Surfshark vs PrivateVPN: Which VPN Should You Pick in 2025?

This VPN is fast and reliable. It has a lot of servers in different countries and can be used in an un... limited amount of devices (it supports Linux, which is something very important for me). The software and app get updated regularly: note that I experienced some bugs with the auto-connect feature on Android that have been solved since then. With this competitive pricing, I would definitely recommend it. IMPORTANT NOTE: I am not including the customer support in this review, because I never had to use it. If I use it in the future, I will update this review with my experience. I recommend you to see other reviews that include it if it is important for you.More

I’ve been a Surfshark customer for quite some time, but my experience with their service over the last...  few months has been nothing short of frustrating and exhausting. After dealing with endless issues and subpar support, I feel it’s only fair to share my experience so that others can make an informed decision. The Problems I initially encountered serious issues with Surfshark’s version 5.13, which simply didn’t work properly. Rather than providing a real solution, the support team suggested I roll back to an older, less secure version, which obviously wasn’t a feasible option. And when version 5.14 was released, there were no guarantees that it would work smoothly either. This lack of reliability left me in the dark and without proper protection for my devices. As a user who’s been comfortable with VPNs for years, I expected better. Instead, the issues with Surfshark went far beyond just software bugs. The app had such a significant impact on my system’s configuration that I had to fully reinstall Windows twice, losing hours of my time in the process. After the system crash caused by the software, I found that I couldn’t even log in to my PC properly, rendering it unusable. 2. Port 443 Miscommunication Another issue arose around port 443. Initially, Surfshark’s support team claimed that my port was closed, which would have been a security issue. However, after conducting tests and providing photo evidence, I proved that the port was actually open. The support team’s initial miscommunication and failure to acknowledge this only added to my frustration. 3. The Toll on My Health Beyond the technical problems, this entire ordeal has had a significant impact on my health. I suffer from anxiety and panic attacks, and the constant stress of trying to get this issue resolved has caused me to lose sleep and even feel physically ill at times. The level of support - or rather, the lack of it - has only made things worse. In the end, I decided to part ways with Surfshark. Despite having paid £70.96 for two years of service, I feel like I’ve received far less than I paid for, especially given the extensive downtime and constant problems. I reached out to Surfshark asking for a partial refund for the 18 months that I couldn’t use the service properly. Unfortunately, they flatly refused to even consider it. This lack of accountability speaks volumes about their disregard for customer satisfaction.More