ExpressVPN vs NordVPN: Which provider is best?

(Prototype credit: Future)

If y'all're looking for the best VPN, it'due south likely that you considered which provider is improve when it comes to ExpressVPN vs NordVPN.

Arguably the two highest-rated and well-nigh prominent brands in the VPN industry, information technology can exist catchy picking betwixt the two. At that place's a whole lot of conflicting communication out there, and then here we're pitting them head to head in every expanse that counts to cutting through the marketing rant and decide which one is worth spending your cash on.

Commencement we'll run downwardly the defining specs and features on paper, and and so we'll explore what each service is like to actually use in a number of important areas. Finally, we'll crown i the winner.

So, without further ado, let's go into it.

ExpressVPN vs NordVPN at a glance

ExpressVPN vs NordVPN – specs on paper
	ExpressVPN	NordVPN
Number of servers:	three,000+	5,000+
Server countries:	94	60
Maximum simultaneous connections:	5	6
Coin back guarantee:	30 days	30 days
Lowest monthly cost:	$6.67	$3.71

ExpressVPN vs NordVPN: Which is more affordable?

Earlier we start looking at the nitty-gritty features, we'll accost the price of both services – an aspect that volition touch just almost every user'due south pick.

Like almost all services, paying monthly for ExpressVPN will cost you the well-nigh, setting yous back $12.95 a calendar month, while six months will cost yous $9.99 a month. Express's longest programme is the 12-month selection, and this comes in at reasonable $half-dozen.67/mo, which includes the exclusive Tom's Guide offer of 3 months costless.

ExpressVPN now besides offers a complimentary i-twelvemonth plan with cloud backup provider Backblaze as standard with its 12-month plans – although this is only available through Tom's Guide and our sis sites TechRadar and T3.

Paying monthly for NordVPN volition price you $eleven.95/mo, a dollar less than Limited. Plump for the six-month plan and you lot'll encounter that knocked down to $ix.00/mo, which is again a trivial cheaper. Yet, your best option is to become for the 2-twelvemonth program, which currently comes in at an excellent $iii.71/mo. Nord also offers a variety of knock-down VPN deals throughout the year that Limited doesn't, then catch it at the right fourth dimension and y'all might go even more time for your money.

We could argue that ExpressVPN provides a more well-rounded service and that information technology offers better truthful value, but if you're looking to spend less money, NordVPN takes this circular.

ExpressVPN vs NordVPN: Which is faster?

Connection speed is an essential part of whatever VPN service worth its salt, and nosotros think many users volition base their purchase on this section lonely.

In our testing, both Express and Nord impressed. When using the Lightway protocol on a 1Gbps line, Express delivered speeds of up to 580Mbps.

When using the NordLynx protocol on the same line, NordVPN delivered scorching speeds of up to 880Mbps, which is significantly faster – if not necessarily attainable on a regular domestic connectedness.

When using the OpenVPN protocol, nevertheless, ExpressVPN delivered an fantabulous 310Mbps while NordVPN topped out at 190Mbps.

And then, it's clear that at the top end on an uncontested gigabit line NordVPN can reach college maximum speeds, so if that's your only priority it might be a meliorate choice. Even so, while well-nigh users volition exist using either Lightway or NordLynx day to day, sure devices similar routers are better suited to OpenVPN, then depending on your individual utilize example, that could swing this circular ExpressVPN's style.

In the existent globe, on a domestic connectedness that tops out at around 100Mbps, both will have a negligible impact. And, since both offer very stable and reliable connections, you lot probable won't notice the VPN's presence, whichever one you pick.

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ExpressVPN vs NordVPN: Which is more secure?

Both providers are at the top their game when it comes to keeping your data secure.

Both ExpressVPN and NordVPN employ industry-standard AES-256 encryption, backed upward by Perfect Forrard Secrecy which changes keys oft to avoid compromising your security.

ExpressVPN owns all its own DNS servers, which is excellent in terms of keeping everything under one roof and sidelining third parties. You'll also go a functional kill switch, split tunneling and tons more than additional options, simply the standout feature is Express's all-RAM servers. These hateful no information can ever exist stored on them, backing up the no-logging policy.

However, NordVPN delivers some unusual features such as Double VPN and Onion over VPN that ExpressVPN doesn't offer, and for those who need them, they could sway the vote.

