VPN or a Virtual Private Network, once considered a service for the tech-geeks and organizations involved in securing sensitive data, has come to become a need of the hour for every user who connects to the internet. With the unabated rise of cyber crimes and identity theft in the past decade, VPN is almost an essential service rather than a luxury one.
Today, in this article, we are going to take a deep look at one of the oldest, most reputable VPN service provider - Surfshark VPN.
Let's begin..With a recently upgraded network of over 3,200 servers in 65 countries, unlimited simultaneous connections on a single plan and industry-standard AES-256-GCM encryption plus a good choice of protocols, on paper it looks like it should satisfy just about any user – but can it live up to that in use?
In our in-depth Surfshark review, we run down the key features that make this a real contender, and so popular amongst both new and experienced users. You’ll learn whether any sacrifices were made to keep the price so low, or if you really are getting a top-of-the-range VPN for just a few dollars a month.
How private is Surfshark VPN?
Surfshark is packed with privacy features. You’ll find all the classic privacy measures in place – AES-256 encryption, plus the secure protocols OpenVPN UDP and TCP, IKEv2, and WireGuard.However, there are also a number of advanced privacy features. Surfshark utilizes a private DNS on every one of its server servers that enables users to add an extra layer of protection and prevent third parties from intercepting browsing sessions.
The service also adopts a VPN chaining mechanism. This system enables users to route their traffic through two separate servers. It can be accessed using the MultiHop button and essentially enables users to connect to one location and exit from another.
This means even if a cyber crook is able to access the exit server, they won’t be able to track down your IP address. Surfshark offers 15 routes. Server one is your connection location, which could be the UK, USA, Germany, Singapore, France, the Netherlands, India, or Australia.
The second is your exit location and where it appears to anyone looking into where you are located. Options for this are Germany, France, the Netherlands, Hong Kong, Portugal, Sweden, Singapore, the UK, or the USA.
Finally, Surfshark's servers have recently been audited by Cure53, as mentioned above. It's an essential step for proving any claims made in marketing material, and Surfshark's results were good. Cure53 found just four issues, none worse than 'medium', and these have been rectified.
How fast is SurfsharkVPN?
I ran my speed tests over the course of three weeks with dynamic IP addresses using both wireless and ethernet connections. Internet speeds in the US vary widely by state and provider. And with any speed test, results are going to rely on your local infrastructure, with hyperfast internet service yielding higher test speed results.
That's one reason I'm more interested in testing the amount of speed lost (which for most VPNs is typically half or more) across both high-speed and slower internet connection types, and in using tools like Speedtest.net to even out the playing field. In the case of Surfshark, only 17% of average internet speeds were lost. That's even faster than the 27% speed loss I measured in 2019, and makes Surfshark the current fastest VPN in our autumn 2020 speed tests.
Surfshark's fast speeds during testing pushed the service immediately past NordVPN's tested speeds, which averaged 53% speed loss, and ahead of other speed-intensive VPNs such as ExpressVPN and IPVanish. This is particularly impressive given the comparatively small size of Surfshark's VPN server fleet.
The remarkable thing about Surfshark's speed is that its average speeds aren't fighting to overcome major speed losses in any particular test region. This thing showed up on race day and stole the gold, seemingly without breaking a sweat. During testing, my base non-VPN speeds averaged 194 megabits per second, while Surfshark's overall average was 161Mbps. After taking the averages of five testing locations, not one of the averages from those locations fell below 100Mbps. That's an across-the-board win against its competitors in every test column.
The VPN service provider clocked a 204Mbps average on US connections. It outperformed its peers during UK and European tests, averaging 165Mbps and 171Mbps in each, respectively. It then averaged 126Mbps in Australia, before averaging 142Mbps in Singapore. These are speeds I haven't seen from any virtual private network I've tested so far.
How secure is SurfsharkVPN?
Surfshark has an in-built Whitelister panel that enables you to create whitelists of apps, IP addresses, and websites that you can redirect around the VPN. This process is similar to split-tunneling, and if you do find that the VPN disrupts an app or site, whitelisting it should fix the issue.You can also set up the Whitelister so only your chosen apps and sites are routed through Surfshark. We tried it out and it worked perfectly. We were pleased to see this feature in a desktop app – many VPN providers only offer it for mobile users.
Ads, malicious content, and web trackers are blocked using Surfshark’s CleanWeb feature. However, we tried it out and weren’t overly impressed by the result. Using a dedicated tool like uBlock Origin enables you to block more content and have greater control over the action.
There is an option that enables you to activate the VPN automatically when you start Windows, and it’s also possible to toggle between different protocols depending on your security needs.
One of the most important security features on Surfshark is the kill switch. This enables you to disconnect from the internet automatically if your VPN connection is severed. And we did have a few issues with it.
Firstly, there is no middle ground. The kill switch totally disables the internet unless you are connected to the VPN. In other words, you cannot use the internet at all unless Surfshark is running. A better option would be to sever the connection only if it is lost during a VPN browsing session. This is the standard method employed by VPN providers, enabling a user to continue browsing without having the VPN activated.
