ExpressVPN vs NordVPN

Whenever it comes to finding the best VPN, you will see two VPN titans – ExpressVPN and NordVPN – neck to neck, but the crown is only for one… So, here I am with the ExpressVPN vs. NordVPN battle, with a close yet detailed look at both the winning winners.

Being the two biggest and best providers on the market, picking either isn’t a clear-cut thing, especially when various sources undoubtedly claim one or the other to be the best.

Anyways, cutting through all the claims, I am comparing these two giants head-to-head – so that you can be sure which one is worth spending your hard-earned money on.

Not just running down on paper, I will keep sharing my personal experience about each service across a number of important areas. And then, I will let you crown your winner.

Godzilla Kong GIFfrom Godzilla GIFs

So, ready to get into it?

First, have an aerial view…

NordVPN vs ExpressVPN – A one-minute Review

	ExpressVPN	NordVPN
Pricing	As low as $6.67/month in a 15-month plan	As low as $3.71/month in a 2-year plan
Free Plans	Yes, only with the 15-month plan	Yes, 7-day free trial on limited devices
Payment Methods	Credit cards, Mint, Paypal, and Bitcoin	Credit cards and cryptocurrencies
Money Back Guarantee	30 days	30 days
Servers	3000 servers in 94 countries	5400 servers in 59 countries
Netflix	Yes, and many others with fast speeds	Yes, and many others with moderate speeds
Torrenting	It took only 4 minutes to download a 91MB video	It took 6 minutes to download a 91MB video
Work in China	Yes	Yes, inconsistently
Local Speed	16% decrease from baseline	29% decrease from baseline
Long-distance server speed	34% decrease from baseline	41% decrease from baseline
Gaming	23% increase in latency	39% increase in latency
Located outside the 5, 9, and 14 Eyes alliances	Yes	Yes
Logging	Zero-logs policy. Independently audited	Zero-logs policy. Independently audited
Device compatibility	Android, Windows, Linux, macOS, iOS, and more.	Android, Windows, Linux, macOS, iOS, and more.
Customer service	24/7	24/7
Security	AES-256-GCM encryption DNS and IP leak protection Kill switch OpenVPN, IKEv2/IPSec protocols OpenVPN, IKEv2/IPSec protocols Split Tunneling	AES-256-GCM encryption Double VPN DNS and IP leak protection Kill switch Ad and malware blocker OpenVPN, IKEv2/IPSec protocols OpenVPN, IKEv2/IPSec protocols Onion over VPN Split Tunneling (windows)
Maximum Connection	5	6

ExpressVPN vs NordVPN – A closer look!

Pricing – who offers the GREATEST value for money?

To give you an overall look of all the plans, I am mentioning both ExpressVPN and NordVPN side by side.

	ExpressVPN	NordVPN
Monthly	$12.95/month	$11.95/month
Bi-yearly	$9.99/month	No
Yearly	$6.67/month + 3 months free	$4.92/month
2 Years Plan	No	$3.30/month
3 Years Plan	No	$3.71/month

Well, no matter whom you go with, longer plans are justified.

So, here NordVPN is a WINNER… as you can see, it offers more options, suiting your anonymous needs, keeping a 30-money back guarantee, and anonymous payment methods, ceteris paribus.

Servers & Geo-restrictions – Which VPN is geographically generous?

ExpressVPN – 3000 servers across 94 countries
NordVPN – 5400 servers across 59 countries

Country-wise, ExpressVPN is a WINNER, while in terms of the number of servers, NordVPN is crowing; so, choose what matters the most. Keep in mind that both Nord and ExpressVPN perform well when it comes to accessing popular content from countries like the UK, US, or Canada.

Being a VPN user, for me, the number of servers matters more than the overall network size, but yes, the latter cannot be taken for granted.

What if there’s no server in the requested country like Cambodia, where ExpressVPN has 1 server, NordVPN has none.

And, if your favorite show, such as High Road, is on the plate, then go with NordVPN, as it has more than 25 servers in NZ, while the other offers only 1 server.

So, choose wisely!

Talking about bypassing geo-restrictions and censorship, there is only one rule… the heavier the censorship, the better the performance is needed; the number of servers to bypass restrictions is the least concern here.

