The online world is a whole different experience on its own, a place where you can get any information you need and perform various tasks from the comfort of your home. While using the internet comes with lots of positive impacts, it has its disadvantages.
One major disadvantage of surfing the internet is that your privacy can easily be exposed. This is where the use of VPN comes in. A virtual public network(VPN) helps establish a protected network for online users.
Getting a VPN is quite easy; the main challenge is getting access to a reliable and affordable VPN. There are many VPN providers, but a good number of them are lacking in reliability.
I tried several VPN providers before I finally came across Surfshark VPN. Surfshark is a top VPN provider with lots of amazing features and services.
Surfshark VPN is safe, reliable, and, most of all, affordable. If you need a trusted VPN server, I strongly recommend you get it from Surfshark. In this article, I will walk you through everything you need to know about this VPN service.
About Surfshark
Surfshark is a VPN service company based in the Netherlands. The company was founded in 2018, and since then, it has been consistent in improving the growth and overall well-being of the company.
Surfshark offers quality privacy and security solutions designed to create a safe online space for individuals or businesses. Some of their products include VPN, antivirus, search, incognito, alert, etc.
The company’s VPN services involve providing strong and protected network connections and encryption of personal information online.
Surfshark VPN offers a variety of outstanding features designed to create a wonderful online experience for you. These features include:
Strict no-log policy, kill switch, private DNS and leaks protection, camouflage mode, browse privacy, noboarders mode, change your IP, encryption, and secure protocols.
For this review, I checked out all this brand’s features and VPN services, to ensure that you get detailed information.
Surfshark VPN, once subscribed, offers unlimited device connection for the duration of the subscription. You can also make use of it wherever you are without restrictions.
Surfshark functions on the following operating systems:
- Android
- Chrome
- Firefox
- Fire TV
- iOS
- Linux
- macOS
- Windows
You can have a secured Surfshark VPN connection on various platforms like mobile devices, smart TVs, routers, computers, etc.
One of the many good traits of this company is the ability to take innovative steps. They have greatly improved compared to when they first joined the industry in 2018.
With the huge rate of cyber crimes and reported online security bridge, the best way to secure your online safety is to get a good VPN.
So far, Surfshark VPN is my best VPN connection provider, and I haven’t been disappointed with any of their VPN services.
Pros and Cons of Surfshark VPN Services
SurfShark VPN has so many pros, but it has cons, too. When looking for the best brands to use, whether in this context or not, always ensure that you go for brands with more pros and fewer cons.
Here’s a list of the pros and cons of the Surfshark VPN service.
- Cheapest VPN: Surfshark offers cheaper VPN subscriptions than every other VPN provider. Despite the low subscription fee, their VPN services are still very excellent.
- Unlimited simultaneous connections: You can connect to as many devices as you can as long as you have an active subscription. This is perfect for the family. Rather than getting a different VPN connection, you can simply save costs and get Surfshark VPN.
- Safe and reliable: Working with products from a top-tier company simply means you can rest assured knowing you’re in safe hands. No need for steady worry about VPN connection drop as there is a very slim chance of that ever happening.
Even if the connection eventually drops, the kill switch feature turns off your internet automatically, guaranteeing the safety of your privacy.
- Effective geo-blocking: With a Surfshark VPN connection, you can very well bypass restrictions. I had to use the word “Effective” to pass a clearer message. Some VPN providers claim to have a geo-blocking feature on their VPN, but most appear inactive. Surfshark is known for offering the best geo-blocking experience.
- User-friendly: The worst experience you can have is using a complex VPN server. It doesn’t just lead to unnecessary stress, but also make it difficult to navigate and find your desired servers. Surfshark has user-friendly mobile apps made easy for everyone.
- Secure VPN connection: With the type of Encryption they use, your online activities are completely safe from public eyes. Your online actions are only known to you.
- 30-day money-back guarantee: This is one of my best features about them and goes far to show their level of reliability.
- High connection speed: Surfshark server speed is highly commendable; they live up to their words. You can rely on them for fast connections, making them suitable for streaming your favorite movies or TV shows.
- 24/7 customer support: You can get the information and support you need at any time. All you have to do is go to the help page on their app or website.
- No log: Getting Ads related to your online searches is a bridge to your privacy. At first, I thought they were coincidences, but I know better now. The strict No-log feature on Surfshark gives me a sense of security.
