For most people choosing between Surfshark and ExpressVPN, Surfshark is the stronger starting point if price or connecting many devices matters most. Its comparison lists unlimited simultaneous connections and lower monthly equivalents on one- and two-year plans. ExpressVPN may be a better fit if you specifically value its Lightway protocol, published audit program, or router ecosystem. The available price figures are a dated snapshot, not a live 2026 checkout comparison, so check your region, plan term, renewal price, and device limit before subscribing.
Surfshark vs ExpressVPN at a glance
| What matters | Surfshark | ExpressVPN |
|---|---|---|
| Longer-plan price in the cited snapshot | Lower monthly equivalent on the one- and two-year plans; see the dated figures below. | Higher monthly equivalent on the one- and two-year plans; see the dated figures below. |
| Simultaneous connections | Unlimited, according to Surfshark. | Plan-dependent: Surfshark’s comparison says 10–14; ExpressVPN’s feature page says up to 14 active connections. |
| Protocols highlighted | WireGuard, OpenVPN, IKEv2, and Dausos; availability depends on platform and app version. | Proprietary Lightway and OpenVPN are listed in the comparison. |
| Audits | Provider-reported no-logs assessments and infrastructure/protocol audits from 2023–2026. | Provider-reported audits covering several areas, including privacy commitments, Lightway, apps, infrastructure, and Aircove. |
| Speed verdict | The available sources do not establish a matched, independently measured speed winner. | |
| Router option | Router-compatible, according to TechRadar’s January 12, 2026 editorial comparison. | Router-compatible; ExpressVPN also offers Aircove hardware and custom router firmware, according to TechRadar’s editorial comparison and ExpressVPN’s materials. |
These are not equivalent products in every respect, and the table is a decision aid rather than a test score. The cited Surfshark-versus-ExpressVPN comparison is published by Surfshark, one of the providers, and its prices and comparison data should be treated as attributed claims rather than a neutral live feed.
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Which VPN is cheaper?
In Surfshark’s comparison, published June 22, 2026, the price comparison itself was made October 1, 2025. The monthly equivalents favor ExpressVPN for a one-month subscription, but Surfshark for the listed one- and two-year terms.
The Tool Desk
Outbyte Driver Updater FREEFix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Outbyte PC Repair FREERepair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →| Subscription term | Surfshark | ExpressVPN |
|---|---|---|
| One month | $16.45/month | $12.99/month |
| One year | $3.39/month | $4.99/month |
| Two years | $2.49/month | $3.49/month |
Those are monthly equivalents from that October 1, 2025 comparison snapshot, not a guarantee of what a buyer will pay in October 2026. Promotions, currencies, taxes, plan names, and renewal rates may differ by market and change over time. Compare the same subscription length at checkout, including the amount charged upfront and the renewal price, rather than judging a plan by its advertised monthly equivalent alone.
#1 Best Overall
- 【Five Gigabit Ports】1 Gigabit WAN Port plus 2 Gigabit WAN/LAN Ports plus 2 Gigabit LAN Port. Up to 3 WAN ports optimize bandwidth usage through one device.
- 【One USB WAN Port】Mobile broadband via 4G/3G modem is supported for WAN backup by connecting to the USB port. For complete list of compatible 4G/3G modems, please visit TP-Link website.
- 【Abundant Security Features】Advanced firewall policies, DoS defense, IP/MAC/URL filtering, speed test and more security functions protect your network and data.
- 【Highly Secure VPN】Supports up to 20× LAN-to-LAN IPsec, 16× OpenVPN, 16× L2TP, and 16× PPTP VPN connections.
- Security - SPI Firewall, VPN Pass through, FTP/H.323/PPTP/SIP/IPsec ALG, DoS Defence, Ping of Death and Local Management. Standards and Protocols IEEE 802.3, 802.3u, 802.3ab, IEEE 802.3x, IEEE 802.1q
How many devices can you connect?
Surfshark says it allows unlimited simultaneous connections. That makes it a natural fit to consider for a household with many phones, computers, tablets, and other supported devices using one account.
ExpressVPN’s current feature page says up to 14 active connections, while Surfshark’s comparison describes ExpressVPN’s limit as 10–14 depending on plan. Treat ExpressVPN’s allowance as plan-dependent and verify the exact plan’s terms before buying. A higher device allowance is useful only if it fits the account’s rules and the devices have compatible apps or a suitable router setup.
