Surfshark Review 2024: Cheap Price but Is It Any Good?

Fast Speeds Across the Network

I ran several speed tests on Surfshark’s servers in Berlin, London, New York, and Perth from the Netherlands on my Windows laptop, with a baseline speed of 197.26 Mbps. My Ookla SpeedTest results showed that Surfshark doesn’t drop your speeds too much.

Speed Test Results

Although Surfshark isn’t the fastest VPN on the market, every server I tested could support high-bandwidth activities like streaming and torrenting large files. Even its distant servers were faster than many other VPNs I’ve tested and stayed well beyond the minimum of 25Mbps required for UHD streaming.

I first selected the ‘Fastest server’ and ‘Nearest country’ options, both of which connected me to a Surfshark server in Germany. The speed difference was just 9% so I could torrent, game, and watch UHD videos without experiencing any lag.

I found Surfshark’s Australia server to be the slowest but this was understandable since it’s far from the Netherlands and my data had to travel further. However, the speed drop is almost negligible on nearby servers in Germany and the UK. I also had the best speeds when I used the WireGuard protocol.

However, you shouldn’t expect fast connections with Surfshark’s Dynamic MultiHop servers as they decreased my speeds by almost 50%. This was not surprising since my traffic was routed to 2 different servers and encrypted twice for maximum security.

Is Surfshark Fast Enough for Gaming? Yes, in Nearby Locations

To test Surfshark’s suitability for gaming, I connected to a London server, launched Left 4 Dead 2 on Steam, and ran a speed test. My ping was 22ms, which is very good for a server 300 miles from my location. These low ping rates helped me keep up with my teammates during the game. I didn’t even have to lower the game resolution to improve speeds.

Generally, ping under 150ms is acceptable, but I wasn’t so lucky with Surfshark’s distant servers in Australia. With ping nearing almost 300ms, it was impossible to keep up with my teammates. If you want a VPN with consistent speeds and ping in every location, ExpressVPN is one of the best VPNs for Call of Duty and other fast-paced games.

Server Network — Global Network of 3,200+ Servers in 100+ Countries

With Surfshark’s large server network of over 3,200 servers in 100 countries, you’ll always be able to find a server nearby. It’s not the biggest network I’ve seen, but it’s not too small that you’ll frequently run into crowded servers either.

In some countries like India, Egypt, Mexico, and more, Surfshark offers virtual servers to make it possible to safely connect to these locations and get better speeds.

There are also free static servers available in the US, UK, Netherlands, Japan, Singapore, and Germany allowing you to use the same IP address every time. Though it helps access IP-sensitive sites without extra verification, static IPs are shared by other users and can be flagged as being associated with a VPN.

Alternatively, you can try Surfshark’s dedicated IP addresses for a small fee. These are exclusive IP addresses only you can use. These are helpful in avoiding blacklisting since there are no other previous (suspicious) activities by another user.

Torrenting — P2P Allowed on Selected Servers

Surfshark doesn’t impose data or bandwidth limits when downloading files and it’s compatible with popular torrenting clients like qBittorrent and uTorrent.

The Surfshark website states that you’ll be automatically connected to a P2P server in a torrent-friendly country once you launch a BitTorrent client. But when I connected to a regular server in Turkey and started torrenting on qBittorrent, I was still on the same server.

Since I’d already begun torrenting and was concerned about my privacy, I contacted customer support over 24/7 live chat. The agent asked me to run tests on IPLeak.net and I saw my IP address was still in Turkey but the DNS server had changed to the Netherlands. According to the agent, I’d already been rerouted to a P2P server as the DNS address had changed.

To avoid going through this, connect to a P2P server from the Location tab. Just type ‘P2P’ in the search bar, and you’ll see the list change to include 33 countries where torrenting is allowed, including the US and UK. The fastest servers will have a near-empty circle icon.

