NordVPN and ExpressVPN are well-known names at the table of internet protection services. The Virtual Private Networks (VPN) they offer are outstanding from a number of perspectives. This article is not about confronting them, though; instead of being judgmental, this comparison seeks to help you figure out where their differences lay. One thing is for sure though: NordVPN and ExpressVPN are two of the pinnacles of this branch of the business today. NordVPN is renowned for its safety and ease of usage, while ExpressVPN stays true to the name and is probably the fastest there is for VPN services today. Top that off with generally favorable conditions for customers, and your internet experience is hidden and fast. Both of them are worthy of praise – let’s see why.
Main Features |
ExpressVPN |
NordVPN |
Logo | ![]() |
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Rating | ![]() |
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Reviews | Reviews | Reviews |
Visit | Visit Site | Visit Site |
Coupons | Coupons | Coupons |
Countries | US, UK, CA, DE, RU, FR, NL, ES... | US, DE, FR, ES, IT, NL, PT... |
# Countries | 87 | 61 |
Bandwidth | Unlimited | Unlimited |
# Servers | 136 | 5,100+ |
# IPs | ||
# Connected Devices | 3 | 6 |
Headquarters | British Virgin Islands | Panama |
Founded | 2009 | 2008 |
Languages | EN, DE, ES, FR, NL, IT, TR | EN, DE, FR, ES, IT, NL |
Extra Services | Built-in speed test | HTTP/SOCKS5 Proxies |
Protocols |
ExpressVPN |
NordVPN |
OpenVPN | ![]() |
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PPTP | ![]() |
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L2TP | ![]() |
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SSTP | ![]() |
NordVPN |
IPSec | ![]() |
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Encryption |
ExpressVPN |
NordVPN |
SSL | ![]() |
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Kill Switch | ![]() |
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OS/Device Support |
ExpressVPN |
NordVPN |
Windows 8 | ![]() |
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Windows 7 | ![]() |
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Windows Vista | ![]() |
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Windows XP | ![]() |
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Mac | ![]() |
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iOS | ![]() |
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Android | ![]() |
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Linux Ubuntu | ![]() |
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Linux Fedora | ![]() |
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Xbox One | ![]() |
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PlayStation 4 | ![]() |
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Apple TV | ![]() |
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Chromebook | ![]() |
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DD-WRT | ![]() |
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Tomato | ![]() |
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Pricing |
ExpressVPN |
NordVPN |
Lowest Price | $8.32/mo | $2.99/mo |
1 Month Plan | $12.95/mo | $11.95/mo |
3 Months Plan | n/a | n/a |
6 Months Plan | $9.99/mo ($59.95) | n/a |
1 Year Plan | $8.32/mo ($99.95) | $6.99/mo ($83.88) |
Free Trial | ![]() |
7 days |
Free Plan | ![]() |
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Money-Back Guarantee | 30 days | 30 days |
Payment Methods |
ExpressVPN |
NordVPN |
Visa | ![]() |
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PayPal | ![]() |
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Mastercard | ![]() |
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American Express | ![]() |
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Wire Transfer | ![]() |
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Discover | ![]() |
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Payza | ![]() |
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Amazon Payments | ![]() |
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Google Checkout | ![]() |
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Liberty Reserve | ![]() |
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Bitcoins | ![]() |
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Customer Support |
ExpressVPN |
NordVPN |
24/7 | ![]() |
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Live Chat | ![]() |
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Community | ![]() |
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On Call | ![]() |
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Remote Desktop | ![]() |
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NordVPN
NordVPN’s headquarters are in Panama. Right off the bat, this is great, as the country’s laws are quite lenient when it comes to VPN companies. For you, this results in a no log policy and also an extra opportunity to add Tor to your protective network. A unique feature of NordVPN’s protection system is double encryption. While other companies prefer only one layer, in this case you can apply two encryptions on top of each other, making an already secure network even more effective. Be mindful, though; these defensive measures reduce the speed of your internet connection – we only recommend using double encryption if you have better than average speeds. For yet an additional safety tool, NordVPN has a built-in kill switch. This feature is most useful when your VPN connection runs into some sort of trouble (like being detected, connection errors, etc.).
Lastly, we would like to highlight how all of these useful additions are presented in a simple manner, and they can be enabled, disabled with individual buttons if you use NordVPN’s client software or applications.
ExpressVPN
ExpressVPN is also fantastic, but from a different point of view. For example, they have a vast network of VPN servers in 78 countries, all over the planet. But perhaps the number one thing this company is most famed for is their speeds. You see, in the regular case, any kind of encryption eats up some of the resources of your internet connection, resulting in a slower pace of data transfer. However, it is as if ExpressVPN does not even use them (no need to worry, they do). You can barely notice any difference between your own, unprotected connection and ExpressVPN. Additionally, you have great conditions as a customer as well. The organization identifies two types of logs in their policies: activity logs and session data logs. The good news in that they are not bothered to record any of them, meaning that ExpressVPN is a company getting pretty close to complete anonymity (which is impossible both in theory and in practice).
The only downside to these splendid circumstances is that ExpressVPN is more expensive than its counterparts. Their lowest price is $8.32 per month, while most other companies have a worst-case scenario of $9.99/mo. But then again, you do get one of the finest quality services around.
Conclusion
To sum up, both NordVPN and ExpressVPN are highly capable services. Still, we think that there is one major area for both in which they thrive the most. For NordVPN, this is protection. With double encryption, you get a solution that others only experiment with, and the built-in kill switch makes sure that if there is any sort of trouble, you will stay safe. For ExpressVPN, it has to be speed; outclassing its counterparts, you are in for a pleasant surprise. Prices are high, it is true; but this company provides exceptional service.
jonathan avildsen says
express vpn is a bit slow in china. so i cant really watch videos most of the time. sometimes i am unable to connect altogether.