ExpressVPN vs Surfshark
ExpressVPN comes out ahead of Surfshark on 3 of the 6 things that decide this, going by what each company publishes and what independent review sites report. The one that matters for you may be one the leader loses.
The verdict
ExpressVPN takes it, 3–2 on rounds.
On the published figures and the independent review sites, ExpressVPN takes 3 of 6 rounds. Treat that as a starting point and check the current figures on both pages, because prices and plans move.
Choose ExpressVPN if…
- • You want ExpressVPN's edge on how many countries it covers and how easy it is to use
Choose Surfshark if…
- • You want Surfshark's edge on what the long plan costs and how many devices at once
Round by round
- Round 1What the long plan costsSurfshark wins
Surfshark wins this round on independent review-site data, not on its own claims.
- Round 2How many countries it coversExpressVPN winsSurfshark5/10
100 countries
server locations
- 100 countries, against 113 countries
Source: security.org ↗
ExpressVPN wins this round on independent review-site data, not on its own claims.
- Round 3How easy it is to useExpressVPN winsSurfshark5/10
4.6 out of 5
ease-of-use rating from Capterra reviewers
- 4.6 out of 5, against 4.7 out of 5
Source: capterra.com ↗
ExpressVPN wins this round on independent review-site data, not on its own claims.
- Round 4Trying it before you payTie
Nothing to separate them here.
- Round 5What it costs to startExpressVPN winsExpressVPN8/10
$14.99/mo, billed monthly
Basic; 1-month plan (open the '2-year plans' menu, pick '1-month plans') vs 2 Years + 4 Months (first term)
Source: expressvpn.com ↗
Surfshark5/10$18.95/mo billed monthly (not $16.45)
1 month billing tab
- $16.45/mo, billed monthly, against $14.99/mo, billed monthly
Source: surfshark.com ↗
ExpressVPN wins this round on what the published sources say.
- Round 6How many devices at onceSurfshark winsExpressVPN5/10
10 devices (Basic)
Basic; 1-month plan (open the '2-year plans' menu, pick '1-month plans') vs 2 Years + 4 Months (first term)
- 10 devices (Basic), against Unlimited devices
Source: expressvpn.com ↗
Surfshark8/10Unlimited devices
Surfshark Starter; '1 month' tab vs '24 months' tab (+3 extra months, first term)
Source: surfshark.com ↗
Surfshark wins this round on what the published sources say.
Side by side
- paid only
- 113 countries, against 150 countries
- $2.99, against $2.49
- 10 devices (Basic), against Unlimited devices
- No free plan, against Free plan
- 4.2 out of 5, against 4.3 out of 5
- $16.45/mo, billed monthly, against $14.99/mo, billed monthly
- 100 countries, against 150 countries
- 4,500+ servers, against 7,100+ servers