Surfshark VPN review 2023: scam or real premium software?

In 2022, it is not easy to choose your VPN. Faced with the colossal number of providers, it is difficult to compare them all. Among them, the VPN Surfshark stands out: Internet users believe for that it offers the best value for money on the market. It is both premium, but its price is 2 times lower than its direct rivals.

However, before making the purchase, many questions arise. Do its service and application measure up? What about security and privacy? Is his offer attractive? To find out, we did a full test and extensive research on this VPN. Discover without further delay our Surfshark review with a major update in 2023.

Introducing Surfshark VPN

The creation of Surfshark dates back to July 2018 but its recent development has not prevented it from competing in the big leagues. Surfshark wants to make internet protection accessible to everyone. This is why it offers attractive prices, while maintaining a high quality service. Its VPN service has undergone numerous security audits, including by Cure53, a benchmark in cybersecurity.

To date, this provider offers a network on 6 continents with more than 1,700 servers in 63 countries. This VPN is able to hide the IP address of users and provide them with a virtual IP address. Data passing through its servers is end-to-end encrypted. The connection is therefore anonymous and secure.

Surfshark VPN never stops innovating. Recently, it has made available its own search engine called BlindSearch to guarantee even more secret browsing. This is further proof that he does not take confidentiality lightly. To start our Surfshark review, let’s see how to install it.

How installer Surfshark VPN ?

It only takes a few quick steps to install Surfshark VPN on your computer, tablet or smartphone. While this may seem trivial, it is still an important point. While a third of French people now have a VPN, the service must be easy to use. Not everyone is a computer expert, and Surfshark understands that.

First, you will need to create an account by subscribing to one of its subscriptions. Then you can download the app from the Surfshark website, from the App Store or Play Store depending on your device (iOS or Android). If you download the file from the website, you will need to move the file into your applications (on Mac). Otherwise from the App Store, this step is done automatically and the application will be found directly in your applications.

When opening for the first time, you will have to accept the terms of use. Then, all you have to do is enter your credentials (e-mail address and password) and authorize the VPN configuration. You are already ready to use your first VPN. And to already give you a first spoiler: our opinion on Surfshark is very positive.

How to use Surfshark?

Its application is attractive and very simple to use on a daily basis. It is modern and robust at the same time, it is very easy to navigate. And, something quite rare, the Surfshark application is available in 7 languages: English, German, French, Spanish, Italian, Dutch and Chinese. If you don’t speak English, you won’t be lost. Many VPNs do not make this effort, and you have to be able to understand English to use such software.

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The interface is intuitive on MacOS, iOS, Windows and Android. On the left you will find a list of servers and countries, and on the right the connect (and disconnect) button. After choosing the desired location, simply click on “Connect” and wait about 10 seconds. In less than three clicks, you will be connected to your VPN. Your real IP address will be masked and you will get a new one located in the chosen region.

Our review of the Surfshark app is very positive because it’s quick to learn and universal to use, including first-time VPN users. Whether you are a cybersecurity expert or a computer novice, this VPN will be very easy to pick up. Simplicity is in appearance since the product itself is ultra secure.

Safety, at the heart of Surfshark

When using a VPN, security definitely comes into play. To learn more about how Surfshark VPN protects user data, let’s take a look at its privacy policy, stance on logging, and features of its application. Let’s start our Surfshark test and review with the data privacy policy.

VPN Privacy Policy

Surfshark is very transparent and this shows up in its privacy policy. It is not yet translated into French but with summaries in a few sentences of each part, understanding is easier. Otherwise, feel free to use an online translator. The latter will allow you to understand the details of its policy.

