark detects restrictions on web utilization, NoBorders prompts and switches you to a server well-placed to get round these restrictions — for instance, an IP tackle from the subsequent nation over.

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The issue with NoBorders is that it's energetic by default, which can limit you to sure servers while you don't want the assistance. I like to recommend switching NoBorders off within the settings for higher efficiency. It could activate once more if it detects doable restrictions, so verify the setting once more for those who discover your speeds slower than ordinary.

CleanWeb

CleanWeb, Surfshark's advert blocker, is obtainable in two kinds. The fundamental model of CleanWeb, which blocks banner advertisements and trackers, comes with all Surfshark apps.

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CleanWeb 2.0 comes as a browser extension, which suggests it solely works in-browser. Nonetheless, it's a a lot stronger blocker, able to cancelling video advertisements on streaming and YouTube. It additionally robotically rejects non-vital cookies on each web site so that you don't should click on the button — which I appreciated, as my ADHD mind is definitely distracted by pop-ups.

Static and devoted IPs

Surfshark provides you a listing of static IP addresses at no additional cost, one other rarity amongst main VPNs. A static IP means you'll have the identical tackle each time you hook up with the VPN, so that you received't look suspicious for repeatedly opening the identical service with a distinct IP. With out this, you'll end up hitting CAPTCHAs extra typically. You may as well maintain your own home machine related to a static IP server and use that to entry your own home community remotely.

For an additional value, Surfshark additionally gives devoted IPs, that are the identical as static IPs besides you're the one individual utilizing them. Generally, a static IP can get blocked due to one dangerous consumer's conduct; a personal devoted IP removes that danger.

Different options

A couple of different options are value noting. Surfshark has a kill swap that cuts off your web connection in case your VPN server ever drops — that is largely out of date with Everlink, however stays within the background as an additional precaution. You may set the VPN to attach robotically besides on trusted networks, and may select the situation to which it auto-connects.

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If you could briefly work with out the VPN, you possibly can pause Surfshark for 5 minutes, half-hour or two hours. Lastly, Android customers can have their VPN server override their GPS location, shifting it to wherever their IP tackle is presently. You clearly don't need to use this whereas your cellphone is navigating you someplace, however in any other case it's helpful for privateness.

Surfshark buyer help choices

Surfshark features a few hyperlinks to troubleshooting pages instantly within the app, a tantalizingly unfinished characteristic. For those who go to the settings tab and click on Get Assist after which Browse Guides, you'll see a number of hyperlinks to FAQ articles in regards to the model of the VPN consumer you're utilizing. Clicking any hyperlink opens the web page in your default browser. Leaping instantly from the app to the related information is de facto handy, but when your drawback isn't one of many 5 most typical, you're out of luck — simply click on Extra Guides to go to the primary help web page.

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When you're right here, you'll discover a useful set of articles that make good design selections to place the typical consumer comfy. "Getting began" consists of setup guides for each Surfshark app, with ample screenshots. Assist articles are successfully written from the consumer's perspective. As an alternative of technical descriptions of issues, they begin with matters like "I can't hook up with Surfshark" or "I'm getting an error," then present a sequence of DIY options.

The one class and not using a clear route is "Surfschool," which gathers a disparate bunch of characteristic explanations, superior ideas and primary VPN info beneath one heading. For those who can't discover what you want within the different sections, it could be simpler to make use of the search bar as a substitute of digging round in Surfschool.

The stay help expertise

To achieve stay help, scroll to the underside of the primary help web page, then click on "Chat with us." A chat window will open within the nook of your display screen. I used the stay chat help to ask about receiving a hyperlink to the check account I used to put in writing this evaluation. As is now customary, I needed to work my well beyond a chatbot first, however that didn't take too lengthy. As soon as I reached an actual individual, they resolved my drawback immediately.

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The e-mail ticket system is for tough issues that may't be resolved in a single alternate, so I made a decision to check it with one thing a little bit extra sophisticated. I requested in regards to the standing of IKEv2, which Surfshark promised to get rid of in 2022 however has solely faraway from Home windows (that is in truth what they promised to do, however I wasn't conscious of that but).

