NordVPN vs ExpressVPN: Which One is More Worth Buying?
We reviewed ExpressVPN and compared it to its biggest competitor, NordVPN, so you can find out which VPN is truly worth your money.
ExpressVPN and NordVPN are two of the best VPNs on the market today, but ExpressVPN’s high price often turns people away, especially when compared to the more affordable NordVPN. So, is ExpressVPN really worth the extra cost?
We tested both VPNs and reviewed real user discussions on Reddit to help you make an informed decision.
NordVPN vs ExpressVPN: Which one is Better?
1, Privacy & Security – NordVPN is better, while ExpressVPN Raises Concerns for Some Users
When it comes to privacy and logging, both NordVPN and ExpressVPN are solid choices. Both VPNs claim not to log any identifiable data, and their privacy policies have been independently audited for verification.
However, ExpressVPN has faced significant controversy since being acquired by the well-known malware distributor Kape Technologies (previously named Crossrider) in 2021. Kape previously made money through advertising platforms. You can find a lot of criticism on Reddit, with many people choosing to stop using ExpressVPN because of it!
Even more concerning issue is that Kape, the parent company of ExpressVPN, seems to be facing operational challenges. Just a few months ago, the company laid off a significant portion of its global workforce. Even Dan Gericke, ExpressVPN’s Chief Privacy Officer, announced his departure on LinkedIn.
This raises concerns that ExpressVPN (or other Kape-owned VPNs like CyberGhost and PIA) could suffer a noticeable drop in quality, especially with heavy hits to the engineering and QA teams. That said, all we can do now is wait and see.
With all of this in mind, if privacy is a major concern for you or you’re considering a long-term plan, it’s important to carefully evaluate ExpressVPN and other Kape-owned VPNs.
Find Out How NordVPN’s No-Logs Policy Protect You >>
2, Speed: ExpressVPN is the faster VPN on nearby servers, but NordVPN is faster on far-away servers
(Click The Title To See Details)
ExpressVPN is Faster than NordVPN on Nearby Servers
To test NordVPN and ExpressVPN local speeds, we used the app’s automatic server selection feature. In NordVPN, this is called ‘Quick Connect’. In ExpressVPN, it’s named ‘Smart Location’.
The table below shows a comparison of NordVPN and ExpressVPN’s speed performance.
| NordVPN | ExpressVPN | |
|---|---|---|
| Local Download Speed | 95Mbps | 97Mbps |
| Average International Download Speed | 86Mbps | 85Mbps |
| Local Upload Speed | 94Mbps | 91Mbps |
| Ping | 8ms | 8ms |
| Time to Connect | 3.6 seconds | 1.5 seconds |
| Fastest VPN Protocol | WireGuard (NordLynx) | Lightway |
We found that ExpressVPN’s speeds are slightly faster on local connections. When using it, our download speeds dropped by just 3% to 97Mbps. NordVPN caused our speeds to slow to 95Mbps, an 5% drop. The speed difference is minimal, and both are sufficient for almost all web activities.
NordVPN is Faster for Long-Distance Connections
To stream geo-blocked video content in HD and 4K, a VPN needs to have fast download speeds on international connections.
We recorded ExpressVPN and NordVPN’s download speeds while connected to servers in four different continents from our test location in the US. Here’s a table showing our results:
| Server Location | NordVPN | ExpressVPN |
|---|---|---|
| UK | 90Mbps | 93Mbps |
| Germany | 92Mbps | 87Mbps |
| Japan | 89Mbps | 83Mbps |
| Australia | 84Mbps | 83Mbps |
Our findings show that NordVPN generally outperforms ExpressVPN on international servers. Although the speed differences are not that stark, NordVPN consistently delivered faster content loading times, and we encountered no buffering issues.
Identical Ping Speed for Gaming
ExpressVPN and NordVPN are two of the best gaming VPNs we’ve tested. Both services increased our ping time to just 8ms, which was unnoticeable in use.
We played a variety of fast-paced PC games, including CS:GO and PUBG. In every case, the added latency wasn’t noticeable. We didn’t experience any input lag and all games loaded quickly.
3, NordVPN has More Features than ExpressVPN
The features category is a big distinction between NordVPN and ExpressVPN.
First, we will look at NordVPN’s specialty servers, which are servers for different use cases. Unlike NordVPN, ExpressVPN does not offer any of these specialty servers. Here’s what you get with NordVPN:
- Double-VPN servers encrypt traffic over two separate hops. This adds an additional layer of encryption and security, without sacrificing on speed.
- Tor-over-VPN servers encrypt traffic with the Tor Network, in addition to the VPN server. While there is a performance tradeoff here due to the Tor network, this is another useful feature.
- P2P servers are optimized for torrenting traffic, with excellent speeds.
