Surfshark Antivirus review (2026): good malware protection if you want the VPN too

What Surfshark Antivirus is in 2026

Surfshark Antivirus is the malware scanner built into the Surfshark app. Surfshark, the company best known for its VPN, launched it in 2021, and you still can't buy it on its own. It comes with the Surfshark One and One+ bundles, which add the antivirus, data leak alerts and a few privacy tools to the VPN. The cheaper Starter plan gives you only the VPN and Alternative ID.

Inside the app, the antivirus is a tab next to the VPN. It runs on Windows 10 and later, macOS Big Sur 11 and later, and 64-bit Android phones. It does not run on iPhones, iPads, Linux or Windows on ARM, so Snapdragon laptops are out. One subscription covers the antivirus on up to five devices, even though the VPN in the same bundle covers as many devices as you like.

Surfshark B.V. is registered in Amsterdam and has offices in Lithuania, Poland and Germany. It was founded in 2018 and merged with Nord Security, the company behind NordVPN, under one holding company in 2022. Surfshark says the two still operate independently, and it now has more than 500 staff.

Setting it up

You install the antivirus from inside the Surfshark app rather than as a separate program, so the first step is the normal Surfshark sign-up and download.

On Windows, you open the app, pick the Antivirus tab and press Install Antivirus. Windows asks for permission to make changes, and Surfshark needs a yes, because the antivirus can't install without those permissions. You need Windows 10 or newer and 2 GB of free disk space. When the install finishes, the app offers a first scan and then shows you the number of files it checked and anything it found.

On a Mac, you need the version of the app downloaded from Surfshark's website, not the App Store version, because the antivirus doesn't appear in the App Store version at all. You also need to grant Full Disk Access so the scanner can reach your files, and Surfshark's help center has guides for that prompt on specific macOS releases, such as Ventura.

On Android, you go to Products, then Antivirus, then Scan, and allow the app to manage your files.

One thing can go wrong on Windows. If the installer detects another antivirus, even one you removed some time ago, the install may fail. Surfshark's fix is a PowerShell command that clears old antivirus entries from Windows Security Center. It works, but a less technical buyer will probably need the live chat to walk through it. Uninstall your old antivirus before you start and you are less likely to hit this.

Scans and real-time protection

Real-time protection is the part that matters most. It checks apps and files as you download, install and open them, and moves anything harmful into quarantine. Surfshark says it updates its threat database every 3 hours and runs a cloud check, which it calls Cloud Protect, to catch new threats that the database doesn't know yet. On Windows you can change how often the database updates; a lower number means fresher definitions.

Manual scans come in three kinds on the Mac: a full scan of every drive, a quick scan of your Documents, Downloads and Desktop folders, and a custom scan where you drag in the files or folders you want checked. Windows offers full and quick scans and lets you schedule them. You can set scans to the minute, which helps if you want a full scan to run while you're at lunch rather than during a video call. On Android, the options are simpler: real-time protection, a daily scan, a switch to include stored files, and a list of apps to leave out.

Exclusions work the way you'd expect. If a work tool or a large folder of video files keeps getting scanned for no benefit, you add it to the exclusion list. Quarantined files can delete themselves after 60 days, and the Mac app keeps six months of protection history so you can see what it found and when.

External storage scans are worth switching on if you move files around on USB sticks. When you plug in a drive on Windows or macOS, a pop-up offers to scan it, and any threats go straight to quarantine. You can turn the prompt off for large drives such as a NAS that you don't want scanned every time.

Webcam, web and ransomware protection

Webcam protection, on Windows and macOS, stops apps and websites from using your camera without your say-so and alerts you when one tries.

Web Protection is Windows only. It checks every web address your browser, or any other program, tries to reach, and blocks known malware and phishing sites before a page loads or a file downloads. To see inside encrypted connections, Surfshark installs a root certificate on your PC. That is common for this kind of filter, but some people, and some company IT teams, prefer not to have a third-party certificate on a machine. If that's you, leave the Web Protection switch off and keep the rest of the antivirus running. You can also add sites to an exclusion list if a tool you rely on breaks.

The ransomware shield is Mac only and has been in the app since version 4.12.0. You choose folders to protect, such as Documents and Pictures, and the shield blocks unknown apps from changing files inside them. System apps like Finder are allowed by default, and if a legitimate app gets blocked from saving into a protected folder, you add it to the allowed list.

