ExpressVPN vs Surfshark: Which Should You Choose in 2026?
ExpressVPN and Surfshark are two large commercial VPNs, and both sell apps for phones, computers and TVs. They differ most in who owns them, how many devices one plan covers, and what each company’s record shows. This page sets them side by side on price, privacy, apps and features, using the figures each provider publishes and the incident records about each. We run no speed tests of our own, so speed and streaming results come from other sites’ tests and are listed with their source. The page names no winner for those.
How do ExpressVPN and Surfshark compare?
| Compared on | ExpressVPN | Surfshark |
|---|---|---|
| Price | ||
| Lowest intro price | $2.99/moBasic, 28 months · $83.72 for the first termexpressvpn.com/pricing · checked 2026-11-13 | $2.49/moStarter, 27 months · $67.23 for the first termsurfshark.com/pricing · checked 2026-11-13 |
| Then renews at | $99.95 a yearexpressvpn.com/pricing · checked 2026-11-13 | —renewal price not published |
| Network | ||
| Servers | —not published | 4,500+surfshark.com/servers · checked 2026-11-13 |
| Countries | 113expressvpn.com/vpn-server · checked 2026-11-13More countries | 100surfshark.com/servers · checked 2026-11-13 |
| Plan | ||
| Devices per plan | 10–14 (by plan)expressvpn.com/pricing · checked 2026-11-12 | Unlimitedsurfshark.com/features/multiple-devices · checked 2026-11-13 |
| Money-back guarantee | 30 days (new users)expressvpn.com/pricing · checked 2026-11-12 | 30 dayssurfshark.com/features/multiple-devices · checked 2026-11-13 |
| Free plan | —not published | No permanent free plan. A 7-day free trial that needs an email address and a payment method (credit card, PayPal or Apple Pay), is offered on the 12-month and 24-month plans only, covers up to 3 devices, and turns into the chosen paid plan automatically when it endssurfshark.com/vpn-free-trial · checked 2026-11-09 |
| Privacy | ||
| Jurisdiction | British Virgin Islands (ExpressVPN says its headquarters and registered place of business is there, and that Express Technologies Ltd. operates under BVI law)expressvpn.com/privacy-policy · checked 2026-11-13 | Netherlandssurfshark.com/features/no-logs · checked 2026-11-09 |
| Owner | Express Technologies Ltd. (British Virgin Islands) runs the service; ExpressVPN's privacy policy names Kape Technologies PLC (UK) as its ultimate holding company, and its About page says it joined the Kape Technologies family in 2021expressvpn.com/privacy-policy · expressvpn.com/about-us · checked 2026-11-13 | Surfshark, founded in 2018 by Vytautas Kaziukonis. Surfshark says that in 2022 it and Nord Security "merged under one holding company" and that the two operate independentlysurfshark.com/about-us · checked 2026-11-09 |
| Logging policy | Says it does not collect logs of online activity (browsing history, traffic destinations, data content, DNS queries) and never stores connection logs (your IP address, the VPN IP address, connection timestamps or session duration); it does keep some usage statistics and account data, described in the policyexpressvpn.com/privacy-policy · checked 2026-11-13 | Says it does not log IP addresses, browsing history, session information, traffic or connection timestamps; keeps your email address, encrypted password, billing information and order history, and the minimal connection data needed to keep the service running and fix performance problemssurfshark.com/features/no-logs · surfshark.com/trust-center · checked 2026-11-09 |
| Latest audit | 2025KPMG LLP · TrustedServer architecture and privacy-policy claims as of 28 February 2025, ISAE (UK) 3000 Type 1; KPMG gave reasonable assurance that the systems worked as designed, with no identified issues in the technical safeguards against activity logging (ExpressVPN's words)expressvpn.com/blog/kpmg-2025-no-logs-poli… · checked 2026-11-13 | 2026Cure53 · infrastructure and the Dausos protocol (public summary)surfshark.com/media/NOR-29-summary.pdf · checked 2026-11-09 |
| Features | ||
| Protocols | Lightway (UDP and TCP), WireGuard (ExpressVPN's own version, in the Windows app among others), OpenVPN (UDP and TCP) and IKEv2; PPTP is in none of the appsexpressvpn.com/what-is-vpn/protocols · checked 2026-11-12 | Automatic (default, usually picks WireGuard), WireGuard, OpenVPN, IKEv2 (removed from the Windows app; manual setup through the system settings), Dausos (Surfshark's own protocol, macOS app only for now)surfshark.com/features/surfshark-vpn-proto… · checked 2026-11-09 |
