Surfshark Review 2026: Is It Worth It?

By PrivacyTechReview Editorial Team · Editor-in-Chief: Kirill Prosandeev · Reviewed Oct 30, 2026 · Documentation-based overview

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Surfshark VPN is the VPN service of Surfshark B.V., a company registered in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. It encrypts your connection on Windows, Mac, Linux, iPhone, Android and three TV platforms, lets one subscription cover an unlimited number of devices at once, and says it doesn't collect your browsing history, the IP addresses you visit or your traffic. Deloitte checked that no-logs promise in 2023 and again in 2025.

This review covers Surfshark VPN and the three plans it's sold in: Starter, One and One+. We haven't tested Surfshark ourselves, so every product fact below comes from Surfshark's own site, help center, terms and privacy policy, the audit reports it links to, and its App Store and Google Play listings, as they read on October 30, 2026. Where those pages disagree, we say so.

The short answer

Surfshark · One VPN account for every device in the house

Pick Surfshark if you want one VPN account for an unlimited number of devices, with apps for Linux and three TV platforms and a no-logs policy Deloitte has checked twice — not if you want to read that audit before you sign up, or need a VPN app on a Roku, a console or a smart TV without Android TV or tvOS.

Unlimited simultaneous devices on every plan
No-logs policy checked by Deloitte in 2023 and 2025

Check Surfshark price

Opens Surfshark's official site

Strengths and limitations

Strengths

Every plan allows an unlimited number of devices at the same time, under a fair-usage policy
Apps for Windows, Mac, Linux, iPhone, Android, Apple TV, Android TV and Fire TV, plus Chrome, Firefox and Edge extensions
Deloitte checked the no-logs policy in 2023 and 2025, and Cure53 and SecuRing findings on its apps, servers and protocol are public
A kill switch on Windows, Mac, Linux, iPhone and Android, plus split tunneling, double VPN and RAM-only servers
Its terms refund first purchases within 30 days

Limitations

Deloitte's no-logs reports are only available to subscribers, inside their account
Features vary by platform: Dausos only in the Mac App Store app, website-only split tunneling on iOS, no kill switch in the Linux Flatpak
No app for Roku, consoles or most smart TVs, and the SmartDNS option for them ended in February 2026
Antivirus and breach alerts need One; data removal and identity theft coverage need One+
Surfshark reported in September 2026 that an outsider had accessed an internal test server; it says no user data was affected

Who it’s for

Households that want one VPN account for every phone, computer and Fire TV, Android TV or Apple TV device, with no device count to manage
People who want a no-logs policy that an outside firm has checked, and published security tests of the apps
Linux, Apple TV, Android TV or Fire TV users who want a native app rather than a manual setup

Who should look elsewhere

Anyone who wants to read the Deloitte no-logs report before signing up
People whose main screen is a Roku, a console or a smart TV without Android TV or tvOS
Anyone who only wants antivirus or identity protection and would pay for a VPN they won't use

Is Surfshark worth it?

It can be, if you have a lot of devices. Every Surfshark plan allows an unlimited number of devices at the same time, with apps for computers, phones and three TV platforms. Its VPN has a kill switch, split tunneling, double VPN and RAM-only servers, and Deloitte has checked its no-logs policy twice.

The catches are in the details: Deloitte's reports are only for subscribers, several features depend on the platform, and TVs and consoles without an app need a router or a shared connection. A VPN also doesn't scan your devices for malware; Surfshark's antivirus comes only in One and One+.

What Surfshark VPN includes

Surfshark's feature pages and help center list these VPN features:

Protocols: WireGuard, OpenVPN (UDP or TCP) and IKEv2, plus Surfshark's own Dausos protocol, which is in beta and only in the Mac App Store version of the app. Surfshark says its apps add post-quantum protection to WireGuard.
Encryption: AES-256-GCM, ChaCha20 for WireGuard and AEGIS-256X2 for Dausos.
Kill switch: a toggle in the VPN settings on Windows, macOS, Android, iOS and Linux.
Bypasser (split tunneling): pick apps and websites that skip the VPN, or, with Route via VPN, the only ones that use it. On iOS it handles websites only.
MultiHop (double VPN): preset server pairs, or Dynamic MultiHop, where you choose both the entry and the exit country.
NoBorders: turns on when the app detects a restricted network and offers servers that work under those restrictions. Surfshark also says OpenVPN connections use obfuscated servers that hide VPN use.
CleanWeb: blocks ads, trackers, malware and phishing in the Windows, Mac, Android and iOS apps, with a separate version and a cookie pop-up blocker in the browser extensions.
Rotating IP (the help center's IP Rotator), part of what Surfshark calls Nexus: changes your IP address every 5 to 10 minutes without disconnecting.
Static IP locations give you the same IP address each time but share it with everyone connected there. A Dedicated IP, used only by you, is a separate paid add-on.
Servers: 4,500+ in 100 countries on October 30, 2026, all RAM-only, which Surfshark says wipes data with every reboot. Some locations are virtual, so the server may be in another country than its IP address.

Surfshark Starter, One and One+, and how many devices

Surfshark's help center says Starter, One and One+ "allow an unlimited number of devices to connect simultaneously under a single subscription," and that you can share the account with your household. Its terms add a fair-usage policy: Surfshark may limit "an immoderate number of simultaneously connected devices," naming unauthorized resellers as an example. Two exceptions are written down: the antivirus allows up to five devices per account, and the free trial covers up to three.

Surfshark sells three plans, each in 1-, 12- and 24-month terms. All three include the same VPN; the higher tiers add other Surfshark products. Per its pricing page and help center:

Starter: the VPN with its ad and cookie pop-up blockers, Bypasser, Rotating IP and Dynamic MultiHop, plus Alternative ID, which generates a masked email address and a made-up persona for sites you don't trust.
One: everything in Starter, plus Surfshark Antivirus (Windows, Mac and Android), Surfshark Alert for email, credit card and ID leak alerts, and scam protection: scam text detection, an email scam checker and a web content blocker, with scam call protection marked coming soon. The help center also lists Surfshark Search, a private search tool, which the pricing page doesn't mention.
One+: everything in One, plus data removal by Incogni from data brokers and people-search sites (for US, UK, EU, Swiss and Canadian residents) and identity theft coverage for US residents outside New York State, underwritten by HSB Specialty Insurance Company.
Add-ons for any plan: a Dedicated IP and an Alternative Number, a virtual phone number with only US numbers for now.

Surfshark on PC, Mac, iPhone, Android, TVs and routers

Surfshark's download pages and help center list these apps and where each comes from. One subscription covers the apps and the browser extensions.

Windows PC: an installer for Windows 10 and 11 (x64 or ARM64) from Surfshark's site, or the Microsoft Store. An older app for Windows 7, 8 and 8.1 is still offered, with fewer security features and updates.
Mac: macOS 12 or later, from the Mac App Store or Surfshark's site; only the App Store version has Dausos. Older versions run on macOS 10.12 to 10.15.
iPhone and iPad: the App Store, iOS and iPadOS 17 or later, from developer SURFSHARK LTD.
Android: Google Play (Android 7.0 or later), or Surfshark's own APK for Android 6.0 or for phones without Google services. Chromebooks use the Android app from Google Play.
Linux: a desktop app for Debian 11, Ubuntu 20.04 and Mint 20 or later, from Snapcraft, Flathub or Surfshark's install script. The kill switch is in the Snap and .deb packages, not the Flatpak.
TVs: Apple TV HD and 4K from the App Store (tvOS 17 or later), Android TV from Google Play (Android 7.0 or later), and Fire TV and Fire TV Stick from the Amazon Appstore (Fire OS 7.0 or later).
Browser extensions: Chrome Web Store, Firefox Add-ons and Edge Add-ons; other Chromium browsers can use the Chrome version. The extensions secure only browser traffic, not the whole device.
Routers: a manual OpenVPN or WireGuard setup on routers that support it. Surfshark warns you'll lose most app features and lists routers that won't work on their default firmware.
Roku, consoles and other smart TVs: no app. Surfshark suggests a VPN router, sharing a Windows PC's VPN connection as a hotspot, or a Fire TV Stick or Android TV box. SmartDNS, its option for TVs, was discontinued on February 2, 2026.

