NOTE: We no longer support the Shadowsocks protocol since November 11, 2021.
Shadowsocks is an encrypted proxy that is free and open-source. It is primarily designed for people living in regions with internet restrictions, such as China.
Here are a few key reasons why Surfshark is no longer supporting Shadowsocks:
- Only a tiny percentage of Surfshark users (0.5%) used the Shadowsocks protocol.
- Surfshark wants to invest resources in ensuring that other protocols perform well.
- Historically, Shadowsocks protocol should be the one that is used by people in territories with internet restrictions. Still, almost none of Surfshark’s customers who connect to servers near restrictive regions use the Shadowsocks protocol.
- Most people using Shadowsocks would get a better connection using other protocols like OpenVPN or WireGuard.
You may also be interested in:
- What protocols can I use with Surfshark?
- How to make sure if my connection was successful
- How to connect from countries with network restrictions