For example, ExpressVPN works consistently in China, thanks to its faster servers in Hong Kong and Japan, whereas on the other hand, NordVPN has nearby Japanese servers — but barely worked in China.

The best thing could be… check with customer service before committing to either, as both constantly add new servers – for optimum coverage.

Netflixing, Torrenting – which VPN service is more streaming-friendly?

Thank God, I have tested both during the lockdown, and they both worked quite well, with varying speeds – ExpressVPN was a bit faster!

While torrenting my craze for not-so-local movies, both VPN performed well – ExpressVPN took 4 minutes to download a 91MB video, while the other took 6 minutes to download for the same video.

Other un-blocking potential is as follows:

Channel	ExpressVPN	NordVPN
Hulu	US, Japan	US, Japan
Amazon Prime Video	Yes	Yes
ABC	Yes	No
CBS	Yes	Yes
ITV	Yes	Yes
Channel 4	Yes	Yes
Sky Go	Yes	Yes
BBC iPlayer	No	Yes
NBC	Yes	Yes

Hold on!

Let me tell you something important here… choosing a safe VPN for torrenting is tough; thank God, both Nord and ExpressVPN support torrenting and have P2P and torrent-friendly servers, respectively.

ExpressVPN vs. NordVPN: Important Features & Benefits

ExpressVPN and NordVPN have excellent features appropriate for a wide range of consumers.

ExpressVPN Features

ExpressVPN has a distinct feature in that it allows for split tunneling.

This option allows specified apps to be routed using an encrypted VPN while other applications are routed through an unsecured internet connection. ExpressVPN provides some fantastic features. They are as follows:

(i) A secured and self-hosted DNS to protect against DNS leaks and third-party DNS spying

(ii) Network restriction and VPN blocking obfuscation features

(iii) It integrates with Smart TVs and game consoles (through the smart DNS MediaStreamer feature)

(iv) It comes with browser extensions that have already passed third-party testing. It also includes HTTPS Everywhere (available for Firefox and Chrome)

(v) All servers operate in RAM-disk mode instead of hard drives. As a result, physically storing logs or data on servers becomes difficult. It also enhances security.

(vi) Regarding obfuscation, it has numerous obfuscated servers that are extremely handy when using a VPN in China or another restricted network.

NordVPN Features

NordVPN also provides several excellent features. They are as follows:

They have specialty servers for various use cases:

– Double-VPN servers encrypt traffic via two different hops to maximize the protection of data.

– P2P servers, which are ideal for torrenting – Obfuscated servers, which are useful for using VPN in countries where traffic is restricted, such as China

The servers operate at high speeds with no connection difficulties.

(ii) NordVPN has an ad-blocking tool called CyberSec. This feature provides fundamental security against tracking, advertising, and malicious domains.

Winner of the feature: In this category, there is a tie because both VPN companies are excellent.

Performance – which one, NordVPN vs. ExpressVPN, runs faster?

Connection speed is the lifeblood of any VPN service, and I think many of you make your VPN purchase on this section alone.

I have tested a number of VPNs, but believe me… these two providers offer the best yet fastest connectivity; in my speed tests, ExpressVPN was consistently faster in both local and long-distance connections.

To determine which VPN is faster, I conducted two-speed tests: a long-distance test with my favorite US servers and a local test with servers in Australia.

Note: No speed test is perfect; there are factors including internet connection, location, router, type of device, and a couple of other variables that do vary results. I have opted for the OpenVPN protocol for the tests and let the provider automatically connect me to the fastest server.

In my testing, I was impressed by both of them; using a 1Gbps US line, Express’s Lightway speed was up to 635Mbps with a 16% decrease from baseline. On the same line, Nord’s NordLynx protocols delivered speeds of up to 4870Mbps with a 29% decrease from baseline.

With OpenVPN, the results were similar – around 277mbps.

On a similar line in the UK, NordVPN blasted a 41% decrease from baseline

with incredible speeds of 460-800Mbps. Unfortunately, however, the ExpressVPN shot a fall of 34% from the baseline.

Here, both are the WINNERS; both delivered seriously speedy connections.

