A quick VPN for informal customers

Surfshark is among the youngest main VPNs, but it surely’s grown quickly during the last seven years. Since 2018, it is expanded its community to 100 international locations, added a collection of apps to its Surfshark One bundle and experimented with superior touches like servers that continuously rotate your IP handle.

Previously a price range VPN, Surfshark continues to be fairly inexpensive however the price of a one-month subscription is approach too excessive. Today, it is extra serious about innovation than affordability. Its options could not all the time be cutting-edge — Nexus is mainly Tor and Everlink is a barely higher kill swap — but it surely’s uncommon to seek out both applied so effectively in a industrial VPN. Plus, obtain and add speeds are incredible.

All of it provides as much as top-of-the-line VPNs for informal customers, even when in comparison with others in its weight class. However these already deeply accustomed to VPNs may journey over some elements. For this evaluation, I studied 11 completely different angles on Surfshark’s service, some by way of hands-on checks and others with old school journalism. Take a look at the sections most essential to you, then head to the top for my ultimate verdict.

Editors’ be aware: We’re within the technique of rebooting all of our VPN evaluations from scratch. As soon as we do a recent go on the highest providers, we’ll be updating every evaluation with a score and extra comparative data.

Desk of contents

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 will be going over the way it feels to make use of Surfshark. I am going to take a look at how straightforward or tough it’s to put in, what it’s a must to do to set it up and whether or not the consumer interface (UI) helps out or will get in the way in which on every platform.

Home windows

Surfshark is straightforward to obtain and set up on Home windows. You may get it by way of the Microsoft retailer, however going straight by way of the Surfshark web site makes certain you’ve the newest and most full model. The downloader asks you to click on “Sure,” however largely handles itself, and finally ends up in a short while.

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 should you’ve by no means used a VPN earlier than. If in case you have, its repeated insistence on sending you thru the tour can get aggravating.

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

It is a disgrace, as a result of every thing else works wonderful. 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 lots of stuff is enabled by default, together with auto-connect and NoBorders, which can make the VPN behave in methods you do not want.

Mac

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

Android

The Surfshark Android app, accessible by way of the Google Play Retailer, is prepared after you merely obtain and login. It does not reinvent the wheel, however Surfshark’s design language seems to be very straightforward to compress into cellular — besides that it is dark-mode by default, whereas all the opposite three are gentle. I discovered every thing I wanted inside moments. Android even removes nearly all of the full-screen stop-everything notifications.

One factor to concentrate on: whenever you begin up the Android app, the VPN is seen, however the touchdown web page contains all of the options of Surfshark One. To get the VPN-only entrance web page, click on the arrow throughout from “VPN” on the prime of the display. That mentioned, you are able to do nearly every thing you must do regardless of which web page you are on.

iOS

It is uncommon to see an enormous distinction between a VPN’s apps on the 2 cellular 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 seems like how preferences do on Mac and Home windows.

The primary VPN window is a bit jankier. It really works wonderful, however with the intention to make the server record continuously 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 record that is already open. I freely admit that is only a private criticism, but it surely nonetheless baffles me.

Browser extensions

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

Surfshark pace take a look at: Tremendous quick with some latency

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

I additionally appeared for latency, which impacts real-time communication with one other server (essential for players) and add pace, which impacts how shortly your machine can ship knowledge (essential for torrenting). My outcomes are within the desk.

By way of 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. Should you take a look at the Indonesia row, you may see I really acquired a better add pace than I did with out the VPN lively. That in all probability has extra to do with pure fluctuations from my ISP than something Surfshark did, but it surely nonetheless signifies how little this VPN weighs down your searching.

Latency is extra of a combined bag. Jumps in ping time are anticipated throughout lengthy distances, however I additionally noticed a pretty big soar on a server in the identical state as me. Surfshark is probably not ultimate for fast-paced on-line video games, however its speeds are nearly good for every other job.

Surfshark safety take a look at: Easy however efficient protocols

To find out whether or not Surfshark can maintain you protected, I will be taking a look at three components: whether or not it makes use of safe and up-to-date VPN protocols, whether or not any of these protocols leak your IP handle 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 checks 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 is no proprietary protocol with shady supply code, nor any outdated legacy choices which may pose a threat should you decide them. My solely criticism is that OpenVPN is not accessible on Mac.

