Does SurfShark work in China?

Does SurfShark ACTUALLY work in China?

Surfshark does work in China in 2025, but with serious limitations:

• Reliability: It connects successfully in many cities, but not as consistently as Astrill, 12VPN, or even ExpressVPN. Expect occasional drops, especially during sensitive political periods.
• Protocols: Surfshark’s NoBorders mode is designed for restricted regions like China. It helps disguise VPN traffic, but performance depends on ISP and location.
• Best use: More stable on desktop (Windows/Mac) with NoBorders enabled. Mobile networks (China Mobile/Unicom/Telecom 4G/5G) are harder — sometimes unusable.
• Servers: Users report best luck with Japan, Singapore, and US West servers. Hong Kong is fast but heavily targeted and often blocked.
• Privacy: Surfshark has a strong global reputation, with independent audits and no-logs policy, which makes it safer than many budget VPNs.
• Backup recommended: Like ExpressVPN, it’s not China-specialized, so many expats keep Astrill or 12VPN as a fallback.

In short: Surfshark can still work in China if you use NoBorders mode + the right servers, but it’s less stable than China-focused VPNs. See more stable VPNs for China.

Step-by-step setup guide for SurfShark in China

Here’s a step-by-step setup guide for Surfshark in China (2025):

1. Prepare before entering China

• Download Surfshark apps (Windows, Mac, iOS, Android) before arrival — the site/app stores are blocked inside.
• Save manual OpenVPN configs (.ovpn files) from your account dashboard.
• Note support email or mirror sites in case you need help while inside.

2. Desktop setup (Windows / Mac)

• Open Surfshark app → Settings → VPN Settings → Protocol.
• Start with WireGuard (fastest). If blocked, switch to OpenVPN TCP.
• Enable NoBorders mode (this activates obfuscation).
• Choose servers: Japan → Singapore → US West (Los Angeles / San Francisco).
• If all fail, try South Korea as backup.

3. Mobile setup (Android / iOS)

• Install app and log in outside China.
• In app settings:
  • Enable NoBorders.
  • Set protocol to OpenVPN TCP (WireGuard is often blocked on mobile).
• Use Wi-Fi when possible; mobile data (4G/5G) is less reliable.

4. Usage tips

• If blocked: switch protocol (WireGuard ⇆ TCP) → reconnect.
• Restart app or router if handshake fails.
• Avoid Hong Kong servers — fast but frequently blocked.
• For streaming (Netflix, YouTube), US West TCP tends to be most stable.

5. Backup plan

• Keep Astrill or 12VPN as a second VPN in case Surfshark is completely down.
• Store installation files and configs on a USB or cloud drive before entering China.

Quick Playbook:

1. Japan WireGuard → Japan TCP
2. Singapore TCP
3. US West TCP
4. South Korea TCP (last resort)

Which cities / ISPs in China have shown the best vs. worst performance with SurfShark

Here’s how Surfshark performs across China (cities & ISPs) in 2025, based on expat and traveler feedback:

Best performance (more reliable)

• Beijing (China Unicom broadband) — Surfshark works fairly well on desktops with NoBorders enabled; Japan/Singapore servers connect most often.
• Shanghai (China Telecom broadband) — Stable connections for browsing, though streaming speed is slower than ExpressVPN or Astrill.
• Shenzhen / Guangzhou (China Telecom broadband) — Reasonable reliability on Wi-Fi; proximity to HK helps, though HK servers get blocked often.

Moderate performance (usable but inconsistent)

• Chengdu, Chongqing (China Telecom/Unicom) — Works on desktop broadband; mobile networks weaker.
• Hangzhou, Nanjing, Suzhou — Mixed reports: some users connect fine with Japan TCP, others experience frequent drops.
• Tier-2 cities with fiber broadband — Works if you rotate servers, but less stable than in Beijing/Shanghai.

Worst performance (frequent failures)

• Mobile ISPs nationwide (China Mobile + China Unicom 4G/5G) — Surfshark often fails to handshake, even with TCP; connections rarely last long.
• Western provinces (Xinjiang, Tibet, Gansu, Qinghai) — Much heavier filtering; Surfshark usually unreliable.
• Public Wi-Fi (airports, hotels, universities) — Frequently blocked outright; Surfshark apps may not connect at all.

Patterns

• Desktop + broadband (Unicom/Telecom) = usable, especially in Tier-1 cities.
• Mobile data (China Mobile/Unicom/Telecom 4G/5G) = mostly unusable, even with NoBorders.
• Event periods (Party Congress, anniversaries, summits) = Surfshark connections drop nationwide, recovery slower than Astrill or 12VPN.

In short: Surfshark is okay for desktop broadband in Beijing/Shanghai/Guangzhou, but weak on mobile networks and outside big cities. For full-time expats, it’s less reliable than Astrill or 12VPN.