Gaming – Which VPN offers the lowest latency for gaming?

Overall, both VPNs unblocked all my favorite games and provided top security; I actually uninterrupted gaming after so long. However, ExpressVPN was slightly faster than NordVPN.

I have played Counter-Strike with both NordVPN and ExpressVPN – to gauge the impact on gaming latency (remember: the lower the latency, the better).

Though both VPNs increased my latency — but as I said, ExpressVPN had a lower latency score than the other, which means more responsiveness and less lagging.

To be honest, with ExpressVPN, I have felt like no VPN is connected. Even with NordVPN, the speed was decent in most parts of the game, except minimal lag.

Yes, I heard your concern… both ExpressVPN and NordVPN are best to unblock geo-restricted games and DLC. I have played PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds Lite while connected to the Thai server on both VPNs.

Worry not! Both VPNs are equally potential enough to protect you from DDoS attacks.

Privacy and Anonymity – Which VPN, NordVPN or ExpressVPN, crowning the title of logless VPN?

The best about this VPN is that both are located in privacy-friendly countries, I mean outside the international surveillance alliances – Five Eyes, Nine Eyes, and 14 Eyes. And yes, both of their no-logging policies and TrustedServer technology had undergone independent audits by PwC in 2018 and ‘19, respectively.

Upon digging a bit, you will get to know that ExpressVPN is headquartered in the British Virgin Islands, while NordVPN is in Panama; neither of them is restricted by any data retention laws. It means both VPNs are not legally required to keep records of our data (like the data we download and the websites we visit).

To further their privacy-mindedness, I like the fact that they only ask for an email address at the time of sign-up and their acceptance of cryptocurrencies.

Digging up into the privacy of both the VPN providers, I came to know that ExpressVPN and NordVPN follow strict no-logging policies – it means none of our IP address, browsing history, traffic destination, DNS queries, or file downloads/uploads can be traced back.

The only thing you should know is that both VPNs log some basic information about a user (like email address, name, and the payment method). These are only for the sake of auto-renewing the subscription.

Additionally, ExpressVPN records account ID, amount of data transferred, connection date (not time), and location connected (to and from).

A Tip from the Wise: If you want to stay 100% anonymous, use a fake email address and pay for either service via cryptocurrencies.

Security – Which is the most secure VPN, ExpressVPN or NordVPN

As far as security is concerned, both are winners, with NordVPN being the upper hand; here’s a detailed look at both the VPNs.

	ExpressVPN	NordVPN
Encryption	AES-256-GCM with SHA-512 HMAC authentication, 4096-bit DH key	AES-256-GCM with SHA-384 HMAC authentication, 4096-bit DH key
Protocols	OpenVPN UDP, IPSec/IKEv2, OpenVPN TCP, and IPSec/L2TP	OpenVPN UDP, IPSec/IKEv2, OpenVPN TCP, IPSec/L2TP, and WireGuard.
Kill Switch	Windows, Android (versions 7.4 onwards), Linux, macOS, and routers. Not on iOS.	Windows, Android, iOS, Linux, and macOS. Not on routers.
Dedicated IPs	No	Yes
Leak protection	DNS, WebRTC, and IPv6	DNS, WebRTC, and IPv6
Server chaining	No	Yes
Malware/ad blocker	No	Yes
Onion over VPN servers	No	Yes
Writes data to hard drive	No, use TrustedServer tech. (servers on RAM)	Yes
Cloaking technology	Cipher block chaining	Obfsproxy

Let me be specific with all the security features mentioned above;

Encryption – both ExpressVPN and NordVPN use the top-tier, industry-standard AES 256-bit encryption.
Protocols – protocols like OpenVPN and IKEv2 are known to be the safest, offering the best balance of security and speed; use the former for web surfing, streaming, banking, etc., while the latter for gaming and torrenting.
Leak Protection – While testing both VPN providers, no DNS, IPv4, WebRTC, or IPv6 leak/s is found; having a built-in kill switch ensures optimum protection even if VPN or internet connection fails.
Specialty servers – NordVPN offers double VPN and onion over VPN servers, which make the encryption impossible to break.

Device Compatibility – Which VPN is more user-friendly?