I heard again about 22 hours later with a speedy and relevant reply: a consultant mentioned that "presently, Surfshark doesn’t have plans to take away IKEv2 from all working methods." See the subsequent part for particulars about that danger.

Surfshark background verify: No actual blemishes

Surfshark was based in 2018, making it a relative newcomer to the safety scene, and the VPN was its first product. Alert and Search debuted in 2019, whereas Antivirus and Incogni joined them in 2021. For the primary two years of its existence, Surfshark was a part of the Tesonet group, a Lithuanian startup incubator that additionally helped launch NordVPN (see "Connection to NordVPN" beneath).

Its youth could also be why there are few severe blemishes on Surfshark's file. Like Proton VPN, which is only a 12 months older, it merely hasn't had time to place a foot incorrect but. Nonetheless, that doesn't imply it's inevitable that Surfshark will screw up sooner or later. Thus far, it seems to be studying from its predecessors and avoiding their errors.

The trusted root certification authority danger

The one potential error I can level to hasn't compromised anybody but, however might sooner or later. In 2022, Surfshark was considered one of a number of VPNs cited for counting on a trusted root certification authority — a verification methodology that, if compromised, may let an attacker sneak malware onto a consumer's machine utilizing Surfshark's ID badge. There's no file of the certificates truly being exploited, and Surfshark claimed it was essential to allow the IKEv2 protocol.

In response to the report, Surfshark deprecated IKEv2 from its Home windows app, which was the one one which used trusted root CAs for IKEv2. It's nonetheless obtainable on all OSes besides Home windows, however a Surfshark rep advised me in an electronic mail that they don't use trusted root CAs on these platforms, so there's no danger.

Connection to NordVPN

In 2022, Surfshark introduced a merger with NordVPN, although each firms repeatedly harassed that nothing about both service would change. Based on Surfshark's announcement on the time, "The thought behind the deal is to align on a tactical stage in reaching mutual objectives whereas conserving the autonomy of our operations."

As of 2025, nothing appears particularly merged about NordVPN and Surfshark. Publicly, they're nonetheless utterly completely different manufacturers with few mentions of the opposite on their respective web sites. In an electronic mail, a Surfshark consultant advised me that "Surfshark and Nord Safety function as autonomous firms counting on separate infrastructures, completely different product growth plans and separate buyer bases."

That mentioned, it's value noting that Surfshark and Nord have a shared lineage in Tesonet, the Lithuania-based tech incubator that, with Nord, shares Tom Okman and Eimantas Sabaliauskas as co-founders, and nurtured Surfshark for the primary two years of its life. In the long run, a Surfshark consultant advised Engadget that Surfshark presently "operates independently" of Tesonet. Be that as it could, the mixture of Surfshark and NordVPN is yet one more instance an more and more consolidated VPN business, the place rivals like Kape Applied sciences and Ziff Davis function a number of digital service manufacturers beneath one company roof.

Closing verdict

In a number of methods, Surfshark works exhausting to earn your belief. Its reliance on brick-and-mortar servers testifies to that, as do its speeds, common privateness audits and refusal to relaxation on its laurels. Nexus and Everlink will not be completely implicated, however they do have tangible outcomes that point out they're much more than simply advertising gimmicks. Each are constructive indicators of a VPN supplier genuinely attempting to face out in a crowded subject.

It's additionally an excellent signal that Surfshark responded to the trusted root CA danger with a focused intervention. I want they'd discovered a solution to run IKEv2 on Home windows with out as a lot danger (different VPNs handle it), however I can't deny they appear severe about addressing potential points earlier than they change into crises. It's good that I can enthusiastically suggest Surfshark for its consideration to safety in addition to its speeds and easy options.

This text initially appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cybersecurity/vpn/surfshark-vpn-review-a-fast-vpn-for-casual-users-170022675.html?src=rss