Surfshark Vs ExpressVPN Comparison
VPN is a widely used term in the cyber world mostly for the innumerable advantages that it provides. This blog is going to cover about two such VPN's which number among the top 10 and give you a fair comparison on what each VPN provides and what can be an advantage for you. Right from the monthly rate to the number of servers, we are going to cover it all. The two in focus VPNs are Surfshark and ExpressVPN.
Let's start with a short summary of why a VPN is so important for you and what privileges it provides.
VPN or Virtual Private Network takes care of your information online. It acts as a protective sheet when you are accessing your files online, protecting it from foreign entities present on the same network you are accessing like hundreds of other people. When you access your data via a Wi-Fi you may be exposing your personal data putting your personal files and browsing history at risk and to protect this leak of information VPNs are used. You should own one of the VPNs if you don't want you to be concerned about your data's safety.
ADVANTAGES OF OWNING A VPNVPN provides countless pros for you to consider buying it. Some advantages are listed below.
- VPN hides your browsing history.
- When you access via VPN, no one will be able to trace your location and IP address.
- It will give your IP address access to streaming your favorite shows even if you are not in your country.
- VPN protects your device. Be it a computer laptop or even a smartphone. VPN does not allow the information in your device to leak even if your gadget is hooked to a public Wi-Fi.
- Your internet browsing history is accessible to your network operator and he may share it with a third party. For avoiding such situations a VPN also hides your browsing history from everyone.
- VPN also protect you from identity theft. In today's world with information at the tip of your fingers, hackers and online thieves have been exploiting this power greatly. Identity theft has become a major issue, hence having a VPN also saves you from this crime.
Now that we have extended our knowledge on the VPN topic, let's dive in and consider the two VPNs that you may want to buy.
But first of all, let me tell you what you should be looking at before you commit to a network.
- The level of security the brand will provide your data.
- If the protocol they run is the latest.
- The location of the brand's servers.
- If the brand applies any data limits.
- If the brand allows VPN access of multiple devices
- The monthly cost the brand expects.
Please try and consider at least these criteria before you invest your money. Researching your desired brand is very important if you don't want to regret investing your money in the wrong brand. So read along and find out about the difference between Surfshark and ExpressVPN.
Let's start by getting to know both the brands individually and then we shall compare the services they provide.
Surfshark VS ExpressVPN: Overview
ABOUT SurfShark
Surfshark is one of the best VPNs out there. It offers you ultimate quality with minimum cost. Surfshark is used by hundreds of people and has more than 1700 serves in more than 60 countries. Surfshark does have a really fast network speed and it also is very safe for torrenting.
Surfshark is a space that is a full-blown advanced functional experience with a, particularly low price. It is difficult to find a VPN that gives the features as many as Surfshark and at such a low price. Surfshark allows you to unblock Netflix, which is a huge deal. Along with so many features that the brand provides it also has a pretty cheap two-year plan. If you get stuck somewhere, it also provides very fast and helpful live chat support.
But Surfshark also gives a few hindrances, the trial program that the brand provides is only applicable for mobile apps and Macs. They don't share a very detailed privacy policy that other VPNs may provide. The kill switch may also create a few issues.
All in all, Surfshark, gives the best quality at a cheap price.
ABOUT ExpressVPN
ExpressVPN is a well-known brand in the VPN world. It provides a lot of advantages for the users. Being one of the top 10, ExpressVPN has to be on the go in the market and it does provide the necessary features that are important when you are in such a huge competition. ExpressVPN has 160 locations in more than 94 countries and offers great performance from most of its servers. ExpessVPN also provides amazing support from their side.
However, ExpressVPN has above-average rates and not as many features. Unlike a few other brands ExpressVPN also requires a Browser Extension for its app. The Android App that the brand provides operates on OpenVPN only.
Now, Let's get on with comparing these two brands. We will compare the two with the help of a few criteria which are VPN essentials.
Surfshark vs ExpressVPN: Pricing Battle
Pricing is an important aspect while you buy anything for that matter. You do not want to spend a lot of money each month.
Surfshark does have an edgy monthly value.
The monthly price that the brand provides is a little greater than usual. However, the features that Surfshark provides is greater in number and hence justifies the price. However, you do save loads if you apply for a year directly. But, honestly, the two-year plan blows my mind. It is the cheapest plan out there and with so many features it is just hard not to accept this plan.
