Surfshark

145 of 158 criteria sourced · 8 % unsourcedProvider websiteView in the matrixJSON export

vpn-matrix.com earns nothing from this entry. The link to the provider website is a source, not a recommendation.

Who owns this

Parent company

Nord Security

Brands in the same group

Further brands according to the source: NordVPN (Nord Security)

This group also owns review and comparison sites

none disclosed on about page

If the same group tests its own service, that review is not independent. That is noted here as ownership only.

Audits and incidents

Sourced facts with dates only, no judgements. Ongoing proceedings are marked as such.

Tested in court or by authorities

trust.court_tested

Im Transparenzbericht für April bis Juni 2026 nennt Surfshark 33 behördliche Anfragen und einen Durchsuchungsbeschluss aus April 2026.provider claim

Security incidents and data leaks

trust.breach_history

None disclosed on fetched home/features/privacy pagesprovider claim

No-logs audit details

trust.nolog_audit_details

ISAE 3000 (Revised), Deloitte Lietuva UAB, Prüfarbeiten vom 14.05.2025 bis 10.06.2025, Bericht vom 10.06.2025. Geprüft wurden Standard-, Static-IP-, Multihop- und Multiport-Server sowie Konfigurations- und Deployment-Prozesse. Nicht im Prüfumfang: Datenübertragungssicherheit, Streaming-Infrastruktur, Zugriffsrechte und physische Sicherheit.confirmed

App and client audits

trust.app_audits

Cure53 prüfte im November 2018 die Browser-Erweiterungen für Chrome und Firefox; SecuRing prüfte 2025 Web-, Desktop-, Mobil- und Browser-Anwendungen.confirmed

Infrastructure and server audits

trust.infra_audit

Cure53 prüfte im März 2021 Server- und VPN-Konfiguration sowie im Februar und März 2026 Architektur und Kryptografie des Dausos-Protokolls; SecuRing führte vom 01.12.2025 bis 10.12.2025 einen Penetrationstest der Netzinfrastruktur durch.confirmed

Transparency report

trust.transparency_report

regularprovider claim

Warrant canary

trust.warrant_canary

noneprovider claim

Acquisition history / former name

company.acquisition_history

Fusionsvereinbarung mit Nord Security, am 01.02.2022 vom Anbieter und am 02.02.2022 per Pressemitteilung bekanntgegeben.confirmed

Marketing claims contradicting the provider's own terms

site.claims_vs_reality

Home advertises 4500+ RAM-only servers and 100+ countries; pricing heavily uses multi-month intro discounts with free trialprovider claim

All criteria

Empty cells mean we lack the source.

Company and ownership

18/21 sourced

Legal company name

company.legal_name

Surfshark B.V.provider claim

Trademark holder, if different

company.brand_owner

Surfshark (founder Vytautas Kaziukonis); merged under holding with Nord Security in 2022 while operating independentlyprovider claim

Year founded

company.founded

2018provider claim

Headquarters (country)

company.hq_country

NLprovider claim

Other relevant jurisdictions

company.jurisdictions

Britische Jungferninseln (früherer Registrierungsort, bis zur Verlagerung in die Niederlande 2021)confirmed

Intelligence alliance of the home country

company.eyes_alliance

Nine Eyesprovider claim

Parent group / holding

company.parent

Cyberspace (gemeinsame Holding von Surfshark und Nord Security, Niederlande)confirmed

Beneficial owners publicly known

company.ubo_public

partly knownprovider claim

Ownership structure

company.ownership_type

founder ownedprovider claim

Leadership team publicly named

company.team_public

yesprovider claim

Verifiable postal address for legal service

company.address_verifiable

yesprovider claim

Sister VPN brands in the group

company.sister_vpn_brands

NordVPN (Nord Security)confirmed

Group owns VPN review and comparison sites

company.owns_review_sites

none disclosed on about pageprovider claim

Runs an affiliate programme

company.affiliate_program

yesprovider claim

Typical commission rate

company.affiliate_commission

Ab 40 Prozent Umsatzbeteiligung an Neuverkäufen, Cookie-Laufzeit 30 Tage, Mindestauszahlung 100 USD.provider claim

YouTube and influencer sponsoring

company.influencer_sponsoring

unknownprovider claim

Documented misleading advertising claims

company.misleading_claims

We have no source for this criterion.

Acquisition history / former name

company.acquisition_history

Fusionsvereinbarung mit Nord Security, am 01.02.2022 vom Anbieter und am 02.02.2022 per Pressemitteilung bekanntgegeben.confirmed

Operating status

company.status

activeconfirmed

Discontinuation date

company.discontinued_date

We have no source for this criterion.