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 simply more likely to see small variations. If one protocol is not working, you may swap to a different — or simply decide the automated protocol choice choice, which labored wonderful throughout my checks. If you wish to decide for your self, use the desk under for reference.

Leak take a look at

Subsequent, I picked 5 of the servers I did not use for the pace take a look at and checked all of them for 3 completely different sorts of leaks utilizing ipleak.net. Surfshark has its personal DNS servers, so DNS leaks are unlikely — these often come from a VPN utilizing public servers to resolve DNS requests. As anticipated, DNS requests did not reveal my IP handle in any of the checks.

There’s extra potential for IPv6 leaks, as Surfshark does not help IPv6. It recommends turning it off as an alternative, and has guides on doing that. To completely put Surfshark by way of its paces, although, I ran my checks with IPv6 nonetheless lively on my pc. On all 5 servers, the IPv6 take a look at couldn’t run. This means that Surfshark actively blocks IPv6, which (till extra of the web begins operating on the brand new protocol) is a wonderful solution to stop IPv6 leaks.

The leak testing device additionally checks for WebRTC leaks, so I ran every take a look at with a Google Meet name lively, however that did not leak both. In brief, Surfshark did not spring a leak regardless of what number of occasions I poked it. I am ready to name it watertight.

Encryption take a look at

To be completely certain I used to be recommending a protected VPN, I used WireShark (no relation) and HTTP Forever to see whether or not its encryption works. From analyzing the information stream earlier than and after connecting to a Surfshark server, it is clear that encryption is actually being utilized. Have a look for your self — the truth that you may’t get any data from the screenshot means the VPN protocol is working.

How a lot does Surfshark price?

Surfshark is a part of a collection of safety merchandise — lots like its sister model NordVPN, however with the choices per tier slightly extra coherent. It is available in three subscription sorts, every of which is offered at three durations. The desk under reveals the entire vary of prices.

Notice that the 24-month plans are introductory solely. You possibly can solely renew for one month or 12 months. The costs under additionally think about additional months you may get whenever you join the primary time, which are not accessible 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 may pay for any VPN price recommending. The soar from Starter (which solely contains the VPN service) to One (which incorporates every thing else besides Incogni) can also be tiny on the 12-month plan — solely an additional $0.20.

Surfshark is nearly actually doing this to juice lively consumer numbers — however that does not imply you may’t benefit from it. To our thoughts, the 12-month subscription to Surfshark One is extraordinarily good worth, supplied 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 can too 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. Nevertheless, since it’s a must to enter a cost methodology for this — and it is not accessible on Home windows — the 30-day interval is mostly extra handy.

Surfshark aspect apps and bundles

Here is what you will get from Surfshark except for its VPN service. With a purpose to maintain our concentrate on the VPN, we did not have time to carefully take a look at all these, however we have included the fundamental data that will help you make your choice.

Different ID

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

Masked e mail generator provides you a random e mail handle that sends all messages alongside to your actual inbox. Because it auto-forwards every thing, an e mail masks is not for lowering spam. As a substitute, it enables you to maintain your actual e mail handle secret when signing up for on-line providers — since offering your precise handle runs the danger of leaking it. For an additional $2.89 per 30 days, it’s also possible to get another cellphone quantity that works equally.

Private element generator creates pretend names, addresses and birthdays you need to use to join any web sites you are unsure about. Make sure to use it together with the VPN, or your IP handle will reveal the precise particulars. It additionally may be useful for randomly producing your subsequent RPG character.

Surfshark Antivirus

Surfshark Antivirus is included in Surfshark One and One+ subscriptions. It may possibly scan recordsdata as you obtain them and also can scan your complete system for malware, checking in opposition to an inventory of undesirable packages it claims to replace each three hours.

AV-Take a look at gave it a perfect score in safety. A prime 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 acquired an ideal usability rating for completely avoiding false positives, and a 5.5 out of 6 on efficiency — it had almost no influence on downloading apps or copying recordsdata, however slowed down fashionable web sites by round 30 p.c on common.

