00:00 If you've already researched the best VPNs around,
00:02 then there are two names
00:03 that will probably stand out to you,
00:05 ExpressVPN and NordVPN.
00:07 These two giants have been on the leading edge of VPNs
00:10 for several years now,
00:11 but it can be difficult to cut through
00:13 all the contradictory advice online
00:15 and come to a conclusion about which is best for you.
00:17 Here, we'll compare them head to head in all the key areas,
00:20 drawing on our own hands-on reviews
00:22 and long-term use of both providers.
00:25 And when you've made up your mind,
00:26 just use the links in the description
00:28 to get the best price and some TechRadar exclusive deals.
00:32 To start, let's take a look
00:34 at how these two match up on paper.
00:36 Express is based in the British Virgin Isles
00:41 and has over 3,000 servers in 94 countries,
00:44 a fully audited privacy policy,
00:46 supports P2P on every server,
00:49 offers 24/7 live chat support,
00:52 and can be used on five devices per plan.
00:54 NordVPN is based in Panama,
00:56 has over 5,500 servers in 60 countries,
01:00 is also fully audited,
01:01 supports P2P on selected servers,
01:04 offers 24/7 live chat support,
01:05 and can be used on six devices per plan.
01:08 So the two providers are pretty evenly matched on paper.
01:11 Nord has more servers,
01:12 but ExpressVPN's 3,000 is plenty,
01:15 and its wider spread means it may be more appealing
01:18 if you're outside of the US or Europe.
01:20 But how do the two compare in practice?
01:23 Privacy is one area that no VPN user should skimp on,
01:26 and Express and Nord both boast
01:28 impressive privacy credentials.
01:30 Both are built upon AES-256 encryption.
01:33 Both have apps certified by the IOXT Alliance,
01:37 and both offer perfect forward security,
01:39 meaning that even if one session is compromised,
01:41 your next will be protected again
01:43 through the use of a different key.
01:45 Both providers also claim to block DNS leaks,
01:48 and our test backed this up.
01:49 However, ExpressVPN runs its own
01:52 zero-knowledge, 256-bit encrypted DNS on all servers.
01:56 Keeping that sort of work under its own roof
01:58 is a good sign.
01:59 Nord offers a couple of extra features
02:01 that Express doesn't,
02:02 namely its Onion over VPN and double VPN connection modes.
02:06 Relatively few users are likely to benefit from these,
02:09 but having them as an option is excellent.
02:11 Both providers have had their controversial moments.
02:14 Express was recently acquired by Cape Technologies,
02:17 which has somewhat of a checkered past.
02:20 However, at TechRadar, we're confident
02:22 that Express's commitment to user privacy
02:24 hasn't been compromised.
02:25 In 2018, NordVPN had a data breach
02:29 at a single Finnish server.
02:30 No users were affected,
02:32 but Nord's handling of the issue wasn't exactly stellar.
02:35 It took over a year to disclose that information.
02:38 Overall, Express and Nord are two of the most secure
02:41 private VPNs on the market,
02:42 and honestly, a neck and neck here.
02:44 If you think you'd get the use out of them,
02:46 Nord's niche features could sway your decision,
02:48 but for most, the choice will be made elsewhere.
02:51 Tying into privacy is the logging status
02:54 of ExpressVPN and NordVPN.
02:56 Both providers have well-written
02:58 comprehensive logging policies,
02:59 and in them, they state that neither VPN
03:02 collects any information that could tie back to you
03:04 and your activity.
03:06 Nord and Express both have had their logging policies
03:09 verified through an independent audit.
03:11 Thanks to this, we're confident in saying
03:13 that neither Express nor Nord will ever log your activity.
03:18 A VPN's connection speeds are hugely important,
03:21 and a large part of our testing program
03:23 involves speed testing VPNs in a range of environments.
03:26 On our gigabit line, both Nord and Express
03:29 proved to be very fast VPNs.
03:31 When using its lightweight protocol,
03:33 Express delivered a peak of 630 megabits per second.
03:36 The slowest we saw over our tests
03:38 was 270 megabits per second using OpenVPN.
03:41 NordVPN delivered a slightly higher peak
03:44 of 760 megabits per second.
03:46 When using the WireGuard-based NordLynx protocol.
03:49 However, it dipped lower than Express
03:51 to 220 megabits per second when using OpenVPN.
03:55 Results from an ultra-fast line
03:56 aren't exactly reflective of day-to-day use though.
03:59 So we also tested both services on an average line
04:02 that delivered 62 megabits per second.
04:05 In this test, Nord maxed out at 56 megabits per second
04:08 and Express, 52.
04:10 So then NordVPN is able to reach
04:13 marginally higher maximum speeds in ideal situations.
04:16 But in real life, there's very little separating the two.
04:19 If you think you'll be using OpenVPN regularly,
04:22 then we think Express is probably the way to go.
04:24 Unblocking streaming sites is now a core part
04:28 of using a VPN and both Nord and Express
04:30 are confident in their claims.
04:32 Since we started testing VPNs years ago,
04:35 Express has continuously been a front runner.
04:37 It's able to unlock Prime Video, Disney+
04:40 and Netflix libraries from across the US, UK, Canada,
04:43 Australia, and others, as well as regional sites
04:46 like the BBC iPlayer, ESPN, Crave, and Kayo.
04:50 We currently rate ExpressVPN as both the best Netflix VPN
04:54 and the best streaming VPN.
