NordVPN vs ExpressVPN: Which Is Better for Traders?

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NordVPN vs ExpressVPN, for a trader, comes down to the computer you trade from. On Windows the two are close, and NordVPN gives you more servers in the cities where brokers run their trade servers. On a Mac or Linux machine, ExpressVPN has the edge: app-based split tunneling there, a kill switch that is on before you touch a setting, and a renewal price about $39 a year lower.

Every number below comes from the providers' own pages, which I read on 11 Nov 2026, linked where it appears. The NordVPNPartner (affiliate link) links on this page may earn us a commission if you sign up. ExpressVPN has no affiliate link here; its links go straight to ExpressVPN's own site.

NordVPN vs ExpressVPN at a glance

Every cell in the table comes from the two providers' own pages, read 11 Nov 2026, in US dollars before sales tax. Prices change, so treat them as a dated snapshot.

What do NordVPN and ExpressVPN cost after the first term?

ExpressVPN is cheaper from the second bill onwards; the first bill is close at both.

Sources: NordVPN's pricing pagePartner (affiliate link) and ExpressVPN's pricing page; both say sales tax may be added. ExpressVPN's Advanced and Pro prices changed between two page loads that day, so I left them out.

Basic covers everything in this comparison at both. If you keep a VPN for years, the renewal line matters more than the intro price: within three years on the 1-year plan you pay two renewals, about $39 apart each time.

Which kill switch is on by default?

ExpressVPN's, out of the box, because it starts on; NordVPN's does the same job once you switch it on.

ExpressVPN's kill switch page (read 11 Nov 2026) says the Internet Kill Switch blocks IPv4, IPv6 and DNS traffic if the tunnel drops. It is on by default on Windows, macOS, Linux and Android, and on iOS it is always on and cannot be switched off. The same page shows an "Enable at all times" option on top of that.

NordVPN's kill switch article (read 11 Nov 2026) describes a control per platform. Windows has an Internet Kill Switch and an App Kill Switch, the latter off by default. iOS and the macOS App Store version use "VPN bypass prevention". Android 8.0 and later have a system-wide kill switch. On Linux you run nordvpn set killswitch on.

A kill switch covers the moment the tunnel drops; it does not prove that DNS goes through the tunnel while it is up. Open an IP and DNS leak check page on the network you are using, and again after the laptop wakes from sleep: the address and DNS servers should belong to the VPN. Our guide to trading on public Wi-Fi covers the rest of that routine.

Split tunneling for MT4, MT5 and TradingView

Split tunneling decides whether MetaTrader goes through the VPN or straight to the broker, and here the two differ most.

NordVPN's split tunneling page (read 11 Nov 2026) lists Windows, Android and Android TV, plus URL exclusion in the browser extensions. Its help article adds that the Linux app has an allowlist by port or subnet instead of by app. Neither page lists split tunneling for macOS or iOS.

ExpressVPN's split tunneling page (read 11 Nov 2026) lists Windows 10 and 11 (apps, websites, IP addresses and subnets, plus an inverse mode), macOS 11 and later (apps and websites), 64-bit Linux (apps, IPs and subnets) and Android 7.0 and later (apps). On iOS it excludes single IPv4 addresses only.

• MT4 and MT5 on Windows. Both can exclude the terminal: NordVPN under Settings, Split tunneling, Add apps; ExpressVPN under Profile, Split Tunneling.
• MT5 on a Mac. Only ExpressVPN can exclude the app. With NordVPN, MT5 goes through the tunnel or the VPN is off.
• TradingView. In a browser, NordVPN's extension excludes the site by URL and ExpressVPN's desktop apps exclude websites. The desktop app is excluded like any other app: on Windows at both, on macOS only at ExpressVPN.

An excluded app uses your normal IP address, as NordVPN's page says. Exclude the platform on a home line you trust; on public Wi-Fi, keep everything in the tunnel.

One NordVPN detail matters here, and it is easy to miss:

Even apps excluded from the VPN through Split Tunneling will be blocked by the Kill Switch when you are connected to the VPN.

So on NordVPN for Windows you choose: the Internet Kill Switch with no excluded apps, or excluded MT5 plus the App Kill Switch on your browser. ExpressVPN's pages describe no such conflict, but check your own setup at home before a trip.

