Surfshark vs ExpressVPN in 2026: Tested Head to Head

Surfshark costs less than ExpressVPN on every long-term plan, yet on a month-to-month subscription, it’s the pricier of the two. The two price lists follow different approaches.

Surfshark rewards commitment with a low price and a long list of extras, while ExpressVPN charges more for apps that are meant to work without any adjustment. On paper, Surfshark vs ExpressVPN looks close. Both keep no logs, both connect on networks that block VPNs, and both unblock the major streaming services.

So I tested them side by side on the same computers and phones, and the differences showed up in places a feature list doesn’t cover: distant servers, a few stubborn streaming services, and the setup each one requires on a censored network. Here’s what the extra money buys.

Surfshark vs ExpressVPN at a Glance

ExpressVPN won five of my eight rounds, Surfshark won two, and the apps round ended in a draw. The table has the essentials, and each section below explains the result.

	ExpressVPN	Surfshark
Long-Term Price	About $3 a month	About $2.50 a month
Money-Back Guarantee	30 days	30 days
Mobile Free Trial	3 days	7 days
Logging/Jurisdiction	No logs/British Virgin Islands	No logs/Netherlands
Average Speed Loss	7.8%	9.6%
Protocols	Lightway, WireGuard, OpenVPN, IKEv2	WireGuard, OpenVPN, IKEv2, Dausos (macOS)
Network	214 locations in 113 countries	4,500+ servers in 100 countries
Specialty Servers	Dedicated IP	Dedicated IP, Static IP, MultiHop
Ad Blocking	Yes (71% on our ad-block test)	Yes (79% on our ad-block test)
RAM-Only Servers	Yes	Yes
Popular Netflix Libraries	US, UK, Canada, Japan, Australia	US, UK, Canada, Japan, Australia
Smart DNS	Yes (MediaStreamer)	No
P2P	Every server	Every server
Simultaneous Connections	10, 12 or 14, by plan	Unlimited

Speed Test: ExpressVPN Is Faster on Distant Servers

I tested both VPNs on a Windows 11 PC with a 190 Mbps connection in Europe, on UK, US, and Japanese servers, three times a day for three days. ExpressVPN used Lightway, and Surfshark used WireGuard. Here’s the connection without a VPN:

ExpressVPN recorded a 7.8% average speed loss, compared to Surfshark’s 9.6%. That difference won’t show up while you browse or stream in HD. Still, the server-by-server results tell a clearer story. Surfshark was slightly faster on the UK server, the closest of the three, but ExpressVPN led on the US and Japanese servers.

	UK (Download/Ping)	US (Download/Ping)	Japan (Download/Ping)
ExpressVPN	185.74 Mbps/44 ms	177.03 Mbps/125 ms	163.94 Mbps/266 ms
Surfshark	186.96 Mbps/51 ms	170.38 Mbps/150 ms	158.84 Mbps/243 ms

Ping followed a similar pattern. ExpressVPN had the lower ping on the UK and US servers, which reduces lag in online games and video calls, while Surfshark was ahead on the Japanese server. Ping is the figure to compare when you choose a VPN for gaming.

On other devices, the order didn’t change. I repeated the tests on a Fire TV Stick, an iPhone, and an Android phone, and ExpressVPN lost less speed on each:

	ExpressVPN Speed Loss	Surfshark Speed Loss
Fire TV Stick 4K Plus	4.6%	5.8%
iPhone 17 Pro	16.2%	21.4%
Galaxy S26 Ultra	22.9%	25.9%

Battery use favored ExpressVPN too. During a 20-minute video on the Android phone, it used no more charge than the phone did without a VPN, while Surfshark used a little more.

Streaming and Region Locks: ExpressVPN Unblocks More

For getting past region locks, the two are close. On the streaming services I tested, ExpressVPN unblocked every one, although ITVX and Prime Video detected it now and then. Surfshark unblocked the same list except ITVX.

