Surfshark One Antivirus is a powerful anti–malware tool that protects devices from viruses, ransomware, and other harmful programs. It’s part of Surfshark’s all-in-one security suite, including Surfshark Alert, Surfshark Search, and the popular Surfshark VPN.
Surfshark VPN is one of the best premium VPNs we’ve reviewed. Surfshark One Antivirus represents the company’s efforts to expand its digital product line and offer a more inclusive security suite to users. But does Surfshark live up to expectations?
In this Surfshark Antivirus review, we dig into the antivirus software to answer the titular question: Is Surfshark One worth it?
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Surfshark Antivirus Short Review
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Surfshark Antivirus is a barebones but effective antivirus solution that protects against viruses and other malware. It’s not as feature-rich as some of the best antivirus software, lacking features like a firewall, anti–spam, and parental controls – but it still holds its own.
Surfshark One’s basic antivirus protection meets our expectations. It has also now been verified by industry lab tests. Improvements can be made to the software regarding its lack of features, but the company’s clearly committed to developing the full Surfshark One suite.
Furthermore, while conducting our Surfshark Antivirus review, we discovered that the software is lightweight and can work in the background without slowing down or heating up your device. Although the full scan ran for several hours during our testing, it took up little CPU and memory space.
Surfshark Antivirus allows you to schedule your scans whenever it is more convenient for you. Thankfully, the Surfshark One’s interface is neatly organized and easy to navigate.
Currently, the antivirus is a great choice for Android devices, and the Mac and Windows versions are improving. While Surfshark is a newcomer to the antivirus industry, our contacts provide regular updates and promise new features in the coming months.
It’s important to note that you can’t buy the Surfshark Antivirus separately; it’s sold as one bundle. Fortunately, it’s an excellent bundle that includes Surfshark Antivirus with a VPN with powerful protection. Try it risk–free for 30 days using the button below, or get a full refund if you’re not happy with your purschase.
Surfshark One Antivirus Specifications and Subscriptions
If you want access to Surfshark’s antivirus, you’ll need to purchase the entire Surfshark One cybersecurity bundle. Luckily, Surfshark has a very attractive package when you sign up for two years, which ends up costing just $ 3.99 a month.
For most users, we recommend the 24-month plan, as it gives you a whopping 82% discount compared to the monthly plan. However, if you don’t want this long–term antivirus protection, you can always go for one of the other plans.
- Surfshark One 24 months 2.69mth Deal View offer
- Surfshark One 12 months $3.07mth View offer
- Surfshark One 1 month $14.99mth View offer
The good news is that you can use one Surfshark One package to protect up to five devices, so it’s a good choice if you want to share your subscription with your family. This is similar to competitors. For comparison, out of our top five antivirus software, three cover a maximum of five devices, while the rest (AVG and Avast) cover up to 10 devices.
Curious about the different kind of subscriptions Surfshark offers? Besides Surfshark One, there are two other plans with different features. Surfshark One+ includes its Incogni data removal service, while Surshark Starter is a bare-bones package that only contains the VPN and adblocker.
| Feature | Surfshark One | Surfshark One+ | Surfshark Starter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pricing | From $ 3.99 per month | From $ 3.99 per month | From $ 1.99 per month |
| Real-Time Antivirus | ✔ | ✔ | ✖ |
| Anti-Phishing | ✔ | ✔ | ✖ |
| Performance Optimization | ✔ | ✔ | ✖ |
| Payment Protection | ✖ | ✖ | ✖ |
| Smart & Fast VPN | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Ad Blocker | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Private Browsing | ✔ | ✔ | ✖ |
| Webcam Protection (macOS) | ✔ | ✔ | ✖ |
| Data Removal | ✖ | ✔ | ✖ |
| Adult Content Blocker | ✖ | ✖ | ✖ |
| Screen-Time Management | ✖ | ✖ | ✖ |
| GPS Child Locator | ✖ | ✖ | ✖ |
| File Protection | ✖ | ✖ | ✖ |
| Password Manager | ✖ | ✖ | ✖ |
| Download Link | Get Surfshark One | Get Surfshark One+ | Get Surfshark Starter |
Overall, Surfshark One lacks some features, as we discovered during our Surfshark One Antivirus review. But all of the antivirus essentials we expected are there. Considering that one of the best VPNs on the market is bundled in, it’s a good bargain. You can pay for your subscription with credit cards, PayPal, Amazon Pay, Google Pay, and even cryptocurrencies.
Security: Can Surfshark One Antivirus Be Trusted?
