NordVPN Vs ExpressVPN: Side by Side Comparison 2023

Last updated: September 28, 2023
William Sams

William Sams

Read this in-depth comparison guide of ExpressVPN Vs NordVPN from BestVPNco and learn which provider emerges victorious!

Users regularly come across many review websites that list these two as top providers in the marketplace. What happens if you put both VPNs against each other?

Is it possible to declare a winner among the two? Well, this NordVPN Vs ExpressVPN guide will give you all the juicy detail to help determine which is the better choice for you!

Today’s Best Deals: NordVPN and ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN 12-Months $6.67
ExpressVPN 6-Months $9.99
ExpressVPN 1-Month $12.95
NordVPN 2-Year $3.71
NordVPN 6-Months $9.00
NordVPN 1-Month $11.95

NordVPN vs ExpressVPN: Highlights

Highlights
NordVPN ExpressVPN
  1. 5,100+ Servers in 59 Countries
  2. AES-256-CBC Encryption
  3. 6 Simultaneous Connections
  4. Unblocks All Streaming Platforms
  5. Audited No Logs Policy
  1. 3,000+ Servers in 94 Countries
  2. AES-256-CBC and AES-256-GCM
  3. 5 Simultaneous Connections
  4. Apps for Windows, Mac, iOS & Android
  5. Verified No Logs Policy (Audited)

NordVPN vs ExpressVPN: Pricing

When selecting a VPN provider, pricing plays a major role in the decision-making process. The best services may be a little expensive, but you can always leverage cheap VPN yet amazing VPN VPN deals.

Special offer 68% Discount on a 2-Year Plan 3-Months Free with a 1 Year Plan
Highest price per month $11.95 $12.95
Lowest price per month $3.71 $6.67
One-Year Price $83.88 $99.95
Money-Back Guarantee 30-Days 30-Days

If you want to receive the best value with ExpressVPN, I advise going for their 1-year plan. However, you can even get an 30-day ExpressVPN Free Trial for testing the service!

NordVPN users can get the best value with the 2-year plan that costs only $3.71/month. You even have a 30-day refund and 7-day NordVPN Free Trial on iOS/Android devices.

NordVPN vs ExpressVPN: Features

If we talk about apps compatibility and features, ExpressVPN vs NordVPN have equal standings. Of course, ExpressVPN gains an edge through its router support.

NordVPN ExpressVPN
Simultaneous Connections 6 5
Operating System Apps Windows, MacOS, Linux, Android, iOS, Amazon Fire TV Windows, MacOS, Linux, Android, iOS, Amazon Fire TV, and Routers
Manual Install Devices Set-Top Boxes, Routers, and Linux Some Routers, Set Top Boxes
Split Tunneling Not Available Yes (Desktop Apps Only)

However, where ExpressVPN offers a router app compatible with DD-WRT and tomato routers, NordVPN makes available pre-configured VPN routers for its users.

With regards to split tunneling, ExpressVPN does support it only on desktop apps, whereas NordVPN does not include this feature in their VPN clients.

However, they do make available a list of useful features like CyberSec (protection against ads/malware/trackers), SmartPlay (speedy streaming), and DoubleVPN.

Most of these are missing with ExpressVPN, apart from the competitive Media Streamer, which allows users to enjoy smoother streaming on VoD services.

For browser compatibility, both (ExpressVPN Vs NordVPN) offer extensions for Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, and Safari. So, it is a tie here again.

With regards to simultaneous connections, ExpressVPN supports 5 multi-logins, whereas NordVPN offers the ability to establish 6 multi-logins!

Unblocking Capabilities

ExpressVPN and NordVPN are both able to unblock all popular VoDs in the marketplace. As premium providers in the marketplace, both have a reputation to maintain.

NordVPN ExpressVPN
Netflix All Netflix Libraries 13 Libraries
Hulu Yes Yes
BBC iPlayer Yes Yes
Amazon Prime Yes Yes
Disney Plus Yes Yes

ExpressVPN offers more than just speeds and powerful security. You can their apps to bypass geo-restrictions and content limitations on a multitude of streaming platforms for entertainment. These include:

Similarly, NordVPN connections times with their extension were also incredibly fast, and I experienced no downtime when unblocking different streaming platforms. In fact, the support team gave me a list of “working servers” for:

NordVPN vs ExpressVPN China

If I am completely unbiased, NordVPN vs ExpressVPN are great choices for those residing in China, but not for expats who may want to access Chinese content elsewhere.

This is because both Nord and Express do not offer servers in China. Albeit, they do offer better functionality to residents, as they offer dedicated Chinese pages.

