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Choosing the right VPN can be quite puzzling, almost like selecting between two high-end smartphones. Both may have incredible features but you could be indecisive, wondering which one is most suitable for you. In this post, we’ll compare NordVPN and ExpressVPN in five main categories: price, privacy, usability, server network, and speed.
By the end of this article, you should be able to identify which of the two VPN platforms is most suited to your online privacy needs.
Let’s start the review with:
1. PRICE:
Firstly, we will discuss how much each VPN’s subscriptions and packages cost and what offers you get for each.
ExpressVPN:
- Monthly plan: $12.95 (includes VPN, ad/tracker blocker, password manager, ID theft alerts, and 1GB eSIM).
- Long-term perks: If you do a two-year plan, you also get ID theft insurance, a credit scanner, and a data removal feature.
ExpressVPN has no multiple packages for subscriptions. It is just one straightforward package.
NordVPN:
NordVPN has four different subscription plans, each adding more features and costs:
- Basic ($12.99/month): You get to have just the basic VPN on this subscription.
- Plus ($13.99/month): The NordVPN Plus subscription adds malware protection, an ad/tracker blocker, and a password manager.
- Complete ($14.99/month): This subscription gives you all of the offers above, including 1TB of cloud storage.
- Prime ($17.99/month): This gives you all of the above features, including some incredible extras. It adds web monitoring, credit monitoring, and cyber extortion insurance to this package.
Are There Free Trials & Refunds on Either VPN?
Neither VPN offers a free trial, but both have a 30-day money-back guarantee. This enables you to test them risk-free.
However, note that NordVPN is currently facing a class-action lawsuit over shady “automatic renewal” practices. We’re not factoring that into our verdict yet, but it’s worth noting.
Nord’s pricing is overcomplicated, and ExpressVPN’s monthly plan gives you roughly the same features as Nord’s Plus plan, for $1 less per month.
Winning in the price aspect is: ExpressVPN.
2. PRIVACY:
Let’s discuss how both VPNs compare in terms of privacy and anonymity for your online activities.
NordVPN:
- Auto Delete: It automatically deletes every email, payment info, username, and your last session time deleted 15 mins after disconnecting).
- Third-party audits: NordVPN is verified and therefore endorsed by Cure53 and Deloitte.
- NorvVPN is based in Panama: A privacy-friendly country with no data retention laws.
ExpressVPN:
- ExpressVPN is good but it retains certain data such as dates, locations and data usage. However, the company claims the retained data cannot be traced and tied to a specific user.
- Surmounting real-world challenge: In late 2017, Turkish authorities seized ExpressVPN servers. However, they found nothing they could use for a prosecution.
- It is based in the British Virgin Islands: which is another no-data-retention jurisdiction.
ExpressVPN is still trustworthy, but Nord’s zero-data-logging policy and independent audits give it the edge.
Our pick in the privacy aspect is NordVPN:
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3. USABILITY:
A VPN should be simple to use even for a beginner. Let’s compare both in terms of their ease of use.
ExpressVPN:
- Design: ExpressVPN has a simple and light interface with an option for dark mode.
- Ease of use: It is very easy to use, with just one large “on/off” button and intuitive menus.
- Downside: It feels like an oversimplified mobile app, even on a desktop. The VPN can be further improved.
NordVPN:
- Design: It also has a clean light design with customizable dark mode and a server map.
- It has a comprehensive onboarding process, guiding you seamlessly through the setup and settings such as auto-connect.
- Bonus: NordVPN has more advanced settings and customizable features than ExpressVPN.
ExpressVPN is great for beginners, but Nord’s map view and better desktop experience make it the preferred pick.
The winner in the usability aspect is: NordVPN
4. SERVER NETWORK:
The more servers a VPN has, the better its speed, this is due to fewer crowded connections.
- NordVPN has 7,000+ servers in 118 countries.
- ExpressVPN has 3,000+ servers in 105 countries.
NordVPN vs. ExpressVPN: NordVPN has about twice the servers and many more locations than ExpressVPN.
Winning in the Server Network aspect is: NordVPN
5. SPEED:
Comparing the speeds of NordVPN vs. ExpressVPN:
- Download Speed: NordVPN has about 3.8% faster download speed compared to ExpressVPN.
- Upload Speed: Upload speeds of NordVPN vs. ExpressVPN are virtually the same.
- Latency: The latency is 26.82% for NordVPN and about 29.26% for ExpressVPN.
- ExpressVPN has ultra-consistent speeds.
- NordVPN sometimes boosts downloads (but uploads lag).
Winner: Neither VPN resoundingly wins in this aspect. We can describe it as a tie.