Feeling bothered when you can’t access certain region-restricted websites whenever you needed it? Or feeling daunted by exposing your browsing activities to the prying eyes on public Wi-Fi? The use of a VPN is all you need.
Recently, the use of Virtual Private Network (VPN) sparks an interest in the public eye. And now, VPN has been one of the most popular online services on the internet. Originally created for business organizations to encrypt their data and secure their networks over the internet, VPN nowadays took a complete turn on the internet; providing service that is not only competitive but to enable a user to access region-restricted website effectively.
Sounds sketchy? We promised that it’s not. In fact, the use of a VPN of service is guaranteed legal, safe and secure.
If you ever wondered if it is possible to unlock Netflix outside of the U.S. or simply bypass the internet censorship, now you can. But, on one condition, and that is by activating the use of a VPN service on your mobile devices or laptops.
How Does a VPN Work?
Generally, there are two parties involved in a VPN: you as the user, and the VPN Service provider.
The service provider gives you access to their servers through their client (software). And what it does is by encrypting all your data securely before it is exposed to the Internet Service Provider (ISP). That means, anything from banking transactions, web browsing to documents sharing, it’s all encrypted from the public eye.
Even if someone tries to breach the content, they’ll only see the encrypted information rather than the raw data. And the secure part is, with the use of a VPN, it only shows the traffic origin which is coming from the VPN server rather than your actual location. So, you can browse anonymously without revealing your true identity.
ExpressVPN vs NordVPN
As one of the most popular VPN service provider based in the British Virgin Islands, ExpressVPN stood out from the crowd mainly for its unique features. Featuring a vast network of more than 3,000 servers across 160 cities in 94 countries, Express VPN users don’t need to worry about not getting the signal or server they desired.
Plus, they are one of the titans in the VPN industry. Hence, you’ll get one of the best coverage for the USA and Europe. Aside from that, ExpressVPN works perfectly in Asia, the Middle East, South America, Africa, and many other countries.
As a rival to ExpressVPN, NordVPN, on the other hand, provides a similar VPN service. Offering a decent speed and latency, NordVPN is able to give you access to the geographical-block content and ensure files on Torrent sites or P2P are safe to download. They boast over 5800 servers using the OpenVPN protocol and the data is securely encrypted using the AES-256-bit encryption.
With that said, the ultimate question is, “Which VPN service provider should I go for?” Here’s a side-by-side comparison to help you decides better.
Features
| Features |  |  |
|---|---|---|
| Operating System | Windows, macOS, IOS, Android, Linux, Amazon Fire, selected routers | Windows, Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, macOS, IOS, Android, Linux, Amazon Fire |
| Simultaneous Connections | Up to 5 Connections | Up to 6 Connections |
| Manual Install Devices | Set-top boxes and certain | Linux, certain routers, and set-top boxes |
| Split Tunneling | Yes | No |
| DNS Protections | Private Encrypted DNS | DNS Leak Protection |
| Extras | Free Browser Extensions on Chrome, Firefox | Free Browser Extensions for Chrome, Firefox, Malware blocker |
ExpressVPN and NordVPN are two of the few VPNs available in the market that offers command-line utilities for easy installation on devices running Linux. However, the use of ExpressVPN gives a slight edge over the other VPNs specifically for easy-to-use firmware.
On contrary to its similarities, NordVPN, on the other hand, has a higher connection allowance than ExpressVPN. What it takes for NordVPN to stand out from its rivals is that it comes with ad tracker blocker and malware protection systems that can be turned on and off within the app.
Though the features can be quite similar, the price point and performance speak clearly for your decisions. Next up, let’s compare the price for both the ExpressVPN vs NordVPN.
Price & Plans
| Plans & Subscriptions | ExpressVPN | NordVPN |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription Plans | Minimum subscription period is 1 month. Other plans available to renew includes 6 months or annually. | Subscription plan available for 1 month, 1 year, 2 years and 3 years. |
| Annual Price | $99.95 USD | $83.88 USD |
| Guarantee | Included. 30 days trial period, unsatisfied guaranteed money return. | Included. 30 days trial period, unsatisfied guaranteed money return. |
| Price break-down/ month | $8.33 USD (excluding 3 months trial period) | $6.99 USD |
If the features are not justifiable for you, perhaps, the price and plans for these VPNs might come in handy for your decisions.
*Note: The prices might be different depends on the current plans, discounts, and special promotions.