If you own any of these devices, you can either of the two VPNs – ExpressVPN and NordVPN;

Windows,
Android,
macOS,
iOS,
Chromecast,
Linux,
Android Smart TV,
Roku,
Kodi,
Raspberry Pi,
Amazon Fire TV,
Steam,
Windows Phone,
Chrome extension,
Firefox extension,
Blackberry,
Opera Extension,
Xbox One,
PS4,
Nintendo Switch,
routers, and more.

Note: for gaming consoles and Kodi, apps are not available; to protect these devices, you can configure the VPN to routers.

And yes, keep one thing in mind that both ExpressVPN and NordVPN offer different features on different operating systems. So, do investigate encryption protocols, optimized servers, split-tunneling configurations, and other security features for the selected device before subscribing to any VPN service.

Overall, NordVPN is a WINNER here… offers added protection in terms of specialized servers and an ad/malware blocker.

Customer Support – Which of the two VPN offers faster customer service?

Before giving any details, let me tell you that ExpressVPN and NordVPN have knowledgeable customer service representatives who work 24/7 and respond fast (less than a minute via live chat and a couple of minutes via email).

Other than live chat and email, they both offer other resources too – to solve problems faster, including educational blogs, FAQs, and how-to pages.

Here’s the breakdown…

	ExpressVPN	NordVPN
Live Chat	Yes	Yes
Response time for live chat	10 seconds	12 seconds
Email support	Yes	Yes
Response Time for email	10 minutes	18 minutes
Phone support	Yes	Yes
Ticket support	Yes	Yes
Video guides	Yes	Yes
Help guides	Yes	Yes

Simultaneous Connections – The more, the merrier!

Connecting to ExpressVPN, you can use five devices at the same time, and with NordVPN, you are allowed for six devices (three on the same server, using different protocols).

It’s just a matter of one device, but NordVPN is winning this category by a hair.

As far as devices per subscription are concerned, ExpressVPN is generous; you can connect as many devices. NordVPN, on the other hand, will let you connect six devices in total, which means it is not suitable for larger group sharing.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Is ExpressVPN a more recommended service than NordVPN?

Yes, this is the case because ExpressVPN is superior to NordVPN in terms of speeds, streaming, gaming, getting around restrictive firewalls, and user-friendliness. In spite of this, I was unable to identify a service that excelled in any of the following categories: security features, privacy features, servers, additional features, downloading torrents, pricing, plan options, or customer support.

Which VPN is a superior option for streaming content, ExpressVPN or NordVPN?

It is possible to access more than ten different Netflix libraries with ExpressVPN, and it works with more than one hundred different streaming services, including popular ones such as Netflix, HBO Max, and Hulu. NordVPN also offers a really nice viewing experience, but ExpressVPN is my preferred option.

Additionally, it is equipped with a MediaStreamer, which acts as a smart DNS that enables you to access streaming platforms on devices such as gaming consoles that do not natively allow VPN connections. This feature is included in the package.

NordVPN is compatible with popular streaming websites such as Netflix, BBC iPlayer, and HBO Max. It also includes a smart DNS as well as SmartPlay across every one of its servers, which combines the security of a VPN with smart DNS technology. Despite these benefits, NordVPN is limited to 10+ streaming services, giving you a less selection of options compared to ExpressVPN.

Is ExpressVPN a better option for speed than NordVPN?

No, despite NordVPN offering excellent speeds on most of its servers, I encountered discernible slowdowns when connecting to some of its more remote servers. The majority of websites loaded in up to 3 seconds, high-definition films loaded in 2 seconds, while watching 4K videos resulted in just minimal buffering.

When using local, adjacent, distant, and very remote servers, I was always able to maintain blisteringly fast connections for surfing, streaming, gaming, and torrenting, thanks to ExpressVPN. This should not come as much of a surprise, given that ExpressVPN is the most lightning-fast VPN service currently available.

Is ExpressVPN superior to NordVPN when it comes to gaming?

Yes, despite the fact that both VPNs are beneficial for gaming, our personal preference is for ExpressVPN. During our tests, it consistently gave me fast gaming speeds and an average, stable ping.

