If you’re in the market for a VPN, you may have just found it. Surfshark has an extremely low entry point, some of the most unique features, and a 30-day refund policy.
Obviously, I’m not saying it’s the best VPN out there. You get to be the judge of that, once you’ve gone through this Surfshark VPN review.
Throughout this piece, I’ve discussed all the features you should pay attention to when selecting a VPN.
Let’s see if it’s the VPN of your dreams then?
Surfshark VPN Quick Overview
Here’s a brief introduction before we go all-in on the VPN. That will help you to make up your mind if you will get surfshark then what features you can be used.
- Website: https://surfshark.com/
- Jurisdiction: The Netherlands
- Independently verified “no log” policy
- 100+ countries, 3200+ servers, Obfuscated Servers
- NoBorders Mode, Ad/malware Blocker
- Bypasser, Kill-switch, RAM-only Servers
- Compatible with almost all devices/OS
- Data Leak Monitor, Anonymous Search
- 30 Days Refund Policy
Let’s get a closer look then?
Get SurfShark Today and Grab 81% Off + 3 Month Subscription
Unlimited No. of Devices Access
This is one of Surfshark’s primary selling points.
Most other VPNs have a limit on the no. of devices that can be connected to a single account on the VPN.
Surfshark allows unlimited devices. This means you only pay once and then get to use the VPN on as many devices as you want.
Your speed, bandwidth, and security all remains the same. There’s no reduction or restriction based on the no. of devices.
No. of Countries And Servers
On the surface, a VPN’s primary feature is to let you change the country of your IP address, isn’t it?
Surfshark is one of the most impressive VPNs on that front.
It offers over 100 countries to choose from. Not even the best VPNs out there offer as many options. In fact, it’s the highest number I’ve seen a VPN offer so far.
As for the no. of servers, it boasts over 3200 of those. The no. of servers is responsible for the speed (among other things) that you get.
Now, 3200 isn’t the highest no. of servers I’ve seen but it’s certainly one of the top 3.
Camouflage Mode (Obfuscated Servers)
Camouflage mode is like an invisible suite that your VPN wears. Yes, even your VPN needs to hide.
With Surfshark VPN, camouflage mode takes anonymity and security to the next level by disguising your traffic as regular HTTPS encryption. This makes it impossible for anyone to tell that you are actually even using a VPN.
This is required because in some countries you’d be targeted simply by using a VPN. In some other cases, your ISP may throttle your speed if VPN use is detected. There may even be more serious concerns in more conservative regions.
Surfshark protects you against all that.
NoBorders Mode
This is another firewall breaker you get with Surfshark. There are some countries that actively block VPNs and make their use almost impossible.
With the NoBorders Mode from Surfshark, you’ll be able to circumvent just that. You’re using your VPN and accessing everything regardless of where you’re from.
Independently Audited, No Log Policy
This is THE most important section on this Surfshark review, please go through the fine-print.
I’ve never met a VPN that said “we keep logs”, have you? But I certainly have met VPNs which lied to me, kept and shared logs with the govt.
Some VPNs get more clever and choose their words carefully, such as what PureVPN did. Most of us do not read the T&C carefully and they know it. PureVPN recently helped the FBI by sharing a user’s real IP address!
That’s something that won’t ever happen with Surfshark. It’s a VPN that got its “no log” policy independently audited.
This means, Surfshark isn’t just “saying” it doesn’t keep logs, it truly doesn’t. Cure53 has verified the claims.
Moreover, Surfshark is transparent with its logging. It never says that it doesn’t keep any logs whatsoever. That’s technically impossible for any VPN to function properly.
Surfshark does keep logs, however, these aren’t privacy-breaching. It keeps your:
- E-mail ID (which can be anonymous).
- And payment information (which can be anonymous as well).
- Crash reports for the app (without any personally-identifiable data attached)
- Unsuccessful connection attempts
- How frequently do you use the service.
Now, none of this can be used to identify you or your activities.
I do like the fact that Surfshark keeps things transparent, most VPNs don’t.
Get SurfShark Today and Grab 81% Off + 3 Month Subscription
Jurisdiction
A VPN’s jurisdiction is just as important as its “log policy”. After all, it can only keep/not keep the logs allowed by its government.
Fortunately, Surfshark operates out of The Netherlands. I’m sure you know it’s one of the most privacy-friendly locations on the planet.
Ad, Malware and Site Blockers
I’m sure the heading explains what this is. Yes, Surfshark has an in-built blocker that makes sure any malicious ads/websites are automatically blocked.
This keeps viruses, phishing attempts and malware sites off you. There are no special steps required from you to enable this.
ByPasser
This is a feature that’s handy when you both need and don’t need the VPN at the same time.
Meaning, maybe you need the VPN in general, but then you may need to login to your office, bank, or some IP/location-specific service. That wouldn’t be possible with the VPN enabled, right?
Well, it is possible with the Bypasser. It lets you “bypass” the VPN for specific apps/websites.
You get to choose which browser or app “doesn’t” use the VPN.
So, you can easily bypass the VPN for your bank app/ office website while still using the VPN for everything else.
RAM-Only Servers
I’m sure you’ve studied basic computers in school? The Hard-drive is what stores your data permanently. The RAM is what stores your data “temporarily”, isn’t that right?
Surfshark uses RAM-only servers. I’m sure you can now understand why this is important to you.
This means no data is written to the drives and rather they’re wiped every time the servers are reeboted.
This further makes third-party attempts at stored data useless and increases security for you.
Kill switch
This is probably the most common feature most VPNs offer yet it’s one of the strongest security measures.
What it does is, it “kills” your internet if your VPN connection drops. Due to server overload, network connectivity and other reasons, VPN connections do briefly drop.
