Surfshark Speed Test – How Fast is Surfshark?

Surfshark is affordable, but is it fast? Can you torrent, stream, and enjoy gaming with it? If you're looking for answers, then check out our Surfshark speed test guide where we analyze 11 different global servers. The results can be shocking!

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Surfshark is one of the most budget-friendly and best VPNs compared to the industry’s top options. And for such a low price, the VPN is quite fast.

Surfshark uses fast and high-quality servers that are optimized for security and speeds. All of their servers have at least a 1Gbps connected port, meaning that a lot of traffic can be handled by the physical connection. A few even go to 2x10Gbps/server.

When we conducted our Surfshark speed test, we noticed that its uploading speeds were not as impressive as its downloading speeds. But it didn’t really matter because this is the case with almost every VPN. However, in terms of real-world performance, Surfshark is fast, and you might not even notice it running in the background.

To present you with accurate and comprehensive speed test results for Surfshark, we used our internet connection of 100 Mbps and conducted a Surfshark speed review on eleven (11) different servers.

So, without any further delays, let’s get testing!


Surfshark Speed Test Results

If you’re in a hurry and unwilling to stick around for the whole article, then fret not and check out this brief table in which we’ve compiled the Surfshark speed test results for our users:

Country Servers Download Speed Upload Speed Pings
Australia – Perth 76.54 Mbps 60.43 Mbps 132 ms
Canada – Montreal 77.17 Mbps 55.32 Mbps 265 ms
Germany – Frankfurt 72.68 Mbps 59.21 Mbps 117 ms
Hong Kong 70.91 Mbps 62.11 Mbps 264 ms
India 76.26 Mbps 54.38 Mbps 211 ms
Italy – Milan 80.88 Mbps 50.67 Mbps 263 ms
The United Kingdom – London 82.36 Mbps 55.15 Mbps 139 ms
The United States – New York 83.27 Mbps 65.59 Mbps 251 ms
United Arab Emirates 78.16 Mbps 67.37 Mbps 234 ms
France – Paris 77.69 Mbps 56.89 Mbps 200 ms
The Netherlands 80.17 Mbps 61.28 Mbps 165 ms

For a detailed review of the VPN’s speeds, check out our in-depth Surfshark speed comparison below.

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Surfshark Speed Test (In-Depth) for 2023

Before we jump right into the results, we must notify one important thing. We run a blazing-fast internet connection, way faster than any VPN can normally match. This means that the speeds you’d see below for each server will be the maximum you should expect – our connection speed doesn’t cap them.

Also, even though we used its best WireGuard protocol during testing, Surfshark failed to show stellar performance. We discovered that it reduced our download speed by 30% and upload speed by 50.21%, respectively. The download percentage isn’t bad, but the upload results can be improved. Well, it wasn’t expected by Surfshark’s fastest protocol now, was it?

To see how Surfshark performs on multiple servers, we connected to eleven (11) server locations, as mentioned earlier. Here’s how our testing went:

1. Australia – Perth

Without VPN With VPN
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Now that you have the screenshots of the Surfshark speed test results, let’s analyze them quickly:

Metrics Speeds without VPN Speeds with VPN
Download speeds 96.79 Mbps 76.54 Mbps
Upload speeds 90.87 Mbps 60.43 Mbps
Pings 213 ms 132 ms

With our 100 Mbps connection, Surfshark’s downloading speed didn’t suffer too much. With only a ping of 132 ms, we got a download speed of 76.54 Mbps. This didn’t seem like a significant Surfshark speed drop. Moreover, our upload speed dropped by around 40% and reached 60.43 Mbps.

2. Canada – Montreal

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When we conducted a speed test of Surfshark of the Canadian server on Ookla, we got the speeds as shown in the screenshot above, with and without a VPN connection. So, what does this result tell us? Let’s find out.

Metrics Speeds without VPN Speeds with VPN
Download speeds 93.47 Mbps 77.17 Mbps
Upload speeds 90.67 Mbps 55.32 Mbps
Pings 189 ms 265 ms

With the Montreal server, we saw an increase of 1% in our download speed when compared to the Australian server above. However, the response time (pings) was quite high, at around 265 ms. To be more precise, with the Canadian server, we got a download speed of 77.17 Mbps and an uploading speed of 55.32 Mbps.

