NordVPN vs. ExpressVPN: Differences, pros and cons in 2024
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Updated 3:40 p.m. UTC April 2, 2024
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Pros
- Several specialty servers.
- Supports zero-trust user provisioning.
- Second fastest average upload speed.
Cons
- Business plans cost more than its rivals.
- Limited to six simultaneous connections.
- Servers in fewer countries than Surfshark.
Pros
- Helpful live chat services.
- Servers in 94 countries.
- Supports more languages than competitors.
Cons
- More expensive monthly and annual services than most competitors.
- No dedicated IPs.
- Does not have business or team plans.
NordVPN and ExpressVPN can both help you browse the internet anonymously, but which is better for your business? It depends on factors like the devices you use to browse the internet, the length of service you prefer and the features that are most important to you. Here’s a closer look at both VPN providers to help you find the best fit.
Featured VPN service offers
NordVPN
Free plan
No
Cheapest monthly plan
$12.99
Download speed (average)
235 Mbps
Surfshark
Free plan
No
Cheapest monthly plan
$15.45
Download speed (average)
263 Mbps
Private Internet Access (PIA)
Free plan
No
Cheapest monthly plan
$11.95
Download speed (average)
124 Mbps
NordVPN vs. ExpressVPN: Cost
| Lowest monthly plan price (per month) | Lowest annual plan price (per month | Highest monthly plan price (per month) | Highest annual plan price (per month) | Free trial available | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
NordVPN
| $12.99
| $4.59
| $15.99
| $7.49
| Yes: Google Play Store
|
ExpressVPN
| $12.95
| $8.32
| Single pricing tier
| Single pricing tier
| Yes: Apple App Store and Google Play Store
|
NordVPN offers three tiers of service, including its Basic, Plus and Ultimate plans. The Basic plan is the base tier and includes VPN protection. The Plus plan adds cloud storage and a password manager. The Ultimate plan is the highest tier and includes a subscription to Incogni, a personal data removal tool that removes your personal information from online databases. Each of these three tiers can be signed up for as a monthly, annual or two-year plan.
With plans of one year or more, the company offers three extra months of service for no charge. You will receive the most savings if you opt for NordVPN’s two-year commitment, which starts at $3.09 per month, but you will need to pay an upfront lump sum that covers the length of the contract.
ExpressVPN only offers one tier of service, which includes all of its VPN features. You have the option to sign up for a one-month plan, a six-month plan or an annual plan. It does not offer the advanced security features that NordVPN’s premium plans do, but it does offer basic VPN coverage features, such as a no-log policy and data encryption.
Neither company offers a free option, but both have 30-day money back guarantees and seven-day free trials through their mobile apps. NordVPN offers a lower annual plan price and ExpressVPN offers a slightly cheaper monthly plan price, beating NordVPN by just $0.05. If you are on a tight budget, NordVPN is the winner here. If, however, you desire more security features, NordVPN is a better choice.
NordVPN vs. ExpressVPN: Features
| ANONYMOUS BROWSING | DEDICATED IP | KILL SWITCH | SPLIT TUNNELING | MULTI-FACTOR AUTHENTICATION | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
NordVPN
| Yes
| Yes
| Yes
| Yes: Android, Android TV, and Windows 8.1 or later mobile devices
| Yes
|
ExpressVPN
| Yes
| No
| Yes
| Yes: Windows and Mac devices, but not on macOS 11+
| No
|
With a subscription to NordVPN, you can connect up to 10 devices at a time, while ExpressVPN only offers five simultaneous connections. Both companies provide users with anonymous browsing, no bandwidth limits and useful VPN features, such as kill switches and split tunneling (only available on some devices).
Split tunneling is a helpful tool for VPN users who only want to route some of their traffic through a VPN tunnel. With NordVPN, split tunneling is available on Android, Android TV and Windows devices. With ExpressVPN, it’s available for Windows and Mac devices, but not Macs running macOS 11 or higher. So, if split tunneling is an important feature to you, device compatibility may be a deciding factor between the two providers.
NordVPN also sets itself apart with a dedicated IP add-on option. ExpressVPN doesn’t offer dedicated or static IP addresses. A dedicated IP address allows you to use the same IP address from the VPN provider every time you connect, versus sharing different IP addresses with other VPN users. Dedicated IP addresses help with authentication issues that arise when trying to connect from different IP addresses.
If you’re willing to invest in one of NordVPN’s higher-tier plans, you’ll also gain access to additional security features like cloud storage, a password manager and the Incogni data removal tool, which can help keep your personal data off the market. If security is most important to you, NordVPN may be a better fit than ExpressVPN.
