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ExpressVPN vs Surfshark: Detailed Comparison 2023

Last updated: August 2, 2023

William Sams

Read this comprehensive VPN comparison of ExpressVPN Vs Surfshark to find out which service is better at catering to user needs in 2023!

This VPN comparison of ExpressVPN vs Surfshark is not about which one is good or bad, but which one is better at what and why!

You can find ExpressVPN and Surfshark mostly on the top of any website that lists the Best VPN services, including Best VPN.co. Moreover, the similarity between these two services is that they both have their headquarters in the British Virgin Islands, away from the 5,9,14 eyes Alliances, which means you can expect them to use proper logging standards.

However, their target market is different from each other. ExpressVPN is famous for being a premium VPN, whereas Surfshark is known as one of the most affordable VPN services.

With Surfshark gaining huge prominence in the industry over a short period of time, many are wondering if the newcomer competes with the household name, ExpressVPN.

If you have the same contemplation, you are in the right place. Check out this in-depth comparison analysis of ExpressVPN vs Surfshark to learn which provider emerges victorious.

Let’s get the comparison to begin and see which one attracts more users!

ExpressVPN vs Surfshark: Direct Comparison

ExpressVPN vs Surfshark: Detailed Comparison

Pricing

After comparing the two services, it becomes clear that ExpressVPN is way more expensive. It offers three different plans to users: Monthly, Six months, and 1-year.

ExpressVPN:

Surfshark:

With regard to money-back guarantees, both ExpressVPN and Surfshark offer a 30-day refund. You can avail of them anytime under a month if you are not satisfied with their service.

Features

In terms of features, both ExpressVPN and Surfshark very well surpass many providers in the industry. They stay updated on the latest in technologies and hacks to maximize performance.

With either provider, you have easy-to-use and intuitive apps for Windows VPN, Mac VPN, Linux VPN, Android, iOS, Chrome, Firefox, Firestick, Nvidia Shield, and even routers.

Where Surfshark offers pre-configured routers, ExpressVPN adds a native client for DD-WRT and Tomato routers; you can install them by installing their firmware.

ExpressVPN even adds a Media Streamer Smart DNS service for streamers, while Surfshark offers multiple security tools like NoBorders, BlindSearch, Hacklock, and Shadowsocks.

As far as simultaneous connections are concerned, ExpressVPN can only be used on 5 devices at a single time. Surfshark, on the other hand, offers unlimited multi-logins.

Unblocking Capabilities

To my surprise, ExpressVPN and Surfshark are equally matched in terms of unblocking different streaming platforms. Like Netflix, BBC iPlayer, Hulu, and now even Disney Plus.

From either service, you can feel assured to face no hassles in streaming on VoDs in ultra HD quality, be it from desktop clients or smartphone apps.

Security

ExpressVPN supports three protocols: PPTP, L2TP, and OpenVPN (TCP and UDP). It uses AES-256-CBC ciphers with HMAC SHA-256 data authentication on the data channel.

AES-256-GCM ciphers with RSA-384 handshake and HMAC SHA-256 data authentication are used for the control channel.

Surfshark, on the other hand, is a big fan of the IKEv2 protocol and uses it as “default” across its iOS device. Other apps utilize the same “OpenVPN (UDP)” protocol as a default.

It utilizes AES-256-GCM ciphers, so no additional authentication is provided on the data channel, but it is incredibly secure.

For the control channel, Surfshark uses an AES-256-GCM cipher with the TLS key exchange secured using RSA-2048. Perfect forward secrecy is provided by ECDH-(384?) key exchange.

Servers and Speed

Reviewing VPN services means more than just looking at the pricing and features available. You also need to factor in total servers, a number of countries support, and dedicated streaming/torrent servers, if any.

ExpressVPN offers a huge listing of3000 servers in 94 countries worldwide. ExpressVPN allows torrenting on almost all servers. Streaming is still a little tricky and may take tries on different servers.

