1 week Ago
We recently completed our latest round of VPN tests, where we evaluated dozens of providers across key parameters such as privacy, speed, and, of course, value for money. Speaking of pricing, we at TechRadar are firm believers that getting a VPN shouldn't burn a hole in your pocket. All the today use a subscription model, and while there are VPNs available to suit all budgets, Surfshark remains our favorite .
Keep reading, and I'll explain why Surfshark has held onto the title and what makes it such a budget-friendly option. Reason #1: unbeatable prices You can get started with Surfshark for as little as $1.99 a month.
While many other VPNs offer basic VPN functionality on their entry-level plans, Surfshark's Starter plan also includes features such as ad and pop-up blockers, as well as , which generates an entirely new identity or online persona to boost your privacy. Besides this, there are two more Surfshark plans: Surfshark One at $2.49 a month and Surfshark One+ at $3.
99 a month on a two-year cycle. Depending on the plan you choose, you'll get access to several extra cybersecurity features, such as real-time breach alerts, a private search engine, built-in antivirus, and , one of the on the market. You won’t find more value/features at a cheaper price point.
For example, ExpressVPN, another high-quality VPN, is available at $5.32 per month (on a 2-year subscription), and that's after the provider . As you can see, Surfshark is over twice as cheap as – and less pricey than , too – and offers a lot of the same functionality for a more budget-friendly price point.
All in all, price is often the first thing that prospective buyers, especially first-time users, look at, and Surfshark knocked it out of the park as far as value for money is concerned. Reason #2: unlimited simultaneous connections Surfshark stuffs a lot of value into its low-cost plans, and this is most evident with its . You'll be able to cover all of your gadgets, plus share your login with friends and family.
This is particularly useful if you have a large family with children who own smartphones, tablets, and gaming consoles, and you'd like all of them to benefit from Surfshark's airtight privacy. Another massive benefit of having unlimited connections is convenience. You won’t have to log in and out of devices all the time to ensure you don't hit the limit or pick and choose which devices to install your VPN on.
There’s no reason to leave any gadget unprotected, either, as you can take Surfshark with you everywhere. It's also worth noting that Surfshark is one of the very few providers to offer unlimited connections. A majority of VPNs, including industry leaders like NordVPN and ExpressVPN, cap the number of simultaneous connections to somewhere between 8 and 10.
What's more, unlimited logins also boost Surfshark's value for money by quite a hefty margin. You won't have to sign up for multiple VPN plans – which you'd have to do if you chose a VPN with limited connections – to cover all of the devices in the house. Reason #3: the best speeds in the industry Surfshark has dominated our performance rankings for quite some time now.
In our most recent round of testing, it clocked in at over 950 Mbps when using the , maxing out our test line and retaining the top spot as the – so you're paying the smallest fee for the quickest provider. The good news keeps coming, as Surfshark's speeds (460 Mbps) are also among the quickest in the industry. It's worth noting that lightning-fast speeds are crucial, particularly for bandwidth-intensive tasks such as streaming, gaming, and torrenting – and it also ensures a smooth day-to-day browsing experience.
We test a VPN's speeds by using a US home connection and a Windows 365 cloud PC hosted in the UK, each of which accesses a 1Gbps internet connection. Yep, that's two different sessions so that we get accurate results. Additionally, we use different VPN protocols, features, and at least three speed test websites (with at least five tests on each site).
We then run around 120 speed tests in total before arriving at the average speeds of the VPN by calculating the median of all the results. Check out our full for more details on how we test VPNs. Reason #4: awesome unblocking power Surfshark unblocks pretty much every streaming platform out there, including Netflix (in the US, UK, Canada, Australia, and more), Prime Video, Disney Plus, , and BBC iPlayer, as well as several other services such as ITV Hub, All4, and Australia's 9Now and 10Play.
A full sweep of streaming services means that Surfshark is right up there with the , allowing you to pay for just one VPN subscription and expand the content libraries of countless platforms by geo-spoofing your location. Moreover, its unlimited simultaneous connections will take care of all the streaming enthusiasts in your household, even if they all want to stream different sites at the same time. Combined, these features make for a brilliant package and easily the best option for folks who might be tempted to opt for a to check out geo-restricted content on sites such as Netflix, BBC iPlayer, etc.
Unfortunately, free VPNs rarely make good streaming VPNs, seeing as even legitimate ones offer access to just a handful of servers, sluggish speeds, and limited bandwidth. It’s worth paying a tiny Surfshark subscription to have reliable access to streaming platforms – and, of course, world-class privacy and speeds. Bottom line Surfshark has set the bar high for what a low-cost VPN is capable of pulling off.
It's incredibly secure, ridiculously quick, and the only VPN in our top three to offer unlimited simultaneous connections. Plus, its sleek apps make it a joy to use for beginners, and streaming enthusiasts will be impressed by the huge assortment of sites it can unblock. Put together, there's not another VPN package out there that offers such incredible value for your money.
Currently on sale from just (on a 2-year commitment), Surfshark also offers a generous 30-day money-back guarantee, which you can use to try the service out without risking a single penny..