Overall, the Surfshark Antivirus offers useful features to safeguard your device. Its basic antivirus protection meets our core expectations for an antivirus solution. But it skimps on useful security extras. Here’s a summary of what we discovered during our research and testing:
- We noted that the scanning feature is effective at spotting malware.
- Real-time protection is available for Mac, Windows, and Android.
- You can receive alerts when your personal data is leaked.
- There’s no password manager or file manager – a bonus feature we often see in competitor software.
Surfshark Antivirus still has a long way to go to prove that it’s more secure than the most popular antivirus software, but it’s already showing good signs. As a result, we awarded Surfshark Antivirus a 7/10 for security.
Security testing: How does Surfshark Antivirus measure up?
Independent lab testing is our first port of call in our antivirus reviews. Recently, AV–Test scored Surfshark One for the first time, giving us the opportunity to see the software put through rigorous testing. The results could’ve been better.
In this round of testing, most competitor software scored a full 18 points. AV–Test scored Surfshark One 15 overall, with points lost for protection and performance. We’re hopeful Surfshark will work on these areas before the next round of testing.
We also put Surfshark One Antivirus through our own tests during this Surfshark Antivirus review, introducing a dummy malware file to our Windows computer. We downloaded the malware test file from the European Institute for Computer Antivirus Research (EICAR) and ran quick and full scans to see if Surfshark Antivirus could detect the threat.
The results were impressive. Surfshark Antivirus easily picked out the dummy malware file during each scan. It also gave us the option to delete the file. Our only gripe was that the antivirus didn’t offer much detail on the malware file except categorizing it as “riskware.”
Real-time protection
Real-time protection means that an antivirus will run in the background, monitoring and detecting threats like Trojans in your device. Previously, Surfshark One Antivirus’ real-time protection only worked on Android. But the feature is now available to Windows and macOS users.
We tried the feature on an Android device as well as a Mac. It worked well, alerting us whenever it suspected any virus, malware, or spyware.
However, when looking at Surfshark vs Bitdefender, we believe that Surfshark can learn from Bitdefender’s Advanced Threat Defense feature, which takes real-time monitoring a notch higher by blocking zero-day attacks. You can better understand Bitdefender’s features by reading our Bitdefender review and see how it differs from Surfshark.
Device scanning
Antivirus software tends to offer different scans, and we were happy to see that Surfshark’s antivirus supports the features we’d expect. You can tailor scans to your needs based on three options:
- Quick scan: A quick surface-level scan of the device’s file system. We find these scans useful when you need to continue using your device. After the scan, Surfshark Antivirus shows you a list of the threats and allows you to delete them.
- Full scan: Surfshark Antivirus’ full scan digs deep into your entire device to discover threats. It’s an excellent option to fish out computer viruses and malware that a quick scan may have missed, though we find that it’s better saved until you’re away from the device.
- Custom scan: This is a useful feature since it allows you to scan specific files and folders without running a full or quick scan. You can add files one by one, or you can drag and drop multiple files at once.
Surfshark’s ability to scan files for malware makes it a powerful defense against phishing emails. Phishing remains one of the most prevalent cybersecurity and personal data threats. Never download files from untrusted emails. We also recommend using a tool like Surfshark One to add another line of protection.
Webcam protection
Thanks to our contacts at Surfshark, we recently learned of a great new security addition. Surfshark One now offers webcam protection to macOS users. We were impressed by the development – macOS is usually the last platform to receive such features.
Toggling the feature allowed us to choose which apps could access our built–in camera. According to our Surfshark source, this feature will be coming to other operating systems soon.
Privacy: How Does Surfshark One Antivirus Handle Your Data?
The best antivirus programs treat user data with great care. Surfshark scored high marks, specifically a 9/10, in this department during our Surfshark One Antivirus review. We wouldn’t expect anything less from an industry–leading, no–logs VPN provider.
To date, there’s no record of any data breaches or scandals. That’s impressive. Here’s our roundup of Surfshark One’s key privacy points:
- Surfshark Search offers a privacy–focused search engine experience.
- The company follows a strict no-logs policy, avoiding storage of any personal data.
- You can receive alerts about compromised credentials by registering an email.
- Surfshark’s RAM-only servers ensure your data is wiped upon every reboot.
Privacy protection features
Surfshark runs RAM-only servers. These clear cached data with every reboot. As a result, your data is only stored temporarily to deliver your service. It cannot be retrieved once deleted.
Aside from Surfshark Antivirus, the Surfshark One bundle gives you access to Surfshark VPN, Alert, and Search. Surfshark’s businesses are known to be privacy-focused. This extends to their data–deletion service, Incogni, which can remove your personal data from the internet.
