{"id":456546,"date":"2022-06-02T13:00:13","date_gmt":"2022-06-02T10:00:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/surfshark-vpn-review-blood-in-the-water\/"},"modified":"2022-06-02T13:00:13","modified_gmt":"2022-06-02T10:00:13","slug":"surfshark-vpn-review-blood-in-the-water","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/surfshark-vpn-review-blood-in-the-water\/","title":{"rendered":"#Surfshark VPN Review: Blood in the Water?"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_85 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a3be60d1ee66\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a3be60d1ee66\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/surfshark-vpn-review-blood-in-the-water\/#%E2%80%9CSurfshark_VPN_Review_Blood_in_the_Water%E2%80%9D\" >&#8220;Surfshark VPN Review: Blood in the Water?&#8221;<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/surfshark-vpn-review-blood-in-the-water\/#Heres_What_We_Like\" >Here&#8217;s What We Like<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/surfshark-vpn-review-blood-in-the-water\/#And_What_We_Dont\" >And What We Don&#8217;t<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/surfshark-vpn-review-blood-in-the-water\/#What_Can_Surfshark_Do\" >What Can Surfshark Do?<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/surfshark-vpn-review-blood-in-the-water\/#Getting_Into_Netflix\" >Getting Into Netflix<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/surfshark-vpn-review-blood-in-the-water\/#Surfshark_Nexus\" >Surfshark Nexus<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/surfshark-vpn-review-blood-in-the-water\/#Surfshark_NoBorders\" >Surfshark NoBorders<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/surfshark-vpn-review-blood-in-the-water\/#Price_How_Much_Does_Surfshark_VPN_Cost\" >Price: How Much Does Surfshark VPN Cost?<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/surfshark-vpn-review-blood-in-the-water\/#Surfshark_Refund_Policy\" >Surfshark Refund Policy<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/surfshark-vpn-review-blood-in-the-water\/#Interface_Easy-to-Use_on_Any_Device\" >Interface: Easy-to-Use on Any Device<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-11\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/surfshark-vpn-review-blood-in-the-water\/#Security_and_Privacy_Fantastic_After_Some_Tweaks\" >Security and Privacy: Fantastic After Some Tweaks<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-12\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/surfshark-vpn-review-blood-in-the-water\/#Internet_Speeds_Less_Than_Great\" >Internet Speeds: Less Than Great<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-13\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/surfshark-vpn-review-blood-in-the-water\/#Should_You_Choose_Surfshark_Over_Other_VPNs\" >Should You Choose Surfshark Over Other VPNs?<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-14\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/surfshark-vpn-review-blood-in-the-water\/#Heres_What_We_Like-2\" >Here\u2019s What We Like<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-15\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/surfshark-vpn-review-blood-in-the-water\/#And_What_We_Dont-2\" >And What We Don&#8217;t<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h1><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"%E2%80%9CSurfshark_VPN_Review_Blood_in_the_Water%E2%80%9D\"><\/span>&#8220;Surfshark VPN Review: Blood in the Water?&#8221;<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h1>\n<div>\n<div class=\"single-review-card\">\n<div class=\"review-card-heading\" style=\"\">\n<div class=\"rating\" style=\"\">Rating:<br \/>\n<strong><br \/>6\/10<\/strong><br \/>\n<strong class=\"more-info-hover\">?<\/strong><br \/>\n<strong class=\"rating-info\"><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>1 &#8211; Absolute Hot Garbage<\/li>\n<li>2 &#8211; Sorta Lukewarm Garbage<\/li>\n<li>3 &#8211; Strongly Flawed Design<\/li>\n<li>4 &#8211; Some Pros, Lots Of Cons<\/li>\n<li>5 &#8211; Acceptably Imperfect<\/li>\n<li>6 &#8211; Good Enough to Buy On Sale<\/li>\n<li>7 &#8211; Great, But Not Best-In-Class<\/li>\n<li>8 &#8211; Fantastic, with Some Footnotes<\/li>\n<li>9 &#8211; Shut Up And Take My Money<\/li>\n<li>10 &#8211; Absolute Design Nirvana<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><\/strong>\n<\/div>\n<p>Price: <strong><br \/>$12.95\/month<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<figure style=\"width: 1200px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"type:primaryImage size-full wp-image-808699\" data-pagespeed-lazy-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/Branded_photos-5.jpeg?width=398&amp;trim=1,1&amp;bg-color=000&amp;pad=1,1 400w, https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/Branded_photos-5.jpeg?width=1198&amp;trim=1,1&amp;bg-color=000&amp;pad=1,1 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, 400w, 