Updated on: December 16, 2024
Surfshark is one of the most affordable VPNs on the market. While its plans and pricing seem straightforward, you might be missing the fine print on its great deals. Plus, Surfshark offers some excellent discounts that you might not find without knowing where to look.
In this article, I’ll explain everything you need to know about Surfshark’s deals and help you figure out the best one for you. I also look at the payment methods it accepts, compare its plans and pricing with other top VPNs, and show you how to try Surfshark for free!
Surfshark Cost: Quick Overview
Surfshark is a privacy-friendly VPN with lots of extras and super cheap plans. You can purchase the VPN at an even lower price with our affiliate links, which give you an 87% discount for the 2-year plan (plus extra months for free), bringing down the price at $1.99 / month.
The VPN’s Surfshark Starter subscription includes all VPN essentials and is available as a 1-month, 1-year, and 2-year plan.
Surfshark also offers Surfshark One or Surfshark One+, which add more cybersecurity tools like antivirus and data breach monitoring. I go into the details about these plans here.
Recommended Surfshark Deal
Surfshark Plans & Pricing Options
Surfshark has 3 tier-based subscriptions — Surfshark Starter, Surfshark One, and Surfshark One+. Here’s what you’ll get with each:
- Surfshark Starter. This subscription includes all the VPN features, plus Alternative ID, which lets you create fake online identities to protect your anonymity.
- Surfshark One. It offers everything you get with Surfshark Starter and adds a private search engine, an antivirus, and data breach monitoring.
- Surfshark One+. This is Surfshark’s full cybersecurity bundle, which gets you everything from the lower-tiered plans, plus access to a data removal service.
You have the option to sign up for 1 month, 1 year, or 2 years for each tier. The monthly plans are flexible, so they might be a better pick if you need the VPN short-term. If you’re looking to get a great deal long-term, then the 1-year-and 2-year plans are the better choice.
Here’s a quick breakdown of Surfshark’s pricing:
Surfshark also lets you purchase some add-ons for extra privacy and security that aren’t included in any of its plans:
- A dedicated IP address, which is only assigned to you (you don’t share it with other VPN users like you do when you connect to a regular VPN server in the app). This is useful for sites that block VPNs (like bank sites) and avoid annoying CAPTCHAs. Surfshark offers dedicated IPs in 10+ countries,
- A virtual phone number. This feature hides your real email address when using online services, helping you steer clear of spam, scams, and other unwanted messages. For now, you can only get a US number.
Surfshark Features: What Do You Get for the Cost?
Surfshark is one of the best VPNs on the market in 2024. With each plan, you get access to servers in 100 countries, all industry-standard VPN security features like bank-grade 256-bit AES encryption, a kill switch that shuts down internet access if your VPN connection drops to prevent data leaks, and an independently audited and confirmed no-logs policy — meaning the VPN doesn’t see or store your online activities.
The VPN is a great pick for streaming and torrenting. It accesses 50+ streaming platforms, including 15+ Netflix libraries, Amazon Prime, Max, Hulu, Disney+, and BBC iPlayer. It allows P2P traffic on all of its servers — in my tests, it worked with all P2P client apps I tried, like uTorrent and Vuze.
You also get lots of extras. These include an ad, tracker and malicious site blocker called CleanWeb, split-tunneling, IP Rotator (which changes your IP address periodically without disconnecting you from the VPN or changing your location), a Camouflage Mode that obfuscates your traffic to hide your VPN use, and even a built-in speed test. There’s a smart DNS feature, too, allowing you to use the VPN on devices like gaming consoles that don’t support VPN software.
Surfshark Starter also has Alternative ID, a tool that allows you to create a fake identity online with a new name, email address, date of birth, and location. The email address forwards incoming messages to your real inbox, all while keeping your personal information hidden. You can check out our full review of Surfshark to learn more about it.
If you upgrade to Surfshark One, you can use Surfshark Antivirus — it includes a customizable antivirus scanner for malware, viruses, and spyware and real-time protection. It also includes Surfshark Alert, its data breach monitoring tool that monitors personal information, such as credit card data, and checks your password for vulnerabilities. Finally, Surfshark One subscribers have access to Surfshark Search, its search engine that gives organic, ad-free results.
Upgrading to Surfshark One+ adds Incogni’s data removal services — the company tracks down any company databases and people search sites with your information and makes sure they’re removed. Note that this service is only available in the US, Canada, the UK, and the European Union.
To make this easier to digest, here’s a breakdown of all the plans and features you get with every Surfshark tier:
Is Surfshark a Good Value?
Surfshark offers excellent value, especially if you’re looking to protect your privacy and security online. It’s got lots of privacy-friendly extras that add an extra layer of anonymity to your online activities, and it’s pretty good for streaming and torrenting.
In terms of speed, however, it doesn’t match ExpressVPN. Surfshark’s competitor maintains fast speeds on nearby and distant servers, and in my tests, I did have some slowdowns on very distant servers with Surfshark. Still, Surfshark is a more affordable option, with plans starting at $1.99 / month, while ExpressVPN starts at $4.99 / month.