Surfshark VPN
An antivirus keeps viruses and malware at bay, while a VPN protects your privacy. For full protection, we strongly advise using Surfshark Antivirus and VPN in unison.
We’ve tested Surfshark extensively. It’s truly one of the top VPNs on the market, offering some of the best–in–class speeds. The Surfshark VPN app is easy to use and cheap to boot.
Powerful 256–bit encryption safeguards your data, while a kill switch cuts off your internet connection should your VPN connection drop. It also offers DNS leak protection to ensure that your IP doesn’t leak. We’ve also found it to be extremely capable of bypassing geo–blocks.
Surfshark’s NoBorders mode helps you get past government censorship. This is particularly powerful in highly restrictive countries like China. If you don’t want anyone to know you’re using VPN protection, Camouflage Mode makes your VPN traffic look like regular internet traffic.
You can also add an extra layer of privacy and protection to your internet traffic using the double VPN servers. Overall, Surfshark’s VPN is one area in which we’re confident that this company excels. It remains one of the best VPNs we’ve tested.
Surfshark Search
Search engines like Google collect your data and tweak your search results based on your location and search history. But that’s not the case with Surfshark Search. Think of Search as a true incognito mode that helps you browse the web completely anonymously. If you’re concerned about the data gathered and used for targeted marketing, Search could be the answer you’re looking for.
This private search engine prevents tracking, making it more secure than even some of the best privacy–focused browsers. It ensures you only get organic search results that aren’t influenced by location or previous searches. What’s more, you won’t see any ads while browsing.
Combine Surfshark Antivirus software with a VPN, and nobody will know what you’re searching for online.
Surfshark Alert
Surfshark Alert is a data breach monitoring tool that notifies you when your personal information appears online. It scours the internet to see if your email address, password, credit card details, and personal identification number have appeared in breached online databases.
First, you’ll have to provide your email address. You can add more than one email, too. After that, you’ll receive a notification in your dashboard if your details appear online.
This is useful for more than just data breaches. It could also tell you when your data is being used for marketing purposes. We recommend using Surfshark’s aforementioned data–removal tool, Incogni, to request removal in these cases. While conducting our Incogni review, we found that this service is very effective at online data removal.
Surfshark One Antivirus privacy policy
Surfshark excels in privacy. The company has a strict no-logs policy, meaning it doesn’t log your online activity. That includes your IP addresses, browsing history, bandwidth, time stamps, and network traffic.
Surfshark was established in the Netherlands. The country doesn’t require information storage or reporting and complies with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). As such, while Surfshark gathers some account information, like your email address, registration date, and password, this is common among all VPNs and is of no concern.
To examine Surfshark One’s policy yourself, check out our article on spotting privacy risks in user agreements and privacy policies.
Usability: How User-Friendly Is Surfshark One Antivirus?
We’ve always found that Surfshark products excel in usability. And we were happy to see that during our Surfshark Antivirus review, Surfshark One’s apps were all easy to install, intuitive, and user-friendly. Here’s a snapshot of our experience with Surfshark One:
- Surfshark One is easy to download and install.
- You can get a full refund within 30 days of your purchase.
- Surfshark’s customer support is responsive and helpful.
- It doesn’t have a user community.
Based on these observations, we determined that Surfshark One Antivirus scores an 8 out of 10 for usability.
How do I install Surfshark Antivirus?
To download and install Surfshark Antivirus, follow these steps:
- Visit Surfshark’s website. The website is well laid out, attractive, and easy to navigate.
- Go to “Products” and select “Surfshark Antivirus.”
- Click on the “Get Surfshark Antivirus” button.
- Choose a plan and add Surfshark Search, Alert, and Antivirus.
- Click on the VPN tab on the homepage and select “Application” from the drop-down menu.
- Choose your operating system and download the setup file for the Surfshark app.
- Run the application and follow Surfshark’s prompts until the program is successfully installed.
Installing Surfshark on Android follows a similar pattern. Simply head over to the Google Play Store and search for Surfshark. Click the “Install” button, and the app will install in a few minutes.
Overall, we found the installation process quick and efficient. We were up and running in a matter of minutes.
Surfshark Antivirus software
We found the Surfshark One antivirus software very user-friendly during our Surfshark Antivirus review. The options we needed were right there on the dashboard for us. On the top left, we saw a lineup of Surfshark’s cybersecurity tools: Surfshark VPN, Alert, Antivirus, and Search.
We clicked on the “Antivirus” tab to access it and were presented with various options.
