Home » Surfshark VPN Review – The Shark You Want on Your Side

Surfshark VPN Review – The Shark You Want on Your Side

Let’s be honest.  We want to buy the Surfshark VPN based on the name alone.  Who doesn’t want a VPN that’s a shark?  It’s got to be good, right?  Talk about security. 

It is better than good, and in this Surfshark review, we’ll discuss the product details, pros/cons and compare it to some other VPNs like NordVPN and ExpressVPN.  We’ll give you all of the details that you need so you can buy one of the best VPN products on the market.  Grab your favorite beverage, pull up a chair, and read on, friends.

Surfshark

Owned by Surfshark Ltd., this company was founded in 2018.  Located in the British Virgin Islands, the company has already implemented servers in over 60 countries.  It is now rated as one of the top VPN providers globally. 

Surfshark offers online security that is easy to use and affordable.  Their payment options range from monthly, annually, or 24-month plans, with more savings by choosing the longer-term prospects. 

The Surfshark VPN gives the user access to the DNS configuration to be configured directly on a router.  That means it’s a one-time set-up, and all of your devices will connect to the VPN server—no need to configure each device separately.

Speaking of servers, they allow for streaming HD content and video games without connection issues due to their stability and speed.  Some people tend to equate VPNs with slow internet downloads and uploads.  Why should I use a VPN if it is just going to slow me down with browsing the internet or constantly buffer when watching my favorite show? 

Perhaps this is true for a low-quality VPN.  However, high-quality VPNs like Surfshark use premium servers.  Those servers reduce the number of internet issues.  Also, choosing a VPN provider that doesn’t overcrowd their server is essential.  An excellent VPN provider like Surfshark restricts access to servers to balance their active connections.

Encryption and the Kill Switch

Choosing a VPN means you want encryption that is top quality without sacrificing upload speeds.  Surfshark provides that with military-grade encryption.  By eliminating privacy risks, you feel safer browsing the internet no matter where you are.  A report found that over 30% of people used VPNs for business purposes while traveling. 

More companies are requiring VPNs to protect their proprietary information.  It’s crucial for those who are traveling for work and utilizing public networks to access work accounts.  By choosing a secure VPN like Surfshark, you minimize hackers’ ability to learn valuable information by safeguarding your IP address and other network information.

The Kill switch comes in handy because you never know when your VPN server connection may be compromised.  Just like network connections, VPN servers can be disrupted for a variety of reasons. 

By activating the kill switch that Surfshark provides, the internet connection will be terminated to decrease your chances of someone learning your personal information while the VPN is down.  This is especially important when you are using a public network.  Don’t let your IP address get tracked.  Use a high-quality VPN like Surfshark to give you peace of mind.

Unblock Me

You know how you block certain people on social media because they are not suitable for you?  Pretend your favorite streaming application stopped you, and you need to figure out a way to become unblocked.  That’s what Surfshark can do for you.  The ability for a VPN to unblock content on apps like Netflix, Amazon Prime, and BBC iPlayer means you never have to miss videos or shows that you love.  Don’t mess with our shows. 

Streaming is all we had last year, and it got us through some tough times.  Surfshark enables you to view content from other countries on all of those applications and more.  Also, Surfshark works with Windows and macOS operating systems as well as mobile devices.  So whether you are using a laptop, phone or tablet, Surfshark has you covered–literally.  See what we did there?  Also, keep blocking those people on social media who bring your down.  Nobody has time for that.

Surfshark Price Options

Surfshark provides you with three price options.  The longer you commit to their excellent VPN, the more money you save.  Their least expensive option is the 24-month plan that is available for $2.49 per month.  If that is too long of a commitment for you, the six-month option is $6.48 per month. 

Finally, if month to month is your jam, the last option is $12.93 per month.  No matter what option you choose, Surfshark gives you internet security for less than most of its competitors, but with the same great value.  Plus, they offer a free trial and a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Customer Support Goes a Long Way

Reviews of Surfshark are in agreement on their fantastic customer service.  Not only are they available 24 hours a day, seven days a week for questions via chat, email, or social media to troubleshoot any VPN issues, they also respond quickly to refund requests.  If you decide that Surfshark is not for you, your refund will be processed promptly with the funds back in your account in a week on average.  Service like that goes a long way.

Hop Between Two IP Addresses and Utilize Split Tunneling

Surfshark allows you to hop to multiple servers to enhance your internet security.  Hop to one encrypted server and then jump to another server.  While it sounds like it will lower your speed, it won’t because Surfshark uses high-quality servers that move data quickly through their encryption process.

