ExpressVPN vs Surfshark: which one wins?

Three gaps decide this matchup. Price: Surfshark’s two-year Starter deal is $67.23 for the first 27 months, then $79.00 a year; ExpressVPN’s two-year Basic deal is $89.32 for the first 28 months, then $99.95 a year. Devices: Surfshark sets no connection limit, while ExpressVPN caps you at 10, 12, or 14 depending on tier. And timing: ExpressVPN has suspended its 30-day money-back guarantee for purchases made during its Summer Tech Sweepstakes promo, 11 Jul – 11 Aug 2026 — its own pricing table marks the guarantee “Not applicable” during that window.

ExpressVPN keeps real advantages: servers in 113 countries against Surfshark’s 100, registration in the British Virgin Islands, and Lightway, its open-source post-quantum protocol. Both providers sit high in our full VPN rankings; the sections below show where each edge actually bites.

Every spec where they differ

ExpressVPN vs Surfshark, as of 23 Jul 2026

Spec	ExpressVPN	Surfshark
1-month price	$14.99 (Basic)	$16.45 (Starter)
2-year intro rate	$3.19/mo ($89.32 for 28 months)	$2.49/mo ($67.23 for 27 months)
Renewal after intro term	$99.95/year	$79.00/year
Simultaneous devices	10, 12, or 14 by tier	Unlimited
Server countries	113	100
Protocols	Lightway, WireGuard, OpenVPN, IKEv2	WireGuard, IKEv2, OpenVPN
No-logs audit	KPMG, 2025	Deloitte, 2025
Registered in	British Virgin Islands	Netherlands (terms under BVI law)
Free trial	3 days, mobile apps only	7 days, 12- and 24-month plans only
Money-back guarantee	30 days, paused 11 Jul – 11 Aug 2026	30 days, first purchase only

The tie rows matter too: both run RAM-only server fleets that wipe on every reboot, neither offers a permanent free plan, and each completed an independent no-logs engagement in 2025.

What each one actually costs

Most comparisons quote the intro rate and stop. Here is the full ladder, renewal included:

Term	ExpressVPN Basic	Surfshark Starter
1 month	$14.99, renews at $14.99/mo	$16.45, renews at $16.45/mo
2-year deal, first term	$89.32 for 28 months ($3.19/mo)	$67.23 for 27 months ($2.49/mo)
Every year after	$99.95 (about $8.33/mo)	$79.00 (about $6.58/mo)

Month to month, ExpressVPN is the cheaper one — $14.99 against $16.45. Every longer term flips the order, and the gap survives renewal: once the intro period ends you pay $79.00 a year for Surfshark Starter and $99.95 for ExpressVPN Basic.

Three footnotes before you commit. ExpressVPN’s higher tiers cost more than most people expect: Advanced is $16.99/mo and renews at $119.95 a year, Express Pro is $22.99/mo and renews at $199.95 a year — and the extra money buys mostly non-VPN bundles (password manager, eSIM data, identity tools). Surfshark also sells One and One+ tiers that add antivirus and Incogni data removal; the prices above are for the VPN-only Starter tier. And Surfshark’s terms reserve the right to A/B-test displayed renewal prices, so the renewal you’re shown can differ from the published schedule.

Can you get a refund right now?

From Surfshark, yes: 30 days on any first purchase. The fine print excludes renewals (recurring payments are non-refundable), purchases through resellers other than Paddle, Google Play, or Cleverbridge, prepaid and gift cards, and add-ons such as the anonymous dedicated IP.

From ExpressVPN, not at the moment. Purchases made during its Summer Tech Sweepstakes promo, 11 Jul – 11 Aug 2026, are excluded from the 30-day guarantee. Outside promo windows, the guarantee covers first-time users only, excludes Apple App Store and Google Play in-app purchases, and gives unintended renewals a 14-day refund window.

Trials follow the same pattern. ExpressVPN offers a 3-day trial through its iOS and Android apps only. Surfshark offers 7 days on its 12- and 24-month plans — capped at 3 devices, payment method required, and it auto-charges the full plan when the week ends.

How many devices can one plan cover?

Surfshark allows unlimited simultaneous connections on every paid plan; only the trial is capped at 3 devices. One account covers every phone, laptop, and TV in the house. ExpressVPN ties its cap to tier: 10 devices on Basic, 12 on Advanced, 14 on Express Pro — plenty for one person, tight for a family with smart TVs and consoles.

Most comparison pages treat device limits as a footnote. For shared households it is the whole decision. If unlimited connections appeal but you want to weigh Surfshark against a bigger network, see NordVPN vs Surfshark compared.