In addition, We appreciate that the provider protects each of its servers from DDoS attacks and that it offers support for cloud gaming platforms. In addition, it comes with specialized router software, which makes it simple to use the VPN while gaming on devices such as gaming consoles that do not have native support for the feature.

We did encounter some minor slowdown while gaming on the most distant servers, plus the service provider does not offer router software or anti-DDoS security for its servers. Despite these drawbacks, NordVPN still has good gaming performance on the majority of its servers.

Which service, ExpressVPN or NordVPN, offers a better secure connection?

The two ExpressVPN and NordVPN give users access to advanced security measures, and when we compared the two services, we found that we were unable to decide which one was superior.

ExpressVPN is equipped with security measures that are common for the VPN business, such as a kill switch, 256-bit AES encryption, and a no-logs policy that has been verified by an independent auditor.

In addition to this, it possesses its very own proprietary protocol known as Lightway. This protocol offers high levels of security, extremely high transfer rates is open-source, plus it has also been audited. The company also possesses advanced security features such as RAM-only servers (every time the server is reset, all data is wiped), perfect forward secrecy that alters the encryption key for every single VPN session, as well as complete leak prevention.

In addition to providing access to the same security features that are industry standard, NordVPN’s no-logs policy has also been successfully audited by independent security researchers. Additionally, it utilizes its very own proprietary protocol known as NordLynx, which is vetted for safety and speed in addition to being audited. In addition to that, it possesses RAM-only servers, full leak protection, perfect forward secrecy, and the ability to enable multi-factor authentication for your VPN account.

Which VPN is superior for downloading torrents, ExpressVPN or NordVPN?

When it comes to P2P support, ExpressVPN and NordVPN are both top choices; in fact, we were unable to choose a victor between the two services when I compared them. Both of these VPN services are highly recommended.

ExpressVPN enables P2P file sharing on more than 3,000 servers located across 90 countries and is compatible with the best P2P applications; in addition, it supports port forwarding (which enables you to connect to multiple peers for quicker speeds) through its route application, which is simple to set up and operate. In addition, it offers top-notch protection while torrenting by way of a kill switch, complete leak protection, as well as a Threat Manager function that prevents harmful P2P websites from being accessed.

Additionally, NordVPN is compatible with the most popular P2P software and has more than 4,500 peer-to-peer servers in more than 45 countries. It does not support port forwarding, although it does provide SOCKS5 proxy servers. These servers modify your IP address similarly to a virtual private network (VPN), but they do not use encryption.

Therefore, download speeds are much improved. When torrenting, NordVPN offers the same level of protection as ExpressVPN does; however, in addition to obstructing harmful P2P sites, it may also remove advertisements from torrent trackers and stop you from downloading hazardous executable files.

And the WINNER is…. EXPRESSVPN

Yes, with a small margin, I am crowning ExpressVPN in the ExpressVPN vs. NordVPN battle; overall, ExpressVPN won in 6 categories, whereas NordVPN, being a close second, got 4 victories.

Performance: ExpressVPN
Netflix and streaming: ExpressVPN
Safe and speedy Torrenting: ExpressVPN
Best VPN for China: ExpressVPN
Gaming: ExpressVPN
Payment and refund: ExpressVPN
Bypassing geo-restrictions: Tie
Customer service: Tie
Privacy and anonymity: Tie
Zero-log policy: Tie
Pricing: NordVPN
Security: NordVPN
Device compatibility: NordVPN
Simultaneous Connection: NordVPN

Ultimately, both are top-tier services, and what makes the difference is your preferences; like if you are an avid streamer, gamer, or torrenteer, don’t settle for less than ExpressVPN. Or if you want to bypass geo-blocks in heavily censored countries and want security features like ad and malware blocker or Double VPN, NordVPN is the best.

And yes, in my opinion, NordVPN is the most budgeted VPN among the two.

Still not sure?

Be risk-free… you can opt either and try the VPN for a couple of days; if unable to live by your expectations, then simply avail of their 30-day money-back guarantee.

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Markhascole

Mark is a cyber security enthusiast. He loves to spread knowledge about cybersecurity with his peers. He also loves to travel and writing his travel diaries.

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