Many VPNs offer the courtesy of a free trial before you commit to a subscription, and Surfshark is one of them.
In fact, there are two ways to get a Surfshark free trial.
The first is to sign up on an iOS, macOS, or Android device to receive a 7-day free trial.
The second requires subscribing to a Surfshark plan with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Need more help?
Read below for step-by-step instructions (with pictures) on how to get a free Surfshark trial.
How Do I Start My Surfshark Free Trial?
Starting a Surfshark free trial is as easy as downloading the Surfshark VPN app to your device, providing your details, and following the prompts.
But if you want to tread cautiously – I get you! That’s why I’ve included some step-by-step assistance below.
How to Get a Surfshark 7-day Free Trial?

In this tutorial, I used my Android phone, but you can follow the same steps using an iOS device.
Once you’ve successfully subscribed to your free trial, you can use the same account for most other devices, regardless of the operating system.
Here’s how to easily claim your free trial:
- Head to the Google Play Store (or Apple app store if you’re using iOS) and enter “Surfshark” in the search bar.
- Browse through the suggestions until you find the official Surfshark app. It looks like this:
- Tap on “Install.”
- When the installation is complete, open the app. Your next prompt will be to enter your email address and password to create a Surfshark VPN account.
- Read through the “Auto-renewal subscription info” – there’s some important “cancellation” info. Next, tap “Start.”
- You’ll now be directed to a page where you enter your card details. Once done, click “Subscribe.” You’ll automatically be assigned the one-year deal, although you can alter this later in your Apple or Play Store settings.
- That’s it! You have a fully functional Surfshark subscription for the next seven days. Completely free of charge!
- Connect to a server and test your Surfshark free VPN to the max!
How to Cancel Surfshark's Free Trial?
If you want to try Surfshark for seven days only, you must remember to cancel your trial at least 24 hours before it expires.
Otherwise, your account will be debited according to the plan you’ve chosen.

Interestingly, there’s no way to cancel the trial using your Surfshark account itself.
You must cancel your subscription via the Apple/Play Store.
I still wanted to verify that no money would be taken off my card, so I used Surfshark’s Live Chat for consolation.
This was the agent’s response:

With this feedback, I worked through the motions of canceling my Surfshark 7-day free trial using my Android device.
The steps are similar if you’re using iOS.
Here’s what I did:
- I opened my Play Store app and tapped on my profile icon (found on the top right).
- I selected “Payments and subscriptions.”
- Next, I tapped “Subscriptions.”
- Under “Subscriptions,” you’ll find your Surfshark app. Select “Cancel subscription.”
- A pop-up menu will appear, prompting a reason for cancellation. You can select “Cost-related reasons,” or you can “Decline to answer,” as I did. Tap “Continue.”
- A new screen will appear where you can finalize your Surfshark free trial cancellation. Tap “Cancel Subscription.”
- Your free trial will now be canceled, and your money will remain in your possession.
This method is quick and simple.
However, if you’re slightly skeptical like I am, you can temporarily remove your card details from the Google Play/Apple Store until a few days have elapsed.
Success!
If you accidentally keep the subscription after the 7-day free trial – there’s good news!
While your card may be debited for the subscription fee, you’ll still be eligible for a Surfshark 30-day money-back guarantee.
Essentially, you’d then have a 37-day free trial.
But note! This is for Android users only.
If you purchased your subscription via iTunes/iOS app store, Amazon, or used a prepaid/gift card, Surfshark’s Terms of Service states that these refunds are “out of their hands.”
You’ll need to contact your source for information on their refund policy and process.
How to Get a Surfshark 30-Day Free Trial?
If you feel seven days isn’t enough to get the gist of Surfshark’s VPN, you can always make use of this 30-Day money-back guarantee “hack.”
Basically, you’ll provide payment information and pay a fee for your chosen subscription, only to get it back when you ask for a refund.
This is how you get Surfshark for free for 30 days:
- Go to the official Surfshark website.
- Browse through the plan options and click on your preferred subscription to highlight it.

- Scroll down to choose your preferred payment method. I clicked on “Credit card.”
- Enter your payment details and your email address to create your account.
- You’ll be prompted to activate your account by following the instructions sent to your email. Remember to choose a strong password!
- If you’re using Windows, Linux, or macOS, you can download the applicable Surfshark software via your account. If you’re using a smartphone or tablet, then you can download the app from Google Play or the Apple Store.