Surfshark Alert

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

Surfshark Search

You may get entry to Surfshark Search, a search engine akin to Google, with a One or One+ subscription. It provides an a variety of benefits over Google, together with being completely ad-free (a perk of being backed by subscription). You can too 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 data, then contacts them so that you can request they purge the information. Brokers do not should honor all deletion requests, but it surely by no means hurts to strive. Incogni retains looking so long as your subscription is lively, so it will possibly 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 international international locations. Surfshark grants varied reductions by way 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 perspective towards consumer privateness. Whereas it is attainable for a VPN supplier to lie outright in its posted coverage, they like to not for legal responsibility causes. An unreliable service will as an alternative use loopholes, vagueries and incomplete statements to make privateness guarantees it does not plan on retaining.

In contrast, a VPN service price your cash shall be as particular as attainable about any exceptions to its no-logs coverage. I learn Surfshark’s total privateness coverage to see which sort of VPN it’s — no small feat, because it’s effectively over 5,000 phrases lengthy. The web page contains summaries, however they’re pared down slightly too far to be helpful, so it is into the complete textual content I am going.

Surfshark relies within the Netherlands, which makes it topic to the European Union’s Common Information Safety Regulation (GDPR). That is excellent news, since GDPR does not permit any company to retain data with out justifying it. The Netherlands is probably going a part of the 9 Eyes intelligence-sharing settlement, however companies cannot spy on a VPN’s customers except that VPN is already saving activity logs — and whether it is, it is acquired a lot greater issues than the place it is 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 evident that your exercise on any server is deleted inside quarter-hour. If we take Surfshark at its phrase, there’s little or no cause to fret about servers being seized or searched.

Which means the one threat is that Surfshark itself may benefit from its entry to your data. It does, sadly, declare the proper to view data 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 whenever you use the VPN, nor digging into your precise searching exercise — which, as we have seen, does not exist after quarter-hour.

Unbiased privateness audits

Though we won’t conclusively confirm any VPN’s privateness coverage, since that includes the logically unattainable feat of proving a adverse, we will get very shut by checking impartial audits. Third-party auditors can confirm a VPN’s public statements by way of a mix of interviews, doc evaluation and straight 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 will say that any VPN is non-public, Surfshark is non-public. It could not cease all personalised adverts, however it would at the very least maintain your private data secret.

Can Surfshark change your digital location?

Should you primarily want a VPN for streaming, that is the part for you. Right here, I take a look at 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.

The process is straightforward: I decide 5 take a look at areas, join to a few 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’d and not using a VPN, I am going to know Surfshark convincingly modified my location. (As a reminder, when unblocking with any VPN, all the time be sure you’re logged into your streaming account first.)

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

Any failure to alter digital location counts in opposition to a VPN, however even the very best providers cannot maintain their servers off one hundred pc of blocklists. NordVPN, one other top-five VPN, scored the same 14/15. So far as I am involved, that is a passing grade for streaming — but when it is a dealbreaker for you, keep in mind ExpressVPN and Proton VPN each have good 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 is actually positioned. There’s little safety tradeoff, however speeds could fluctuate relying on how far you’re from the server’s precise place. The one rely in opposition to Surfshark right here is that it does not make clear the place its digital servers are actually positioned, so utilizing them is a pace crapshoot.

The desk under reveals the proportions of server areas in every area, so you may resolve whether or not Surfshark is more likely to be helpful for the place you’re. Yow will discover a full record on Surfshark’s website, although solely the apps present which servers are literally digital.

These numbers are fascinating in a number of methods. First, Surfshark’s server community is simply 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 selection to ensure usable web speeds whereas globetrotting.

As normal, servers are largely in Europe and North America, though there is a honest quantity of Asia represented by the digital areas. Surfshark is newer than most of its rivals, so it is spectacular that it is constructed such an intensive community in half the time. The desk reveals a VPN service that is serious about increasing, however will not accomplish that on the expense of building high quality areas that really work.

Surfshark units itself aside from the VPN pack with a number of options, some seen to the consumer and a few working behind the scenes. Largely, its options are acquainted ideas applied effectively, moderately than outright improvements like NordVPN’s Meshnet — however there’s lots of risk for thrilling new instructions.

