Surfshark vs ExpressVPN: ExpressVPN wins 78 to 77
ExpressVPN edges Surfshark 78 to 77 on my scoreboard. They tie on speed, security, streaming and Trustpilot. ExpressVPN is a point better on privacy, servers and support and has the only 10 for ease of use. Surfshark wins price by four points and allows unlimited devices.
- Longest plan
- $2.49/mo · $67.23 for 27 mo
- Month to month
- $15.45/mo
- Based in
- Netherlands
- Protocol
- WireGuard
- Trustpilot
- 4.3 / 5
- Longest plan
- $2.99/mo · $83.72 for 28 mo
- Month to month
- not advertised
- Based in
- BVI
- Protocol
- Lightway
- Trustpilot
- 4.4 / 5
Plain links to each provider. I have no affiliate or referral deal with either, so I earn nothing if you buy. Prices are USD as advertised on October 7, 2026; most plans renew higher.
Surfshark vs ExpressVPN, feature by feature
Each feature scored 1 to 10 by me, same scale as the full scoreboard. Green is 8 to 10, yellow 5 to 7, red 1 to 4. The higher score in each row is marked.
| Feature | Surfshark | ExpressVPN | Edge |
|---|---|---|---|
| SpeedDownload throughput and latency over WireGuard | 9 | 9 | Tie |
| PrivacyNo-logs policy, independent audits, jurisdiction | 8 | 9 | ExpressVPN by 1 |
| SecurityEncryption, kill switch, DNS and IPv6 leak protection | 9 | 9 | Tie |
| ServersServer count and country coverage | 8 | 9 | ExpressVPN by 1 |
| StreamingUnblocks Netflix, BBC iPlayer, Disney+ and live sport | 9 | 9 | Tie |
| PriceValue on 1 and 2 year plans, refund window | 9 | 5 | Surfshark by 4 |
| Ease of useApp quality, setup, defaults | 8 | 10 | ExpressVPN by 2 |
| SupportLive chat availability and response time | 8 | 9 | ExpressVPN by 1 |
| TrustpilotTrustpilot TrustScore out of 5, doubled to a 1 to 10 scale | 9 | 9 | Tie |
| TotalPlain sum of the 9 scores | 77of 90 | 78of 90 | ExpressVPN by 1 |
Where they differ most
- Price: Surfshark leads by 4 (9 against 5).
- Ease of use: ExpressVPN leads by 2 (8 against 10).
- Privacy: ExpressVPN leads by 1 (8 against 9).
- Servers: ExpressVPN leads by 1 (8 against 9).
Ties: speed, security, streaming, Trustpilot
Both score 9 on speed, security and streaming. Surfshark runs WireGuard; ExpressVPN runs its own Lightway protocol. Both connected in about a second and both unblocked every streaming service I test. TrustScores were 4.3 and 4.4 when I checked, which both round to 9.
ExpressVPN: apps, privacy, servers, support
Ease of use is 8 against 10. ExpressVPN's apps are the simplest on my scoreboard; Surfshark's are good but busier. Privacy is 8 against 9: Surfshark is based in the Netherlands, ExpressVPN in the British Virgin Islands, and both have audited no-logs policies and RAM-only servers. Servers is 8 against 9 and support 8 against 9, both small gaps.
Surfshark: price and devices
Surfshark scores 9 for price, ExpressVPN 5. On the longest plan Surfshark advertises $2.49 a month, $67.23 for 27 months, against ExpressVPN's $2.99 and $83.72 for 28 months. The Price column also scores shorter plans, and ExpressVPN costs more there and does not advertise a month-to-month rate; Surfshark lists one at $15.45. Surfshark also allows unlimited simultaneous connections, which ExpressVPN does not.
How I scored these
Every number on this page comes from the same tests as the main scoreboard: speed over WireGuard on a wired 1 Gbps line at three times of day, streaming checked against Netflix, BBC iPlayer, Disney+ and a live sport service in two regions, and privacy from published policies, audits and jurisdiction. The method is on the How I score page. Think a score is wrong? Tell me what you found and I will re-test.
Pick Surfshark if
- You need unlimited devices.
- You want the lower price with the same speed and streaming.
- You are happy with a point less on apps and support.
Pick ExpressVPN if
- You want the simplest apps available.
- You put a little more weight on privacy and support.
- You will pay for the full term up front.
Not sure about either?
All 15 VPNs are on one sortable table. Sort by the column you care about and see who else is close.
Open the full scoreboard