Which is better? ExpressVPN or NordVPN? Here at Comparitech, we have compared the two services and we help you decide which one is right for you. Both VPNs are highly rated, but there are some key differences that may make one better for your needs in 2023, than the other. We’ll examine factors such as price, security features, speed, and customer support to help you make an informed decision. So, let’s get started!

By using meticulous attribute-by-attribute analysis, we can accurately compare these two services. Here’s what we found in our NordVPN vs ExpressVPN comparison:

If you can’t pick between ExpressVPN and NordVPN, we think NordVPN is the better option. NordVPN comes out on top as its current discount makes it better value and it recorded some of the fastest speeds we’ve seen. NordVPN offers top-notch security features and a no-logs policy. ExpressVPN is still a great choice in 2023, though. It’s a little more pricey but also offers a hefty discount when on promotion and works especially well with services like Netflix.

Summary: ExpressVPN vs NordVPN

ExpressVPN vs NordVPN: VPN price comparison

Both companies offer a 30-day money-back guarantee. We have tested these and can testify that both providers honor this pledge without asking you to provide a reason or prove why the service doesn’t work for you.

ExpressVPN

  • Fast speeds
  • Unblocks a huge range of region-locked streaming services
  • Custom router firmware
  • Split tunneling

NordVPN

  • Fast speeds
  • Based in Panama
  • Great at unblocking geo-restricted services from abroad
  • Ad-blocking, malware-scanning, and automatic wifi protection

ExpressVPN gives you three months extra free with a one-year term, making it a better deal if you’re looking for an annual plan. NordVPN offers steep discounts on longer subscriptions too. In fact, you can cut the cost to just $3.99 per month if you’re willing to commit to two years of service upfront.

NordVPN vs ExpressVPN features

When it comes to router installation, ExpressVPN beats NordVPN because it has its own easy-to-use custom firmware that greatly simplifies the setup process. In fact, ExpressVPN just launched its Aircove router with built-in VPN, which works with an ExpressVPN subscription. That said, NordVPN can be manually installed on a wide range of routers too. It even provides an extensive library of tutorials that explain how to install the VPN on a variety of different firmware.

NordVPN allows one more simultaneous connection than ExpressVPN (six versus five). It’s worth noting that if you install the VPN on a router, this counts as just one connection from your allowance.

NordVPN has an ad-blocker and malware-protection system called CyberSec. This helps keep you safe while browsing and bridges the gap slightly between your VPN and desktop antivirus program. Each service comes with a Smart DNS service too: these allow you to access a handful of streaming services on devices that don’t normally support VPN apps (like games consoles or older Smart TVs).

Streaming & Netflix comparison

When it comes to streaming, both ExpressVPN and NordVPN are certainly up to the challenge. There really aren’t many streaming platforms you can’t securely access with either service, although ExpressVPN has been a little less consistent with BBC iPlayer recently.

Both of these providers work very well with Netflix, and in NordVPN’s case, every server we’ve tested works. However, if your chosen server can’t access a specific library, it will automatically redirect you to the US Netflix library.

If you have a Kodi box, you can use either of these VPNs to get around regional restrictions on TV services. Neither ExpressVPN nor NordVPN has an app that can be installed on a Kodi box, however, they do have setup guides for sharing the VPN connection from a PC or a VPN router.

Both ExpressVPN and NordVPN are open about their support for torrenters, so you don’t need to be coy about your activities if you contact customer support with questions about optimizing your setup for P2P traffic.

China

Both ExpressVPN and NordVPN perform well in China. The main ExpressVPN website is actually blocked by the Chinese government, but the company provides an alternative address for users in China. Just be sure to ask for the addresss before you leave.

ExpressVPN is very aware of the challenges of keeping its service available in China. Although the service works in the People’s Republic, there are sometimes service outages. However, both of these services have a solid record when it comes to getting around newly introduced blocks from the Chinese government.

Setup and interface

The ExpressVPN app is small and keeps mobile-friendly proportions even when it is used on a PC or Mac. Everything is neatly organized, with the settings and servers each having its own screen. We liked that your most-recently-used server was easily accessible from the main page too, since this saves the hassle of trying to remember, for instance, which server was able to access a particular Netflix library.

The NordVPN main screen shows a map of the world with a marker in each country where the company operates servers. There’s also a list view on the left (or at the bottom of the screen on mobile devices). The server list separates general-purpose servers from those designed for P2P traffic or Tor over VPN connections, so it’s always easy to find exactly what you need.

ExpressVPN and NordVPN use shared address systems. In this scenario, all of your outgoing traffic is labeled with the VPN server’s IP address. Every other user connected to that server at the same time also get represented by the same IP address. Anyone trying to trace activity from the target website back to the originator will arrive at the VPN server and will not be able to tell which VPN customer originated that request.

Shared IP address systems are managed by a system called “port address mapping” (PAT). You may have read about the protection that some VPNs offer with a NAT firewall. This is actually PAT. The address translation system makes it impossible to identify an IP address behind the gateway and this automatically creates a firewall. NordVPN uses a NAT firewall while ExpressVPN uses a port-blocking method to provide similar protection.

