Detailed side-by-side comparison based on our March 2026 testing. Which VPN comes out on top?
| Feature | ExpressVPN | Surfshark |
|---|---|---|
| Rating | 9.5/10 | 9.3/10 |
| Price (Best Plan) | $6.67/mo | $2.19/mo |
| Servers | 3,000+ | 3,200+ |
| Countries | 105 | 100 |
| Simultaneous Devices | 8 | Unlimited |
| Download Speed | 860 Mbps | 830 Mbps |
| Upload Speed | 450 Mbps | 420 Mbps |
| Latency | 14 ms | 16 ms |
| Protocols | Lightway, OpenVPN, IKEv2 | WireGuard, OpenVPN, IKEv2 |
| Encryption | AES-256-GCM / ChaCha20 | AES-256-GCM |
| Kill Switch | Yes | Yes |
| Split Tunneling | Yes | Yes |
| No-Logs Policy | Verified | Verified |
| Streaming Support | Yes | Yes |
| Torrenting | Yes | Yes |
| Jurisdiction | British Virgin Islands | Netherlands |
| Money-Back Guarantee | 30 days | 30 days |
In our March 2026 speed tests, ExpressVPN achieved download speeds of 860 Mbps compared to Surfshark's 830 Mbps. This gives ExpressVPN a clear speed advantage, although both VPNs are fast enough for 4K streaming and gaming.
Upload speeds tell a similar story: ExpressVPN at 450 Mbps versus Surfshark at 420 Mbps. For latency-sensitive tasks like gaming, ExpressVPN's 14 ms average ping beats Surfshark's 16 ms.
Both ExpressVPN and Surfshark offer AES-256-GCM / ChaCha20 encryption and maintain no-logs policies. ExpressVPN is based in British Virgin Islands while Surfshark operates from Netherlands. Both passed our DNS, WebRTC, and IPv6 leak tests without issues.
While both are excellent VPNs, ExpressVPN edges ahead with a 9.5/10 rating compared to Surfshark's 9.3/10. ExpressVPN offers faster speeds, and premium features that justify the investment.
That said, Surfshark is still a strong choice, especially if you value best value. You cannot go wrong with either option.