1200w\" data-pagespeed-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/Branded_photos-5.jpeg?width=1198&amp;trim=1,1&amp;bg-color=000&amp;pad=1,1\" alt=\"Surfshark VPN running on a MacBook and iPhone\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\" src=\"\/pagespeed_static\/1.JiBnMqyl6S.gif\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span class=\"type:primaryImage imagecredit\"><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/surfshark.sjv.io\/c\/156932\/549775\/9043?subId1=htg&amp;subId2=808578&amp;sharedid=&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Fsurfshark.com%2F\">Surfshark<\/a><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/surfshark.sjv.io\/c\/156932\/549775\/9043?subId1=htg&amp;subId2=808578&amp;sharedid=&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Fsurfshark.com\">Surfshark<\/a> has grown in popularity following its acquisition by NordVPN and then with its announcement of the\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/surfshark.sjv.io\/c\/156932\/549775\/9043?subId1=htg&amp;subId2=808578&amp;sharedid=&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Fsurfshark.com%2Fsurfshark-nexus-technology\">Nexus<\/a>\u00a0VPN standard. Product announcements aside, though, how good is Surfshark really, and are there noticeable traces of the takeover by NordVPN? I\u2019ll take a look in this full review.<\/p>\n<div class=\"review-card-body-inline\">\n<div class=\"text\">\n<div class=\"pros\">\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Heres_What_We_Like\"><\/span>Here&#8217;s What We Like<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Great for Netflix<\/li>\n<li>Cheap when on sale<\/li>\n<li>Easy to use<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"cons\">\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"And_What_We_Dont\"><\/span>And What We Don&#8217;t<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Slow<\/li>\n<li>Expensive &#8220;real&#8221; price<\/li>\n<li>Defaults to poor protocol<\/li>\n<li>Long connection times<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h2 role=\"heading\" aria-level=\"2\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_Can_Surfshark_Do\"><\/span>What Can Surfshark Do?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Overall, Surfshark is a decent VPN. It does everything you need a virtual private network to do, including encryting your connection and spoofing your location. It also does a good job of <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/802194\/can-you-still-stream-netflix-or-other-services-with-a-vpn\/\">getting through to Netflix, though of course this may not remain the case forever. You can also use it just fine for torrenting. However, it comes with some downsides, particularly its mediocre speeds.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"admonishment_tip\"><p><strong>Tip:<\/strong> Check out our guide to what a VPN is if you\u2019d like to know more about VPN basics.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>As a result, it\u2019s hard to place Surfshark. While it\u2019s among the best VPNs thanks to the extremely low price of its initial plan and it currently does well with streaming, I\u2019m not entirely sure if that weighs up against its low speeds. It also misses the mark in some other areas, some more important than others.<\/p>\n<p>For example, in June 2022, it has a widespread server network, with over 3,200 servers in 65 countries. This is roughly on par with NordVPN, which has about 5,000 servers, albeit in fewer countries (60).<\/p>\n<p>Then again, ExpressVPN serves over 90 countries, while <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.hidemyass.com\/servers\">HideMyAss<\/a> boasts servers in 210 countries (which is more countries than are in the UN; it designates several dependencies as independent countries to make that math work). While 65 countries is fine and will do well for most people, it doesn\u2019t make Surfshark stand out, either.<\/p>\n<p>Another thing that irks us a little about Surfshark is its very long connection times. While I <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">app<\/a>reciate establishing a VPN tunnel between two servers isn\u2019t instantaneous, I\u2019m a little unsure why it takes Surfshark up to ten seconds at times. NordVPN, for one, only takes a few seconds to do this.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-808585\" data-pagespeed-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/surfshark-connecting.png?trim=1,1&amp;bg-color=000&amp;pad=1,1\" alt=\"Surfshark making a connection\" width=\"879\" height=\"503\" src=\"\/pagespeed_static\/1.JiBnMqyl6S.gif\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s little annoyances like this that make Surfshark feel a little unpolished at times.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Getting_Into_Netflix\"><\/span>Getting Into Netflix<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>However, a lot of these minor criticisms are made good by how well Surfshark handles Netflix, or at least how well it works at the time of writing, in June 2022. The simple fact remains that when <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/750697\/how-to-use-a-vpn-for-netflix\/\">using a VPN for Netflix, you\u2019re never sure if it will work or not. In the past, for example, Surfshark had great trouble cracking Netflix, as did other VPNs, like NordVPN and ExpressVPN.