You know what a VPN is, but is every VPN the same? No, it isn’t. Surfshark VPN has been around for a long time, but is it still the same as before? Have there been new VPN features added? Has the price changed? This detailed Surfshark review highlights all that the provider offers in comparison to its previous offerings. Before we begin, one thing is for sure: the prices have really jacked up. Surfshark used to cost around $12.95 per month, but now offers three different monthly plans, with the most costly package for $20.85/mo. With that in mind, let’s take a look at what Surfshark offers.
Surfshark Review at a Glance
Not many users know how to test a VPN, how it works, or how it benefits us. You need to understand how Surfshark works and what it can do for you – what it did for me, before investing.
Surfshark has always been one of the more affordable VPNs, costing $2.49/mo. for a good 2-year package. However, as of 2025, the prices have bumped up to a minimum of $15.45 for the regular monthly package and $$113.13 for the 2-year + 3 months free package, charged $562.95 thereafter. Yes, the prices are steep, but in comparison to the older version of Surfshark, the latest features are what make it worth every penny.
This provider claims to offer unlimited access to all the popular streaming services like Netflix, or even Disney+, and as sceptical as you may be, it does work! We’ve conducted some tests to see how quick and simple it is to use Surfshark for unblocking streaming apps or websites from anywhere.
Here’s an abridged Surfshark review of everything you need to know, just in case you want to skip the details.
- Surfshark is headquartered in the Netherlands. It started off with a minimum of 100 servers, which turned into 3200+ and 100 countries, in a short time span.
- Works well with streaming and P2P activities ( tested further on)
- Offers apps for Windows, iOS, Android, macOS, Linux, and much more.
- It’s got a 24/7 online helpline that’ll assist you from wherever you may be.
- Surfshark comes with impeccable speed results, which we will test further on!
- Great security backing. Operates using 256-bit encryption, has a Kill Switch, Bypasser, CleanWeb, Dynamic Multihop, and a lot more
- The prices are now jacked up, going at a minimum of $15.45/mo., but it’s worth the price considering all the new features it now offers.
How Much Does Surfshark Cost?
Before getting to the Surfshark features and app testing, it’s important to discuss the price. Surfshark has seemingly bumped up its prices way higher than before, but looking at the new features it offers, it seems like it’s worth the price. Let’s take a look at the Surfshark VPN price packages:
Surfshark Monthly Prices
Here is what the monthly packages cost:
- Surfshark Starter $15.45
- Surfshark One $17.95
- Surfshark One+ $20.85
12 Month Packages
Below, you’ll see the three different yearly packages, with the best deal over the Surfshark One package:
- Surfshark Starter $3.19/mo. + 3 months free
- Surfshark One $3.39/mo. + 3 months free
- Surfshark One+ $6.29/mo. + 3 months free
Surfshark 24 Months Packages
The biggest discount is available on the 2-year Surfshark One package that costs $1.99/mo. with 3 months free:
Surfshark Starter $1.69/mo. + 3 months free- Surfshark One $1.99/mo.+ 3 months free (Biggest savings at 89% off)
- Surfshark One+ $4.19/mo. + 3 months free
The prices are steep, but taking a look at all the new features that Surfshark is offering makes it worth the investment.
Does Surfshark Have a Free Trial?
Yes, Surfshark does offer a 7-day free trial. You can avail of it when you download the Android or iOS app for your smartphone. However, for the free trial, you still need to subscribe to the 12-month or the 24-month package. Once the free trial ends, you will automatically be charged for whichever package you go for. You can, however, cancel your free trial within 7 days to avoid being charged.
Is There a Surfshark Refund?
Yes, every Srufshark package comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee. You can use it to test the VPN app and get a steady feel of it. However, be sure to go through the Surfshark terms of service before making any purchases.
What’s New On Surfshark?
There have been many new advancements in the latest Surfshark apps. These include:
Nexus – The Most Innovative Surfshark Feature
This latest Surfshark feature has been one of the most ambitious developments compared to all the other features. In fact, this is what sets Surfshark apart from the others: its unique key factor. With Nexus, you’re not limited to a single server. It blends all of them into one integrated network, creating a more secure and adaptable shield for your entire online experience.
