Those of you who have used Kodi before will know that the best thing about this media player is it’s incredibly powerful add-ons. They allow you to watch any movie in the world pretty much immediately, among other things, however, that require better online privacy. A powerful VPN is a great way to achieve that, but there are a lot of things to consider when choosing one – like their privacy policy, speed, and more.
Today, we’re going to take a look at Surfshark VPN, which has been making a name for itself as one of the most promising providers in the world. Does this rapid ascension to the top charts have a solid foundation? Is it the best option as a Kodi VPN? Let’s see if it can tick all the boxes.
Connection Options & Speed
As we take the first look through key Surfshark specs, things are looking good. Although there are providers who offer bigger server networks than Surfshark’s 1000+, quality matters more than quantity here. There are more than 60 locations to choose from, which is well within the top VPN range.
We were pretty satisfied with the speeds that we got – the speed drop was minimal. As such, it shouldn’t register unless you’re trying to download a ton of things at the same time or already have a slow connection that cannot spare even a single megabyte. No VPN can offer you that, so we recommend choosing one that slows you down the least.
A big pro here is the fact that you get unlimited devices per account. That’s not a thing you see often (or at all), with even the most generous providers usually choosing to cap the device limit at 10, or, more commonly, 5 to 6 devices.
Does Surfshark offer enough privacy?
You can’t, however, choose the best Kodi VPN without paying close attention to how it handles your personal data. All Surfshark VPN servers come with private DNS – a critical thing to make sure that there are no DNS leaks posing privacy risks.
We didn’t find any issues with Surfshark’s Privacy Policy or Terms and Conditions, plus, it claims a strict no-logs policy. They also have a warrant canary landing page, which is great to see, especially since they haven’t been asked to divulge any information on their users at the time of writing this article.
You also have the option to use static IP if you’d like, but if privacy is what you’re after, it’s better to go with the automatic, dynamic IP. An exciting feature that Surfshark offers is MultiHop- it allows you to connect via two VPN servers. That’s great if you’re looking for as much privacy as possible.
How secure is it?
Surfshark uses industry-leading AES-256-GCM encryption. It also offers IKEv2/IPsec as its primary protocol, along with a choice of OpenVPN- both VPN protocols are considered secure and fast, which is all excellent news.
Another strong case in point is the fact that Surfshark has been audited by Cure53 and received very positive results. It has also recently received a seal of approval by AV-Test, an independent IT security institute – a rare trust badge in the VPN industry. Plus, it is now offering two-factor authentication for its users to secure their accounts, which is an innovative move in the VPN industry and proves the strong stand when it comes to security. To sum up, Surfshark is looking good when it comes to security.
Related: How to Set Up VPN on Kodi?
What streaming services does Surfshark unlock?
Last but not least – a good Kodi VPN must be able to unlock quite a few streaming services. Surfshark performed very well on this point. We were able to access US Netflix, plus other Netflix libraries in the UK, Japan, Korea, and Italy.
According to their website, they unlock more than 10 different Netflix libraries. As far as we’ve tested it, it seems to stand true. Unlocking BBC iPlayer was also a success, and we were able to see Disney+ (although getting that one outside of the US can be a bit frustrating due to their payment limitations).
Surfshark can also help you watch Hulu and HotStar India if you’re into cricket. It seems like it does manage to grant access to all the major streaming services, so you shouldn’t run out of things to watch if you opt to use this particular VPN.
Conclusion: Is Surfshark worth the $1.99/mo price tag?
With dedicated apps for FireTV and a choice between. APK or GooglePlay Store for Android, Surfshark VPN is looking pretty good. We are a bit disappointed to see the lack of a dedicated Kodi app, although admittedly, it is rare for VPN providers to offer one. Surfshark performs well when it comes to speed, server variety, and ensuring privacy.
It has a solid stance on security, and it can help you unlock a wide range of additional entertainment. Paying $11.95 for its monthly plan may be a bit steep, but you can’t go wrong with a 2-year subscription for $1.99/mo. We think it will be worth your dime.