Surfshark Speed Test: Real-World Performance Results
Surfshark speed test: 695 Mbps on 1 Gbps fiber, ranked #4 of 22. Full protocol benchmarks and methodology.
Fastest VPNs Compared
How Fast Is Surfshark?
Surfshark ranked #4 of 22 VPNs tested in our speed lab. It delivered 695 Mbps average throughput on a 1 Gbps fiber connection using WireGuard. Latency measured 20 ms with 0.2% packet loss and a stability variance of ±22 Mbps. That throughput retains roughly 70% of baseline speed, placing Surfshark among the fastest consumer VPNs available.
Speed Results by Protocol
Protocol choice changes Surfshark’s performance dramatically. We tested three protocols on the same 1 Gbps fiber line. Each protocol ran 15 consecutive tests across 3 server locations.
WireGuard
WireGuard produced the best numbers across every metric. Average throughput hit 695 Mbps with latency at 20 ms. Connection time averaged 1.2 seconds from click to encrypted tunnel. Stability stayed tight at ±22 Mbps over 30-minute sustained transfers.
OpenVPN (UDP)
OpenVPN UDP dropped throughput to 310 Mbps on the same connection. Latency rose to 38 ms with stability variance widening to ±45 Mbps. CPU usage on our test machine jumped 18% compared to WireGuard. OpenVPN remains useful for bypassing network restrictions but costs real speed.
IKEv2
IKEv2 landed between the two at 480 Mbps average throughput. Latency measured 28 ms with ±30 Mbps stability variance. Reconnection after network switches took under 0.8 seconds, making it the fastest protocol for mobile handoffs. Overall throughput still trails WireGuard by 31%.
| Protocol | Throughput | Latency | Stability | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WireGuard | 695 Mbps | 20 ms | ±22 Mbps | General use, streaming |
| IKEv2 | 480 Mbps | 28 ms | ±30 Mbps | Mobile devices |
| OpenVPN UDP | 310 Mbps | 38 ms | ±45 Mbps | Restricted networks |
Performance Across Network Types
VPN speed depends heavily on your underlying connection. We tested Surfshark on four common network types using WireGuard throughout.
Fiber (1 Gbps)
Surfshark retained 69.5% of the baseline 1 Gbps connection. Peak throughput touched 740 Mbps during burst transfers. Upload speeds averaged 620 Mbps, a 68% retention rate. Fiber users get the most raw throughput from Surfshark.
Cable (300 Mbps)
On a 300 Mbps cable connection, Surfshark delivered 245 Mbps downstream. That represents 81.7% speed retention, higher than fiber in percentage terms. Latency added 8 ms over baseline. Cable users will barely notice the VPN overhead during daily browsing.
Public WiFi (50 Mbps)
Public WiFi testing at 50 Mbps baseline showed 41 Mbps through the VPN tunnel. Speed retention hit 82% with latency at 35 ms total. Jitter measured higher at ±12 Mbps due to WiFi interference. The encryption overhead matters less on slower connections.
Mobile (5G, 200 Mbps)
5G testing averaged 155 Mbps with Surfshark connected using IKEv2. Network handoffs between towers caused 0.4-second micro-disconnects. WireGuard on mobile delivered 170 Mbps but handled handoffs slightly worse. IKEv2 remains the better mobile protocol despite 9% lower throughput.
Streaming Performance
4K streaming requires 25 Mbps sustained. Surfshark delivered 8 to 28 times that minimum depending on connection type.
We tested 60-minute 4K streams across Netflix, Disney+, and YouTube. Buffer events occurred zero times on fiber and cable connections. Public WiFi produced one brief quality drop at the 34-minute mark. Bitrate held steady at maximum quality for 98.3% of total viewing time across all tests.
Surfshark’s MultiHop feature reduced streaming throughput to 420 Mbps on fiber. That still far exceeds 4K requirements. Smart DNS mode, called SmartDNS, added zero measurable overhead since it skips encryption entirely.
Gaming Latency
Competitive gaming demands low latency more than high throughput. Surfshark’s 20 ms baseline latency works for most online games.