Your IP address can shift and change even during an active browsing session. This constant motion makes your online activity nearly impossible to pin down and follow. You can set this feature to automatically assign you a fresh IP address every few minutes. The key is that it does this seamlessly in the background, which means your video call won’t drop and your download won’t pause.
Other than that, the Nexus Surfshark technology cleverly separates your virtual location from your connection’s pathway. It lets you appear to be in one country to access a specific streaming service, while actually routing your data through a faster server in a different country. The result is you get the content you want without sacrificing speed or performance.
Everlink
Surfshark’s Everlink is a recently introduced, patented feature for its VPN infrastructure. It is engineered to automatically detect and restore a VPN connection if it is interrupted. This self-healing capability aims to maintain both the stability and security of the user’s connection with minimal need for manual intervention.
Surfshark’s Everlink feature integrates directly with the WireGuard protocol to enhance connection flexibility. When a user connects through a WireGuard-based VPN server, their device also interfaces with the dedicated Everlink infrastructure.
In the event of an interruption, for instance, any server problems, network instability, or maintenance, Everlink automatically re-establishes the VPN tunnel without dropping the connection. This ensures the user remains continuously protected, with no exposure of their actual IP address. The system functions as a redundant safety layer that operates transparently over the VPN, maintaining seamless connectivity even if underlying network issues occur.
Dynamic Multihop (Stronger Than the Regular Double VPN)
The new Dynamic Multihop is a step higher than the usual Double VPN. It helps route all of your online traffic to two servers. This is required for extra security. A Double VPN feature usually offers fixed servers to connect to. However, the Dynamic Multihop is slightly different. All you need to do is choose any entry server location and an exit server location. Once you select it, the Surfshark Nexus technology selects the best server location in its network to create the most secure path between those two selected points. What perks does it offer? Well, apart from maintaining double the encryption standards for tighter security, it also helps create faster speeds.
Rotating IP
The new Surfshark Rotating IP feature brings you bigger and better security access. With it, your IP address is constantly changing or rotating at set intervals, random timings, or under specific circumstances in case the current IP address is compromised. This feature overall helps secure your connection, adds better encryption standards, provides uninterrupted research privileges, and masks your physical IP address continuously. According to me, this feature helps you stay under the radar at all times.
Surfshark Antivirus External Devices Scan
The Surfshark Antivirus is also upgraded to automatically scan USB drives and other external devices the moment you connect them. This added layer of protection is on by default to keep your computer safe. If you’re using a trusted drive and want to save on system resources, you can disable this feature anytime in the Antivirus settings.
Public DNS Servers
Surfshark released a new free tool to help boost your online security: its public DNS servers. The best part? You don’t need to subscribe to Surfshark to use them. Anyone can set them up on their device completely free of charge. Their DNS service is designed for privacy and utilises its global network to maintain fast, reliable speeds. You can learn more about how to use it on their website. However, you need to keep in mind that even though their DNS servers provide some temporary relief for hiding your IP, it’s not as secure as Surfshark VPN. It doesn’t offer the same full security as a VPN.
Compatibility with the Apple M1 chip
Surfshark is even offering full compatibility with the Apple M1 chip, which is great news for macOS users. For all those who have Apple’s newest version of MacBook or iMac, you will not need to go the extra mile of using Surfshark VPN with it.
How does it help?
- It offers better battery life.
- Helps increase or stabilise internet connection speed.
- Creates a better connection for newer versions of macOS devices
This provider is doing wonders on the regular and now stands among the first VPNs to support compatibility with the Apple M1 chip. To get this feature, you need to update your app to the latest version 3.4.0 or later.
The Surfshark One+ Bundle!
The Surfshark One+ is the complete and latest package that is sure to grab your attention, especially if you’ve already got a subscription to the service. This bundle offer includes the
- Secure VPN
- Unlimited device connections
- Ad Blocker
- Cookie pop-up blocker
- Rotating IP
- Bypasser (Split Tunnelling)
- Dynamic MultiHop
- Masked email generator
- Personal detail generator
- Antivirus (scheduled scans, webcam and real-time protection)
- Alerts
- Add-free search results
- No data tracking
- Country-specific search results
- Incogi mode for residents in the US, the UK, the EU, Switzerland, and Canada.
