Surfshark VPN review 2024: Cost, features and more
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BLUEPRINT
Updated 10:21 a.m. UTC April 10, 2024
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Our take
A comprehensive VPN solution that works well across multiple devices and use cases.
Pros
- Works on multiple device types.
- Fast speeds in our testing.
- Fast installation and setup.
Cons
- Annoying upsells to other Surfshark products.
- No support for split tunneling.
- High price for month-to-month plan.
Why trust our small business experts
Our team of experts evaluates hundreds of business products and analyzes thousands of data points to help you find the best product for your situation. We use a data-driven methodology to determine each rating. Advertisers do not influence our editorial content. You can read more about our methodology below.
- 18 companies reviewed.
- 64 hours of product testing.
- 774 data points analyzed.
Surfshark VPN review 2024
Surfshark is a virtual private network (VPN) service with comprehensive offerings to add private browsing to a computer, smartphone, web browser, router and even some smart TVs. The setup process to use Surfshark VPN with your phone or computer is quick and easy. In our testing, speeds were fast enough for web browsing, video streaming and online games.
While long-term plans are competitively priced, watch out for higher costs if you choose to pay monthly with no commitment. And while it’s generally comprehensive and supports various device types, the software has a few limitations, notably split tunneling, if that’s an important feature for you. Also, while only a relatively small bother, there’s a major effort to upsell you to additional, higher-priced products.
Surfshark’s overall performance and features are impressive. If you’re shopping for a highly functional VPN that works nearly anywhere you need it, it could be a good option.
Featured VPN service offers
NordVPN
Free plan
No
Cheapest monthly plan
$12.99
Download speed (average)
235 Mbps
Surfshark
Free plan
No
Cheapest monthly plan
$15.45
Download speed (average)
263 Mbps
Private Internet Access (PIA)
Free plan
No
Cheapest monthly plan
$11.95
Download speed (average)
124 Mbps
Surfshark VPN overview and facts
Surfshark is a Lithuania and Netherlands-based VPN provider founded in 2018. In addition to VPN, it offers privacy and security products for antivirus, safe web searching and searching for, finding, and removing personal information from listing and directory websites. While the other products may be useful, our review focuses on the VPN service and software.
After signing up, Surfshark is easy to set up and use if you’re comfortable with computers, and doesn’t require advanced knowledge of computer networks. You can install it in a few clicks using the standard Surfshark apps and plugins or download other preferred VPN software and configure it to work with Surfshark.
With support for installation on some routers and many device types, you can use Surfshark to create a privacy net around your entire home or workplace. Customers are generally very happy, evidenced by a high 4.6-star rating on Trustpilot with more than 18,000 reviews. If it’s within your budget, Surfshark is a high-quality and competitive VPN worth considering.
Surfshark VPN pricing
| TERM | MONTHLY COST |
|---|---|
1 month
| $15.45
|
12 months
| Varies, billed annually
|
24 months
| Varies, billed annually
|
Surshark’s pricing is competitive for long-term plans, but it is one of the most expensive choices if you are paying monthly. If you want to pay monthly, plans start at $15.45 per month. If you want a longer commitment — one year or two years — plan options are available. However, the pricing on those can vary, and sometimes Surfshark offers additional months with its two-year plans.
Regardless of your chosen term, you can access the same high-speed VPN connection. If you sign up for any plan and decide Surfshark isn’t for your business, it does offer a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Surfshark VPN
The Surfshark VPN only comes in one form. A free trial is available for one week, but is limited to smartphones and Mac computers. Once you sign up, you can access maximum speeds, regardless of the term. The two-year plan will save you a lot of money compared to the short one-month offering.
The two-year plan is well-priced compared to other VPN providers reviewed. However, if you’re looking for a one-month plan, Surfshark is among the most expensive on our Best VPN list. The pricing plans are designed to encourage you to choose a 12-month or 24-month term upfront rather than paying monthly.
Surfshark operates more than 3,200 servers in 100 countries. While there are no servers in small towns, small businesses with high-speed internet should achieve fast speeds when connecting to the closest server, which Surfshark chooses automatically.
Surfshark VPN plans
| COMPANY | STARTING MONTHLY FEE | NUMBER OF SERVERS | NUMBER OF COUNTRIES | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Surfshark | $15.45 | Over 3,200 | Over 100 | |||||
|
Surfshark offers three different VPN plans, with the option of paying monthly, annually or biennially. Depending on the term, you will pay at least $15.45 to start. It advertises maximum speeds of up to 10 gigabytes per second (Gbps), but virtually no small business internet connections reach 1 Gbps. We found an average download speed of 263 megabytes per second (Mbps) and an average upload speed of 170 Mbps.