Whose network is bigger?

ExpressVPN lists servers in 113 countries across 214+ locations. Surfshark lists 4,500+ servers in 100 countries and says all of them now run on 10Gbps ports. Raw counts won’t tell you which is faster from your sofa, but if you need an IP address in a specific, less-common country, the 13-country gap is worth checking against both live server lists before you pay.

On protocols, ExpressVPN defaults to Lightway — its own open-source protocol, written in Rust with post-quantum ML-KEM encryption — and also offers a customized WireGuard with post-quantum protection on Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, and Apple TV, plus OpenVPN and IKEv2. Surfshark supports WireGuard, IKEv2, and OpenVPN across its entire network. For what the protocol choice changes in practice, see WireGuard vs OpenVPN explained.

Third-party speed tests disagree on the winner, so treat any single “X is faster” verdict with suspicion and use the refund window to test your own connection.

Who has the stronger privacy story?

Both clear bars most VPNs miss. Each runs a RAM-only fleet — ExpressVPN’s TrustedServer design, audited by PwC and Cure53, and Surfshark’s “100% RAM-only” network — so nothing persists on disk between reboots. The differences sit in the paperwork.

Registration. ExpressVPN is registered in the British Virgin Islands, which it describes as a jurisdiction with strong privacy laws. Surfshark is Surfshark B.V. of Amsterdam — a Dutch company — with terms of service governed by BVI law.

Audit access. ExpressVPN’s 2025 KPMG engagement (ISAE 3000 Type 1, covering TrustedServer and its no-logs claims as of 28 Feb 2025, no issues identified) is its third with KPMG, and anyone can download the report after accepting KPMG’s terms. Surfshark’s 2025 Deloitte engagement — its second, after a Jan 2023 audit — is readable only by logged-in Surfshark customers. If you want to verify before you buy, ExpressVPN makes that easier.

Ownership. ExpressVPN is part of the Kape Group. Surfshark merged with Nord Security, NordVPN’s parent, in February 2022; both companies say they operate autonomously on separate infrastructure. Neither is independent — worth knowing if ownership shapes your trust.

The deeper history on each provider is in our ExpressVPN review and our Surfshark review.

Which should you choose?

Choose Surfshark if:

• one subscription must cover a whole household — connections are unlimited on every paid plan
• you want the lowest long-term price: $2.49/month intro, $79.00 a year on renewal
• you want a refund window that works today — 30 days on any first purchase

Choose ExpressVPN if:

• you need a country location Surfshark doesn’t offer — it lists 113 countries to Surfshark’s 100
• you want to read the audit report before paying — KPMG’s 2025 report downloads after accepting its terms
• you’ll pay month to month, where $14.99 beats $16.45
• you want Lightway’s post-quantum encryption as the default protocol

Common questions

Frequently asked questions

Is ExpressVPN more expensive than Surfshark?

On multi-month terms, yes. ExpressVPN's two-year deal costs $89.32 for the first 28 months and renews at $99.95 a year; Surfshark's costs $67.23 for the first 27 months and renews at $79.00. Month to month the order flips: ExpressVPN charges $14.99, Surfshark $16.45.

Does Surfshark have unlimited devices?

Yes — every paid Surfshark plan allows unlimited simultaneous connections; only its 7-day trial is capped at 3 devices. ExpressVPN's cap depends on tier: 10 devices on Basic, 12 on Advanced, 14 on Express Pro.

Which has more server countries, ExpressVPN or Surfshark?

ExpressVPN lists 113 server countries and 214+ locations; Surfshark lists 100 countries with 4,500+ servers, all on 10Gbps ports. If a specific country matters to you, check both live server lists before buying.

Is Surfshark faster than ExpressVPN?

No clear answer — third-party test results disagree on the winner. Both run WireGuard-family protocols, which matter more for speed than server counts. Test on your own connection inside the trial or refund window.

Which is better for privacy, ExpressVPN or Surfshark?

It's close. Both run RAM-only servers and both completed independent no-logs engagements in 2025 — KPMG for ExpressVPN, Deloitte for Surfshark. ExpressVPN's report is downloadable by anyone who accepts KPMG's terms; Surfshark's is visible only to logged-in customers. ExpressVPN is registered in the British Virgin Islands; Surfshark is a Dutch company whose terms are governed by BVI law.

Which is better for streaming, ExpressVPN or Surfshark?

Third-party reviews report that both work with major streaming services, with ExpressVPN often described as slightly more consistent and Surfshark as the better value. Neither provider publishes reproducible unblocking data, so treat those reports as directional and test with your own accounts during the refund window.