Which is better ExpressVPN or NordVPN? [Test Results 2022]
If you’ve been on the internet long enough, chances are that you’ve used Expressvpn or NordVPN at some point either to access location-restricted content or simply to boost your internet connection. ExpressVPN and NordVPN are among the most popular VPN providers in the market.
ExpressVPN was founded way back in 2009 while NordVPN came on board several years later in 2012. With both VPNs, you will enjoy protection from hackers and other prying eyes. Both services share so many things in common and have several notable differences, which we will cover here.
In this guide, we are going to compare these two juggernauts side-by-side. We’ll take a close look at what both VPN services have to offer using several metrics. By the time you’re done reading this guide, you should be able to make your pick between ExpressVPN and NordVPN.
In this NordVPN vs ExpressVPN comparison report, we will cover the following areas:
• Top selling points
• Speed tests
• Prices
• Features
• Security and Encryption
• Privacy
• Simultaneous Connections
• Customer Support
Now let’s dive into the details of our comparison report.
Top Selling Points – Let’s get to know them
Express VPN
• Lightning-fast connection speeds
• Compatible with multiple platforms
• Strict no-logs policy
When it comes to VPNs, speed and security are the main talking points. With ExpressVPN, you get incredibly fast internet speed for downloading, or just surfing the net. It also offers a bunch of top-level security features such as state-of-the-art AES-256 encryption, VPN split tunneling, private DNS, and TrustedServer technology.
NordVPN
• Automatic public Wi-Fi protection
• 5400+ servers in 59 countries
• 24/7 customer support
• Ad and malware blocker
Unlike ExpressVPN, NordVPN’s most outstanding feature is its servers. With the service, you can browse the internet from any location in the world. NordVPN also gains points for its customer service and security features. Overall, it is a great low-budget option for VPN users.
Speed Tests
For VPNs, speed is equally as important as security. In order to properly compare these two VPN giants, we need to observe their speed level. ExpressVPN and NordVPN both promise incredibly fast download speeds. When connecting to nearby servers and long-distance speeds tests, NordVPN came out on top, albeit by a slight margin.
Still, on speed tests, ExpressVPN has introduced a new protocol called Lightway, which will make your VPN faster, more reliable, and more secure. NordVPN has also introduced the WireGuard protocol in its apps for faster internet connections.
While both VPNs are faster than other providers in the market, NordVPN takes the number one spot.
Prices
NordVPN takes the spotlight in another important category for any VPN.
Below is a breakdown of the current pricing plans offered by both ExpressVPN and NordVPN.
NordVPN Pricing
- Monthly Plan: $11.95/month
- 1-Year Plan: $4.92/month
- 2-Year Plan: $3.71/month
ExpressVPN Pricing
- Monthly Plan: $12.95/month
- 6-Month Plan: $9.99/month
- 12-Month Plan: $6.67/month
NordVPN’s pricing plans are dirt cheap, that is, for the value it offers. There is also the usual 68% discount that brings the subscription cost of its monthly plan even lower. However, this applies to its 2-year plan only. The 1-year plan also comes with a 58% discount.
ExpressVPN also offers discounts of its own, but they don’t bring the costs of its plans anywhere close to what NordVPN provides. ExpressVPN does offer a 35% discount on its 12-month plan that slashes the price from $12.95 to $6.67.
Both services offer a 30-day money-back guarantee that is entirely risk-free. You don’t have to worry about cancellation fees if you decide to stop using the service. This is also marketed as a free trial option for you to use the features of the VPN, however, it is not. A completely free trial would give you access to all the features the service has to offer without requesting your credit card details or asking you to make a down payment.
To try out ExpressVPN or NordVPN, you would have to sign up for one of its plans and make a payment. Note that the service will give you a full refund if you’re not satisfied with your experience.
Features
This is one of the biggest battlegrounds for VPNs and in the end, there can only be one winner. ExpressVPN and NordVPN offer many outstanding features that outmatch what many other competitors have to offer.
NordVPN Features
- Compatible with multiple devices
- Offers P2P servers
- DNS leak protection
- IP Masking
- High-level encryption
For your safety and security, NordVPN offers some typical features you will come across when reading VPN reviews, however, there is a lot more to see. Starting off is the next-generation encryption and double VPN protection to keep you anonymous on the web.
NordVPN also offers features like Onion over VPN, IP masking, and protection from DNS leaks to protect you from hackers and other parties that would like to track your online activity. An impressive addition to its security features is the malware and ad blocker.
Things get even better when you talk about connection speeds and VPN access. NordVPN boasts of more than 5,400 servers in 59 countries for you to connect, and access any content available. We also found its multi-device compatibility and browser extensions to be a big bonus.
Overall, NordVPN makes a good bargain for the top spot, but let’s see how ExpressVPN fares in this round.
ExpressVPN Features
- Unlimited bandwidth
- IP address masking
- VPN split tunneling
- Private DNS
- TrustedServer technology
No bandwidth caps, no congestion, and no throttling – these are some big promises for internet users who choose to get on the ExpressVPN platform.
ExpressVPN also offers AES-256 encryption, VPN split tunneling, and encrypted DNS so you can safely browse the internet without any security breach. We also found an IP address masking feature and over 3,000 server locations to try out on ExpressVPN.