They’ve considered everyone’s demands for a VPN service that comes with an antivirus feature or add-on, and now it’s finally here! The Antivirus is now only available for Windows 10 and later, Android OS 10 or later, and macOS 11 Big Sur. This feature is only available with the Surfshark One and Surfshark One+ packages.
Security – Discussing its Encryption and Advanced Features
Security is one of the biggest concerns when going for the right VPN. Surfshark seems to be on the right path when it comes to its security features.
It offers the best security measures to keep you safe. It offers multiple security features, highlighting its impenetrable AES 256-GCM encryption that can be used with the OpenVPN and IKEv2 protocols, and the ChaCha20 encryption standard with the WireGuard protocol. It also offers a Kill Switch, Bypasser, leak protection, and other features, all of which are available on the apps. However, the Surfshark VPN extension has slightly fewer features than the apps, which is fine, considering it’s only used for quick and secure access to websites.
What VPN Protocols Does Surfshark Offer?
Keeping options open, Surfshark offers four protocols;
- IKEv2 – Only available for smartphones (Android and iOS)
- OpenVPN -TCP and UDP (Android, Windows, macOS, iOS, Fire TV, and Linux)
- WireGuard (Android, iOS, macOS, Linux, and Windows)
Most users go for OpenVPN connections for faster and stable internet. However, with the introduction of WireGuard, you can now switch between the two. WireGuard promises better results and is tested much better than OpenVPN. If you’re still going for OpenVPN, make sure to use UDP instead of TCP.
IKEv2 is available on all the Surfshark apps, but is the default choice on macOS and iOS apps. I believe IKEv2 makes a better choice for streaming instead of OpenVPN. But you can make several switches to see which one works the best for you.
The Shadowsocks protocol used to be an open-source encrypted proxy, only available on Windows and Android apps. However, Surfshark has now discontinued it.
Surfshark VPN Encryption
The best part about a VPN is its encryption. Surfshark operates using AES-256-bit encryption. This encryption standard is one of the strongest and is essentially unbreakable. Surfshark’s encryption protects each and every piece of information/data during all your online activities.
Furthermore, Surfshark has an extra feature for its Android app, allowing a choice or switch between AES 256-GCM and Chacha20Poly1305 encryption. This will provide you with better speeds overall.
CleanWeb
This is one of my favourite built-in features that Surfshark provides. Everyone hates annoying ads or pop-ups that keep cropping up from time to time. That’s where the CleanWeb feature comes in. It sweeps away all those annoying ads that constantly pop up on most free websites.
The Surfshark CleanWeb feature was previously only available on the Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS apps. After a few upgrades, Surfshark brought out the CleanWeb 2.0 feature for browser extensions for Firefox, Chrome, and Edge.
Dynamic MultiHop – Previously Called Multi-Hop
The older Surfshark security settings feature, called the Multi-hop servers, used to be fixed. It allowed you to connect to two encrypted servers at one time, also known as DoubleVPN, to improve your anonymity. However, with the latest updates, Surfshark changed the name to Dynamic MultiHop, allowing you to choose any start and ending servers you like, with Surfshark giving you options for the best one, according to your task and your location.
There are a few multihop servers that are static, but there is also a create option, where you can choose the entry and exit locations. For a speed test, I chose the entry location as the USA and the exit location as Canada. Here are the results after a speed test:
The results exceeded my expectations in every way possible. Considering the fact that my physical location is nowhere close to my virtual double VPN server locations, both the download and upload speeds are desirable.
Kill Switch
This is one of the most necessary features for a VPN to possess. It kills your internet as soon as it senses a drop in the connection of the VPN server. To review the Surfshark Kill Switch, here’s what you should do to test it out:
While downloading a movie or even a song, turn the VPN off. You will then be able to see how it immediately shuts down your internet. You’ll find the Kill Switch feature on the Surfshark apps for Windows, iOS, Android, macOS, and Linux.
However, the Kill Switch might not work efficiently if your internet connection is faulty or is running extremely slow. Also, the Kill Switch results vary from device to device.
Bypasser – Previously Known as Whitelister
Surfshark used to offer a Split-tunnelling feature by the name of Whitelister. However, the name has been rebranded to “Bypasser.” This is an in-built feature that allows you to block websites or apps for which you don’t require VPN protection. What’s amazing and super relevant about this feature is that it works both ways. That’s where the Bypasser comes in.