- Log in to your app using your email and password.
- You can now click on the “Connect” button to connect to a server automatically. This is where you put the Surfshark VPN to the test!

Enjoy the service, and don’t forget to contact customer support to ask for a refund before your money-back guarantee period is over.
How to Get a Refund From Surfshark?
If you’re not happy with the Surfshark VPN and your account is less than 30-days old, you’ll qualify for a refund.
According to the Surfshark website, you’re “guaranteed the right to claim a refund within 30 days following your purchase of our services.”
However, if you purchased your Surfshark VPN via iTunes, iOS app store, Amazon, or a prepaid card/gift card, you’ll need to request the refund from the store or payment source, not Surfshark.
To get your money back directly from Surfshark, you can follow these steps:
- Head to the Surfshark website and click on the “Support” button in the bottom right corner. This will open a “Live Chat” box.

- Click on “Live Chat.”
- A pop-up form will appear. Fill in your name and email address (preferably the one linked to your Surfshark account), and make sure the “Surfshark VPN” department is selected under “Choose a department.”
- Compose your message. Send something like, “Hi. Please can you help to refund my money? It has been less than 30 days since my purchase. Thank you.”
- Click on “Start chat.”
- Wait for an agent to respond and guide you through the cancellation and refund process. Your account and payment information may be requested (so have these details on hand).

- Once you’ve received confirmation from your agent that your refund is processed, you can exit the chat. As a rule of thumb, hold onto the chat history sent to you via email in case you need proof to argue a case.
- Check whether you’ve received a refund in the next 7-10 business days.
Your respondent will guide you through a similar process and confirm your full refund once it’s been approved.
With Surfshark, you don’t have to give a reason for canceling – although your agent may prompt for one.
If they ask, say, “I don’t want to give a reason,” – they’ll accept this response.

Remember, you must be within a 30-day window to get a refund.
If your account is older than 30 days, then there is no guarantee that you’ll get your money back.
According to Surfshark’s refund policy, the provider will consider refunding a user whose purchase is older than 30 days in exceptional cases only.
What Can You Do With a Surfshark Free Trial?
Unlike many other free VPN trials or free VPNs that limit bandwidth and features, Surfshark offers free-trial users all the premium features.
Basically, you get to try the paid version without spending a cent.
In a nutshell, you get access to all of Surfshark’s secured VPN servers PLUS useful app settings such as kill switch and Bypasser (split tunneling) functionality.
Other Surfshark VPN features include:
- An easy-to-use app interface
- An audited no-logging policy
- 3200+ servers in 65 countries
- P2P servers
- Limitless bandwidth
- Unlimited simultaneous connections
- Military-grade encryption
For a detailed features list, including pros and cons, read this detailed Surfshark review.
Surfshark 7-Day Free Trial vs. 30-Day Money-Back Guarantee: Which Is Better?
Both Surfshark free trial options allow you to put the VPN (all features included) to the test.
However, the 7-day trial limits you to 7-days – or six days since you need to cancel your app subscription 24 hours before the trial expires.
The advantage is that Surfshark won’t debit your card or PayPal account.
This is great if you have no cash to spare at the time.
The 30-day trial, on the other hand, gives you a full 30 days (plus seven days if you subscribe to the 7-day free trial first) to test the VPN to the max.
You can take your time unblocking streaming sites to watch your favorite series, and you can really stretch Surfshark’s capabilities.
I’m not one to rush my research, so I prefer the 30-day money-back guarantee method.
Surfshark’s 7-Day Free Trial Pros and Cons
Pros
- Surfshark won’t debit your card/account for 6-7 days
- You’ll have access to all Surfshark’s premium paid-for features
- You won’t need to contact customer support to cancel your trial
- You won’t have to request a refund
- If you forget to cancel the trial, you’ll still be eligible for the 30-day money-back guarantee
Cons
- You only have six days to test the VPN
- Your card/account will be debited in you don’t cancel your trial in time
Surfshark’s 30-Day Free Trial Pros and Cons
Pros
- You’ll have access to all Surfshark’s premium paid-for features
- You’ll be able to use your Surfshark VPN for a full month (no rush)
- Your money will be refunded to you – no questions asked
- The refund process is relatively quick
Cons
- You’ll have to pay a refundable subscription fee
- You must wait between 2-7 days after your refund request to be reimbursed
Peruse the pros and cons above to see which free trial from Surfshark will work best for you.
Surfshark Free Trial Customer Reviews
Many potential VPN customers are skeptical about refund policies.
There’s also often a hesitation to share credit card details.
To ease your mind, I took the time to search for Surfshark refund reviews and general feedback.
I used Trustpilot to do my bidding.
Overall, the VPN provider has a 4.2-star rating – good!
The feedback on refunds was all excellent – I found no complaints, except from those who forgot to cancel before the 30-day money-back guarantee period lapsed.