Surfshark, on the other hand, tends to offer a dramatically lesser count. They only have 3200 servers in 65 countries worldwide, but the performance is still quite superb.

Also, if we take into factor that Surfshark only recently made its way into the marketplace in 2017, some leeway can be given in comparison to a service with 10+ years in the industry.

If we talk about the speed of ExpressVPN and surfshark, both of them deliver exceptional speeds on their multiple servers, especially US, UK, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand.

Following are the speed results of ExpressVPN and Surfshark when connected to the US servers.

These speed results show that ExpressVPN gets the edge over Surfshark.

Privacy

Both Surfshark and ExpressVPN have their headquarters in the British Virgin Islands, an autonomous nation with a fair degree of freedom in matters governing its internal affairs.

In comparison to Britain, safe internet jurisdiction BVI does not impose mandatory data retention and mass surveillance laws. Neither is BVI a part of the 5/9/14 Eyes alliances.

There are no major issues with either VPNs logging policies either. In fact, ExpressVPN’s servers were seized following an attack on the Russian Ambassador of Turkey, but no details were revealed.

Similarly, there have been no cases involving Sufshark sharing personal details of users to government agencies. As far as anonymous payment options are concerned, both providers also support bitcoin.

Configuration

For configurations, Surfshark gains an edge over ExpressVPN. Where the BVI-based provider adopts a shared infrastructure and addresses allocation, Surfshark supports both: dynamic and static.

As a result, the BVI-based provider delivers more benefits to users, particularly ex-pats/travelers wanting remote access to office files, along with protection when accessing financial information.

It is important to note, though, that dedicated IPs are available as an add-on with Surfshark, so you do have to pay extra for them. However, the benefits of getting one give you greater value for your money.

China

Again, both ExpressVPN and Surfshark considered as China VPNs as they do exceptionally well at bypassing the “Great Firewall” in China. Both providers utilize the “obfuscation” technology for maximum cloaking.

Where ExpressVPN markets it through its RAM-infrastructure servers, Surfshark offers a special “NoBorders” mode for the task. The best part of all; residents can instantly bypass all geographical limitations.

Since VPN apps are banned in the Chinese Play Stores, ExpressVPN and Surfshark even provide residents with a dedicated Chinese mirror website to download their apps hassle-free.

Americans Users in China can download ExpressVPN from their dedicated Chinese page here: http://exp4links4.net/

Americans Users in China can download Surfshark from their dedicated Chinese page here: https://shark-cn.com/

Why Choose ExpressVPN?

If money is not your issue, then you can choose ExpressVPN without even thinking because we normally put ExpressVPN on the top of our best VPN list. There are many reasons why choosing ExpressVPN would be a better option than Surfshark. ExpressVPN has servers in 160 locations which is twice the size of Surfshark servers.

Server location matters the most when you want to access foreign geo-restricted countries from anywhere.
Speed is another reason why you choose ExpressVPN if you want to enjoy flawless streaming and gaming experience.

Why Choose Surfshark?

SurfShark is a great choice if you are looking for an inexpensive VPN service with unlimited device connections. Moreover, Surfhsark uses the Multihop feature, which means your internet activity and IP addresses encrypt via multiple servers, making it impossible for others to break the code.

ExpressVPN vs Surfshark: Our Winner

Our Winner is ExpressVPN!

ExpressVPN and Surfshark are both excellent services, there is no question about that, but if we were to look for the best VPN for streaming, best VPN for gaming, and other purposes, we would blindly choose ExpressVPN. According to our ExpressVPN vs Surfshark comparison.

The main reason for choosing ExpressVPN for the winner is it offers more servers spread across more locations, Unblocking ability, blazing-fast speeds, and support for more browsers and devices.

Another reason is that ExpressVPN uses Stealth servers, which works great for heavily banned nations like China and UAE, as well as is good at hiding your identity from your ISP and government.

ExpressVPN vs Surfshark : FAQs