Privacy, logging and who runs Surfshark

Surfshark's privacy policy, last updated October 12, 2026, names Surfshark B.V., Kabelweg 57, Amsterdam, as the company processing your data, and says the Netherlands "does not require information storage or reporting." Your contract is with Surfshark B.V., but the terms, last updated July 13, 2026, are governed by the laws of the British Virgin Islands, "the same as it was before we moved to the Netherlands." Per the privacy policy:

Not collected: the IP addresses you visit, browsing history, session information, connection time stamps, bandwidth used and network traffic.
Kept briefly: your user ID and/or IP address and connection time stamps for the VPN server you use, deleted within 15 minutes after the session ends.
Account and subscription data, such as your email address and partial card details: kept while your subscription is active and for two years after your last login. Payment records are kept for 10 years and support messages for up to six.
Dedicated IP: tied to your email, so some activity "could be linked back to your account," unless you choose the anonymous Dedicated IP option.
With your consent: app and marketing analytics through AppsFlyer, Firebase Analytics, Iterable and Purchasely, and website cookies. Surfshark says it doesn't sell, rent or trade your personal data.
Authorities: Surfshark says it discloses personal data only when it's "asked and legally obliged to do so." Its transparency report for July to September 2026 lists 23 inquiries from government institutions and no warrants, and says none led to disclosure of data on users' online activity.
App-store labels: Apple's lists identifiers, usage data, diagnostics and user content as linked to you and "has not been verified by Apple"; Google Play's lists device and user IDs, email, payment info, app activity and diagnostics as collected, none shared with third parties.

The audits Surfshark cites

Surfshark's trust center links these outside checks, mostly as summaries, a letter or a redacted report rather than full reports. The Deloitte reports are available only to users in their Surfshark account.

Deloitte, no-logs assurance, 2023 and 2025. Surfshark quotes the first as finding its IT systems set up "in accordance with Surfshark's description of its no-logs policy"; it says the 2025 check (an ISAE 3000 report) covered standard, static and multiport VPN servers and their configuration.
SecuRing, app security assessment, February to April 2025: the Windows, macOS, Linux, Android and iOS apps, the Chrome, Firefox and Edge extensions and the surfshark.com, incogni.com and ironwall.com websites. SecuRing's letter says no critical vulnerabilities were found.
SecuRing, network infrastructure penetration test, December 2025: no critical findings and one medium-risk SSL/TLS configuration issue, which Surfshark says it fixed.
Cure53, Dausos protocol, February and March 2026: a code audit and penetration test of the protocol's architecture and cryptography. Of ten findings, the most severe were in an external hosting environment outside the scope, and none in the protocol itself were rated Critical or High.
Cure53, earlier: Surfshark's server and VPN configuration in 2021 (four findings, the highest rated Medium, all addressed) and its browser extensions in 2018 (two low-impact findings).
App Defense Alliance: a Mobile App Security Assessment of the Android app, dated January 2025.

Is Surfshark legit and safe?

It's a paid VPN from a named, registered company. Surfshark B.V. gives its Amsterdam address and Dutch registration number in its terms and privacy policy, payments run through Surfshark Limited in London and Surfshark Inc. in California, and the apps are listed under Surfshark B.V. on Google Play and SURFSHARK LTD on the App Store. Surfshark says that in 2022 it and Nord Security "merged under one holding company" while "operating independently."

On safety, the evidence goes beyond Surfshark's word: the Deloitte checks and the published Cure53 and SecuRing reports above. Surfshark has also disclosed an incident: its report of September 9, 2026 says an unauthorized party accessed a misconfigured internal test server reachable from the internet, some internal engineering material and a separate proxy server, flagged on August 31 and contained on September 2. Surfshark says no user data or VPN services were affected and that it rotated or retired the exposed credentials. Audits and incident reports cover what was examined, not everything.

Support is by 24/7 live chat and email; Surfshark says it has no phone line. Get the apps from the official stores or surfshark.com: Surfshark warns that modded APKs found elsewhere could spy on you.

Limits to know before you subscribe

Features vary by platform: Dausos is only in the Mac App Store app and still in beta, Bypasser on iOS handles websites only, the Linux Flatpak has no kill switch, and the antivirus runs only on Windows, Mac and Android and isn't compatible with Windows ARM.
No app for Roku, consoles or smart TVs other than Android TV, Fire TV and Apple TV; a router setup covers them but loses most app features.
Antivirus, breach alerts and scam protection need One; data removal and identity theft coverage need One+ and depend on where you live.
Streaming: Surfshark says its VPN works with Netflix and advises connecting to a server in your home country, but its help center notes that streaming services block individual IP addresses.
P2P: Surfshark's server list has a P2P column, but its terms forbid distributing copyright-protected material through its servers.
Its pages disagree in places: the Dedicated IP page gives both 18 and 20 locations, and the help center lists Bypasser, CleanWeb and MultiHop for different platforms than some download and setup pages.