Does Surfshark Work in China? No

Despite the NoBorders mode that it claims to work in restrictive regions, Surfshark didn’t work in China. During testing, my colleagues could only connect to 1 server in Ireland, but it failed after 30 seconds. Even after troubleshooting, my colleagues couldn’t use Surfshark. A customer support agent recommended using the Shadowsocks protocol but that didn’t work either.

If this is crucial for you, I recommend ExpressVPN as it works reliably in China. It comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee, so you can try it risk-free and get a refund with no questions asked. I don’t condone using a VPN to commit illegal acts, so please understand the local laws and know what’s allowed before connecting in China.

Security Features

Compared to some of the top VPNs I’ve reviewed, Surfshark has many advanced features beyond the standard encryption, IP leak protection, and kill switch.

Encryption — One of the Most Secure in the Industry

Surfshark uses the industry-leading encryption algorithm AES-256 to protect your online data against hackers and online snoops. The military-grade cipher would take billions of years to decrypt with the current supercomputers.

The encryption standard also supports Perfect Forward Secrecy. It generates a unique session key and it’s discarded once the session ends. By doing this, even if an attacker gains access to the encryption keys, they cannot decrypt your past or future VPN sessions so your privacy and security remain intact.

VPN Protocols — Choose Between OpenVPN, IKEv2, and WireGuard

Surfshark offers WireGuard and OpenVPN with all its apps. IKEv2 is also offered, but only on iOS and Android. I used the secure OpenVPN protocol for activities like online banking and never had any security breaches. But when I’m more concerned about speed while streaming, I change to WireGuard as it’s much faster and doesn’t sacrifice security.

Kill Switch — Stay Protected at All Times

Surfshark has a kill switch on all its apps, but it’s not turned on by default. A kill switch shuts off your internet if your VPN gets disconnected for whatever reason. This makes sure your data isn’t accidentally leaked to the sites you’re visiting. If you forget to turn it on, you can still switch it on after connecting to a server by clicking the dropdown arrow on the app.

Leak Protection — No DNS, WebRTC, or IPv6 Leaks Found

Although many VPNs have strong encryption, they can accidentally leak your private data to the sites you visit. I tested Surfshark’s built-in leak protection by connecting to random servers in the US, Australia, and Germany.

With each server connection, I ran tests on IPLeak.net and I found that my actual IP address was always secure. Surfshark was also highly leak-proof when tested for DNS and WebRTC leaks.

Split Tunneling — Only on Windows and Android Apps

Surfshark’s split tunneling functionality is called a Bypasser and it’s useful to choose specific websites and apps to bypass the VPN connection. On my Windows laptop, I could set certain apps and websites to bypass the secure connection from the ‘Settings’ panel.

CleanWeb Feature Blocks Ads, Malware, and Trackers

Many premium VPNs now offer built-in blockers against ads, malware, and trackers but not all of them work well. However, CleanWeb blocks all pop-up, video, and banner ads on news sites like the Mirror and Forbes. They even loaded faster as a result.

Unfortunately, CleanWeb isn’t effective at blocking all YouTube ads — you may still see some pre-video and mid-roll ads when watching videos.

Extra Security Tools — Lots of Bonus Features

• Camouflage and NoBorders Modes — use Surfshark in restrictive countries by hiding the fact that you’re using a VPN. Camouflage is automatic when using the OpenVPN protocol, while NoBorders is automatically enabled when Surfshark detects restrictions to your network, so you can access the full web in places like the UAE and Turkey.
• IP Address Rotation — your IP address is changed every few minutes without dropping your connection to make tracking your activities harder.
• GPS Override Feature — Surfshark’s location spoofing feature automatically updates your Android device’s location data to match the server location you’re connected to.
• Invisible to Devices Feature — allows you to become invisible to other devices on your Local Area Network (LAN). It’s only available on Windows and Android devices.
• Smart DNS — access geoblocked streaming services on devices that don’t support VPNs, such as some smart TVs, gaming consoles, and Apple TVs.
• Pause VPN Function — Surfshark has a ‘Pause’ option that allows you to disable the connection for 5 minutes, 30 minutes, or 2 hours.
• Dynamic MultiHop — these connections encrypt your data twice for extra security by routing it through 2 servers of your choice instead of 1.
• 2FA Authentication — this option is available on all apps, where Surfshark asks for extra authentication for your own security.
• TrustDNS — a standalone app for iOS and Android devices to connect you to a public DNS server instead of a DNS server assigned by your ISP.
• Surfshark One — this refers to a bundle of services including VPN, a data breach alert system, and a private search engine for an additional fee. It’s available for Android, Windows, and macOS apps.

