Surfshark Review 2026: Cheap Price but Is It Any Good?

Speed — Fast Servers Across the Network

After extensively testing various servers in Surfshark’s network, my Ookla SpeedTest results showed that Surfshark maintains consistently fast speeds, even when you’re connected to servers that are a long distance from you.

Speed Test Results

Gaming Speed — Fast When Connected to Nearby Servers

To test Surfshark’s gaming performance, I connected to a London server, launched Left 4 Dead 2 on Steam, and ran a speed test. My ping was 32ms, which is very good for a server 300 miles from my location. The low ping ensured I didn’t experience any lag or delays while playing with my friends.

Unfortunately, ping increased significantly when connecting to long-distance servers in Australia, reaching 300ms. There are other VPNs that you can try to maintain lower pings on Call of Duty: Warzone and other fast-paced games, but you should note that it’s hard for any VPN to keep pings low on long-distance connections.

Surfshark has an impressive server network. It covers 100 countries and has many P2P-compatible options. It even includes virtual servers in countries with invasive privacy laws.

Server Network — Global Network of 4,500+ Servers in 100 Countries

Thanks to its massive server network, it’s always easy to connect to a nearby Surfshark server. While it’s not the biggest network, it’s large enough to ensure you can find an uncrowded server at any time.

Surfshark has virtual servers in some countries, like India, Egypt, and Mexico, providing local IP addresses without needing to abide by the countries’ invasive privacy laws. This helps Surfshark to stand out — many VPNs remove local options entirely when local law changes threaten their ability to maintain no-log promises.

There are also free static servers in the US, UK, Netherlands, Japan, Singapore, and Germany, letting you use the same IP address every time. While they help access sites that are sensitive to IP changes, you should note that static IPs are shared by other users and can be flagged as belonging to a VPN quite easily.

Alternatively, you can try Surfshark’s dedicated IP addresses for a small fee. These are exclusive IP addresses only you can use — helpful for avoiding CAPTCHAs and VPN blocks since there are no other previous (suspicious) activities by another user.

Torrenting — Supports P2P Traffic

Surfshark offers P2P support without any data limits and is compatible with popular torrenting clients like qBittorrent and uTorrent. Plus, the app’s kill switch and leak protection ensure no one can snoop on your activities, even if the VPN connection drops unexpectedly.

I like that Surfshark automatically routes traffic through a P2P-compatible server when it detects P2P traffic. This was initially confusing, as the server on my app didn’t change when starting a torrent download. However, customer support confirmed that the traffic gets routed through a P2P server, even if the change doesn’t show in the app.

I even double-checked this myself. While I was connected to a server in Turkey, I ran tests on ipleak.net and saw that my IP address was still in Turkey, but the DNS server was changed to the Netherlands.

To avoid this confusion, you can connect to a P2P server, but these servers aren’t labeled or listed anywhere. To find them, simply type ‘P2P’ in the location menu’s search bar to see the servers that allow P2P traffic.

China — Surfshark Doesn’t Work Reliably in China

Despite the NoBorders mode that it claims to work in restrictive regions, Surfshark didn’t work in China. During testing, my colleagues could only connect to 1 server in Ireland, but it failed after 30 seconds. Even after troubleshooting, my colleagues couldn’t use Surfshark. A customer support agent recommended using the Shadowsocks protocol but that didn’t work either.

If this is crucial for you, I recommend ExpressVPN as it works reliably in China. It comes with a 30*-day money-back guarantee, so you can try it risk-free and get a refund with no questions asked. I don’t condone using a VPN to commit illegal acts, so please understand the local laws and know what’s allowed before connecting in China.

Security Features

Surfshark is among the best VPNs in 2026 for security, offering advanced features beyond the usual encryption, IP leak protection, and no-logs policy.

Encryption — Secures Traffic With Military-Grade Encryption

Surfshark uses the industry-leading encryption algorithm, AES-256, to protect your online data against hackers and online snoops. The military-grade cipher would take billions of years to decrypt with the current computers. It also uses a 2048-bit version of the RSA algorithm to secure data transmissions.