Best server pairings (Japan, Singapore, US West, etc.) for Surfshark by region/ISP

Here’s a Surfshark server pairing guide for China (2025) — by region and ISP:

North China (Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei – mostly China Unicom/Telecom)

• Best: Japan (Tokyo) – WireGuard or TCP
• Backup: Singapore – TCP
• Notes: Japan is usually fastest; Singapore helps when Japan is blocked.

East China (Shanghai, Hangzhou, Nanjing, Suzhou – Telecom dominant)

• Best: Singapore – TCP
• Backup: Japan – TCP
• Notes: Singapore tends to be smoother here than Japan, especially during peak hours.

South China (Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Dongguan – Telecom/Unicom, near HK)

• Best: Singapore – TCP
• Backup: Japan – TCP
• Notes: Hong Kong servers are very fast but unreliable (blocked first).

West China (Chengdu, Chongqing, Xi’an, Kunming – Telecom/Unicom)

• Best: Japan – TCP
• Backup: Singapore – TCP
• Notes: Performance weaker than east coast; switching often needed.

Northeast & Northwest (Harbin, Urumqi, Lanzhou, etc. – Unicom/Telecom/Mobile)

• Best: Japan – TCP
• Backup: US West (Los Angeles) – TCP
• Notes: Connections here are less stable overall; long-haul US servers sometimes more reliable.

China Mobile (nationwide, 4G/5G users)

• Best: Japan – TCP only
• Backup: Singapore – TCP
• Notes: WireGuard/UDP usually fail; TCP is the only hope, but connections still unstable.

Rule of thumb for Surfshark in China

• Japan → Singapore → US West (TCP only if on mobile)
• Avoid Hong Kong unless you just need quick speed and don’t mind sudden drops
• Always enable NoBorders mode

SurfShark China connection playbook

Here’s a Surfshark China connection playbook (2025) you can keep offline:

Surfshark Quick Playbook for China

Default settings

• Enable NoBorders mode
• Protocol order: WireGuard → OpenVPN TCP (mobile: use TCP only)

Step 1 — Start with nearby

• Japan (Tokyo) → WireGuard
• If blocked → Japan TCP

Step 2 — Regional fallback

• Singapore TCP
• If unstable → Singapore OpenVPN TCP

Step 3 — Long-haul backup

• US West (Los Angeles / San Francisco) TCP
• Works better for streaming, more stable during heavy censorship

Step 4 — Situational

• Hong Kong TCP (fast, but often blocked first)
• South Korea TCP (occasional alternative)

Quick rules

• Broadband (Unicom/Telecom in Tier-1 cities) → Japan or Singapore first
• Mobile data (China Mobile/Unicom/Telecom 4G/5G) → TCP only, low success rate
• During sensitive periods → expect outages, try US West TCP as last resort

Emergency backup

• Keep Astrill or 12VPN ready if Surfshark is down completely.

This mirrors ExpressVPN’s playbook but tailored for Surfshark’s NoBorders + TCP reliance.

SurfShark performance in China in past 5 years

Here’s an outline of Surfshark’s performance in China over the past 5 years (2020–2025):

2020–2021

• Surfshark was relatively new in the China market.
• Basic connections worked, especially on desktop with OpenVPN TCP.
• NoBorders mode was introduced, improving connection success in restricted regions.
• Mobile performance weak — connections often dropped on China Mobile/Unicom 4G.

2022

• Around the Beijing Winter Olympics, the Great Firewall tightened.
• Surfshark users reported more frequent blocks, but enabling NoBorders and switching to Singapore/Japan servers kept it usable.
• Reliability: fair on desktop broadband, poor on mobile.

2023

• Firewall upgrades (deeper packet inspection) caused VPNs to struggle more.
• Surfshark remained functional but less stable than Astrill or ExpressVPN.
• Best results came with OpenVPN TCP and Japan/Singapore servers.
• Mobile networks mostly unusable except with rare TCP connections.

2024

• Surfshark improved backend infrastructure and optimized NoBorders mode.
• Desktop broadband users in Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen had reasonable success with Japan/Singapore servers.
• Streaming still worked but speeds inconsistent.
• Mobile performance did not improve much — TCP connections only, often unstable.

2025 (current)

• Surfshark still works in China, but not the most reliable choice.
• Desktop + broadband = usable, though weaker than Astrill or 12VPN.
• Mobile data = very weak, often unusable.
• Best server sequence: Japan TCP → Singapore TCP → US West TCP.
• Expats often keep Surfshark as a secondary/backup VPN, not their main tool.

Trend summary (2020 → 2025):

• Surfshark has survived the Great Firewall each year.
• Desktop broadband performance = fair to good.
• Mobile ISP performance = poor, almost unchanged.
• Compared to ExpressVPN: Surfshark improved somewhat in 2024 but still ranks lower in reliability for China.