You either add an app or website that you would like to protect or exclude certain sites or apps you think you should disregard. It all depends on your preference, really, if you’d like to use or exclude certain apps or pages from your usual surfing experience. You’ll find the Surfshark Bypasser feature on Windows, Android, iOS, and macOS apps.
Leak Protection
It leads or transfers all your network requests or needs through its own Surfshark DNS servers rather than the ones available on default DNS servers used or run by your ISP. On the other hand, the Leak Protection feature works as a barricade, keeping your IP, DNS, and WebRTC from leaking out.
Smart DNS
Surfshark has an additional feature called Smart DNS. This should only be used if there aren’t any apps for certain devices or gaming consoles. It can be used over one IP address at a time, and is best for countries like China or Russia. However, Smart DNS only unblocks limited websites or apps and is not available with the Surfshark app. It’s accessible via your Surfshark dashboard.
Camouflage Mode (Also Known as Obfuscation)
Living up to its name, this feature hides you or rather blends you into the background, away from prying ISP eyes. They’ll never find you. You’ll find the Surfshark Camouflage feature only while using the OpenVPN protocol.
GPS Spoofing (Override GPS Location)
Surfshark is constantly on the go for adding new security features to its list, keeping your anonymity/safety as its first priority. Besides the above, it now has a new feature added to its list called “GPS Spoofing”. It allows you to take online privacy to another level higher.
The Override GPS Location feature allows you to change your physical GPS location on your device; matching it to the GPS of the server you’re connected to. So, now both your IP and GPS are safely tucked away. For now, this feature is only available on Android apps.
NoBorders
As the name of the feature describes, it is exactly what you’ll be getting. NoBorders, meaning no restrictions in any country that you’d like VPN access in. This Surfshark feature activates only in highly-censored countries or regions. Countries that don’t allow access to unlimited networks, for example, China and Russia. Other than that, the NoBorders feature is only limited to Android, iOS, macOS, and Windows.
Additional Security Features – Separate Charges and Bundle Specific Access
Besides the amazing features that Surfshark provides, they took an extra step with additional features that are like the cherry on top. They include:
- Surfshark Alert– scans for damages, stolen data, and possible leakages and alerts the users when they are at risk. Available only with the Surfshark One and Surfshark One+ bundles over the 1-year and 2-year subscriptions.
- Surfshark Search – allows you to surf the internet and receive only organic results. Additionally, you can continue with this feature with utter privacy, ad-free, and a no-tracking experience. It’s only available with the Surfshark One and Surfshark One+ bundles.
- Dedicated IP – it’s available only via your account dashboard for an additional cost of $3.75/mo.
- Alternative Phone Number – this feature is available at an extra cost from your account dashboard. You can get one for $2.49/mo. This virtual number option allows you to prevent data theft and scams.
Leak Prevention – Surfshark Review for IP, DNS, and WebRTC Leaks
There’s no point in investing in VPN services only to experience data leaks. So to put this Surfshark security under review, I conducted my own testing. This was basically to check whether Surfshark is actually safe or not.
IP Leak Test
For the IP, I used browserleaks.com with servers in the United States – Dallas
DNS Leak Test
For the Surfshark DNS leak test, I used the same United States – Dallas server via dnsleaktest.com. Here are the results:
WebRTC Leak Test
Now, for the Surfshark leak test, I ran the test using the same USA Dallas VPN server via https://browserleaks.com/webrtc. Here are the results:
Surfshark Servers
Surfshark has great server coverage, which has now increased with the recent updates. It now has over 3200 servers in 100 countries. After testing both long-distance and short-distance servers, it’s safe to say that the results and speeds for both are some of the best. In fact, the results turned out way better than before. They are perfect for HD streaming, torrenting, gaming, and more. Plus, Surfshark is one of the best VPNs that will help you hide your IP address.
Surfshark Physical and Virtual Servers
Speaking of maximum coverage, its servers work across every continent except Antarctica. Having a great feature of both virtual and physical servers, it serves as a compensation door.
For example, if a physical server doesn’t work in a particular region, Surfshark will still give you (limited) virtual access to some parts in that restricted zone using servers in neighbouring countries.
