ExpressVPN and NordVPN are the two of the best VPNs in the current market, but the high price of ExpressVPN drives a lot of people away as compared to NordVPN which has a much cheaper offer. Is ExpressVPN worth the price?
Based on our testing and user discussions on Reddit, I believe that while ExpressVPN is excellent, NordVPN is a better buy!
Why?
1, Speed: ExpressVPN is the faster VPN on nearby servers, but NordVPN is faster on far-away servers
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.
Both VPNs will be more than fast enough for almost every web activity. However, if you want the fastest raw download speed, ExpressVPN will perform better on nearby servers.
Upload speeds are important for nearby connections. You’re more likely to be connecting locally when using the VPN for activities like torrenting and secure video conferencing.
NordVPN’s upload speeds are faster than ExpressVPN’s. In our tests, we recorded an upload speed reduction of 6% with NordVPN, compared to 9% with ExpressVPN.
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 |
As you can see, NordVPN is faster than ExpressVPN on most international servers. Though the difference is not that stark, our content still loaded quicker and we didn’t experience any buffering.
With regards to network speed, the results may differ depending on each person’s broadband provider and geographical location. When you look at the reviews on some websites or read about the discussions of users on Reddit, you will see people with varying opinions about the speed. Some would say NordVPN is faster, while others would express that ExpressVPN is faster.
So the best way is to test it yourself using the VPN software’s 30-day money-back guarantee policy.
Recommendation: Unless you are in search of the fastest VPN, then speed should not be the sole factor affecting your decision-making since ExpressVPN and NordVPN have very little impact on the native network speed, and the effect is so small that you wouldn’t even notice the difference.
Both ExpressVPN and NordVPN offer a 30-day money-back guarantee. It’s a no-questions-asked policy, which essentially becomes a VPN free trial. You can make the most of the refund policy to effectively use ExpressVPN for free and use NordVPN for Free.
I suggest giving NordVPN a try first as it offers excellent service and is very cost-effective (at almost half the price of ExpressVPN). In comparison, ExpressVPN is indeed too expensive.
2, Privacy & Security – ExpressVPN Raises Concerns for Some Users.
When it comes to privacy and logs, NordVPN and ExpressVPN are great options. Both of these VPNs are verified as no logs VPNs.
However, ExpressVPN received criticism after being acquired by known malware distributor Kape Technologies in 2021. Kape previously made money through ad platforms. You can see a lot of criticism on Reddit with many people giving up using ExpressVPN because of this!
Even more concerning is that Kape seems to be experiencing operational issues. A few months ago, the company laid off a significant portion of its global workforce. Even ExpressVPN’s Chief Technology Officer for Privacy, Dan Gericke, announced his departure on LinkedIn.
It’s certainly possible that ExpressVPN (or other Kape-owned VPNs like CyberGhost and PIA) will suffer a noticeable blow to quality, especially with the engineering and QA departments have been hit heavily. However, all we can do for now is wait and see.
In summary, it is currently not recommended to purchase VPN from Kape. The reason is very simple, if there are more trustworthy options out there, why settle for one that may be risky?
30 day money-back guarantee.
3, Price – Equally excellent, why spend twice as much money?
ExpressVPN and NordVPN are currently the top VPNs in the market and display great qualities. There is not much difference when it comes to their functions which is why there is no need to pay nearly double the price for this.
According to my testing, NordVPN offers better security and has its own advantages in terms of speed, unless NordVPN does not support the country you’re in or after the trial period you find that it does not perform well due to your location, otherwise there is no reason to choose ExpressVPN.
If you are really still on the fence, keep in mind that ExpressVPN and NordVPN both offer a 30-day money-back guarantee. Therefore you could purchase both VPNs, test each service for a few weeks, and then cancel the one you don’t want for a full refund.
Get the current maximum discount on two VPNs through my exclusive link.
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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, Security & Technical – NordVPN is marginally more secure than ExpressVPN
The table below shows a comparison of NordVPN and ExpressVPN’s encryption and security features.
| NordVPN | ExpressVPN | |
|---|---|---|
| VPN Protocols | WireGuard & OpenVPN | Lightway & OpenVPN |
| Encryption Cipher | AES-256 & ChaCha20 | AES-256 & wolfSSL |
| Kill Switch | Yes | Yes |
| Leak Protection | Yes | Yes |
| First-Party DNS | Yes | Yes |
| Open-Source Apps | No | Browser Extension Only |
| Colocated Servers | Yes | No |
Our research found that NordVPN is marginally more secure than ExpressVPN. NordVPN uses reputable encryption ciphers and protocols, like WireGuard and ChaCha20, while ExpressVPN uses proprietary alternatives. We found that ExpressVPN’s macOS client will leak your true IP address when changing server locations.
Conclusion: NordVPN wins in 2024
While we like and recommend both of these VPN services, we believe that NordVPN is the better option. It has made massive progress over the past few years and has overtaken ExpressVPN in most categories, especially in the areas of performance, privacy, and streaming.
It is for all of these reasons and more that we consider NordVPN to be the best all-around VPN service and give it our top recommendation.
At the end of the day, either of these two VPNs may be the best service for you. It all depends on your needs and uses for the VPN. Whichever service you decide to go for, be sure to get the best price via the discounts below:
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And now for ExpressVPN.
Right now, 49% off is the best deal you can get on ExpressVPN. Even with the discount, ExpressVPN is still much more expensive than NordVPN — about double the price.
If you are really still on the fence, keep in mind that ExpressVPN and NordVPN both offer a 30-day money-back guarantee. Therefore you could purchase both VPNs, test each service for a few weeks, and then cancel the one you don’t want for a full refund.
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SAVE: 49% + 3 months free
(Coupon is applied automatically; 30 day money-back guarantee.)
