ExpressVPN and Surfshark are two of the most popular VPNs, and on the surface they look similar: fast, streaming-friendly, well-designed. But they are quite different once you look closely, especially on privacy, price, and ownership. Here is an honest side-by-side.
Price: Surfshark Wins Decisively
This is the clearest difference between the two.
| Plan | ExpressVPN | Surfshark |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly | $12.99 | $15.45 |
| Annual (per month) | $4.99 | $3.19 |
| 2-year total | $83.76 | $47.76 |
Surfshark costs about $36 less per year on a 2-year plan. Over two years that is a $72 difference. ExpressVPN’s monthly price is lower, which is unusual, but almost no one uses VPNs month-to-month for more than a few months.
If price matters at all, Surfshark is the obvious choice here.
Speed: Effectively Equal
Both VPNs score 5/5 for speed in our tests. ExpressVPN runs Lightway Turbo, Surfshark runs WireGuard and its new Dausos protocol. In practice, both are fast enough that you will not notice a difference on most connections. Independent tests show similar throughput numbers, usually within 10-15 Mbps of each other.
Neither has a meaningful speed advantage.
Security: Surfshark Wins on Leak Protection
| Security Metric | ExpressVPN | Surfshark |
|---|---|---|
| Encryption | 5/5 | 5/5 |
| Leak protection | 1/5 | 5/5 |
| RAM-only servers | 5/5 | 5/5 |
| No-logs policy | 3/5 | 5/5 |
The gap on leak protection is significant. ExpressVPN has a documented history of a user data leak and does not offer DNS leak protection in all configurations. Surfshark scores perfectly on all leak protection metrics with no documented incidents.
Surfshark also has a stronger no-logs record with two Cure53 audits, while ExpressVPN’s logs score is held back by its complicated ownership situation.
Ownership: Both Are Problematic, for Different Reasons
ExpressVPN is owned by Kape Technologies, a company that also owns CyberGhost and PIA. Kape’s predecessor distributed adware. Ownership transparency for ExpressVPN scores 1/5 in our database.
Surfshark was acquired by Nord Security in 2022 (the parent of NordVPN). While Surfshark and NordVPN operate independently, they share a corporate parent. Surfshark’s ownership scores 5/5 in our database for transparency, though the Nord Security relationship is something users should know.
Neither is fully independent. If ownership independence is critical, Mullvad or ProtonVPN are better options.
Jurisdiction
- ExpressVPN: British Virgin Islands (outside Five, Nine, Fourteen Eyes): 5/5
- Surfshark: Netherlands (Nine Eyes member): 4/5
ExpressVPN wins here. The BVI jurisdiction is genuinely privacy-friendly, while the Netherlands has intelligence-sharing relationships that technically could affect user data. In practice, neither has been subject to documented law enforcement data requests.
Streaming: ExpressVPN Slightly Ahead
| Platform | ExpressVPN | Surfshark |
|---|---|---|
| Netflix | Excellent | Very good |
| Disney+ | Excellent | Very good |
| Hulu | Excellent | Good |
| BBC iPlayer | Excellent | Good |
| Prime Video | Excellent | Very good |
| Peacock | Excellent | Very good |
| Streaming score | 5/5 | 4.5/5 |
ExpressVPN is consistently more reliable on niche streaming platforms and for BBC iPlayer specifically. Surfshark covers the major platforms well but has more variability on less common services.
Device Connections
- ExpressVPN: 10-14 depending on plan tier
- Surfshark: Unlimited on all plans
If you have more than 10 devices, Surfshark is the better choice without question.
Features Comparison
| Feature | ExpressVPN | Surfshark |
|---|---|---|
| Ad blocker | No | Yes |
| Kill switch | Yes | Yes |
| Split tunneling | Yes | Yes |
| Multi-hop | No | Yes |
| Obfuscation | Yes | Yes |
| Post-quantum encryption | Yes | Yes |
Surfshark offers more features overall: multi-hop, ad blocker, and the CleanWeb tracker blocker are not available in ExpressVPN. ExpressVPN’s focus is on core VPN performance rather than bundled tools.
Which One Should You Choose?
Choose ExpressVPN if: streaming reliability is your top priority (especially BBC iPlayer and niche platforms), you want the most privacy-friendly jurisdiction, and budget is not a concern.
Choose Surfshark if: you want the best value for money, need unlimited device connections, want an ad blocker included, or care about leak protection scores.
For most users, Surfshark is the better deal. You get comparable speed and streaming at roughly half the annual price, with better leak protection.
Try Surfshark | Try ExpressVPN
Our verdict: Surfshark wins this comparison for the majority of users. The price difference ($47.76 vs $83.76 over two years), unlimited devices, better leak protection, and included ad blocker outweigh ExpressVPN’s slightly better BBC iPlayer performance and BVI jurisdiction. ExpressVPN is not a bad VPN, but at its price it is not the best value available. For a broader comparison of both against NordVPN, check our full comparison table.
FAQ
Is Surfshark cheaper than ExpressVPN? On a 2-year plan, yes, significantly. Surfshark costs around $47.76 total versus $83.76 for ExpressVPN. The monthly plan is different: ExpressVPN is cheaper at $12.99 vs Surfshark’s $15.45.
Is ExpressVPN faster than Surfshark? Not meaningfully. Both score 5/5 for speed and perform similarly in real-world tests. The difference is within margin of error.
Which is better for Netflix? Both work well with Netflix. ExpressVPN has a slight edge for niche libraries and consistently unlocks more than Surfshark on edge cases.
Which is safer, ExpressVPN or Surfshark? Surfshark has a better leak protection record (5/5 vs 1/5). ExpressVPN has a better jurisdiction (BVI vs Netherlands). For most users, Surfshark’s clean security record is more practically meaningful.
The three-year view
Stretch the comparison across a realistic ownership horizon and the gap widens. Surfshark’s intro pricing renews upward like everyone’s, but its baseline sits low enough that even renewal rates undercut ExpressVPN’s intro; across three years the spread funds a streaming service. ExpressVPN’s counter-argument is consistency of polish (the app experience, Aircove hardware, iPlayer reliability) and it’s real, but it’s a luxury argument, and luxury arguments need the budget question already settled.
For the reader still split: Surfshark unless a specific ExpressVPN exclusive (Aircove, Lightway’s reconnection behavior, that last notch of iPlayer consistency) names itself out loud. Both refund within 30 days; the month of parallel testing costs nothing but attention.
(As with every duel on this site: prices quoted are current intro terms from the providers’ own checkouts, the table is the living reference, and the refund windows are the reader’s lab.)
The comparison’s one-sentence legacy: ExpressVPN proves polish ages well, Surfshark proves value compounds, and three years of either is money better spent than one year of indecision between them.
Whichever way this one lands for you, the configuration advice converges: WireGuard-class protocol, kill switch on, week-one streaming test inside the window. Identical hygiene, different logos.
(Comparison re-run whenever either ships a column-moving change; the lastmod date above is the freshness stamp.)
Both brands will outlive your subscription either way; pick the shape that fits the household, set the renewal reminder, and let the duel be someone else’s evening.
Keep reading: ExpressVPN Review 2026: Fast and Polished, But Is It Worth the Price? and Surfshark Review 2026: The Best Value VPN or Just Hype?.