Without the kill switch, you’ll keep browsing unaware that your VPN has disconnected. This would leak your IP to whatever website you’re browsing.
With the kill switch, that doesn’t happen. If you’re connected to the internet, it guarantees you must use the VPN.
Get SurfShark Today and Grab 81% Off + 3 Month Subscription
Cookie Popup Blocker
Surfshark is the only VPN I’ve seen offer this.
I’m sure you too are annoyed by the annoying “cookie consent forms” that popup on each new site you visit.
Sure, accepting them requires just a click but what if you didn’t have to accept them at all? Without even clicking!
Surfshark makes that possible. It disables these popups on websites giving you a smoother experience.
Massive Compatibility
So, which devices can you use Surfshark on? EVERYTHING (almost).
For starters, you get custom apps for:
- Windows, macOS, and Linux
Then, there are browser extensions for:
- Chrome, Firefox, And Edge
Got SmartTVs? It’s compatible there as well.
Of course, apps for both Android as well as iOS are available!
2-Factor Authentication
I’ll be honest, this isn’t a massive “take my money” feature. However, it does sweeten the deal.
So, Surfshark lets you enable 2-FA if you wish to. Like any other standard 2-FA, you’ll be required an additional authentication on top of your password for logging in.
This protects your account from unauthorized access.
Additional Features – Surfshark One
Surfshark may have started out as a VPN, today it has grown into a lot more.
It recently launched “Surfshark One”. It’s a “Bundle” that has the VPN + 3 other apps/features.
This does cost a bit extra but the features do seem worth it to me.
Leak Monitor
Websites and their databases are often hacked. Some of these leaks are public, most aren’t.
In any case, you can never manually monitor all websites which were hacked that contained your account. Surfshark can!
In fact, I logged into my account for the purposes of this Surfshark review and was shocked!
As is evident, more than 20 of my databases have been hacked and probably even put up for sale!
With Surfshark, the above screenshot is exactly how Surfshark protects you. Actually, it doesn’t “protect” per se but does notify you and lets you change your accounts.
Get SurfShark Today and Grab 81% Off + 3 Month Subscription
Surfshark Antivirus & search
The name explains what this is, doesn’t it? It protects you from malicious files and hacking attempts.
You’re notified as soon as you download a questionable file. You can also scan your device for existing threats. It also lets you customize camera access protecting yourself from webcam hacks.
You also get access to Surfshark search engine. It also protects you from “personalized ads” (read privacy-intrusive ads).
No Live Chat
Hey, let’s keep this review honest and transparent? One of Surfshark’s biggest downers is the lack of a live chat. It’s almost a shocker considering how almost all its rivals do offer the same.
So, on Surfshark there’s no live chat. The website does say it exists, I couldn’t find it. I’ve tired both as a normal visitor and an account holder after signing in to my account.
Sure, the live chat isn’t a deal-breaker. I’ve never had to contact their support. However, it would be nice if this was available, wouldn’t it?
You can obviously get in touch using an e-mail, it’s just not as fast as a live chat.
Surfshark Pricing Plans and Refund Policy
So, how much does Surfshark cost?
Despite being one of the most feature-rich VPNs, it’s actually one of the cheapest.
The lowest entry point is $2.30 for a month. Hey, I’m sure you spend probably thrice that just on coffee, don’t you? I’m sure your security deserves at least 1/3 of your coffee budget, don’t you?
There are two other plans which cost $3.99/month and $12.95/month respectively.
The price doesn’t make a difference as far as features or security goes. They only differ depending on how long you pay for at once (monthly/half-yearly/annually).
To top it up, the VPN also offers a 30-day refund policy. Now that I believe is a generous amount of time to try the VPN and its features, isn’t it?
Get SurfShark Today and Grab 81% Off + 3 Month Subscription
Anonymous Payment Modes
So, you obviously can sign up at Surfshark using an anonymous e-mail ID. But, it goes a step further and makes sure your payment can’t be traced back to you either.
You can pay using Cryptocurrencies as well. BTC, LTC, XRP etc. are accepted.
Obviously, traditional modes of payment such as cards, Google Pay, Amazon Pay etc. are supported as well.
Final Verdict
So, what do I personally think of the VPN?
I’ll be honest, it’s not my #1 VPN. I do have another VPN (NORDVPN) that I like over Surfshark.
NordVPN | Surfshark VPN | AtlasVPN | ExpressVPN | TorGuard VPN |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. NordVPN | 2. SurfShark VPN | 3. AtlasVPN | 4. ExpressVPN | 5. TorGuard |
However, Surfshark is definitely my #2 VPN. It’s pocket-friendly, has the second-highest features I’ve ever seen and is extremely fast.
Obviously, there’s no complaint from the security/log policy side as well.
Overall, if you need a VPN, you can’t go wrong with Surfshark.
But then, why should you believe this Surfshark review? Maybe, I’m just trying to sell you the VPN?
You shouldn’t. This is where the VPN’s 30-day refund helps you out. Go give it a try, you’ve got a long month to test it out, if you don’t like it, you get 100% of your money back.
Get SurfShark Today and Grab 81% Off + 3 Month Subscription
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
As is my tradition, let me answer some of the most asked questions about Surfshark!
Is using Surfshark VPN legal?
Like any other VPN, using Surfshark VPN is legal too as long as VPNs in general are legal in your jurisdiction.
Is Surfshark VPN trustworthy?
Yes. It has an independently verified “no logs” policy. Moreover, it’s transparent about the data it collects.
Is Surfshark better than NordVPN?
In my opinion, no. NordVPN is the only VPN that performs better than Surfshark. Nord seems to be faster, and has a few additional features such as Double VPN, Onion over VPN, live-chat etc. And, it costs about the same.