3. Germany – Frankfurt

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In this Surfshark VPN speed test of Germany server, we connected to the VPN’s German server and got the following results. Here is a quick summary of the screenshots above:

Metrics Speeds without VPN Speeds with VPN
Download speeds 93.75 Mbps 72.68 Mbps
Upload speeds 95.83 Mbps 59.21 Mbps
Pings 213 ms 117 ms

With this server, we realized that there is no Surfshark speed limit of Germany server. Our download speed was great (as usual), and the pings actually dropped by a significant number! However, the upload speeds had reduced by 41%, which was a bit disappointing.

4. Hong Kong

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Next up was Surfshark’s Hong Kong server that we tested. Here’s a quick analysis of its speeds in its HK location:

Metrics Speeds without VPN Speeds with VPN
Download speeds 94.67 Mbps 70.91 Mbps
Upload speeds 91.43 Mbps 62.11 Mbps
Pings 190 ms 264 ms

Now, the response time was significantly high as compared to the VPN servers above. However, the download speeds weren’t bad at all. We got a Surfshark speed drop of almost 30% but were still able to stream without any lags. These results made Surfshark one of the best streaming VPNs on our list. However, we’d say that there’s some room for improvement.

5. India

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In response to the new data retention law of India, Surfshark shut down all its physical servers. However, it still offers a virtual server location on which we conducted our Surfshark speed test:

Metrics Speeds without VPN Speeds with VPN
Download speeds 96.11 Mbps 76.26 Mbps
Upload speeds 94.89 Mbps 54.38 Mbps
Pings 157 ms 211 ms

One of the first things we wanted to do when we got Surfshark was to test out its speeds on long-distance server locations. When we connected to the virtual India server, we managed to get a download speed of 76.26 Mbps, an upload speed of 54.38 Mbps, and pings of around 211 ms. Even though the server wasn’t actually available in the country, streaming India’s popular platform, Hotstar USA turned out to be a terrific experience.

6. Italy – Milan

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On our 100 Mbps connection, the above-mentioned speeds are what we received on our Milan server speed test. While we didn’t feel any Surfshark speed limit, here’s our analysis:

Metrics Speeds without VPN Speeds with VPN
Download speeds 96.17 Mbps 80.88 Mbps
Upload speeds 90.17 Mbps 50.67 Mbps
Pings 163 ms 263 ms

With the Italian server of Surfshark, we got a super-fast download speed of 80.88 Mbps. Using these speeds, we enjoyed downloading torrents and faced no long pauses. However, its uploading speeds were reduced to almost 50% and the pings were quite high as well, making this server an unreliable choice for gaming.

7. The United Kingdom – London

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After Italy, we jumped to the server location with high traffic – the UK. We tested UK server. Here is our take on the speeds of this server in our Surfshark speed test:

Metrics Speeds without VPN Speeds with VPN
Download speeds 95.21 Mbps 82.36 Mbps
Upload speeds 92.19 Mbps 55.15 Mbps
Pings 213 ms 139 ms

Even though the probability of traffic overload on this server was high, the speeds that we received were unexpected and GREAT! On the UK server, we got a downloading speed of 82.36 Mbps, and an uploading speed of 55.15 Mbps with pings maxing at 139 ms. How cool is that?

8. The United States – New York

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You must’ve heard that the speeds on local servers are always higher than on other servers. And this can be proved by the Surfshark speed comparison on its US server below:

Metrics Speeds without VPN Speeds with VPN
Download speeds 92.75 Mbps 83.27 Mbps
Upload speeds 89.78 Mbps 65.59 Mbps
Pings 173 ms 251 ms

With the New York server, we got the fastest speeds amongst all servers in our guide. With a blazing-fast download speed of 83.27 Mbps, we could enjoy smooth streaming, fast torrenting, and advanced gaming in our country. As for pings, it reached 251 ms. We also tried Unblocking HBO Max outside US with Surfshark’s US server and it worked quite fine.

