Anyone with any prior knowledge of VPN networks is likely familiar with the names ExpressVPN and NordVPN. The two private network companies offer some of the most dependable service available out there right now. But which company offers a more reliable service?

Whether you use the services for streaming shows from different countries or accessing some of your favorite music torrents, their things, you need to consider before committing to one or the other.

For a lot of people, it comes down to which one offers better potential value? While this might seem like the most important consideration, there are many other factors you need to take into play before committing. Because at the end of the day one product offers a superior service to the other one. If you want to know the answer to these questions, then you came to the right place. In this article, we take a close look at the two VPN giants and decide a definite winner between ExpressVPN vs NordVPN.

But before we decide on an answer, we first need to make sure everyone understands the nuances associated with the topic. Let us take a closer look at what a VPN is precisely, and how it functions. Then, we can declare a winner between ExpressVPN vs NordVPN.

What is a VPN?

If you are not familiar with VPNs, then let us give you a quick crash course. VPN stands for Virtual Private Network. Essentially, a virtual private network allows people to access information from shared and public systems.

Virtual private networks are either used for sharing private information or protecting someone's anonymity online. In many cases, anonymity is a significant thing. When you are anonymous online, you can avoid annoying ads, access content that many countries restrict, and prevent surveillance.

For example, Universities might use a VPN for sharing their education material with students. Or, a business might use a virtual private network for sharing personal contact information or other potentially sensitive documents.

Information on a virtual private network remains encoded in a way that denies access to the general public. If someone wants a content stored on the VPN, then they will need authentication, either in the form of a password or certification.

In an era where personal information is both legally and illegally taken from internet users browsing the web, a virtual private network provides an excellent level of added security against unwanted eyes.

When not used in an official capacity by a corporation or business, everyday internet users can use virtual private networks for navigating censorship laws in their country or accessing specific content that might be based only geographic locations.

For example, some networks, like the BBC only operate in Europe. However, with a VPN, someone in America would be able to access potential television series that only air in the UK. A user can also use their VPN to maintain a degree of anonymity while online.

As such, they work well in countries with heavy censorship on their internet content. Or for individuals that do not want their personal search history entering the hands of large corporations like Google. However, keep in mind that many internet providers install roadblocks that work to prevent VPN servers from functioning.

However, many VPN companies develop strategies or software that can circumnavigate many of the restrictions placed on the networks. This is where we get to the issue of ExpressVPN vs NordVPN.

Which VPN Provides Better Speed?

Woman using a tablet with expressVPN vs nordvpn

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Many times when you navigate a VPN, the speed at which you can upload, download or stream information plays vital importance in which company you decide is right for you. ExpressVPN remains the winner of the battle in terms of who offers a better speed.

The company tested a download speed of ninety-five megabits per second, eight megabits per second for upload speed and an overall ping speed of twenty-four milliseconds. Considering anything under forty milliseconds is deemed to be good, ExpressVPN blows it out of the water in this area.

Alternatively, NordVPN offers a download speed of ninety-five megabits per second, nine megabits per second for upload speed and thirty-three milliseconds for its ping score. So while NordVPN can upload things faster than ExpressVPN, it is on average a little bit slower.

However, we should note that people performed both of these tests in Europe. In Canada and the United States NordVPN could be hit or miss in terms of its performance. It all depends on where the person lives — near major urban areas, or in the middle of nowhere.

​Express​VPN vs ​Nord​VPN: Which VPN Provides Better Security?

Security between the two services remains tied — they both offer around the same level of protection. Unfortunately for NordVPN, ExpressVPN provides a slightly superior kill switch. A killswitch provides a failsafe if your VPN suddenly quits itself.

When a VPN unexpectedly quits, it is kind of like Harry Potter taking off his invisibility cloak – all of a sudden you expose yourself to whoever wants to see you. In some cases, if you live in a country with strict censorship laws, then you can potentially be targeted or prosecuted.

As such, a killswitch, which automatically exits any programs in the event of a malfunction, is incredibly important. Unfortunately, NordVPN on Macs only offers an app kill switch, not an internet one.

This means that when you use a Mac with NordVPN, and it suddenly quits, then your internet protocol address is exposed to third parties. ExpressVPN, on the other hand, offers a full function killswitch on every single operating system, giving it the slight edge again in terms of security.

Which VPN Provides Better Additional Features?

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Both services offer some specific features that the other one lacks. ExpressVPN gives users a tunnel splitting option. As the name of this feature suggests, it allows you to differentiate between public and private content.