04:55 And in the rare instances that we've had issues,
04:58 ExpressVPN support team has gotten us up and running again
05:01 without any hassle.
05:02 That's not to say that Nord's not a good alternative though.
05:05 At the time of filming,
05:06 it's able to unblock a ton of Netflix libraries
05:09 and other geo-block sites,
05:11 but in the past we've seen some fluctuations
05:13 in its performance.
05:14 Overall, both Express and Nord
05:16 are two of the best VPNs for streaming,
05:18 but Express just takes this one
05:20 thanks to its historic reliability
05:22 and excellent support team.
05:23 VPNs and torrenting go hand in hand.
05:27 So making sure your chosen provider
05:29 is up to the job is essential.
05:31 ExpressVPN doesn't boast about torrenting on its website.
05:34 In fact, it barely mentions it at all.
05:36 But if you dig into the details,
05:38 you'll find that it supports P2P
05:40 on every one of its 3000 servers.
05:43 Combined with its effective kill switch,
05:45 split tunneling on most apps and great speeds,
05:47 it's the perfect VPN for torrenting.
05:50 Nord isn't quite as simple.
05:51 To torrent with it,
05:52 you'll have to select a dedicated P2P server
05:55 from a smaller list.
05:56 However, with its kill switch and SOC 5 proxy,
05:59 it's still a great choice,
06:01 but it only supports split tunneling on Windows
06:03 and Android, not Mac.
06:05 In practice, both Express and Nord
06:08 are excellent options for P2P,
06:10 but Express is the better choice
06:12 if torrenting is the main reason you're getting a VPN.
06:14 Express is available on a huge range of devices.
06:24 And no matter what you wanna get protected on,
06:26 it has an app or setup guide ready and waiting.
06:28 The apps are also super simple to get up and running,
06:31 and the interface is almost identical,
06:33 no matter what platform you're using.
06:35 Once you've used one, you've used them all.
06:38 Nord also has a good range of apps for most common devices,
06:41 but not quite as many as Express.
06:44 Most notably, routers.
06:45 Nord requires manual setup on routers,
06:48 while Express has a dedicated app
06:50 that makes installation much easier.
06:52 It's also worth noting
06:53 that we found the Express VPN app layout
06:55 much easier to use in a hurry, especially on mobile.
06:59 While Nord's map is attractive on desktop,
07:01 on smaller devices, it can be a little troublesome.
07:04 And finally, Nord's interface on some devices,
07:06 like the Amazon Fire Stick, is totally different,
07:09 and can take some time to get used to.
07:11 Express and Nord have some of the best apps on the market,
07:14 and both cover an excellent range of devices.
07:17 However, Express noses ahead with its simpler design
07:20 and wider compatibility.
07:22 Whether you're a newbie or a VPN veteran,
07:24 quality support is essential in case something goes awry.
07:28 Since we began reviewing VPNs,
07:30 we've considered Express's support
07:31 to be quite simply the best.
07:33 The articles are well-written
07:34 in clear, understandable language,
07:36 and there are troubleshooting pages and setup guides
07:39 for just about every circumstance.
07:41 The live chat support is quick, knowledgeable,
07:43 and very helpful.
07:44 We really couldn't ask for more.
07:46 Nord's support is excellent too,
07:48 with live chat as well as plenty of support articles.
07:51 However, the depth and breadth of the articles
07:53 don't quite match up to Express.
07:55 It's a close one, but from our experience,
07:57 we'd rate Express support marginally higher.
08:00 Finally, we come to the big one, price.
08:04 In our full review process,
08:05 we don't really take price into account when rating VPNs,
08:08 but for customers, it can be a make or break detail.
08:11 Express isn't known as a cheap VPN,
08:13 and if you're only signing up for a single month,
08:16 you'll be paying a hefty 12.95.
08:18 Sign up for six months and you'll save a little,
08:20 knocking the price down to 9.99 a month.
08:23 Further savings come when you commit for a year,
08:26 which works out around 8.32 a month.
08:28 However, if you head to expressvpn.com/techradardeal
08:33 or click on the link in our description,
08:35 you'll be able to grab an exclusive three months for free,
08:38 dropping the price to a much more reasonable 6.67 a month.
08:42 NordVPN starts off a little cheaper
08:45 on the one month plan at 11.99.
08:48 And if you commit to a one year plan,
08:50 that will drop to 4.99.
08:52 If you click on the link in the description,
08:54 you'll be able to bag yourself the cheapest deal available.
08:57 NordVPN varies its price regularly,
08:59 but you'll often be able to bag a two year plan
09:02 that will work out at less than 3.50 a month.
09:05 Overall, ExpressVPN and NordVPN are pretty closely matched
09:10 and we're comfortable recommending both providers.
09:12 However, in a number of key areas like apps,
09:15 streaming, torrenting, server locations and support,
09:19 ExpressVPN just outdoes Nord.
09:21 And in our eyes,
09:22 it's worth paying the slightly higher price.
09:25 So which will you go for, ExpressVPN or NordVPN?
09:29 Let us know in the comments down below,
09:31 which appeals to you most and why.
09:33 And don't forget that clicking on the links
09:34 in our description will get you the most up-to-date price
09:37 and in the case of ExpressVPN, an exclusive deal.
09:40 Thanks for watching.
09:41 Remember to subscribe to TechRadar
09:43 for the latest tech news and reviews
09:44 and I'll see you next time.
09:46 (upbeat music)
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