NordVPN vs ExpressVPN full review

VPNs are becoming more widely used by the general public and two of the most popular are NordVPN and ExpressVPN. Making a choice between these two, or indeed any two VPNs, can be difficult as they tend to look similar at a glance. We’re going to take a closer look and break it down so you don’t have to.

VPN programs can be compared in a number of different areas, but the most important points for consumers are going to be:

  • Price
  • Ease of use
  • Security
  • Features

We’re going to compare each of these points separately to help you make an informed decision. If you'd like to take a more in-depth look at both programs, take a look at our full NordVPN and ExpressVPN reviews.

If you're not sure what a VPN is or what exactly it does then take a look at our explainer.

NordVPN vs ExpressVPN: Price

Both VPN providers offer several different payment plans which will unsurprisingly get cheaper the more months you purchase at once.

NordVPN Pricing

  • One month plan - £9.15/$11.95
  • One year plan - £5.35/$6.99 per month (£64.26/$83.88 upfront)
  • Two year plan - £3.05/$3.99 per month (£73.36/$95.76 upfront)
  • Three year plan - £2.29/$2.99 per month (£82.40/$107.64 upfront)

See all of the plans and sign up on NordVPN's website.

ExpressVPN Pricing

  • One month plan - £9.93/$12.95
  • Six month plan - £7.66/$9.99 (£45.96/$59.94 upfront)
  • One year plan - £6.38/$8.32 (£76.56/$99.84 upfront)

See all of the plans and sign up on ExpressVPN's website.

If you know you’re purchasing a VPN that you’re going to use for several years, the NordVPN three-year plan is the cheapest per month by far.

Both services allow you to pay through credit and debit cards, and also through Bitcoin and other alternative payment methods too.

NordVPN vs ExpressVPN: Ease-of-use

Both NordVPN and ExpressVPN are built from the ground up to be as easy to use as possible, so no matter which one you choose you’ll find it intuitive to navigate your way through menus and options.

Both apps essentially offer a ‘one-click-connect’ option that allows you to start up and shut down your VPN at the click of a button.

NordVPN Server Selection

The above image shows the NordVPN interface for selecting the server you wish to route your connection through. Just below you can see ExpressVPN's mobile interface.

ExpressVPN UI

You’ll find application versions for Windows, Mac, Android, iOS and more too - so no matter the platform you’re using you’ll have a version available to you.

Both apps have a very clean design, allowing you to browse through options and settings with ease - once again, it’s obvious how they’ve been designed to be easy to use.

NordVPN vs ExpressVPN: Security

VPN providers live and die by their security standards and you can be sure that both NordVPN and ExpressVPN take this very seriously.

VPN providers exist to offer anonymity to their customers and as a result of this both NordVPN and ExpressVPN do not store the following data about you:

  • Your IP Address
  • Browsing History
  • DNS Queries
  • Traffic Destination
  • Files Downloaded

NordVPN is based in Panama while ExpressVPN is based in the British Virgin Islands. While both countries don’t require the storage of data by law, the British Virgin Islands has a close tie to the UK - perhaps making it slightly more vulnerable to interference by the UK government.

Either way, you’re going to be extremely safe with either of these providers.

NordVPN vs ExpressVPN: Features

Both providers offer a similar service when it comes to features. There are a few exceptions, but we’re going to start off by listing the features you’ll find with both NordVPN and ExpressVPN:

  • DNS leak protection
  • No logging policy
  • 256-bit AES encryption
  • Browser extension
  • Obfuscated servers
  • Built-in kill-switch
  • Windows, Mac, iOS, Android router/TOR compatibility
  • OpenVPN, IKEv2, IPSec and PPTP protocols

The above are fairly basic features you should expect to find with any premium VPN service, but there are a few features that NordVPN has that ExpressVPN does not.

  • Double VPN Encryption
  • 5200+ servers (ExpressVPN has 3000+)
  • Up to 6 connections at once, compared to 3 on ExpressVPN
  • Cyber security features that help keep you safe from ads and malware

ExpressVPN has the following features that NordVPN doesn’t have:

  • Split-tunnelling
  • PayPal payment method
  • Servers in 94 countries (NordVPN has 61)

NordVPN also offers a Warrant Canary, which updates daily to let users know if the service has been issued with a National Security letter, gag order or any warrant from another organization. You can find this at the very bottom of its About Us page.

This page is updated daily, and if it is not, you know that the service has received one of the above and may not be safe to use. ExpressVPN doesn’t offer such a service, sadly.

Verdict

Both NordVPN and ExpressVPN are exceptional VPN providers. They offer a wide range of features, are easy and intuitive to use and have excellent security.

While both services offer a similar list of features some are exclusive to one or the other, but that is the only place where they tend to differ. NordVPN is unquestionably cheaper, so unless ExpressVPN has that one feature you really can’t live without - vote with your wallet and head over to pick up NordVPN’s three year deal.