Estimated reading time: 9 minutes

About Surfshark

Surfshark is a VPN service company, which was established in 2018. The main headquarters is located in Lithuania, while Surfshark B.V. (the company developing cybersecurity software) is registered in the Netherlands. It’s popular a VPN most especially amongst Nord users. Fun fact, did you know that Surfshark is the parent company of NordVPN and security? Though they weren’t originally so, they were originally separate companies until they announced in February 2022 about their merging. But they still operate as separate companies, with separate VPN infrastructures.

Features of Surfshark VPN

Below are the features mentioned by Surfshark;

Kill Switch

IP Address

No Log Data

Split Tunneling / Bypasser

Reverse Bypasser

Surfshark Search

Surfshark Alert

Netflix

CleanWeb

Camouflage Mode

Torrenting

VPN Protocol

Low Latency Server (Surfshark’s US is the fastest on its list. The server in New York to be precise, with a download speed of 83.27 Mbps and an upload speed of 65.59 Mbps.)

Kill Switch

The feature disconnects your device from the internet as soon as your VPN protection is switched off. It’s convenient for cases where the software is facing certain issues.

IP Address

This function changes your visible IP address and location. This means that the IP address shown to your internet provider or the websites visited isn’t your actual address and location. This function is convenient because not every site or app can be accessed from certain countries.

No Log Data

According to Surfshark, they don’t save any log of your activities, so you can surf the net or do whatever you’re into without any worry.

Split Tunneling or Bypasser

Surfshark talked about their VPN having a split tunneling function. In other words, you could select specific apps or websites which will be given access to bypass the VPN entirely and connect to your network provider. Meaning that it app or website will not be routed through the VPN connection. This function is really important, such as in cases where your bank needs your real location to make sure it’s you.

Reverse Bypasser

This function allows you to use a device as normal with all your app or website accessing the internet through your network provider. Except for some selected apps or websites which will only access the internet through the VPN tunnel. Other apps will show your real IP address.

Surfshark Search

Surfshark has this function for those who are too paranoid to the point of refusing the use of their device’s default search engine; like google, bing or spotlight. The VPN has a search engine that its users can use in place of their search engines.

Surfshark Alert

This function alerts the users in cases where their data is ever stolen, or sold by hackers. And it would send you real-time alert messages if you’re ever breached in the future.

Netflix

Unlike some VPNs like IPVanish, Surfshark grants you access to not only US Netflix, but to a lot of other countries like; the UK, Canada, India, Australia, Japan, etc. So no need to worry about not being able to watch your favorite shows due to the issue of your location.

Clean Web

According to Surfshark, the works as an adblocker. It  will block ads and malicious links on your browser before your device is harmed.

Camouflage Mode

It makes your connection look normal, to the point that your network provider won’t know that you’re using a VPN.

How does Surfshark compare with your favorite VPNs?

I’ll be using ExpressVPN and CyberGhost VPN as a comparison with Surfshark.

Though Surfshark has servers in 65+ countries, a lot of features, and high-security protocols, ExpressVPN wins this one. ExpressVPN has better speed, security, and accessibility. But Surfshark has an excellent low-cost premium VPN.

When it comes to CyberGhost VPN, it’s no longer a challenge, it dominates its opponent. CyberGhost has about 9279 servers in 91 countries, it has a better speed, and impressive security features and its subscription offers aren’t bad.

Compatibility with Tor

And yes, it can be used together with your TOR browser. You only need to connect to your preferred location using your Surfshark app, and then launch the TOR browser. The browser will receive a request from the VPN’s IP rather than yours.

Pricing – Is it worth it?

When it comes to VPNs, Surfshark has one of the best pricing out there. With a monthly sub of just $2.49 monthly and $29.88 as their yearly sub. I mean come on, you could hardly see an offer that’s as low as this, though this is just for the first year.

It would then be $3.98 monthly and $95.52 (or $77.64 after the first 24 months) after the first 12 months.

Or you could pay $12.95 for the first two months, then $14.44 per month as a monthly subscription, if you don’t VPN that much, or just need it for just a month.

So you tell me is the pricing worth it?

Supporting Operating Systems

The software is available for most devices like Windows, macOS, Android devices, Linux, and iOS. It’s also supported by popular browsers like Chrome, Firefox, and Edge. So most users don’t have to worry about the availability, compatibility, and accessibility of the software.

Pros & Cons

We’ve talked about the app, regions where it’s available or supported, its features, pricing, etc. It’s about time we talked about what its users have to gain or lose by using the app.

Pro Aspect

Surfshark has a lot to offer to the point where some of its cons seem pointless. I’m sure you’ve seen the features of the app right? And those aren’t even all the application has to offer.

For instance, the software has a lot of features that were mentioned above, but other than that, below are other features that its users enjoy.

Override GPS location.

NoBorders.

Invisible to devices.

Auto-connect.

Start with Windows.

Change Protocol.

Change Data Encryption.

Static Servers.

Multi-Hop servers.

Small Packets.

To read more on the above-mentioned features, click here.

Con Aspect

Is it really fast?

The first issue that its user noticed was in the location settings, (like the option where you select the location which is shown to your network provider, or the site you visit).

The software was meant to connect you to the nearest country where their server is installed. It seems normal and logical, right? But what do you think happens when there’s a server in your country? And to make it fun, what do you think if the server is in the same city as you? And what if it is next to you in the same neighborhood?

Won’t that defeat the purpose of hiding your location and giving out a random one? So although the VPN is fast, this option has been a problem for its users. So it’s normally advised for the users to manually select their desired location themselves.

But is it really Cheap?

One of the reasons why Surfshark is loved by many is because, it’s good, stable, and fast, even when compared with other VPNs in the competition. But there’s a reason for it being cheap.

Call it separation, or discrimination, it’s all still the same. And the reason is that, just like every other company out there, Surfshark favor’s the rich more. They separated their core VPN from the extra features and offer which aren’t normally found in other VPNs.

Extra features like Antivirus, Email monitoring, Surfshark alerts, Surfshark Search, and more, are in their premium or Surfshark One package. So you need to pay more in other to enjoy those features, which drastically increases your monthly subscription.

So do you still feel that it’s cheap?

Frequently Asked Questions

Ø Is Surfshark VPN Free?

It is for the first 30 days, but after that, you’d need to subscribe to their monthly or yearly plans.

Ø Is Surfshark VPN a good VPN?

It’s one of the best and most used VPNs out there.

Ø Can Surfshark be Traced?

No, it can’t, at least not by the normal standard. So you do not need to worry when using the VPN.

Ø How Much is Surfshark a Month?

Their monthly plan is $2.49 monthly and $29.88 is their yearly.

It would then be $3.98 monthly and $95.52 (or $77.64 after the first 24 months) after the first 12 months.

Or you could pay $12.95 for the first two months, then $14.44 per month

Conclusion

It’s an awesome VPN by my standard, I mean come on, its fast, secure, and stable, but most importantly, it’s trusted. So if you ever need a VPN that feats the above-mentioned features, I’d recommend you use Surfshark.