ExpressVPN vs NordVPN (2026): Which Is Better?
ExpressVPN and NordVPN are both audited, RAM-only, no-logs providers — KPMG for ExpressVPN in 2024, Deloitte for NordVPN the same year. ExpressVPN is actually the cheaper of the two on the long plan ($2.99 against $3.49) and has the stronger pressure-tested record: a 2017 server seizure in Turkey produced nothing. NordVPN has been audited more times and covers more countries (118 against 105). We have not measured speed or streaming for either — use the 30-day refund window to check both yourself.
Who wins each category
- Privacy & securityTieExpressVPN 9.5 · NordVPN 9.5
- SpeedTieExpressVPN 0.0 · NordVPN 0.0
- StreamingTieExpressVPN 0.0 · NordVPN 0.0
- Apps & easeNordVPNExpressVPN 8.3 · NordVPN 9.4
- ValueExpressVPNExpressVPN 7.8 · NordVPN 6.5
Sub-scores are provisional for ExpressVPN and NordVPN — published audits, jurisdiction and public record rather than our own measurement; see the review; weights are privacy & security 30%, speed 25%, streaming 15%, apps & ease 15%, value 15%. Methodology
Choose ExpressVPN if…
- You want the pressure-tested record: a 2017 server seizure produced nothing
- You use Apple devices and want the Aircove router for whole-home coverage
- You'd rather pay the cheaper long-plan rate: $2.99 against $3.49
Choose NordVPN if…
- You want more countries — 118 against 105
- You want Threat Protection Pro, Meshnet and a dedicated-IP option
- You want the record of four separate no-logs audits
ExpressVPN vs NordVPN: the numbers
 ExpressVPN |  NordVPN | |
|---|---|---|
| Overall score | 8.8provisional — not tested by us | 8.7provisional — not tested by us |
| Rank · badge | Not ranked · Widest platform support | Not ranked · Widest server network |
| 2-year price / mo | $2.99 | $3.49 |
| 1-year price / mo | $6.67 | $5.49 |
| Monthly price | $12.95 | $14.99 |
| Renewal | Billed $83.72 for the first 28 months, then autorenews at $99.95 a year | Billed $94.23 for the first 27 months, then renews at $139.08 a year |
| Money-back | 30 days | 30 days |
| Simultaneous devices | 10 | 10 |
| Avg download speed | Not tested by us | Not tested by us |
| Jurisdiction | British Virgin Islands | Panama |
| Owner | Kape Technologies | Nord Security |
| No-logs audit | KPMG no-logs audit, 2024 | Deloitte no-logs audit, 2024 |
| Servers | 3,000+ in 105 countries | 7,400+ in 118 countries |
| Protocols | Lightway, OpenVPN, IKEv2 | NordLynx (WireGuard), OpenVPN, IKEv2/IPsec, NordWhisper |
| Torrenting | P2P allowed on all servers | P2P allowed on dedicated P2P servers |
| Free plan | No | No |
| Support | 24/7 live chat, email, help centre | 24/7 live chat, email, help centre |
| Visit ExpressVPN | Visit NordVPN |
Full reviews: ExpressVPN · NordVPN
What each one actually costs
The advertised rate covers the first term only. These are the totals once the renewal is counted.
| ExpressVPN | NordVPN | |
|---|---|---|
| Plan priced | 24-month plan | 24-month plan |
| Intro rate / mo | $2.99 | $3.49 |
| Then renews at / mo | $8.33 (+179%) | $11.59 (+232%) |
| First term, up front | $71.76 | $83.76 |
| Total over 3 years | $171.72 | $222.84 |
| True cost / mo over 3 years | $4.77 | $6.19 |
| Money-back | 30 days — 30 days, first-time users only — we have not claimed one yet | 30 days — 30 days, published — we have not claimed one yet |
| Check ExpressVPN price | Check NordVPN price |
ExpressVPN is cheaper both ways — lower to start and $51.12 less across three years once the renewals are counted. Same arithmetic as our price calculator: the first term at the advertised rate, every month after it at the rate the provider publishes for renewals.
