We would like to count page views and clicks with Google Analytics, which sets cookies in your
browser. It is how we learn which pages are worth writing. Nothing loads until you choose, and
declining costs you nothing on this site. What we collect.
Ultimate ownerNord SecurityNetherlands · Nine Eyes
Operates SurfsharkSurfshark B.V.
NordVPNNordPassNordLockerIncogni
Sibling brands share the same ultimate owner as Surfshark.
Merged with Nord Security in 2022. Anyone comparing Surfshark against NordVPN is comparing two brands with the same owner, which is not how either markets it.
Public-source facts, not yet checked against primary documents. How we verify.
Lab test pending: score uses public, checkable data only. How we verify.
Verdict
Surfshark is the best-value major VPN: unlimited devices, the lowest two-year intro among the big brands, streaming that works, obfuscation for restricted countries, and a Deloitte no-logs audit. Two things to know. It has been owned by Nord Security since 2022 and is marketed as NordVPN's rival, which it is not; and the two-year plan renews at roughly three times the intro monthly rate. Buy it for a household, set the reminder, and treat the Nord-versus-Surfshark question as a choice between two product lines from one company.
Best for
Households with many devices, budget-conscious users who want full streaming support, and anyone who wants Nord Security's infrastructure at a lower price than NordVPN.
Not for
Anyone who will not manage the renewal date, users who need port forwarding, or anyone who wants a provider outside the Nine Eyes.
The 24-month figure is the advertised intro total. Renewal is unconfirmed and must not be assumed equal — that is exactly the trap the true-cost calculator exists to expose.
iOS app quality
App Store review analysis
2,145 most recent reviews across 6 storefronts, 2019-02-08 to 2026-09-04. Listing rating 4.70★ from 128,114 ratings. Version 4.7.2, released 2026-09-04.
66
Billing complaints 12%Sentiment improving last 90 daysCritical complaints 32.3%
Billing & auto-renew
10%
iOS integration
8.4%
Connection drops
7.7%
Slow speeds
7.3%
Crashes & bugs
6.7%
Customer support
6.4%
Praised: reliability
4.5%
Praised: speed
4.4%
★☆☆☆☆ “Habe jetzt 1 Stunde meine Zeit verschwendet um das irgendwie zum laufen zu bekommen.” App Store reviewer, 2026-09-04
★★☆☆☆ “A lot of countries have a slow connection 🥲” App Store reviewer, 2026-09-03
★☆☆☆☆ “Customer service can improve by an agent guiding you rather than the AI” App Store reviewer, 2026-09-03
★★★★★ “Excellent protection & a great value.” App Store reviewer, 2026-09-04
★★★★★ “For the average person this is the ideal easy to use and affordable VPN.” App Store reviewer, 2026-09-02
Themes tagged by keyword rules; percentages are share of sampled reviews mentioning the theme. Full breakdown · Method.
Streaming and censorship status
Streaming
NetflixWorks
BBC iPlayerWorks
Disney+Works
HuluWorks
Prime VideoUnreliable
Restricted countries
ChinaUnreliable
United Arab EmiratesWorks
RussiaUnreliable
IranUnreliable
TürkiyeWorks
Basis: user reports and provider statements; our own checks pending.
Ownership: the sibling nobody mentions
Surfshark launched in 2018 from Lithuania and merged with Nord Security in February 2022. It kept its brand, apps, server network and support, and so did NordVPN, and both companies continue to publish “Surfshark vs NordVPN” pages as though they were rivals. They are two product lines of one company. That is legal and not unusual; it is also not something either site tells you where you would see it.
The operating company is Surfshark B.V. in the Netherlands, a Nine Eyes member. Nord Security owns no review sites, which distinguishes this group from Kape and Ziff Davis.
Audits
Deloitte audited the no-logs policy in 2023. Cure53 has audited the browser extensions (2018) and server infrastructure (2021). The apps are closed source. Servers have been RAM-only since 2020. No incidents on record.
Network and protocols
Around 3,200 servers in 100 countries. WireGuard is the default, with OpenVPN and IKEv2 available. Camouflage mode obfuscates OpenVPN; NoBorders mode detects restricted networks and switches automatically. Unlimited simultaneous connections, the headline feature and the reason a household should look here first. Extras: CleanWeb ad blocking, Dynamic MultiHop, Alternative ID for throwaway emails, and a Smart DNS for televisions. No port forwarding.
What it costs, honestly
Plan
Intro
Renewal
True cost / month over 3 years
Monthly
$15.45
$15.45
$15.45
1 year
$47.85
$79.08
$5.72
2 years
$53.73
$158.16 (2 × yearly)
$4.41
The two-year plan is the cheapest full-featured VPN on the site even after renewal. The catch is the renewal itself: three times the intro monthly rate, mentioned in small text. In our App Store analysis, billing and auto-renewal is the most common complaint about Surfshark by a wide margin. A 30-day money-back guarantee applies to website purchases.
Streaming and censorship
User reports through 2026 have Surfshark working with Netflix in the main regions, BBC iPlayer, Disney+ and Hulu; Prime Video is inconsistent. In the UAE and Turkey it works reliably in reports; in China, NoBorders mode works for many users but is second-tier; in Russia it is intermittent. India is served by virtual servers after the 2022 withdrawal.
The iPhone app
This month’s App Store analysis of 2,100 recent reviews gives the app a mid-table score. The listing rating is high at 4.70 stars, but recent sentiment is lower and around a third of sampled reviews raise a critical problem. Billing and auto-renew is the top complaint; reviewers praise speed more than reliability. Full breakdown.
What we have not tested
Speed and leaks. Published tests put Surfshark’s WireGuard close to NordLynx. Our own tests are pending; the speed dimension is excluded from the score until they land.
Price read from a third-party review, not the checkout page. Re-read both figures from checkout before publishing.
Frequently asked questions
Who owns Surfshark?
Nord Security, since a merger announced in February 2022. Nord Security also owns NordVPN, NordPass and NordLocker. Surfshark operates as Surfshark B.V. in the Netherlands and keeps its own brand, apps, servers and support. Both companies' marketing still presents the two as competitors.
Is Surfshark safe?
Yes on the evidence available: a Deloitte no-logs audit in 2023, Cure53 audits of the browser extensions and server infrastructure, RAM-only servers since 2020, and no incidents on record. The Netherlands is inside the Nine Eyes, which is the main structural weakness, and the apps are not open source.
How much does Surfshark really cost?
About $54 for the first two years on the Starter plan, which is $2.19 a month advertised. It renews at about $79 a year, so covering three years means a second two-year term: about $212 for 48 months, or $4.41 a month — the lowest of the full-featured majors, but twice the advertised rate. Monthly is $15.45, the highest monthly price on the site.
Does Surfshark work in China?
Sometimes, with NoBorders mode, which detects restricted networks and switches to obfuscated servers. It is less consistent than ExpressVPN or NordVPN's obfuscated servers in expat reports. It works well in the UAE and Turkey. Install before you travel.
Does Surfshark keep logs?
It says no, and Deloitte examined the claim in 2023. Account data is kept as with any subscription. The Netherlands has no data retention law for VPNs after the CJEU rulings; the Nine Eyes membership is a concern for intelligence sharing rather than legal compulsion.
Is Surfshark better than NordVPN?
For most people, yes: unlimited devices, a lower price, and the same streaming and protocol support. NordVPN has the larger network, more features, more audits and better obfuscation. Both are owned by Nord Security. Our full comparison picks Surfshark for most and NordVPN for power users.