Surfshark free trial and refund window

Surfshark has no free plan; it says it "isn't a fully free service." What its pages said on October 30, 2026:

Free trial: 7 days for new users on up to three devices, started on Surfshark's website with a 12- or 24-month plan and a credit card, PayPal or Apple Pay entered up front; the plan is charged and renews automatically when the trial ends.
Money-back guarantee: the terms give a refund within 30 days of your first purchase, once per service and not on renewals, with exceptions for most third-party resellers, prepaid or gift cards, the anonymous Dedicated IP option and Alternative ID purchases; Surfshark's trial pages say those 30 days start when the trial ends.

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Our verdict

On paper, Surfshark covers a lot: unlimited simultaneous devices on every plan, apps for computers, phones and three TV platforms, a kill switch, split tunneling, double VPN and RAM-only servers. Its privacy promise also rests on more than its own word: Deloitte checked the no-logs policy twice, and Cure53 and SecuRing findings on its apps, servers and Dausos protocol are public. The limits are practical. Deloitte's reports are only for subscribers, several features depend on the platform, devices without an app need a router or a shared connection, and antivirus, breach alerts and data removal come only in the pricier plans. It suits a house full of devices; it doesn't suit a Roku or a console.

Bottom line

Surfshark · One VPN account for every device in the house

Unlimited simultaneous devices on every plan
No-logs policy checked by Deloitte in 2023 and 2025

Check Surfshark price

Opens Surfshark's official site

Compare free VPNs →

Sources · checked Oct 30, 2026

Frequently asked questions

Is Surfshark legit?

Surfshark is a paid VPN service run by Surfshark B.V., a company registered in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, which publishes its terms, privacy policy and a quarterly transparency report. Deloitte has checked its no-logs policy twice, in 2023 and 2025, and Surfshark publishes Cure53 and SecuRing findings on its apps, servers and protocol. Deloitte's reports are visible only to subscribers.

Who owns Surfshark?

Surfshark B.V. in the Netherlands runs the service, and your contract is with that company. Surfshark names Vytautas Kaziukonis as its founder and says that in 2022 Surfshark and Nord Security merged under one holding company while operating independently. Its terms are governed by British Virgin Islands law.

Does Surfshark keep logs?

Its privacy policy says it doesn't collect your browsing history, the IP addresses you visit, session information, connection time stamps, bandwidth or traffic. Its servers briefly keep your user ID and/or IP address and connection time stamps, deleting them within 15 minutes after the session ends. Deloitte checked the no-logs policy in 2023 and 2025.

How many devices can I use Surfshark on?

As many as you like at the same time on Starter, One and One+, according to Surfshark's help center, under a fair-usage policy that lets Surfshark limit an immoderate number of connections. The antivirus in One and One+ allows up to five devices, and the 7-day free trial covers up to three.

Is Surfshark free, and does it have a free trial?

There's no free plan. On October 30, 2026, Surfshark offered new users a 7-day free trial through its website on 12- and 24-month plans. It needs a credit card, PayPal or Apple Pay up front, covers up to three devices and renews automatically into the paid plan. The terms add a 30-day money-back guarantee on first purchases.

Does Surfshark have a Chrome extension?

Yes. The Surfshark extension is in the Chrome Web Store, Firefox Add-ons and Edge Add-ons, comes with any subscription, and other Chromium browsers can use the Chrome version. It secures only your browser traffic; for the whole device and the kill switch, Surfshark points to its apps.

Can I use Surfshark on a Roku, Fire TV Stick or smart TV?

On Fire TV and Fire TV Stick, yes: the app is in the Amazon Appstore, and Android TV and Apple TV have apps too. Roku, consoles and other smart TVs have no app. Surfshark suggests a VPN router, sharing a Windows PC's connection, or a Fire TV Stick or Android TV box; it discontinued SmartDNS on February 2, 2026.