Cons
- Expensive monthly plan: Surfshark offers the cheapest VPN subscriptions, but their monthly plan price is so high. You can enjoy their cheaper services when you subscribe to their yearly or two-year plan. They need to work on reducing the price of their monthly plan to suit their users comfortably.
- Poor social media presence: While it is not so bad to have a poor social media presence, it is worth mentioning. Most companies now have a strong online presence, and this has aided their customer service support so much. Customers can easily lay out complaints or get useful information about the company through social media.
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Surfshark VPN Features
Surfshark offers the most unique VPN features. These features cover most of your online worries and are easy to use.
All you need to do to access these features is pick a subscription plan that is best for you. Note that the plan you pick guarantees the number of features you can gain access to.
To access all the features, you need to subscribe to the Surfshark One+ package on any of the plans.
Here are the features of Surfshark VPN:
1. Strict No-Log Policy
Have you ever felt that some adverts are targeted at you, and they are mostly based on your browsing history? Well, that’s what an exposed log causes.
Surfshark offers a strict no-log policy, meaning your ISP has no access to your browsing history, and your online activities are secured.
With this feature, even your VPN provider cannot gain access to your activities online. As long as you are connected to Surfshark VPN, your browsing activities remain private to you.
2. Kill Switch
The essence of using a VPN connection is to ensure that data online is protected by encryption and security protocols. If your VPN connection drops, your data becomes exposed.
What the kill switch does is that it automatically shuts off your internet connection once your VPN connection drops. This way, your data remains protected.
I have been in a situation where my VPN connection dropped and I wasn’t pleased with the outcome. So, to me, this is an important feature.
with this feature, there is no need for alarm or panic whenever your VPN connection drops.
3. Private DNS and Leaks Protection
Even with a VPN connection, DNS can still be leaked to third parties, hence the need to look out for VPN features like DNS leak protection.
This system turns domain names into IP addresses. IP addresses are used to load internet pages, and they can also be used by a third party to locate your device.
Surfshark VPN, Private DNS, and leaks Protection feature ensures that all the DNS requests coming from your device are blocked.
DNS leaks usually occur when your device is hacked. With this feature, you can enjoy a seamless VPN connection without interference from third parties.
4. Camouflage Mode
The name of this feature represents what the feature is all about. The camouflage mode makes your VPN traffic stop appear like normal network traffic.
When is camouflage mode needed? In cases where internet traffic is blocked, this feature comes in handy.
I tried this feature on a website that has been blocked for some time. The mode gave me access to the website, and I was able to access the site without being noticed.
Not all websites support the use of VPN, and in some countries, VPN ports are not allowed. With the camouflage mode feature, you can gain access to the internet without being stopped by restrictions, and you can go unnoticed.
If you are using OpenVPN UDP and TCP protocols, camouflage mode gets activated automatically. There are no complexities involved.
5. Browse Privately
With Surfshark VPN, you can have access to this amazing feature. The Browse Privately feature encrypts your internet activities. When your online actions/activities are encrypted, your data remains safe with you.
6. NoBoaders Mode
NoBoarders mode is almost like camouflage mode. You can surf the internet without restriction while using this feature.
This feature is an automatic mode that occurs once a restriction is noticed. You can use Surfshark VPN on any site or restricted region without worries.
7. Change Your IP
One scary thing about the internet is how a stranger can get access to your private data online.
I enjoy my privacy a lot and only give out information about myself when necessary. With Surfshark VPN, I was able to change my IP address and choose a different location for myself.
An IP address exposes your location; it also gives websites access to your online activities. If you change your IP address, you can maintain your privacy.
In cases where preferences are given to those in a particular location, changing your IP address becomes handy. For example, selling products at a lower cost to those in a particular location. Changing your IP address gives you access to such opportunities.
8. Encryption
Encryption is one of the main purposes of a VPN. A VPN connection without an encryption feature is not worthy of being called a VPN.
What encryption does is that it protects your data from other prying eyes. Your data appears unreadable and can never be decoded.
Surfshark VPN protects your data by using AES-256-GCM encryption. AES-256-GCM encryption has never been known to be decrypted, hence the reason why it is the most used encryption.
9. Secure Protocols
Your VPN connection’s effectiveness depends on how the VPN protocols are set. A failed protocol results in a failed VPN. VPN protocols function based on how the VPN providers establish them.
Below are the types of VPN protocols Surfshark VPN uses;
WireGuard: Wireguard protocol provides high-speed connection and is easy to manage and operate. Wireguard protocol has only four thousand lines.