Speed by region
Neither VPN has been speed-tested by us yet, so there is nothing to chart here.
ExpressVPN and NordVPN have not been through our speed rig yet, so there is no region-by-region chart for this pair. Speed figures other people have published are on the ExpressVPN and NordVPN review, attributed to whoever measured them.
Streaming, service by service
| ExpressVPN | NordVPN | |
|---|---|---|
| Unblocked | 0 of 0 reported (not tested by us) | 0 of 0 reported (not tested by us) |
| Netflix US | n/r | n/r |
| Netflix UK | n/r | n/r |
| Netflix JP | n/r | n/r |
| Netflix CA | n/r | n/r |
| Netflix AU | n/r | n/r |
| Prime Video | n/r | n/r |
| Disney+ | n/r | n/r |
| Hulu | n/r | n/r |
| Max | n/r | n/r |
| Paramount+ | n/r | n/r |
| Peacock | n/r | n/r |
| BBC iPlayer | n/r | n/r |
| ITVX | n/r | n/r |
| DAZN | n/r | n/r |
| n/r — no published result found | n/r — no published result found |
Security features
| ExpressVPN | NordVPN | |
|---|---|---|
| Kill switch | ||
| Split tunnelling | ||
| Obfuscation / stealth | ||
| Port forwarding | ||
| Dedicated IP | ||
| Ad & tracker blocking | ||
| Multi-hop (double VPN) | ||
| RAM-only servers | ||
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, Fire TV, Apple TV, browser extensions, Aircove router | Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, Android TV, Fire TV, Apple TV, browser extensions, routers |
Has the no-logs promise ever been tested?
Every VPN on this page says it keeps no logs. The claim only means something once someone has demanded the data — a police raid, a court order, a subpoena. Here is what happened to each of these two when that came up, and what it means if it never has.
- ExpressVPNHeld
2017 server seizure in Turkey. The claim held — there was nothing useful to hand over. That is the one form of proof no audit can give you, because it happened under real pressure rather than on a scheduled visit.
Audit: KPMG no-logs audit, 2024 · British Virgin Islands
- NordVPNNever tested
No police raid, court order or subpoena against NordVPN has been made public. That is not a mark against it — most providers have never been asked — but it does mean the policy has never had to hold up under pressure.
Audit: Deloitte no-logs audit, 2024 · Panama
What each one is our top pick for
One of these scores higher overall, which does not make it the right buy for every job. These are the use cases where each one comes first on its own list.
- ExpressVPN2 categories
Built for iOS's always-on setting specifically, with reconnects between Wi-Fi and cellular, and the same app carries over to Apple TV. We have not benchmarked reconnect speed ourselves.
- NordVPN16 categories
Questions
Is ExpressVPN better than NordVPN?
Not on price — ExpressVPN's long-plan rate is actually the cheaper of the two. Both are audited; ExpressVPN's pressure-tested history (a 2017 server seizure that produced nothing) is the stronger no-logs evidence. NordVPN has been audited more times and covers more countries. Neither is a clear winner.
Which is faster, ExpressVPN or NordVPN?
We have not measured this. Both use modern WireGuard-based protocols — NordLynx and Lightway — which are the fastest protocol family available; actual throughput depends more on server distance and load than on the provider. Test both inside the 30-day refund window with our speed test tool.
Which is more private, NordVPN or ExpressVPN?
Both have independent no-logs audits and RAM-only servers, in Panama and the British Virgin Islands respectively. ExpressVPN also has a real pressure test behind it — the 2017 Turkey seizure. We score them within a point of each other on privacy; neither has a disqualifying history.
We may earn a commission when you buy through links on this page. Scores and the winner are decided by the scoring rubric before any commercial consideration. Disclosure