Americans Users in China can download ExpressVPN from their dedicated Chinese page here: http://exp4links4.net/ and NordVPN users from here: http://nord-for-zh.com/

Setup and Interface

NordVPN ExpressVPN
Automatic Setup Wizard Windows, Mac, Android, iOS, and Linux, Windows, Mac, Android, iOS, Linux, Tomato, and DD-WRT Routers
Main Location Selection Map-based List-based
Extra Settings Pages Yes Yes
Mobile Friendly Yes Yes

If we compare the two services, ExpressVPN tends to adopt a more simpler yet user-friendly appearance. They stick to their traditional outlook, with a mixture of red and white in colors.

This remains consistent across all its desktop and mobile apps. The main screen is free of clutter and has a clear and visible connect button in the center for easy connectivity.

Country-selection and smart-locations options are placed at the bottom for easy finding of servers, which you can use for unblocking VoDs or engage in p2p torrenting.

For mobile devices, configurations options are lesser than their desktop version. Kill switch and protocol selection are also missing, along with split tunneling features.

ExpressVPN-Interface

NordVPN, on the other hand, has a more broader interface. The Windows app launches by displaying its many server locations on a dynamic map.

They also offer a separate “Specialty” panel, where you can choose servers for specific tasks: P2P/file sharing, accessing a dedicated IP, DoubleVPN, or Onion over VPN.

If you click on “Settings”, you gain access to a list of features like CyberSec, Internet Kill Switch, Invisibility on LAN, which boost your privacy online.

NordVPN’s mobile apps are just as user-friendly, swiping up gives you access to the complete list of servers, and you can even activate obfuscated servers directly.

NordVPN-interface

NordVPN vs ExpressVPN Servers

ExpressVPN has a huge list of 3,000+ servers in 94 countries and 160 locations around the world. This is already more than many of its competitors in the marketplace.

Performance on each server is also quite amazing and ExpressVPN manages to deliver an average of 85.29 Mbps in downloads and 76.92 Mbps in uploads, based on my NordVPN speed tests.

NordVPN, on the other hand, offers the second largest network in the marketplace of VPNs (first being CyberGhost), totaling to 5,300+ servers in 58 countries of the world.

Speeds are also quite reasonable, touching the same averages as delivered by ExpressVPN. Both even successfully unblock streaming platforms and work in China.

However, it is worth noting that ExpressVPN uses virtual locations. 33 of their servers are virtual, whereas all of NordVPN’s servers are physical and obtained from third-parties.

Albeit, this did not work in favor of them, as recently NordVPN’s Finland server from Creanova was hacked, resulting in the exposing of their private keys (read more in the section below).

NordVPN vs ExpressVPN: Speed Comparison

NordVPN ExpressVPN
Speed Loss 6.2% 3.7%%

NordVPN and ExpressVPN are two primed services when it comes to support streaming activities on site like Netflix, so both of them definitely Fast VPN service.

When we ran speed tests on both these services, we found that ExpressVPN speed topped out on 4 randomly selected servers in our analysis as compared to NordVPN.

These servers were based in USA, UK, France and Canada. In bare speed tests, NordVPN clocked in with a speed loss of around 6.2%, while ExpressVPN was slightly better at 3.7% on average.

ExpressVPN vs NordVPN:  Security

Both ExpressVPN vs NordVPN offer amazing privacy and security to users. They utilize some of the best and advanced technologies for keeping the identity of customers anonymous.

NordVPN ExpressVPN
VPN Protocols PPTP, L2TP, IKEv2, OpenVPN PPTP, L2TP, OpenVPN
OpenVPN Data Encryption AES-256 AES-256
OpenVPN Control Channel Encryption RSA-2048 RSA-4096
Cloaking Technology Obfsproxy Cipher Block Chaining
Extra Protection Double-Hop Routes and Onion over VPN
App Security Kill Switch, Wi-Fi, DNS/WebRTC/ IP Leak Protection Kill Switch
DNS Status PrivateDNS Private DNS

Since both providers successfully anonymize your IP address, revealing no WebRTC, DNS, or IPv6 leakages, it is tough to decide on a winner in the privacy segment. So, it is 2 points each for now

NordVPN vs ExpressVPN: Privacy

NordVPN vs ExpressVPN both have their headquarters in safe jurisdictions, away from the prying eyes of the Five, Nine, and Fourteen Eyes Alliances.

NordVPN ExpressVPN
Headquarters Panama The British Virgin Islands
Connection Logs None None
Activity Logs None None
Sign Up Information Email Address Email Address
Anonymous Payment Methods Monero, Dash, Gridcoin, Rpple, ZCaas, Ehterum, Litecoin, Bitcoin Bitcoin and Mint

As you can expect them to be more defensive than those VPNs, located in the US, Canada, Australia, etc, which have to comply with gag orders and requests from the government.

With regards to anonymous payment methods, ExpressVPN supports only Bitcoin and Mint, whereas NordVPN accepts Monero, Dash, Gridcoin, Rpple, ZCaas, Ehterum, Litecoin, Bitcoin, and others.