IKEv2: IKEv2 is mostly used by mobile users. It is fast and easy to switch from one network to another on demand. It offers one of the fastest servers after Wireguard.
OpenVPN: The server speed here depends on if you are using UDP or TCP. OpenVPN is approved by security specialists around the world, making it a go-to choice for many.
10. Split Tunneling
Surfshark VPN connection covers your device and other devices connected, but there’s a flex. With the split tunneling feature, you can decide where and where not to use the VPN.
While it is important to keep your online activities private, it is not necessary for all sites or apps, especially when you need to relay your exact location.
This feature can also help you reduce the load on the VPN connection. Surfshark offers a fast and reliable VPN connection and can still function nicely even where there is so much load.
The fact remains that the lesser the load on a connection, the faster it operates, hence the advance of split tunneling.
Some of the above-listed features seem to have the same functions, but they all have different uses and importance.
Surfshark VPN Pricing
Surfshark offers 3 payment subscriptions, and each of these subscriptions comes with its own package. The subscriptions are divided into three: a one-month plan, a 12-month plan(one year), and a twenty-four-month plan(two years).
- One-month plan: This plan comes in 3 packages: Surfshark starter, which costs $15.45; Surfshark One, going for $17.95; and Surfshark One+, for $20.65. The higher your subscription, the more features you can gain access to.
- Twelve-month plan: Like the one-month plan, the 12-month plan is divided into three packages. The Surfshark starter costs $3.99/month, Surfshark One costs $4.09/month, and Surfshark One+ costs $6.49/month. The package you choose determines the features you can enjoy. Observe that going for this plan is more economical as it saves you up to 74% when compared to the one-month plan.
- Twenty-four-month plan: This plan includes 3 packages as well: The Surfshark Starter, which costs $2.30/month; Surfshark One, which costs $2.94/month; and Surfshark One+, which costs $4.59/month. This is the cheapest plan among the others; you can save up to 85%. The best part is that each package for this plan comes with 2 free months, making the plan a total number of twenty-six months.
While the one-month plan is a bit too expensive, the twelve and twenty-four-month plan is a pretty good deal. The three plans are covered with a 30-day money-back guarantee, meaning you can request a refund if you are not pleased with their performance.
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Surfshark VPN Privacy and Security
Surfshark is big on protecting the privacy of their users, not just from websites, hackers or a random third party; they also do not have access.
Due to the type of encryption they use (AES-256-GCM encryption), they can never access your data, and neither can any other person.
According to their privacy policy, information about your connection to a particular VPN server is stored on their server but gets automatically deleted within 15 minutes after your session is terminated.
The company’s privacy policy is straight to the point and clear, without hidden agendas. I took my time to go through it to ensure that there were no foul plays.
To make their policy easier for their clients to read, the entire policy was summarized in a clear form.
Surfshark is 100% keen on protecting your privacy. The strict no-log policy, private DNS leak protection, kill switch, and encryption features are further proof of how strict they are about keeping your data private.
Surfshark VPN Performance
Surfshark is among the leading VPN providers in the world for a reason. The performance level of their VPN server is top-notch.
Features like secured protocols and split tunneling help enhance the server’s speed performance.
Speed
With over 3200 servers around the world, Surfshark VPN operates at a very high-speed level. To enhance and maintain the speed at which the VPN connection operates, 10 Gbps ports are added daily, and at least 1 Gbps port is made available on any server visited.
A list of the fastest VPNs can never be complete without adding Surbshark VPN to the list, as they offer one of the fastest VPNs in the globe.
For most VPN providers, once the connection carries a certain number of loads, the service speed slows down drastically. This has never been an issue with Surfshark VPN.
If you sense a slight reduction in the speed level, you can always use the split tunneling feature to reduce the load from your connection and boost speed.
Safe and secure
A safe and secure VPN comes with so many benefits, hence the need to ensure that you subscribe to the best VPN providers. Surfshark VPN is exactly what every home, office, or individual needs.
One of the major disadvantages of enhancement in technology is the fact that hacking becomes easier for those with bad intentions.
Using open public Wi-Fi, which used to be a pleasing opportunity, is now a thing to be very careful about.
Thanks to good VPN providers like Surfshark, you can connect to open WIFI without the fear of being hacked.
Due to some of their unique features like encryption, private DNS leak protection, kill switch, and other safety features, you can easily block and prevent threats while enjoying your activities.
Your online history, actions, and other data are safe and secured with Surfshark VPN.
Availability
Surfshark VPN can operate in various regions due to the availability of over 3200 of their servers around the globe.