Underlying expertise: Surfshark Nexus and Everlink

Surfshark has two technological improvements below the hood that make its VPN comparatively distinctive. The primary is Nexus, which has been lively 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, a lot like the Tor network, besides proprietary to at least one firm.

Whenever you select a server location, you are solely choosing the final node in a sequence. Surfshark software program selects the entry level and the trail to your chosen exit. This provides each consumer extra choices for a working connection path, and permits Surfshark to commonly rotate your obvious IP handle so exercise on one masked identification cannot hint again to you. It is also what makes it attainable to choose the 2 steps in a double-hop connection (see “Dynamic MultiHop” under).

Everlink is a more recent expertise that Surfshark calls a “self-healing VPN infrastructure.” Any time you are related to Surfshark by way of the WireGuard protocol, you are 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 will not discover the outage.

That is mainly one step up from a kill swap. As a substitute of chopping off your connection, Everlink switches it to the subsequent server as an alternative. This makes it tough to check — the way in which to verify a kill swap is to simulate a server drop by chopping off your individual web connection, which makes Everlink’s operate unattainable. Nevertheless, I can at the very least say I am cautiously enthusiastic about Everlink’s potential energy to negate server drops.

Limitless simultaneous connections

One factor you may commonly hear about Surfshark is that it places no limits on what number of units can join by way of your account. In concept, one subscription is sufficient for you, your family and any pals that wish to borrow it.

In follow, although, “limitless” is a stretch. A support article acknowledges that some folks could abuse the privilege by reselling entry, or by masking unlawful botnet exercise behind a whole bunch of Surfshark connections.

The article does not explicitly say Surfshark will restrict or ban abusers, however questions to the support team revealed that an account may very well be locked if an automatic system detects fraud. Should you use a excessive variety of simultaneous connections, even legitimately, you might be flagged — although you might be able to unlock your account by telling customer support what occurred.

Bypasser cut up tunneling

Bypasser enables you to cut 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 do not contain any delicate data. Additionally, at any time when a service requires your actual IP handle, you may maintain utilizing the VPN for every thing else. Torrenting is a traditional use case — you may maintain BitTorrent protected within the background whilst you do one thing innocuous with out VPN safety, enhancing speeds for each processes.

Bypasser cut up tunneling is offered on all of Surfshark’s desktop and cellular purchasers, although iOS customers can solely cut up by web site, not by app. Home windows and Android customers also can select between two types of cut up: “Bypass VPN,” which retains all listed websites and apps exterior the VPN tunnel, and “Route through VPN,” through which solely the listed websites and apps keep throughout the VPN tunnel.

Dynamic MultiHop

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

For the very best efficiency, I like to recommend choosing an entry node close to your actual location, then selecting your exit node primarily based on what you must unblock. Should you aren’t unblocking something specifically, your finest guess is to easily select two nodes in your individual 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 handle not your actual one, but it surely does not seem to have been modified. Surfshark’s obfuscation known as Camouflage Mode. So long as you are related through OpenVPN, it is lively robotically. So, should you suspect an outdoor firewall is stopping you from getting on-line whereas operating Surfshark, switching to OpenVPN may resolve the issue.

NoBorders mode

NoBorders is another choice for getting on-line with Surfshark below 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 handle from the subsequent nation over.

The issue with NoBorders is that it is lively by default, which can prohibit you to sure servers when you do not want the assistance. I like to recommend switching NoBorders off within the settings for higher efficiency. It could activate once more if it detects attainable restrictions, so verify the setting once more should you discover your speeds slower than normal.

CleanWeb

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

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

Static and devoted IPs

Surfshark provides you an inventory of static IP addresses at no additional cost, one other rarity amongst main VPNs. A static IP means you may have the identical handle each time you connect with the VPN, so you will not look suspicious for commonly opening the identical service with a special IP. With out this, you may end up hitting CAPTCHAs extra usually. You can too maintain your house machine related to a static IP server and use that to entry your house community remotely.

For an additional price, Surfshark additionally provides devoted IPs, that are the identical as static IPs besides you are the one particular person utilizing them. Typically, a static IP can get blocked due to one dangerous consumer’s habits; a personal devoted IP removes that threat.