Here, you can also run a Quick scan if you want. All you have to do is click on the Quick scan button, and you’ll get your results within minutes.
How easy is it to cancel Surfshark Antivirus?
You can cancel your Surfshark One subscription at any time. You can also get a full refund if you request it from customer support within 30 days. Canceling Surfshark One is just as easy as canceling Surfshark VPN.
Surfshark may consider refunds beyond 30 days if the service was unavailable or unusable. You’ll be expected to have made sufficient efforts to contact Surfshark without a solution. There’s a maximum of two refunds per user, and claims must be at least six months apart.
Overall, we found it extremely easy to go through the process for a refund. It meant we could scan for threats and still get our money back, knowing our machine was malware-free. There’s really no risk in trying Surfshark One for 30 days to check that there are no hidden keyloggers or other malicious programs lurking.
Surfshark One Antivirus customer support
Surfshark has a knowledge base dedicated to its antivirus. We launched it directly from the dashboard. In our previous Surfshark One review, we noted only four FAQs – the help section has since expanded vastly. Surfshark is clearly committed to developing its antivirus solution.
You can also reach out to Surfshark’s customer support agents through email or a live chat. We tested the live chat feature, and we were impressed by the timely and helpful response.
An actual agent, rather than the bot, responded to us in less than a minute and provided all the information we needed. Unfortunately, there’s no user community to help you with your questions.
Speed and Performance: Will Surfshark One Antivirus Slow Down My System?
An antivirus can slow down your system, especially during full scans. Overall, Surfshark antivirus has little impact on your system speed, as we discovered during our Surfshark One Antivirus review. Here’s a summary of our findings when we tested it:
- Surfshark Antivirus doesn’t consume much memory or CPU resources.
- The full scan can last for several hours, depending upon your file system.
Based on these conclusions, we gave Surfshark One Antivirus 7 out of 10 for performance.
How long does a scan take?
The length of a scan depends on many factors, including the size of your drive, your RAM, and your CPU resources.
For our testing, we used a device with the following specifications: Intel Core i5 CPU, 4GB of RAM, and a solid-state drive (SSD) with Windows 10 Pro 64-bit system (English).
On Windows, the Antivirus’ quick scan combed through 88 files in about a minute. This is just about the same time that Sophos and Avira used to complete a quick scan.
On the other hand, the full scan screened over 470,000 files in a little under three hours, which seems quite long. For comparison, Bitdefender took almost 4.5 hours to complete a full scan of about one million files.
How does Surfshark Antivirus impact my CPU?
The good news is that the Surfshark Antivirus full scan does not require a lot of processing power. During our testing, the antivirus used between 60-80MB of working memory and 5-10% of CPU resources.
This means you can still use your PC normally even while performing a full scan, and you don’t have to worry about the scan slowing down or heating up your device.
However, Surfshark can still get better when it comes to CPU usage. For example, Kaspersky used only 2% of CPU resources while we were reviewing the software.
Final Verdict: Is Surfshark Antivirus Enough for Your Device?
While Surfshark Antivirus is still relatively new, all the signs we’ve seen during our Surfshark Antivirus review are positive. It covers the antivirus essentials, with routine scanning, real–time protection, and file scanning functions.
Surfshark Antivirus has now been industry vetted. The results were lacking compared to competitors, but Surfshark is clearly committed to improving the service. Our contacts share regular updates with us, and new features are already arriving for the previously stripped–back macOS version.
Surfshark Antivirus scores 7.8/10 overall for its security suite. We think Surfshark One is a solid choice for anyone who’s privacy–minded, especially because it comes with Surfshark’s industry–leading VPN service. With Surfshark One Antivirus, you can be confident that your device will be protected from online threats.
If you want to check out other antivirus solutions on the market, take a look at our other articles below:
Below, you’ll find common questions people are asking about Surfshark Antivirus. Simply click on a question to reveal the answer.
Surfshark One is an excellent cybersecurity bundle comprising four tools: Surfshark Antivirus, Surfshark VPN, Surfshark Search, and Surfshark Alert. All these tools are privacy-focused and they help you stay safe while using your devices and the internet. Learn more about Surfshark’s packages in our Surfshark review.
If you’re looking for security and privacy, Surfshark One is worth your investment. The bundle comes with one of the best VPNs on the market, an effective antivirus, a private search engine, and a cybersecurity notification tool.
Surfshark One has all the essentials we’d expect from an antivirus solution. While industry testing was weaker than other solutions, it passed our tests using spoofed malware files, and we’re confident in the protection it offers. We expect functionality to expand in time, judging by feedback and updates from our contacts at Surfshark.
