Surfshark VPN Review (2024): Low-cost and Safe to Use?

There's a lot of talk about VPNs, and everyone, from avid streamers to government agencies, recommends everyone use one. 

Encrypting your web traffic with a VPN protects your information from hackers. It keeps your online activity safe from trackers and prying eyes. Sounds great, right? But which VPN should you choose?

There are lots of VPNs available, which you choose depending on how you want to use your VPN and your preferences. Today I'll take a look at Surfshark. In this Surfshark review, I'll examine whether it's a good VPN option for travelers and its pros and cons. 

What Is a VPN?

Before I get into the Surfshark review, I'll quickly explain what a VPN is and how it works. 

A virtual private network (VPN) is a service that lets you keep your online activity confidential. It does this in two ways. 

First, the connection goes via the VPN instead of online communication between your device and your destination website. This means that no one at your destination point can see your IP address, as they only have the IP address of the VPN. 

Second, the VPN encrypts all your data using virtually uncrackable AES-256-bit encryption, protecting your personal data from hackers. This is important when traveling as you'll likely use unsecured public Wi-Fi. Invest in a travel router to avoid using public Wi-Fi while traveling.

Why Should I Use a VPN?

VPN services operate large networks of servers at different locations around the world. With a VPN, you can choose where you appear to be while accessing the internet. This is important if you want to access geofenced content.

Most people have heard of China's great firewall that blocks many sites, such as international news websites, in the country. If traveling in China, you could use a VPN to bypass the firewall and access that content. Like China, many countries restrict internet access to some degree, so a VPN is essential.

Streaming services like Netflix also restrict access to content based on location due to licensing regulations. So the series you're halfway through in the US might not be available when traveling in Europe. A VPN can help you get around this so you don't miss a minute.

Finally, a VPN can also help you plan your trip. The prices for flights and hotels often depend on where you are shopping. So you can use your VPN to change your location and see if you can find a lower price!

As a word of warning, avoid free VPNs. It's expensive to maintain a VPN network. If the service isn't getting paid by its customers, it's probably making money by reselling customer data and bandwidth.

What Is Surfshark VPN?

Surfshark VPN is a VPN service founded in 2018 in Lithuania, now headquartered in the Netherlands as part of Cyberspace with NordVPN. Initially made for iOS, the service is now available for most major operating systems and devices. Surfshark has over 3,200 servers across 100 countries, so it's a big name in the VPN business.

Surfshark has the principles of an open, secure internet at its heart. The company was a founding member of the VPN Trust Initiative and is also a member of the European Digital Rights Initiative. 

How Does Surfshark VPN Work?

The service is then incredibly easy to use. You start by subscribing to an account on the Surfshark website. This will provide you with a unique Surfshark login. You can then download the dedicated Surfshark app onto any device you want to protect and use your Surfshark login to activate your service.

When you first download Surfshark and use the app, you'll be asked whether you want to access the internet from a specific server or location or let Surfshark choose the fastest server for you. This choice will become your default.

After that, you can turn the VPN on and off with one click or select options to change the server you are connected to whenever you like.

Surfshark VPN Review: Key Features

Surshark has plenty of features worth mentioning. Here are just a few of them:

Unlimited Devices

When you subscribe to Surfshark VPN, you can protect unlimited devices for a single subscription fee. 

3,200+ servers in 100 countries

Good VPN services have an extensive server network that gives you flexibility and ensures that there aren't too many users on any server, slowing down speeds.

High Internet Speeds

Using a VPN inevitably slows your internet connection. You might lose 20% of your bandwidth with a good VPN, whereas with a bad one, you could lose as much as 80%. Speed tests as part of a Surfshark review show that the VPN might slow an 88.1 Mbps connection down to around 65 Mbps. This is on par with the other big VPN services.

Dedicated Streaming Servers

Big streaming services try to identify and block VPN services from accessing their content. VPNs must actively update their IP addresses and protocols to maintain service access. Some do this better than others. Many people sign up for a VPN service specifically for streaming only to discover that it does not work.

Surfshark has proven highly successful at maintaining access to streaming services, and a recent test had it successfully unlocking more than 10 Netflix libraries, including USA, as well as BBC iPlayer and Disney+.

Strong Security 

All of the Surfshark apps have security features such as a kill switch that will cut your connection to the internet if your VPN drops out so that you don't risk leaking any data, and Clean Web, which blocks ads and malware.

Surfshark also has a feature called Whitelist which allows you to authorize specific applications to bypass the VPN. This is useful for banking apps, which often block access if you use a VPN.