Surfshark is by far one of the best VPNs in the market, covering all the major countries in the world, especially considering it worked great throughout my re-test. It’s said to be one of the best providers for the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Cuba, and more! You can just about connect to any server in any country, depending on the kind of streaming services you want access to. For starters, if you’d like access to Disney+ in the Philippines, you can connect to the Surfshark US server.
Streaming – Does Surfshark Really Unblock Streaming Services?
Yes! It does. We tested the VPN servers with a bunch of streaming apps, including Netflix. Each time I switch servers, my Netflix library changes, which makes Surfshark one of the best for Netflix. This has got to be one of the most commonly asked questions of today. I won’t lie; this was at the top of my “have to know” questions, too. And I’m super stoked with the results. Surfshark is among the few VPNs that provide smooth access to multiple streaming services.
Want to know another fun fact? With the newest updates, Surfshark now unblocks up to 30+ Netflix libraries, and that’s the best thing about it! I also ran a couple of tests to confirm this new upgrade and managed to unblock many, some of which include Netflix Japan, Netflix Espana, Netflix Singapore, and other libraries.
Other platforms that Surfshark has managed to unblock include Disney Plus, Amazon Prime, BBC iPlayer, Hotstar, Hulu, and more!
Is Surfshark Good for Torrenting?
Yes, it’s safe enough. Surfshark happens to be one of the best torrenting VPN services that have been tested so far.
Torrenting isn’t considered legal in most countries around the world. These platforms upload copyrighted content, which is usually a violation of terms and can be quite risky in the long run. Using a great VPN like Surfshark is your safest and best bet.
Almost all the Surfshark servers are P2P compatible and produce some great speed results for torrenting. And, if you’ve gone through my IP/DNS and WebRTC leak tests above, Surfshark delivered great results.
It makes a reliable VPN client for P2P file-sharing, especially since it works great with P2P platforms like uTorrent, Popcorn Time, BitTorrent, VLC, Ace Player, and more. Just connect to any of its P2P optimised servers, and you’ll be able to access the best torrent sites.
Is Surfshark good for gaming?
Yes, Surfshark is one of the top providers that is the best for gaming.
Most gamers experience terrible downtime, high latency issues, buffering, or DDoS attacks. A VPN will help secure your gaming consoles, data, and a lot more. Surfshark offers great security features and will work best for gamers to have the best experience. When I tested Surfshark, it worked best for plaftorms like PUBG, and more.
Speed – Is Surfshark Fast?
In a nutshell, Surfshark’s speed is fast and stable.
Activities like streaming, torrenting, or gaming require great speeds. No one likes constant buffering. You and I both know what it’s like to wait for hours and hours just to download a single torrent. Sometimes, it is even interrupted mid-way. These issues are due to ISP throttling, and a VPN will help bypass it.
I tested the Surkshark speeds, connecting to a few of the more popular servers. However, please note that at the time of testing, I was connected to a slower internet just to check out the VPN stability. Your connection speed can hamper VPN results, and it always varies.
The Surfshark Speed Test Review
Speed is one of the main features for me. I checked out the speed of my local connection before connecting to the Surfshark VPN. The results were:
After connecting to the Surfshark US server (Dallas)
UK server (London)
Australia server (Sydney)
Canada server (Toronto)
The speeds after VPN connectivity were way faster compared to my last testing in 2024, especially the Australian speeds, which have jumped way higher. Considering the fact that these are long-distance servers, the results were extremely good.
To highlight that, its compatibility with torrent software like uTorrent and BitTorrent is a plus point on its own. I mean, I didn’t have to wait an entire day or long hours to download movies. Surfshark, with its multiple servers, also works well not only for torrenting but for P2P overall, being optimised according to it. All in all, its speed results depend on the distance between your physical location and the server you’re connected to.
Surfshark Device Compatibility Review
One of the best things about investing in Surfshark is its device compatibility.
Not too long ago, Surfshark wasn’t a great app for a few devices but over time, it now supports some of the major devices. Being completely compatible with innumerable devices and apps is not the only plus side. It allows you to make unlimited device connections simultaneously.
Let’s take a closer look at the kinds of devices and platforms that Surfshark meshes with:
- macOS
- Windows
- Linux
- iOS
- Android
- Chrome
- Nvidia Shield
- FireStick
- Apple TV
- Routers
- Xbox
- PlayStation
- Kodi
One of their most recent updates has revolved around a native application for Apple TVs.
