Our Surfshark Review: A Competitive VPN with Multihop
VPNs are a powerful tool for protecting your online privacy, but there are many options available. So how do you pick the best VPN?
Surfshark is a popular VPN in Canada. Below we look at how it compares to other top VPNs in Canada. We'll help you decide if it is the right VPN choice for you.
Continue reading for our Surfshark review, the pros and cons and pricing.
Surfshark review: is it good?
Surfshark is a solid VPN choice for protecting your privacy and increasing online anonymity. It enjoys a good reputation among reviews and users. The Surfshark One plan goes beyond a typical VPN to give users additional tools for protecting themselves online. This helps make it one of Canada’s most popular VPNs.
We like that Surfshark is an easy-to-use, intuitive VPN that offers reliability, speed and stability. It is a strong performer with more than 3,200 servers in 65 countries. Its 30-day money-back guarantee makes an easy recommendation for users on the fence. You can try it risk-free so that you are confident in your purchase.
About | Surfshark |
---|---|
How many devices | unlimited |
How many servers | 3,200 |
How many countries | 65 |
No-log | |
Money-back guarantee | 30 days |
Extensions | Chrome, Firefox, Edge |
Encryption | AES-256 |
Features |
|
Customer service | Email and 24/7 live chat |
Why Surfshark could be right for you:
- Independently-audited
- No-log policy
- Unlimited simultaneous devices
- Good choice for streaming Netflix and others
- Consistent speeds
- Bypasser function lets specific apps and sites bypass the VPN
- Ram-only servers
- IKEv2/IPsec and OpenVPN
- Inexpensive on a 24-month subscription
- 24/7 customer service (live chat)
What you might not like about Surfshark:
- Subscription renews at a higher price
- Fewer servers than some competitors
- Antivirus and One features not included in the base subscription
How do you use Surfshark?
It’s easy to install and works just like other VPNs. VPN stands for Virtual Private Network. Surfshark creates a secure, encrypted connection between you and the server you are connecting to. By routing your traffic through Surfshark’s servers, your IP address is hidden as you navigate the internet. Think of it as a windowless tunnel for your data. Your data can move through it, but no one can see you move through it.
Here’s how to get started using Surfshark on your computer:
- Download the Surfshark application on your computer or mobile device or the browser extension.
- Install it.
- It will prompt you to sign in to your existing account or create a new one.
- You can then quickly connect to a server or pick a specific server of your choice.
There are several ways to use Surfshark including mobile apps, browser extensions and computer applications. You can also configure your router to run through the VPN servers so that you can use it with other devices too including your Xbox, Playstation, Roku, Apple TV and Smart TV. Their website has intuitive guides and videos to help you install Surfshark on your favourite devices.
Surfshark can be used on the following devices with dedicated applications:
- Macs
- Windows PCs
- Linux PCs
- Apple iPhone
- Androids
- Amazon FireTV
Surfshark also offers Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox and Microsoft Edge browser extensions.
Is Surfshark safe?
Surfshark is a safe VPN with a good reputation. It is based in the Netherland, a country that has no data retention law and does not require them to store logs. It has passed independent audits by the web securities experts at Cure53.
The VPN provider has a nice collection of security features. These include:
- Ram-only servers
- AES-256-GCM data encryption
- IKEv2/IPsec and OpenVPN security protocols
- Surfskark Antivirus (paid add-on)
- Surfskark Alert (paid add-on)
- Surfskark Search (paid add-on)
There is proof of Surfshark’s commitment to privacy. It shut down its Indian servers in mid-2022 in response to proposed data regulation laws that would have required it and other VPNs to keep logs of users’ activity. The bill is on hold, for now, but new data regulation laws are expected in early 2023.
Good to know
Wondering who owns Surfshark? Surfshark merged with Nord Security, the Lithuanian company that operates NordVPN. There is a trend toward VPN consolidation.
How much is Surfshark?
Surfshark costs as little as $2.99 Canadian Dollars per month. The monthly price depends on how long you sign up. Are you looking for a Surfshark discount? Sign up for 2 years to get the best deal. That commitment saves you more than 80%!
Here’s how it breaks down:
Subscription length | Per month price | Total price |
---|---|---|
1 month | $15.69 |
|
12 months | $4.89 |
|
24 months | $2.99 |
|
For a little more, you can purchase Surfshark One, so you can also take advantage of Surfshark Antivirus, Surfshark Search and Surfshark Alert.
- Antivirus is a lightweight virus protection app for Windows, macOS and Android.