	ExpressVPN	Surfshark
Netflix US, UK, Canada, Japan, Australia	Unblocked	Unblocked
BBC iPlayer	Unblocked	Unblocked
ITVX	Unblocked	Couldn’t unblock
Channel 4	Unblocked	Unblocked
Prime Video	Unblocked	Unblocked
HBO Max	Unblocked	Unblocked
Hulu	Unblocked	Unblocked
Peacock	Unblocked	Unblocked
JioHotstar	Unblocked	Unblocked

Netflix doesn’t separate them. Both unblocked the most popular Netflix libraries, from the US and UK to Japan and Australia, so the deciding results are ITVX and support for TV devices.

On TV devices, ExpressVPN has the advantage. ExpressVPN’s MediaStreamer, its Smart DNS service, unblocks US streaming on a smart TV or console that can’t install a VPN app.

Surfshark has dropped Smart DNS, so those devices require a router setup or a connection shared from a computer.

Torrenting

Both VPNs allow P2P on every server, so there’s no special server to find.

On the nearby servers you’d use for torrenting, download speeds were practically identical, and both appear among the best VPN services we’ve tested.

Price: Surfshark Costs Less on Long-Term Plans

On two-year plans, Surfshark is the cheaper VPN at every tier:

	ExpressVPN	Surfshark
Entry plan, two years	Basic: about $3 a month	Starter: about $2.50 a month
Middle plan, two years	Advanced: about $4.50 a month	One: about $2.80 a month
Top plan, two years	Pro: about $7.50 a month	One+: about $4.50 a month
Monthly billing	About $15	About $16.50

Surfshark Plans

The Surfshark Starter plan covers the VPN and its ad blocker. However, I’d point most people to the Surfshark One plan. It adds antivirus and data breach alerts for very little more, while One+ adds a data removal service.

Monthly billing is the exception, since it costs more than ExpressVPN’s. Before subscribing, check the current Surfshark coupon offers.

ExpressVPN Plans

The ExpressVPN Basic plan covers 10 devices, and the higher plans add the ExpressVPN Keys password manager, more connections, and, on Pro, a dedicated IP address. Renewal increases on both VPNs, and ExpressVPN’s increase is the larger one.

To try before paying, the ExpressVPN free trial lasts 3 days on mobile and requires a card. Surfshark’s mobile trial is 7 days, and both VPNs have a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Security Features: Surfshark Has More Tools

The core protection is the same on both. Each kill switch, which cuts your internet if the VPN drops, passed my tests, and Surfshark’s Strict mode also passed a PC restart.

Both use post-quantum encryption, meaning traffic recorded today remains protected against future quantum computers, and both offer split tunneling, so a banking app can bypass the VPN. Their own protocols differ in practice.

ExpressVPN’s Lightway works on every platform, and its Lightway Turbo toggle on Windows added nothing measurable on my connection while blocking split tunneling. Surfshark’s Dausos, audited by Cure53, is available only in the macOS app so far.

Ad Blocking and Content Filters

On an ad-block test, Surfshark’s CleanWeb blocked 79% of the ads and trackers, compared to 71% for ExpressVPN’s Advanced Protection.

The parental filters show a similar difference. ExpressVPN’s is a single switch for adult content, and it blocks torrent sites along with it.

Surfshark’s Web Content Blocker has separate toggles for adult content, gambling, drugs, malware, and phishing, plus a list of sites you choose yourself.

MultiHop, IP Rotation and Antivirus

Surfshark’s Dynamic MultiHop sends your connection through two servers in different countries, and you choose both. ExpressVPN still has no equivalent, which I find hard to justify at its price. Expect a speed cost, since every extra server lengthens the trip and lowers the speeds you’d see on the fastest VPNs.

IP Rotation changes your IP every few minutes without dropping the connection. On a UK server, for example, you keep a UK IP address throughout, but never the same one for long. That makes it harder for sites to follow you across sessions.