NordVPN vs. ExpressVPN: Servers
| Number of continents with servers | Total number of servers | Number of countries with servers | |
|---|---|---|---|
NordVPN
| 6 | 6,200+
| 110+
|
ExpressVPN
| 6 | Not available
| 94 |
NordVPN and ExpressVPN both have thousands of servers dispersed across six continents. However, ExpressVPN doesn’t disclose its total number of servers. NordVPN openly shares a server count of more than 6,200 servers spanning over 110 countries, while ExpressVPN has servers in 94 countries. Therefore, ExpressVPN’s server network is likely better than NordVPN’s, spanning a greater number of countries. However, without a total server count, we cannot make a definitive determination.
In terms of server types, ExpressVPN has upgraded 80% of its servers from 1 Gbps to 10 Gbps next-generation servers. NordVPN has not yet publicly reported making similar upgrades, but a customer service agent at the company said approximately 20% of its servers are 10 Gbps servers.
Upgraded servers are pivotal to supplying VPN users with the fastest connection speeds by ensuring that servers don’t get bogged down with the growing number of VPN subscribers connecting to them.
NordVPN vs. ExpressVPN: Speed
| DOWNLOAD SPEED (AVERAGE) | UPLOAD SPEED (AVERAGE) | DOWNLOAD SPEED (MIN TO MAX) | UPLOAD SPEED (MIN TO MAX) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
NordVPN
| 235 Mbps
| 186 Mbps
| 90 to 97 Mbps
| 26 to 98 Mbps
|
ExpressVPN
| 204 Mbps
| 146 Mbps
| 107 to 246 Mbps
| 59 to 199 Mbps
|
Both companies have impressive download and upload speed averages, although NordVPN pulls ahead by a small margin. In either case, you should be able to perform multiple online activities that are commonly required when running a business. At least 25 Mbps of download speed and 5 Mbps of upload speed are required for tasks like exchanging files, video conferencing, using cloud-based software and emailing.
NordVPN vs. ExpressVPN: Customer support
| 24/7 CUSTOMER SUPPORT | PHONE SUPPORT | LIVE CHAT | KNOWLEDGE BASE/HELP | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
NordVPN
| Yes
| No
| Yes
| Yes
|
ExpressVPN
| Yes
| No
| Yes
| Yes
|
When it comes to customer support, the companies offer the same support channels. Neither offers phone support, but both offer 24/7 live chat services, online knowledge bases and support email addresses.
In our testing, we found the ExpressVPN live chat service to be more customer-friendly. An agent responded to our query right away and quickly answered all of our questions. Connecting with an agent using NordVPN’s chat support was more challenging. The company has a bot that insists you use it even after requesting an agent.
Both companies are highly rated. NordVPN has a 4.7-star average rating with over 1,200 reviews on Capterra and a 4.2-star average rating with over 31,000 reviews on Trustpilot. ExpressVPN also has a 4.6-star average rating on Capterra but only has around 300 reviews. It has many more reviews (over 23,000) on Trustpilot and a slightly improved 4.4 average star rating.
Featured VPN service offers
NordVPN
Free plan
No
Cheapest monthly plan
$12.99
Download speed (average)
235 Mbps
Surfshark
Free plan
No
Cheapest monthly plan
$15.45
Download speed (average)
263 Mbps
Private Internet Access (PIA)
Free plan
No
Cheapest monthly plan
$11.95
Download speed (average)
124 Mbps
Which VPN is right for your business?
The right VPN for your business depends on your priorities. NordVPN has a larger quantity of positive reviews from past customers and offers more impressive security features, like its Incogni tool, multi-factor authentication feature and an optional dedicated IP address. It also offers split tunneling for Android, Android TV and Windows mobile devices. If security features are a priority for you, NordVPN is the winner.
ExpressVPN, on the other hand, offers fewer security features but a competitive monthly price. Additionally, it has a superior VPN network with a higher percentage of next-generation servers. It also has a more user-friendly live chat service, which can help when you’re facing technical issues. If you are looking for a better server network, ExpressVPN is likely the best choice out of the two providers.
Both NordVPN and ExpressVPN are giants in the industry. They’re reputable VPN providers and offer premium services that would be a good fit for most businesses. If you’re looking for a more budget-friendly option or simply want to know about the competitors in the space, check out our best business VPNs list.
Blueprint is an independent publisher and comparison service, not an investment advisor. The information provided is for educational purposes only and we encourage you to seek personalized advice from qualified professionals regarding specific financial decisions. Past performance is not indicative of future results.
Blueprint has an advertiser disclosure policy. The opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the Blueprint editorial staff alone. Blueprint adheres to strict editorial integrity standards. The information is accurate as of the publish date, but always check the provider’s website for the most current information.
