- Newest assessments: Zero information leaks and 40% web pace loss in 2023 assessments
- Community: 3,200-plus in 100 international locations
- Jurisdiction: Netherlands
- Worth: Limitless connections for $48 for the primary yr (then $60 yearly) or $13 monthly. 2-year subscriptions obtainable.
Surfshark boasts a formidable suite of privateness and safety features, limitless simultaneous connections, easy-to-use interface and expansive world community. And it is nonetheless considerably cheaper than most of its rivals. That is what helped Surfshark earn CNET’s Editors’ Selection for Greatest Worth VPN in 2022.
Together with customary VPN options comparable to a kill swap and DNS leak safety, among the extra notable Surfshark options embody camouflage mode (which hides the very fact you are utilizing a VPN), split-tunneling, NoBorders mode (which helps you to use Surfshark in areas the place VPNs are restricted) and multihop VPN connections. You may additionally get entry to Surfshark’s CleanWeb know-how, which blocks adverts and malware and helps you keep away from phishing assaults.
One innovation we’re excited to see Surfshark roll out over the subsequent yr is its Nexus community, which connects the VPN’s whole community of servers collectively and means that you can select a number of servers to route your connection via. The performance is considerably much like Tor, however Surfshark says it is quicker. With its Dynamic MultiHop, IP Randomizer and IP Rotator features, the Nexus community may give you a number of further layers of safety whilst you use the VPN — which may be significantly useful to customers with essential privateness wants.
Surfshark says it would not log any consumer exercise. And though no-logging claims are just about inconceivable to show with 100% certainty, German cybersecurity agency Cure53 declared Surfshark’s safety to be “strong” in its 2021 safety audit of the VPN. Surfshark says a brand new audit is forthcoming by the top of this yr.
Since February 2022, each Surfshark and NordVPN have the identical company mother or father (Tesonet), however Surfshark mentioned it’s legally sure to not share any info between the entities that will go in opposition to its privateness coverage or phrases of service. We did not discover any language in both doc that will point out Surfshark has any obligation to share consumer information with its mother or father firm or any sibling corporations, which embody NordVPN.
Surfshark charges persistently as one of many quickest VPNs obtainable, however we have been disillusioned with its inconsistent speeds just lately. The 40% pace loss we measured in February and March of 2023 was greater than double the 19% pace loss we measured in 2022. Although speeds via WireGuard had been spectacular, registering solely an 8% pace loss, the 76% pace loss we registered via OpenVPN dragged Surfshark’s total pace score down significantly. The corporate tells us that it’s engaged on resolving the OpenVPN pace points.
In our assessments, Surfshark had no issues unblocking Netflix and Amazon Prime Video content material, however we did run right into a good bit of bother accessing Disney Plus. After testing numerous servers within the US and different international locations the place Disney Plus is offered, we had been lastly in a position to entry the content material after we linked to a server in Boston. It’s possible you’ll want to check a number of servers your self earlier than getting access to Disney Plus content material with Surfshark.
Surfshark affords cheaper introductory costs that leap after the primary billing cycle. Even so, Surfshark manages to maintain its costs decrease than most different VPNs — serving to it earn CNET’s Editors’ Selection for Greatest Worth. The yearly plan begins out at $48 for the primary yr, then jumps to $60 for any further years of service. In case you go for the two-year plan, you will pay $60 up entrance for the preliminary two years mixed, then $60 per yr for any further years. Surfshark’s month-to-month plan stays fixed at $13 a month. In case you’re not happy with the service for any purpose, Surfshark affords a 30-day money-back assure.