Rank #2
- 【AC1200 Dual-band Wireless Router】Simultaneous dual-band with wireless speed up to 300 Mbps (2.4GHz) + 867 Mbps (5GHz). 2.4GHz band can handles some simple tasks like emails or web browsing while bandwidth intensive tasks such as gaming or 4K video streaming can be handled by the 5GHz band.*Speed tests are conducted on a local network. Real-world speeds may differ depending on your network configuration.*
- 【Easy Setup】Please refer to the User Manual and the Unboxing & Setup video guide on Amazon for detailed setup instructions and methods for connecting to the Internet.
- 【Pocket-friendly】Lightweight design(145g) which designed for your next trip or adventure. Alongside its portable, compact design makes it easy to take with you on the go.
- 【Full Gigabit Ports】Gigabit Wireless Internet Router with 2 Gigabit LAN ports and 1 Gigabit WAN ports, ideal for lots of internet plan and allow you to connect your wired devices directly.
- 【Keep your Internet Safe】IPv6 supported. OpenVPN & WireGuard pre-installed, compatible with 30+ VPN service providers. Cloudflare encryption supported to protect the privacy.
Which has the better protocols and app coverage?
Protocol choices
Surfshark lists WireGuard, OpenVPN, IKEv2, and Dausos. Its support article, updated April 13, 2026, says Dausos was available in the macOS App Store version at that time. That does not establish availability across every Surfshark app or platform, so check the current protocol menu on the device you intend to use.
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsExpressVPN emphasizes its proprietary Lightway protocol and also lists OpenVPN in Surfshark’s comparison. If a particular protocol matters to you, compare its availability on your operating system and app version rather than assuming that every protocol is offered everywhere.
Rank #3
- New-Gen WiFi Standard – WiFi 6(802.11ax) standard supporting MU-MIMO and OFDMA technology for better efficiency and throughput.Antenna : External antenna x 4. Processor : Dual-core (4 VPE). Power Supply : AC Input : 110V~240V(50~60Hz), DC Output : 12 V with max. 1.5A current.
- Ultra-fast WiFi Speed – RT-AX1800S supports 1024-QAM for dramatically faster wireless connections
- Increase Capacity and Efficiency – Supporting not only MU-MIMO but also OFDMA technique to efficiently allocate channels, communicate with multiple devices simultaneously
- 5 Gigabit ports – One Gigabit WAN port and four Gigabit LAN ports, 10X faster than 100–Base T Ethernet.
- Commercial-grade Security Anywhere – Protect your home network with AiProtection Classic, powered by Trend Micro. And when away from home, ASUS Instant Guard gives you a one-click secure VPN.
Platforms and router use
TechRadar’s January 12, 2026 editorial comparison describes both providers as supporting major desktop and mobile platforms, with Linux graphical interfaces and apps for Amazon Fire TV and Apple TV. It also notes router compatibility and ExpressVPN custom router firmware. Those are editorial observations, not a device-by-device compatibility guarantee; check each provider’s current support list for your model and operating system.
Which VPN is safer? What the audits do—and do not—show
Both providers publish audit information, but “audited” is not a single security rating. An audit offers evidence about the systems, claims, or versions examined within its scope; it does not certify every app, server, future operation, or use case as risk-free.
Rank #4
- 【DUAL BAND WIFI 7 TRAVEL ROUTER】Products with US, UK, EU, AU Plug; Dual band network with wireless speed 688Mbps (2.4G)+2882Mbps (5G); Dual 2.5G Ethernet Ports (1x WAN and 1x LAN Port); USB 3.0 port.
- 【NETWORK CONTROL WITH TOUCHSCREEN SIMPLICITY】Slate 7’s touchscreen interface lets you scan QR codes for quick Wi-Fi, monitor speed in real time, toggle VPN on/off, and switch providers directly on the display. Color-coded indicators provide instant network status updates for Ethernet, Tethering, Repeater, and Cellular modes, offering a seamless, user-friendly experience.
- 【OpenWrt 23.05 FIRMWARE】The Slate 7 (GL-BE3600) is a high-performance Wi-Fi 7 travel router, built with OpenWrt 23.05 (Kernel 5.4.213) for maximum customization and advanced networking capabilities. With 512MB storage, total customization with open-source freedom and flexible installation of OpenWrt plugins.
