Surfshark

Best for: households or shared accounts that need to cover an unlimited number of devices on one cheap plan — not for anyone who wants to see the exact renewal price before they commit, or who needs the no-logs report itself to be publicly downloadable.

Pros

• Unlimited simultaneous device connections on every plan — no per-device cap to work around
• 100% RAM-only server infrastructure since 2020, which wipes data on every reboot
• Aggressive 2-year intro pricing (as low as $1.99/mo on the Starter plan) plus bonus months
• Kill switch and split tunneling (“Bypasser”) included, along with a proprietary Dausos protocol aimed at consistent speed
• Every server supports P2P/torrenting, so there’s no need to hunt for a specialty server
• Real renewal price ($79/yr, ~$6.58/mo) is one of the cheaper steady-state rates we’ve found across our reviews, even though Surfshark doesn’t show that figure upfront
• Independent 2026 speed tests are solid — benchmarks in the 650-950 Mbps range on nearby servers, though performance drops more than some rivals on long-distance routes

Cons

• The full Deloitte no-logs report isn’t publicly downloadable — only accessible to logged-in Surfshark account holders
• The pricing page doesn’t disclose the exact renewal price upfront — you’re told it renews “at the applicable renewal price” with a link to separate terms, and we had to find the real number ($79/yr) through third-party trackers instead
• Dausos, the newest protocol, is currently macOS-only
• Exact current server/country counts are inconsistent across Surfshark’s own marketing pages
• No port forwarding — Surfshark’s official stance is that open ports are a security risk, so torrenting/self-hosting setups that need it aren’t supported
• Netherlands is a Nine Eyes intelligence-sharing member — a real jurisdictional factor
• The “publisher” quotes on Surfshark’s own affiliate program page carry a fine-print disclosure that those outlets are paid affiliate partners, not independent reviewers — a reminder that most glowing “best VPN” press coverage in this space is compromised, us included by implication (we disclose our own affiliate links too, but don’t dress them up as neutral press quotes)

No-Logs Audit

Surfshark has had its no-logs policy independently verified by Deloitte twice, first in 2023 and again with a report published June 16, 2025 (updated November 26, 2025). The assessment examined standard, static, and multiport VPN servers, along with configuration, deployment, and privacy-related procedures. Deloitte confirmed the no-logs policy is consistently applied. One limitation: the full ISAE 3000 report isn’t posted publicly — it’s only available to logged-in Surfshark account holders, which limits independent scrutiny of the technical details. Separately, Cure53 has audited Surfshark’s infrastructure multiple times (2018, 2021, 2026), most recently reviewing the new Dausos protocol and finding a “stable and resilient platform.”

Pricing

The Starter plan costs $15.45/month with no commitment, dropping to $2.79/month on a 1-year term and $1.99/month on a 2-year term (plus bonus months). Higher tiers (One, One+) add antivirus, data breach alerts, and other extras. One notable gap: the pricing page doesn’t show the exact renewal rate — it just states you’ll be charged “the applicable renewal price,” which is less upfront than we’d like. Third-party trackers put the real renewal figure at $79/year (~$6.58/month).

Security & Protocols

Surfshark supports WireGuard, OpenVPN, and IKEv2, plus a newer proprietary protocol called Dausos designed for consistent everyday speed (currently limited to macOS). A kill switch is included, and split tunneling — branded “Bypasser” in the app — lets you exclude specific apps or sites from the VPN tunnel. Every plan includes unlimited simultaneous device connections, with no per-device cap to work around.

Servers & Torrenting

Surfshark’s own features page states “4,500+ VPN servers worldwide” without giving a country count on that page, while other Surfshark marketing pages reference “100+ countries” — we’re not picking one as definitive given the inconsistency. Torrenting is supported on every server rather than being limited to a specialty subset, so there’s no need to hunt for a P2P-optimized location. Port forwarding isn’t offered, though — Surfshark’s official position is that open ports create a security risk, and the company has confirmed through support that this isn’t planned to change.

Jurisdiction

The operating entity is Surfshark B.V. (KvK 81967985), registered at Kabelweg 57, 1014BA Amsterdam, Netherlands — which the company states has no mandatory data-retention obligation for VPN providers. The Netherlands is a member of the Nine Eyes intelligence-sharing alliance, a tighter tier than the Fourteen Eyes group but looser than the core Five Eyes.

Our Rating

Rating: 7.9/10