If you are worried about the long commitment, let me tell you that this two-year plan is cheaper than what other brands are charging for their one year plan. You get a 7-day trial period for Android, iOS, and Mac whereas other brands won't even give a trial period. But even after this you are not satisfied with the product, you do have the advantage of a 30-day money-back guarantee. So it is a win-win situation.
Surfshark also provides various payment options. So you can pay using credit cards, Amazon, Google, and Ali Pay as well.
These are the plans which ExpressVPN provides:This plan may clearly not seem very cheap, but this is the average rate that goes around. Cheapest being 9$-10$, so it pretty much cuts the deal. The 6-month plan is also pretty ideal, since most of the competitors don't provide a 6-month plan at all. It gives you a small appreciable discount. But, if you choose the yearly plan you do save as much as 35% which seems like a pretty good deal to me.
You also have access to various discounts the brand provides and you sure can save up a lot in such offers. Even ExpressVPN allows you to pay via several methods like Bitcoin, cards, or AliPay.
Just like other brands, ExpressVPN gives you a 7-day trial and a 30-day money-back guarantee if you are not satisfied with the service.
In this round, Surfshark clearly takes the lead. It provides amazing features at a low price.
Surfshark Vs ExpressVPN: Server Comparison
Servers clearly are an important aspect when you talk about a VPN. It strictly applies to the saying of the more the merrier. If your VPN has a small number of servers your internet speed will for sure be hampered. Your video streaming and downloads can really suffer due to this. This happens when a lot of crowds is accumulated on the server you are using. So you must choose a VPN with a large number of servers to keep you away from the super annoying buffering.
The competitors we are discussing today, sure understand the importance of providing as many servers as possible. To clear the air, Surfshark provides as many as 1040+ servers but ExpressVPN is the owner of 3000+ servers which is a really big achievement.
Surfshark Vs ExpressVPN: Privacy
Almost all the VPNs claim to have the best privacy policies and yet they fail to prove how their brand is the best in the field of privacy. Both of the brands we are comparing today are based in the British Virgin Islands which means that the companies don't have to keep a log of their customer's actions. This justifies that both brands do have a strong foothold when it comes to privacy.
Surfshark 's privacy features contain secure protocols, AES-256 encryption, and also have a kill switch which makes sure to lose internet access to prevent identity theft if there is any risk of connection failure.
But along with this Surfshark also has its private DNS connected to it's every server which allows you extreme privacy and also has the VPN hop which allows you to keep your identity super secret.
Surfshark only keeps a record of your email address and your billings. Other than that a few obscure things like the performance your device allows or the frequency of your use which are usually kept anonymous.
ExpressVPN, unlike other companies, gives you actual reasons for why it is better at the privacy part. Along with the regular privacy protocols which every VPN has to feature, ExpressVPN also uses HMAC (Hash Message Authentication Code) which protects the real data to be altered. The brand also supports Perfect Forward Secrecy, which adds another layer of protection for the user's privacy, this layer assigns you a new code, every time you get connected, and replaces it after every hour of online use.
Just like Surfhsark, ExpressVPN also features DNS. It's own private DNS on every server, a zero-knowledge, 256-bit encrypted DNS. So this gives you the security of any attackers who may want to access your data.
Both the competitors are equally amazing when it comes to keeping your private data secure.
Surfshark Vs ExpressVPN: Server Location
Several locations allow you to have more flexibility in your use. It also gives you an advantage of increased speed. The more locations your VPN is on the more ink advantage you will have. If you connect to a server that is close to your country or is in your country the stronger network you will receive. Not to mention way better speed. Hence, you need to consider the location of your VPN.
If you are a resident of a country that censors the internet you use, these servers which are available outside your country will allow you to surf the internet with maximum freedom. There is not an actual number that confirms the better brand but yet Surfshark has its servers based in 64 countries, whereas ExpressVPN has it based in about 94 countries which cover about 160 locations.
Clearly, ExpressVPN has the better hand over this feature.Operating System Support:
This is an important aspect. You sure want a service that covers your desktops, laptops, smartphones, and even your tablet. Paid services often allow such services so it is obvious our competitors will provide maximum operating system support.
Both Surfshark, as well as ExpressVPN, serve the following:So it pretty much can be used by most of the system operators.