Interface and Performance
Generally, the less complicated the setup it is, the better it is. While the interface can be different from one VPNs to another, ExpressVPN vs NordVPN features a user-friendly interface that even beginners are able to get a hang of it in no time. While the interface plays a vital role, let’s not forget about the performance of each VPNs. Primarily focus on the upload and downloading speed.
| Interface & Perfomances | ExpressVPN | NordVPN |
|---|---|---|
| Mobile Friendly | Optimized for mobile-use. | Optimized for mobile-use. |
| Setup Difficulties | Easy. Automated setup for Windows, macOS, IOS, Android, DD-WRT routers | Easy. Automated setup for Linux, Windows, macOS, IOS, Android |
| Location Selection | Pick and choose from list | Pin on Map |
| Server Countries | 94 Worldwide | 6 Worldwide |
| Total number of Servers | 3,200++ | 5,000++ |
| Overall Download Speed | Average of 106 Mbps nationwide servers | Average of 74.15 Mbps nationwide servers |
Though the NordVPN falls short in the average download speed, it’s still a pretty decent speed for users to download any files from or for online streaming without any hitch.
*Note that the tested speed results may be varied depending on the location, ISP speed, and even your computer specifications.
Cybersecurity
| Security | ExpressVPN | NordVPN |
|---|---|---|
| VPN Protocols | OpenVPN, L2TP, PPTP, SSTP | OpenVPN, L2TP, PPTP, SSTP |
| Data Encryption | AES-256 | AES-256 |
| DNS Status | Private | Private |
| Leak Protection | DNS, WebRTC, IPv6 | DNS, WebRTC, IPv6 |
| Cloaking Technology | Cipher block chaining | Obsfproxy |
Browsing illegal websites may result in malware attacks or security breaches. However, with secured VPN servers like ExpressVPN and NordVPN, there are multiple VPN protocols to keep users stay away from the cyber attacks. Taking cybersecurity into the measure, both ExpressVPN vs NordVPN offers top-quality VPN protocols like OpenVPN, L2tp, PPTP and more. And though some of these protocols may result in slower processing of encryption, it ensures leak-proved protection.
TV/Movies Sites Unblocking Capabilities
| TV Channels/ Movie Sites | ExpressVPN | NordVPN |
|---|---|---|
| Netflix | Netflix US, Canada, UK, Australia, Germany, Hong Kong, Singapore, India | Netflix US, Canada, UK, Australia, Netherlands, Japan |
| Amazon Prime Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Sky Go | Yes | Yes |
| CBS | Yes | Yes |
| NBC | Yes | Yes |
| ABC Channel | Yes | Yes |
There are many ways of using VPN and one of the key features is to unblock geo-restricted streaming sites including movie sites like Netflix and etc. The comparison shows that the use of Express VPN has a slight advantage to unlock more Netflix libraries nationwide than NordVPN. However, a user might need to consult the customer support for the correct servers to correspond to the region.
Verdict: Which Is Better?
Product Summary
| ExpressVPN | NordVPN |
|---|---|
| Based in British Virgin Island | Based in Panama |
| Fastest Speed | High speed |
| Unblocks more Netflix libraries | Supports up to 6 simultaneous connections |
| Custom router firmware | Comes with Malware blocker |
| Split tunnelling allowed | Automatic wifi protection |
| Subscriptions up to 1 year | Subscriptions up to 3 years |
| 3,200++ servers nationwide | 5,200++ servers nationwide |
We understand that the features is equally important as its price point. While the features for both ExpressVPN and NordVPN come hand-in-hand, the questions of which to invest perhaps can be justified to your budget and desirability.
With all the analysis and discounts taken into considerations, NordVPN ends up being a more affordable option. But with the condition of a subscription of 2 or 3 years plan. However, if you want to get a faster browsing speed with VPN, ExpressVPN is a better choice given that it’s known to be the fastest VPN provider in the world.
After all, it all boils down to preference and how you use the VPN. If you’re just going to use VPN to bypass geo-restrictions and nothing more, NordVPN is an affordable way to go. But if you’re going to be downloading files via Torrents and P2P, ExpressVPN will give you more speed compared to NordVPN.
Either way, you really can’t go wrong with choosing either of them.
Done making a decision, but wondered how to install a VPN? Click here for the step-by-step guide. If you like this article, don’t forget to share, like our page, and don’t forget to pin the infographic. Stay tuned for more articles.
