VPN Deal of the Week: Surfshark throws in full antivirus for just $0.30 per month

Surfshark's homepage on macOS. On the left are tabs for various server lists. There are options for locations, Static IP, MultiHop and dedicated IP. Below this is a list of servers. On the right of the screen there is a widget showing the VPN in connected, with its connection time, VPN IP address and encryption protocol. — (Image credit: Future)

We've covered a fair few of the best VPN deals recently, but there's one big bargain that really stands out – Surfshark's One plan. If you need both a VPN and antivirus, this is the cheapest way to get it.

Surfshark's basic plan tops my list of the best cheap VPNs, and sits in the second spot in my guide to the best VPNs overall. In my hands-on testing over my six years at Tom's Guide, it's consistently been one of the most reliable VPNs for streaming and privacy. If you just a need a VPN, the basic plan at $1.99 per month will suffice.

But, for $2.29 per month (just $0.30 more per month than the basic plan), the Surfshark One tier throws in fully-fledged antivirus. The only other VPN that does this is Norton VPN, which is more expensive at $2.50 per month. A standalone antivirus more expensive still – for example, Bitdefender's basic plan costs $34.99 per year (equivalent to about $2.91 per month).

There's one more place that Surfshark outdoes the rivals, too – you can install it on unlimited devices. That means, with your single subscription, you can install it on all of your own devices, and even share the logins with trusted family members and friends. The more, the merrier, right?

Surfshark One VPN + AV | 2 years | $2.29 per month
If you're looking for one app to cover all your privacy and security needs, Surfshark One is your best choice. It's fully audited so you can trust it never collects your data or browsing history, and it's super reliable for unblocking streaming sites as well.

What you'll get...

🚀 1,600+ Mbps speeds
📺 Excellent streaming and privacy
🔒 Fully fledged antivirus
❌ Fairly little customization

A 2-year plan starts at $2.29 per month ($61.83 upfront pre-tax) and includes 3 months free. There's also a 30-day money-back guarantee should you want to claim a refund.

Three levels of subscription

Surfshark started out as a solo VPN, but over the years it has developed into a do-it-all privacy and security app. You can choose to just pay for the VPN, or upgrade your plan to include antivirus, a private search engine, data breach alerts, and even personal data removal.

Surfshark Starter: $1.99 per month ($53.73 upfront)
Surfshark One: $2.29 per month ($61.83 upfront)
Surfshark One+: $4.19 per month ($113.13 upfront)

Surfshark starter is the cheapest option, and if you only need a VPN for staying private online and unblocking restricted sites, it's your best bet. It also includes the excellent Alternative ID.

However, I think Surfshark One offers the best value, considering over the course of two years you'll pay just $8 more for comprehensive antivirus cover.

If you want the full Surfshark One+ package, it still doesn't break the bank – and you'll get a subscription to data removal tool Incogni thrown in as well. To use Incogni, you securely upload details like your name and email address, and the tool sends automated data deletion requests to hundreds of data brokers. This is effective at combatting spam, and can even get your details off the dreaded "people websites."

Surfshark Android app — (Image credit: Surfshark)

How does Surfshark compare to other VPNs?

Surfshark offers a good blend of simplicity, privacy, price, and more advanced privacy tools. It sits in the second spot of my guide to the best VPNs, and I think it's very good budget choice for most people.

However, other VPNs do offer different sets of features that may suit you more.

NordVPN, which I rate as the best VPN overall, has a number of features Surfshark doesn't, like Meshnet and Threat Protection Pro. It's also marginally better for streaming than Surfshark, although only in very specific circumstances. Take a look at my guide to the best VPNs for streaming for more info.

Surfshark is super simple to use, and this is a big selling point – it's great for first-time VPN users. However, this comes at the cost of deeper customization. If you know you'll want to adjust lots of settings to tailor your VPN to your liking, I'd recommend considering Proton VPN or Private Internet Access. Both of these VPNs offer many more adjustable settings that Surfshark, and are more suited to being your go-to torrenting VPN.

However, if you're an occasional VPN user that wants fast connections, great privacy, and excellent value for money, Surfshark is my top recommendation.

Disclaimer

We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example: 1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service). 2. Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad. We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing.

Mo has been rigorously testing, reviewing, and analyzing VPN services at Tom’s Guide for more than five years. He heads up the three-person Tom's Guide VPN team, and is passionate about accessibility: he believes that online privacy should be an option that’s available to everyone. NordVPN and ExpressVPN are the products he uses most on a daily basis, but he experiments weekly with all the top services, evaluating their privacy features, connection speeds across various protocols, and server reliability – among other things – so that he can make confident VPN recommendations that are backed by data. To see his latest advice, head over to Tom’s Guide’s best VPN and best free VPN guides.

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