Privacy Features

While the rest of the world can't see your internet data while you are using a VPN, the VPN service can. Therefore, they need privacy policies and features to protect your data.

Surfshark has a strict no-logs policy, meaning they aren't logging your online activity. They also use RAM-only servers, meaning no data is being written onto their servers as part of managing your data.

For savvy users, there are several handy in-app privacy features. Camouflage Mode prevents your internet provider from seeing you using a VPN. MultiHop Mode switches your activity between different servers, making your location even harder to trace.

How Much Does Surfshark VPN Cost?

Surfshark is competitively priced for such a good quality VPN and offers big discounts if you sign up for long-term contracts.

Here is the pricing plan for SurfShark VPN:

If you choose to pay monthly, you'll pay $12.95 per month, which is around the middle of the road for the market. But while many other services cap the number of devices you can protect at six or seven, Surshark gives you an unlimited number.

The best deal is available if you sign up for 24 months. This will give you an 81% discount on the monthly price, working out at $2.49 per month.

If that seems too much of a commitment, you still get a 50% discount if you pay for six months upfront, totaling $6.49 monthly.

There's also a 30-day money-back guarantee, so even if you sign up for a longer subscription, you can cancel if you aren't happy with the service.

Surfshark VPN Issues to Watch Out For

Now I've covered the benefits of using Surfshark VPN, it's time to check out possible issues to be aware of.

Looking at Surfshark VPN reviews from customers on TrustPilot, the biggest complaint that most users have is with Surfshark's customer service. This is mainly to do with having to deal with automated responses from their AI chatbots. Often, these bots will have the answer to your question, but if you want to speak to a real person, it can be a struggle.

Surfshark has yet to share with customers how they intend to respond to recent changes made by Netflix to make it more difficult to access the service via VPN. While the company may have a plan, more active communication with users would be good. 

Get a Deal on SurfShark VPN!

I'm including the good and the bad in my SurfShark review. After all, no matter how good a product or service is, there's always room for improvement, right?

That said, there's lots of value in SurfShark for many different people, whether you're a traveler who wants to watch different shows or a digital nomad needing higher security. And we can sweeten the deal for you!

We've scored a sweet deal on SurfShark that we want to share with you: 3 months free months of access to SurfShark One, when you purchase 24 months. Or use the code "pilotplans". That means you're only paying ~US$2.85 per month—or if you put it another way, you get 84% off!

How to Cancel a Surfshark VPN Subscription

You can cancel your Surfshark subscription anytime by logging onto the website. Use your Surfshark login to access your account, choose the profile icon, and then choose a subscription. If you have an active subscription, you will see an option to cancel it.

For those within the 30-day money-back guarantee period, you must talk directly to the team via the "chat with us" option in the Help Center to get your money back. Valid refund requests are usually processed immediately.

Is Surfshark VPN Worth it?

Surfshark is a great VPN option for travelers because it is affordable, reliable, and easy to use. It's one of the top VPN providers worldwide, along with other big names like NordVPN.

Where Surfshark stands out is how well it maintains its streaming servers. If accessing your favorite streaming services, such as Netflix and BBC iPlayer, while traveling is essential, Surfshark should be at the top of your list.

My Rating: 4.5/5

Pros:

• Affordable
• Easy to use
• Excellent privacy features
• Extensive server network
• Fast internet connection
• Good access to streaming services

Cons:

• Customer service could be better
• Not transparent about future plans

Surfshark FAQ

Is Surfshark VPN Trustworthy?

You always need to be careful when choosing a VPN because you are trusting the company with your data, so do look for reviews from other users. Surfshark VPN is considered among the most reliable and trustworthy. It has a 4.5-star rating on TrustPilot with almost 20,000 reviews.

Which is better, NordVPN or Surfshark VPN?

NordVPN and Surfshark VPN are owned by the same company based on the same underlying technology, so they are equally good. However, each uses different networks and offers different features and price bands. Which VPN is best for you depends on what you are looking for.

Does Netflix work with Surfshark?

Surfshark has dedicated streaming services that are constantly optimized to ensure continued access to the top streaming services. Most recent tests show that Netflix USA does work with Surfshark VPN.

Are there any good free VPNs?

Free VPNs are not recommended for those looking to protect their data. The best free VPNs offer a "freemium" model, capping the amount of data you can pass through the VPN before pushing you to one of their paid packages. For example, the Surfshark free trial is 30 days.

The worst free VPN providers sell customer data to third parties to finance their operations since they are not generating income from subscriptions.

Stay Connected While Traveling!

Now you know all about VPNs and Surfshark VPN in particular, you can start to craft your ideal travel experience for you, your family, and your friends.