User base migrated to

company.user_base_migrated_to

We have no source for this criterion.

Logging and data collection

16/16 sourced

Core statement of the logging policy

logging.policy_summary

Laut Datenschutzerklärung werden besuchte IP-Adressen, Browserverlauf, Sitzungsinformationen, Verbindungszeitstempel, genutzte Bandbreite und Netzwerkverkehr nicht erhoben.provider claim

Activity and traffic logs

logging.activity_logs

noneconfirmed

Connection logs

logging.connection_logs

per sessionprovider claim

Storage of the real IP address

logging.source_ip_stored

transient onlyprovider claim

Storage of the assigned VPN IP

logging.assigned_ip_stored

not storedprovider claim

Precision of stored timestamps

logging.timestamps_stored

noneprovider claim

Recording of transferred data volume

logging.bandwidth_logged

not recordedconfirmed

Enforcement of the device limit

logging.concurrent_conn_enforcement

Unlimited simultaneous connectionsprovider claim

Minimum account data required

logging.account_data_minimum

E-Mail-Adresse, verschlüsseltes Passwort, Registrierungsdatum, gegebenenfalls Gutscheincode sowie Abonnement- und Zahlungsdaten.provider claim

Telemetry in the apps

logging.app_telemetry

cannot be disabledprovider claim

Trackers and SDKs in the Android app

logging.thirdparty_sdks_android

Laut Datenschutzerklärung Iterable, Firebase Analytics (Google), Purchasely und AppsFlyer.provider claim

Trackers in the iOS app

logging.thirdparty_sdks_ios

AppsFlyer; Firebase Analytics; Iterable; Purchasely (named in privacy policy as marketing/application analytics providers)confirmed

Trackers and cookies on the website

logging.website_trackers

Privacy policy discloses site analytics/cookies categoriesprovider claim

Data shared with third parties

logging.data_shared_with

Zahlungsdienstleister, Marketing- und Analysedienste, Speicher- und Chat-Dienstleister sowie Konzerngesellschaften; genannte Empfängerländer sind die USA, Schweden, Frankreich, Irland und das Vereinigte Königreich.provider claim

Retention periods stated in the policy

logging.retention_period

Verbindungsdaten werden laut Anbieter innerhalb von 15 Minuten nach Sitzungsende gelöscht; Daten des Email-Scam-Checkers spätestens nach 7 Tagen.provider claim

EU representative named under GDPR

logging.gdpr_representative

yesprovider claim

Evidence, audits and track record

16/17 sourced

Independent no-logs audit

trust.nolog_audit

yesconfirmed

No-logs audit details

trust.nolog_audit_details

ISAE 3000 (Revised), Deloitte Lietuva UAB, Prüfarbeiten vom 14.05.2025 bis 10.06.2025, Bericht vom 10.06.2025. Geprüft wurden Standard-, Static-IP-, Multihop- und Multiport-Server sowie Konfigurations- und Deployment-Prozesse. Nicht im Prüfumfang: Datenübertragungssicherheit, Streaming-Infrastruktur, Zugriffsrechte und physische Sicherheit.confirmed

Audit report published

trust.audit_report_public

full reportconfirmed

App and client audits

trust.app_audits

Cure53 prüfte im November 2018 die Browser-Erweiterungen für Chrome und Firefox; SecuRing prüfte 2025 Web-, Desktop-, Mobil- und Browser-Anwendungen.confirmed

Infrastructure and server audits

trust.infra_audit

Cure53 prüfte im März 2021 Server- und VPN-Konfiguration sowie im Februar und März 2026 Architektur und Kryptografie des Dausos-Protokolls; SecuRing führte vom 01.12.2025 bis 10.12.2025 einen Penetrationstest der Netzinfrastruktur durch.confirmed

Audit frequency

trust.audit_cadence

irregularconfirmed

Tested in court or by authorities

trust.court_tested

Im Transparenzbericht für April bis Juni 2026 nennt Surfshark 33 behördliche Anfragen und einen Durchsuchungsbeschluss aus April 2026.provider claim

Transparency report

trust.transparency_report

regularprovider claim

Warrant canary

trust.warrant_canary

noneprovider claim

Security incidents and data leaks

trust.breach_history

None disclosed on fetched home/features/privacy pagesprovider claim

Bug bounty programme

trust.bug_bounty

Eigenes Programm ohne externe Plattform, Meldungen per E-Mail an security@surfshark.com.provider claim

Handling of reported vulnerabilities

trust.cve_handling

We have no source for this criterion.

