Surfshark News: Free Trial Test Launches July 20, Plus Faster macOS Speeds

Surfshark is having a busy summer. The provider has two updates landing in July 2026: a free trial that's rolling out as a limited test starting July 20, and an expansion of its FastTrack speed network with new server locations — currently exclusive to the macOS app. Here's what each change actually means for you, and the caveats worth knowing before you count on either.

A free trial is coming — but it's a test first

Starting July 20, 2026, Surfshark begins offering a free trial at checkout. The important detail: this is rolling out as a limited test, not a blanket launch. The trial is shown to a slice of visitors while Surfshark measures how it performs — so if you head to the site and don't see a trial option, that's expected, not a mistake. You may simply be in the group that sees the standard checkout.

If the test goes well, Surfshark plans to make the free trial a permanent feature in roughly three months. So the realistic timeline is: some users see it now, potentially everyone by autumn 2026.

What a free trial changes for you. A trial lets you install the app, connect, and test the things that actually matter — real-world speeds on your own connection, whether it unblocks the streaming libraries you care about, how the apps feel on your devices — before you pay. That's genuinely useful, because VPN performance depends heavily on your own location and network, and no review can perfectly predict what you'll get.

A couple of honest cautions if you use it:

• A free trial usually still asks for a payment method and auto-renews into a paid plan unless you cancel. Set a reminder before the trial ends — our guide on how to cancel a VPN subscription walks through it.
• Because it's still being tested, the terms (length, whether a card is required) can change between now and the permanent rollout. Read what's on the checkout screen at the time.

If you'd rather not wait for the trial to reach your region, Surfshark already backs every plan with a 30-day money-back guarantee, which is effectively a risk-free test window as long as you cancel in time.

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FastTrack gets new locations — macOS only, for now

The second update is about speed. Surfshark has expanded its FastTrack network — a set of route-optimized locations — with new servers across every continent. According to Surfshark, FastTrack:

• delivers up to 70% faster speeds by optimizing the route your traffic takes in real time,
• uses smart routing that monitors congestion and dynamically reroutes your connection around bottlenecks,
• needs zero configuration — on the latest macOS app you just look for the FastTrack marker next to a server location and connect.

Worth being precise here: those figures are Surfshark's own numbers, and "up to 70%" is a best case, not a guarantee. Real gains depend on your baseline connection, your distance to the server, and how congested the normal route was. Speed improvements from smart routing are real in principle — avoiding congested paths is exactly what reduces latency — but treat the headline percentage as marketing until you test it on your own connection.

The bigger caveat: FastTrack is currently exclusive to macOS. If you're on Windows, Android, iOS, or Linux, this update doesn't reach you yet. For Mac users — especially gamers and streamers who feel every millisecond of latency — it's the more immediately useful of the two announcements.

Should you act on either?

• If you're a Mac user chasing speed: update to the latest macOS app and try a FastTrack location against a normal one. If you stream sports or game, lower latency is exactly what helps, and it costs nothing to compare.
• If you're VPN-shopping and want to try before you buy: watch for the free trial from July 20, but don't assume you'll see it — the 30-day money-back guarantee is the reliable fallback.
• If you already use another provider: neither update is a reason to switch on its own. Judge Surfshark on the fundamentals — unlimited devices, app quality, and independent audits — which we cover in our full Surfshark review and our roundup of the best VPN services in 2026.

Both changes point the same direction: Surfshark is lowering the friction to try the service and squeezing more speed out of its network. Useful moves — just go in knowing the free trial is a gradual test, and the speed boost is, for now, a Mac-only perk.

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This article covers publicly announced Surfshark product updates. Performance figures are Surfshark's own claims; we recommend testing speeds on your own connection.