Privacy

Strict No-Logs Policy

Surfshark’s privacy statement is very clear and easy to understand. It states that your browsing history, IP address, and other identifying data are never tracked, logged, or shared.

Besides this, Surfshark uses 100% RAM-only servers so all your data is wiped automatically whenever a server is rebooted as part of regular security procedures.

However, Surfshark collects some data for administrative reasons, including your email address, password (it’s encrypted), and payment details. If you don’t feel comfortable giving this information, register anonymously by signing up with a throwaway email address and paying with cryptocurrency.

Location — Based in the Netherlands

Surfshark was initially headquartered in the British Virgin Islands but has since relocated to the Netherlands. Though it’s a member of the 9 Eyes Alliance, the Netherlands doesn’t have any data retention laws. This means that Surfshark is not obligated to log any data about you, so the no-log policy remains in effect.

Warrant Canary Alerts You to Third-Party Interference

Surfshark’s website features a warrant canary that informs you when the company has received a subpoena by government or law enforcement authorities. While Surfshark stresses that the no-log policy prevents it from saving browsing history, I like knowing whether a security letter, gag order, or government warrant has been issued.

Independent Security Audit on Browser Extensions (Passed)

Like many VPN providers, Surfshark has invested in third-party audits to verify its privacy and security claims.

In 2018, Cure53 conducted an independent audit of Firefox and Chrome browser extensions. The German IT security firm also did an infrastructure audit and security assessment on Surfshark’s servers in 2021. Recently, Deloitte audited Surfshark’s no-log policy and validated the claim. I also read the reports and saw no significant security or privacy flaws.

I was satisfied with Surfshark’s customer support. You can contact Surfshark over email, an online form, or live chat. The customer support team is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. However, if you prefer troubleshooting problems yourself, you can check out the website’s setup guides, tutorials, and FAQs.

I tested all the options to see how effectively the company resolved issues and found that live chat is the best way to receive fast help and detailed explanations. For most questions, however, I didn’t look much further than Surfshark’s website.

Tested: 24/7 Live Chat

During my review, I tested the 24/7 live chat feature multiple times as I experienced minor technical difficulties. For example, I couldn’t stream Netflix while connected to a US–Detroit server, and I struggled to connect to a specialty P2P server when torrenting. I was impressed by the friendly and fast responses.

It’s convenient that you can access Surfshark’s live chat directly on the Windows and Android apps. All you have to do is go to ‘Settings’ and then ‘Get Instant Help’ to get one-to-one assistance. Unfortunately, this feature isn’t available yet on iOS or Mac.

Tested: Email Support

I also tested Surfshark’s email support by asking about some of its features. For comparison, I also used an email address not connected to my Surfshark account to see if there would be a difference in response time. Fortunately, there wasn’t and I received detailed responses in less than an hour every time.

Though the response times were fast, I recommend contacting Surfshark over 24/7 live chat. It’s much quicker as you can speak to a customer support representative directly, especially when you’re facing an urgent technical issue.

Online FAQs and Troubleshooting Guides

Many VPNs have websites with help sections that are poorly organized that they’re barely usable. Surfshark’s “Help” section on its website is comprehensive and regularly updated. Most of the time, I didn’t need to contact customer service as I could find answers to my questions.

Topics are divided into 4 sections: installation, troubleshooting, account, and general inquiries. You can find step-by-step instructions for installation and troubleshooting, complete with screenshots and even some video tutorials.