The number of VPN that your service provides is a huge deal. The number of devices that connect to the internet in your house is of course more than two at least. There's your laptop, your phone, and even consider your voice assistant, so you must make sure that the VPN you purchase covers all your devices to enjoy that amazing security and privacy.
ExpressVPN allows only a limited number of 5 devices to be attached, but Surfshark gives you the liberty of connecting unlimited amounts of devices, which is pretty cool. Surfshark is the only VPN that allows you this unlimited access. The most device connections you can expect from other VPNs range to not more than 10.
In case your connection with the VPN is disconnected for any reason, your device most probably starts using the public IP address which may add a little risk to whatever the user is working on. Which will allow people to access your IP address until you reconnect to your VPN?
To avoid this situation, many VPNs provide a kill switch which quickly servers your connection to the internet, and avoids any damage to your data. This allows you to keep your IP address and online activities a secret.
To our relief, Surfshark as well as ExpressVPN has the kill switch feature and has proved to be a reliable feature.
Speed is one of the most important features when you use a VPN. You need to have maximum speed.
When Surfshark was tested it gave a lot of positive results. There were no connection failures, connections seemed to be faster than average, and all the servers did return their IP addresses to the designated locations. The lowest the speed Surfshark delivered was at 119Mbps, which is usually more than enough for most people. The average speed delivered was at 150-160 Mbps.
After choosing distant servers, the performance becomes inconsistent but is still usable. After taking all of this into consideration Surfshark does provide pretty nice performance all the time.
When you consider ExpressVPN, it connects to the server in a matter of 2-5 seconds and does not offer any connectivity issues at all. The average result that is delivered is at 200-250 Mbps the lowest ranking to 157Mbps which is way better than what Surfshark offers. This depends on the number of servers, if the number of servers is huge, you get a wider spectrum of bandwidth and hence a nicer performance even when it is crowded.
Even while using distant servers, ExpressVPN gave a speed of about 60Mbps which is appreciable.
All in all, both brands provide pretty decent speed quality.
An advantage of using VPNs is that it gives access to geo-blocked websites. For example, what you want to stream is US based and can not be accessed by anyone outside the country, you can simply switch to the US-based server and enjoy streaming your favorite shows.
Surfshark has claimed that you can bypass various websites. This includes Netflix, Youtube, BBC iPlayer, which can be a little issue at times, but Surfshark has successfully allowed it to be accessible. Amazon Prime Video is accessible too. However, not all servers give access to Prime Videos. Surfshark has around 15 Netflix Libraries which you may not find at ExpressVPN.
ExpressVPN on the other hand allows you to access Netflix, BBC iPlayer, Amazon Prime, and even geo-blocked Youtube sites while connected to the network. But, here is an advantage when it comes to Ad blocking. Surshark blocks most of the advertisements from your page, but ExpressVPN fails to do so.
This proves that both brands are as good as the other when it comes to accessibility.
Features & Benefits Of SurfShark
- 1040+ servers in 64 countries
- It gives browser extension for Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox.
- Offers unlimited connections and strong encryptions
- Accepts bitcoins
- Gives a 30-day money-back guarantee.
- Offers a 7-day trial
- 24/7 Live Chat is available.
- It offers an unlimited number of devices to be attached.
- It offers a mobile app.
- Installs smoothly and fast and is user friendly.
- 3000+ servers in 94 countries
- Has not traffic limits and is very fast
- No-Logging Policy
- Allows streaming geo-restricted sites.
- Offers a 30-day money-back guarantee
- Available as a mobile app
- Permits 5 devices to be attached.
FAQs
SurfShark ReviewSurfshark Vs ExpressVPN & Testimonials?
ExpressVPN ReviewA VPN network is a huge deal, for people who take care of their data to a great extent. You should always be aware of what is happening to your data and that no other person is using it. And for that having a VPN really pays off. The two brands which we have discussed today are the best in the field and allow you to exploit their potential to a great level.
Surfshark is the best VPN. I have already mentioned what wonders it allows. I will yet again appreciate that the brand allows so many amazing features at a really low price. You should really consider Surfshark if you are on a budget.
ExpressVPN on the other hand gives many more commendable features. The server network that ExpressVPN has is plausible and no wonder will give amazing speed with the extent of their bandwidth.
All in all, both the brands offer almost the same features with differences in it's working. For example, Surfshark is cheaper but ExpressVPN offers better speed. So, while you consider purchasing one of the two, make sure you are well aware of the performance that the two provide.