Surfshark Review 2026: The Budget VPN That Punches Above Its Weight
Review date: February 2026 | Test period: 6 weeks | Devices tested: 12 simultaneous connections
Surfshark is usually cheaper than NordVPN on long plans, especially if you need one account across a lot of devices.
The trade-off is that cheap VPNs can cut corners. I spent six weeks checking whether Surfshark still feels like a sensible budget pick rather than just the lowest headline price.
Unlimited Devices: Real or Marketing?
I tested 12 simultaneous connections for 48 hours. They all stayed connected and speeds remained stable enough for normal use.
Speed: Good, Not Great
Surfshark delivered 287 Mbps on UK servers — 10-15% slower than NordVPN, but still plenty for 4K streaming.
Get Surfshark: £2.19/month unlimited devices →
Streaming: Mostly Excellent
Netflix worked 94% of the time. BBC iPlayer required specific servers (Manchester works best). For the price, acceptable compromises.
Best Surfshark use cases
Families and shared homes
Unlimited devices makes Surfshark easier when phones, laptops, tablets, and TVs all need coverage.
Budget streaming
Good enough for many streaming setups, but compare with our streaming VPN guide if reliability matters most.
Price checking
Use the VPN cost calculator to compare long-plan value against NordVPN.
Verdict
Surfshark delivers 90% of NordVPN's performance for less money. For families with many devices, it is one of the strongest value picks. If you are deciding between both providers, read the full Surfshark vs NordVPN comparison next.
Score: 4.6/5
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Where to go next
If this article helped, compare the wider shortlist or jump into the most-read hands-on review.