Open source clients

trust.opensource_clients

noneprovider claim

Open source server side

trust.opensource_server

noprovider claim

Reproducible builds

trust.reproducible_builds

noprovider claim

Available on F-Droid

trust.fdroid_available

noprovider claim

Listings by independent bodies

trust.independent_recommendations

Press quotes on features page (e.g., speed/reviews)provider claim

Protocols and cryptography

16/17 sourced

WireGuard

crypto.wireguard

yesprovider claim

OpenVPN over UDP

crypto.openvpn_udp

yesprovider claim

OpenVPN over TCP

crypto.openvpn_tcp

yesprovider claim

IKEv2/IPsec

crypto.ikev2

yesprovider claim

Proprietary protocol

crypto.proprietary_protocol

Dausosconfirmed

Legacy protocols still offered

crypto.legacy_protocols

none advertised; WireGuard, IKEv2, OpenVPN used with Dedicated IPprovider claim

Default data cipher

crypto.data_cipher_default

Dausos verschlüsselt den Datenkanal laut Cure53 mit AEGIS und einem 256-Bit-Schlüssel; für die Apple-TV-App nennt der Anbieter ChaCha20.confirmed

Weakest accepted cipher

crypto.data_cipher_weakest

We have no source for this criterion.

Key exchange and authentication

crypto.handshake

Dausos kombiniert laut Cure53 einen ephemeren ML-KEM-Schlüsselaustausch mit ECDH innerhalb eines hybriden TLS 1.3; der Server liefert zusätzlich zum RSA-Zertifikat eine ML-DSA-Signatur.confirmed

Perfect forward secrecy

crypto.pfs

yesprovider claim

Post-quantum key exchange

crypto.post_quantum

on by defaultconfirmed

Own DNS resolvers

crypto.own_dns

yesprovider claim

DNS leak protection

crypto.dns_leak_protection

yesprovider claim

IPv6 handling

crypto.ipv6_handling

unclearprovider claim

WebRTC protection or guidance

crypto.webrtc_guidance

yesprovider claim

Obfuscation methods

crypto.obfuscation

Verschleierte Server sowie der Modus NoBorders, der laut Anbieter bei Bedarf automatisch aktiv wird und auch manuell eingeschaltet werden kann.provider claim

Usability behind the Great Firewall

crypto.works_in_china

per user reportsprovider claim

Features

18/20 sourced

Kill switch

features.killswitch

system-wideprovider claim

Permanent lockdown

features.killswitch_permanent

yesprovider claim

Split tunneling

features.split_tunneling

Bypasser für Windows, macOS, Android und iOS, wahlweise nach Anwendung oder nach Website beziehungsweise IP-Adresse; in den Erweiterungen für Chrome, Firefox und Edge nur nach Website.provider claim

Multihop

features.multihop

freely combinableprovider claim

Tor integration (Onion over VPN)

features.tor_integration

noprovider claim

Port forwarding

features.port_forwarding

not availableprovider claim

Surcharge for a dedicated IP

features.dedicated_ip

We have no source for this criterion.

SOCKS5 proxy

features.socks5

noprovider claim

HTTP proxy

features.http_proxy

noprovider claim

Smart DNS

features.smart_dns

noprovider claim

Ad and tracker filtering in DNS

features.adblock_dns

fixed listprovider claim

Malware and phishing filter

features.malware_filter

yesprovider claim

Custom DNS servers allowed

features.custom_dns_allowed

We have no source for this criterion.

Local network access toggle

features.lan_access_toggle

noprovider claim

Auto connect rules

features.autoconnect_rules

yesprovider claim

Private device network (mesh)

features.mesh_private_net

noprovider claim

GPS location override (Android)

features.gps_spoofing

yesprovider claim

Traffic analysis defence

features.traffic_analysis_defense

Obfuscated servers; NoBorders for restricted networksprovider claim

IPv6 inside the tunnel

features.ipv6_tunnel

noprovider claim

Obfuscation without configuration

features.stealth_default

yesprovider claim

Servers and network

11/12 sourced

Number of servers

network.server_count

4,500 Serverprovider claim

Number of countries

network.country_count

100 Laenderprovider claim

Number of cities

network.city_count

We have no source for this criterion.

