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ExpressVPN vs Surfshark VPN

Which VPN Is Better?

    Top
    Main Differences
    Security
      IP And DNS LeaksKill Switch RobustnessMan-In-The-Middle Attacks
    Privacy
      Privacy PolicyCompany PracticesRegistration
    Performance
      Download SpeedUpload SpeedLatency
    Features
      DownloadsPlatform SupportProtocolsSimultaneous DevicesDestinationsSplit TunnelingHeadless Setup
    Comments

Products

ExpressVPN
Surfshark VPN

Tested using Methodology v0.10.1

Updated Jan 22, 2026 05:00 PM

SEE PRICE
ExpressVPN

Tested using Methodology v0.10.1

Updated Jan 22, 2026 04:46 PM

SEE PRICE
Surfshark
ExpressVPN Picture
Surfshark VPN Picture
Email Required
Yes
Torrent (P2P)
Yes
Data Limit
N/A
Email Required
Yes
Torrent (P2P)
Yes
Data Limit
N/A
  1. Recommended in 1 article:
  2. Cheap

Our Verdict

ExpressVPN

Surfshark VPN

ExpressVPN and Surfshark VPN each have strengths and weaknesses. ExpressVPN has much better security than Surfshark VPN, since the latter's kill switch leaks some data outside of the tunnel after a system reboot. On the other hand, Surfshark delivers significantly faster speeds and better latency for a snappier experience and quicker downloads. Also, Surfshark doesn't have a limit on how many devices you can have connected at the same time, while Express has a maximum of 8.

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Variants

  • ExpressVPN (W/ Dedicated IP)
  • Surfshark (One)
  • Surfshark (One+)

Review

See ExpressVPN Review
See Surfshark VPN Review
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2 

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W/ Dedicated IP
ExpressVPN
SEE PRICE
ExpressVPN
One
Surfshark
SEARCH
Surfshark
 
One+
Surfshark
SEE PRICE
Surfshark
 
Starter
Surfshark
SEARCH
Surfshark

Main Differences for
Torrent

Threshold 

0.10

Torrent 
 

8.5
7.8

Kill Switch Robustness 
 

8.0
2.0

Full Comparison

Security

IP And DNS Leaks 
 

9.0
9.0

IPLEAK.net Screenshot 
 

Compare High-Res
ExpressVPN IPLEAK.net Screenshot
Compare High-Res
Surfshark VPN IPLEAK.net Screenshot

Wireshark IP And DNS Leak Screenshot 
 

Compare High-Res
ExpressVPN Wireshark IP And DNS Leak Screenshot
Compare High-Res
Surfshark VPN Wireshark IP And DNS Leak Screenshot

Leak Detected 
 

No
No

In-Browser IP 
 

No Leak Detected
No Leak Detected

In-Browser DNS 
 

No Leak Detected
No Leak Detected

System DNS 
 

No Leak Detected
No Leak Detected

System Traffic 
 

No Leak Detected
No Leak Detected

Kill Switch Robustness 
 

8.0
2.0

Wireshark Kill Switch Screenshot 
 

Compare High-Res
ExpressVPN Wireshark Kill Switch Screenshot
Compare High-Res
Surfshark VPN Wireshark Kill Switch Screenshot

Leak Detected 
 

No
Yes

During VPN Software Crash 
 

No Leak Detected
No Leak Detected

During Loss Of Internet 
 

No Leak Detected
No Leak Detected

During System Reboot 
 

No Leak Detected
Leak Detected
Show Text 

Man-In-The-Middle Attacks 
 

8.5
8.5

Man-In-The-Middle Attacks Screenshot 
 

Compare High-Res
ExpressVPN Man-In-The-Middle Attacks Screenshot
Compare High-Res
Surfshark VPN Man-In-The-Middle Attacks Screenshot

TLS Interruption Risk 
 

No Evidence
No Evidence

Proper BGP Implementation 
 

No
No
Show Text 
Privacy

Privacy Policy 
 

4.9
2.9

Privacy Picture 
 

Compare High-Res
ExpressVPN Privacy Picture
Compare High-Res
Surfshark VPN Privacy Picture

Investigation Notes 
 

Compare High-Res
ExpressVPN Investigation Notes
Compare High-Res
Surfshark VPN Investigation Notes

No-Log Policy 
 

0
0

Privacy Policy Audit 
 

9.5
3.0

Legal & Security Events 
 

10
10

Last Review Date 
 

2025-OCT-29
2025-OCT-25
Show Text 

Company Practices 
 

3.8
5.8

Company Picture 
 

Compare High-Res
ExpressVPN Company Picture
Compare High-Res
Surfshark VPN Company Picture

Investigation Notes 
 

Compare High-Res
ExpressVPN Investigation Notes
Compare High-Res
Surfshark VPN Investigation Notes

Parent & Affiliate Companies 
 

3.6
6.4

Marketing Claims & Practices 
 

2.8
8.6

Communication Transparency 
 

6.2
6.8

Security Audits 
 

8.0
10

Privacy By Default 
 

10
5.0

Terms Of Service 
 

0
0

Last Review Date 
 

2025-OCT-28
2025-OCT-25
Show Text 

Registration 
 

6.1
6.1

Payment Options 
 

Compare High-Res
ExpressVPN Payment Options
Compare High-Res
Surfshark VPN Payment Options

