Surfshark is a privacy protection company offering a seamless VPN with a strong focus on security. It offers intuitive apps for all devices, thousands of IP addresses in more than 65 locations, and 3200+ bare-metal servers.

Surfshark VPN is an ideal solution for small businesses or big families as it offers unlimited simultaneous connections per each account. On top of that, it’s one of the few VPN providers that had a successful independent audit and has received a seal of approval from the AV-TEST, an independent IT-security institute.

Surfshark VPN is our latest Editors' Choice winner for VPNs, and also one of the most expensive.

But the company does a good job of justifying that cost, with unlimited device connections, an improving and expanding product, and excellent apps. Surfshark VPN has also backed up its claims with a third-party audit. In a crowded field, Surfshark VPN continues to impress.

What Do You Get for Your Money?

Surfshark's real strengths are the rarely seen features it provides. Bypasser, for instance, is a split tunneling tool that lets you decide which apps and websites use the VPN connection. It's handy because some sites block access from VPNs, so you need to disable it to get to them. Surfshark's solution is tidy and far easier to use than competitors'.

Another feature often absent from VPN services is multi-hop, which creates a VPN connection to a server and then bounces your traffic to a second VPN server for even greater security. Surfshark's multi-hop connections are limited to the premade ones the company supplies, whereas IVPN lets you create a multi-hop connection between any two of its servers.

One rare feature Surfshark currently does not offer is access to Tor via VPN, which is available through NordVPN and ProtonVPN. You don't need a VPN to use Tor, but this kind of push-button access is convenient.

Many VPN companies offer extra-cost add-ons to your base subscription. NordVPN and others supply private, static IP addresses, which are useful any time you find your VPN connection blocked. Surfshark VPN does not offer dedicated IP addresses for purchase, but it does allow customers to access static servers for free. Anyone who uses a Surfshark static server shares an IP address with everyone else using the same server.

Surfshark VPN provides a custom DNS service called Smart DNS and an ad-blocker branded as CleanWeb. Both of these are fairly common among VPNs. More rarefied features include Surfshark Alert, which is much like HaveIBeenPwned(Opens in a new window) and alerts you if your accounts have been compromised,; and a privacy-respecting search tool called Surfshark Search. Note that both Surfshark Alert and Surfshark Search cost an additional $0.99 per month.

In addition to its privacy tools, the company also offers Surfshark One. This security suite bundles the core VPN product with antivirus protection for only slightly more cash: $14.44 per month or $96 per year (discounted to $65.76 for the first year). Surfshark One goes beyond the paltry claims most other VPNs make about detecting malicious sites and provides real-time protection and on-demand virus scanning. Unfortunately, the antivirus features made a decidedly poor showing in our hands-on testing. Existing Surfshark customers should stick with just the VPN for now and look for dedicated antivirus elsewhere.

Surfshark VPN's most intriguing new features are happening behind the scenes. The company has been working to transform its fleet of discrete servers into a full-fledged network called Surfshark Nexus(Opens in a new window). The company says this will enable several new privacy features not possible with current VPN design. The first feature to roll out is IP Rotator, which assigns you a new IP address periodically without breaking your connection. We look forward to testing these features as they roll out.

While VPNs are powerful tools, they can't solve all your privacy and security problems. There's a wide range of ways to track you online. We recommend using the privacy tools built into most browsers and a stand-alone ad- or tracker-blocker. Note also that the free Tor anonymization network makes it even harder to track your online activity. We highly recommend creating unique and complex passwords with a password manager, enabling multi-factor authentication wherever possible, and using antivirus software.