While you’re hopping, do some splits as well.  Decide which apps you want to always connect to the VPN versus which ones you are fine surfing the internet without a VPN.  Maybe you want to keep your financial apps under wraps, but you don’t care if the VPN is activated when you are randomly searching for recipes.  Surfshark gives you that flexibility with split tunneling.  Designate those specific apps on Windows or Android and get to browsing.

Pros

  • The interface is easy to use
  • There are a variety of mobile, and desktop apps Surfshark supports
  • Access to TrustDNS

Cons

  • A limited number of worldwide servers
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Comparing VPNs

When it comes to VPNs, there are a lot of options.  Comparing them to find out which VPNs give you the most security with the fastest speed helps you make the best decision.  Let’s compare Surfshark to some of the other high-end VPNs out there so you can rest easy that choosing Surfshark is one of your best options.

Surfshark vs. NordVPN

When it comes to Surfshark and NordVPN, the comparison makes sense because both options use reliable, high-quality VPNs for their service.  This negates issues with connectivity and that constant buffering that we all hate when we are streaming.  Both offer a money-back guarantee and a free trial.  There are some key differences, though.  While NordVPN offers you six devices connected to their servers, Surfshark gives you no limit on the number of devices you can connect.  

When it comes to speed, there are a few differences as well.  Some reviews have noted that NordVPN runs faster than Surfshark on iOS devices.  When it comes to Android, there isn’t a difference in speed between them.  

As far as price goes, NordVPN and Surfshark offer a two-year plan that is similar in price.  NordVPN’s other options are a bit less expensive than Surfshark.  For instance, NordVPN’s monthly plan is $8.84/month, while Surfshark charges $12.93 for their month-to-month option.  

Surfshark vs. ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN is known as one of the best VPNs available.  We should compare it to Surfshark to get an idea of how they differ.  Both offer a variety of similar options like split tunneling and kill switches.  Since Surfshark is newer, there aren’t as many servers available as ExpressVPN.  ExpressVPN gives their users the ability to access servers that are local to them which speeds up your service. 

ExpressVPN also offers better security protocols that don’t negatively affect your upload and download speeds.  Surfshark offers two-factor authentification and the hop feature, which makes for a more secure internet connection.  Surfshark is much less expensive with the two-year option that they offer.  You can get two years of Surfshark for only $59.76, while ExpressVPN only provides an annual option.  For two years of ExpressVPN, you would pay $148.80.  Surfshark saves you more money, and you still get great value from their VPN.

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Surfshark vs. CyberGhost

Being that Surfshark is newer, it’s no surprise that CyberGhost, with over 6,900 VPN servers, has quicker download and upload speeds.  As Surfshark continues to increase its number of servers worldwide, the speed will increase on both of those functions as they can spread out the traffic. 

Both CyberGhost and Surfshark offer various features to include no logs, private IP addresses, and split tunneling for similar affordable prices.  The one difference is that CyberGhost has the option of a three-year plan with three extra months.  While that is quite the commitment, you can get your money back in 45 days with their guarantee if you aren’t happy.

Surfshark vs. Hotspot Shield

Now what you are going to notice with Hotspot Shield is the first thing we all see.  The basic package is free.  However, like most free things, you need to seek more information to understand why it’s free.  We did that and found that the free option is lacking quite a bit. 

While it offers military-grade encryption and a kill switch, it limits you to one device and only private browsing.  Forget streaming Netflix on the free version.  Surfshark offers you unlimited devices and streaming capability with their VPN at an incredibly low cost.  Hotspot Shield has two pricing options available, but at $7.99 per month, you are looking at a pricey VPN.  Most of the features are the same that Surfshark offers, so why pay more?

Surfshark vs. Private Internet Access

Private Internet Access VPN might be the most comparable to Surfshark in that they offer many of the same features.  These VPNs leave you feeling secure from multilayer security via multiple VPN gateways to no traffic logs and blocking malware and ads.  One thing to note is that Private Internet Access has over 35,000 servers worldwide.  That’s a lot of servers. 

If they are high-quality servers, your internet speed will typically not suffer as you are dividing the traffic across them.  As far as pricing goes, Surfshark and Private Internet Access are pretty close in price.  Private Internet Access is a little more expensive, but it offers the same monthly, yearly, and two year plans similar to Surfshark.  They both have a 30-day money-back guarantee as well.

Head to the British Virgin Islands

Wouldn’t that be fantastic if we could head to the British Virgin Islands, where Surfshark is, and soak up the sun?  Sorry, we digress.  Surfshark is full of excellent features, and it’s a growing company.  With a secure network and ranked one of the best worldwide, it’s affordable and worth your investment for peace of mind.  Sleep well knowing your internet connection is protected with Surfshark.  Plus, everyone wants to be protected by a shark, right?