For comparison, Netflix recommends 3 Mbps for a single video stream in full high definition or 15 Mbps to support 4K and ultra-high definition movies. Not that you would need to, but you could stream more than 15 movies at a time at the best quality with Surfshark.
You can configure your connection to the 100% RAM-based servers with no storage or logging using Surfshark software or the popular Wireguard, IKEv2 and OpenVPN protocols. You’ll find Surfshark servers on every continent except Antarctica.
Surfshark add-ons and optional features
Surfshark makes a big push to upsell VPN users to Surfshark One. This package includes antivirus and privacy protection products which could be useful to someone interested in the privacy features of a VPN. None of these add-ons are required to use the VPN service.
Surfshark One
Surfshark One is an antivirus suite for Windows, Mac and Android devices. The lightweight scanner checks incoming files and website connections for malicious code and known vulnerabilities. When installed, it can also block ads, trackers and phishing attacks. It even includes a unique feature to block hackers from accessing your webcam.
The included alert service scans the web for your email, credit card number and other personal details to help you know if you’ve been a data breach victim. Private search is also included in Surfshark One, giving you an ad-free and tracking-free search experience.
Surfshark One starts at $15.95 per month. Terms are lined up with your VPN subscription, so payments are all made simultaneously. Costs vary based on your chosen term, but you get all features regardless of how often you’re billed.
Incogni
Incogni takes internet privacy a step further than most personal data scanners. This unique Surfshark add-on helps remove your information from data brokers. For example, if you search for your name, address and phone number, you could find your data on many public information sites. Incongi claims to save over 300 hours by helping you get data taken down from 76 common data stores.
This service costs $12.98 per month when paid monthly or $6.49 per month ($77.88 total) for 12 months.
Surfshark customer support and experience
If you need support, you’re first directed to an extensive self-help section, which includes setup guides and answers to frequently asked questions. For help from a human, you can send an email or use an online chat tool, which first comes up as a bot but allows you to request help from a support agent. In testing, it took just a couple of minutes to connect to someone, and the responses were helpful and friendly.
Support is available 24/7, but you’ll likely get the quickest response from chat support. With simple guides and a straightforward VPN service, most computer-savvy individuals won’t need to contact support. But if you need help, it’s good to know a helpful person is standing by around the clock.
Surfshark vs. NordVPN
| COMPANY | LOWEST PLAN COST PER MONTH | HIGHEST PLAN COST PER MONTH | AVERAGE DOWNLOAD SPEED | NUMBER OF SERVERS | NUMBER OF COUNTRIES | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Surfshark | $15.45 | $17.95 | 263 Mbps | 3,200 | 100 | |||||||
| ||||||||||||
 NordVPN | $12.99 | $15.99 | 235 Mbps | 5,000 | 60 | |||||||
|
As a top competitor, it’s worth comparing Surfshark to NordVPN. Both come with compelling offerings and fairly similar average download speeds. The right decision for you comes down to your specific VPN needs and sensitivity to cost.
NordVPN offers many more servers, which helps handle high user traffic volumes. However, servers are located in 60 countries and perform at a slower average speed than Surfshark. Surfshark also runs servers in more countries, which can help if you’re a frequent international traveler or don’t live in one of the 60 countries with NordVPN servers.
Considering the nitty gritty VPN features, NordVPN is the better choice if you need split tunneling, which isn’t available from Surfshark. However, depending on your use case, the Surfshark browser plugin and other features to exclude apps and websites may make that a moot point.
NordVPN works with an unlimited number of devices at a time per account, with support for Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, iOS devices, Android TV and popular web browsers, plus some compatible routers.
Surfshark vs. ExpressVPN
| COMPANY | LOWEST PLAN COST PER MONTH | HIGHEST PLAN COST PER MONTH | AVERAGE DOWNLOAD SPEED | NUMBER OF SERVERS | NUMBER OF COUNTRIES | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Surfshark | $15.45 | $17.95 | 263 Mbps | Over 3,200 | Over 100 | |||||||
| ||||||||||||
 ExpressVPN | $12.95 | Only one plan available | 204 Mbps | Not published | 94 | |||||||
|
ExpressVPN is another well-known VPN competitor. It comes with more expensive plans than Surfshark and slower average download speeds. Both work on similar devices, so Surfshark is likely a better option unless you need split tunneling.