As long as there are no laws against the use of VPN in your region, Surfshark VPN is available to you. This strong VPN collection can also bypass blocked servers in some regions.
Surfshark VPN Customer Support
The commitment of a company to its customers is judged by how well its customer support system is handled.
Surfshark offers one of the best customer support, based on my personal experience and reviews from other users.
A service as delicate as VPN connections needs 24/7 customer support, as customers can need help to come out of complex situations or need important information at any time.
The Surfshark VPN help page is a straightforward, user-friendly page. Once you open the page, there is a context created for customers where you can type in your query.
There is a “get started” icon for new users. Once clicked, different options pop up; you can then click on any of the icons for more details.
Other helpful icons are;
- Fix an issue
- Billing
- Account
- Surf school
They are also displayed on the help page to help you with what prompted you to visit the help page.
Some frequently asked questions and answers are displayed below the page to assist in giving further information about the company.
You can also reach out to them via their social media accounts displayed at the lower part of their webpage.
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Is Surfshark VPN easy to use?
What amazes me about Surfshark VPN is its user-friendly interface. As long as you can read and have the basic knowledge of how to surf the internet, you can use Surfshark VPN.
The idea of using a VPN can easily be termed as complex, but that’s not how it is with this company.
Surfshark has mastered the act of placing the priority of its customers before everything else. A step-by-step guide for new users can be found on their site; you can also request help when you have an issue.
All the features on the app or website were designed in ways that create easy accessibility for each of them. From switching from different servers to other practical features.
Surfshark is easy to use, and it also provides quality user experience. You are sure to have an excellent experience with this VPN provider
Do I recommend Surfshark VPN?
After doing in-depth research on Surfshark VPN services and also getting some personal experience on it, I would say that subscribing to their VPN plan is in your best interest.
I will recommend Surfshark VPN any time, any day. I also advise that you go for the package that gives access to all its features. You can also go for the Surfshark One package, as it gives access to many features.
If you are looking to protect your data online from third parties, for both you and your family, you are not making a mistake in deciding to make Surfshark your VPN provider.
I also recommend Surfshark VPN for both small and large-scale businesses. A VPN connection from a source like Surfshark is sure to ensure that hacking attempts from competitors or scammers will be futile.
With the Kill Switch feature, your privacy is never vulnerable.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Surfshark keep logs?
One of the unique features of Surfshark is the no-log VPN. What this means is that the VPN does not track your online actions. No records are kept, and all your activities online remain private. So the answer to your question is “NO,” Surfshark doesn’t keep logs.
Is Surfshark VPN free?
No, it is not free; you have to subscribe to a plan. On the other hand, you can try Surfshark risk-free for 30 days. You are entitled to a 30-day money-back guarantee, meaning you can ask for a refund if you aren’t satisfied with their service.
How much is the highest subscription for Surfshark VPN?
The highest subscription plan is the 24-month plan, and the prices are as follows: The Surfshark Starter which costs $2.30/month, Surfshark One costs $2.94/month, and Surfshark One+ costs $4.59/month. This is the cheapest plan among the others; you can save up to 85%.
Can Surfshark VPN be used on more than one device?
Yes, Surfshark VPN can be used on more than one device. The reason is once you subscribe to any of their plans, you get unlimited simultaneous connections for as long as the subscription lasts.
How safe is Surfshark VPN?
Surfshark VPN is very safe and secure. Your privacy is protected and kept in check. With this VPN connection, you are in no way vulnerable to a third party.
How can I get Surfshark VPN?
First, log on to their site and create an account. The next step is to download the app from the App Store or Google Play Store. Log on to your account on the app, then proceed to follow other laid-out instructions on the app.
Which is the most recommended Surfshark VPN subscription plan?
All the plans are cost-effective, but if you want to save more, the best plan is the 24-month one. You even get 2 free months, making it 26 months of quality unlimited VPN connection. To enjoy all the features, it is best to go for the Surfshark One+ package.
Conclusion
Surfshark VPN is not just one of the most popular VPN providers; they are also reliable. They offer seamless VPN connection services to millions of users.
Aside from their affordability, they’ve ensured that their VPN services are cost-effective and easy to access.
A must-have characteristic of a VPN provider is the ability to offer a fast, safe, and secure VPN connection, and that is one of the core values of Surfshark VPN.
The company’s wide range of unique and quality features, added to their commitment to deliver quality services, places them on my list as the best VPN provider in the globe. You are sure to have a good experience with their VPN service.