Both desktop apps also give you the email scam checker from the antivirus's extra tools. It checks messages in your Gmail inbox for phishing signs. If you use Outlook or Apple Mail, it won't help you.

Does it slow your device down

Surfshark's antivirus page shows three AV-TEST scores: 6 out of 6 for protection, 4.5 out of 6 for performance and 6 out of 6 for usability. Its about page lists an AV-TEST certification for 2025. Protection is the score that tells you whether it catches malware, and a 6 is the top mark. Usability measures false alarms, and a 6 there means it rarely flags safe files.

Performance is the weakest of the three. AV-TEST's performance test measures how much a product slows everyday tasks such as opening websites, downloading files, installing programs and copying data. A 4.5 means a measurable slowdown, and on an older laptop you are most likely to see it during a full scan. Scheduling full scans for times you aren't working gets around most of it.

Surfshark doesn't date the scores on its antivirus page, and it doesn't say which scanning engine sits underneath the app, so check AV-TEST's site for the latest round if the exact numbers matter to you.

What else Surfshark One gives you

Most people who buy Surfshark One are paying for the VPN first, so the rest of the bundle counts toward the value.

The VPN covers unlimited devices and, according to Surfshark, has more than 4,500 servers in 100 countries. It includes the CleanWeb ad and malware blocker, a kill switch that cuts your connection if the VPN drops, and Bypasser, which lets banking apps or local sites skip the VPN.

Alert watches for your email addresses, credit card numbers and ID numbers, including a Social Security number, in leaked data and tells you when they turn up. Alternative ID creates a masked email address that forwards to your inbox, plus a made-up name and address for sign-ups you don't trust.

Scam protection is the newest part. It includes a web content blocker that stops malware and phishing sites across all your devices, the Gmail scam checker and scam text protection on Android. Surfshark lists scam call protection as coming soon.

One+ adds two more things. Incogni sends removal requests to data brokers and people-search sites, and works only for residents of the US, UK, EU, Switzerland and Canada. US residents outside New York State also get identity theft coverage of up to $1 million for restoration costs, underwritten by HSB Specialty Insurance Company.

Pricing and value

Prices below were checked on November 4, 2026, in US dollars, during Surfshark's Black Friday deal. Tax may be added at checkout.

Plan	First bill	Works out at	Then
One, 24 months	$67.23 for 27 months	about $2.49 a month	$99 a year
One, 12 months	$44.85 for 15 months	about $2.99 a month	$99 a year
One, monthly	$19.95	$19.95 a month	$19.95 a month
One+, 24 months	$107.73 for 27 months	about $3.99 a month	$119 a year
One+, 12 months	$104.85 for 15 months	about $6.99 a month	$119 a year
Starter (no antivirus), 24 months	$67.23 for 27 months	about $2.49 a month	$79 a year

The deal makes the choice easy for now. One costs exactly the same as Starter on the 24- and 12-month terms, so you get the antivirus, Alert and scam protection for nothing extra until your first renewal. After that, One renews at $99 a year against $79 for Starter, which puts a price of $20 a year on the antivirus, Alert and scam protection together.

The jump at renewal is the main thing to plan for. You pay $67.23 for 27 months and then $99 for each year after. That is still less than Norton 360 Deluxe's $124.99 renewal, but you should put a reminder in your calendar if you want to switch or ask for a better rate before the plan renews.

Skip the monthly plan unless you need Surfshark for a few weeks. At $19.95 a month, you pay more in four months than the 24-month plan costs in full. One+ only makes sense if you live in one of Incogni's countries and want data broker removal, or you're in the US and want the identity theft coverage.

There's no free plan. Surfshark offers a 7-day free trial on 12- and 24-month plans bought on its website, with card, PayPal or Apple Pay details required, and it limits the trial to 3 devices. Surfshark describes this as a VPN trial and doesn't say whether the antivirus is included. A 30-day money-back guarantee covers your first purchase if you bought it from Surfshark's website or through Paddle, Google Play or Cleverbridge. It doesn't cover renewals, a second refund, or add-ons Surfshark lists as non-refundable, such as a dedicated IP.

Support

Surfshark offers live chat and email around the clock, and has no phone line. Live chat is where you ask for a refund under the money-back guarantee, and it is the quickest route when the antivirus won't install.