Email Required 
 

Yes
Yes

Password Required 
 

Yes
Yes

Cryptocurrency 
 

Yes
Yes

Cash 
 

No
No
Show Text 
Performance

Download Speed 
 

7.7
7.6

Without VPN 
 

1,162 Mbps
1,061 Mbps

With VPN 
 

260 Mbps
242 Mbps

Speed Difference 
 

-901.7 Mbps
-819.2 Mbps

Download Speed Graph  

 Preview Graph
ExpressVPN Download Speed Graph
 Preview Graph
Surfshark VPN Download Speed Graph
 Compare in Graph Tool
Show Text 

Upload Speed 
 

7.7
7.8

Upload Speed Graph  

 Preview Graph
ExpressVPN Upload Speed Graph
 Preview Graph
Surfshark VPN Upload Speed Graph
 Compare in Graph Tool

Without VPN 
 

955 Mbps
1,011 Mbps

With VPN 
 

281 Mbps
306 Mbps

Speed Difference 
 

-674.5 Mbps
-704.9 Mbps

Latency 
 

5.5
5.7

Download Latency Graph  

 Preview Graph
ExpressVPN Download Latency Graph
 Preview Graph
Surfshark VPN Download Latency Graph
 Compare in Graph Tool

Upload Latency Graph  

 Preview Graph
ExpressVPN Upload Latency Graph
 Preview Graph
Surfshark VPN Upload Latency Graph
 Compare in Graph Tool

Download Latency Without VPN 
 

144 ms
134 ms

Download Latency With VPN 
 

341 ms
312 ms

Download Latency Difference 
 

197 ms
178 ms

Upload Latency Without VPN 
 

145 ms
144 ms

Upload Latency With VPN 
 

481 ms
446 ms

Upload Latency Difference 
 

336 ms
301 ms

Combined Latency Consistency 
 

±57 ms
±57 ms
Features

Downloads 
 

9.5
9.5

Torrent Test Picture 
 

Compare High-Res
ExpressVPN Torrent Test Picture
Compare High-Res
Surfshark VPN Torrent Test Picture

Torrent (P2P) 
 

Yes
Yes

Data Limit 
 

N/A
N/A
Show Text 

Platform Support 
 

9.3
9.3

Windows 
 

Yes
Yes

macOS 
 

Yes
Yes

Linux 
 

Yes
Yes
Show Text 

Protocols 
 

Protocol Results Table 
 

Compare High-Res
ExpressVPN Protocol Results Table
Compare High-Res
Surfshark VPN Protocol Results Table

WireGuard 
 

No
Yes

OpenVPN Over UDP 
 

Yes
Yes

OpenVPN Over TCP 
 

Yes
Yes

IPSec With L2TP 
 

No
No

IPSec With IKEv2 
 

Yes
Yes

Proprietary Protocol(s) 
 

Lightway
None
Show Text 

Simultaneous Devices 
 

8.1
9.9

Tested Simultaneous Connections 
 

8
11

Simultaneous Locations 
 

Yes
Yes

Advertised Max Simultaneous Connections 
 

8
Unlimited

Destinations 
 

9.4
8.6

VPN Destination Selection Example 
 

Compare High-Res
ExpressVPN VPN Destination Selection Example
Compare High-Res
Surfshark VPN VPN Destination Selection Example

Countries 
 

107
100

Countries With Multiple Cities 
 

11
12

Server Choice 
 

Yes
No

Split Tunneling 
 

8.5
9.5

VPN Disabled For App Screenshot 
 

Compare High-Res
ExpressVPN VPN Disabled For App Screenshot
Compare High-Res
Surfshark VPN VPN Disabled For App Screenshot

VPN Enabled For App Screenshot 
 

Compare High-Res
ExpressVPN VPN Enabled For App Screenshot
Compare High-Res
Surfshark VPN VPN Enabled For App Screenshot

Disabling Of VPN For Specific Apps 
 

Yes
Yes

Enabling Of VPN For Specific Apps 
 

Yes
Yes

Splitting Based On Address 
 

No
Yes

Ping Local Address - Same Subnet 
 

Yes
Yes

Ping Local Address - Different Subnet 
 

Yes
No
Show Text 

Headless Setup 
 

7.0
10

Headless WireGuard Connection Screenshot 
 

Compare High-Res
ExpressVPN Headless WireGuard Connection Screenshot
Compare High-Res
Surfshark VPN Headless WireGuard Connection Screenshot

Headless OpenVPN Connection Screenshot 
 

Compare High-Res
ExpressVPN Headless OpenVPN Connection Screenshot
Compare High-Res
Surfshark VPN Headless OpenVPN Connection Screenshot

Headless WireGuard Connection 
 

No
Yes

Headless OpenVPN Connection 
 

Yes
Yes

Check Price

W/ Dedicated IP
ExpressVPN
SEE PRICE
ExpressVPN
One
Surfshark
SEARCH
Surfshark
 
One+
Surfshark
SEE PRICE
Surfshark
 
Starter
Surfshark
SEARCH
Surfshark
Back to Top

ExpressVPN

Surfshark VPN

Comments

  1. Comparison
 • Posted 9 months ago

ExpressVPN vs Surfshark VPN: Main Discussion

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