- Search lets you surf the net with zero ads and organic results that don’t change based on your location and search history. Additionally, you can take advantage of region switching.
- Alert lets you know when your email address, passwords, credit cards and personal information leaks online.
Subscription length | Per month price | Total price |
---|---|---|
1 month | $17.61 | $17.61 |
12 months | $6.81 |
|
24 months | $4.91* |
|
Good to know
*Deal available by entering the Surfshark coupon code: sharkstart
Can you get the Surfshark for free?
Yes, Surfshark offers a free trial! Just download the Surfshark mobile application from Apple’s App Store or the Google Play Store. You do need to add a payment option, but you will not be charged if you cancel before the trial expires.
If you want to try Surfshark on other platforms like your PC or Amazon Firestick, no worries! Surfshark offers a 30-day money-back guarantee. If you’re not happy, request a refund to get your money back.
Good VPNs cost money because servers and great customer support teams aren’t cheap. Fortunately, Surfshark provides a powerful tool for only a few dollars per month. Enhance your privacy and unblock the geo-restricted websites with a VPN provider you can trust.
Free VPNs need to recuperate their costs, usually by logging and selling your private data. Keep in mind that if you aren’t paying for the product, you probably are the product. Additionally, cost-cutting means they may limit your bandwidth and offer limited servers.
Free VPNs just can't compete with the same speed, servers or encryption.
Try Surfshark for free, risk-free:
Where is Surfshark located?
Surfshark is based in the Netherlands.
The VPN provider has a wide range of server locations covering more than 65 countries with more than 3,200 servers. With servers around the world, you shouldn’t have any trouble finding one with great speeds or the privacy you're looking for.
Looking for a Surfshark server list? Here are the countries where it is:
- Albania
- Andorra
- Armenia
- Australia
- Austria
- Azerbaijan
- Belgium
- Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Brazil
- Bulgaria
- Canada
- Chile
- Colombia
- Costa Rica
- Croatia
- Cyprus
- Czech Republic
- Denmark
- Estonia
- Finland
- France
- Georgia
- Germany
- Greece
- Greenland
- Hong Kong
- Hungary
- Iceland
- Indonesia
- Ireland
- Isle of Man
- Israel
- Italy
- Japan
- Kazakhstan
- Latvia
- Liechtenstein
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Malaysia
- Malta
- Mexico
- Moldova
- Monaco
- Montenegro
- Netherlands
- New Zealand
- Norway
- Philippines
- Poland
- Portugal
- Romania
- Serbia
- Singapore
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- South Africa
- South Korea
- Spain
- Sweden
- Switzerland
- Taiwan
- Thailand
- Turkey
- Ukraine
- United Arab Emirates
- United Kingdom
- United States
- Venezuela
Does Surfshark work with Netflix?
Surfshark is a good option for streaming Netflix because it offers many fast connections for watching videos and downloading media. Unlike some competitors, it does not apply monthly caps on network bandwidth. You have unlimited simultaneous connected devices so you can stream Netflix, someone else watches Disney Plus and have someone else use Surfshark for work.
Netflix’s Library changes depending on the rights it has negotiated in your country. Connecting through a VPN can unlock content that’s not available to you where you live. Unfortunately, streaming services often block VPN use, so it can be a cat-and-mouse game.
Try connecting to a different server if Surfshark isn’t working with Netflix. With thousands of servers available, you should be able to find one that unlocks your favourite content. You can also clear your cache and change your DNS server.
How do you contact Surfshark customer service?
Surfshark not working or won’t connect? Having a billing issue. Customer service can help.
The company offers a few great ways to contact them:
- The Surfshark Help Center has useful FAQs, walkthroughs and videos on how to use, configure and troubleshoot the most common issues.
- A 24/7 Live Chat option is available on their website.
- Finally, you can email customer support at [email protected]
How do you cancel Surfshark?
You need to reach the customer service team to cancel your Surfshark subscription. It is possible to do so via live chat or by sending an email to [email protected]
Note that you will not receive a refund for cancelling your Surfshark account after the initial 30-day money-back guarantee. The best thing to do is to stop automatic payments so that you can continue using Surfshark until your subscription expires.
How does NordVPN stack up against the competition?
Are you wondering how Surfshark compares to other popular VPNs like NordVPN and ExpressVPN?
There are a lot of great VPNs out there. We like Surfshark for its security features, wide range of servers and proven commitment to protecting your privacy. It is a nice choice for VPN beginners.
With that said, not every provider is right for everyone. You can compare even more VPN providers below:
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