The encryption standard also supports Perfect Forward Secrecy to generate a unique session key and discard it once the session ends. By doing this, your privacy and security remain intact — even if an attacker gains access to the encryption keys, they cannot decrypt your VPN sessions in the past or future.

VPN Protocols — Choose Between OpenVPN, IKEv2, and WireGuard

• OpenVPN — one of the most secure protocols in the industry. It’s safe for online banking and shopping but can be slow. Anti-VPN networks usually block OpenVPN connections.
• WireGuard — lighter than OpenVPN but faster and more secure. Now includes post-quantum protection for future-proof security.
• IKEv2 — popularly used on mobile devices as it supports auto-reconnect during interruptions, especially when your device switches from cellular data to WiFi. It’s also fast and provides stable connections.

Kill Switch — Soft and Strict Options Provide More Flexibility

Surfshark has a kill switch on all its apps, but it’s not turned on by default. This feature blocks all internet traffic if the VPN disconnects, ensuring you don’t leak identifying information.

Unlike most VPNs, Surfshark gives you ‘soft’ and ‘strict’ kill switches to handle different network conditions. The strict kill switch only allows internet access when the VPN is connected. The soft version kills internet access if you lose connection by accident or your device is switching between networks.

Leak Protection — No DNS, WebRTC, or IP Address Leaks

I tested Surfshark’s built-in leak protection by connecting to random servers in the US, Australia, and Germany. I found that my actual IP address was never revealed on leak testing websites. Additionally, there were no WebRTC or DNS leaks.

Surfshark’s leak protection is equally effective on virtual servers. None of its virtual servers in Vietnam, India, Saudi Arabia, Argentina, or the Bahamas leaked during my tests.

Unfortunately, your IPv6 data may potentially leak with Surfshark, as it’s a new IP format that the VPN does not yet support. It’s better to disable IPv6 traffic on your device if your network supports it and you wish to use Surfshark.

Split Tunneling — Only on Windows and Android Apps

Surfshark’s split tunneling functionality is called Bypasser, and it’s useful for making traffic from specific websites and apps bypass the VPN connection. I could do this on my Windows laptop from the ‘Settings’ panel. Unfortunately, it’s not available for macOS and iOS devices.

Ad and Malware Blocker — CleanWeb Blocks Ads, Malware, and Trackers

Many premium VPNs now offer built-in blockers against ads, malware, and trackers, but not all of them work well. However, Surfshark’s CleanWeb is among the best tools in this category. It reliably blocks all pop-up, video, and banner ads on news sites like the Mirror and even on YouTube TV. Sites and videos also loaded faster as a result.

Alternative ID — Provides an Entire Alternative Persona for Online Use

Alternative ID is a unique Surfshark feature that can help improve your online anonymity further. It allows you to create a new persona, adding an extra layer of privacy to help prevent cyberstalking or identity theft.

The Alternative ID feature is accessible from Surfshark’s web portal and provides you with an alternative name, address, and email address to use online. You can also manually choose what email the alternative accounts’ emails are redirected to, so you’re not restricted to using the email you subscribed to Surfshark with.

Additionally, you can create an alternative US phone number, which can be helpful if you’re concerned about sharing your number while signing up on websites. Note that the alternative number feature costs extra, while the rest of the Alternative ID features are included with every Surfshark offer.

Additional Features — Plenty of Extras for Advanced Users

You’ll get many extra features with Surfshark, some focused on security and others on convenience. The key extra features in the app include the following:

• Camouflage and NoBorders Modes — obfuscates traffic to hide your VPN usage, letting you use Surfshark in restrictive countries.
• IP Rotator — changes your IP address every few minutes without dropping your connection to make tracking your activities harder.
• Dynamic MultiHop — encrypts your data twice for extra security by routing it through 2 servers of your choice instead of 1.
• GPS Override — updates your Android device’s location data to match the location of the server you’re connected to.
• Invisible to Devices — lets you become invisible to other devices on your Local Area Network (LAN) — available on Windows and Android devices.
• Pause VPN — allows you to disable the connection for 5 minutes, 30 minutes, or 2 hours.
• 2FA Authentication — asks for extra authentication upon login for added security.
• TrustDNS — a standalone app for iOS and Android devices that connects you to a public DNS server instead of a DNS server assigned by your ISP.
• Surfshark Search — provides an ad and tracker-free search engine that values your privacy.
• Incogni — deletes your data from online databases to minimize spam and marketing emails. Only available in the US, UK, the European Union, Switzerland, and Canada.

