How is the quality of Surfshark?
Surfshark’s reputation among customers is divided, leaning sharply toward the negative. While some users still find value in the service, the majority express frustration, especially when using mobile devices or older computers. Connection drops are common, and many report websites suddenly blocked, painfully slow speeds, and auto-reconnects that fail to work when needed. It’s not just performance, either: several reviewers detail how the app messes with normal browsing, interfering with cellular data or even bringing back YouTube ads despite the VPN being active. These complaints aren’t new, reviews from 2026 onward show a steady stream of 1-star and 2-star ratings, all pointing to persistent technical bugs and weak customer support. Still, not everyone is convinced. A solid chunk of users continue to champion Surfshark for its rock-solid performance across multiple devices, lightning-fast server access, and serious privacy protections. There’s a definite upward trend in ratings, from roughly 2.7 stars early in 2026 to a high of 3.21 by August, but that progress feels fragile. Even as averages rise slightly, the volume of complaints remains high, and many of the same issues keep surfacing. The overall balance still tips heavily against the service, though a dedicated core of users stays loyal, swearing by the platform’s strengths despite its flaws.
What customers praise
Surfshark stands out for letting users connect an unlimited number of devices, a real major advance for families juggling laptops, phones, tablets, and smart TVs. People often mention how smoothly it performs on Google TV, Fire TV, and routers, with minimal lag or dropped connections. Longtime users swear by it, saying they’ve relied on it for years without serious hiccups. They describe it as dependable, straightforward to set up, and solid as for shielding their online activity. The interface, though reworked recently, has won over quite a few, many say it feels fresh, distinctive, and thoughtfully laid out, with a clean look that doesn’t feel cluttered.
What customers said:
- „you can load it on unlimited devices“
- „Great production serves all my VPN needs“
- „Great VPN softwares I have it on my router for my Freesat box“
Common complaints
A lot of users are seeing shaky connections, especially on phones and older machines, some say the app won’t hook up on its own and they end up retrying multiple times just to get in. A handful of reviews note that Surfshark keeps blocking major sites like YouTube, Google, and Yahoo, which makes it nearly useless in certain areas. Others are fed up with sluggish speeds, constant dropouts, and the way it clashes with ad blockers or streaming platforms. The app’s latest redesign has stirred up backlash too, with many longtime users finding the new interface confusing and missing key details that used to be easy to spot. It’s left a lot of people frustrated, even if the core functionality still works.
What customers said:
- „it did little to stop ad generation by an undetectable virus or malware“
- „Finding it increasingly difficult to enter 3rd party websites“
- „It takes several attempts to open the app.“
„It takes several attempts to open the app.“
Original„benötige mehrere Versuche um die App zu öffnen“
How it has changed over time
Since early 2026, people’s view of Surfshark has slowly gotten better. Average ratings climbed from 2.73 in October all the way up to 3.21 by August, proof that more users are now using the service and voicing their opinions. But the progress hasn’t been steady. Ratings slipped again in April and June, showing that things remain unpredictable. Something about the app’s performance or layout might be shifting user feelings, even if long-standing issues like connection problems and website blocking haven’t gone away. The new interface, which some users actually liked, has also drawn criticism from others who say it doesn’t work as well as the old one did. ⟦0000⟧
What customers said:
- „Constantly needing to pause the VPN“
- „It doesn't connect automatically.“
„It doesn't connect automatically.“
Original„verbindet sich nicht sich nicht selbständig“
- „I have to keep disconnecting and reconnecting so ads don't show up in YouTube“
Practical takeaways
Surfshark’s performance might not be the most reliable if you're all about stability and need it to work smoothly on older devices or spotty mobile networks, that’s what users are saying these days. Don’t count on it for steady access to big sites like YouTube or Google, particularly if you're in Japan. On the flip side, if you care about using the service on every device you own, want strong privacy protections, and plan to run it on a smart TV or router, it could be a smart pick. The new interface? Mixed reactions. Some users are happy with the fresh design, others are frustrated that they lost the old workflow they liked. Bottom line: try it out with your actual setup before you sign up for a long stretch.
What customers said:
- „if I leave the VPN off they don't show up at all“
- „Lately, YouTube, Google, and Yahoo are often blocked, making it unusable...“
„Lately, YouTube, Google, and Yahoo are often blocked, making it unusable...“
Original„最近、YoutubeやGoogle関連、yahooなどブロックされることが多くて使い物にならない…“
- „Impossible to have a conversation on WhatsApp“
„Impossible to have a conversation on WhatsApp“
Original„Impossibile d’avoir une conversation sur WhatsApp“
Over time
Data as table
| Month | Avg. rating | Count |
|---|---|---|
| 2025-10 | 2.73 | 86 |
| 2025-11 | 2.77 | 69 |
| 2025-12 | 2.83 | 80 |
| 2026-01 | 3.08 | 64 |
| 2026-02 | 2.73 | 71 |
| 2026-03 | 2.82 | 114 |
| 2026-04 | 2.72 | 221 |
| 2026-05 | 3.11 | 236 |
| 2026-06 | 2.88 | 209 |
| 2026-07 | 3.19 | 301 |
| 2026-08 | 3.21 | 427 |
| 2026-09 | 3.12 | 129 |
Sentiment over time
Data as table
| Month | Positive | Neutral | Negative | Count |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-10 | 33% | 5% | 63% | 86 |
| 2025-11 | 35% | 3% | 62% | 69 |
| 2025-12 | 34% | 8% | 59% | 80 |
| 2026-01 | 39% | 2% | 59% | 64 |
| 2026-02 | 32% | 3% | 65% | 71 |
| 2026-03 | 33% | 4% | 63% | 114 |
| 2026-04 | 33% | 5% | 62% | 221 |
| 2026-05 | 41% | 3% | 57% | 236 |
| 2026-06 | 38% | 4% | 58% | 209 |
| 2026-07 | 46% | 2% | 52% | 301 |
| 2026-08 | 45% | 3% | 52% | 427 |
| 2026-09 | 43% | 5% | 53% | 129 |
Sub-topics
- Slow Speeds - 41 mentions
Customer voices
Short excerpts - full reviews are available at the original source.
„it messed up with my iphone cellular data“
„this one is the only one which really suits my needs on PC and works on Google TV as well“
„Surfshark is my go to VPN.“
„Surfshark is the perfect VPN“
„SS blocks maybe 25%“
„Most basic VPNs block 75-85% of pop-up ads“
„Errors sometimes occur when using YouTube, but if you just pause for 5 minutes and reconnect, it works fine after that.“
„Doesn't work on older phones.“
What Reddit users discuss
Below are extracts from Reddit which discuss quality in more detail - each linked to the original thread.
„but then nothing really works.“
„their design is considerably user-friendly.“
Cite this page
Citatio (2026). Surfshark Quality: customer reviews September 2026. Retrieved 8 September 2026 from https://citatio.ai/surfshark-reviews/quality/
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