If you want a VPN with budget-friendly plans like Surfshark but better speeds on distant servers, Private Internet Access ($2.03 / month) and CyberGhost VPN ($2.03 / month) are great options. However, these VPNs are missing extras you get with Surfshark, like Alternative ID and IP Rotator.
Overall, Surfshark is an excellent choice if you’re on a budget but need a good VPN to protect your privacy, securely access streaming sites, and torrent anonymously.
Can I Try Surfshark for Free?
Yes, Surfshark offers a 7-day free trial on iOS and Android devices, giving you full access to all features. You’ll need to provide payment details to sign up for the free trial, but the app store (and Surfshark) won’t charge you until after the free trial expires. Plus, even if you cancel on the first day, you’ll still have access to all the features until the 7-day mark.
If you need more time to test its features and decide whether it’s a good pick, Surfshark offers a 30-day money-back guarantee. When I asked for a refund via live chat within the 30-day window, I received my funds in just 2 days.
Note that the money-back guarantee isn’t available for iTunes/App Store/Amazon purchases — these refunds are handled by the app stores, and not by Surfshark. Surfshark also doesn’t offer a money-back guarantee on any dedicated IPs you buy or if you decide to get an Alternative Number.
Surfshark also has a referral program that allows its active users to send referral links to friends and family who don’t have a Surfshark account. If referrals sign up for the VPN for more than 30 days, you’ll be able to receive free months of the VPN up to a year.
Surfshark Payment Methods
- Credit/debit cards. Surfshark allows you to make purchases with credit/debit cards like Mastercard, Visa, American Express, and Discover, and provides full refunds.
- PayPal. It’s a secure and convenient payment method if you have a PayPal account.
- Cryptocurrency. Surfshark accepts Bitcoin, Ethereum, TRON, and more cryptocurrencies. Surfshark will refund the equivalent amount in the same cryptocurrency, based on the exchange rate at the time of the refund.
- Other payment options. You can also purchase a plan with Google Pay, Apple Pay, or Amazon Pay. However, auto-renewal isn’t available for Apple Pay and Amazon Pay, and you’ll have to talk to these companies’ live chat support to ask for a refund.
Surfshark Renewal Costs
Surfshark subscriptions automatically renew unless you disable this in your account settings. This applies to the 7-day free trial as well, so make sure to cancel it before it ends to avoid being charged.
Canceling your subscription means stopping the auto-renewal. You’ll still have access to the VPN and everything that comes with your subscription until the last day of it.
Here’s a guide on how to cancel your auto-renewal:
- Navigate to Surfshark’s Help Center. Then, scroll down to the bottom of the page and click the Chat with Us button to access Surfshark’s automated chatbot.
- Enter your name and email address.
- To start the live chat, you’ll need to type in “representative” or “live chat”.
- You’ll be connected to a representative shortly. Let the representative know that you would like to cancel your auto-renewal. They’ll send you a link where you can turn it off.
- You can also ask for a refund if you’re requesting it within the first 30 days.
If you purchased through the Apple App Store and Google Play Store, you’ll need to follow these steps:
- Apple App Store. Open Settings on your iOS device, tap your Apple ID, and select Subscriptions. Locate Surfshark in the list and tap Cancel Subscription.
- Google Play Store. Launch the Google Play Store app, tap your profile icon, and select Payments & Subscriptions. Then, tap Subscriptions, find Surfshark in the list, and tap Cancel Subscription.
Note that Surfshark’s renewal prices are higher than those you get as a first-time subscriber. The order page displays the subscription price for the first billing period, including any introductory discounts.
That said, when I reached out to customer support to renew my 2-year subscription, I received the same price as when I purchased Surfshark for the first time. So, I recommend reaching out to the VPN’s customer support before renewing your subscription — you might get a really good deal.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it worth getting Surfshark?
Yes, Surfshark is one of the most affordable VPNs on the market and provides overall good value. It has a large server network, offers P2P support on all servers, and has strong security and privacy features. Plus, Surfshark offers many discounts and coupon codes, so you can get a really good deal.
Is Surfshark completely free?
No, Surfshark isn’t completely free, but it offers a 7-day free trial on Android and iOS devices. In addition, it has a 30-day money-back guarantee on all of its plans, so you can try the VPN risk-free. If you aren’t satisfied with the VPN, you can request a refund in the first 30 days and be fully reimbursed.
How much does Surfshark actually cost?
Surfshark’s plans start at $1.99 / month. The prices shown on the order page apply only to the first payment period, reflecting any initial discounts and free extra months. This means renewal prices are higher. You can see the crossed renewal rates right next to the highlighted prices, but I think it’s best to contact its live chat reps for the most accurate information.
Is Surfshark hard to cancel?
No, canceling your Surfshark subscription is very easy. You just need to reach out to its live chat reps, which you can do by visiting Surfshark’s help site, scrolling down to the bottom, and selecting Chat with Us. From here, just tell the live chat agent you want to cancel your subscription and they’ll send you a link where you can stop the auto-renewal. You’ll still be able to use the VPN until your subscription period ends.