In some circumstances, you may need your own private IP address. This is particularly important if you want to accept incoming connections. In this instance, the NAT firewall will not apply to your connection. You would need a private, or ‘static,’ IP address if you want to set up your own server. This might be for your own website, for a gaming server, or to create your own cloud data storage system.

You can’t get a static IP address from ExpressVPN. However, NordVPN offers these for an extra $70 USD per year. You can choose to have an IP address from the UK, the USA, the Netherlands, France, or Germany. It doesn’t matter where you live or where you actually are.

Servers and performance

Although ExpressVPN has servers in more countries, NordVPN has the larger network overall. It currently has around 5,000 servers in 60 countries worldwide, whereas ExpressVPN has roughly 1,500 servers in 94 countries. Server count, however, isn’t always the best measure of a service. ExpressVPN offer fewer but more powerful servers. ExpressVPN claims that their next-gen 10-Gbps servers increase connection speed. It seems they are taking a quality over quantity approach, so we’ll see how that plays out.

NordVPN has a server feature that ExpressVPN doesn’t offer, which is VPN chaining (also known as multi-hop VPN or double-hop VPN). This routes your traffic through two servers, encrypting packets twice over. This is an interesting security feature, but it will slow down your connection somewhat. Alternatively, NordVPN allows you to route your data through its servers before passing it through the Tor network.

Here are the countries in which NordVPN and ExpressVPN have servers:

Based on our latest speed test results, both NordVPN and ExpressVPN are among the top ten fastest providers. ExpressVPN’s Lightway protocol gave it an average download speed of 475 Mbps. NordVPN was a little slower, but still fast at 369 Mbps thanks to its speedy new NordLynx protocol.

Security comparison

Both ExpressVPN and NordVPN offer multiple VPN protocols to secure your internet traffic. ExpressVPN allows OpenVPN, IKEv2, and L2TP connections, plus it has its own proprietary protocol, Lightway, that blends speed and security. It’s also more lightweight, meaning it should be less taxing on your device’s battery, and has been specially optimized for mobile devices

NordVPN too has its own protocol. It’s named NordLynx and is based on WireGuard, considered by many the next big thing in digital security. NordLynx is easier to audit than OpenVPN and boasts higher speeds, especially if your chosen server is a long distance away.

Both companies use AES encryption with a 256-bit key. This provides cast-iron online security because the cipher is uncrackable. ExpressVPN has a slight advantage in the security that it offers for the control channel. This cipher is used for session establishment and to protect the distribution of AES keys. Both NordVPN and ExpressVPN use RSA encryption for this channel, but ExpressVPN uses a longer key — 4,096 bits against the 2,048-bit key used by NordVPN.

DNS calls are unencrypted, so if a VPN lets your computer carry on using the default DNS service nominated by your Internet Service Provider (ISP), then all of the websites that you visit could be logged by your ISP, hackers, or government spooks tapping the line. Fortunately, both ExpressVPN and NordVPN force all DNS references to travel down their encrypted tunnels, preventing any outsiders from seeing your activity on the web.

Both apps include a kill switch option. This prevents you from accidentally browsing with the VPN disconnected. NordVPN allows you to either use a regular kill switch or one that only affects specific apps. ExpressVPN doesn’t have that per-app option, but it does offer split tunneling across all of its apps. This allows you to nominate apps to bypass the VPN and keep all others protected.

Additionally, You can instruct both apps to start when the operating system boots up, which means that you can set them to run on your computer all of the time. Both companies also scramble the encrypted content of packets to prevent any repeated data creating patterns in the encrypted transmission.

ExpressVPN has recently added two new tools. These are a threat manager, which prevents your other apps from communicating with known tracker sites, and a parallel connections feature that works in the background to get you connected as quickly as possible.

Privacy

Most VPNs say they don’t keep any logs. However, when you dig a little deeper, what they often mean is that they don’t keep any activity logs. An activity log would record every action performed by the user, including websites visited and data downloads. Unfortunately, by tracing a connection from its destination back through to its originator, prosecutors and law enforcement agencies can track you to your door. A VPN makes this more difficult, but if your provider hands over detailed connection logs, it really hasn’t provided you any protection at all.

ExpressVPN stores some aggregated connection logs, but goes out of its way to avoid storing any data that could identify you. Its logs include your account ID, the date (not time) of connections, the location connected to and from, and the total amount of data transferred. The fact that the company does not record your real IP address should make it near-impossible to trace you

NordVPN doesn’t keep any VPN usage logs or connection logs that would identify what the user does while connected however it does collect advertising IDs on mobile for its own use. These can quickly and easily be reset, though, and aren’t a deal-breaker.

This brings up the question of whether it is possible to open an account anonymously. After all, if you need a credit card to open an account, it’s easy to trace you. Both ExpressVPN and NordVPN allow you to pay with cryptocurrencies or a variety of prepaid cards, making it effectively impossible to link your account to you.