Surfshark on Apple TV in a Few Clicks
Only a few VPNs have native applications for Apple TV, while others rely on a workaround that requires a router configuration. Surfshark recently introduced a native application for Apple TVs, which simplifies things a lot. The Surfshark Apple TV application offers the same features as applications on other devices.
Installing Surfshark is super simple and takes less than 2 minutes. Go to the App Store on your Apple TV and search for Surfshark. When you find Surfshark, click on Get. Wait for the application to install and log in using your preferred method.
You can log in via your Apple ID or by manually entering your Surfshark account credentials. Alternatively, you can log in by scanning the QR code with a mobile device that already has Surfshark.
User-Friendly Interface
Speaking of devices, Surfshark apps are extremely user-friendly, being visually appealing and simple to the touch. It is designed with the intention to let newcomers to the tech world have an easy experience while using the Surfshark VPN service.
Plus, if there’s a device you own that doesn’t support native VPN apps, you can always use the Smart DNS feature to create a connection via a router.
The Surfshark apps all worked great, but they all possessed a different set of features. For instance, a few protocols are on the Windows app, while scarce on the iOS. Although you will still get the best of everything, you can still use the VPN on multiple devices.
Surfshark Multi-Device Connections
Surfshark allows its users to make unlimited multi-device connections. So, if the VPN misses out on a few features on the extension, you can test or use them on other supported devices.
Where is Surfshark Located?
Before looking into any VPN, you always make sure to go through multiple sources, just like I did for my Surfshark review.
Surfshark Jurisdiction
Surfshark completely revolves around keeping your identity a secret and focuses all its efforts on providing you with the best security measures. However, there are many users who are sceptical because the VPN provider’s headquarters are now located in the Netherlands. This is a major concern because the Netherlands is part of the 9-eyes alliance. However, despite this, it should not be a bother because this country does not impose any data retention laws. This means that Surfshark is not obligated to hand over any user information to the authorities. Surfshark keeps a close check on no data retention laws. It doesn’t get any better than this, right? But of course, it does. It adds to the no-logs policy.
Wrapping Up
Coming towards the end of this Surfshark review, it’s safe to say that Surfshark is still one of the best VPNs out there. It has always been a reliable VPN, but now, with the newer changes to the app, it’s way more than we hoped for. Its latest additional features to the app make it suitable for every user, and it is worth the money. Yes, the monthly packages are a little steep, but you could always go for the 12-month or the 24-month packages. They offer more value for money, and you also get 3 months free with these two packages. If you’re looking for all the features, go for the Surfshark One or the Surfshark One+ bundles.
FAQs – Surfshark Review
What are the downsides of Surfshark?
Surfshark has a few cons to note. To begin, the Surfshark prices have increased tremendously over the course of a year. Its jurisdiction is now in the Netherlands, putting it in the circle of the Nine Eyes Alliance. Despite these cons, the pros outweigh them.
Is Surfshark owned by China?
No, Surfshark is not a Chinese-owned company. Its headquarters are now located in the Netherlands, and it was founded by Vytautas Kaziukonis.
Did Netflix block Surfshark?
No, Surfshark is not blocked by Netflix. The streaming service itself usually blocks unknown IP addresses from accessing the service. Although a few Surfshark IP addresses were temporarily restricted by Netflix, the VPN itself still works with it. This is the case with all VPN services.
Is Surfshark free?
No, Surfshark is not free. However, it does offer a 7-day free trial, which you need to cancel before the trial period ends. If you don’t cancel your free trial, you will be charged for the subscription package you chose while signing up for the free trial.
Why is my Surfshark VPN not working?
A Surfshark not working error is quite common. In fact, it’s common with all VPN providers. The main reasons for a VPN to work slowly or stop working entirely are due to poor internet connections, heavy server load, outdated apps, etc. You can always restart your device, reinstall the VPN app, connect to a new VPN server, and switch VPN protocols.
Is Surfshark safe?
Yes, Surfshark is one of the safest VPN providers that offers top-notch service. Its security features are some of the industry’s finest. Plus, with the new security features added, it places Surfshark at the top of the best VPN list.
Is there a Surfshark Chrome extension?
Yes, Surfshark offers a Chrome VPN extension. You will easily find the extension on the Chrome Web Store, or you can go to the Surfshark website to access it.