Surfshark Review

Surfshark protects its users in the open waters of today’s internet.

By admin Last updated Sep 19, 2019 5,167

Based in	British Virgin Islands
Price	$1.99/mo
Servers	1000+ servers in 56 Countries
Logs	No Logs
Multi-login	Unlimited Devices
Refund	30 Days
Award	Best Newcomer 2019 award by bestvpn.com
Score	9.5
Recommended	YES
Website	Surfshark.com

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It’s a forward-thinking privacy protection tool which guarantees instant online safety and no-frills usage experience. When it’s on, Surfshark encrypts all the data sent via the internet, so that no one could see your passwords, private messages, steal photos, videos, or other sensitive data. Surfshark allows to control your privacy – you can choose to be an open book or become unrecognizable by virtually moving yourself to another country. To put it simply, Surfshark protects its users in the open waters of today’s internet. Also, Surfshark is one of the very few VPNs which has been independently audited.

Pros	Cons
No Logs Policy	Limited P2P Servers
Secure and Anonymous Browsing	–
No Leaks, No Viruses Found	–
Fast & Responsive Customer Support	–
Unlimited Connections	–
Great Speed	–
Works with Netflix and BBC iPlayer	–
Torrenting Allowed	–
Industry Standard VPN Protocols	–
One Click Simplicity for App	–
30-day money-back guarantee	–

The audit which was carried out in November 2018 by the acknowledged German security company Cure53 concluded that “…the tested applications make a very robust impression and are not exposed to any issues, neither in the privacy nor in the more general security realms.”

Pricing – How much does Surfshark cost?

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The VPN offers three budget-friendly pricing plans. All of these plans come with a complete of features offered by the VPN.

Quite simply, the VPN offers the following packages:

$11.95 for a month

$5.99/month for 12 months

$1.99/month for 24 months

As you can see, this is somewhat standard pricing strategy where the longer plans offer superior discounts.

However, the yearly plan of this VPN is a bit on the higher side. $5.99 a month for the annual package is a bit too much, especially considering that this VPN is relatively new in the industry.

They also have a proven track record, so is Surfshark worth it? This review answers your question.

How Surfshark can it make my life better?

There are many ways why Surfshark is great!

It lets you find better prices. Some products are more expensive in some countries, but you can get them cheaper in others. With Surfshark you can change your location and look for the best deals available. This works like a charm with airline tickets or online shops.
It protects you from online threats: blocks ads, malware, trackers, and prevents phishing. Just turn on the CleanWeb™ feature and enjoy the clean browsing experience. It also blocks Youtube ads!
It encrypts all the information sent to and from your devices. This means that it is safe from hackers, criminals, and surveillance. If Surfshark is enabled, nobody will know what you’re doing online: they won’t be able to see your passwords or photos and videos which you share with others.
It unlocks blocked content. For example, if there is a movie or a series which is available in the US, but not in your country, Surfshark allows to pretend that you are in the US so that you can watch that movie.
It makes traveling to other countries safer. Surfshark should always be turned on while in a foreign country because using local Wi-Fi without the VPN is like sharing your data with strangers. Also, Surfshark will allow you to enjoy the entertainment as you get at home.
It allows to stream sporting events which aren’t available in your home country. For instance, if you want to see a tennis match which is being broadcasted only for UK viewers, just turn on Surfshark, choose the UK as your location, find local streaming service, and enjoy.
It protects you while gaming. If you are an advanced gamer, your online enemies might try to compromise everything you do by simply knowing your IP address, and thus your location. Use Surfshark to hide your traces from anyone.

