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NordVPN vs ExpressVPN. Which one is better?

Cristina Avatar By: Cristina | Last updated February 15, 2019

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NordVPN and ExpressVPN are among the most renowned VPN providers in the industry. They both have thousands of available servers all over the world, they are packed with features, they are reliable, fast and trustworthy.

So which one should you go with, you ask? Well, considering that we are talking about two major leading providers, they are both equally good choices. What one may lack in features, may compensate through affordability and so on. In the end it’s all a matter of personal needs. While it is true that every online user should use a VPN, we don’t all use the Internet for the same purposes. Some might look for a VPN that puts security on top of their priorities, while others might look for a VPN that can help them unblock their favorite streaming website.

In this article, we are going to compare the main features of both NordVPN and ExpressVPN, so that you can make a more informed decision.

What are the main features of ExpressVPN

  • ExpressVPN has over 2,000 servers, in 94 countries across the world. ExpressVPN has servers in America (North, South, Central), Europe, Middle East and Africa (Algeria, Egypt, Kenya, South Africa, Israel), Asia (including China), Australia, New Zeeland, Malaysia
  • ExpressVPN has apps for a wide range of devices: Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux. It also supports devices such as Apple TV, Fire TV, Smart TV, PlayStation, AndroidTV box, routers and more. It also has browser extensions for Chrome, Safari, Firefox
  • It supports up to 3 devices simultaneously, which is not the highest number, considering that other providers offer up to 7
  • It offers a 30-day money back guarantee, which is pretty much the standard in this industry
  • ExpressVPN has a no logging policy. That means this provider doesn’t keep any of your connection or activity logs
  • It supports all the major protocols, such as OpenVPN, IPSec/L2TP, SSTP, PPTP, IKEv2/IPSec (on iOS)
  • It uses military-grade AES-256 encryption. Additionally, it also has a kill switch feature and DNS leak protection
  • ExpressVPN is one, if not the fastest VPN on the market
  • It works with streaming websites. It can unblock Netflix, BBC iPlayer and the like
  • It offers 24/7 customer support via live chat
  • It allows torrenting

Read our ExpressVPN review.

What are the main cons of ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN is without a doubt one of the best VPNs on the market. It is fast, secure, it maintains your privacy and works great for streaming and torreting. However, it does have its weak points.

It doesn’t offer a free trial. The company claims on its website that it does include a free trial, but only for certain mobile devices, which is less than you would expect. Moreover, it doesn’t specify which types of devices and how many days of trial are included.

ExpressVPN is not among the most affordable VPNs, and its subscriptions are a bit more expensive than those offered by NordVPN.

There are no dedicated IPs and optimized servers for torrenting.

It doesn’t offer double encryption.

What are the main features of NordVPN

  • NordVPN has a very large, if not the largest number of servers among all VPN providers. Their 5,100 servers are spread all over the world, in 62 countries. They have servers in Europe, Americas, Australia, New Zeeland. Malaysia, Indonesia, Taiwan, Vietnam, China, Africa (Egypt, South Africa), United Arab Emirates, Turkey, Israel and more
  • NordVPN offers apps and support for all common devices and browsers: Windows PC, Mac, iOS and Android devices, Android TV, Linux, routers, and has extensions for Chrome and Firefox
  • NordVPN allows up to 6 simultaneous connections, which is a higher number than with ExpressVPN, which allows only 3
  • NordVPN includes a 3-day free trial, which is another quality compared to ExpressVPN
  • It includes a 30-day money back guarantee
  • NordVPN is more affordable than ExpressVPN, in terms of subscriptions
  • It has an attractive, complex and customizable interface, yet it is still very organized and clean. All major settings and features are easily accessible
  • It supports all major protocols: OpenVPN, IPSec/IKEv2, IPSec/L2TP, PPTP
  • It uses military-grade, AES 256-bit encryption, it also has a kill switch feature, DNS leak protection and double encryption
  • It has a no logging policy, it doesn’t keep track of your connection and activity logs
  • It is very good in terms of performance, although overall, ExpressVPN might be a bit faster
  • It is great at unblocking geo-restricted content and it allows P2P
  • It offers Dedicated IP and optimized servers

Read our NordVPN review.

What are the main cons of NordVPN

While it is more than decent when it comes to performance, NordVPN is not as impressive as ExpressVPN when it comes to speed. You still get slow speeds with some of their servers (including some in US and Canada)

Unlike ExpressVPN, NordVPN doesn’t have split tunneling.

Conclusion

So there you have it! As you can see, both providers include all the important features and there’s a tie between them in several aspects. If you want a VPN with impressive coverage, affordable prices, great security features and a complex, attractive interface, NordVPN is definitely worthy of your consideration.

If you want a lightning fast VPN, also with great coverage, split tunneling and a simpler, more straightforward interface, you should definitely check out ExpressVPN.

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