| Kill switch | Windows, macOS and Linux (Internet Kill Switch, on by default; it can also block traffic after a manual disconnect), Android, iOS (always on and cannot be turned off; the Standard Kill Switch blocks internet traffic if the VPN connection is interrupted, and the Advanced Kill Switch blocks all traffic when the VPN is off, except essential Apple DNS requests), and the Fortify routerexpressvpn.com/features/network-lock · expressvpn.com/support/knowledge-hub/ios-n… · checked 2026-11-13 | Yes, on Android, iOS, macOS, Windows and Linux (Snap and .deb packages; not the Flatpak package). Not in the Fire TV app for Vega OS, where Surfshark lists it as coming soon without a datesupport.surfshark.com/hc/en-us/articles/10… · surfshark.com/download/linux · surfshark.com/download/vega-os · checked 2026-11-09 |
| Split tunneling | Windows (apps and websites, plus an inverse mode that sends only the chosen apps through the VPN), macOS, Linux, Android (per app) and iOS (websites only)expressvpn.com/features/split-tunneling · checked 2026-11-12 | Bypasser on Windows, macOS, Android and iOS (on iOS it can exclude websites, not apps); the reverse mode, where only the chosen apps use the VPN, is on Android only; the browser extensions can exclude websites only; the split tunneling page does not list Linuxsurfshark.com/features/split-tunneling · checked 2026-11-09 |
| RAM-only servers | Yes, ExpressVPN says its TrustedServer technology runs only on volatile memory (RAM) and that all data on a server is wiped at every reboot; it says PwC audited TrustedServerexpressvpn.com/trust · checked 2026-11-13 | Yes. Surfshark says it runs 100% RAM-only servers and that all data is wiped when a server restartssurfshark.com/trust-center · checked 2026-11-09 |
| Apps | Apps for Windows, macOS, Linux, iPhone and iPad, Android, Apple TV, Fire Stick and Android TV; extensions for Chrome, Firefox and Edge; routersexpressvpn.com/vpn-download · checked 2026-11-12 | Apps for Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS, Fire TV (separate apps for Fire OS and Vega OS, both in the Amazon Appstore), Apple TV and Android TV; extensions for Chrome, Firefox and Edge; other devices through manual router setupsurfshark.com/download · surfshark.com/download/vega-os · checked 2026-11-09 |
| Visit ExpressVPN (opens in a new tab) | Visit Surfshark (opens in a new tab) | |
A badge appears only where two figures can be compared like for like. Where a figure carries a condition, or where a value is missing on one side, the row is shown side by side without a badge. The device row has no badge either, because a plan-based limit and “unlimited” are not the same kind of value. The privacy and feature rows are never marked; the sections below explain how they differ.
Which is cheaper, ExpressVPN or Surfshark?
We do not name a cheaper one here. The lowest offers from the two run for different term lengths, so their intro prices are not a like-for-like comparison. Surfshark’s pricing page shows no renewal price, so the two renewal prices cannot be set side by side either. Each table below shows only offers an editor has checked on a US connection.
What does ExpressVPN cost?
| Plan | First term | Per month | First term total | Then renews at |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Basic | 28 months | $2.99 | $83.72 | $99.95 a year |
| Advanced | 28 months | $4.19 | $117.32 | $119.95 a year |
| Express Pro | 28 months | $7.19 | $201.32 | $199.95 a year |
US prices; prices and currencies vary by country.
What does Surfshark cost?
| Plan | First term | Per month | First term total | Then renews at |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starter | 27 months | $2.49 | $67.23 | — |
| One | 27 months | $2.491 | $67.23 | — |
| One+ | 27 months | $3.99 | $107.73 | — |
US prices; prices and currencies vary by country.
Read the note under each table. ExpressVPN’s plans are sold for a long first term and then renew at a yearly price, and the table shows that renewal price beside the intro price. Surfshark labels one of its plans as a Black Friday deal, so check what that offer covers before you buy. Both providers list a money-back period, shown in the comparison table; ExpressVPN’s applies to new users.