<\/p>\n<p>Right now, though, Surfshark is where it\u2019s at. When I tested, every single UK server I tried worked right away, as did the ones in the United States. In fact, it went so well that I only tried three times instead of the normal five or so. Hulu also seemed to work pretty well, though it seems Amazon Prime Video is still off-limits, which is normal.<\/p>\n<p>I was very surprised at how well Surfshark manages streaming services, to be honest, as it used to have some trouble in this department. However, there\u2019s one development that may hold the answer: Surfshark Nexus.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Surfshark_Nexus\"><\/span>Surfshark Nexus<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Surfshark Nexus is a newly developed <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/technology\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"4\" title=\"Technology\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">technology<\/a> that allows Surfshark to randomize <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/341307\/how-do-ip-addresses-work\/\">IP addresses. While I admit I was a little skeptical of this at first (VPNs make a lot of promises they rarely fulfill), it seems to be working pretty well, at least for Netflix. The improved speeds promised by Nexus are still far away.<\/p>\n<p>That said, the other explanation could be that Surfshark managed to get its hands on a large number of \u201cclean\u201d IPs to get into Netflix. Whatever the case may be, right now it works, and well.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Surfshark_NoBorders\"><\/span>Surfshark NoBorders<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Another interesting feature Surfshark offers is NoBorders, which promises special technology to get past internet blocks. This may seem like a great buy if you need to <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/792867\/how-to-escape-internet-censorship\/\">escape censorship, but thankfully you don\u2019t need anything special to do so. Any VPN can handle this for you, so if you don\u2019t like Surfshark, you can simply use another service.<\/p>\n<p>Like its vaunted multi-hop connections, this is just a bit of advertising copy that Surfshark has put up to draw in customers. In this case, and most others, all you really need to worry about are core features, which is something Surfshark handles well enough.<\/p>\n<h2 role=\"heading\" aria-level=\"2\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Price_How_Much_Does_Surfshark_VPN_Cost\"><\/span>Price: How Much Does Surfshark VPN Cost?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Though overall I may seem less than enthusiastic about Surfshark, it has one huge upside: it\u2019s downright cheap. If you sign up for the two-year plan, you pay just under $60, while the one-year plan is just $48 (there will be a banner on the site that claims this offer is temporary; it is not).<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-808584\" data-pagespeed-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/surfshark-pricing.png?trim=1,1&amp;bg-color=000&amp;pad=1,1\" alt=\"Surfshark pricing schedule\" width=\"1200\" height=\"460\" src=\"\/pagespeed_static\/1.JiBnMqyl6S.gif\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><\/p>\n<p>However, there are a few caveats attached to this price: it only applies the first time you sign up. As it states in the fine print that is a little too translucent for our taste, after the initial period ends, you\u2019ll pay $96 per year. Unsurprisingly, automatic renewal has been switched on for the customer\u2019s convenience.<\/p>\n<p>At $30 per year, Surfshark\u2019s\u00a0teaser rate is an okay buy, but at almost $100 once the promo period ends, I\u2019m a lot less keen on it. For that money, you\u2019d be much better off signing up to ExpressVPN\u2014we compare the two providers in our <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/762463\/surfshark-vs-expressvpn\/\">ExpressVPN vs Surfshark piece if you\u2019d like to know more details.<\/p>\n<p>NordVPN does much the same, offering a very low rate to start with and then upping it dramatically when it\u2019s time to sign on for real. For our money, I recommend you sign on to either one for two years, and then the other once that period is up. After four years have passed, you can then opt for another, third, cheap service. I don\u2019t recommend paying full price for Surfshark.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Surfshark_Refund_Policy\"><\/span>Surfshark Refund Policy<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>If you\u2019re not too sure about Surfshark but two years of service for $60 sounds good, then you\u2019ll be happy to know that there\u2019s a 30-day money-back guarantee in place. However, you should know that, while you will get your money back, you\u2019ll need to put up with some shenanigans to do so.