Picking between the 2 is difficult – you may retrieve Nord'due south 2018 server hack, which acquired dandy commotion in the CyberSec world, but it's too recently undertaken a second contained inspect of its servers and privacy policy. Withal, Express is too a fully audited VPN, and has never had any issues in this respect.

If we're honest, these two VPNs are arguably the ii most secure VPN services available today, and then the conclusion will most likely come down to what you're after from your VPN – will you actually utilize features like Onion over VPN, or would you prefer the peace of heed Express'due south unblemished history provides?

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ExpressVPN vs NordVPN: Which is better for Netflix?

Both Limited and Nord feature on our Netflix VPN guide, as well as our iPlayer VPN guide and overall streaming VPN guide – then either is an splendid choice for watching geo-blocked streaming content.

However, if you visit those other guides, you'll likewise see that ExpressVPN tops every one of them, and that'south downwards to a combination of a number of factors.

If you weren't enlightened, in mid-2021 Netflix changed the fashion it blocks VPNs, and after many providers lost access to some, or even all of the libraries they could access. ExpressVPN and NordVPN both felt the hitting, but in our testing we've noticed that ExpressVPN has rallied quicker and more than finer.

At the fourth dimension of writing, Express is able to reliably unblock US, UK, Canadian and Australian Netflix libraries, with only Japan failing in our own tests.

NordVPN, nonetheless, was merely able to unblock UK Netflix.

It'due south worth noting that these results can very oft modify, and nosotros've increased the amount of testing nosotros do to accurately reverberate the efficacy of any given VPN.

Thankfully, both providers offer 30-twenty-four hours money-back guarantees, and so if streaming is a large deal for you, you lot can test one (or both) to see which is better for accessing the content yous dear.

ExpressVPN vs NordVPN: Which is better for torrenting?

Similarly, both services are amid the very best torrenting VPN services, owing to their great speeds and first-class P2P support.

Yet, it's ExpressVPN that takes it again, thanks to full P2P support – that ways you'll be able to torrent on every single server. With Nord – while it's automatic and painless in practice – not every server is torrenting-optimized, and sometimes server swaps are necessary.

ExpressVPN vs NordVPN: Which has amend apps?

Both Limited and Nord have a cohesive suite of apps for a wide range of devices, ranging from their Fire Stick VPN to Android VPN, and even apps for smart TVs and games consoles, too. Both accept distinct interfaces which don't take too much of a learning curve, and they are stable and constructive.

However, one result we have with NordVPN's apps is that while the map-based interface works well on desktop, on smaller screens like smartphones it'due south an awkward way of selecting a server. We'd much rather exist displayed a standard server list immediately rather than hunting for Macedonia on a tiny map.

Plus, while it's a somewhat niche use-case, on Burn down Stick NordVPN's app looks nada like it does on other devices, while ExpressVPN is very familiar.

While these are small issues (both providers have apps that are top quality in the grand scheme), Express'southward are more intuitive and work more seamlessly on a wider range of devices.

ExpressVPN vs NordVPN: Which has amend support?

In that location's a chip of a trend developing here, isn't at that place? Both providers deliver fantabulous support, but Express's is just that bit meliorate.

In terms of live conversation, both are swift to respond, and e-mail responses are reliable and comprehensive. However, when it comes to the support website – commonly your outset port of call – Nord's is somewhat confusing compared to Limited'southward very simple yet constructive approach,

Once you lot find what you need, Nord'southward articles are excellent, only getting in that location takes a chip of effort.

ExpressVPN vs NordVPN: Final verdict

Going into this it might have seemed like a difficult decision – picking betwixt two of the best-known VPNs on the market. All the same, having broken it downwardly over the most important categories, the consequence is clear: ExpressVPN outdoes NordVPN at almost every turn.

Mo is VPN Editor at Tom's Guide. Day-to-day he oversees VPN, privacy, and cybersecurity content, and also undertakes independent testing of VPN services to ensure his recommendations are accurate and upwards to date. When he's not getting stuck into the nitty-gritty settings of a VPN yous've never heard of, you lot'll observe him working on his Peugeot 205 GTi or watching Peep Prove instead of finally putting up those shelves.