We have retained a few major points about this provider, which attaches particular importance to confidentiality. Surfshark collects very little data about you – knowing that you don’t have to prove your identity. In fact, it is limited to the information essential to the creation of an account by retaining only:

• Your email address
• your encrypted password
• some basic billing data (the amount paid, the currency used, the date of payment and the chosen subscription)

Note that the provider offers crypto-currencies (Bitcoin, etc.) in its payment methods in order to benefit from even greater confidentiality. If you don’t want to make yourself known, all you have to do is put an ephemeral email address and pay for your purchase in cryptocurrency. Surfshark VPN is not there to monitor you, you will have complete freedom.

Apart from this few personal information, he also retains technical information aimed at improving the use of his VPN, namely:

• global performance data
• how often you use your VPN
• the number of reported crashes
• the number of failed logins

This information is collected with the aim of providing the most efficient tool possible. They are collected globally in order to respect the anonymity of its users. This information is primarily about VPN usage, not your internet activities. They are not linked to your account and therefore will not put your privacy at risk.

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Discover Surfshark

In our opinion, Surfshark is at the top level when it comes to privacy. If you go to him, you can expect the highest level of security for your data. It does not communicate any information in case of request, you are totally protected. He himself does not know what is happening on his servers, he instantly erases all information. This is what we will see below.

The VPN’s “no-log” policy

The company that publishes Surfshark VPN is registered in the British Virgin Islands (like ExpressVPN). There is no data retention law there. Additionally, VPN providers are not subject to surveillance and information laws in this state. Surfshark therefore takes advantage of the jurisdiction in place and can therefore guarantee a “no-log” policy, that is to say without keeping connection logs and activity logs. Its security audit confirms it.

Not keeping logs is useful for recognizing a truly reliable VPN. This point must be really essential in your research. Moreover, our opinion on Surfshark necessarily takes this aspect into account. Here, you will therefore have no worries about your personal data. So far, it’s a “no-fault” in our Surfsark test and review.

Reinforced online protection at Surfshark

Now let’s move on to practicality. Rather than just relying on what the VPN says, we decided to find out what it offered to deliver the online security and protection it talks about. Below we have listed a number of useful features that make surfing the web safe with Surfshark.

Strong encryption

Surfshark encrypts the internet connection received and sent from your device using the AES-256 key. This key is so strong that even the most powerful computers would not be able to decipher it. This encryption is crucial to protect your internet traffic and not let anyone have access to your online activities. Surfshark VPN uses the same standards as ExpressVPN and other CyberGhost.

Hide IP address

Anonymity goes through the camouflage of your IP address since it is this number that allows websites to identify you and even know where you are located. By connecting with Surfshark VPN, this cannot happen as your IP address will be immediately masked. The one that will be visible on the internet will be that of one of the VPN servers. And given the number of IP addresses it has, you will be guaranteed to be completely anonymous, regardless of the site visited.

Kill Switch

The Kill Switch feature of VPNs is very useful for all Internet users. It is the Kill Switch that will be able to stop your internet traffic in the event of a VPN disconnection. Your data and identity will never be exposed to your ISP through this safety net. If the VPN stops responding, then you no longer have access to the internet. That said, our opinion of Surfshark is that it’s stable enough not to have this problem. It really is a spare tire.

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Surfshark has this Kill Switch, otherwise it’s clear that our Surfshark review wouldn’t have been so good. Normally, the Kill Switch is activated automatically. To check it, you can go to the settings to check if it is enabled or not. If this is not enabled, we urge you to do so, so as not to jeopardize your security efforts.

In this window, you can also view the IP address assigned to you.

MultiHop

The Surfshark app has a feature called MultiHop aimed at adding an extra layer of security. Thanks to MultiHop, your traffic will be redirected by two separate servers located in two different countries. Your data will therefore be double encrypted, thus considerably strengthening your protection. You can activate it from time to time, when your activities are considered “at risk” or if you are handling very sensitive information.

In addition, bear in mind that you will be located at the place of the final server and not the intermediate server. MultiHop is a very practical and quite rare tool among VPN publishers. It’s a clear advantage, and it reinforces our opinion of Surfshark – which is again very positive.