Which is better for privacy, ExpressVPN or Surfshark?
ExpressVPN says its headquarters and registered place of business are in the British Virgin Islands, and that Express Technologies Ltd. operates under the law of that territory. Surfshark lists the Netherlands as its jurisdiction. We describe where each company says it is based and do not rank the two places.
Who owns ExpressVPN and Surfshark?
Express Technologies Ltd. runs the ExpressVPN service. ExpressVPN’s privacy policy names Kape Technologies PLC, based in the UK, as its ultimate holding company, and its About page says it joined the Kape Technologies family in 2021.
Surfshark was founded in 2018 by Vytautas Kaziukonis. Surfshark says that in 2022 it and Nord Security “merged under one holding company” and that the two operate independently. Surfshark does not describe Nord Security as its parent company. Neither provider is a standalone company in the plain sense, so a reader who wants an independent owner should weigh both.
What do the companies say about logs?
ExpressVPN says it does not collect logs of online activity, such as browsing history, traffic destinations, data content or DNS queries, and that it never stores connection logs such as your IP address, the VPN IP address, connection timestamps or session duration. It also says it keeps some usage statistics and account data, which its policy describes.
Surfshark says it does not log your IP address, browsing history, session information, traffic or connection timestamps. It says it does keep your email address, your encrypted password, your billing information and order history, and the small amount of connection data it needs to keep the service running and fix performance problems.
Both say their servers run on RAM only, so data is wiped when a server restarts. ExpressVPN adds that PwC audited its TrustedServer technology. These are the providers’ own statements, and they do not separate the two.
What do the audits cover?
- 2025KPMG LLP · TrustedServer architecture and privacy-policy claims as of 28 February 2025, ISAE (UK) 3000 Type 1; KPMG gave reasonable assurance that the systems worked as designed, with no identified issues in the technical safeguards against activity logging (ExpressVPN's words)expressvpn.com/blog/kpmg-2025-no-logs-poli… · checked 2026-11-13
- 2024Cure53 · apps: penetration test and source code audit of the ExpressVPN VPN browser extension for Chrome and Firefox (June 2024; report dated 24 July 2024)cure53.de/pentest-report_expressvpn-vpn-ex… · cure53.de/pentest-report_expressvpn-vpn-ex… · checked 2026-11-13
- 2024Cure53 · apps: source code audit of the Rust implementation of the Lightway VPN protocol and of the WolfSSL-RS sources (October and November 2024; report dated 3 December 2024)cure53.de/pentest-report_expressvpn-lightw… · cure53.de/pentest-report_expressvpn-lightw… · checked 2026-11-13
- 2023KPMG · privacy policy audit of the VPN serversexpressvpn.com/security-audit-reports/kpmg… · expressvpn.com/security-audit-reports/kpmg… · checked 2026-11-13
- 2022Cure53 · TrustedServer: penetration test and source code audit (May 2022)expressvpn.com/news-pr/kpmg-privacy-policy… · checked 2026-11-13
- 2022KPMG · controls behind key parts of the privacy policy, including no activity or connection logs and how TrustedServer operates (September 2022)expressvpn.com/news-pr/kpmg-privacy-policy… · checked 2026-11-13
- 2022Cure53 · Lightway VPN protocol (second assessment, October and November 2022, published March 2023; ExpressVPN says Cure53 found five low-severity and four informational issues and re-tested the fixes in February 2023)expressvpn.com/blog/cure53-lightway-audit · checked 2026-11-13
- 2021Cure53 · Lightway VPN protocol (first assessment)expressvpn.com/blog/cure53-lightway-audit · checked 2026-11-13
- 2020PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) Switzerland · build verification processexpressvpn.com/blog/cure53-lightway-audit · checked 2026-11-13
- 2019PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) Switzerland · privacy policy compliance of the VPN servers, including no activity or connection logs, and how TrustedServer works (ISAE 3000 (Revised))expressvpn.com/blog/pwc-audits-expressvpn-… · checked 2026-11-13
- 2026Cure53 · infrastructure and the Dausos protocol (public summary)surfshark.com/media/NOR-29-summary.pdf · checked 2026-11-09
- 2025Deloitte Lietuva · no-logs policy: ISAE 3000 (Revised) reasonable assurance, assessed as of 10 June 2025 (fieldwork 14 May to 10 June 2025). In scope: VPN servers (standard, static IP, MultiHop and multi-port), server configuration, the related APIs and the software-defined network. Out of scope: streaming infrastructure, captcha, most web and API services, and physical securitysurfshark.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/I… · checked 2026-11-09
