Surfshark vs. ExpressVPN

Price: which is cheaper?

At sign-up, Surfshark is cheaper. On October 12, 2026 its pricing page listed the entry plan at $2.49 a month for 27 months, billed as $67.23 up front, and Surfshark One+ at $4.49 a month for 27 months ($121.23). The page labeled these as a sale price, so expect them to move. ExpressVPN Basic costs $2.99 a month for 28 months ($83.72), Advanced $4.49 a month ($125.72) and Pro $7.49 a month ($209.72).

The renewal is where the comparison gets harder. ExpressVPN shows its renewal prices plainly: $99.95 a year for Basic, $119.95 for Advanced and $199.95 for Pro. Surfshark’s pricing FAQ says the two year plan is billed once and then renews yearly, and its renewal price page lists the yearly rates by location. For U.S. buyers on October 12, 2026 that was $79 for Starter, $99 for One and $119 for One+, before tax, so Surfshark’s cheapest plan also renews for less. Surfshark says the prices vary by location and may be A/B tested, so check the renewal line at checkout before you pay.

Both renew automatically. Turn off auto-renew in your account soon after you sign up if you want to choose again when the term ends, or set a reminder a few weeks ahead. Either way, the first term is the cheap part of a VPN subscription, and the renewal is what you pay for as long as you stay.

Devices and households

This is Surfshark’s clearest advantage. It does not cap simultaneous connections, so one subscription can cover every phone, laptop, tablet and TV in a large household. ExpressVPN allows 10 devices on Basic, 12 on Advanced and 14 on Pro, which is enough for most people but not for a big family that wants the VPN on every gadget.

There is a way around ExpressVPN’s cap: a VPN running on your router protects everything connected to it and counts as one device. ExpressVPN lists router apps among its supported platforms, and it also lists apps for smart TVs and game consoles. Surfshark publishes setup guides for Windows, Mac, iPhone, Android, Linux, Fire TV, Apple TV and the Chrome, Firefox and Edge browsers.

Surfshark’s higher tiers bundle extra tools such as antivirus, data breach alerts and Alternative ID, a second online identity for sign-ups, and One+ adds Incogni data removal. The plan contents shift with promotions, so check what each tier includes on the day you buy. ExpressVPN’s higher tiers add the ExpressKeys password manager, identity theft insurance and, on Pro, a dedicated IP address.

Before you pay for a higher tier on either, check whether you already have those tools. Many people already have a password manager or credit monitoring through a bank, card or employer.

Privacy, ownership and audits

Both run diskless servers. Surfshark says all of its servers are RAM-only and wipe data on every reboot. ExpressVPN’s TrustedServer setup does the same. Both say they keep no browsing logs and both have had that checked by outside firms.

Surfshark released its second Deloitte no-logs report in June 2025. Deloitte reviewed standard, static and multiport servers and their configuration against Surfshark’s privacy policy. ExpressVPN has a longer record: KPMG reviews in 2022, 2023 and 2025, PwC Switzerland in 2019 and 2020, and a long series of Cure53 audits of its apps and its Lightway protocol. ExpressVPN also has a court-tested case: a server Turkish authorities seized in 2017 held no logs tied to users.

Ownership is worth a look. Surfshark B.V. is based in Amsterdam and merged with Nord Security, the company behind NordVPN, in 2022. Both brands said they would keep separate infrastructure. ExpressVPN runs from the British Virgin Islands and has been part of Kape Technologies since 2021. In 2021 its chief information officer was named in a U.S. case over hacking work he did for the UAE before he joined, and the company kept him on. Neither point shows user data was exposed, but both are part of the record.

Streaming, torrents and speed

Most page-one comparisons lead with streaming and speed tests. Those results change as streaming services block VPN address ranges, and we have not run our own tests, so we do not list Netflix libraries or speed figures here.

Both allow torrenting. Both use fast modern protocols: Surfshark uses WireGuard by default, and ExpressVPN uses Lightway, which it wrote and had audited. Both include a kill switch and split tunneling. Surfshark adds a few routing options of its own, including MultiHop through two servers and settings meant for networks that restrict VPN use.

The best test is your own. Both offer 30 days to ask for a refund on the first purchase (ExpressVPN’s applies to new users). In that window, try the streaming apps, games and networks you actually use, on the devices you use them on, and keep the one that works. Distance to the server and your home connection matter more to speed than the brand name, so compare a nearby server on each.

If you travel to a country that restricts VPNs, check the vendor’s current guidance before you go and install the app before you leave, since app stores and websites may be blocked once you arrive.