SurfShark Review

VPN
1

Hey all, just wanted to do a quick review of SurfShark

I have previously had PIA, Nord VPN, TOR Guard, Cyberghost and Proton VPN. Surfshark first drew me in with the price to feature ratio, and it felt unmatched. I couldn’t believe how many server locations they had, how cheap it was, the feature list, how clean the app felt, Netflix locations and the unlimited devices! Few points:

​

- Speeds were fine. 150 Mbps, seemed constant on various locations, for the money I was happy with it

- Locations. No countries were missing that I could have potentially wanted

- Unlimited devices. Speaks for itself, no more having to worry about what devices are logged in and which ones weren’t

- Adblocking worked fine. No complaints

- Customer service, was nice to have a live chat, even if it was a bit slow

- Apps available for all devices and felt like they were made specifically for each device, whitelist feature was nice, had dark mode

- Wireguard, IIRC on all servers

At first, I was quite satisfied with what I paid for, and what I got. But, as time went on, I started to see the problems, how they were so cheap, and how some of the features didn’t matter.

​

- I own several devices and never had more than 5 connected at any given time, so the unlimited devices didn’t ever end up adding any value

- Speeds weren’t the fastest I had seen, closer to the middle/bottom of the pack (1Gbps connection at the house)

- Several locations would leak out and be listed as the UK, whether they had a physical or virtual server, despite no DNS leak ever being found, tested on several different devices and servers

- The app for Android TV was rough. I have an nVidia Shield Pro 2019, and the app constantly lagged

- Smart DNS didn’t work for me

- Netflix usually worked on different servers, but only on certain devices and at certain times on certain servers. Definitely the most spotty of the ones I have tried. Almost never worked on Android TV, whether I tried the multihop/static IP/different locations/adblock on or off/whatever it may be

I ended up requesting a refund, took about 10 minutes and had it back a few days later. Support didn’t put up a challenge to get a refund, but it is frustrating that (to my knowledge) the only free trial offer is on iOS/Android, and you pay full price to try it, otherwise else you have to pay before you can have try the service.

Ultimately, I can’t suggest them. Had Netflix worked and the servers actually worked and shown up as the countries they were in, I doubt I would have left, but I ended up using WeVPN instead. I’d be happy to do a review for them if anybody here would be interested or found this useful (short answer is so far, they are the happiest I have ever been with a VPN)

2

Was surprised to read all the negative points since I can’t really relate to most, Surfshark’s been working wonders on my end. To be fair I don’t use it directly on my TV, but the laptop I have connected to the TV via HDMI, and that laptop is old as hell, but the VPN still works the same as on my new Mac. Not sure what Smart DNS is so wouldn’t be able to comment on that, but the unlimited devices for example really comes in handy since we have 5 devices we use it on at home, and then we share the account with another family of friends who use it on most of their devices too with no complaints as far as I know. The only downside I can think of is that whitelisting isn’t yet available on iOS which I’m patiently waiting for. Other than that, it’s cheap and it works, so I’m good to go!

3

I’ve been using Surfshark for a while and have no issues. I mainly use it on my Fire Stick, and I have no trouble watching Netflix, Hulu, Disney, HBO MAX etc. I haven’t done a speed test in a while, but there’s been no buffering and video is really good, so I’m happy.

4

You know what’s the actual good thing about Surfshark is?

…You can actually have as many different simultaneous VPN connections as you have browsers.

Yep bet not a lot of people even noticed this.

You have 10 different browsers installed? Yes… You can have 10 different VPN connections going to 10 different servers AT THE SAME TIME ON THE SAME MACHINE. Just activate a separate VPN on each one using their browser addon.

No other VPN I’ve run across ever does this.

The software is rather advanced- You don’t even need to install full client… All you need is their browser addon, which is just super convenient especially if you’re running some versions of Linux.

5

how did you find OpenVPN worked on the Shield?

6

Nice I just got Surfshark and have used it, mostly for streaming sports sites and torrents w/ no problem. Also have managed to get some live channels in Europe. I paid it so maybe in 2 yrs Ill try WeVPN

7

Has anyone noticed an increase of spam calls on their personal phone after using surfshark? Like getting 5 calls a day from Albania

8

It depends on what your needs are. I’ve been using SurfShark for a few months and I find it works well but I only want a VPN for torrenting and I haven’t had any issues since using it to my surprise. For the price I thought I’d be getting DMCA strikes right and left but I’ve had no issues since adopting it.

9

I tried Surfshark and unfortunately NONE of their 5 or 6 different protocols were able to stop my ISP’s throttling (where as mullvad and PIA are able to stop it). So I requested a refund and Surfshark refunded my money that same day still, so I’m just happy to report that they actually honor their 30days moneyback policy. Although their service didn’t work for me, their after-service service was great.

10

just because the location is incorrectly stated does NOT mean the vpn is leaking. it is very likely a result of outdated geo ip databases.

11

Noah quickly understood my problem and provided a clear and effective solution. His professionalism and friendly demeanor made the entire process smooth and pleasant. I highly recommend Surfshark for their exceptional customer support and want to give a special shoutout to Noah for his outstanding service.

12

Not trying to rule out your experience but I use smartDNS on my smart TV every day and there were only a couple of times where I needed to do tinkering. Could maybe be a device issue or something more complex

13

I haven’t had any issues so far. Speeds are decent. I’m more interested in the privacy aspects. It hides me from my ISP. I like the multiple connections. My phone is hidden, computer, pad all hidden.

14

Thank you for sharing, and I am learn more about VPN tools after returning to China recently, I need one and need more about VPNs reviews.

15

How are you liking WeVPN so far? I’m considering switching to that or TorGuard from Surfshack

16

Was recently downloading something… came into the office, found Surfshark had disconnected.

Waiting for an email / letter from my ISP.

17

Do you just have to move your vpn i just want to protect my computer against hackers so i was just curious.i want to be protected

18

Their user policy is very clear about what they collect: user email and encrypted password, billing information and order history. They also collect data on crash reports.

They don’t collect IP addresses, browsing history, bandwidth data, session data, connection data and network traffic information.

19

so far 3 months of using it on firestick and android app and zero issues

20

Unfortunately Disney+ Star isn’t working for me with SurfShark VPN. All other Disney+ content do work tho.