Features

Available as apps for Android, iOS, Windows, Linux, Android TV, Amazon Fire TV, and MacOS, as well as browser extensions for Chrome & Firefox. Also, users can manually configure their routers to protect their entire Wi-Fi network with Surfshark
Smart DNS feature to seamlessly connect gaming consoles & smart TVs (Xbox, PS4, Apple TV, etc.)
Unlimited simultaneous connections – Surfshark is the only VPN to offer one account to use on unlimited number of devices (perfect for families & small businesses)
Advanced security protocols (IKEv2, OpenVPN)
Diamond-strong encryption (AES-256-GCM, SHA-512)
Extreme server speeds – 800+ servers strategically located in 50+ countries, in every continent (except for Antarctica)
Simple to use – intuitive & lightweight UI, one button experience
Risk free: 30-day money-back guarantee
CleanWeb™ feature to block malware, trackers, phishing, and ads. It also blocks Youtube adds
MultiHop™ feature for additional privacy to hide your trails by routing data through two different servers in different countries
Kill switch protects from accidental exposure if server connection is interrupted
Camouflage Mode (a.k.a. server obfuscation). All Surfshark servers are obfuscated for Windows users so not even internet providers can no that their clients are using VPN (coming soon to other platforms as well)
Whitelister™ feature in Windows and Android apps to whitelist apps which don’t need to be routed via VPN
Strictly no data logs (company registered in the British Virgin Islands)
Unlimited bandwidth
24/7 live customer support (chat, email, help center)
Accepts Boleto, major credit cards, Paypal, crypto payments, and many more

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Surfshark is the best choice for those, who want to feel diamond-strong security from online threats & are looking for an easy to use VPN. It’s great for travelers, best price offer seekers, remotely working freelancers, and anyone who wants to hide from surveillance and feel secure about their online data. Thanks to a smart NoBorders™ feature, Surfshark works in China & other countries which practice internet censorship.

Most of us connect to the internet through our ISPs (Internet Service Providers). When you do that, your data travels through a network of routers to reach its destination.

Usually, it’s completely unencrypted (i.e. plain text). Even if it has some encryption, some information remains visible – like your IP. It’s needed to communicate with the internet with no issues.

Surfshark Servers: Fast and Furious

The server list of this VPN is expanding so fast than it is hard to keep up. As of today, the VPN is boasting 800+ servers from 50+ countries. Believe me, the numbers were a lot lower just a few months ago.

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As it shows above, almost the entire planet is covered with this VPN’s servers. The providers have included servers from all continents except Antarctica (Of course). Regardless of how impressive the server list is, it all gets down to the actual performance of the servers.

Now, this brings me to an important point; the servers of this VPN are exceptionally fast.

While using this VPN for streaming video content, I experience no buffering at all. The gaming experience was also seamless with little to no lagging. Despite all this, I would like to put my skeptic hat back on and remind the readers that Surfshark is a relatively new service. This means that it has a low number of users, which usually results in a faster speed. We will have to wait and see how this VPN holds up once the subscriber count eventually increases.

VPN Protocols and Security

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So, how can a VPN protect your data? It uses security encryption on all packets that are transmitted to and from your computer to the provider. Specific details – including how effective it is – vary from protocol to protocol.

Generally, encryption works by scrambling the information that is transmitted. Anyone attempting to view it without the decryption key will be looking at gibberish.

Decryption keys are shared in different ways, too. It depends on the encryption protocol itself and how its configured. Here’s an easy way to think of these keys: picture an impenetrable locked file cabinet. It’s safe, but you need one of your coworkers to access it.

So, what do you do? Simple – you give them a key. Now, they can open this cabinet and access the files whenever they need to. Of course, in reality, actual encryption key sharing is more complicated. Some methods are more “secure” than others, but it’s a realistic way to picture how key encryption works.

There are a few common VPN protocols currently in use:

PPTP
L2TP/IPSec
OpenVPN
IKEv2
SSTP

Here’s a quick glimpse at two popular secure protocols and how they work:

OpenVPN

OpenVPN is one of the most reliable open source software choices. It’s trusted and recommended by the leading internet security providers, such as Surfshark. OpenVPN guarantees fast performance and top-notch encryption.

Paired with robust encryption algorithms, OpenVPN supports data transmission protocols UDP and TCP.

OpenVPN is used for Surfshark’s Windows app and manual router configurations.

‘Open source’ also means it is continuously improved and developed by the security community worldwide.

IKEv2

IKEv2 (also known as Internet Key Exchange Protocol Version 2) is the most recent and advanced protocol. It’s way faster than most protocols and is really good at maintaining a stable VPN connection.