From the One plan up, Surfshark also includes an antivirus in the same app, along with data breach alerts and other identity theft protection tools. Alternative ID, which creates a masked email address and persona for sign-ups, comes with every plan.

ExpressVPN’s extras are mostly separate from the VPN. The higher plans add the Keys password manager and, for US subscribers, Identity Defender alerts and theft insurance.

Privacy and No-Logs Audits: ExpressVPN by a Narrow Margin

Neither VPN keeps logs of your activity: no browsing history, no IP addresses, no DNS requests, and no connection timestamps. Both also use RAM-only servers, so a reboot wipes everything stored on them. For the full criteria, see our list of no-log VPNs.

The differences are in jurisdiction and verification. ExpressVPN is based in the British Virgin Islands, which has no data retention law and belongs to no intelligence-sharing alliance. Surfshark moved to the Netherlands, an EU state and a Nine Eyes member.

This is a weaker starting position on paper, although its no-logs policy hasn’t changed. Deloitte has audited Surfshark’s no-logs policy twice. ExpressVPN has a longer record, with more than 20 independent audits, including repeated no-logs checks by KPMG.

China and Censored Networks: ExpressVPN Requires No Setup

Both VPNs can work where VPNs are blocked, but they demand different amounts of effort. ExpressVPN applies obfuscation, which disguises VPN traffic as regular browsing, to every connection automatically. You connect, and the disguise is already on.

Surfshark divides the work between two settings.

• NoBorders mode detects a restrictive network and lists the servers that work there.
• Camouflage Mode hides the VPN traffic, but only on OpenVPN. That has a cost.

On OpenVPN TCP, Surfshark’s UK speed was less than half its WireGuard result in my tests. Surfshark’s China setup follows the same two steps. Against the Great Firewall, neither VPN is guaranteed to connect, because results change with each round of blocking.

For the most dependable options there, see our best VPNs for China.

Servers and Locations: ExpressVPN Covers More Countries

Each VPN wins a different count. Surfshark has 4,500+ servers in 100 countries, which spreads users across more servers at busy times. ExpressVPN covers 113 countries with 214 locations, although it doesn’t publish a server total.

In the US, ExpressVPN lists 63 locations, against Surfshark’s 24 cities, which means more choice for regional sports and local channels. Several of ExpressVPN’s locations are districts of the same city, though, such as its seven UK locations.

For a fixed IP address, Surfshark includes Static IP servers on every plan and sells dedicated IP addresses in 18 locations. ExpressVPN sells dedicated IPs as an add-on and includes one with its Pro plan.

Apps and Devices: A Draw

Both VPNs support Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS, Apple TV, Fire TV, and routers, and ExpressVPN also sells its own router. ExpressVPN’s app is built around one large connect button, and it connects in one or two seconds, the fastest of any VPN I’ve tested.

Its redesign has a downside. There’s no Settings menu anymore, so the protocol, kill switch, and split tunneling are under Profile, and the ad blocker is under Add-ons, which confused me at first.

Surfshark’s app shows more on screen because there’s more to show, from the antivirus to Alternative ID. It’s denser, and it occasionally took longer to connect, so a beginner may need a day to feel at home.

Both have browser extensions with WebRTC leak protection, and both rank among the better VPNs for Chrome. The device limits differ: ExpressVPN allows 10 to 14 connections by plan, and Surfshark has no limit.

Conclusion

So what does the extra money for ExpressVPN buy? Mostly consistency. Its results varied less from one server, device, or streaming service to the next, and on a filtered network, it connected with no setup. That reliability is why I recommend it.

Surfshark is still the better value, especially on the One plan, where antivirus and breach alerts cost very little extra. A household that mostly browses on nearby servers loses almost nothing by choosing it. Frequent travelers and people streaming from several countries, on the other hand, should pay for ExpressVPN.

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