CleanWeb

In the settings of the Surfshark application, it is also possible to activate the CleanWeb function. It will block all advertisements, malware and avoid phishing attempts. It’s a mix between an ad-blocker and an antivirus. You can surf the internet with peace of mind from A to Z. Now let’s move on in this Surfshark review to the speed of the software.

VPN Speed ​​Analysis

It goes without saying that a quality VPN must have fast and reliable servers. This is one of the criteria to take into account in your choice. To find out what you can expect from Surfshark VPN, we ran extensive speed tests.

We first performed measurements under normal circumstances, i.e. without any VPN connection. Our ping was 10 ms, our download speed 228.32 Mb/s and 208.06 Mb/s upload.

We then connected to the “France – Bordeaux” server on the Surfshark interface. Our ping jumped from 10 to 18 ms and as far as speeds go, we were recording 150.10 Mb/s download and 112.16 Mb/s upload. According to the results, internet traffic is therefore lower. In fact, we don’t really feel this drop and our navigation still seems as fluid as ever, which is a good sign.

This time we chose to connect to a more distant server located in the United States. Our ping went to 120 ms and our speeds dropped to 43.17 Mb/s download and 50.72 Mb/s upload. Given the geographical distance, this is normal and our connection remains very correct. We do not perceive any significant slowdown and the loading of streaming movies is still going well.

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We therefore believe that Surfshark will not slow down your connection excessively. The speeds remain more than acceptable and you will be able to continue streaming in HD and downloading very large files without any problem. Even though the speed tests turned out to be good, ExpressVPN is far ahead in terms of speed. That said, Surfshark ranks in our Top 3 for speed.

Small tip: to optimize your speed, consider using the Whitelister function of Surfshark VPN. It lets you filter which apps need VPN protection and which don’t. You can, for example, choose to secure just the traffic coming from your mailbox or from your torrenting software.

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Does Surfshark manage to bypass blockages?

Blockages on the internet can be found in certain censored countries but also on the internal networks of your workplace or because of the geo-restriction of content.

Fortunately, Surfshark VPN is able to bypass most of these blocks. It does not work as well as its rival ExpressVPN since we sometimes had to change servers several times before being able to access a media site from the restrictive network. However, it still offers very good performance.

Surfshark puts a fist of honor to operate in countries practicing strong internet censorship as is the case in China, for example. To do this, it has the NoBorders function. By activating this mode in the application settings, you will be able to bypass existing restrictions, including the Chinese Firewall. In our opinion, Surfshark is one of the best for circumventing government censorship.

Is Surfshark suitable for streaming?

As you have seen in this Surfshark review, the VPN offers more than decent speeds and manages to bypass internet blockages. It is therefore excellent for everything related to video streaming and downloading torrents.

You are most likely aware that streaming platforms lock audio-visual content according to geographical regions because of broadcasting rights. By changing your IP address and your geolocation, you will be able to circumvent these geo-restrictions. You will have access to your movies and series in HD without waiting hours for loading since there is no buffering.

Surfshark unblocks several streaming platforms and notably offers access to 15 different Netflix libraries. You will therefore be able to access the Netflix US site and its large quantity of films and series. You can also access the UK or Canada catalog. The same goes for Amazon Prime Video or Hulu.

The Virtual Private Network is also perfectly suited for P2P downloading. With the encryption of your data, its private DNS on each server, its Kill Switch and MultiHop functions, one thing is certain: you have nothing to fear. No one will be able to find out what you are doing or who you are. This applies to Surfshark as well as your ISP or any government agency. You are in a bubble, anonymous.

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What is the price of Surfshark VPN?

Surfshark VPN has the advantage of being extremely affordable, which is totally in line with its goal of ensuring a free and secure internet for all. To simplify his offer, he decided to offer 3 formulas. They are transparent, accessible and competitive in terms of price. It is for this reason that people consider it to be the best value for money on the market.

