ExpressVPN costs nearly twice as much as NordVPN—but is it worth the price? Or can the more affordable NordVPN meet your needs just as well?
NordVPN and ExpressVPN are easily the two biggest names in the VPN world, and for good reason. But when it comes down to choosing between them, it’s not always an easy call.
I spent the past two months using both services daily, side by side, to see how they really perform in the real world. Here’s what I found:
⚡Speed: ExpressVPN Is More Consistent, NordVPN Can Be Faster
To be fair, both are impressively fast. For everyday use—browsing, downloading, streaming—you won’t notice much of a difference most of the time.
But after two months of testing, a few subtle patterns stood out.
ExpressVPN is more consistent.
During peak hours (like evening Netflix sessions), NordVPN occasionally slowed down or buffered briefly; once, I even had to switch servers manually. ExpressVPN, on the other hand, stayed rock solid the entire time.
This likely comes down to server load. Both tools advertise 10Gbps servers, but when too many users are connected, performance inevitably dips. NordVPN has more users overall, and I suspect they manage costs by allowing more connections per server, which may explain those rare slowdowns.
ExpressVPN is more costly, but that higher price likely helps keep servers less crowded. In this case, you really do get what you pay for.
Still, if you’re not streaming 4K videos during busy hours, you may never notice the difference.
NordVPN, however, is faster in raw numbers.
In multiple speed tests, NordVPN consistently showed slightly higher download and upload speeds. If you regularly move large files or do bandwidth-heavy work, this is an advantage.
Across multiple speed tests, NordVPN consistently delivered slightly higher download and upload speeds. That extra boost might matter if you’re transferring large files or working with high-bandwidth tasks.
Here’s what my tests showed:
Upload speed difference vs. normal speed
Down 4.11%
Down 12.9%
Download speed difference vs. normal speed
Down 5.78%
Down 7.57%
Latency (lower is better)
125.8 ms
78.3 ms
Trusted tech sites, including CNET, PCMag, and Tom’s Guide supported my findings: NordVPN is currently the fastest available. Here’s what they had to say…
We’ve been testing VPNs for more than 10 years, and part of that process includes speed tests. In our latest round, NordVPN comes out on top of download speed results, trailed closely by ExpressVPN.
NordVPN is currently the fastest VPN, based on our latest speed tests. Out of the VPNs we speed tested, NordVPN’s speeds were the most consistently fast across the board. NordVPN averaged just an 11% speed loss overall, Mullvad came in second place with a 13% average speed loss and Surfshark followed with a 17% overall speed loss. Proton VPN and ExpressVPN rounded out the list with a 21% speed loss and a 25% speed loss, respectively.
🔒 Privacy: ExpressVPN’s Background Raises Some Concerns
On paper, both tools are top-tier in security. They use strong encryption, have true no-logs policies, and run RAM-only servers (which automatically wipe all data). Technically speaking, both are excellent in regards to privacy.
What makes me uneasy about ExpressVPN isn’t the tech—it’s the company behind it.
1, Its parent company, Kape Technologies, formerly known as Crossrider, was previously involved in adware and “malicious software distribution.” They’ve since rebranded and acquired several VPN brands, including CyberGhost, PIA, and ExpressVPN.
Still, it seems ironic, and some Reddit users have voiced concerns about trusting a company with this kind of history.
User discussion on Reddit
2, Recent internal changes may also be cause for concern. Kape reportedly went through major layoffs, including engineering and quality assurance personnel. Furthermore, ExpressVPN’s Chief Privacy Officer, Dan Gericke, left the company. While these changes don’t automatically mean trouble, they do raise questions about the company’s long-term focus on privacy and reliability. (PCMag reported on this.)
The Open Letter of Dan Gericke (ExpressVPN’s Chief Technology Officer for Privacy)
To be clear, none of this proves ExpressVPN is unsafe, but it’s enough to make me cautious.
NordVPN, in comparison, doesn’t have this kind of corporate baggage. It’s maintained a clean record and a solid reputation; and for me, that trust matters.
This being said, if privacy is your top concern, NordVPN feels like the safer bet.
Here’s where the biggest difference shows up, the cost. ExpressVPN is roughly twice as expensive as NordVPN.
So, is it worth paying double? For most people, probably not.
ExpressVPN’s steadiness during peak hours is great, but the improvement isn’t significant enough for everyday use. NordVPN performs extremely well across the board and the savings add up quickly.
Most people want a VPN for security, privacy, and streaming, not to chase the last one percent of uptime. Even when NordVPN briefly slows down, it rarely affects real-world use.
User reviews tell a similar story.
NordVPN holds higher ratings on Trustpilot while ExpressVPN gets more complaints about its steep pricing and occasional IP leak reports.
NordVPN on TrustpilotExpressVPN on TrustpilotNordVPN and ExpressVPN on Trustpilot
Bottom line
If you want absolute reliability and don’t mind paying more, ExpressVPN delivers steady performance and a premium feel. (👉 Visit ExpressVPN >>>)
For most users, NordVPN is the smarter buy. It’s fast, secure, and much easier on your wallet. (👉 Visit NordVPN >>> )
✅My Recommendation: Try Them Yourself — Risk-Free
Both NordVPN and ExpressVPN offer a 30 day money back guarantee which makes it easy to test them yourself. I tried both refunds personally and each was processed within a day with no hassle.
The best way to decide is simple. Try them side by side. Use both for a couple of weeks, see which one fits your needs, then refund the one you don’t keep.
If you’d rather start small, go with NordVPN first. It’s cheaper and covers just about everything most people need.
At the end of the day, both are excellent VPNs. But for everyday use, NordVPN strikes the better balance of performance, privacy, and price.
Both companies are already rolling out their Black Friday discounts, so make sure to grab the deals directly from their official promo pages to get the best price:
Mavis has over 6 years of experience testing VPNs, particularly their streaming and unblocking capabilities. She specializes in researching how well VPNs work in different countries around the world.
