ExpressVPN vs Surfshark: Privacy Comparison
In this comprehensive privacy comparison, we analyze ExpressVPN and Surfshark across six critical dimensions: data collection practices, encryption implementation, third-party data sharing, user privacy controls, transparency, and historical track record. Both services serve similar needs, but their approaches to user privacy differ significantly. Our analysis reveals that ExpressVPN offers a meaningfully better privacy experience overall, though each service has relative strengths and weaknesses worth understanding in detail.
Where the Scorecard Lands
Before the dimension-by-dimension breakdown, here is the summary our scoring produced. Across the six privacy dimensions we score, ExpressVPN finishes ahead of Surfshark, 43/60 to 37/60. That total reflects a privacy comparison in which one service is consistently the more privacy-respecting choice, even though both cover the same functional ground.
Data Collection produced the widest separation between the two, with ExpressVPN ahead 8 to 7 out of 10. The tightest race is Data Collection, separated by just 1 point (ExpressVPN 8/10, Surfshark 7/10). Read on for the dimension-by-dimension reasoning behind these figures.
How Each Service Collects Data
The starting point for judging privacy is always how data is collected. The amount of user data a service captures, keeps, and works with is the single biggest factor behind its privacy exposure. ExpressVPN shows more discipline on this front, collecting nothing beyond the bare minimum needed for the service to run. The competing option reaches for a much wider set of data, including behavioral patterns, device identifiers, and usage analytics that stretch beyond the essentials. In this category we rated ExpressVPN 8/10 and Surfshark 7/10. The gap comes down to more than raw volume -- it is about the intent behind each piece of data and whether collecting it was ever justified.
Encryption Implementation
Encryption protects user data both in transit and at rest, and the implementation quality varies dramatically between services. ExpressVPN implements stronger encryption measures, including more robust protocols for data in transit and better protection for stored data. The specific encryption implementations differ in their coverage (which data is encrypted), their strength (which algorithms and key lengths are used), and whether end-to-end encryption is employed (preventing even the service provider from accessing user content). ExpressVPN scored 9/10 while Surfshark scored 8/10 for encryption.
Sharing Data With Outside Parties
How services share data with third parties is a critical privacy dimension. This includes sharing with advertising networks, analytics providers, business partners, and in response to government requests. ExpressVPN maintains more restrictive policies regarding third-party data access. The data sharing practices affect not just privacy but also the security of user information, as each additional party with access represents a potential breach vector. Scores: ExpressVPN 5/10, Surfshark 4/10.
Controls You Can Actually Use
How much say people have over their own data depends on whether the privacy controls a service offers are both present and actually useful. That spans opt-out switches for data collection, the ability to download and delete information, fine-grained permission settings, and how simply users can act on the rights granted to them under relevant privacy regulations. ExpressVPN delivers broader, easier-to-reach privacy controls. Scores: ExpressVPN 6/10, Surfshark 5/10.
How Clearly They Explain Themselves
Transparency comes down to how plainly a service explains what it does with data. It shows up in how readable the privacy policy is, whether transparency reports are published, how quickly privacy questions get answered, and whether policy changes are communicated up front. ExpressVPN comes across as the more transparent of the two overall. Plain, easy-to-find privacy communication is the bedrock of informed consent and trust. Scores: ExpressVPN 7/10, Surfshark 6/10.
Track Record Over Time
A service's history of privacy incidents, regulatory actions, and responses to vulnerabilities provides important context. ExpressVPN has a stronger historical record on privacy, with fewer incidents and more responsible handling of the issues that have arisen. Past behavior is often the best predictor of future privacy practices. Scores: ExpressVPN 8/10, Surfshark 7/10.
Our Bottom-Line Call
Our comprehensive analysis gives ExpressVPN a total score of 43/60 and Surfshark a total score of 37/60. The overall winner for privacy is ExpressVPN. While both services serve similar functional needs, the winner demonstrates a more privacy-respecting approach across the dimensions that matter most. That said, no service is perfect, and users should always configure privacy settings actively regardless of which option they choose. We recommend supplementing your choice with additional privacy tools, a VPN, DNS-level ad blocker, and privacy-focused browser, to build a comprehensive privacy posture. If your threat model requires the strongest possible privacy, consider whether an even more privacy-focused alternative exists in this category beyond the two compared here.