The help center is detailed for a bundled product. There are separate setup guides for the antivirus on Windows, macOS and Android, articles on webcam protection, Web Protection, the ransomware shield and external drive scans, and fixes for common macOS permission prompts. There are also guides for letting the Surfshark VPN work alongside Norton 360, Bitdefender, Kaspersky, McAfee, Avast, AVG, Avira and Malwarebytes, which helps if you keep a different antivirus and only use Surfshark for the VPN.

Surfshark Antivirus vs Norton 360 Deluxe

Norton 360 Deluxe is the better choice if you want a full security suite rather than a VPN with an antivirus attached. It covers five devices, including iPhones and iPads, and adds a password manager, 50 GB of cloud backup, parental controls, dark web monitoring and its own VPN. It also comes with a 60-day money-back guarantee, against Surfshark's 30 days.

Surfshark wins on price and on VPN coverage. Norton 360 Deluxe costs $49.99 for the first year and renews at $124.99 a year (checked November 4, 2026). Surfshark One costs $67.23 for 27 months and renews at $99 a year. Surfshark's VPN also works on unlimited devices, while Norton sells Deluxe as a five-device plan.

Pick Norton if you have an iPhone or iPad to protect, children whose browsing you want to manage, or no backup in place. Pick Surfshark if the VPN is the main reason you're buying and your devices are Windows, Mac and Android.

Surfshark Antivirus vs Bitdefender Total Security

Bitdefender Total Security is an antivirus suite first, and its VPN is an extra. The Individual plan covers up to five devices on Windows, macOS, Android and iOS, and the Family plan covers up to 25 devices for five people. The included VPN is capped at 200 MB a day per device, which is enough for checking email on hotel Wi-Fi but not for streaming.

Prices checked on November 4, 2026, were $59.99 for the first year of Individual, or $119.99 for two years, and $79.99 for the first year of Family. Bitdefender's terms say the renewal price may be higher than the first payment.

If you want the strongest antivirus coverage across a family's devices, including iPhones, Bitdefender is the better fit. If you want a full VPN with no daily cap and are happy with solid antivirus on up to five computers and Android phones, Surfshark One gives you more for less money during its first term.

Where Surfshark Antivirus falls short

The device gaps are the biggest limit. With no iOS app and no support for Windows on ARM, a household with iPhones and a new Snapdragon laptop will need a second product, and at that point a suite like Norton or Bitdefender may cost less overall.

The five-device cap sits awkwardly next to a VPN that covers unlimited devices. A family of four with a laptop and a phone each will run out of antivirus seats.

You can't buy the antivirus without the VPN, so if you already pay for a different VPN, Surfshark One makes little sense.

The bundle has no password manager, parental controls or cloud backup, all of which Norton 360 Deluxe includes.

Some details are hard to pin down. The antivirus page says Android 10 or later, while the Android setup guide says Android 7.0 or later, one help article says macOS Catalina 10.15 or later while the antivirus page says Big Sur 11, and the antivirus page doesn't date its AV-TEST scores. None of this changes how the antivirus works, but it is worth checking the current requirements before you buy for an older phone.

Pricing and value

Prices checked November 4, 2026, in US dollars, during Surfshark's Black Friday deal. Tax may be added.

Plan	First bill	Then
One, 24 months	$67.23 for 27 months (about $2.49 a month)	$99 a year
One, 12 months	$44.85 for 15 months (about $2.99 a month)	$99 a year
One, monthly	$19.95 a month	$19.95 a month
One+, 24 months	$107.73 for 27 months (about $3.99 a month)	$119 a year

The antivirus comes only with One and One+. The VPN-only Starter plan costs the same $67.23 for 27 months but renews at $79 a year. There's no free plan; Surfshark offers a 7-day free trial on 12- and 24-month plans, which it describes as a VPN trial, and a 30-day money-back guarantee on first purchases.

Who should buy it

Buy Surfshark One for the antivirus if you want Surfshark's VPN anyway and your computers and phones run Windows 10 or later, macOS Big Sur or later and 64-bit Android. It suits a single person or a couple with up to five such devices who want malware scanning, webcam protection and data leak alerts in one app, and who would rather pay about $2.49 a month for 27 months than buy a VPN and a security suite separately.

Who should skip it

Skip it if you need protection on an iPhone or iPad, use a Windows on ARM laptop, or have more than five computers and Android phones to cover. Skip it too if you already pay for another VPN, since you can't buy Surfshark's antivirus without its VPN. If you want a password manager, parental controls and cloud backup in the same subscription, Norton 360 Deluxe is a better fit, and Bitdefender Total Security suits families who care more about antivirus than VPN.