You can use either program content to appear encrypted on the VPN, or allow it to look as public information — unencrypted. ExpressVPN also protects against DNS leaking. A DNS is a domain name server. In the case of a VPN, a DNS would hold the names of all the users accessing it.

However, with ExpressVPN, the DNS for each person is a self-contained property. This prevents any chance of someone hacking into a database and accessing all of the information about the users. The company also offers more access to streaming technology on Netflix and the BBC.

NordVPN also offers additional features. The double hop feature allows users to seamlessly hop from one VPN to another without needing to log in and out. Unfortunately, this double network feature does slow down the performance a little.

NordVPN also gives access to ad block feature that protects against potential malware, viruses, and unwanted advertising. NordVPN also contains a streaming feature that allows it to work well with Netflix. However, it does not offer the same access to BBC as ExpressVPN.

​Express​VPN vs ​Nord​VPN: Which VPN Provides Better Reliability?

Sign that is showing VPN

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In terms of reliability, ExpressVPN is another clear winner in the battle of ExpressVPN vs NordVPN. The service is a winner mainly because NordVPN various network and connection problems depending on where you try accessing it geographically.

If you try to access it in an area without excellent internet infrastructure, then you might find that the speeds remain exceptionally slow. Or, the service does not connect at all. Another problem with the NordVPN service is Mac compatibility.

While service certainly made strides for improving the service for people with Apple product, the fact remains that occasional bugs still plague the iOS products.

ExpressVPN, on the other hand, did not crash or exhibit bugs of any kind. When compared with NordVPN it comes out more stable connection speeds and features that work when you use them. As such, ExpressVPN remains on top in terms of reliability.

​Express​VPN vs ​Nord​VPN: Which VPN Provides Better Overall Value?

ExpressVPN currently offers three different plans. The first plan is twelve dollars and ninety-five cents per month for one month of access to the VPN. The second plan is ten dollars per month for six months of access to the VPN. The last project is eight dollars and thirty-two cents for twelve months of access.

So, with ExpressVPN, you can either pay more and not be tied down, or commit to a year-long contract and receive a pretty good discount. It depends on how long you see yourself need the virtual private network.

NordVPN, on the other hand, offers a slightly more affordable pricing plan, though like ExpressVPN it is also based on monthly and yearly contracts. For NordVPN, a one month plan cost eleven dollars and ninety-five cents per month.

A one year plan costs six dollars and ninety-nine cents per month, two years costs three dollars and ninety-nine cents per month, and three years costs two dollars and ninety-nine cents. So, NordVPN offers a slightly more affordable contracting plan than ExpressVPN, but with more extended general contracts.

​ExpressVPN vs. NordVPN: Which is Superior?

Woman using a smartphone with expressVPN vs nordvpn

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If you cannot tell from the comparisons in each section, ExpressVPN is the clear winner of the competition. Most of the time, the service only beat NordVPN by limited quantities. While the speed differences between the two functions might seem like a big deal, the reality is they are not that different. ExpressVPN offers slightly faster service, but at the same time, NordVPN offers speedier upload speeds. As such, it depends on what you want to do on the virtual private network.

If you plan on uploading large quantities of files and data, then you might prefer NordVPN for speed. Alternatively, if you only want to stream some shows, then ExpressVPN will offer you a better experience. However, the price makes a big difference too.

In terms of the overall value, we believe that NordVPN’s three-year plan, which offers three years of service a two dollars and ninety-nine cents per month, is a clear winner.

Many people want the best deal they can get — they do not care about the details of features and connection speed. As such, we think the comparison between NordVPN and ExpressVPN is kind of like comparing a luxury automotive brand with a more affordable one.

Yes, one is technically superior in spec than the other, but the affordable brands represent a better value for the average person who uses the product. As such, we think the specifics about the product come down to the personal circumstances of the person using them.

Another thing that we should mention is that there are some things that neither service provides which may be important for some potential customers. For example, neither ExpressVPN or NordVPN offers port forwarding, which can unfortunately cripple may be player to player interactions.

Other services PIA virtual private networks offer port forwarding, but at a higher price. This consideration is something we believe you should keep in mind.

We hope this article helped provide you with a definitive answer for who wins the ExpressVPN vs. NordVPN battle. In our opinion, ExpressVPN remains superior to NordVPN in almost every respect.

However, if you do not care about this kind of minor differences and only want the less expensive service, then we recommend that you go with NordVPN. Even though the service is not as excellent as ExpressVPN, it does not mean that it is a lousy service.

On the contrary, it is a pretty dependable service at an affordable price. As such, we do not think you can go wrong when you choose between the two services. However, if you want the best one, then select ExpressVPN.

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