Virtual locations

network.virtual_locations

not labelledprovider claim

RAM-only servers (diskless)

network.ram_only

entire networkconfirmed

Hardware ownership

network.ownership

mixedprovider claim

Own AS (autonomous system)

network.own_asn

noprovider claim

10 Gbps ports

network.10g_servers

noprovider claim

P2P and file sharing

network.p2p_servers

dedicated locationsprovider claim

Public server list

network.server_list_public

yesprovider claim

Public status page

network.status_page

noprovider claim

Known upstream hosting providers

network.hosting_providers

not disclosed on fetched servers/about pagesprovider claim

Apps and platforms

15/16 sourced

Windows app

apps.windows

native appprovider claim

macOS app

apps.macos

native appprovider claim

Linux app with GUI

apps.linux_gui

native appprovider claim

Linux command line

apps.linux_cli

native appprovider claim

Android app

apps.android

native appprovider claim

iOS app

apps.ios

native appprovider claim

Android TV app

apps.androidtv

native appprovider claim

Apple TV app

apps.appletv

native appprovider claim

Fire TV app

apps.firetv

native appprovider claim

Browser extension

apps.browser_ext

own extensionprovider claim

Type of browser extension

apps.browser_ext_type

standalone browser proxyconfirmed

Router support

apps.router_support

Keine eigene Router-App; Anleitungen für DD-WRT, AsusWRT, GL.iNet, OpenWRT und weitere Firmwares mit OpenVPN- oder WireGuard-Client.provider claim

Native build for Apple Silicon

apps.macos_arm_native

We have no source for this criterion.

Command line documented

apps.cli_documented

yesprovider claim

Simultaneous devices

apps.simultaneous_devices

unbegrenztprovider claim

Usable without an account

apps.no_account_needed

noprovider claim

Account, pricing and payment

16/17 sourced

Data required at signup

pricing.signup_email_required

verified emailprovider claim

Account model

pricing.account_model

email as loginprovider claim

Cash by mail

pricing.cash_by_mail

noprovider claim

Monero

pricing.monero

noprovider claim

Bitcoin

pricing.bitcoin

noprovider claim

Lightning

pricing.lightning

noprovider claim

Retail gift cards

pricing.retail_giftcards

noprovider claim

PayPal

pricing.paypal

yesprovider claim

Credit and debit card

pricing.credit_card

yesprovider claim

SEPA payment

pricing.sepa

noprovider claim

Monthly price

pricing.monthly_price

We have no source for this criterion.

Effective price on the longest term

pricing.effective_price_longest

€2.49provider claim

Price change at renewal

pricing.renewal_price_hike

very large increaseprovider claim

Flat pricing without permanent discounts

pricing.flat_pricing

noprovider claim

Free tier and its limits

pricing.free_tier

none (trials/guarantees only)provider claim

Money-back window

pricing.moneyback_days

30 Tageprovider claim

Cancellation path

pricing.cancellation_ease

cancel in accountprovider claim

Usage and performance

7/10 sourced

P2P policy in the terms of service

usage.p2p_policy

dedicated locationsprovider claim

Streaming unblocking officially advertised

usage.streaming_officially

yesprovider claim

Netflix regions reported

usage.netflix_regions_reported

We have no source for this criterion.

Other streaming services

usage.other_streaming_services

Markets streaming/unblocking as a core use case on home and features pages (specific Netflix region list not published on fetched pages)provider claim

Bandwidth cap

usage.bandwidth_cap

no limitprovider claim

Data cap

usage.data_cap

noneprovider claim

Speed measurement references

usage.speed_references

We have no source for this criterion.

Latency and gaming suitability

usage.latency_gaming

We have no source for this criterion.

SMTP and port 25 handling

usage.smtp_policy

Not stated on fetched home/features/privacy/pricing pagesprovider claim

Official support in restrictive countries

usage.restrictive_countries_support

Surfshark unterhält einen Support-Artikel zum Verbindungsaufbau aus Ländern mit Netzsperren und verweist darin auf einen eigenen Artikel zu China.provider claim

Support and documentation

7/7 sourced

24/7 live chat

support.livechat_247

yesprovider claim

Email or ticket support

support.email

yesprovider claim

Telephone support

support.phone

noprovider claim

German-language support

support.german_language

yesconfirmed

Documentation assessment

support.docs_quality

workableprovider claim

Self-hosted chat widget

support.selfhosted_chat

noprovider claim

Self-service account deletion

support.account_deletion_easy

noprovider claim

Provider website hygiene

5/5 sourced

SSL Labs grade of the website

site.ssl_grade

Aconfirmed

Tracker load of the website

site.cookie_privacy_impact

Privacy policy details cookie/analytics categories on surfshark.comprovider claim

URL of the warrant canary

site.canary_page

none foundprovider claim

Length and readability of the legal documents

site.tos_readability

Standard long-form ToS linked from pricing; readability not specially simplifiedprovider claim

Marketing claims contradicting the provider's own terms

site.claims_vs_reality

Home advertises 4500+ RAM-only servers and 100+ countries; pricing heavily uses multi-month intro discounts with free trialprovider claim

Something wrong here?

If a value is wrong or outdated, report it with evidence. Every change is reviewed and then appears publicly in the changelog.