In the end, you can save 80% compared to the usual price (over a month) over a year. It’s a bargain, and it’s 3x cheaper than ExpressVPN. In the premium VPN niche, none do as well as Surfshark in terms of price. As a reminder, you will have to pay the full price (€51.60) at once. That said, you have 30 days to change your mind about Surfshark and get a full refund.

Payment is made in one go and is of course secure. To pay for your subscription, credit cards are authorized as well as PayPal, Google Pay, Amazon Pay and even crypto-currencies (Bitcoin, Ether, etc.). These will allow you to be 100% anonymous from start to finish. This way you have the ultimate protection.

By subscribing to a subscription with Surfshark VPN, you are entitled to a free 30-day trial, of the “satisfied or your money back” type. This gives you time to make up your own mind about Surfshark. If you are not satisfied with the service, you are guaranteed to be refunded the full amount after informing customer support. The latter is available throughout the day, you will have no difficulty in contacting them.

How many devices can Surfshark be used on?

When you have subscribed to a VPN, it is common to install it on several of your devices. Indeed, it is in your interest to protect your computer, your smartphone or your tablet. If you can do it, it’s thanks to the simultaneous connections offered by the technology vendors. Generally, most VPNs offer 5 on average. The number rises to 7 at CyberGhost, for example.

With your Surfshark account, you will have the possibility to use the application on 10, 20, 50 or even more than 100 devices since it offers its members an unlimited number of simultaneous connections. This means you can protect all your devices, those of your family – and even those of your friends. In the end, you can therefore drastically lower the cost per protected device.

The application is available on Mac, iPad and iPhone but also on Windows computers, tablets and Android smartphones. It even works on Linux, the Fire TV Stick, and Smart TVs. Moreover, the application on Android Smart TV is appreciated by users and by our team. The installation only requires a simple scan of a QR code to link the VPN to your account, thus avoiding the manual registration of your identifiers.

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Now let’s finish with the quality of customer service in our Surfshark review.

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Is Surfshark customer support good?

VPNs may be a simple technology to use, but sometimes you can encounter some complications. At the slightest concern, it is therefore important to know that you can count on qualified personnel who will be able to help you solve your problem.

With Surfshark, know that you can count on support available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week (in English). From the simple request for information to the resolution of a more complex problem, you will obtain an almost instantaneous answer from an advisor thanks to the online chat. To add some details to your request, Live Chat allows you to send attachments. It will be necessary to request the support in English to obtain assistance.

Screenshot Surfshark © iPhone

To contact Surfshark customer support, you can also fill out an online form in its “Help” section. Admittedly, the answer comes slower than with instant messaging, but we can’t complain because we got an answer within 3 hours. Surfshark knows that customer support is key to becoming a great player – and they know it perfectly.

Finally, you can email support directly at support@surfshark.com . This is ideal for keeping track of your exchanges.

Anyway, we couldn’t form an opinion on Surfshark without trying its support and it passed the test with flying colors with its competent and available teams. On the other hand, keep in mind that all your requests must be made in English. If this is a sticking point for you, opt for CyberGhost which has an interface and support in French.

Conclusion: Surfshark, one of the best choices in 2022

Now it’s time to wrap up with our Surfshark review. Surfshark VPN has many advantages that we have highlighted throughout this article. This provider is serious and offers a very high level of online protection and privacy. Its performance is very good and its application offers a pleasant experience.

At the same time, it stands out by offering very attractive prices and an unlimited number of simultaneous connections (the only one on the market) to equip your devices and those of your family. With a subscription of around €2 per month, you shouldn’t hesitate too long. In addition, its “satisfied or refunded” guarantee allows you to test the application for free over a period of 30 days.

Discover Surfshark

You understood, our opinion on Surfshark is very good. This provider is certainly one of the best options in 2022. In terms of value for money, it is more competitive than ExpressVPN or CyberGhost. The latter are two or three times more expensive than him. It is therefore better to opt for the maximum discount available at the moment at Surfshark.