ExpressVPN and NordVPN have been dominating the VPN industry for over a decade. Both services have consistently improved, offering exceptional quality and competing neck-and-neck in virtually every category. Choosing between them is both easy and challenging: easy because both are excellent choices, and challenging because it's difficult to declare a clear winner.

Both providers deliver fast speeds, intuitive apps, robust encryption, forward-thinking privacy protections, expansive server networks, and excellent streaming capabilities. You will pay a premium for either service, but you are getting one of the best. ExpressVPN has the edge in privacy and usability, while NordVPN wins out for features and speed. This detailed evaluation breaks down how these two VPN giants stack up against one another.

ExpressVPN vs. NordVPN: Feature Comparison

Before diving into the details, here is a quick overview of the major features of each VPN.

• Price: ExpressVPN costs $13 per month, $75 for the first 15 months (then $100 per year), or $98 for the first 28 months (then $100 per year). NordVPN costs $13 per month, $60 for the first year (then $140 per year), or $81 total for the first two years (then $140 per year).
• Average Speed Loss: ExpressVPN shows 18% speed loss, while NordVPN shows only 3%.
• Server Network: ExpressVPN has over 11,500 servers in 105 countries. NordVPN has over 7,400 servers in 126 countries.
• Encryption: Both use AES 256-bit and ChaCha20.
• VPN Protocols: ExpressVPN offers Lightway, WireGuard, OpenVPN, and IKEv2. NordVPN offers NordLynx, OpenVPN, NordWhisper, and IKEv2.
• Jurisdiction: ExpressVPN is based in the British Virgin Islands; NordVPN is based in Panama.
• Compatibility: Both support Windows, MacOS, Linux, Chromebook, Android, iOS, Fire TV, Android TV, Apple TV, and routers.
• Simultaneous Connections: Both allow 10 simultaneous connections.

Speed Winner: NordVPN Was the Fastest VPN in Our Tests

All VPNs slow your internet speeds to some degree. At our testing lab, we generally like to see a VPN cut base internet speeds by 25% or less, which is our cutoff for categorizing a VPN as 'fast.' With less than a 25% speed loss, you are unlikely to notice any major performance issues, even if your base internet connection is on the slower side and you are streaming in 4K or engaging in other data-heavy activities like torrenting or videoconferencing.

Both NordVPN and ExpressVPN fall well below that 25% threshold. NordVPN cut our speeds by a mere 3%, while ExpressVPN reduced speeds by 18% in our 2025 speed tests. If fast VPN connection speeds are your main priority, NordVPN is the way to go. However, ExpressVPN is no slouch when it comes to speed performance either. The 18% loss is still well within the 'fast' category, and most users will not notice a significant difference in everyday browsing or streaming.

Value Winner: Intro Prices for Both Providers Offer Decent Value, but ExpressVPN's Renewal Price Is More Palatable

Analyzing and directly comparing VPN prices can be difficult because of the multitude of subscription tiers available and because the features offered at each tier don't always line up neatly from one provider to the next. Both VPNs are among the most expensive on the market and offer somewhat similar price plans with decent feature overlap. However, NordVPN offers additional services that ExpressVPN does not, such as advanced malware protection and secure cloud storage. The overall difference in value is razor-thin between ExpressVPN and NordVPN

Source: CNET News