This tunneling protocol was developed by Microsoft and Cisco. Currently, it’s considered the most reliable in terms ofperformance and security.

Surfshark uses IKEv2 on some of its apps: Windows, Android and iOS apps, as well as macOS.

Compatibility – Which devices does Surfshark work on?

On compatibility front, Surfshark supports numerous operating systems and devices.

Until very recently, the VPN was only available through the Android app and its browser extensions. The Android app was still a work in progress and the Surfshark extensions provided minimalistic security to the users.

However, all that has changed now. Surfshark has recently released dedicated clients for Windows, iOS and has updated the Android app. Although the Windows app is categorized beta version, it is still a solid VPN client.

Can I watch Netflix or Youtube while using a VPN?

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Yes, absolutely! Using a VPN to watch streaming services like Netflix, Hulu, and Youtube is one of the most popular reasons for using a VPN. You can also use a VPN to stream with Kodi, to watch movies on your smart TV or Android TV, as well as Apple TV. Surfshark also offers an app for Fire TV Stick.

Can I use two VPNs at once?

While it is technically possible to run two VPNs at once, there’s no practical advantage to doing so. Plus, you may run into some big technical snags if they aren’t configured properly. Instead, you can use our MultiHop™ feature that connects you via two servers and increases your security.

Speed – Is Surfshark fast?

Surfshark delivers decent connection speeds overall.

The speed test results for Surfshark were obtained using a base Internet connection of 30 Mbps.

I tested the UK and US servers for Surfshark to see how it performs on the two most commonly used servers across the world.

United Kingdom

The download speed in the UK server measured more than 21.57 Mbps whereas the upload reached 18.83 Mbps. This is not exceptional but still remarkably good considering the base speed is 30 Mbps.

The US speed dropped a bit, clocking 18.98 Mbps on download and 15.32 Mbps on upload.

As such, the speed performance is decent. However, the real test of Surfshark will lie in its consistency in the long run, since VPNs decline in performance when their customer base increases.

Country:	Ping (ms)	Download (Mbps)	Upload (Mbps)
Germany (unprotected)	34	14.94	3.35
Denmark	90	10.62	1.62
Argentina	525	3.63	1.11
Vietnam	526	3.07	1.14
United States (NYC)	202	3.60	1.48
Australia	670	1.46	0.98

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Payment Methods

When it comes to payment options, this VPN is pretty well rounded.

You can pay for the subscription with PayPal, Amazon Pay, Google Pay, Alipay, and a wide variety of credit cards.

The privacy-conscious customer can also opt for cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin and Ethereum.

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Customer Service: 24/7 Live Chat

To get help from the providers, users can turn to the support section of the provider’s website. Here, they will find useful information in the form of FAQs, Setup guides and other tutorials.

But if these options prove to be insufficient, users can contact the VPN in two ways:

24/7 Email Ticketing
Live Chat

Now, lots of VPN services claim to provide 24/7 Live Chat and sometimes, this claim is nothing more than a farce. Surfshark on the other hand, live up to its promise.

You can contact the agents of this VPN at any time of the day and they will be at your assistance.

Surfshark Free Trial

Luckily, you can avail Surfshark free trial feature hassle-free. The provider offers a 7-day free trial available on Google Play Store and Apple App Store too. You may experience the said advantage on your devices like Windows, Android, iOS and browser extensions as well. However, you will have to provide your Credit Card information to use free trial benefit.

Likewise, you will not need to go through any payment process at all. You can cancel the free trial yourself from Apple App Store or Google Play Store account. I do not think that is too big of a problem.

This is because a 7-day trial is a good enough time for a user to decide whether the service is worth purchasing for the full version or not. For more details read our Surfshark free trial blog.

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Do I Recommend Surfshark?

Yes, I do recommend Surfshark.

Now, I am concluding my Surfshark review here. There are many things, which I liked about them.

But naturally, there are some other things that must be dealt accordingly.

Surfshark entices customer’s interest with blazing fast servers, cross-platform compatibility, powerful security features and easy access to geo-locked content.