<\/p>\n<p>For example, when I went to get our refund, I had to send a total of four emails to Surfshark support. Each time I sent our polite request for them to honor their money-back guarantee, I got something back asking us to reconsider, usually reciting one of their marketing claims about how Surfshark is the best, etc, etc.<\/p>\n<p>Again, I got our money back in the end, it just wasn\u2019t exactly a smooth process.<\/p>\n<h2 role=\"heading\" aria-level=\"2\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Interface_Easy-to-Use_on_Any_Device\"><\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" name=\"autotoc_anchor_6\">Interface: Easy-to-Use on Any Device<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Using Surfshark is a breeze. The interface has been put together really well and you won\u2019t have any trouble figuring out how to use it. It eschews NordVPN\u2019s graphical interface (check out our <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/757119\/surfshark-vs-nordvpn\/\">Surfshark vs NordVPN article to see where else it differs) for a simple one that has a list of servers on the left and a connect button on the right.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-808582\" data-pagespeed-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/surfshark-interface.png?trim=1,1&amp;bg-color=000&amp;pad=1,1\" alt=\"Surfshark main interface\" width=\"879\" height=\"500\" src=\"\/pagespeed_static\/1.JiBnMqyl6S.gif\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s simple and gives you a great overview, so you never truly feel lost. The worst thing I can say about it is that the interface stuttered a little at times, though that could also be because I tested it on a virtual machine running Windows 10. Besides that and the long connection times, Surfshark is easy to use.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"admonishment_note\"><p><strong>Note:<\/strong> Surfshark VPN has applications available for <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/surfshark.sjv.io\/c\/156932\/549775\/9043?subId1=htg&amp;subId2=808578&amp;sharedid=&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Fsurfshark.com%2Fdownload\/macos\">Mac<\/a>, <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/surfshark.sjv.io\/c\/156932\/549775\/9043?subId1=htg&amp;subId2=808578&amp;sharedid=&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Fsurfshark.com%2Fdownload\/windows\">Windows<\/a>, <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/surfshark.sjv.io\/c\/156932\/549775\/9043?subId1=htg&amp;subId2=808578&amp;sharedid=&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Fsurfshark.com%2Fdownload\/linux\">Linux<\/a>, <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/apps.apple.com\/us\/app\/vpn-surfshark-fast-secure\/id1391782046\">iPhone<\/a>, <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/apps.apple.com\/us\/app\/vpn-surfshark-fast-secure\/id1391782046\">iPad<\/a>, and\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/play.google.com\/store\/apps\/details?id=com.surfshark.vpnclient.android&amp;referrer=utm_source%3Ddirect%26utm_medium%3Dnone\">Android<\/a>, with extensions\/add-ons for <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/chrome.google.com\/webstore\/detail\/surfshark-vpn-extension\/ailoabdmgclmfmhdagmlohpjlbpffblp\">Chrome<\/a>, <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/addons.mozilla.org\/en-US\/firefox\/addon\/surfshark-vpn-proxy\/\">Firefox<\/a>, and <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/microsoftedge.microsoft.com\/addons\/detail\/surfshark-vpn\/jkhapebnlgocjncbbfccgiepjlghehmj\">Microsoft Edge<\/a>.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>I also like the settings screen, accessed through the vertical bar on the far left. It clearly lays out all your options, which is great because you\u2019ll need to change a few to make the most of Surfshark, something I\u2019ll talk about next.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-808581\" data-pagespeed-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/surfshark-settings.png?trim=1,1&amp;bg-color=000&amp;pad=1,1\" alt=\"Surfshark settings menu\" width=\"881\" height=\"500\" src=\"\/pagespeed_static\/1.JiBnMqyl6S.gif\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><\/p>\n<h2 role=\"heading\" aria-level=\"2\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Security_and_Privacy_Fantastic_After_Some_Tweaks\"><\/span>Security and Privacy: Fantastic After Some Tweaks<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>When it comes to how safe Surfshark is, the news is mixed. When it comes to your private information, the service claims to be a <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/717096\/what-is-a-no-log-vpn-and-why-is-that-important-for-privacy\/\">no-log VPN, so it does not keep a ledger of your online activity while connected. In the end, you always need to take these claims at face value, but so far there\u2019s no reason not to believe Surfshark\u2019s assertions.