NordVPN Vs ExpressVPN (2024 Comparison)

Both NordVPN and ExpressVPN are rated one of our top VPNs of 2024. Although both are popular choices, the companies vary in terms of price and features. ExpressVPN is more expensive, but it also offers more server locations. NordVPN is more affordable and comes with the option for a dedicated IP at an additional cost, while ExpressVPN does not. Both companies offer 24/7 customer service and the ability to sign up for a monthly plan or annual plan. NordVPN has an additional option of a two-year plan, and ExpressVPN has an additional option for a six-month plan.

FEATURED PARTNER OFFER

BEST VPN ADD-ONS

NordVPN

3.9

Our ratings take into account a product's rewards, fees, rates and other category-specific attributes. All ratings are determined solely by our editorial team.

Dedicated IP Address

Yes

No. of Devices

6

Encryption

AES-256

Learn More

On NordVPN's Secure Website

Dedicated IP Address

Yes

No. of Devices

6

Encryption

AES-256

Why We Picked It

NordVPN is a fast and secure VPN service with a range of unique features. It’s one of the most secure VPNs out there, combining AES-256 encryption with an ad and malware blocker, as well as double VPN services, aka multihop connections. If you want to bury your online presence, NordVPN provides the tools.

NordVPN’s standard plan comes with a $59.88 price tag for one year, which is reasonable considering its range of features, allowance for six simultaneously connected devices and access to more than 5,000 servers located in more than 55 countries.

NordVPN has a robust set of add-ons to your VPN plan, including NordLocker, a file encryption service; NordPass, a password manager; and most importantly a dedicated IP address. Customers in the United States can also use the Incogni add-on which works with data brokers to help remove your personal information from third-party databases.

Should you need it, NordVPN also offers a Team subscription for small businesses, though its pricing is opaque.

Learn More: Read our NordVPN Review.

Who should use it: Those who have a flexible VPN budget but do want value in return.

Pros & Cons

• Built-in malware and ad blocker
• Dedicated IP address add-on
• Easy to use

• Lacks transparency of pricing for business tiers

Essential Features

Speed and performance: We test VPN speeds and latency weekly. NordVPN has an average upload speed between 4.63 and 14.08 Mbps and a download speed between 0.55 and 4.58 Mbps.

Feature	Yes/No
Security and encryption	Yes
Privacy policy	Yes
Network of server locations	Yes
Compatibility	Yes
Performance and reliability	Yes
Kill switch	Yes

Type of VPN: Personal, Remote, Mobile, Split Tunnelling

Server number and locations: NordVPN has over 5,000 servers, located in more than 50 countries.

FEATURED PARTNER OFFER

SMOOTHEST APP INTERFACE

ExpressVPN

3.2

Our ratings take into account a product's rewards, fees, rates and other category-specific attributes. All ratings are determined solely by our editorial team.

Dedicated IP Address

No

No. of Devices

5

Encryption

AES-256

Learn More

On ExpressVPN's Website

Dedicated IP Address

No

No. of Devices

5

Encryption

AES-256

Why We Picked It

ExpressVPN is a bit of a poster child for the personal VPN market. It’s unmatched in security and ease of use, providing an intuitive VPN application that has a lot of advanced technology going on behind the scenes. In addition to AES-256 encryption through standard VPN protocols, ExpressVPN offers its proprietary Lightway protocol that boosts speeds without compromising security.

For personal use, ExpressVPN meets an array of needs and boasts access to servers in 94 countries. However, it has limited functionality for businesses: There’s no business VPN tier and the business-friendly factors we’re looking at—a dedicated IP and number of simultaneously connectable devices—are nonexistent and standard, respectively. It was these factors that kept us from giving it a higher rating.

ExpressVPNs intentionally aims to protect individual VPN users and not companies, which can ostensibly track the behaviour of their employees through a business VPN. So ExpressVPN does not offer any such services.

Through a personal-use lens, its fatal flaw is in its pricing. ExpressVPN charges $99.84 USD ($133.16 CAD) per year, placing it firmly in the “expensive” category, though most VPNs increase their price upon annual renewal. ExpressVPN’s price is currently fixed at the annual $99.84 USD ($133.16 CAD) price point. Viewed in the long-term, its price may be more palatable.

Learn More: Read our ExpressVPN Review.

Who should use it: Those who are looking for best-in-class personal VPN—and are willing to pay for it.

Pros & Cons

• Proprietary Lightway VPN protocol
• Easy to use
• Router app to protect more devices
• Broad network of servers

• More expensive than alternatives
• Limited business/work functionality

Essential Features

Speed and performance: We test VPN speeds and latency weekly. ExpressVPN has an average upload speed between 13.71 and 13.88 Mbps and a download speed between 13.71 and 14 Mbps.

Feature	Yes/No
Security and encryption	Yes
Privacy policy	Yes
Network of server locations	Yes
Compatibility	Yes
Performance and reliability	Yes
Kill switch	Yes

Type of VPN: Personal

Server number and locations: ExpressVPN has servers in 94 countries, though it doesn’t specify how many servers it has, ‌only that there is often more than one server per location.

When it comes to price, NordVPN is considerably cheaper than ExpressVPN, at $59.88 CAD per year compared to $99.85 ($133.16 CAD) per year. Both VPNs are compatible with Android, iOS, Windows, Mac and Linux, while NordVPN will also connect to Android TV. Both companies also offer a trial period of 30 days.

The encryption and free trial length are the same for both of these VPNs. NordVPN offers a slightly higher number of devices, at six compared with five. (Other VPNs allow you to use their service on an unlimited number of devices, so it’s worth researching these options if you plan on using the VPN on more than six devices.)

NordVPN has a higher number of servers, at 5,000-plus, compared to ExpressVPN’s 3,000-plus servers. However, ExpressVPN has a considerably higher number of server locations, at 160 compared to NordVPN’s 60, which could be beneficial depending on which countries you plan to connect to with your VPN. NordVPN makes it easy to figure out if their server locations will match yours on its website. Similarly, ExpressVPN makes it simple to find out where its 160 servers are located online.

NordVPN offers the option of a dedicated IP add-on for $5.83 ($7.67 CAD) per month or $70 ($92.13 CAD) per year. This will give you the ability to access IP-restricted networks while still maintaining your anonymity. NordVPN is also compatible with businesses and companies through NordLayer, their business-tier subscription option.

Both NordVPN and ExpressVPN offer split tunnelling, which is the ability to choose which content goes through the VPN and which content goes through the internet. This makes it easy to access otherwise blocked websites (like online banking) without disconnecting your VPN each time. Not all VPNs offer this feature.

Additionally, ExpressVPN and NordVPN offer the option to configure your VPN directly onto your router. This is an extra safety measure as it means you will be automatically connected to your VPN when you are using the router. Both VPNs also come with a kill switch, which immediately disconnects your internet connection when your device is not connected to the internet to ensure your privacy is not compromised if the VPN connection drops.

ExpressVPN is considerably more expensive than NordVPN, at $99.85 ($133.16 CAD) per year compared with $59.88 CAD per year. If price is your main concern, choose NordVPN.

However, ExpressVPN offers faster speeds than NordVPN and about 100 more server locations. Depending on what country and location you want to connect to through your VPN, ExpressVPN may be a better choice.

Lastly, if you need a dedicated IP or you are looking for a VPN to use for a business or company, choose NordVPN, as ExpressVPN does not offer a dedicated IP or a business or team option.

Related: ExpressVPN Vs. Surfshark