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Surfshark VPN servers – all you need to know about the provider's network
Choosing between the best VPNs to subscribe to can sometimes feel like splitting hairs.
One way users might compare one VPN to another is how dynamic its server offering is. From speed performance, to location breadth, to their use of virtual and RAM-only servers.
Surfshark is one of the biggest, most well-known names in what feels like that very saturated market of virtual private networks. Yet, its name is often mentioned among lists of the most affordable premium VPNs and as having the best VPN free trial.
So what do you need to know about its server network? Here, we explain exactly what Surfshark has to offer in that regard.
What is a VPN server?
VPN servers are a combination of hardware, specialized software, and protocols.
The hardware consists of a remote computer system that functions as the middleman between your device and the rest of the internet. Connecting to this server gives you an encrypted tunnel through which your data travels through, meaning better anonymity, concealing both your actual location by masking your IP address as well as your online activities.
Want to know more detail? We have a dedicated guide on what VPN servers are and how they work.
How many VPN servers does Surfshark have and where are they located?
Surfshark says it has more than 4,500 servers in its global network, based across 100 different countries.
This includes 600+ servers in the United States, based in 24 locations across 19 states including cities like New York, LA, Chicago, Dallas, and Atlanta.
In the UK alone, Surfshark hosts 440+ servers across 4 cities – London, Manchester, Glasgow, and Edinburgh.
For those after an India VPN, it has 50 servers and 2 virtual servers, while there are 12 servers in the UAE. And for anyone looking to route their traffic through a country known for privacy, Surfshark also has servers in the likes of Panama, Switzerland, and Iceland.
How fast are Surfshark's servers?
Surfshark offers 10Gbps ports as standard. Essentially, this upgrade to its hardware infrastructure promises "lightening fast connection speeds" and "smooth, uninterrupted browsing".
During our local testing on the WireGuard protocol we saw a median average of 1021Mbps for Surfshark, which isn't far off NordVPN's NordLynx's 1249Mbps. Connecting from Europe to the US, it faired well at 935Mbps. For a more private connection, its OpenVPN speeds yielded excellent results, besting NordVPN's 688Mbps with its 825Mbps results.
Considering that most of us have internet connection speeds of less than 100Mbps and, ordinary home internet speeds max out at around 300Mbps even if you have even if you have Ultrafast or Gigabit internet, it means that you're extremely unlikely to suffer any internet slowdowns when Surfshark is connected.
Towards the end of 2025, Surfshark was the first VPN to upgrade its network to offer 100Gbps servers. While it's worth noting this value refers to each server’s total bandwidth capacity and not individual user speeds, it's still a huge leap from the 10Gbps industry standard and should help futureproof the provider's network architecture against ever increasing online demands.
Surfshark server types explained
Browsing through Surfshark's server list, it's easy to be bamboozled by the various types of server it offers:
- Dynamic MultiHop: Often referred to as a Double VPN, Surfshark's version – Dynamic MultiHop – routes your traffic through not just one but two servers, boosting your privacy with your traffic entering and exiting through two different encrypted servers. Surfshark's enhanced feature allows you to choose between connecting through two pre-selected servers, or customizing it to your preferred pairing.
- P2P: P2P stands for 'peer-to-peer' and is a file-sharing server, offering a secure, encrypted way for you to share and torrent files.
- Static: The presence of Surfshark's static IP servers mean you can opt to get the same IP address every time you connect to a specific server. This consistency of IP helps provide more seamless access to remote networks that can be impacted when your address changes every time you connect through a VPN. It also helps to avoid behaviors like getting numerous CAPTCHAs that can often crop up when hopping between different IP addresses.
- Dedicated IP: Unlike a static IP address, which you can consistently connect to but is used by other users, a dedicated IP means it is unique to you. So it offers similar benefits to a static IP, but with enhancements to speed and security. Note that Surfshark offers this only as an add-on to its standard subscription plans.
What are RAM-only servers?
RAM – standing for Random Access Memory – is the short term memory hardware devices and the like use to store your data for active tasks.
When you translate that into the context of servers, it means all your data is automatically erased after every reboot with none of your online activity being stored anywhere.
All Surfshark's servers are 100% RAM-only (and have been for several years), providing greater peace of mind to users concerned with whose hands their personal information may end up in.
Does Surfshark utilize virtual servers?
While Surfshark's servers are predominantly physical servers within each of its listed specific locations, it does utilize virtual servers in locations where it's unable to do so due to things like poor infrastructure, safety concerns and limitations due to local governments, or a lack of reliable data centres.
This means that, while the server may be said to be virtually located in a specific country, the physical server will actually be elsewhere, with your IP address spoofing as the former.
There are both pros and cons to virtual servers, including better connection speeds where the physical server is actually closer to you than the country it is mimicking, as well as being able to access more restricted countries, and VPN providers being able to provide a bigger global reach.
Cons include risks of increased latency. While the physical server could be closer to you than the destination you're wishing to connect to, it may also be that it's further away, seeing a slower connection. Depending on the provider, it may also be less clear where your data is actually been routed through. For the privacy conscious, there may be countries you're less keen for your data to travel through, too.
What VPN protocols does Surfshark offer?
A VPN protocol is essentially a set of instructions that tells a VPN how to work. Users can switch between them depending on the online task they want to carry out, but their choices can also be limited to the device they're using.
These VPN protocols facilitaed by Surfshark include:
- WireGuard: Known for being the new kid on the block that offers fast performance. Available on macOS, Android, and Linux.
- OpenVPN: Offering the most private connection thanks to its plethora of configurable settings. This does mean it can be a little slower, though.
- IKEv2: Good for mobile use in particular, IKEv2 has earned its stripes as one of the older protocols still in use, offering a stable, reliable connection. However, it's no longer available in the Surfshark Windows app.
- Dausos: Evolving with the times, Dausos is Surfshark's high speed post-quantum server as the provider futureproofs against changes to encryption. Only available for macOS at the time of writing.
How to choose the right Surfshark VPN server
Really, the Surfshark server you use comes down to what you're looking to do online.
If your task warrants you being located in a specific location, you'll want to select a server in that country. For instance, if you're looking to access a streaming service in the UK but you're currently in the States.
Otherwise, for optimum speed, it's recommended you go for a more local server to you.
For more private tasks, you may wish to opt for a more secure protocol type like OpenVPN in order to get the highest level of encryption.