- 2025SecuRing · infrastructure penetration test. Surfshark says it found no critical or high-severity issues; one server SSL/TLS configuration issue and one best-practice recommendation, both since addressedsurfshark.com/blog/surfshark-securing-infr… · surfshark.com/media/SurfShark-Infrastructu… · checked 2026-11-09
- 2025SecuRing · security assessment of the web, desktop and mobile apps and the browser extensions (attestation letter)surfshark.com/media/attestation_letter_202… · checked 2026-11-09
- 2023Deloitte · no-logs policy (ISAE 3000)surfshark.com/trust-center · checked 2026-11-09
- 2021Cure53 · infrastructure (public summary)surfshark.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/S… · checked 2026-11-09
- 2018Cure53 · browser extensions (penetration test report)cure53.de/pentest-report_surfshark.pdf · checked 2026-11-09
The two lists are different kinds of work. ExpressVPN’s list contains several no-logs and privacy-policy assessments by large accounting firms, PwC and KPMG, plus Cure53 reviews of its Lightway protocol and TrustedServer. Most of its entries rest on ExpressVPN’s own announcements, and the data links to only one audit report. Its own notes say the list is not complete. Surfshark’s list has two Deloitte no-logs assurances, and the latest report is public and states what was in and out of scope, together with security tests of its infrastructure and apps by SecuRing and Cure53. A no-logs audit checks how a service was set up while the auditor looked, and a security test looks for flaws in the software; neither proves what happens between audits.
Has either had a security incident?
- 2021In September 2021 a US Justice Department deferred prosecution agreement with three former US intelligence and military personnel over work for the UAE's "Project Raven" included Daniel Gericke, an ExpressVPN executive (TechRadar's reports at the time call him ExpressVPN's chief information officer, CIO; Reuters reported that he was named chief technology officer in August 2021); the three agreed to pay more than $1.6 million in fines in total (TechRadar). ExpressVPN said it knew his employment history when it hired him but had not known of the federal investigation or the details of his UAE work, called the UAE surveillance campaign "completely antithetical to our mission", and kept him in the post.euronews.com/next/2021/09/23/usa-cyber-exp… · techradar.com/features/expressvpn-and-proj… · expressvpn.com/go/daniel-gericke · checked 2026-11-13
- 2026According to Surfshark's incident report of 9 September 2026, an internal test server was reachable from the public internet because of a human configuration error, and an unauthorized third party accessed it. That party reached some internal engineering material (some system binaries and the internal configuration of certain services) and some internal build credentials that had been committed to code history, and got into an isolated server (a VPS) used as a proxy. Surfshark found signs of this on 31 August, classed it as a security incident on 2 September and contained it the same day. Surfshark says user data and the VPN service were not affected, that production credentials are stored separately and were not affected, that its apps and extensions were not tampered with, and that the credentials involved have been rotated or disabled. The investigation was carried out by the company itself. Surfshark says it will commission another independent security audit; we had seen no result as of 9 November 2026.surfshark.com/blog/security-update-septemb… · checked 2026-11-09
ExpressVPN, 2021. In September 2021, a US Justice Department deferred prosecution agreement with three former US intelligence and military personnel, over work for the UAE’s “Project Raven”, included Daniel Gericke, an ExpressVPN executive. Reports at the time gave different job titles for him, and the three agreed to pay fines. This record is about an employee’s past work, not a report of a breach of ExpressVPN’s servers. ExpressVPN said it knew his employment history when it hired him but had not known of the federal investigation or the details of his UAE work, called the UAE surveillance campaign “completely antithetical to our mission”, and kept him in the post. Those statements are ExpressVPN’s own.
Surfshark, 2026. According to Surfshark’s own incident report, an internal test server could be reached from the public internet because of a configuration mistake, and an outsider got in. That person reached some internal engineering material, some build credentials that had been left in code history, and a separate server used as a proxy. Surfshark saw the first signs on the last day of August, classed the matter as a security incident two days later, and says it contained it the same day.
