Detailed side-by-side comparison based on our March 2026 testing. Which VPN comes out on top?
| Feature | NordVPN | ExpressVPN |
|---|---|---|
| Rating | 9.7/10 | 9.5/10 |
| Price (Best Plan) | $3.39/mo | $6.67/mo |
| Servers | 6,300+ | 3,000+ |
| Countries | 111 | 105 |
| Simultaneous Devices | 10 | 8 |
| Download Speed | 890 Mbps | 860 Mbps |
| Upload Speed | 480 Mbps | 450 Mbps |
| Latency | 12 ms | 14 ms |
| Protocols | NordLynx (WireGuard), OpenVPN, IKEv2 | Lightway, OpenVPN, IKEv2 |
| Encryption | AES-256-GCM | AES-256-GCM / ChaCha20 |
| Kill Switch | Yes | Yes |
| Split Tunneling | Yes | Yes |
| No-Logs Policy | Verified | Verified |
| Streaming Support | Yes | Yes |
| Torrenting | Yes | Yes |
| Jurisdiction | Panama | British Virgin Islands |
| Money-Back Guarantee | 30 days | 30 days |
In our March 2026 speed tests, NordVPN achieved download speeds of 890 Mbps compared to ExpressVPN's 860 Mbps. This gives NordVPN a clear speed advantage, although both VPNs are fast enough for 4K streaming and gaming.
Upload speeds tell a similar story: NordVPN at 480 Mbps versus ExpressVPN at 450 Mbps. For latency-sensitive tasks like gaming, NordVPN's 12 ms average ping beats ExpressVPN's 14 ms.
Both NordVPN and ExpressVPN offer AES-256-GCM encryption and maintain no-logs policies. NordVPN is based in Panama while ExpressVPN operates from British Virgin Islands. Both passed our DNS, WebRTC, and IPv6 leak tests without issues.
While both are excellent VPNs, NordVPN edges ahead with a 9.7/10 rating compared to ExpressVPN's 9.5/10. NordVPN offers faster speeds, more servers, and better value at $3.39/mo.
That said, ExpressVPN is still a strong choice, especially if you value best for streaming. You cannot go wrong with either option.