ExpressVPN vs Surfshark (2026)
Full comparison based on April 2026 testing. Speed, privacy, streaming, price, and who each VPN is actually suited for.
8.6
ExpressVPN
9
Surfshark
Quick verdict
Surfshark wins overall (9/10 vs 8.6/10)
Surfshark costs roughly 70% less than ExpressVPN on long-term plans while delivering comparable streaming unblocking. ExpressVPN's Lightway protocol is consistently faster, but Surfshark's speed is more than adequate for streaming and browsing. Unless you specifically need ExpressVPN's speed advantage or router app, Surfshark offers significantly better value.
Score breakdown
Full feature comparison
| Feature | ExpressVPN8.6/10 | Surfshark9/10 |
|---|---|---|
| Our Score | 8.6 | 9 |
| Monthly Price | $8.32/mo | $2.19/mo |
| Servers | 3,000+ | 3,200+ |
| Countries | 105 | 100 |
| Simultaneous Devices | 8 | Unlimited |
| Speed (tested) | 755 Mbps (98%) | 695 Mbps (91%) |
| No-Logs Policy | ||
| Independently Audited | ||
| Kill Switch | ||
| Ad Blocker | ||
| Streaming | ||
| Torrenting / P2P | ||
| Port Forwarding | ||
| Obfuscation | ||
| Double VPN | ||
| RAM-Only Servers | ||
| Jurisdiction | British Virgin Islands | Netherlands (EU jurisdiction) |
| Money-Back Guarantee | 30 days | 30 days |
Who should choose which
Choose ExpressVPN if:
You need Surfshark for households with many devices (unlimited connections) or want to save substantially on a long-term plan without sacrificing streaming reliability.
Full ExpressVPN review →Choose Surfshark if:
You need ExpressVPN if you travel frequently to restrictive countries, depend on consistently fast connections for work, or want the most mature router app in the category.
Full Surfshark review →