Surfshark is the budget favourite of the big VPN brands, and it is one of the few that lets a whole household share one subscription on unlimited devices. This review looks at what it delivers for a New Zealand user in 2026: the Auckland servers, the audited no-logs policy, real-world speeds on Chorus fibre, which streaming services it reaches, what it costs in US dollars and where it falls short.
Quick verdict: Surfshark is our pick for families and multi-device households in New Zealand. It has ten servers in Auckland, WireGuard with post-quantum protection, a no-logs policy audited by Deloitte in 2023 and again in 2025, and a two-year Starter plan at US$2.49 a month. It is not the fastest or the most polished app, and monthly billing is expensive, but for the price it is hard to beat. See how it ranks in our best VPN for New Zealand guide.
Surfshark launched in 2018 and grew quickly on the strength of low prices and a long feature list. It is run by Surfshark B.V. in Amsterdam and has been part of Nord Security, the company behind NordVPN, since a 2022 merger, although the two services keep separate apps, servers and infrastructure. The Netherlands has no mandatory data-retention law for VPN providers, and Surfshark’s servers run entirely in RAM, so nothing is written to disk between reboots.
The network covers about 4,500 servers in 100 countries, including ten in Auckland, which means Kiwi users can encrypt their traffic without adding trans-Tasman latency. Protocols are WireGuard (with post-quantum key exchange), IKEv2 and OpenVPN, plus Surfshark’s newer Dausos protocol for networks that block VPN traffic. A kill switch, DNS and IPv6 leak protection, CleanWeb ad and tracker blocking, MultiHop double-VPN routing and split tunnelling (Bypasser) are included on every plan.
The stand-out feature is unlimited simultaneous connections: one account covers every phone, laptop, TV and console in the house. Speed is covered in detail below; the short version is that it is more than enough for 4K streaming on any New Zealand fibre plan.
There are dozens of VPN providers, and the right one depends on what you need. Here is how Surfshark stacks up for a typical Kiwi household.
Pros:
Cons:
Surfshark is a virtual private network provider based in the Netherlands. It uses AES-256-GCM encryption with WireGuard, IKEv2 and OpenVPN, runs RAM-only servers and holds a strict no-logs policy that has passed two Deloitte audits.
The company offers a seven-day trial through the mobile app stores and a 30-day money-back guarantee on every plan, and it supports an unlimited number of simultaneous connections so you can protect all of your devices with one account.
Surfshark technical specifications (September 2026)
Speed is where Surfshark has improved most since our first review. With WireGuard on a Fibre 500 line in Auckland, connecting to an Auckland server typically costs less than 20 percent of throughput, and a Sydney server is similar with 28 to 34 ms of added latency. US West Coast servers sit at about 140 ms and return 200 to 300 Mbps, which is plenty for 4K streaming and large downloads. Only long-haul European servers, at roughly 265 ms, feel slow for interactive use. If your results are far lower, try switching protocol from automatic to WireGuard and picking a server manually; our WireGuard vs OpenVPN guide explains why it matters so much on New Zealand’s long routes.
Surfshark unblocks Netflix US, Disney+ regional libraries, BBC iPlayer and HBO Max reliably, and it worked with Paramount Plus in our latest checks; see our Paramount Plus in NZ guide for the full process. The Auckland servers also let Kiwis overseas reach TVNZ+, ThreeNow, Neon and Sky Sport Now, although those services periodically block VPN ranges, so switching servers is sometimes needed. Smart DNS is included for devices that cannot run the app.
| Plan | Monthly | 1 year (per month) | 2 years (per month) | What you get |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Surfshark Starter | US$16.45 | US$3.39 | US$2.49 | VPN, CleanWeb, Alternative ID |
| Surfshark One | US$18.95 | US$3.59 | US$2.79 | Adds antivirus, Alert breach monitoring, private Search |
| Surfshark One+ | US$21.85 | US$7.49 | US$4.49 | Adds Incogni personal data removal |
All plans include unlimited devices and a 30-day money-back guarantee. Surfshark’s introductory prices usually renew at a higher rate, so check the renewal price at checkout. For most New Zealand households Starter on the two-year plan is the sweet spot, and if you want antivirus bundled, One costs only 30 US cents more a month.
Surfshark gives New Zealand users an audited, RAM-only VPN with Auckland servers, strong streaming performance and unlimited devices for a lower long-term price than any other major brand. Its weaknesses, a busy interface, expensive monthly billing and shared ownership with NordVPN, are minor for most people. If you want one subscription for the whole family, it is the VPN to buy; if you want the fastest, most refined experience for a single user, compare it with ExpressVPN first.
Disclaimer: This review reflects our own testing from New Zealand and publicly available documentation; it is not legal advice. VPN use is legal in New Zealand, but bypassing geo-restrictions breaches streaming services’ terms. Prices are in US dollars and change often; confirm them on the official site before buying.
Surfshark bills in US dollars. In September 2026 the Starter plan is US$16.45 monthly, US$3.39 a month on a one-year plan and US$2.49 a month on a two-year plan, so a two-year subscription is roughly NZ$100 up front. The One plan (antivirus, Alert breach monitoring and Search) is US$2.79 a month on two years and One+ (adds Incogni data removal) is US$4.49.
Yes. Surfshark runs ten servers in Auckland, so you can encrypt your traffic on public Wi-Fi or hide browsing from your ISP without routing it overseas. Sydney and Melbourne are the next closest locations at about 28 to 34 ms.
There is a seven-day free trial when you sign up through the Google Play or Apple App Store, and every plan carries a 30-day money-back guarantee, so you can test it on your own connection risk-free.
On a Fibre 500 connection, an Auckland server typically leaves 400 Mbps or more with WireGuard, and Sydney is similar. US servers land around 200 to 300 Mbps because of distance, which is still far above the 25 Mbps needed for 4K streaming. Run our NZ speed test with the VPN on and off to check your own numbers.
Yes. There are apps for Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, Linux, Fire TV and Apple TV, extensions for Chrome, Firefox and Edge, and router setup guides. Because connections are unlimited, you do not need to count devices.
No. Surfshark’s no-logs policy has been independently audited by Deloitte in 2023 and 2025, its servers run in RAM only, and the Netherlands does not require VPN providers to retain user data.
They belong to the same parent company but remain different products. NordVPN has a larger network, more Auckland capacity and faster apps; Surfshark is cheaper and allows unlimited devices. For a family sharing one subscription, Surfshark wins on value; for a single power user, NordVPN’s speed and extras edge it. Our best VPN guide compares both.