One of our primary concerns when reviewing a VPN is what kind of value it offers. Do you get a lot for what you pay for, or do you get less than the competition? Surfshark has numerous additional privacy features and takes the unusual move of placing no limits on the number of devices that can use a single account, making it an excellent value—even if the asking price is a bit high. The company also deserves credit for the efforts it is making to improve transparency.

What Is a VPN?

A VPN, or Virtual Private Network, allows you to create a secure connection to another network over the Internet. VPNs can be used to access region-restricted websites, shield your browsing activity from prying eyes on public Wi-Fi Network, and more.

These days VPNs are really popular, but not for the reasons they were originally created. They originally were just a way to connect business networks together securely over the internet or allow you to access a business network from home.

VPNs essentially forward all your network traffic to the network, which is where the benefits – like accessing local network resources remotely and bypassing Internet censorship – all come from. Most operating systems have integrated VPN support.

Surfshark VPN

An interesting VPN with a huge feature set and a surprisingly small price, Surfshark’s network has recently grown to 1040 servers spread across an impressive 160 locations in 64 countries, for instance – it’s no wonder it ranks so highly on our VPN countdown.

Pricing

Surfshark currently costs $11.95 per month, $71.88 every year, or $47.76 every two years. That’s a steep discount, but that’s not too unusual in the VPN market. I recommend starting with the shortest possible subscription, to make sure it works for you, and then increasing to longer subscription terms if you decide you like the service.

 It’s understandable that some users may feel apprehensive about starting a two-year plan, but most competitors are charging about the same overall for a single year of service. 

Streaming

Surfshark’s high-speed servers meant that we were able to stream in high definition, even though we were connected to an international server.

We switched its CleanWeb ad blocker on while We were testing out CWTV and YouTube to get rid of the pesky midroll ads, which made for an overall smoother streaming experience.

Your Privacy With Surfshark

Using a VPN requires a great amount of trust, because when your VPN is running, the company has as much insight into your online activities as your ISP does. If a VPN provider wanted to spy on your traffic, monetize your activity, or turn over your personal information to law enforcement, it very easily could. That’s why it’s important to understand the company’s privacy policy and the legal framework the company operates under.

Surfshark’s privacy features start with the VPN basics: secure protocols (OpenVPN UDP and TCP, IKEv2), AES-256 encryption, and a kill switch to block internet access and prevent identity leaks if the connection ever fails.

In general, Surfshark appears to be doing a good job of protecting user privacy. That said, security only works with trust.

Does Surfshark VPN work with Netflix?

Yes, Surfshark works perfectly fine with Netflix. It is quite consistent in unblocking several highly demanded Netflix regions including US, UK, Canada, Australia, and Germany.

Currently, Surfshark has around 1,700+ servers in about 63 countries. Although not all servers work for Netflix, a great many of these do, especially the US ones.

Overall, Surfshark’s performance with Netflix is quite remarkable as it can support HD quality streams due to its fast speed servers and stable connectivity.

Windows app

The Windows client interface is more versatile than most, adapting like a responsive website as you resize its window. At its smallest, the client looks much like any other VPN app, with a Connect button, status information and a list of locations. But expand or maximize the client window and it reformats to display new panels and options.Advertisement

Getting connected is easy. Tap the button, desktop notifications tell you when Surfshark connects and disconnects, and the interface updates to display your new virtual location and IP address

Techweu conclusion

Budget VPNs don’t have to be feature-free, and Surfshark is the proof – it’s absolutely stuffed with advanced functionality, yet is half the price of many competitors.

As You can select a server at the country or city level, and see the load on that server. You can also favorite a location for future use. It does not appear to be possible to choose between individual servers at the same location—an advanced feature which can be useful if you are having trouble accessing certain sites and services.