9. United Arab Emirates

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Next, we connected to Surfshark’s UAE server. While the country has high internet censorship and actively blocks VPNs, we faced no issue connecting to the server and the speeds were great as well:

Metrics Speeds without VPN Speeds with VPN
Download speeds 90.16 Mbps 78.16 Mbps
Upload speeds 92.47 Mbps 67.37 Mbps
Pings 173 ms 234 ms

While connected to a server in the Middle East, we evaluated Surfshark’s download and upload speeds, just like the rest. We were able to obtain a download speed of 78.16 Mbps using the UAE server. We were also pleased to notice that the upload speed was 67.37 Mbps. Oh, and the maximum ping time was 234 ms.

10. France – Paris

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The second last server belonged to the European Union. However, it did not disappoint in terms of speeds at all. Let’s analyze them in our Surfshark speed test below:

Metrics Speeds without VPN Speeds with VPN
Download speeds 93.85 Mbps 77.69 Mbps
Upload speeds 91.67 Mbps 56.89 Mbps
Pings 200 ms 200 ms

Now, it was astonishing to see that the pings of our local connection and the Paris server were exactly the same. However, the speeds were not. On our connection, we got a download speed of 77.69 Mbps and an upload speed of 56.89. Doesn’t seem too bad, does it?

11. The Netherlands

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The final server we tested was Netherlands. Being one of the safest jurisdictions, the speeds were great as well. Let’s check it out:

Metrics Speeds without VPN Speeds with VPN
Download speeds 95.71 Mbps 80.17 Mbps
Upload speeds 90.35 Mbps 61.28 Mbps
Pings 184 ms 165 ms

On this server, we faced a speed drop of almost 20% on our download speeds which was not at all bad. The upload speeds were great as well, and the pings were relatively low. In short, this is a great server to perform all your activities after the US.


Does Surfshark Have a Speed Test?

Yes, Surfshark offers a built-in speed test on its Windows app, but mostly, internet speed testing sites and apps do the job. You can run a speed test on multiple platforms for much more accurate results.

To use Surfshark’s built-in Windows speed test tool, here is what you need to do:

  1. Disconnect from Surfshark’s server (Yes, you need to!)
  2. Visit the Settings of your Windows app of Surfshark.
  3. Navigate to VPN Settings and click on Speed Test.
  4. Click on ‘Run Test’.
  5. Once the test stops running, you’ll find the result of each server on Surfshark’s list. You’ll be able to see the upload and download speeds along with latency.
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Factors to Consider While Conducting a VPN Speed Test

There are multiple factors you need to consider before conducting a Surfshark speed test. To help you further, here are some of the most important areas that can directly impact your connection speed:

  1. Internet speed: Often, it seems like a VPN is slowing down your connection when, in reality, it’s your internet connection that’s slow in the first place. So, ensure testing your connection before connecting to a VPN first.
  2. Distance from server location: The highest speeds usually come from server locations near your residence. A significant speed drop can be expected if you live and connect to an Indian server.
  3. Hardware of the VPN server: You are likely to get slow Surfshark speed if the server is overcrowded. Server overload is expected when you connect to the locations of countries with high traffic, like the US, Canada, or UK. While users may consider this one of Surfshark’s cons, the VPN offers over 600 servers in the US, so you never have to actually go through this problem.
  4. VPN encryption: Another reason for a VPN to affect speeds is encryption. When you use a VPN, your traffic is encrypted to protect your data from spies. Robust encryption algorithms can result in slow Surfshark speed. However, the speed drop is minimal with this premium VPN.
  5. VPN protocols: Every VPN protocol is not equal. Surfshark’s fastest protocol is WireGuard, using which is one way to speed up Surfshark. Then a few offer better speeds than the rest like OpenVPN (UDP), while others are stable like OpenVPN (TCP). With this VPN, you also get IKEv2 along with the others mentioned above.

A Bit About Surfshark

It’s unusual for a cheap VPN to be one of the most popular options in the industry. But Surfshark took the challenge and grew to become a top contender with 3200+ servers worldwide. The VPN started from the ground up, offering user-friendly apps, a robust privacy policy, and excellent streaming capabilities.

