ExpressVPN vs. Surfshark – Which VPN Is Better?

Why should VPNs be on every computer and laptop? Because they offer an affordable way to enhance your privacy online, secure connections over public networks, and bypass censorship and geoblocking. The real question is not whether you should have a VPN, but which is best for your needs? Two of the most popular choices are Surfshark and ExpressVPN.

Both services finished in the Top 3 of our extensive comparison of 22 VPN providers. This alone is reason enough to put them head-to-head and see in which specific areas each excels.

Since VPNs are used on a daily basis, they should be as easy to operate as possible. With ExpressVPN and Surfshark, there really isn't much to complain about in this area: Both offer intuitive clients that provide access to all important features with just a few clicks.

Surfshark has an expandable user interface, through which it's possible to directly select a server location. ExpressVPN's interface is somewhat more streamlined, offering a choice of server locations in a second window.

Both providers also give users access to all important features. These include a kill switch (which automatically severs your connection if a disruption is noticed) and split tunneling (for only routing specified apps through your VPN tunnel).

ExpressVPN's browser extension serves up a number of additional security options, such as HTTPS Everywhere. This makes sure that you are automatically connected to the secure HTTPS version of a website whenever available.

Surfshark's package of features is even larger: In addition to the ability to use a static IP, you can also set up two separate VPN tunnels to route your traffic through, which goes far in boosting your security. As if that wasn't enough, you'll get a simple ad-blocker and an email leak checker.

Even though we preferred ExpressVPN's app, Surfshark offers a few more features that we found useful. As such, the first round goes to the latter.

Winner: Surfshark

When rating server networks, two figures are key: How many servers does a provider have, and the number of countries these are spread across. ExpressVPN is ahead in the latter of these (as of January 2022), with around 3,000 servers and 160 locations in 94 countries. Surfshark has 3,200 servers across 65 countries.

The second round goes to ExpressVPN, owing to its server presence in a greater number of countries.

Winner: ExpressVPN

We measured the performance of each provider from our sample using a server based in Frankfurt with a 1 GB/s connection. In order to ensure comparable average values, we connected multiple times per day to random ExpressVPN and Surfshark servers in both Germany and the US. Our findings are presented in our performance ranking below:

The providers are nearly identical in terms of upload speeds, however, for downloads, Surfshark has a slight edge.

But speed isn't the only criteria we looked at in this category. For VPNs, it's also equally important how well they're able to circumvent geoblocking and allow users to stream content from abroad. Once again, there's nothing between the pair, as foreign content on Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, and the BBC's iPlayer was readily accessible with either.

If planning a trip to China, the both are also reliable, as each is capable of overcoming the "Great Firewall".

As such, ExpressVPN and Surfshark are both performance heavyweights, and thanks to their ability to access streaming content from abroad, or be effectively used in China, there's very little separating them. Since Surfshark's download speeds are somewhat higher than those of ExpressVPN, it emerges victorious, albeit, by the smallest of margins.

Winner: Surfshark

In assessing how secure a VPN is, we pay attention to what VPN protocols it supports. With Surfshark, these include, among others, WireGuard and OpenVPN, two of the most secure protocols available. OpenVPN is also offered by ExpressVPN, however, instead of WireGuard, you'll find the proprietary Lightway protocol, which allegedly provides a similar level of security. Both providers encrypt connections with AES-256, the current industry standard.

Our VPN leak tests (DNS leaks, WebRTC leaks, and IPv6 leaks) did not uncover any issues with either ExpressVPN or Surfshark.

Equally important for security is whether and which information a provider saves regarding you, your connections, and your activities. Both ExpressVPN and Surfshark promise not to retain traffic logs or other information that might offer insight into your identity.

Thankfully, you won't have to take either at their word as both ExpressVPN and Surfshark regularly submit to independent audits (ExpressVPN from PwC ⇱, and Surfshark with Cure53 ⇱), that assess how truthful their guarantees are.

Another factor that plays a role in determining how secure a provider is pertains to where it is headquartered. Both value the tropical lifestyle and are based in the British Virgin Islands, which are known for their lax data privacy laws. This carries with it advantages and disadvantages: Each advertises that they can guarantee greater anonymity owing to the jurisdiction they're based in, however, this is a double-edged sword, as you'll also have less legal recourse to ensure that they safely handle your data.

Ultimately, opting for a VPN provider that operates from a country with strict data privacy laws, comes down to what your priorities are. In any case, each offers a comparable degree of security.

Winner: Draw

Good customer support is comprised of two elements: One of these is a solid help center with comprehensive articles that can be full-text searched. In the event that you can't find the answer to your question, you should be able to get in touch with a staffer directly, capable of providing you with a competent and helpful answer.

In terms of the first aspect, ExpressVPN and Surfshark offer equally good static content.

The two providers also offer direct assistance in the form of live chats and support tickets. Response times in the first option were short, with our emailed queries answered after seven (Surfshark) and 20 hours (ExpressVPN), respectively.

Overall, even though Surfshark's email arrived quicker, it's too little to distinguish between the two.

Winner: Draw

So far as pricing is concerned, both providers charge rates depending on the length of the contract. ExpressVPN is offered in 1, 6, or 12-month packages, whereas Surfshark is available for 1, 12, or 24 months (the two-year subscription is the most affordably priced, per month).

Below, you can find a detailed overview of each VPN's pricing:

There isn't much difference in each's monthly subscription rates, however, as the contract's duration goes on, Surfshark offers progressively more competitive prices. As noted above, its two-year subscription costs less than a third of ExpressVPN's most affordable monthly price.

As such, Surfshark emerges as the clear winner.

Winner: Surfshark

Both providers did well in the customer reviews we assessed from various aggregators. ExpressVPN was commended on its performance and user-friendliness, whereas Surfshark received plaudits for its good price-performance ratio.

Once again, there was very little separating the two, however, ExpressVPN's ratings were slightly better than those of Surfshark.

Winner: ExpressVPN

After seven rounds, three went to Surfshark (features, performance, and pricing), two to ExpressVPN (server network and customer reviews), and two were undecided (customer support as well as security and privacy).

For good reason, both VPNs are among the most popular, performing equally well in all of the areas we assessed. However, since Surfshark offers these capabilities at a more attractive price and for longer, we feel confident calling the final result in their favor.

Overall winner: Surfshark

Detailed reviews of all 22 VPNs from our sample can be found in our comprehensive VPN assessment.