- 【VPN CLIENT & SERVER】OpenVPN and WireGuard are pre-installed, compatible with 30+ VPN service providers (active subscription required). Simply log in to your existing VPN account with our portable wifi device, and Slate 7 automatically encrypts all network traffic within the connected network. Max. VPN speed of 100 Mbps (OpenVPN); 540 Mbps (WireGuard). *Speed tests are conducted on a local network. Real-world speeds may differ depending on your network configuration.*
- 【PERFECT PORTABLE WIFI ROUTER FOR TRAVEL】The Slate 7 is an ideal portable internet device perfect for international travel. With its mini size and travel-friendly features, the pocket Wi-Fi router is the perfect companion for travelers in need of a secure internet connectivity on the go in which includes hotels or cruise ships.
Surfshark’s reported audits
Surfshark’s Trust Center reports Deloitte no-logs assessments in 2023 and 2025, a SecuRing infrastructure audit completed in December 2025, and a Cure53 infrastructure and Dausos audit in 2026. These are provider-reported summaries. To judge what any one assessment supports, look at its auditor, date, scope, and the underlying report where available.
ExpressVPN’s reported audits
ExpressVPN’s Trust Center lists audits across areas including apps, protocols, infrastructure, router hardware, and privacy commitments. Its entries include a KPMG audit of privacy commitments in June 2025, Cure53 Lightway audits including one in October 2024, and a Cure53 Aircove audit in November 2024. The list describes a range of audit work, but the number of entries alone does not prove better real-world privacy than Surfshark’s.
Best Value
- Next-Gen Gigabit Wi-Fi 6 Speeds: 2402 Mbps on 5 GHz and 574 Mbps on 2.4 GHz bands ensure smoother streaming and faster downloads; support VPN server and VPN client¹
- A More Responsive Experience: Enjoy smooth gaming, video streaming, and live feeds simultaneously. OFDMA makes your Wi-Fi stronger by allowing multiple clients to share one band at the same time, cutting latency and jitter.²
- Expanded Wi-Fi Coverage: 4 high-gain external antennas and Beamforming technology combine to extend strong, reliable, Wi-Fi throughout your home.
- Improved Battery Life: Target Wake Time helps your devices to communicate efficiently while consuming less power.
- Improved Cooling Design: No heat ups, no throttles. A larger heat sink and redefined case design cools the WiFi 6 system and enables your network to stay at top speeds in more versatile environments.
Which VPN is faster?
The cited sources do not establish a speed winner. A provider’s protocol descriptions or server-capacity figures cannot substitute for a matched speed test. A meaningful comparison would need to disclose the test date, location, baseline connection, protocol, devices, server endpoints, and repeated measurements.
For a speed-sensitive decision, use recent independent tests that publish their methodology or compare both services on your own devices, network, and usual locations. Results can vary with distance to the selected server, local network conditions, time of day, and the protocol in use.
Do server counts and country coverage settle the choice?
Surfshark’s comparison reports 4,500+ servers in 100 countries for Surfshark and 3,000+ servers in 105 countries for ExpressVPN. These are provider-published network figures in a comparison by Surfshark. They may help indicate advertised network reach, but counts do not by themselves establish connection quality, congestion, or speed. If you need a location, check whether the provider currently offers a suitable server location for your intended use.
Recommended Free Tools
When does a VPN router make sense?
A router can extend VPN coverage to devices that do not have a native VPN app, such as some smart TVs or consoles. It is optional: ordinary app-based VPN use does not require buying a router.
ExpressVPN describes Aircove as hardware that runs VPN coverage at the network level. TechRadar’s January 2026 comparison says both services are router-compatible, while noting ExpressVPN’s router ecosystem. Before choosing this route, verify the current Aircove model or other router’s availability, compatibility, and setup requirements for your internet connection and devices.
Quick Recap
Which one should you choose?
- Start with Surfshark if you are comparing longer-term monthly equivalents from the cited snapshot or need a large number of simultaneous connections. Check the current local checkout price, renewal terms, and device policies first.
- Consider ExpressVPN if Lightway, its published range of audit work, or its router ecosystem is more relevant to your priorities. Evaluate the scope and date of specific audits rather than treating the provider’s total audit list as a universal score.
- For speed-led decisions, do not pick a winner from the provider claims cited here; rely on recent tests with disclosed methods or compare performance on your own network.
- For devices without VPN apps, assess router-level coverage and compatibility before buying hardware; a VPN router is not a prerequisite for using either service on supported apps.
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