Surfshark says user data and the VPN service were not affected, that production credentials are stored separately and were not touched, that its apps and extensions were not tampered with, and that the credentials involved have been rotated or disabled. Those statements are Surfshark’s own. The investigation was carried out inside the company, and no outside firm has confirmed its findings. Surfshark says it will commission another independent security audit; when we last checked, no result had been published.
How do the apps and features compare?
How many devices can you use, ExpressVPN or Surfshark?
ExpressVPN limits how many devices can be connected at once, and the limit depends on the plan. Surfshark lists unlimited devices. If you share one plan across a household with many phones, laptops and TVs, that is the plainest difference between the two. If you connect only a few devices, the cap may never matter, so check the figure for the plan you would buy in the comparison table.
Both have apps for Windows, macOS, Linux, Android and iOS, browser extensions for Chrome, Firefox and Edge, and apps for Apple TV and Android TV. ExpressVPN also lists Fire Stick and a router app. Surfshark lists Fire TV, with separate apps for Fire OS and Vega OS, and says other devices need manual router setup.
An Internet kill switch, which blocks your connection if the VPN drops so your real IP address is not exposed while it reconnects, is listed by ExpressVPN for Windows, macOS, Linux, Android and its router. Surfshark lists a kill switch for Android, iOS, macOS, Windows and Linux, except the Flatpak package, and says it is not yet in the Fire TV app for Vega OS.
Split tunneling, which lets some apps skip the VPN, is listed by ExpressVPN for Windows, macOS, Linux, Android and iOS, where it covers websites only. ExpressVPN’s Windows app also has an inverse mode that sends only chosen apps through the VPN. Surfshark calls it Bypasser and lists it for Windows, macOS, Android and iOS, where it also covers websites only. Its reverse mode is on Android only.
The protocols differ. ExpressVPN offers its own Lightway protocol, its own version of WireGuard, OpenVPN and IKEv2. Surfshark’s apps choose a protocol automatically, which Surfshark says is usually WireGuard, and you can also pick WireGuard or OpenVPN. Surfshark has removed IKEv2 from its Windows app, and its own newer protocol, Dausos, is for now in the macOS app only.
Surfshark’s macOS page says its app is native on Apple silicon. Surfshark’s iOS app also asks for an older minimum iOS version than ExpressVPN’s does, which matters on an old iPhone or iPad.
Which is faster, and which works with streaming services?
We name no winner for speed or streaming on this page. Test results come from other sites and differ by date, place and server, so they are listed with their source instead of being ranked. Our own spot checks are below, where we have one.
| Our spot check | ExpressVPN | Surfshark |
|---|---|---|
| Streaming playback on a US server | No spot check yet | No spot check yet |
A spot check is our own: run in the US on a US server, five minutes of continuous playback to pass, with no fixed schedule. Results for other countries come from other sites' published tests.
What have other testers found?
These are other sites' tests, not ours. Each one is credited and linked, and nothing is merged or averaged.
7 sites · 47 results
| Source | Latest | What they tested |
|---|---|---|
| Top10VPN (opens in a new tab) | Nov 2026updated | streamingleaks |
| Tom's Guide (opens in a new tab) | Nov 2026updated | torrenting |
| CyberInsider (opens in a new tab) | Nov 2026updated | speedleaks |
| CNET (opens in a new tab) | Oct 2026updated | streamingspeedleaks |
| Safelyo (opens in a new tab) | Oct 2026updated | streamingspeedleaks |
| Security.org (opens in a new tab) | Sep 2026updated | torrenting |
| vpnMentor (opens in a new tab) | Sep 2026updated | streamingleaks |
See all 47 results from 7 sitesHide the 47 individual results
Streaming · In the US
Top10VPN
Netflix US worked
Safelyo