We tested on servers within 500 miles of our lab. Ping times ranged from 18 to 24 ms across 200 measurements. Connecting to servers 3,000 miles away pushed latency to 78 ms. Jitter stayed under 5 ms on nearby servers, acceptable for first-person shooters.
For comparison, our #1 ranked VPN measured 14 ms on identical routes. That 6 ms gap between first and fourth place rarely impacts gameplay outside professional esports. Packet loss at 0.2% means roughly 1 in 500 packets needs retransmission.
Torrenting Throughput
Sustained download speeds matter most for large file transfers. Surfshark’s WireGuard protocol maintained 680 Mbps during our 10 GB test file download.
Port forwarding is not available on Surfshark, which limits initial peer connections. Once connected to a healthy swarm, throughput stabilized within 45 seconds. Upload throughput averaged 590 Mbps, useful for maintaining share ratios. P2P traffic routes through designated servers automatically.
How Surfshark Compares to the Top 5
We ranked the five fastest VPNs from our 22-provider test. All measurements use WireGuard on 1 Gbps fiber.
| Rank | Provider | Throughput | Latency | Packet Loss |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | NordVPN | 780 Mbps | 14 ms | 0.1% |
| #2 | ExpressVPN | 750 Mbps | 16 ms | 0.1% |
| #3 | PIA | 710 Mbps | 18 ms | 0.2% |
| #4 | Surfshark | 695 Mbps | 20 ms | 0.2% |
| #5 | Mullvad | 670 Mbps | 22 ms | 0.3% |
Surfshark trails NordVPN by 85 Mbps and ExpressVPN by 55 Mbps. The gap between #3 and #4 narrows to just 15 Mbps. Surfshark costs less per month than every provider ranked above it, offering the best speed-per-dollar ratio.
Testing Methodology
Our speed lab uses a dedicated 1 Gbps symmetric fiber line in a controlled environment. We eliminate variables by testing at 3 AM local time with zero competing traffic.
Each VPN runs 15 sequential tests per protocol per server location. We test 3 server locations per region: nearest, mid-range (1,500 miles), and cross-continent (5,000+ miles). Results above reflect the nearest-server averages unless stated otherwise.
Hardware includes a Ryzen 7 5800X desktop, 32 GB RAM, and a 2.5 GbE NIC. We measure throughput via iPerf3, latency via ICMP ping sequences of 200 packets, and jitter via continuous UDP streams. All tests use the latest stable VPN client version at time of testing.
Why Is Surfshark Slow? Troubleshooting Guide
If Surfshark feels sluggish, the issue usually traces to protocol selection or server distance. OpenVPN cuts speeds by 55% compared to WireGuard. Switching protocols takes under 10 seconds in the app settings.
Server distance adds roughly 1 ms latency per 60 miles of cable distance. Connecting to a server 5,000 miles away can push latency above 100 ms. Always select the nearest server unless you need a specific geographic location.
Other fixes include disabling CleanWeb ad blocking during speed-sensitive tasks. Antivirus software scanning VPN traffic adds 5 to 15% overhead on some systems. Restarting the app clears stale connections that accumulate during long sessions.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does Surfshark’s speed compare to other VPNs?
Surfshark ranks #4 of 22 in our Speed Lab, aggregated from independent labs, trailing NordVPN’s #1 rank and ExpressVPN’s #8 rank by a narrow margin. It retains roughly 70% of a 1 Gbps fiber baseline using WireGuard, with 0.2% packet loss, making it one of the fastest consumer VPNs despite costing less than either provider ranked above it.
Which protocol is fastest on Surfshark?
WireGuard is Surfshark’s fastest protocol, outperforming OpenVPN UDP and IKEv2 across 15 consecutive tests per protocol on the same connection. OpenVPN cuts speeds by roughly 55% versus WireGuard and raises CPU usage 18%. IKEv2 trails WireGuard by about 31% but reconnects in under 0.8 seconds after network switches, making it the better choice for mobile handoffs.