One feature that you don’t see every day, but comes with great benefit, is the network lock kill switch. With this feature, you don’t have to worry about hackers picking up your trails during a connection failure. This feature will block all internet traffic until your connection comes back up and your protection is restored.
For this category, ExpressVPN takes the win. Not only does it offer slightly better features, but it also boasts of a clean track record. NordVPN has great features, no doubt, but after reports that one of its 5,000+ servers got hacked back in 2019, we believe ExpressVPN would be a better choice for your all-round security.
Security and Encryption
Malware, adware, breaches, and hacks are some of the main dangers of surfing online with VPNs. This makes top-level encryption and security very important for VPNs. Both NordVPN and ExpressVPN offer impressive security and encryption features.
Encryption Comparison
ExpressVPN uses AES-256 encryption to keep users’ data safe. It also encrypts data with SHA-512 hash authentication and 4096-bit RSA key exchange.
NordVPN also uses AES-256 encryption to keep users’ data safe. It encrypts data with SHA-256 hash authentication and 4096-bit RSA key exchange.
There is little difference here between the two levels of encryption. The difference in hash authentication is negligible considering both are almost unbreakable using the present technological tools.
Security Comparison
ExpressVPN runs its servers using TrustedServer technology. This ensures that no data is stored on a hard drive, rather, its network operates in RAM-disk mode. This means ExpressVPN servers cannot physically store data, thereby giving you high levels of security.
NordVPN replicates ExpressVPN’s footsteps but considering the minimal hack that happened back in 2019, ExpressVPN comes out on top again in this category.
Leak Protection
Data leaks are highly unlikely with both VPNs. They both offer
- DNS leak protection
- IP address masking to protect against leaks
- Network lock kill switch to block out internet traffic if the VPN connection plummets
In terms of security, ExpressVPN sits comfortably at the top. This is due to its clean track record, but still, NordVPN is not lagging far behind.
Want to learn more about security? read our ultimate guide for VPN security
Privacy
Both services offer top-notch privacy features like DNS leak protection, IP masking, and so on. However, when it comes to privacy, one of the biggest worries is not about being tracked by hackers, or cybercriminals, but if the VPN provider keeps logs of your activity.
On both websites, you will come across statements claiming that they do not take logs, but that is just what every VPN provider says. In fact, PureVPN, a leading VPN service that claimed to keep no logs of user activity, was busted after helping the FBI in their investigations by providing the logs of a user. PureVPN has since updated its policy about logs, but that makes one wonder about other VPN services.
Fortunately, ExpressVPN and NordVPN are reliable VPN companies that don’t just make empty promises. ExpressVPN has once refused to hand over user data to the authorities in Turkey, and even when their servers were seized, the Turkish police could not find any logs on them.
NordVPN is also in the good light of things. The service once voluntarily allowed a third-party audit to verify their no-log policy. The audit was carried out by PWC AG in Zurich, Switzerland and they confirmed that NordVPN’s claim on its no-logging policy is genuine.
Simultaneous Connections
While VPNs are fun on desktops, being able to connect, and download content via your smartphone makes things even better.
ExpressVPN – Up 5 Devices
With ExpressVPN, you can connect up to five devices at the same time, and you can do this with just one ExpressVPN subscription. ExpressVPN offers support for multiple platforms, including Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android. This means you can connect your Windows PC, and Apple Laptop, an iPhone, an iPad, and a Samsung phone at the same time with just one ExpressVPN account.
ExpressVPN features are effective across all the platforms they support. If you own a Linux or Chromebook computer, or you have Kindle Fire and Surface RT mobile devices, you can download ExpressVPN apps for these platforms and connect to view your favorite content. ExpressVPN also offers support for Wi-Fi routers, Android TV, and Amazon Fire TV.
NordVPN – Up 6 Devices
NordVPN allows you to connect your smartphones, tablets, desktop computers, and laptops through its intuitive apps. While NordVPN allows you to connect up to 6 devices, which is one more device than you’d get with ExpressVPN, we failed to notice support for Wi-Fi routers or Android TV/ Amazon Fire TV.
Customer Support
In this section, we’ll take a look at the various medium’s users can use to reach out to the support team whenever the need arises.
ExpressVPN Customer Service
ExpressVPN’s customer support options are very effective and easy to use. You will find a list of troubleshooting guides including video tutorials to help you with the most common problems. If you need the help of a representative, there are active live chat and email support features to assist you.
NordVPN Customer Service
NordVPN help articles and tutorials are more traditional. Rather than videos, you will have to read through texts and view images to solve the most common issues. While it is not the best support system, it does help users to solve the simplest problems. Users can also communicate with the customer support team via live chat and email.
Though both VPNs offer customer support options you can rely on, ExpressVPN outranks NordVPN in this category. Video tutorials are way easier to follow than text/images.
ExpressVPN vs NordVPN – Which One’s Better?
At the end of it all, there can only be one winner. NordVPN and ExpressVPN are amazing services that will give you value for your money, but in the end, ExpressVPN outranks NordVPN in several categories, making it the best option for VPN users.
Though this comparison guide article clearly shows that ExpressVPN is the best VPN option, NordVPN was pretty close to snatching the title. Both VPNs offer great services with amazing pricing plans. You can always go for either of them depending on your preferences, but in the end, ExpressVPN comes with more offers that are worth the extra it charges.
Choose 2 VPN Services to Compare