Its most affordable plan starts at just $2.49/mo - Save up to 77% with exclusive 2-year plan + 30-day money-back guarantee. Also, you can set up Surfshark on router as well. Best of all, Surfshark has a 7-day free trial and a 30-days money-back guarantee. You can cancel your Surfshark subscription anytime and get a full refund. But that’s not all. There are many other features you can check out in our in-depth Surfshark review.

Pros
  • Excellent server performance
  • Unlimited simultaneous connections
  • Inexpensive VPN service
  • WireGuard protocol to speed up Surfshark
  • No logging policy with powerful security
  • P2P compatible

Cons
  • Customer support can be improved
  • Inconsistent speeds on a few servers

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Other Streaming services you can access using Surfshark

We tested around 50+ servers including US, British, Canadian, Australian and other regions. As resulted we unblocked this entire list of streaming platforms with Surfshark:

American  British  Canadian        Australian     Other Regions 
Amazon Prime Video Sky TV CBC Gem Tenplay German TV
Showtime BBC iPlayer USA Crave TV 9Now DStv
Disney Plus Channel 5 City TV Foxtel Hotstar
ESPN+ Sky sport Hayu Stan Rai TV
MLB.tv Eurosport Citytv Optus Sports ViuTV
YouTube TV ITV Kayo Sports Telecinco
MTV Channel 4 SonyLIV
Vudu BT Sport Showmax
Crackle UK TVPlayer
 beIN Sports
Sling TV
Bravo TV
Starz

More Speed Test Results


More VPN Guides by VPN Ranks

  • Best VPN for Streaming: Unlock unlimited streaming possibilities with the top VPN service, delivering seamless access to global content.
  • best VPN with No borders mode: Experience unrestricted access to online content with the best VPN featuring No Borders mode.
  • Netflix with Surfshark: Enhance your Netflix experience with Surfshark VPN’s reliable and high-speed connections.

FAQs

Surfshark offers good speed, Netflix compatibility, and a solid number of country locations. VPNRanks’ tests show incredible speeds in Germany, US and the UK.

Applications like file-sharing clients, antivirus, and other VPN services may use similar resources on your PC that Surfshark requires. This can potentially slow your connection down. You can temporarily disable those apps and check if they help with the connection speeds.

Surfshark’s US – New York server is the fastest on the list. It offers a blazing-fast download speed of 83.27 Mbps and an upload speed of 65.59 Mbps, with a ping time of 251 ms.

Yes, you can connect to Surfshark’s WireGuard protocol to speed up your connection. If you’re currently using the OpenVPN protocol, Surfshark will allow you to switch between UDP (User Datagram Protocol) and TCP (Transmission Control Protocol). Surfshark allows that so you can check which one offers faster speeds.

Surfshark users do not face any speed, data, or bandwidth limitations. However, please keep in mind that you may experience slower speed and response time (pings) with a VPN than those without a VPN.

Surfshark users don’t have any speed, bandwidth, or data limitations. Nevertheless, please note that you might experience slower speeds and response time (ping) with a VPN compared to speeds and response time without a VPN. The speed may decrease by 20-30%.

Yes, Surfshark is a better option among the two simply because of its robust security measures, independent audits, and affordable price. Other than that, both are equally impressive and are at the top of our best VPNs for 2023 list. Surfshark stands out as the ultimate VPN with CleanWeb, delivering a clean and secure online paradise.


Wrapping Up!

This is all from us on the surfshark speed review. On all the 11 server locations we tested, no server decreased our speeds by more than 30%. That’s truly phenomenal.

As for upload speeds, well, they were not the best. During our extensive Surfshark speed test, we just couldn’t find any server that could offer us uploading speeds above 65 Mbps.

If we talk about real-world usability experience, we would say that Surfshark’s speeds didn’t bother us at all even on using in on different devices like Surfshark on Firestick and Roku etc. We were still able to stream in HD quality, play games without too much latency, and even download torrents with Surfshark was relatively quickly.

All in all, we recommend using Surfshark for its great speeds and promising performance. You can also test its servers by availing of its 30-day money-back guarantee before you finally subscribe to it at an incredibly budget-friendly cost starting from $2.49/mo .