Configuration between NordVPN vs ExpressVPN

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

NordVPN ExpressVPN
Address Allocation Shared/Static Shared
Static IPs 40+ Locations None
DDoS Protection Yes None
NAT Firewall Yes Yes

Dedicated IPs are available as an add-on by NordVPN, meaning you will have to pay extra for them, with features like DDoS protection costing you more.

NordVPN and ExpressVPN: Customer Service Comparison

NordVPN ExpressVPN
Video Guides Yes Yes
Searchable Knowledge Base  Yes Yes
Phone Support No No
Email Support Yes Yes
Average Email Response Time 30 Minutes 33 Minutes
Ticket Support Yes Yes
Live Chat Support Yes Yes (Outsourced)

Competitors in the VPN industry should learn a thing or two from ExpressVPN vs NordvPN. Both providers do a great job of delivering instant and useful customer support.

You have quite a lot of options available for receiving assistance, excluding a phone helpline. Regardless, you still can rely on the live chat, email support, and knowledge base for answers.

I even conducted a test on the response times from each provider. The process included sending both providers four questions via email. See the statics for each VPN below:

NordVPN vs ExpressVPN Reddit

When it comes to gaining an unbiased opinion, there is no better option but to see what it has to say about VPN Reddit. Today, we will take a look at user comparisons of NordVPN and ExpressVPN by Redditors to give prospects a better idea on which to choose!

Comment
by from discussion
innordvpn

Comment
by from discussion
innordvpn

ExpressVPN vs NordVPN: FAQs

Which is better NordVPN or ExpressVPN?

ExpressVPN takes the lead in this race, as it has an audited no logs policy, 3,000+ servers in 160+ locations, and unblocks all streaming platforms easily. NordVPN is a little less expensive than ExpressVPN, but users have more positive experiences with the latter.

Is NordVPN faster than ExpressVPN?

From the speed tests conducted, ExpressVPN delivered faster speeds for streaming, torrenting, and gaming. Where ExpressVPN had a speed loss of 3.7% on average when connected, NordVPN clocked in at around 6.2%.

Which is better ExpressVPN or NordVPN?

Both NordVPN and ExpressVPN are incredibly popular in their own light. Where the former tends to be a little cheaper, the latter is more high scale in terms of pricing. Ultimately, you receive a great experience with both options!

Why can i cast android screen/audio with NordVPN but not with ExpressVPN?

When connected to a VPN, you cannot cast to any other device. Since you are using a different IP, you are not associated as being on the same Wi-Fi network. To successfully cast an android screen/audio with either option, the second device should also be connected to the VPN network.

Why does ExpressVPN show fewer servers then NordVPN?

Despite being a little more costly, ExpressVPN does have a smaller network infrastructure as compared to NordVPN. However, it overcomes this by offering more choices in locations. ExpressVPN provides 3,000+ servers in 94 countries and 160+ locations, whereas NordVPN has 5,100+ servers in 59 countries only.

Which is better? ExpressVPN? or NordVPN?

For the most part, ExpressVPN and NordVPN are equally matched opponents. However, the recent case of NordVPN being hacked has left a mark on its credibility. As of now, ExpressVPN is definitely the best VPN there.

Why is ExpressVPN better than NordVPN?

The service has never been hacked, utilizes RAM-infrastructure servers for no logs and faster speeds, provides users the ability to unblock Hulu, Netflix, BBC iPlayer, Prime Video, and Disney+, all at a price of $6.67/month!

ExpressVPN Wins (Both are Good Choices Though)

There is no doubt that NordVPN is equally as good as ExpressVPN. To summarize my findings, I have created a comparison analysis for each category:

  • Price: NordVPN
  • Features: Tie
  • Unblocking: Tie
  • Works in China: Tie
  • Setup & Interface: ExpressVPN
  • Servers Available: NordVPN
  • Speed Testing: ExpressVPN
  • Security and Privacy: Tie
  • Customer Support:  Tie

Overall Winner: ExpressVPN

Determining a winner for this NordVPN vs ExpressVPN was a difficult decision. As you can see, the services tied to each other in many categories. This explains why either options are considered to be the best VPNs for 2023.

At the end of the day, both NordVPN and ExpressVPN are great options to consider, whether that be streaming, torrenting, unblocking, or gaming.  However, if you are in search of a cheaper alternative, do consider signing up with the British Virgin Islands based, PureVPN!

2 Responses to NordVPN Vs ExpressVPN: Side by Side Comparison 2023

  1. Arley Green says:

    NordVPN 6.25 Error
    Do I turn off the update?

    • Bestvpn.co says:

      Hey Arley, hope you are doing well. Sorry for the late response. Yes, the new version might be giving connectivity troubles on some devices. Turn off the update for now, until the bug gets fixed. Which device did you install Nord on? Did you also try contacting their support?

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