Surfshark vs ExpressVPN (2026): Which Is Better?
Surfshark and ExpressVPN score the same on our rubric — 8.8 each — but for different reasons. Surfshark is unlimited-device and cheaper: $2.49 against $2.99 on the long plan, with a more recent audit (Deloitte 2025 against KPMG 2024). ExpressVPN's case is the apps and the pressure-tested record: a 2017 server seizure in Turkey produced nothing, evidence Surfshark doesn't have on file. We have not measured speed or streaming for either. For most people the tie breaks on price; for travellers and Apple households it breaks on ExpressVPN's track record.
Who wins each category
- Privacy & securityExpressVPNSurfshark 8.3 · ExpressVPN 9.5
- SpeedTieSurfshark 0.0 · ExpressVPN 0.0
- StreamingTieSurfshark 0.0 · ExpressVPN 0.0
- Apps & easeSurfsharkSurfshark 9.4 · ExpressVPN 8.3
- ValueSurfsharkSurfshark 9.0 · ExpressVPN 7.8
Sub-scores are provisional for Surfshark and ExpressVPN — 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 Surfshark if…
- You want the lower price — $2.49 against $2.99 on the long plan
- You need unlimited devices
- You want ad blocking and Alternative ID included
Choose ExpressVPN if…
- You want the pressure-tested record: a 2017 server seizure produced nothing
- You want the best apps on iPhone, Mac and Apple TV
- You want the Aircove router for whole-home coverage
Surfshark vs ExpressVPN: the numbers
 Surfshark |  ExpressVPN | |
|---|---|---|
| Overall score | 8.8provisional — not tested by us | 8.8provisional — not tested by us |
| Rank · badge | Not ranked · Unlimited devices | Not ranked · Widest platform support |
| 2-year price / mo | $2.49 | $2.99 |
| 1-year price / mo | $3.19 | $6.67 |
| Monthly price | $16.45 | $12.95 |
| Renewal | Billed $67.23 for the first 27 months, then renews at $79.00 for a 1-year term. Surfshark does not put that figure on its pricing page — it is on a separate terms-of-service page, two clicks away | Billed $83.72 for the first 28 months, then autorenews at $99.95 a year |
| Money-back | 30 days | 30 days |
| Simultaneous devices | Unlimited | 10 |
| Avg download speed | Not tested by us | Not tested by us |
| Jurisdiction | Netherlands | British Virgin Islands |
| Owner | Nord Security | Kape Technologies |
| No-logs audit | Deloitte no-logs audit, 2025 | KPMG no-logs audit, 2024 |
| Servers | 3,200+ in 100 countries | 3,000+ in 105 countries |
| Protocols | WireGuard, OpenVPN, IKEv2/IPsec | Lightway, OpenVPN, IKEv2 |
| Torrenting | P2P allowed on all servers | P2P allowed on all servers |
| Free plan | No | No |
| Support | 24/7 live chat, email, help centre | 24/7 live chat, email, help centre |
| Visit Surfshark | Visit ExpressVPN |
Full reviews: Surfshark · ExpressVPN
What each one actually costs
The advertised rate covers the first term only. These are the totals once the renewal is counted.
| Surfshark | ExpressVPN | |
|---|---|---|
| Plan priced | 24-month plan | 24-month plan |
| Intro rate / mo | $2.49 | $2.99 |
| Then renews at / mo | $6.58 (+164%) | $8.33 (+179%) |
| First term, up front | $59.76 | $71.76 |
| Total over 3 years | $138.72 | $171.72 |
| True cost / mo over 3 years | $3.85 | $4.77 |
| Money-back | 30 days — 30 days, published — we have not claimed one yet | 30 days — 30 days, first-time users only — we have not claimed one yet |
| Check Surfshark price | Check ExpressVPN price |
Surfshark is cheaper both ways — lower to start and $33.00 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.
Surfshark and ExpressVPN 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 Surfshark and ExpressVPN review, attributed to whoever measured them.
Streaming, service by service
| Surfshark | ExpressVPN | |
|---|---|---|
| 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
| Surfshark | ExpressVPN | |
|---|---|---|
| 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, Android TV, Fire TV, Apple TV, browser extensions, routers | Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, Fire TV, Apple TV, browser extensions, Aircove router |
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.
- SurfsharkNever tested
No police raid, court order or subpoena against Surfshark 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, 2025 · Netherlands
- 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
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.
- Surfshark3 categories
- 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.
Questions
Is Surfshark or ExpressVPN better?
They score the same on our rubric — 8.8 each. Surfshark is cheaper and has no device limit; ExpressVPN has the more polished apps and a real pressure test behind its no-logs claim. Neither is a clear winner.
Which is faster, Surfshark or ExpressVPN?
We have not measured this. Both run modern WireGuard-based protocols. Test on your own line inside the 30-day refund window either offers.
Which is better for streaming, Surfshark or ExpressVPN?
We have not run our own streaming tests. Both advertise wide streaming support; results change week to week as services update their blocks, so check the provider's own current status page or test inside the refund window rather than trust a number from either of us.
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