Privacy Features — Not the Most Reassuring Policy or Jurisdiction

Although Surfshark claims it doesn’t store data, its privacy policy shows it might do so temporarily. It’s also headquartered in a 9-Eyes Alliance country that shares online intelligence with other member countries.

No-Logs Policy — Claims No-Logs, but Stores Important Data for 15 Minutes

Going through Surfshark’s privacy policy, I found the opening promising, with the assurance it doesn’t collect or store identifiable data. However, further down, the VPN clarified that some information, like user ID, IP address, and connection timestamps are stored by the servers and deleted within 15 minutes after you terminate your session.

If your main reason for using Surfshark is privacy, this can be worrying, especially if you stay connected for many hours while downloading torrents or binge-watching TV shows. On the other hand, Surfshark uses RAM-based servers that delete all your data and browsing history as soon as they’re rebooted.

Additionally, Surfshark publishes a warrant canary on its website to indicate if the company has received a subpoena for user data from a government or law enforcement authority. While Surfshark stresses that the no-log policy prevents it from saving browsing history, I like knowing whether a security letter, gag order, or government warrant has been issued.

Company Jurisdiction — Based in the Netherlands

Surfshark was initially headquartered in the much more privacy-friendly British Virgin Islands but has since relocated to the Netherlands. Though it’s a member of the 9 Eyes Alliance, the Netherlands doesn’t have any data retention laws. This means that Surfshark is not obligated to log any data about you, so the no-log policy remains in effect.

Independent Audits — Passed Independent Security Audits

Like many VPNs, Surfshark has invested in third-party audits to verify its privacy and security claims. This includes an independent Mobile App Security Assessment. It passed all audits to provide the final confirmation and peace of mind that Surfshark doesn’t log data.

In 2018, Cure53 conducted an independent audit of Firefox and Chrome browser extensions. The German IT security firm also did an infrastructure audit and security assessment on Surfshark’s servers in 2021. Recently, Deloitte audited Surfshark’s no-log policy and validated the claim. I also read the reports and saw no significant security or privacy flaws.

I was satisfied with Surfshark’s customer support. You can contact Surfshark over email, an online form, or live chat. The customer support team is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. However, if you prefer troubleshooting problems yourself, you can check out the website’s setup guides, tutorials, and FAQs.

I tested all the options to see how effectively the company resolved issues and found that live chat is the best way to receive fast help and detailed explanations. For most questions, however, I didn’t look much further than Surfshark’s website.

24/7 Live Chat — Get Help in Less Than a Minute

During my review, I tested the 24/7 live chat feature multiple times as I experienced minor technical difficulties. For example, a teammate couldn’t stream Netflix while connected to a US – Detroit server, and I struggled to connect to a specialty P2P server when torrenting. I was impressed by the friendly and fast responses.

Conveniently, Surfshark’s live chat is available directly on the Windows and Android apps. All you have to do is go to ‘Settings’ and then ‘Get Instant Help’ for one-to-one assistance. The app will then redirect you to the website where you can access the live chat feature.

Email Support — Good Alternative Support Channel

I also tested Surfshark’s email support by asking about some of its features. For comparison, I also used an email address not connected to my Surfshark account to see if there would be a difference in response time. Fortunately, there wasn’t and I received detailed responses in less than an hour every time.

Though the response times were fast, I recommend contacting Surfshark over 24/7 live chat. It’s much quicker as you can speak to a customer support representative directly, especially when you’re facing an urgent technical issue.

Comprehensive Online Resources and FAQs

Many VPNs have websites with help sections that are poorly organized that they’re barely usable. Surfshark’s “Help” section on its website is comprehensive and regularly updated. Most of the time, I didn’t need to contact customer service as I could find answers to my questions.

Topics are divided into 4 sections: installation, troubleshooting, account, and general inquiries. You can find step-by-step instructions for installation and troubleshooting, complete with screenshots and even some video tutorials.