Some users swear by Surfshark, finding it straightforward and dependable. Others, though, hit a wall with constant drops in connection, sluggish speeds, and trouble loading sites or apps. The reaction has been all over the place, what one person calls reliable, another sees as a glitchy mess. Ratings took a sharp nosedive in late 2025 and early 2026, especially around December and January, when the average dropped below two stars. It wasn’t just a few complaints; the tide of frustration was strong enough to pull down the numbers. But things have turned around lately. By August 2026, the average had climbed to 3.79 stars, and the momentum didn’t stall, steady gains carried through into September. Still, the criticism hasn’t vanished. Over a third of all mentions are still negative, pointing to unresolved problems. The scale tips heavily toward the bad, but the direction matters: the improvements are real, and they suggest someone’s actually working on fixing what’s broken.

What customers praise

A few users point out that Surfshark delivers solid connections and quick speeds, especially when connecting to certain servers. Others note it runs smoothly on a variety of devices, from Google TV to desktops, and they like how easy the apps are to navigate. There’s consistent praise for how reliably it performs, the strong security features, and the helpfulness of support when things come up. Many also appreciate being able to reach just about any site without hitting blocks. All this tends to happen when the connection holds steady and there’s hardly any delay while they’re using it.

What customers said:

  • „It works with all sites“ - Apple App Store · 5★ · · translated · Italian ·
    „It works with all sites“

    Original„funziona con tutti i siti“

  • „some apps won't run unless VPN is Off“ - Trustpilot · 4★ · ·
  • „Easy to use, nice apps, friendly support and, most importantly, effective protection.“ - Trustpilot · 5★ · ·

Common complaints

Users frequently describe problems like sudden disconnections, sluggish performance, and trouble loading specific websites or apps when the VPN is running. On mobile devices, the connection often drops unexpectedly, leaving many forced to restart the app or turn the VPN off entirely just to get back online. These issues seem especially prevalent in areas like China, where access to services like Stremio becomes unreliable. Beyond technical glitches, several people have voiced frustration with customer support, saying responses are vague, unresponsive, and hard to get in the first place.

What customers said:

  • „ziggogo finds the server very quickly“ - Google Play · 1★ · · translated · Dutch ·
    „ziggogo finds the server very quickly“

    Original„ziggogo vind de server heel snel“

  • „This vpn sucks and constantly stops my internet.“ - Apple App Store · 1★ · ·
  • „Their support is helpless - they degraded to copy and paste their instructions on the…“ - Apple App Store · 1★ · ·
    „Their support is helpless - they degraded to copy and paste their instructions on the website.“

How it has changed over time

Surfshark’s delivery performance has improved noticeably over the past year. After a steep drop in late 2025, bottoming out at just 1.92 stars in December, the service started to climb again in early 2026. By August 2026, the average rating had rebounded to 3.79 stars, a strong sign of recovery. That upward movement hints that recent updates or changes to the infrastructure may have helped stabilize connections and boost speeds, addressing some of the earlier problems. Still, the journey hasn’t been smooth. A noticeable dip occurred in June 2026, reminding us that not all issues have been fully ironed out.

Practical takeaways

Users often run into unpredictable performance, this is especially true in areas with strict internet restrictions or when using certain apps. Some people swear by the service, reporting a smooth experience, but others keep running into dropped connections and sluggish speeds. The fact that recent user ratings have improved hints that Surfshark is on the right track, yet reliability still feels shaky. To get the most out of it, trying out different servers or keeping the app updated might help. If you’re counting on a steady connection for streaming or mobile browsing, it’s worth being careful. If problems don’t go away, looking into other options could be the smart move.

What customers said:

  • „Constant issues and problems with internet when using this trashy cheap VPN.“ - Apple App Store · 1★ · ·
  • „Most of countries with the restrictions are not supported and you won’t be able to…“ - Apple App Store · 1★ · ·
    „Most of countries with the restrictions are not supported and you won’t be able to connect any more after those several recent iOS updates.“
  • „Super slow, many sites blocked, unbelievable.“ - Apple App Store · 1★ · · translated · German ·
    „Super slow, many sites blocked, unbelievable.“

    Original„Super langsam, viele Seiten blockiert, unfassbar“

Over time

Rating trend: 3.0 in 2025-10 to 3.0 in 2026-09.1.52.02.53.03.54.02025-102026-032026-09
Rating trend: 3.0 in 2025-10 to 3.0 in 2026-09.
Data as table
Monthly average rating
MonthAvg. ratingCount
2025-103.006
2025-112.336
2025-121.9212
2026-013.176
2026-023.004
2026-033.9010
2026-043.339
2026-053.1625
2026-062.8816
2026-073.3219
2026-083.7929
2026-093.0011

Sentiment over time

Sentiment over time: positive share from 17% (2025-10) to 36% (2026-09).0%25%50%75%100%2025-102026-032026-09
Sentiment over time: positive share from 17% (2025-10) to 36% (2026-09).
Data as table
Monthly sentiment (shares)
MonthPositiveNeutralNegativeCount
2025-1017%33%50%6
2025-1133%17%50%6
2025-128%33%58%12
2026-0150%17%33%6
2026-0225%25%50%4
2026-0330%40%30%10
2026-0422%44%33%9
2026-0528%40%32%25
2026-0631%31%38%16
2026-0732%37%32%19
2026-0855%21%24%29
2026-0936%45%18%11

Customer voices

Short excerpts - full reviews are available at the original source.

„It happened once that my phone's Wi-Fi and mobile internet didn't work for two days.“

★☆☆☆☆Apple App StoreTranslated· FrenchOriginal
„il ma arriver une vois 2 jour il a pas marcher le internet wifi et mobile de mon téléphone“

„awesome connection“

„It connects super fast.“

★★★★★Apple App StoreTranslated· SpanishOriginal
„Se conecta super rapido“

„Hardly connect in China!“

„I am only getting 100mbps out of my original 1gbps plan from my ISP“

„These are each detected as a VPN when streaming.“

★☆☆☆☆Google PlayTranslated· GermanOriginal
„diese jeweils beim Streaming als VPN erkannt werden“

„Fast and secure.“

★★★★★Google PlayTranslated· SpanishOriginal
„Rápido y seguro“

„Fast performance.“

★★★★★Google PlayTranslated· GermanOriginal
„schnelle Performance“
Cite this page

Citatio (2026). Surfshark Delivery: customer reviews September 2026. Retrieved 8 September 2026 from https://citatio.ai/surfshark-reviews/delivery/

Data verifiable via our public audit log: Methodology · Transparency