Surfshark in brief
Surfshark launched in 2018 with a simple promise: do everything NordVPN does, cheaper, and with unlimited connections. Seven years later, the recipe still works — so well, in fact, that in 2022 Surfshark was acquired by Nord Security, NordVPN’s parent company. The two services remain independent in terms of product, infrastructure and team, but now share some resources.
The result in 2026: Surfshark is still the best value for money on the market for anyone who wants a serious VPN without paying full price.
Surfshark pricing in 2026
Surfshark offers three plans:
| Plan | 1 month | 1 year | 2 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starter | €15.45 | €3.19 | €2.19 |
| One (+ antivirus, alerts) | €17.95 | €4.09 | €3.19 |
| One+ (+ Incogni) | €22.95 | €6.59 | €5.89 |
Prices in €/month, billed upfront.
Our recommendation: Starter 2-year for most users. The One plan is worth considering if you don’t already have an antivirus, and Incogni (bundled into One+) is a genuinely useful service that removes your personal data from data brokers on your behalf — at €5.89/month on a 2-year plan, it’s excellent value if you take Incogni seriously.
Promotions (frequent at Surfshark) regularly drop the 2-year plan down to €2.09 or €1.99 with 3 to 5 extra months free.
Security and no-logs
Surfshark meets the standards of a modern VPN:
- AES-256-GCM encryption
- WireGuard (default), OpenVPN and IKEv2 protocols
- Kill switch available on every platform
- 100% RAM servers since 2021 — no physical disks
The no-logs policy has been audited several times by Cure53 (2018, 2021, 2023) and by Deloitte in 2023. The public reports confirm that Surfshark retains no IP addresses, no connection timestamps and no browsing history.
Jurisdiction: Surfshark is based in the Netherlands. On paper that’s not ideal (the Netherlands is part of the 9 Eyes), but the country imposes no data-retention obligations on VPNs, and independent audits remain the best evidence of trustworthiness.
Speed and performance
Surfshark isn’t quite as fast as NordVPN, but it’s still well above average.
Our measurements (April 2026)
Tests run from Paris on a 1 Gb/s fibre line using the WireGuard protocol.
| Destination | Without VPN | With Surfshark | Loss |
|---|---|---|---|
| France | 920 Mb/s | 830 Mb/s | 9.8% |
| United Kingdom | 920 Mb/s | 790 Mb/s | 14% |
| United States (NY) | 920 Mb/s | 650 Mb/s | 29% |
| Japan | 920 Mb/s | 380 Mb/s | 59% |
Conclusion: imperceptible in day-to-day use on European servers. 4K streaming, video calls and gaming all remain perfectly smooth. On distant servers, Surfshark is roughly 5-10% behind NordVPN, but remains very much on par with the rest of the competition.
Streaming: Surfshark’s strong suit
On most major platforms, Surfshark unblocks without effort. Here’s our test table:
| Platform | Result |
|---|---|
| Netflix US | Works (New York server) |
| Netflix UK | Works |
| Netflix Japan | Works |
| Disney+ | All tested regions |
| BBC iPlayer | Works without special server |
| Prime Video | US, UK, FR |
| Hulu | Works |
| Canal+ (from abroad) | Works |
| France.tv | Works |
Picture quality remains 4K on Netflix and Disney+ thanks to the available throughput.
Flagship features
CleanWeb — the built-in blocker
CleanWeb is a genuine bonus: a DNS filter that blocks ads, trackers and malicious sites automatically. On an ad-heavy news site, we measured around 60% bandwidth saved and pages loading 30% faster.
MultiHop (double VPN)
Your traffic runs through two consecutive servers (for example: France → Netherlands → your target site). Useful when privacy is critical, but costs you 20-30% of your throughput.
Bypasser (split tunneling)
Pick which apps go through the VPN and which use your direct connection. Perfect for banking services (which loathe VPNs) or geolocated sites that need to stay on a local IP.
NoBorders
A special mode designed for countries with strict filtering (China, Russia, Iran). Handy when travelling.
Unlimited connections
THE feature that makes the difference. A single subscription for all your devices, and every device in your family. For multi-user households, it’s a game-changer.
Ease of use
Apps available on:
- Windows, macOS, Linux
- Android, iOS
- Android TV, Fire TV, Apple TV
- Chrome, Firefox, Edge extensions
- Routers (manual configuration)
The interface feels a little more playful than NordVPN’s, with server selection via a list or a map. Installation takes 3 minutes.
Customer support
24/7 live chat in English, knowledge base available in French. The agents are competent and answer within 1-3 minutes. Small drawback: French-language support is email-only and can take 12-24 h.
Detailed scoring
- Speed: 9.3/10 — Very fast, just behind NordVPN
- Security: 9.4/10 — Regular audits, RAM servers, WireGuard
- Streaming: 9.4/10 — Every major platform covered
- Price: 9.8/10 — Unbeatable value for money
- Ease of use: 9.3/10 — Clear interface, unlimited connections
Who is Surfshark for?
Ideal if: you want a very complete VPN at a knockdown price, with enough connections to equip a whole family. Perfect for tight budgets and multi-user households.
Consider alternatives if: you want the absolute best regardless of price (→ NordVPN), or you need the densest server network (→ NordVPN or CyberGhost).
Our verdict
Surfshark is in 2026 the smartest alternative to NordVPN. It does 90% of what its big brother does for 30-40% less, with unlimited connections thrown in. If your budget is tight, if you’re equipping several users, or if you simply want to maximise value for money: go for Surfshark without hesitation.
✅ Strengths
- Unlimited simultaneous connections
- Best value for money on the market
- CleanWeb: built-in ad & tracker blocker
- Independent no-log audits
- Excellent for international streaming
❌ Weaknesses
- Smaller server network than NordVPN
- A few slow servers at peak hours