Netflix US played at full resolution with no buffering
vpnMentor
The US Netflix library opened with no need to switch servers
Top10VPN
Hulu US worked
CNET
Hulu unblocked
Safelyo
Hulu played in the US at full resolution
vpnMentor
Hulu ran in HD on the US servers with short load times, and the video stayed stable throughout
Top10VPN
Prime Video US worked
Safelyo
Prime Video played in the US with no buffering mid-stream
vpnMentor
Prime Video US streamed in HD without a change of server or settings
Safelyo
Disney+ played in the US at full resolution
vpnMentor
Disney+ played reliably in the US, opening almost at once with no drops in quality
Top10VPN
HBO Max US worked
Safelyo
Max played in the US with no buffering mid-stream
Safelyo
Paramount+ played smoothly in the US
Safelyo
Sling TV played smoothly in the US
Safelyo
ESPN streamed live sports in the US without lag
Streaming · In the UK
Top10VPN
Netflix UK worked
Safelyo
Netflix UK played at full resolution with no buffering
vpnMentor
The UK servers loaded Netflix UK consistently
vpnMentor
Prime Video UK streamed in HD without a change of server or settings
Top10VPN
Disney+ UK worked
Top10VPN
BBC iPlayer worked
Safelyo
BBC iPlayer played smoothly
vpnMentor
BBC iPlayer opened on the first attempt, and on servers in all six UK locations
Top10VPN
ITVX worked
Safelyo
ITVX played smoothly
Streaming · In Canada
Top10VPN
The Canadian Netflix library was among the 18 that opened
Top10VPN
DAZN Canada worked
Safelyo
DAZN Canada played with no proxy errors
Top10VPN
FuboTV Canada was the one service the VPN could not get past
Streaming · country not stated by the source
Top10VPN
18 Netflix libraries opened, the US, UK and Canada among them
CNET
Netflix unblocked, though access was sometimes blocked on Apple TV and a server switch usually fixed it
Safelyo
25 of the 40 Netflix libraries they tested worked, with India needing two or three server changes; results were weakest in Latin America and in the Middle East, Africa and Central Asia
vpnMentor
20 or more Netflix libraries worked, the UK and Japan among them, with no buffering
CNET
Amazon Prime Video unblocked
CNET
Disney+ unblocked
Speed
CyberInsider
On a 1 Gbps connection in the US with Lightway, ExpressVPN reached 718 Mbps on a Seattle server, with 612 Mbps in New York, 551 Mbps on a UK server and 444 Mbps in Los Angeles
CNET
They measured an overall 20.82% average speed loss in 2026, ranging from 8.92% on macOS over Wi-Fi to 25.22% on Windows over Ethernet
Safelyo
On Lightway, an average of 436.9 Mbps download across 5 server locations, keeping 51.5% of an 848.94 Mbps no-VPN baseline measured from Vietnam; the US Los Angeles server gave 388.58 Mbps, or 45.8%
Torrenting
Tom's Guide
Their review found the service strong for torrenting, and note there is no native port forwarding
Security.org
Their quick stats record torrenting as supported, and they say they downloaded torrent files with it
Leaks and kill switch
Top10VPN
IP, DNS and WebRTC leak tests on a nearby server passed with nothing exposed. Every app ships the Network Lock kill switch, and an advanced mode blocks the device's internet until the VPN is reactivated; the page does not report a simulated-drop result for ExpressVPN itself
CyberInsider
Leak tests on the Windows, macOS and Android apps found no leaks: IPv6 was blocked and all DNS requests went to ExpressVPN servers. The Network Lock kill switch worked well on Windows and macOS and blocked traffic when the connection dropped or was interrupted
CNET
No leaks were detected, and the kill switch worked as intended in both its standard and always-on modes
Safelyo
No leaks in the Windows leak tests with Lightway: IPv4 and IPv6, DNS and WebRTC all passed. The Network Lock kill switch cut all traffic as soon as the connection was pulled, and traffic only returned after the VPN came back up
vpnMentor
Leak tests on ipleak.net across 10 servers on Windows, Mac, Android and iPhone found no IP, DNS, IPv6 or WebRTC leaks, only the VPN's own address and DNS server
These are other sites' tests, not ours. Each one is credited and linked, and nothing is merged or averaged.