<\/p>\n<p>When it comes to how safe you are, though, there are a few things you should keep in mind. The first is that Surfshark will, unless you change this, automatically assign you a VPN protocol when it connects to a server. Plenty of VPNs do this, but Surfshark has the unpleasant habit of defaulting to the IKEv2 protocol, which is fast, but not as secure.<\/p>\n<p>I suspect Surfshark does this to make up for its modest speeds, but we really don\u2019t like IKE and recommend that you change the protocol to something else\u2014OpenVPN-TCP is always good. I did so and, as a result, my speed test results in the next section are quite a bit lower than in most other reviews.<\/p>\n<p>The other oversight on Surfshark\u2019s part is that it has its kill switch off as a default, something else it shares with NordVPN. I really don\u2019t understand why it does this, as a kill switch is a pretty important part of your security setup as it will shut down your internet connection if the VPN fails. Thankfully, you can easily switch it on, but I think it\u2019s an odd thing to have off by default.<\/p>\n<p>Naturally, we ran security tests on a few of Surfshark\u2019s connections, and all came up clean as a whistle. As far as we can tell, Surfshark is perfectly secure.<\/p>\n<h2 role=\"heading\" aria-level=\"2\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Internet_Speeds_Less_Than_Great\"><\/span>Internet Speeds: Less Than Great<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>When it comes to internet speeds, Surfshark usually does well, as long as you use its protocol switching method which, as mentioned earlier, I suspect usually defaults to the slightly dodgy IKEv2. However, when set to OpenVPN, Surfshark\u2019s speeds are abysmal, taking a hit of over 80%, even on relatively close locations.<\/p>\n<p>I conducted tests from Cyprus and connected to servers in Israel, the UK, New York City, and Japan using OpenVPN-TCP. Our base speed without a VPN engaged was just north of 100Mbps. I took each reading three times to make sure there weren\u2019t any anomalies; in each case, I took the best result. Below you can find a table with my readings.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-808580\" data-pagespeed-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/surfshark-base-speed.png?trim=1,1&amp;bg-color=000&amp;pad=1,1\" alt=\"Unprotected speed test\" width=\"722\" height=\"320\" src=\"\/pagespeed_static\/1.JiBnMqyl6S.gif\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><\/p>\n<p>As we recommend in our <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/723924\/how-to-test-your-vpn-speed-and-how-to-speed-up-a-vpn\/\">VPN speed testing guide, I used <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"http:\/\/speedtest.net\">speedtest.net<\/a> for our measurements.<\/p>\n<p>As you can see, these results are pretty bad. Generally speaking, a server as close by as the one in Israel (roughly 300km or 200 miles away) should give us decent speeds as distance is the biggest factor when calculating VPN speed loss. However, I got speeds as poor as those connecting to New York City, which is more than 5,000 miles away.<\/p>\n<p>Normally, you\u2019d ascribe this to the server having a bad day, but the fact that the server in London (3,000km or 2,000 miles away) still only gets 17 percent of the original speed shows that the issue is likely systemic. Even considering how far Japan and the U.S. are from Cyprus, these speeds are still pretty bad.<\/p>\n<div class=\"moka-mce-table-wrap\">\n<table class=\"moka-mce-table-styling\" style=\"border-collapse: collapse; width: 99.8571%;\" data-skiptableautocorrect=\"true\">\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 29.5714%;\">Location<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 11.2857%;\">Ping<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 31.7143%;\">Download (Mbps)<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 27.2857%;\">Upload (Mbps)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 29.5714%;\">Unprotected (Cyprus)<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 11.2857%;\">4<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 31.7143%;\">102<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 27.2857%;\">31<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 29.5714%;\">Israel<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 11.2857%;\">264<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 31.7143%;\">8<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 27.2857%;\">10<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 29.5714%;\">United Kingdom<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 11.2857%;\">131<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 31.7143%;\">17<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 27.2857%;\">11<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 29.5714%;\">NYC<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 11.2857%;\">267<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 31.7143%;\">8<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 27.2857%;\">6<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 29.5714%;\">Japan<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 11.2857%;\">604<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 31.7143%;\">3<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 27.2857%;\">3<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n<p>The bottom line is that if you want a connection that\u2019s both fast and safe, you may want to look further than Surfshark.