- Newest checks: Zero knowledge leaks and 19% web pace loss in fall 2022 checks
- Community: 3,200-plus in 99 nations
- Jurisdiction: Netherlands
- Value: Limitless connections for $48 for the primary yr (then $60 yearly) or $13 per 30 days. 2-year subscriptions accessible.
Surfshark boasts a formidable suite of privateness and safety features, limitless simultaneous connections, easy-to-use interface and expansive international community. And it is nonetheless considerably cheaper than most of its rivals. That is what helped Surfshark earn CNET’s Editors’ Selection for Finest Worth VPN in 2022.
Together with commonplace VPN options resembling a kill change and DNS leak safety, a few of the extra notable Surfshark options embrace camouflage mode (which hides the actual 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 will additionally get entry to Surfshark’s CleanWeb expertise, 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 total community of servers collectively and means that you can select a number of servers to route your connection by. The performance is considerably much like Tor, however Surfshark says it is sooner. With its Dynamic MultiHop, IP Randomizer and IP Rotator features, the Nexus community can provide you a couple of further layers of safety when you use the VPN — which may be notably helpful to customers with essential privateness wants.
Surfshark says it does not log any person exercise. And though no-logging claims are nearly not possible 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.
As of February 2022, each Surfshark and NordVPN have the identical company father or mother (Tesonet), however Surfshark mentioned it’s legally certain to not share any data between the entities that might go in opposition to its privateness coverage or phrases of service. We did not discover any language in both doc that might point out Surfshark has any obligation to share person knowledge with its father or mother firm or any sibling firms, which embrace NordVPN.
Surfshark charges persistently as one of many quickest VPNs accessible, which is why we have been stunned that one of many solely points we had with Surfshark got here in our pace check. Whereas it nonetheless ranks as one of many quickest VPNs we have examined — with an web pace lack of simply 19% — we have been disenchanted with the inconsistent pace outcomes we acquired to sure areas. Speeds to Europe and Singapore have been erratic (dipping as little as 9Mbps to Singapore), whereas speeds to New York have been slower than speeds to the UK and even Australia. Surfhark is within the means of considerably increasing its server community, now providing greater than 3,200 servers in 99 nations. The continued enlargement of its server community might probably assist deliver some extra consistency to the VPN’s speeds.
In our checks, 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 nations the place Disney Plus is offered, we have been lastly capable of entry the content material after we related to a server in Boston. You might want to check a couple of servers your self earlier than having access to Disney Plus content material with Surfshark.
Surfshark provides cheaper introductory costs that soar 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 Finest Worth. The yearly plan begins out at $48 for the primary yr, then jumps to $60 for any extra years of service. When you go for the two-year plan, you may pay $60 up entrance for the preliminary two years mixed, then $60 per yr for any extra years. Surfshark’s month-to-month plan stays fixed at $13 a month. When you’re not happy with the service for any cause, Surfshark provides a 30-day money-back assure.