2 sites · 19 results
| Source | Latest | What they tested |
|---|---|---|
| Safelyo (opens in a new tab) | Oct 2026updated | streamingspeedtorrentingleaks |
| All About Cookies (opens in a new tab) | Oct 2026tested | streamingspeedleaks |
See all 19 results from 2 sitesHide the 19 individual results
Streaming · In the US
Safelyo
Netflix US played in 4K with no buffering on WireGuard
All About Cookies
The US Netflix library worked
Safelyo
Hulu US opened on the first attempt
Safelyo
Prime Video US worked on the first attempt
Safelyo
Disney+ US loaded on the first try
Safelyo
Max US connected the first time with no proxy errors
Streaming · In the UK
Safelyo
Netflix UK played in 4K with no buffering on WireGuard
All About Cookies
The UK Netflix library worked
Safelyo
BBC iPlayer was unlocked on the first attempt
Safelyo
ITVX was unlocked on the first attempt
Safelyo
Channel 4 was unlocked on the first attempt
Streaming · In Canada
All About Cookies
The Canadian Netflix library worked
Streaming · In Australia
All About Cookies
The Australian Netflix library worked
Streaming · country not stated by the source
Safelyo
28 of the 40 Netflix libraries they tested worked; the 12 blocked ones include Colombia, the UAE, Ireland and Ukraine
Speed
Safelyo
On WireGuard, an average of 420.47 Mbps download across 5 server locations, keeping 47.2% of an 890.15 Mbps no-VPN baseline measured from Vietnam; the US Seattle server gave 372.46 Mbps, or 41.8%, and the Australian server came last at 356.24 Mbps, or 40.0%
All About Cookies
From a baseline download speed of about 316 Mbps on Windows 11 in the US, download speed dropped by 4.43% on a US server (Dallas), 8.12% on a Canadian server, and 17.62% each on UK and Australian servers; upload speed dropped more, by 24% to 84%. The protocol is not stated
Torrenting
Safelyo
A 1.08 GB Ubuntu torrent took 2 minutes 12 seconds, against 1 minute 38 seconds without the VPN; in their torrent IP check peers saw only the VPN address, and the kill switch stopped torrent traffic when the VPN dropped. Port forwarding and a SOCKS5 proxy are not offered
Leaks and kill switch
Safelyo
No DNS, IPv6 or WebRTC leaks on servers in several regions, checked on ipleak.net and dnsleaktest.com; the kill switch cut traffic at once when the VPN connection dropped
All About Cookies
No leaks in the BrowserLeaks DNS and WebRTC tests. The kill switch test failed: on a switch from a Canadian server to a Mexican server with the kill switch on, DNS requests reached the internet provider's servers (seen on ipleak.net), in both the soft and the strict mode
The two lists are not the same size and should not be read as a score. The sites tested from different countries, on different connections and protocols, so their figures cannot be set against each other. None of this is our own result.
Should you choose ExpressVPN or Surfshark?
- Choose ExpressVPN if you want a longer run of no-logs audits, or an app for Fire Stick or a router. It does cap the number of devices, and its 2021 record involves a company executive, not a server breach.
- Choose Surfshark if you share one plan across many devices and do not want a device limit. Weigh its September 2026 incident, which no outside firm has reviewed, and its Fire TV app for Vega OS, which has no kill switch.
- Choose either with care if you want an owner with no other corporate ties. ExpressVPN’s ultimate holding company is Kape Technologies PLC, and Surfshark shares a holding company with Nord Security.
FAQ
Is ExpressVPN better than Surfshark?
Neither is better across the board. ExpressVPN lists a longer run of no-logs audits, while Surfshark has no device limit. Surfshark’s 2026 incident has been investigated only by the company itself, and ExpressVPN’s 2021 record concerns an executive’s past work.
Which is cheaper after the first term, ExpressVPN or Surfshark?
We do not name one. Surfshark’s pricing page shows no renewal price, so there is nothing to set against ExpressVPN’s renewal price. The tables above show the intro and renewal prices side by side wherever both are known.
Do ExpressVPN and Surfshark use RAM-only servers?
Both say they do. ExpressVPN says its TrustedServer technology runs only on volatile memory (RAM) and wipes all data at every reboot, and Surfshark says it runs RAM-only servers that wipe data when a server restarts. These are the providers’ own statements.
Do ExpressVPN and Surfshark keep logs?
Both say they keep no activity logs, and both list outside audits of that claim. Both also say they keep some account or service information, described in their policies.
Which is faster, ExpressVPN or Surfshark?
We do not name a winner. We run no speed tests of our own, and other sites’ speed results depend on where and how each site tested, so we list them with their source and do not rank them.
Do ExpressVPN and Surfshark limit how many devices you can use?
ExpressVPN does, and the limit depends on the plan. Surfshark lists unlimited devices. The comparison table shows each figure with its source and check date.