ExpressVPN vs Surfshark: polished apps or the lower price
By Jean Luc Poitier, SEO and growth marketing strategist · NordVPN Reviews · Updated October 1, 2026
Disclosure: this site reviews NordVPN and earns a commission if you sign up for it through our links. We earn nothing from ExpressVPN or Surfshark. Surfshark shares a parent company with NordVPN.
Surfshark is the better deal: it costs less on every long plan, renews for $79 a year against ExpressVPN's $99.95, has no device limit, and offers a 7-day trial on annual plans.
ExpressVPN is the pick if you value polish and a longer audit record: CNET named it the best VPN overall in September 2026, its no-logs policy has been checked four times by PwC and KPMG (Surfshark twice), and it sells cheaper month-to-month plans.
ExpressVPN vs Surfshark at a glance
| ExpressVPN | Surfshark | |
|---|---|---|
| Entry plan, 2 years | $2.99/mo, $83.72 for 28 months (some visits: $97.72) | $2.49/mo, $67.23 for 27 months |
| Entry plan renewal | $99.95/yr | $79/yr |
| Month to month | $14.99 | $16.45 |
| Free trial | 3 days via the app stores | 7 days on annual plans |
| Refund | 30 days, first-time customers | 30 days |
| Devices | 10 / 12 / 14 by tier | Unlimited |
| Servers | Count not published; 113 countries | 4,500+ in 100 countries |
| No-logs reviews | Four (PwC 2019; KPMG 2022, 2023, 2025) | Two (Deloitte 2023, 2025) |
| Owner | Kape Technologies | Same parent group as NordVPN since 2022 |
| PCMag | Editors' Choice, 4.0 (May 2026) | Editors' Choice, 4.5 (May 2026) |
| CNET best VPN list (Sep 2026) | Editors' Choice, best overall, 9.0 | Best value VPN, 8.6 |
| App Store (US) | 4.7 from 419,133 ratings | 4.7 from 130,568 ratings |
| Google Play (US) | 4.6 from 490,305 ratings | 4.6 from 309,872 ratings |
| Trustpilot, invited | 4.86 (49 recent reviews) | 4.85 (40 recent reviews) |
Figures checked against each company's published pages and review-platform listings as of 2026-10-01. “Not published” means the company does not publish that figure.
Price and renewals
Surfshark undercuts ExpressVPN on both the first term and the renewal: $67.23 for 27 months and then $79 a year, against $83.72 for 28 months and then $99.95. ExpressVPN's price varied between visits ($97.72 on some), so check what you're shown. Only month to month is ExpressVPN cheaper.
Devices, network, and extras
Surfshark has no device cap and lists 4,500+ servers in 100 countries, with ad blocking on every plan. ExpressVPN covers 10 to 14 devices, lists 113 countries without a server count, and moves its higher tiers toward identity protection, with up to $5 million of identity theft insurance on Pro.
What ExpressVPN and Surfshark reviewers say
Both invite Trustpilot reviews and score almost identically among invited reviewers. Reviewers of both praise value and ease of use; ExpressVPN's mention occasional streaming buffering, and Surfshark's mention sites that won't load on the VPN.
“Easy to install. Affordably priced.”Bill Wasserman, Trustpilot, September 2026 (ExpressVPN)
“Great price, and speed, for regular use.”RONALD TAYLOR, Trustpilot, September 2026 (Surfshark)
When neither ExpressVPN nor Surfshark fits
If you want servers in more countries, a longer no-logs record, and malware blocking in the same app, look at NordVPN: servers in 150 countries, six no-logs reviews by PwC and Deloitte, free Meshnet, and a PCMag Editors' Choice. It renews higher than both ($139.08 a year for Basic), so it suits people who value coverage over the lowest renewal. Compare it directly: NordVPN vs ExpressVPN and NordVPN vs Surfshark.
See NordVPN pricingExpressVPN vs Surfshark FAQ
Is ExpressVPN or Surfshark cheaper?+
Surfshark. Its 2-year Starter plan is $67.23 for 27 months and renews at $79 a year; ExpressVPN Basic showed $83.72 for 28 months on most visits and renews at $99.95. Month to month, ExpressVPN is cheaper ($14.99 vs $16.45).
Which has better reviews, ExpressVPN or Surfshark?+
They're level. Among their most recent invited Trustpilot reviews, ExpressVPN averaged 4.86 and Surfshark 4.85, and both rate 4.7 on the App Store and 4.6 on Google Play.
Who owns ExpressVPN and Surfshark?+
ExpressVPN belongs to Kape Technologies, which also owns CyberGhost and Private Internet Access. Surfshark merged with Nord Security, NordVPN's parent, in 2022.
How many devices do ExpressVPN and Surfshark allow?+
ExpressVPN allows 10, 12, or 14 by tier. Surfshark has no limit.