Kitsmith / Compare / ExpressVPN vs Surfshark VPN
MacExpressVPN vs Surfshark VPN
ExpressVPN vs Surfshark VPN: verdict, pricing, and specs compared, so you can pick the right one for your Mac.
At a glance
ExpressVPN
From $2.99/mo on a 2-year plan (billed $83.72 for the first 28 months, renews at $99.95/yr)A premium VPN known for consistent speed and a simple one-tap Mac app, with servers in 105 countries.
Surfshark VPN
From $2.49/mo on the Starter 2-year plan ($67.23 for the first 27 months); monthly and 1-year plans also availableA budget-friendly VPN with unlimited simultaneous device connections — no per-device cap, unlike most competitors.
Spec comparison
ExpressVPN
- Price
- From $2.99/mo on a 2-year plan (billed $83.72 for the first 28 months, renews at $99.95/yr)
- Pricing model
- Paid
- License
- Proprietary
- Placement
- Menu bar
- Channels
- Mac App Store · Direct
- Category
- Utilities
Surfshark VPN
- Price
- From $2.49/mo on the Starter 2-year plan ($67.23 for the first 27 months); monthly and 1-year plans also available
- Pricing model
- Paid
- License
- Proprietary
- Placement
- Menu bar
- Channels
- Mac App Store · Direct
- Category
- Utilities
The verdict
Surfshark’s headline feature is unlimited simultaneous devices — no per-device cap, where most VPNs (including the rest of this category) charge more as you add machines — and it’s the cheaper of the two on its entry plan, from $2.49/mo versus ExpressVPN’s $2.99/mo. ExpressVPN counters with its own Lightway protocol, built for speed, and a Mac app that’s deliberately just one connect button rather than Surfshark’s fuller settings surface, which includes Bypasser split-tunneling for excluding specific apps from the VPN. If you’ve got a houseful of devices to cover on one plan, Surfshark’s uncapped connections win; if raw speed and simplicity matter more than device count, ExpressVPN is the one independent tests keep rating fastest.
Which one should you pick?
Pick ExpressVPN if…
- Pick ExpressVPN if raw speed matters most — its own Lightway protocol is built for it and independent tests consistently rate it among the fastest
- Pick ExpressVPN if you want the simplest possible Mac app — one connect button, no server list to think about
- Pick ExpressVPN if ExpressVPN’s 105-country network is plenty and you don’t need a specific device-count guarantee
- Pick ExpressVPN if password manager and identity-monitoring add-ons on its Advanced/Pro tiers interest you
Pick Surfshark VPN if…
- Pick Surfshark VPN if you need to cover more devices than most VPNs allow — there’s no per-device cap on one subscription
- Pick Surfshark VPN if the lower entry price — $2.49/mo on the Starter 2-year plan versus ExpressVPN’s $2.99/mo — matters
- Pick Surfshark VPN if Bypasser (split tunneling), for excluding apps like mobile banking from the VPN tunnel, is useful to you
- Pick Surfshark VPN if a large stated server count — 4,500+ servers across 100 countries — appeals to you
ExpressVPN vs Surfshark VPN — questions people ask
Which is cheaper, ExpressVPN or Surfshark?
Surfshark’s Starter 2-year plan starts lower, at $2.49/mo ($67.23 for the first 27 months), versus ExpressVPN’s $2.99/mo 2-year plan ($83.72 for the first 28 months).
Does either limit how many devices I can connect?
Surfshark doesn’t — unlimited simultaneous devices on one subscription is its stated selling point. ExpressVPN’s device limit isn’t specified in this listing, so check current terms at signup if that matters to you.
Which covers more countries?
ExpressVPN — 105 countries versus Surfshark’s 100, though Surfshark states a specific total server count (4,500+) that ExpressVPN’s listing doesn’t give an equivalent figure for.