Does Surfshark’s speed hold up for 4K streaming?
Yes, Surfshark comfortably supports 4K streaming. Across 60-minute test streams on Netflix, Disney+, and YouTube, buffer events occurred zero times on fiber and cable connections, and bitrate held at maximum quality for 98.3% of total viewing time. Public WiFi produced only one brief quality dip. Its SmartDNS mode adds zero measurable overhead since it skips encryption entirely.
Does Surfshark’s MultiHop feature slow speeds down significantly?
MultiHop, which routes traffic through two servers instead of one for added privacy, does reduce throughput compared to a single-hop WireGuard connection on fiber. Even with that reduction, speeds still far exceed what 4K streaming requires. It’s a reasonable trade for users prioritizing an extra layer of encryption over squeezing out maximum raw throughput.
Why does latency matter more than throughput for gaming on Surfshark?
Gaming performance depends on latency, and a VPN only lowers that by routing to a geographically closer server, not by hiding your IP. Surfshark tested servers within 500 miles kept jitter tight and packet loss at 0.2%, while servers roughly 3,000 miles away pushed latency noticeably higher. For competitive play, picking the nearest server matters more than chasing raw Mbps numbers.
Why does Surfshark feel slow, and how do I fix it?
Sluggish Surfshark performance usually traces to protocol choice or server distance rather than a service problem. Switching from OpenVPN to WireGuard, a change that takes under 10 seconds in the app, recovers most of the roughly 55% speed loss OpenVPN causes. Disabling CleanWeb during speed-sensitive tasks and closing antivirus scans, which can add 5 to 15% overhead, also help.
How much does server distance affect Surfshark’s speed and latency?
Connecting to a Surfshark server far from your location adds meaningful latency that increases with distance, based on our cable-distance testing. A server roughly 5,000 miles away pushes latency noticeably above a nearby one, so choosing the closest available server keeps performance tightest unless you specifically need a distant country’s server for access purposes.
Does Surfshark’s speed justify its price against NordVPN and ExpressVPN?
Surfshark’s price, from $1.99/month, undercuts both NordVPN (from $3.49/month) and ExpressVPN (from $3.49/month) while still ranking #4 of 22 in our Speed Lab, just behind NordVPN’s #1 rank and ExpressVPN’s #8 rank. That combination of lower cost and near-top-tier throughput retention gives Surfshark the strongest speed-per-dollar ratio among the three providers compared here.
Does connecting more devices affect Surfshark’s speed?
Surfshark supports unlimited simultaneous device connections, unlike NordVPN’s 10-device cap or ExpressVPN’s 10 to 14 depending on plan. Our lab tests ran on a single dedicated connection over a 2.5 GbE NIC, so actual multi-device throughput depends on your own router and how many devices pull bandwidth at once. Unlimited connections still make it practical for larger households.
How is Surfshark’s speed test methodology conducted?
Our Speed Lab tests Surfshark on a dedicated 1 Gbps symmetric fiber line using a Ryzen 7 5800X desktop with a 2.5 GbE NIC, running 15 sequential tests per protocol across three server distances: nearest, roughly 1,500 miles, and 5,000-plus miles. Throughput is measured with iPerf3 and latency via 200-packet ICMP ping sequences, with tests run at 3 AM local time to remove competing traffic.
What if Surfshark’s real-world speed doesn’t match the lab results?
Surfshark backs every plan with a 30-day money-back guarantee, so if actual speeds on your own network fall short of Speed Lab expectations, you can request a full refund within that window. This matters because your ISP plan, router hardware, and distance from the nearest server all affect real throughput more than controlled lab conditions do.
What makes Surfshark’s speed test results strong?
Surfshark’s speed showing comes largely from defaulting to WireGuard, which produced the best throughput, latency, and stability of the three protocols tested, with average connection times of 1.2 seconds from click to encrypted tunnel. That protocol efficiency, paired with a 3,200+ server network across 100+ countries, helps it retain roughly 70% of baseline speed on a 1 Gbps fiber line.