Surfshark vs ExpressVPN: the cheaper all-rounder or the BVI privacy pick
Surfshark scores 5.30 and ExpressVPN 4.77 out of 10. Surfshark leads overall; the table shows where each one is stronger.
Surfshark vs ExpressVPN
| What we compare | Surfshark | ExpressVPN |
|---|---|---|
| Our score | 5.30 (better) | 4.77 |
| Privacy and jurisdiction | 4.4 | 5.7 (better) |
| Security and protocols | 6.1 (better) | 5.7 |
| Price and fair terms | 5.7 (better) | 3.1 |
| Censorship bypass | 1.9 | 1.9 |
| Network and streaming | 7.2 (better) | 4.6 |
| Platforms and support | 9.0 (better) | 7.1 |
| Cheapest price, € a month | €2.14 (better) | €2.57 |
| Renewal vs first term | — | 2.8× |
| Refund window, days | 30 | 30 |
| Independent no-logs audit | Yes | Yes |
| Kill switch | Yes | Yes |
| WireGuard | Yes | Yes |
| Obfuscation | Yes | Yes |
| Crypto payments | Yes | Yes |
| Jurisdiction | Netherlands (9 Eyes) | BVI (outside 14 Eyes) |
| Platforms supported | 12 | 12 |
For most buyers Surfshark is the cheaper pick that also wins four of the six areas this comparison scores: security, price and fair terms, network, and platforms with support. ExpressVPN keeps a single lead, privacy and jurisdiction, and it is a real one. Getting past censorship ends level, with both services thin there.
How the six scored areas split between the two
Surfshark takes the overall score 5.30 against ExpressVPN's 4.77, ahead in four areas against one. The widest margins, 2.6 points each, sit in price and in network.
The one area ExpressVPN wins: logging rules and a BVI address
Both providers hold independent no-logs audits (Deloitte for Surfshark, KPMG for ExpressVPN) and both require an email at sign-up; neither runs a warrant canary. The difference is what the policies say about connections: Surfshark temporarily stores the connection IP with your ID and timestamps, deleting it within 15 minutes after a session. ExpressVPN's privacy policy states it collects no connection IP and logs only the date of successful connections. Then geography: Express Technologies Ltd. is registered in the British Virgin Islands, which sit outside the 5, 9 and 14 Eyes alliances; its parent company is Kape Technologies PLC, based in the UK. Surfshark B.V. sits in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, a Nine Eyes country. A published transparency report helps Surfshark claw part of that lead back; ExpressVPN publishes none.
Two-factor sign-in and MultiHop against Lightway and private DNS
The shared security kit covers a kill switch (Network Lock on ExpressVPN), WireGuard, OpenVPN, IKEv2, RAM-only servers and outside audits by Cure53 on both sides. Surfshark layers on two-factor sign-in and Dynamic MultiHop double-VPN routing; ExpressVPN answers with its own Lightway protocol and encrypted DNS handled in-house. On censorship bypass both score 1.9: one obfuscation mode each (NoBorders, Lightway obfuscation) and no VLESS Reality, Trojan, Shadowsocks or Hysteria2.
Matching device lists, different support hours
The platform lists match: desktops, mobiles, routers (ExpressVPN sells its own Aircove), Fire TV, Apple TV, consoles, browser extensions, split tunnelling and an ad blocker on both. Where Surfshark allows unlimited simultaneous connections under fair usage, ExpressVPN caps you at 10 on Basic and 14 on Pro, which matters for a family sharing one account. The support score separates them because Surfshark publishes 24/7 live chat and ExpressVPN does not state its hours.
A smaller map that still scores higher: servers, ports and torrenting
ExpressVPN covers 113 countries against Surfshark's 100, yet loses the network area. It publishes no server count and no torrenting policy, and both omissions cost points; MediaStreamer Smart DNS is listed, but streaming platforms are named by neither. Surfshark lists 4,500+ servers and counts 10 Gbps ones among them, with P2P servers marked on the list.
First term and second bill, plan by plan
| Plan | First term | First-term total | Per month | Yearly renewal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Surfshark Starter / One | 27 months | $67.23 | $2.49 | not published |
| Surfshark One+ | 27 months | $121.23 | $4.49 | not published |
| ExpressVPN Basic | 28 months | $83.72 | $2.99 | $99.95 |
| ExpressVPN Advanced | 28 months | $125.72 | $4.49 | $119.95 |
| ExpressVPN Pro | 28 months | $209.72 | $7.49 | $199.95 |
The renewal column decides the price score. ExpressVPN's Basic plan renews yearly at 2.79 times its intro monthly rate, and that jump is the main reason the price rating sinks; the pricing breakdown tracks each tier. Surfshark discloses no renewal amount, so its second bill stays unknown, and no penalty is applied for it. In the cheapest euro conversion the gap is €2.14 versus €2.57 a month. Higher tiers add tools by use case: antivirus and Alert on One, Incogni on One+, and on ExpressVPN Advanced and Pro the ExpressKeys password manager, Identity Defender and a dedicated IP on Pro.
Money back, the 7-day trial and paying in Bitcoin
Both refund within 30 days of the first purchase. Surfshark also runs a 7-day free trial on longer plans, charged automatically if you forget to cancel, and excludes renewals and gift-card payments from refunds; ExpressVPN refunds new subscribers only and routes store purchases through Apple or Google. One billing detail: pay ExpressVPN in Bitcoin and auto-renewal is off by default, while cards and PayPal renew on. Surfshark takes crypto through Coingate.
Surfshark and ExpressVPN: short answers
Which one is faster or better for streaming?
VPNRadarLab scores published policies and specs, not throughput, so no speed winner appears here. Neither provider commits to named platforms.
Can I torrent on both?
Yes on Surfshark, where P2P servers are marked. ExpressVPN publishes no torrenting policy at all.
What happens to auto-renewal if I pay with crypto?
ExpressVPN leaves it off by default for Bitcoin. Surfshark's subscriptions renew by default.
So which subscription to take
- Large household or tight budget: Surfshark Starter or One.
- Privacy and jurisdiction above the bill: ExpressVPN Basic, eyes open on the renewal.
- Extras and password manager in one bundle: ExpressVPN Advanced.
Surfshark wins on breadth and cost; ExpressVPN wins on privacy and jurisdiction because its policy does not store the connection IP.