Secondly, there was no notification signalling that the kill switch had been activated and our connection forcibly closed.
One of our tests included simulating a failure of the Windows Surfshark Service, and then closing an IKEv2 connection. In this admittedly unlikely situation, the connection was terminated and the kill switch didn't activate. Plus, the app continued to display 'Connected' .
Overall, though, in every day usage the kill switch is effective, and only had issues when we simulated a situation that's unlikely ever to arise in real terms.
How fast is Surfshark?
Surfshark is a reasonably fast VPN. In our tests, we didn't experience any connection issues whatsoever, and the connection speeds were good.When we tested the software on a UK data center capable of 1Gbps, we were slightly disappointed by the OpenVPN results – the average was a mediocre 100-110Mbps. However, switching to WireGuard made a huge difference, delivering speeds of up to 475Mbps – more than enough for just about any user. However, this is a little slower than we saw in our last round of testing.
Carrying out the same test from a location in the US, we saw slightly better OpenVPN speeds of 170Mbps. WireGuard speeds weren't quite as blazing as in the UK at around 300Mbps, but again, very few people have access to connections above 100Mbps, so this is unlikely to be an issue.
On the whole, Surfshark can deliver excellent connections, and if you’re working with a regular domestic line it won’t have a drastic impact on speeds. If you want to make the most of a gigabit connection, though, providers like NordVPN and IPVanish almost double Surfshark's WireGuard speeds.
Where can you use Surfshark?
Surfshark boasts wide coverage of operating systems and devices. It works on Windows PC, Mac, Android, Android TV, iOS, and Linux. We'll be honest -- we have not tried Surfshark it on every single one of those operating systems and devices. Where we did try it, however, what we got was more or less in line with our expectations.
Things are pretty much straightforward when using Surfshark on Windows 10 and Android. However, if your main operating system is Linux, as is the case for us, using Surfshark is a bit trickier. But it's still workable -- we promise.
Even though Linux distributions such as Mint have introduced a software manager which streamlines application installation, Surfshark won't play nice with it. We don't mind having to use the command prompt to install Surfshark, but having to run it via the command prompt too is a deal-breaker.
How much does Surfshark VPN cost?
Usability: Intuitive and freshPlatforms: Linux, Windows, Android, MacOS, iOS, Android TV and Amazon Fire TV
Price: $2.49 monthly for a two-year plan
Number of simultaneous connections: Unlimited
Surfshark imposes no data caps, and allows unlimited server switching and torrenting. I also had no problems using it to access Netflix. In a rare move for a VPN, it offers unlimited simultaneous connections. This functionality is wrapped up in an intuitive, easy-to-use interface that's recently undergone a slick revamp.
I'm delighted to see lots of optional add-on features you wouldn't normally expect from a low-cost VPN provider. CleanWeb, an ad-blocking anti-tracking feature, is available for all accounts. For a dollar more a month, you can opt to get Blindsearch, Surfshark's non-logging private search engine, and Hacklock, a tool that constantly searches the internet to see if your email address has been affected by a data breach.
Surfshark is currently living up to its name with an aggressive pricing scheme. As of 3rd January 2022, its price is $3.99 monthly for an annual plan ($47.88 in total). It also offers a monthly plan for $12.95.
Along with credit or debit, you can pay via PayPal, Alipay or Bitcoin and be assured of a 30-day money-back guarantee. The site offers 24/7 chat support, and a healthy amount of support articles and tutorials.
What customer support does Surfshark offer?
Surfshark has a dedicated support site where you can get the answers to a number of queries. It includes FAQs, guides, and tutorials, which should cover a decent range of issues, but it isn't entirely definitive.
The majority of the content is related to setup issues, although there is some focus on fundamental running queries. That said, the bulk of the articles lack the details you'd expect and could do with being longer.
In terms of finding the information you need, a lot of improvements could be made in regards to how the articles are organized. For example, if you type in “iOS” to the search bar, you receive a list of articles related to iOS issues, such as how to install Surfshark on an iOS device.
It would be much better to have an option, like the one provided by ExpressVPN’s customer support, where all iOS-related issues were dealt with in one document.
If you’re in a rush, or can’t find what you’re looking for, thankfully there’s a capable team of live chat staff on hand that are prompt and helpful with their replies. At this price point, we’re impressed with how goo dthe live chat is – so if there’s anything troubling you when using Surfshark, this will probably be your first port of call.
Final verdict
With Surfshark, you’ll get a very capable VPN, packed with features, at a surprisingly low initial price. It does have minor issues – namely slightly slower speeds than the very best – but it has benefited from some serious improvements recently, such as the introduction of WireGuard integration for iOS and Android apps.
One competing provider that we recommend is ExpressVPN. Although more expensive than Surfshark, it delivers better speeds, more locations, and a level of customer service that’s unbeatable.
But, if you're looking to save money and bag a premium-quality VPN, Surfshark should undoubtedly be your first port of call.
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