Servers near brokers in London, New York and Frankfurt

Both providers can put you in all three cities, so the choice comes down to how you pick a server, not to the country count.

There are no speed figures here, because a speed number only means something for your line and your broker. These criteria decide the added latency:

1. Your broker's trade server city. Ask support which data centre hosts your account; London, New York and Frankfurt are common.
2. A city server, not a country. Pick the server in your city or the broker's, whichever is on the route.
3. Not a virtual location. A virtual location is served from another country, which adds distance.
4. The ping in your platform. MT5 shows it in the status bar. Compare VPN off, a nearby server, and a server in the broker's city.

What each provider listed on 11 Nov 2026:

• NordVPN. Its public server list showed 150 countries and 7,043 servers: 632 in London, 489 in New York and 225 in Frankfurt. The servers page says your connection speed depends on how close you are to the server.
• ExpressVPN. Its server locations page lists 214 locations and marks the virtual ones. USA - New York, Germany - Frankfurt - 1 and Frankfurt - 3, and UK - London, Docklands and East London were listed without the virtual mark. The pricing page says 113 countries.

For a broker in any of the three cities, both give you a choice. NordVPN's longer lists matter more if you trade from further away and want a server on the route.

What do brokers say about VPN logins?

Each broker sets its own rule, so read yours before you travel; neither VPN changes what the broker allows.

Look for two things in the terms: the countries the broker accepts clients from, and how it treats logins from unusual places. A VPN address in a new country can bring an extra verification step, a temporary lock, or a breach of the terms. Never use either VPN to look like you are in another country.

If your broker lets you allow-list a login address, a fixed address helps. Both sell one. NordVPN's dedicated IP page (read 11 Nov 2026) calls it a paid add-on and says websites can still detect a dedicated IP as coming from a VPN. ExpressVPN's dedicated IP page says it is included in Pro, sold as an add-on on Basic and Advanced, and lists Frankfurt, Docklands and New York among its 29 locations. The rest of the account side, from two-factor login to withdrawal locks, is in how to secure your trading accounts.

NordLynx vs Lightway, and the no-logs audits

Each runs its own protocol and has a recent outside report on its no-logs claims; neither decides the choice on its own.

NordLynx is built on WireGuard with NordVPN's double NAT system, with post-quantum encryption added in 2025; the Linux app starts on OpenVPN until you switch. Lightway is ExpressVPN's own protocol, rewritten in Rust with an open-source core, audited by Cure53, with post-quantum protection on by default.

NordLynx runs over UDP, and so does the Lightway UDP setting. Some hotel and office networks block or slow UDP, so the useful setting is a TCP fallback: Lightway TCP at ExpressVPN, as in the screenshot, and OpenVPN TCP at both.

On logs, NordVPN's February 2026 post describes a reasonable-assurance engagement by Deloitte Lithuania under ISAE 3000 (Revised), run from 10 Nov to 12 Dec 2025, with the report issued 12 Dec 2025. ExpressVPN's June 2025 post describes a KPMG examination under ISAE (UK) 3000 of its TrustedServer system and privacy policy as of 28 Feb 2025. Both full reports sit behind a login or a terms page. NordVPN says it is based in Panama; ExpressVPN says it is registered in the British Virgin Islands.

Which should a trader pick?

Pick by the computer you trade from first, by the renewal price second, and by server lists third.

Pick NordVPN if you trade on Windows or Android, want the most city servers near your broker, and will switch the kill switch on yourself. Our NordVPN review covers the app in detail.

Walk away from NordVPN if you trade MT5 on a Mac and want it outside the tunnel, or if $139.08 a year at renewal is more than you want to pay for a VPN.

Pick ExpressVPN if you trade on a Mac or Linux machine, want the kill switch on without thinking about it, or plan to renew for several years.

Walk away from ExpressVPN if you need servers in more than 113 countries, or if you buy through the App Store or Google Play and want the 30-day refund from ExpressVPN itself.

Still deciding whether you need a VPN at all? Start with what to check in a VPN for trading.

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Educational only, not financial advice; trading involves risk.

Educational content, not financial advice. Prices, fees and offers change: check them on the provider's own site before you sign up. Trading leveraged products carries a high risk of losing money, and you can lose all of it.