- Newest exams: Zero knowledge leaks and 19% web velocity loss in fall 2022 exams
- Community: 3,200-plus in 99 international locations
- Jurisdiction: Netherlands
- Value: Limitless connections for $48 for the primary yr (then $60 yearly) or $13 monthly. 2-year subscriptions accessible.
Surfshark boasts a powerful suite of privateness and security measures, limitless simultaneous connections, easy-to-use interface and expansive world community. And it is nonetheless considerably cheaper than most of its opponents. That is what helped Surfshark earn CNET’s Editors’ Alternative for Finest Worth VPN in 2022.
Together with customary VPN options similar to a kill swap and DNS leak safety, among the extra notable Surfshark options embody 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 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 following yr is its Nexus community, which connects the VPN’s complete community of servers collectively and means that you can select a number of servers to route your connection by. The performance is considerably just 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 when you use the VPN — which may be significantly useful to customers with important privateness wants.
Surfshark says it would not log any consumer exercise. And though no-logging claims are nearly unattainable to show with 100% certainty, German cybersecurity agency Cure53 declared Surfshark’s safety to be “stable” 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 mum or dad (Tesonet), however Surfshark mentioned it’s legally sure to not share any data between the entities that may go in opposition to its privateness coverage or phrases of service. We did not discover any language in both doc that may point out Surfshark has any obligation to share consumer knowledge with its mum or dad firm or any sibling corporations, which embody NordVPN.
Surfshark charges constantly 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 velocity check. Whereas it nonetheless ranks as one of many quickest VPNs we have examined — with an web velocity lack of simply 19% — we have been dissatisfied with the inconsistent velocity outcomes we received to sure places. 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 technique of considerably increasing its server community, now providing greater than 3,200 servers in 99 international locations. The continued enlargement of its server community may doubtlessly assist deliver some extra consistency to the VPN’s speeds.
In our exams, 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 varied servers within the US and different international locations the place Disney Plus is out there, we have been lastly in a position to entry the content material once we related to a server in Boston. You might want to check a number of servers your self earlier than getting access to Disney Plus content material with Surfshark.
Surfshark provides 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’ Alternative for Finest Worth. The yearly plan begins out at $48 for the primary yr, then jumps to $60 for any further years of service. Should 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 further years. Surfshark’s month-to-month plan stays fixed at $13 a month. Should you’re not happy with the service for any motive, Surfshark provides a 30-day money-back assure.