If you want to secure your entire office or home network and don’t consider yourself a tech wizard, the unique Aircove router from ExpressVPN could be a reason to choose that service. ExpressVPN’s Aircove router is designed to provide an encrypted connection for every device on your network. No extra installation or setup is required, as ExpressVPN is built into the router’s firmware.
Unless you want the fancy router, support for a device that doesn’t work as easily on Surfshark, or need split tunneling, Surfshark is a better choice for cost and performance.
Is Surfshark VPN right for your business?
While it isn’t the biggest name in the industry, Surfshark’s strong offering, with high speeds and native support for computers, browsers, smart TVs and some routers, make it a compelling VPN package for entrepreneurs and small businesses looking to encrypt internet traffic.
It’s easy to use and comes with one of the lowest-cost plans when initially signing up for a two-year plan. However, its one-month option is expensive, so you may want to look elsewhere if your needs are short-term. Ultimately, Surfshark performs well and deserves a positive recommendation.
Methodology
Our team researches the key competitors within an industry to find the best products and services for your business. We identify what matters most, including pricing, features and customer support options, to ensure that our recommendations offer products that will meet the needs of various businesses.
We evaluate VPNs based on the inclusion of anonymous browsing, DNS protection measures, a dedicated IP, a kill switch, split tunneling and multi-factor authentication. Our data-driven approach encapsulates each company’s entire offerings and promotes a non-biased evaluation of the products and services.
Read our full guide to learn more about how we determine the best business VPN service in 2024.
Featured VPN service offers
NordVPN
Free plan
No
Cheapest monthly plan
$12.99
Download speed (average)
235 Mbps
Surfshark
Free plan
No
Cheapest monthly plan
$15.45
Download speed (average)
263 Mbps
Private Internet Access (PIA)
Free plan
No
Cheapest monthly plan
$11.95
Download speed (average)
124 Mbps
Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
Surfshark offers a one-week free trial for new Android, iOS and Mac users, as well as a 30-day money-back guarantee. All features are available to all VPN subscribers regardless of which plan term you choose.
Surfshark is legally based in Lithuania, but its operating headquarters, where it was developed, is in the Netherlands. Surfshark employs a team of more than 300 workers.
Surfshark operates VPN servers in 100 countries across six continents. Surfshark runs servers with no device or bandwidth restrictions, so you can browse and download with the highest available speeds. All servers support all protocols.
Surfshark VPN automatically filters ads, trackers, malware and phishing attempts. If needed, you can allow specific apps and websites to bypass the VPN, such as bank websites that may block traffic from anonymous IP addresses.
The desktop app includes a kill switch feature, which prevents leaking your traffic or information if the connection drops. There’s a strict no-log policy, and all traffic is encrypted with AES 256 GCM.
All Surfshark servers work with Wireguard, IKEv2 and OpenVPN protocols. Most popular options are supported if you’re particular about using a specific VPN application or protocol. According to Surfshark, you’ll get the fastest connection with Wireguard.
Surfshark is available at the router (entire network), device or application level. To include all traffic from a device, you’ll want to use the desktop app available from Surfshark or the mobile app from your device’s app store. To only encrypt your web traffic, browser extensions are available as well.
Surfshark works with a strict no-log policy. Whatever you look at, download or do with your internet connection is private and can’t be looked up in the future.
Surfshark operates with potential speeds up to a blazing 10 Gbps. That’s much faster than the internet speed you’ll get from your small business or home internet service provider, so you shouldn’t run into major bottlenecks from using the VPN. Surfshark was the second-fastest VPN we tested, with an average speed of 263 Mbps.
Surfshark works on the most popular operating systems and devices, including Windows, Mac, Android, iOS and Linux. It also protects routers, gaming systems and smart TVs, though you may need to do a little more work to set it up.
Blueprint is an independent publisher and comparison service, not an investment advisor. The information provided is for educational purposes only and we encourage you to seek personalized advice from qualified professionals regarding specific financial decisions. Past performance is not indicative of future results.
Blueprint has an advertiser disclosure policy. The opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the Blueprint editorial staff alone. Blueprint adheres to strict editorial integrity standards. The information is accurate as of the publish date, but always check the provider’s website for the most current information.