<\/p>\n<h2 role=\"heading\" aria-level=\"2\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Should_You_Choose_Surfshark_Over_Other_VPNs\"><\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" name=\"autotoc_anchor_9\">Should You Choose Surfshark Over Other VPNs?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/surfshark.sjv.io\/c\/156932\/549775\/9043?subId1=htg&amp;subId2=808578&amp;sharedid=&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Fsurfshark.com\">Surfshark<\/a> is a little hard to place: while I like how well it handles Netflix and how cheap it is for first-time buyers, it lacks a certain panache that other services have. Add to that its mediocre speeds\u2014which may impact your Netflix experience\u2014and overall I\u2019m going to give it a pass.<\/p>\n<p>However, if Netflix is your main priority and you don\u2019t mind using Surfshark\u2019s default protocol, then it may be worth the buy, especially at the introductory price.<\/p>\n<div class=\"single-review-card border\">\n<div class=\"review-card-heading\">\nRating: <strong><br \/>6\/10<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Price: <strong><br \/>$12.95\/month<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"review-card-body\">\n<div class=\"text\">\n<div class=\"pros\">\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Heres_What_We_Like-2\"><\/span>Here\u2019s What We Like<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Great for Netflix<\/li>\n<li>Cheap when on sale<\/li>\n<li>Easy to use<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"cons\">\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"And_What_We_Dont-2\"><\/span>And What We Don&#8217;t<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Slow<\/li>\n<li>Expensive &#8220;real&#8221; price<\/li>\n<li>Defaults to poor protocol<\/li>\n<li>Long connection times<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><script>\n setTimeout(function(){\n  !function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s)\n  {if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function(){n.callMethod?\n  n.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments)};\n  if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n;n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version='2.0';\n  n.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0;\n  t.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0];\n  s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s) } (window, document,'script',\n  'https:\/\/connect.facebook.net\/en_US\/fbevents.js');\n   fbq('init', '335401813750447');\n   fbq('track', 'PageView');\n  },3000);\n<\/script><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMLG0nwswvr63Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">For forums sites go to <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/forum.buradabiliyorum.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Forum.BuradaBiliyorum.Com<\/a><\/span><\/strong>\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more like this article, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/technology\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Technology category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/808578\/surfshark-vpn-review\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;Surfshark VPN Review: Blood in the Water?&#8221; Rating: 6\/10 ? 1 &#8211; Absolute Hot Garbage 2 &#8211; Sorta Lukewarm Garbage 3 &#8211; Strongly Flawed Design 4 &#8211; Some Pros, Lots Of Cons 5 &#8211; Acceptably Imperfect 6 &#8211; Good Enough to Buy On Sale 7 &#8211; Great, But Not Best-In-Class 8 &#8211; Fantastic, with Some&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":456547,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/Branded_photos-5.jpeg?height=200p&trim=2,2,2,2","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-456546","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-technology"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/456546","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=456546"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/456546\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/456547"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=456546"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=456546"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=456546"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}