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NordVPN vs ExpressVPN

Which VPN Is Better?

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

Products

NordVPN
ExpressVPN

Tested using Methodology v0.9.1

Updated Jun 03, 2025 05:26 PM

SEE PRICE
NordVPN

Tested using Methodology v0.9.1

Updated May 14, 2025 01:59 PM

SEE PRICE
ExpressVPN
NordVPN Picture
ExpressVPN Picture
Email Required
Yes
Torrent (P2P)
Yes
Data Limit
N/A
Email Required
Yes
Torrent (P2P)
Yes
Data Limit
N/A

Our Verdict

NordVPN

ExpressVPN

NordVPN and ExpressVPN each have their pros and cons. Nord's biggest weakness compared to ExpressVPN is that its kill switch doesn't work as effectively, as it leaks some calls after a system reboot. On the other hand, Nord is significantly faster than ExpressVPN. Neither supports the WireGuard protocol but has its own proprietary protocols, Lightway and NordLynx for ExpressVPN and NordVPN, respectively. Also, NordVPN has a higher maximum number of connected devices, 10, compared to Express's 8.

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Variants

  • NordVPN (Basic)
  • NordVPN (Complete)
  • NordVPN (Plus)
  • NordVPN (Ultra)
  • ExpressVPN (W/ Dedicated IP)

Review

See NordVPN Review
See ExpressVPN Review
3 
1 

Check Price

Basic
NordVPN
SEE PRICE
NordVPN
W/ Dedicated IP
ExpressVPN
SEE PRICE
ExpressVPN
Complete
NordVPN
SEE PRICE
NordVPN
 
Plus
NordVPN
SEE PRICE
NordVPN
 
Ultra
NordVPN
SEE PRICE
NordVPN
 

Main Differences for
Torrent

Threshold 

0.10

Torrent 

8.1
8.5

Kill Switch Robustness 
 

2.0
8.0

Registration 
 

6.1
7.5

Download Speed 
 

9.3
5.4

Full Comparison

Security

Registration 
 

6.1
7.5

Payment Options  

NordVPN Payment Options
ExpressVPN Payment Options

Email Required 
 

Yes
Yes

Password Required 
 

Yes
No

Cryptocurrency 
 

Yes
Yes

Cash 
 

No
No
Show Text 

IP And DNS Leaks 
 

9.0
9.0

IPLEAK.net Screenshot  

NordVPN IPLEAK.net Screenshot
ExpressVPN IPLEAK.net Screenshot

Wireshark IP And DNS Leak Screenshot  

NordVPN Wireshark IP And DNS Leak Screenshot
ExpressVPN 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 
 

2.0
8.0

Wireshark Kill Switch Screenshot  

NordVPN Wireshark Kill Switch Screenshot
ExpressVPN Wireshark Kill Switch Screenshot

Leak Detected 
 

Yes
No

During VPN Software Crash 
 

No Leak Detected
No Leak Detected

During Loss Of Internet 
 

No Leak Detected
No Leak Detected

During System Reboot 
 

Leak Detected
No Leak Detected
Show Text 

Man-In-The-Middle Attacks 
 

8.5
8.5

Man-In-The-Middle Attacks Screenshot  

NordVPN Man-In-The-Middle Attacks Screenshot
ExpressVPN Man-In-The-Middle Attacks Screenshot

TLS Interruption Risk 
 

No Evidence
No Evidence

Proper BGP Implementation 
 

No
No
Show Text 
Performance

Download Speed 
 

9.3
5.4

Download Speed Graph  

See details
See details
 Compare in Graph Tool

Without VPN 
 

325 Mbps
246 Mbps

With VPN 
 

394 Mbps
65 Mbps

Speed Difference 
 

69.3 Mbps
-180.5 Mbps
Show Text 

Upload Speed 
 

9.0
5.7

Upload Speed Graph  

See details
See details
 Compare in Graph Tool

Without VPN 
 

319 Mbps
349 Mbps

With VPN 
 

239 Mbps
58 Mbps

Speed Difference 
 

-79.7 Mbps
-291.2 Mbps
Show Text 

Latency 
 

7.7
6.7

Download Latency Graph  

See details
See details
 Compare in Graph Tool

Upload Latency Graph  

See details
See details
 Compare in Graph Tool

Download Latency Without VPN 
 

147 ms
149 ms

Download Latency With VPN 
 

191 ms
200 ms

Download Latency Difference 
 

44 ms
51 ms

Upload Latency Without VPN 
 

149 ms
151 ms

Upload Latency With VPN 
 

153 ms
210 ms

Upload Latency Difference 
 

4 ms
58 ms

Combined Latency Consistency 
 

±45 ms
±50 ms
Show Text 
Features

Downloads 
 

9.5
9.5

Torrent Test Picture  

NordVPN Torrent Test Picture
ExpressVPN Torrent Test Picture

Torrent (P2P) 
 

Yes
Yes

Data Limit 
 

N/A
N/A

Platform Support 
 

9.3
9.3

Windows 
 

Yes
Yes

macOS 
 

Yes
Yes

Linux 
 

Yes
Yes
Show Text 

Protocols 
 

Protocol Results Table  

NordVPN Protocol Results Table
ExpressVPN Protocol Results Table

WireGuard 
 

No
No

OpenVPN Over UDP 
 

Yes
Yes

OpenVPN Over TCP 
 

Yes
Yes

IPSec With L2TP 
 

No
No

IPSec With IKEv2 
 

Yes
Yes

Proprietary Protocol(s) 
 

NordLynx
Lightway
Show Text 

Simultaneous Devices 
 

9.1
8.1

Tested Simultaneous Connections 
 

10
8

Simultaneous Locations 
 

Yes
Yes

Advertised Max Simultaneous Connections 
 

10
8

Destinations 
 

8.6
9.4

VPN Destination Selection Example  

NordVPN VPN Destination Selection Example
ExpressVPN VPN Destination Selection Example

Countries 
 

118
107

Countries With Multiple Cities 
 

9
11

Server Choice 
 

No
Yes

Split Tunneling 
 

8.0
8.5

VPN Disabled For App Screenshot  

NordVPN VPN Disabled For App Screenshot
ExpressVPN VPN Disabled For App Screenshot

VPN Enabled For App Screenshot  

NordVPN VPN Enabled For App Screenshot
ExpressVPN 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
No

Ping Local Address - Same Subnet 
 

Yes
Yes

Ping Local Address - Different Subnet 
 

No
Yes

Headless Setup 
 

7.0
7.0

Headless WireGuard Connection Screenshot  

NordVPN Headless WireGuard Connection Screenshot
ExpressVPN Headless WireGuard Connection Screenshot

Headless OpenVPN Connection Screenshot  

NordVPN Headless OpenVPN Connection Screenshot
ExpressVPN Headless OpenVPN Connection Screenshot

Headless WireGuard Connection 
 

No
No

Headless OpenVPN Connection 
 

Yes
Yes

Check Price

Basic
NordVPN
SEE PRICE
NordVPN
W/ Dedicated IP
ExpressVPN
SEE PRICE
ExpressVPN
Complete
NordVPN
SEE PRICE
NordVPN
 
Plus
NordVPN
SEE PRICE
NordVPN
 
Ultra
NordVPN
SEE PRICE
NordVPN
 
Back to Top

NordVPN

ExpressVPN

Comments

  1. Comparison
 • Posted 6 months ago

NordVPN vs ExpressVPN: Main Discussion

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