Two subscription VPNs push nearly identical two-year deals, and the gap between them is device count and disclosure.
TL;DR
ExpressVPN sells three two-year plans: Basic at $2.99 a month ($83.72 billed for the first 28 months, renewing at $99.95 a year), Advanced at $4.49 ($125.72, then $119.95 a year) and Pro at $7.49 ($209.72, then $199.95 a year), with 10, 12 and 14 simultaneous devices respectively. Surfshark counters with unlimited devices: Starter at $2.49 a month ($67.23 for the first 27 months), One at $2.79 ($75.33) and One+ at $4.49 ($121.23). ExpressVPN prints its renewal price on the plan card; Surfshark prints a struck-through list price instead. Both figures come from the vendors' US-dollar pricing pages.
ExpressVPN's pricing page lists three 2-year-plus-4-month plans. Basic at $2.99 a month bills $83.72 for the first 28 months, then renews at $99.95 a year, and includes 10 simultaneous devices, VPN with Lite Protection (ad, malicious-site and adult-site blocking) and ExpressMailGuard with a 10 MB per month private relay and 10 shared aliases. Advanced at $4.49 a month bills $125.72, renews at $119.95 a year and lifts devices to 12 while adding Advanced Protection, a 100 MB relay with 50 aliases and a custom domain, ExpressKeys password management, identity alerts with automated data removal and up to $3 million of identity-theft insurance, plus a 3 GB eSIM. Pro at $7.49 a month bills $209.72, renews at $199.95 a year and allows 14 devices. Every plan carries a 30-day money-back guarantee for new users, and a dedicated IP is sold as an add-on.
Surfshark's page runs on a 24-month term with three extra months included: Starter at $2.49 a month bills $67.23 for the first 27 months against an old price of $444.15; One at $2.79 bills $75.33 against $511.65; One+ at $4.49 bills $121.23 against $589.95. Its feature comparison lists unlimited devices alongside ad blocking, a cookie pop-up blocker, split tunnelling (Bypasser), rotating IP, Dynamic MultiHop, an alternative ID, scam protection, antivirus, alerts, identity-theft coverage and data removal through Incogni. Surfshark notes VAT may apply to the intro charge.
| Feature | ExpressVPN | Surfshark |
|---|---|---|
| Entry price | Basic $2.99/month — $83.72 billed for the first 28 months | Starter $2.49/month — $67.23 billed for the first 27 months |
| Devices | 10 simultaneous (Basic), 12 (Advanced), 14 (Pro) | Unlimited on every plan |
| Mid tier | Advanced $4.49/month — $125.72, then $119.95 a year | One $2.79/month — $75.33 (old price $511.65) |
| Top tier | Pro $7.49/month — $209.72, then $199.95 a year | One+ $4.49/month — $121.23 (old price $589.95) |
| Renewal disclosure | Renewal rate printed on the plan card | Struck-through list price shown instead of a renewal rate |
| Term length | 2 years + 4 months; 30-day money-back for new users | 24 months + 3 extra months |
| Bundled extras | Lite/Advanced Protection, mail relay, password manager, ID alerts and up to $3M identity insurance from Advanced | Feature comparison lists antivirus, alerts, alternative ID and Incogni data removal |
Pick ExpressVPN if
Ten connections cover most households, and the plan card tells you exactly what renewal costs — $99.95 a year after the $83.72 intro. Advanced's identity-theft insurance and password manager also make ExpressVPN the pick if you want security tools beyond the tunnel in one bill.
Pick Surfshark if
Unlimited devices at $2.49 a month beats ExpressVPN's entry tier on both price and connections, and the higher tiers fold in antivirus and data-removal tooling. Households with phones, tablets, consoles and smart TVs rarely stop at ten — and when they do, the arithmetic favours Surfshark.
We collected no independent reviews, ratings, user quotations, audit reports or speed tests for ExpressVPN or Surfshark in this run. All prices come from the vendors' own US pricing pages fetched October 2, 2026, and VPN performance was not tested by us.
Surfshark's Starter intro is $67.23 for the first 27 months ($2.49 a month) against ExpressVPN Basic at $83.72 for 28 months ($2.99 a month). For renewal, ExpressVPN states $99.95 a year; Surfshark's card shows a $444.15 list price for its 27-month term rather than a renewal rate.
ExpressVPN allows 10 simultaneous devices on Basic, 12 on Advanced and 14 on Pro. Surfshark lists unlimited devices on every plan — the clearest single difference between the two services.
ExpressVPN prints it on the card: Basic renews at $99.95 a year, Advanced at $119.95 and Pro at $199.95 after the 28-month intro. Surfshark shows old prices of $444.15, $511.65 and $589.95 crossed out next to the intro rate; its post-intro figure needs confirming at checkout.
Surfshark's feature comparison lists antivirus, breach alerts, an alternative ID and Incogni data removal. ExpressVPN bundles ad and malicious-site blocking from Basic, then adds its password manager, ID alerts and up to $3 million of identity-theft insurance from Advanced upward.
The figures above come from the US-dollar versions of both pricing pages, fetched October 2, 2026. Surfshark states VAT may apply to the $67.23 intro charge; ExpressVPN's card quotes USD without a tax note. Regional storefronts price differently.
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