Even Alex was happy after he was unexpectedly charged but didn’t have to jump through hoops to get his money back:

The feedback on the Google Play Store is mixed. There are many “thumbs up” but several disappointed users, too. However, most negative reviews are from users who failed to read the 7-day free trial small print and didn’t unsubscribe before their cards were debited!
How Does the Surfshark Free Trial Offer Compare With Other VPNs With Free Trials?
Any authoritative Surfshark review will tell you that this provider offers an affordable VPN service with higher-tier features.
But as affordable and promising as this VPN sounds, I understand you don’t want to run the risk of wasting time on a product you don’t like.
If you’re not sure that Surfshark is the way to go, even though the free trial has no strings attached, then other quality VPNs offer free trials, too.
You can compare them with Surfshark below:
VPN | Trial Duration | Which Mobile Apps Does the Trial Work On? | Do You Need to Provide Card/Account Details? | Money-back Guarantee |
---|---|---|---|---|
Surfshark | 7 days | Android, iOS | Yes | 30-days |
NordVPN | 7 days | Android, iOS | Yes | 30-days |
ExpressVPN | 7 days | Android, iOS | Yes | 30-days |
PrivateVPN | 7 days | Android, iOS | No | 30-days |
IPVanish | 7 days | iOS | No | 30-days |
You’ll see that most VPNs offer a similar free trial service, all with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Choose one of these VPN trial options or start your Surfshark free trial now!
FAQ
Is Surfshark's Free Trial Safe?
Surfshark’s free trial gives users access to all the VPN’s premium security features, thus making it safe to use.
Included in the deal, you’ll receive AES-256-GCM military-grade encryption, WireGuard and OpenVPN protocols, a kill switch, and Surfshark’s own CleanWeb and Camouflage Mode feature.
All these qualities are what make Surfshark VPN a safe industry leader.
Each subscription plan, including the 7-day free trial, also promises a strict no-logs policy.
This ensures that your online activity is kept private and safe.
Is There a Surfshark Free Trial for Windows?
Yes, there are two ways to get a Surfshark free trial for Windows.
You can download an app to your Android or iOS smartphone or tablet, sign-up for the 7-day free trial, and then log in to a Windows device using the same sign-in details.
Or you can subscribe to a package using your Windows device and then claim your 30-day money-back guarantee.
Both trial options give you access to all Surfshark’s features for free.
Can I Pay for a Surfshark 30-Day Trial Using Cryptocurrency?
You can use a cryptocurrency to pay for your Surfshark 30-day trial.
The platform currently accepts several cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash, Ethereum, and Lite Coin.
Currently, these purchases can only be processed using CoinGate and CoinPayments.
Conveniently, Surfshark also claims to refund payments made in cryptocurrency (based on the US dollar rate of exchange at the time of the refund).
But keep in mind that there must be a clear transaction path for the refund to be successful.
If either party makes a mistake with the crypto transaction, it might be impossible to reverse the funds.
Signing Out…
Getting a Surfshark free trial is easy, and the refund process is straightforward.
Activate your Surfshark free trial now!
Just remember, it’s essential to cancel your plan before the trial ends or the 30-day money-back guarantee elapses.
Otherwise, you’ll lose your money with no promise of getting it back.
But Surfshark is an excellent VPN, so the reasons not to continue with a subscription are few and far between.
Read here to discover more free VPN trial options and VPN deals.