Customer service

ExpressVPN and NordVPN are industry leaders in customer support. Both have a live chat facility on their websites staffed with knowledgeable experts. There’s also a searchable knowledge base, ticket systems, and a dedicated support email address.

So how responsive are these providers? ExpressVPN and NordVPN both replied to emails quickly. ExpressVPN did fumble a bit on one seemingly straightforward question about DNS leaks by providing a lot of information about the topic without actually answering our question. However, upon follow-up, the question was answered promptly.

NordVPN vs ExpressVPN: The winner

ExpressVPN is a fantastically versatile service that outperforms most of its rivals when it comes to speed and accessing regional Netflix libraries. It’s strong on privacy too, and we still think it’s an excellent choice for those who don’t mind spending a little more each month.

Ultimately, though, NordVPN is the better option. It’s almost as fast, has more servers to choose from, and provides more control over your security setup than ExpressVPN does. It’s a solid choice for streaming too, thanks to its strong unblocking ability and dedicated IP address option.

The 30-day money-back guarantee both services offer gives you a chance to try out ExpressVPN and NordVPN for yourself. Whichever of these VPN services you choose, you will be in safe hands.

Comparing ExpressVPN and NordVPN: our methodology

As two of our top-ranking VPNs, ExpressVPN and NordVPN both have plenty to offer. However, in order to help you make a decision, we had to compare and contrast these two services in multiple areas. Below, you can read a little more about the methodology we used:

If you’d like to know more about the specific tests we run on VPNs like ExpressVPN and NordVPN, take a look at our VPN testing methodology which goes into further detail.

There’s no definitive answer to which is better; it all depends on your needs. Both providers put your security and privacy first, so whichever you choose, you can game and stream with total peace of mind. 

There are a couple of problems with this method. First, it doesn’t account for Windows, MacOS, or Linux users. Second, it’s possible some users are installing the service multiple times across all of their devices. However, NordVPN only allows one more simultaneous connection than ExpressVPN, so this is unlikely to be solely responsible for the higher number of installs. In other words, it appears that on mobile devices at least, NordVPN is more popular.

Still having trouble deciding? Don’t worry: both services offer a 30-day money-back guarantee. This means you can try them for yourself before committing to one or the other.

NordVPN’s star feature is its specially-optimized Onion over VPN servers. These remove the need for you to use the Tor browser at all, and they encrypt your traffic, adding another layer of protection on top.

ExpressVPN offers a similar level of privacy, although it does log some data for troubleshooting and optimization purposes. This includes the date (but not time) you connect, the server you use, total bandwidth used in a 24-hour period, and the country you’re in when you connect. By itself, this data can’t identify you.

Additionally, both providers accept Bitcoin and use RAM-only servers. This gives you a way to sign up anonymously and ensures that all saved information is deleted whenever the servers are rebooted. In short, whichever of the two you end up using, you’ll be able to browse safe in the knowledge that nobody will be able to see what you get up to online.

If we had to choose, we’d give NordVPN a slight edge because it has special obfuscated servers that are designed to provide as much privacy as possible. That said, ExpressVPN is still well worthy of your consideration.

If you’re looking to install a VPN on your router, ExpressVPN is the better option, though. It has custom firmware and its own router app that makes managing your connection as simple as possible. NordVPN, meanwhile, has to be configured via your router’s regular configuration panel.

The good news is that ExpressVPN and NordVPN both have their own Smart DNS service that’s included with a standard subscription. These are fairly quick and easy to setup but only provide access to US-based streaming services.

Users can install either VPN on their router too. NordVPN provides manual installation guides for a variety of popular hardware, whereas ExpressVPN has its own custom firmware. This makes it quite a bit simpler to install, giving ExpressVPN the edge in this area. 

Luckily, our speed tests work by taking the average result from servers in three different locations. This means that they account for distance and some servers being slower than others. At the time of writing, ExpressVPN delivered a higher average speed than NordVPN (475 Mbps vs 369 Mbps) and has more supported locations around the world.

NordVPN, on the other hand, has more servers globally, and one additional US server location. In short, these providers are fairly evenly matched and either would be a great choice unless you really need access to servers in one of their exclusive locations (NordVPN has Buffalo, Charlotte, Kansas, Manassas, Saint Louis, and Seattle while ExpressVPN has Lincoln Park, New Jersey, Salt Lake City, Santa Monica, Tampa, and Washington DC).

Regardless of the above, we’ve reviewed some 140 VPN logging policies and NordVPN and ExpressVPN both achieved maximum scores thanks to the fact that they operate outside of 5 Eyes and 14 Eyes jurisdiction and don’t keep traffic or IP address logs.

Additionally, a VPN routes all of your internet traffic through an external server, making it look like you are in a different location than you are, thus hiding your real identity and geographic location from anyone monitoring the connection. Using a VPN can ensure that all the information you transmit over the internet remains private and secure. In short, VPNs help to keep your data safe and secure while connected to any public network.

Finally, the VPN services in this post will have a strict no-logging policy, meaning they don’t keep logs of the websites you visit or your online activities.