ExpressVPN vs. NordVPN: Clash of the heavyweight titans

It’s a heavyweight matchup between the two VPN giants: ExpressVPN vs. NordVPN. They are the Godzilla vs. Kong, Gates vs. Jobs, or Packers vs. Bears of the VPN world. Both offer some of the fastest, most secure, feature-rich services on the market. So which should you choose? 

NordVPN might be cheaper in the long-term and it offers more servers, but ExpressVPN has a better privacy record and more consistent access to streaming services. While both are neck and neck, I recommend NordVPN for most folks. It’s our pick for best VPN overall due to its unrivaled feature set, blazing-fast speeds, and excellent streaming support. That’s not to take anything away from ExpressVPN which is also an exemplary choice. The differences are nuanced so let’s break it all down in more detail below to help you choose the best VPN for your own needs.

ExpressVPN vs. NordVPN: Features compared

Best for speed: NordVPN

In my testing, both NordVPN and ExpressVPN ranked with stellar speed scores. Along with Hotspot Shield, they’re the fastest VPNs available. While all VPNs will slow down your internet speeds to some degree, these two slow it down the least. 

In my latest tests, ExpressVPN resulted in an average of 71 percent of the base internet speed for downloads and 80 percent of the base for uploads. NordVPN nosed it out though, with 75 percent of the base download speeds and 81 percent of the base upload speeds. Those are pretty close margins and you likely won’t see much of a difference in your everyday usage. For what it’s worth, however, NordVPN has consistently had the fastest speeds of any VPN for a few years running now.

Whichever you choose, you can expect to handle bandwidth-heavy tasks, such as gaming and 4K streaming, with ease. However, the winner for speed—by the slimmest of margins—is NordVPN.

Best for cost: NordVPN

ExpressVPN only has one subscription tier, which will set you back $12.95 monthly, $99.95 for the first year, or $139.72 for the first two years. NordVPN on the other hand offers four subscription tiers: Basic, Plus, Complete, and Prime. To make an equal comparison for services provided I’ll focus on just NordVPN’s Plus plan, which runs $13.99 monthly, $71.88 for the first year, or $107.73 for the first two years.

While in the end, both services charge you similar prices for their monthly subscriptions, NordVPN offers much more affordable long-term pricing. Sure, you can save a bit if you choose ExpressVPN over NordVPN month-to-month, but if you plan to use a VPN for a while then the value that Nord’s one- or two-year plans offer is far and away the better option. The easy win here goes to NordVPN.

Best for privacy and security: ExpressVPN

Both ExpressVPN and NordVPN are the trend-setters in the industry when it comes to comprehensive and innovative security features. Taking VPNs beyond just anonymizing your internet connection, these two companies have expanded to provide users with an entire suite of security add-ons such as ad- and tracker-blocking, password managers, and more.

If it came down to just total features, NordVPN would win. It offers Double VPN (multi-hop), and Onion Over VPN—both of which are currently lacking in ExpressVPN. In addition, NordVPN also gives its Plus subscription users access to Meshnet file sharing and robust malware protection.

However, many would argue that the main point of a VPN is to maximize privacy and engender trust among users—something I wholeheartedly agree with. And ExpressVPN simply has a better track record of privacy and transparency. While NordVPN has undergone five independent audits in their history, ExpressVPN has undergone 19—almost four times as many.

Additionally, while both services offer regularly updated Transparency Reports on their websites, ExpressVPN began publishing them a bit sooner and its reports contain more detail for users than Nord’s reports.

Both services use AES-256 encryption and RAM-only servers to wipe data after each server reboot, thereby increasing data privacy. But ExpressVPN goes even further by using its own signature TrustedServer technology.  This system reloads the latest software stack, OS, and all with each reboot, eliminating the chance for bugs and inconsistencies across servers that could lead to VPN vulnerabilities.

Despite NordVPN’s Plus plan offering more security features, the unparalleled transparency and privacy features of ExpressVPN give it the edge here.

Best for streaming: Tie

VPNs are mainly used for privacy and security, but they can also be used for entertainment purposes, unblocking geo-restricted content. Whether you’re traveling or just want to access region-locked content, using a VPN to spoof your location is a great way to watch all of the content you want no matter your physical location—looking at you, Netflix England’s entire selection of Ghibli movies.

In my testing, both ExpressVPN and NordVPN came through with flying colors when attempting to access streaming services in different locations. They successfully unblocked Netflix, HBO Max, Hulu, Disney Plus, Amazon Prime, and a handful of other services as well. 

The differences in streaming performance are so minimal that I can’t even nitpick to justify a winner in this category. It’s a tie between these two services. Both are perfectly capable at unblocking content on every major streaming site and either will serve you well if this is your goal.

ExpressVPN vs. NordVPN: Bottom line

You can’t really go wrong with either of these VPNs. I gave both NordVPN and ExpressVPN 4.5 out of 5 stars in their respective reviews and both garnered Editors’ Choice awards for their outstanding offerings and value. That being said, NordVPN is our pick for best VPN overall and for good reason. It provides excellent security features, unrivaled speeds, terrific streaming capabilities, and great customization options.

ExpressVPN does have a sterling privacy track record and a really clean and easy-to-use interface. But Nord also has rock-solid privacy and with a little bit of time, anyone can use the app comfortably. Still, whenever someone asks me for a VPN recommendation I usually default to NordVPN first.

Further reading: VPNs and the law: How often does law enforcement actually request VPN logs?