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VerdictSurfshark for most people: unlimited devices, the same streaming coverage in user reports, comparable protocol speed, and roughly half the price over three years. ExpressVPN earns its premium in two cases — China and the UAE, where its automatic obfuscation is more reliable than Surfshark's Camouflage mode, and households that want the Aircove router or the smoothest apps. The ownership question favours Surfshark: Kape, which owns ExpressVPN, also owns three major review sites; Nord Security, which owns Surfshark, owns NordVPN and no review sites.
ExpressVPN · 71Surfshark · 73
Plotted at zero because untested: ExpressVPN: Speed, Surfshark: Speed.
Round by round
Ownership
Surfshark
ExpressVPN's owner Kape also owns vpnMentor, WizCase and SafetyDetectives, which rank VPNs. Surfshark's owner Nord Security owns NordVPN, which it markets as a rival — a sleight, not a conflict. Both are inside conglomerates; only one owns the referees.
Price over three years
Surfshark
Surfshark's two-year Starter plan is about $54, renewing at about $158 for another two years: roughly $4.41 a month across the months that buys. ExpressVPN's two-year plan is about $140, renewing at about $200: roughly $7.08. Surfshark costs about 60% of ExpressVPN.
Devices
Surfshark
Unlimited simultaneous connections against ExpressVPN's eight. For a family or anyone with a drawer of devices, decisive.
Censorship bypass
ExpressVPN
ExpressVPN's Lightway obfuscation is automatic and the most consistent in China and the UAE. Surfshark's Camouflage and NoBorders modes work often but not as reliably in expat reports.
Streaming
ExpressVPN
Both unblock Netflix, iPlayer, Disney+ and Hulu in user reports. Surfshark is inconsistent with Prime Video; ExpressVPN's MediaStreamer, Apple TV app and Aircove make televisions easier. Narrow edge to ExpressVPN.
Speed and protocols
ExpressVPN
Lightway and Surfshark's WireGuard are close in published tests; Lightway reconnects faster. Provisional — we have not measured either.
Audits
ExpressVPN
ExpressVPN has repeated KPMG and Cure53 audits of TrustedServer and apps; Surfshark has a Deloitte no-logs audit (2023) and Cure53 app audits. Both are credible; ExpressVPN's history is longer.
iOS app quality
ExpressVPN
In this month's App Store analysis ExpressVPN's app scores higher with a lower critical-complaint rate. Both carry a billing-complaint flag. Surfshark's app rates well on speed praise.
iOS, Android, Mac, Windows, Linux, Router, Browser, TV
iOS, Android, Mac, Windows, Linux, Router, Browser, TV
Devices
8
Unlimited
Countries
105
100
WireGuard
✓
✓
Kill switch
✓
✓
Obfuscation
✓
✓
RAM-only servers
✓
✓
Open-source apps
✗
✗
Split tunnelling
✓
✓
Multi-hop
✗
✓
Port forwarding
✗
✗
Ad blocker
✓
✓
P2P allowed
✓
✓
Free tier
✗
✗
Netflix
Works
Works
BBC iPlayer
Works
Works
Works in China
Works
Unreliable
Works in UAE
Works
Works
Cash / crypto
crypto
crypto
Live chat
✓
✓
iOS app score
78/100 (4.7★)
66/100 (4.7★)
Our lab test
Pending
Pending
iOS app quality
iOS app quality
App Store review analysis
2,870 most recent reviews across 6 storefronts, 2015-08-06 to 2026-09-04. Listing rating 4.68★ from 418,418 ratings. Version 12.71.0, released 2026-08-26.
78
Billing complaints 8.4%Sentiment improving last 90 daysCritical complaints 20%
iOS app quality
App Store review analysis
2,145 most recent reviews across 6 storefronts, 2019-02-08 to 2026-09-04. Listing rating 4.70★ from 128,114 ratings. Version 4.7.2, released 2026-09-04.
66
Billing complaints 12%Sentiment improving last 90 daysCritical complaints 32.3%
What the premium buys
ExpressVPN costs about $7.08 a month once renewals are counted; Surfshark about $4.41. The gap is not an accident — ExpressVPN has always positioned itself as the premium brand — and the honest question is what the extra money delivers.
Three things. First, censorship reliability: Lightway’s automatic obfuscation is the most consistent of any mainstream provider in China and the UAE, and Surfshark’s Camouflage mode, while it often works, is second-tier there. Second, device experience: ExpressVPN’s apps are the smoothest on every platform, the Apple TV app is native, and the Aircove router is the only way to buy a VPN pre-installed on hardware. Third, a longer audit history.
What the extra money does not buy is more privacy — both are inside conglomerates, and ExpressVPN’s owner Kape also owns three review sites — or more devices, where Surfshark’s unlimited count beats ExpressVPN’s eight, or better streaming, where they are close.
Where Surfshark wins outright
Devices and price. Unlimited simultaneous connections means one subscription covers a household with phones, tablets, laptops, TVs and a Fire Stick; ExpressVPN’s eight runs out. And the three-year cost is less than half. For the most common VPN uses — public Wi-Fi, streaming at home, general ISP privacy — Surfshark does the job for the price of a coffee a month.
Surfshark also adds a few things ExpressVPN lacks: Alternative ID for throwaway emails, Dynamic MultiHop, and CleanWeb ad blocking on every device.
Where ExpressVPN wins outright
Travel to censored countries. If you will be behind the Great Firewall or on Etisalat in Dubai, ExpressVPN’s record is the reason to pay. And televisions: MediaStreamer for consoles and old smart TVs, the Apple TV app, and Aircove make it the easier household product.
The iPhone apps
This month’s App Store analysis puts ExpressVPN’s iOS app clearly ahead, with a critical-complaint rate well below Surfshark’s. Both carry the billing-complaint flag — a subscription bought through the App Store that renewed unexpectedly is the most common complaint for both — but Surfshark’s rate is higher. Surfshark’s reviewers praise speed more; ExpressVPN’s praise reliability.
Price, honestly
Surfshark: about $54 for the first two years, then about $158 for the next two. ExpressVPN: about $140 for the first two years, then about $200 for the next two. Both hide the renewal in small text; both send people to the App Store’s cancellation page with a shock. The true cost calculator on this site does the sum for any term.
What we have not tested
Speed and leaks. Published tests put the two protocols within a few percent; our own numbers are pending, and the speed dimension is excluded from both scores until they land.
Frequently asked questions
Is ExpressVPN worth twice the price of Surfshark?
Only if you need what the premium buys: the most reliable obfuscation for China and the UAE, the smoothest apps, a native Apple TV app, and the Aircove router. For streaming, privacy on public Wi-Fi and general use, Surfshark delivers the same result at around 60% of the cost, with unlimited devices.
Which is better for streaming?
Both unblock the major services in user reports. ExpressVPN is marginally more consistent, particularly with Prime Video, and is easier on televisions. Surfshark's unlimited devices cover every screen in the house on one plan.
Which is faster?
Published tests put ExpressVPN's Lightway and Surfshark's WireGuard within a few percent of each other; Lightway reconnects faster after a network change. Our own tests are pending and the speed dimension is excluded from both scores until then.
Which works in China?
ExpressVPN, more reliably. Both must be installed before arrival. Surfshark's Camouflage mode works for many users but is less consistent in expat reports; the China guide has current status.
Are they owned by the same company?
No. ExpressVPN is owned by Kape Technologies; Surfshark by Nord Security, which also owns NordVPN. Kape's ownership of three review sites is the more significant fact for a reader of comparisons.
Which has the better refund policy?
Both offer 30 days on website purchases. App Store purchases follow Apple's rules for both.