Different options

Just a few different options are price 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 possibly can set the VPN to attach robotically besides on trusted networks, and may select the situation to which it auto-connects.

If you must briefly work with out the VPN, you may pause Surfshark for 5 minutes, half-hour or two hours. Lastly, Android customers can have their VPN server override their GPS location, transferring it to wherever their IP handle is at the moment. You clearly do not wish to use this whereas your cellphone is navigating you someplace, however in any other case it is helpful for privateness.

Surfshark buyer help choices

Surfshark features a few hyperlinks to troubleshooting pages straight within the app, a tantalizingly unfinished characteristic. Should you go to the settings tab and click on Get Assist after which Browse Guides, you may see a number of hyperlinks to FAQ articles in regards to the model of the VPN shopper you are utilizing. Clicking any hyperlink opens the web page in your default browser. Leaping straight from the app to the related information is admittedly handy, but when your drawback is not one of many 5 commonest, you are out of luck — simply click on Extra Guides to go to the primary help web page.

When you’re right here, you may discover a useful set of articles that make good design selections to place the common consumer comfy. “Getting began” contains setup guides for each Surfshark app, with plentiful screenshots. Assist articles are successfully written from the consumer’s perspective. As a substitute of technical descriptions of issues, they begin with matters like “I am unable to connect with Surfshark” or “I am getting an error,” then present a sequence of DIY options.

The one class and not using a clear path is “Surfschool,” which gathers a disparate bunch of characteristic explanations, superior suggestions and primary VPN data below one heading. If you cannot discover what you want within the different sections, it could be simpler to make use of the search bar as an alternative 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. I used the stay chat help to ask about receiving a hyperlink to the take a look at account I used to write down this evaluation. As is now normal, I needed to work my well beyond a chatbot first, however that did not take too lengthy. As soon as I reached an actual particular person, they resolved my drawback instantly.

The e-mail ticket system is for tough issues that may’t be resolved in a single trade, so I made a decision to check it with one thing slightly extra difficult. I requested in regards to the standing of IKEv2, which Surfshark promised to remove 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 “at the moment, Surfshark doesn’t have plans to take away IKEv2 from all working methods.” See the subsequent part for particulars about that threat.

Surfshark background verify: No actual blemishes

Surfshark was founded 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 part of the Tesonet group, a Lithuanian startup incubator that additionally helped launch NordVPN (see “Connection to NordVPN” under).

Its youth could also be why there are few critical blemishes on Surfshark’s report. Like Proton VPN, which is only a 12 months older, it merely hasn’t had time to place a foot incorrect but. Nevertheless, that does not imply it is inevitable that Surfshark will screw up in some unspecified time in the future. Thus far, it seems to be studying from its predecessors and avoiding their errors.

The trusted root certification authority threat

The one potential error I can level to hasn’t compromised anybody but, however could sooner or later. In 2022, Surfshark was one in every 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 is no report of the certificates really being exploited, and Surfshark claimed it was essential to allow the IKEv2 protocol.

In response to the report, Surfshark deprecated IKEv2 from its Windows app, which was the one one which used trusted root CAs for IKEv2. It is nonetheless accessible on all OSes besides Home windows, however a Surfshark rep advised me in an e mail that they do not use trusted root CAs on these platforms, so there is no threat.

Connection to NordVPN

In 2022, Surfshark announced a merger with NordVPN, although each firms repeatedly pressured 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 degree in reaching mutual targets whereas retaining the autonomy of our operations.”

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

That mentioned, it is price 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 at the moment “operates independently” of Tesonet. Be that as it could, the mixture of Surfshark and NordVPN is one more instance an more and more consolidated VPN business, the place rivals like Kape Technologies and Ziff Davis function a number of digital service manufacturers below one company roof.

Last verdict

In lots 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 is probably not 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 making an attempt to face out in a crowded discipline.

It is also an ideal signal that Surfshark responded to the trusted root CA threat with a focused intervention. I want they’d discovered a solution to run IKEv2 on Home windows with out as a lot threat (different VPNs handle it), however I am unable to deny they appear critical about addressing potential points earlier than they turn out to be crises. It is good that I can enthusiastically advocate Surfshark for its consideration to safety in addition to its speeds and simple options.