- Dedicated IP servers for times when you need to have a fixed IP address while still getting the protection of a VPN.
- Obfuscated servers conceal VPN traffic to look like regular HTTPS encryption. This is a great feature to use if you need a VPN for China, the UAE and Dubai, Russia, or any other restricted network situation where VPNs may be blocked.
I found these servers to perform well in my testing. The P2P servers also worked great with fast speeds and no internet connection issues.
4, NordVPN offers More servers and More server locations
| NordVPN | ExpressVPN | |
|---|---|---|
| Countries | 111 | 105 |
| Specialty Servers | Yes | No |
| Servers | 6,328 | 3,000 |
NordVPN clearly has ExpressVPN beat in the server category. In comparison to ExpressVPN, NordVPN offers:
- More servers
- More server locations
- Many specialty servers
In terms of the geographic server locations, NordVPN has a slight edge with 111 country locations, while ExpressVPN has locations in 105 countries.
- Check out the list of countries supported by NordVPN >>
- Check out the list of countries supported by ExpressVPN >>
5, Torrenting: Is ExpressVPN or NordVPN better?
| NordVPN | ExpressVPN | |
| Torrenting Support | All servers | All servers |
| Dedicated P2P Servers | Yes | No |
| Plans that Support Torrenting | All plans | All plans |
| Download Speeds | Very Fast | Fast |
Once again, both ExpressVPN and NordVPN are good options for torrenting. But again there is a difference in this category.
When looking for the best VPN for torrenting there are two things to consider:
- Speeds: NordVPN was the big winner in all of our speed tests. It offers the fastest speeds for torrenting over ExpressVPN.
- Leak protection: ExpressVPN and NordVPN both offer great leak protection. Each incorporates a kill switch into the VPN apps to protect your traffic. This will keep your IP address and location secure when torrenting files. If the connection to the VPN drops, you will still be protected if you have the kill switch activated.
While both ExpressVPN and NordVPN offer secure VPN apps with built-in leak protection, the big difference is in speeds, where NordVPN comes out on top. If you want to torrent with your VPN, NordVPN’s speeds will give you an edge over ExpressVPN.
NordVPN also offers dedicated P2P servers, which are optimized for fast torrenting speeds. I tested this out for this comparison and NordVPN’s P2P servers performed well. ExpressVPN does not offer any P2P servers.
Given the faster speeds and dedicated P2P servers, NordVPN wins this category as well.
Learn More about NordVPN and Torrenting >>
6, Router Installation – ExpressVPN gains an advantage with ExpressVPN Aircove
Installing a router VPN has two main benefits. First, any device that connects through a VPN router gets protected with encryption, making simultaneous connection limits irrelevant. Second, devices that don’t support VPN apps can still use a VPN tunnel via a router.
Both VPNs can be installed on routers, but ExpressVPN gains an advantage with ExpressVPN Aircove. This router comes preinstalled with ExpressVPN and includes a dashboard that lets you change which server the router uses to connect. You can even make different devices on the router connect to different places.
You can also install NordVPN on a router, but it’s a more time-consuming process. You’ll need to get a router with compatible firmware, download a NordVPN configuration and install it on the router control panel.
Learn More about VPN Routers >>
7, NordVPN Has More Satisfied Customers
Although priced at about half of ExpressVPN, NordVPN has higher overall customer satisfaction.
On Trustpilot, NordVPN has received 33,386 reviews with an overall rating of 4.6, the highest in the VPN industry. In contrast, ExpressVPN has received 24,031 reviews with an overall rating of 4.2.
Clearly, NordVPN has many more satisfied users.
NordVPN vs ExpressVPN: Which One is More Worth Buying?
The results of our testing and research are clear. While ExpressVPN is an excellent product, we must conclude that NordVPN is better than ExpressVPN.
While both offer competitive speeds, NordVPN stands out with more practical features, higher customer satisfaction, and a reputation as a more trustworthy company. And the best part? It comes at nearly half the price of ExpressVPN!
Additionally, given the questionable reputation of ExpressVPN‘s parent company, Kape, and the recent concerns about its operations following significant layoffs, ExpressVPN may not be the most reassuring choice—especially for those who prioritize privacy.
For all the reasons mentioned above, NordVPN is definitely worth a try, if it meets your expectations, you won’t need to spend nearly twice as much on ExpressVPN. And if you’re not satisfied, you can cancel the order within 30 days for a full refund (See Details). Based on my experience and feedback from other users, I believe NordVPN will meet your expectations.
Learn more about all of NordVPN’s features: https://nordvpn.com/features/
Reminder: If you decide to give NordVPN a try, don’t buy directly from the official website! NordVPN has a Special Promotional Page where you can get up to 72% off and 2 extra months for free —be sure to use it!
