Surfshark vs. NordVPN vs. ExpressVPN for iPhone: which VPN should you choose?

Surfshark, NordVPN, and ExpressVPN all offer dedicated iPhone and iPad apps with a kill switch, modern VPN (Virtual Private Network) protocols, and a 30-day money-back guarantee. On iOS, they differ in price, device limits, supported protocols, and the extra security features bundled with each plan. This guide dives into a detailed overview of iPhone and iPad experiences for each provider, rather than a general VPN comparison.

Note: The comparison was made on September 25, 2026, and the information listed is subject to change. All prices are in USD.

Plans are selected based on the most closely matching features: Surfshark Starter, NordVPN Basic, and ExpressVPN Basic. Prices reflect promotional offers available at the time of writing.

All three providers charge the lowest monthly rate on their longest plan, so the two-year option is the fairest benchmark. The table below compares each provider’s entry-level VPN plan, based on the official Surfshark, NordVPN, and ExpressVPN pricing pages.

Promotional prices apply to the first billing term only, after which each plan renews at the provider’s standard rate.

The number of simultaneous connections also affects value. A household with two iPhones, an iPad, a Mac, and a work laptop already uses five connections, so a family can quickly reach the limits of NordVPN or ExpressVPN Basic’s 10. Meanwhile, Surfshark allows unlimited simultaneous connections.

Buying through the App Store changes two things. First, in-app prices can differ from the website prices above. Second, refunds for App Store purchases go through Apple rather than the VPN provider. If you buy on the Surfshark website instead, the 30-day money-back guarantee applies directly, subject to the terms.

Free trial options on iOS also differ:

Note: Our free trial is available on all 12-month and 24-month plans. Accepted payment methods are by credit card, PayPal, or Apple Pay. After the 7-day trial, you will be charged according to the chosen plan, and the subscription will renew automatically.

Each provider pairs its iPhone app with a lightweight protocol built for fast connection speeds:

Most speed comparisons run on desktop computers, so they say little about a phone on hotel Wi-Fi. Cybernews tested all three apps on an iPhone 12 running iOS 18.4.1, using servers in the UK, the US, and Japan [1].

*Median results from Cybernews testing on an iPhone 12 (iOS 18.4.1), published April 2026.

Note: Speed test results can vary depending on factors such as the distance between the VPN server and the user, the user’s ISP (Internet Service Provider), and server overcrowding.

All three providers have had their no-activity-logs claims checked by independent auditors, and both Surfshark and NordVPN used Deloitte:

All three also run RAM-only servers, which keep data in volatile memory that is wiped whenever a server restarts, rather than on hard drives.

On encryption, all three use industry-standard ciphers. WireGuard and NordLynx use ChaCha20, while the OpenVPN protocol and IKEv2 use AES-256-GCM. ExpressVPN’s Lightway supports both AES-256 and ChaCha20. NordVPN offers post-quantum encryption with NordLynx on iOS, and ExpressVPN builds post-quantum protection into Lightway. Surfshark’s post-quantum protection for WireGuard covers iOS, Android, macOS, and Windows, and it uses AEGIS-256X2 for Dausos.

Every App Store listing includes a privacy label showing what data an app collects. Here’s what each VPN app declares, as of September 23, 2026:

Here’s how the overall mobile experience compares, from setup to the settings you’ll use most. All three mobile apps are installed from the App Store and are ready to connect within about a minute, according to Cybernews’ iPhone testing.

The Surfshark VPN app keeps its main settings easily accessible: the kill switch, which blocks internet traffic if the VPN connection drops, sits under Settings > VPN settings. The iOS app also includes Bypasser for excluding specific websites from the VPN, Multi Hop for double-VPN connections that route your traffic through two servers, rotating IP for switching between IP addresses, static IP for reconnecting to the same server IP each session (not the same as the paid dedicated IP add-on), and the pause VPN feature, which allows you to pause your connection for 5 minutes, 30 minutes, or 2 hours. Power users will find plenty to adjust, though some advanced options sit a level deeper in the menus.

NordVPN’s iOS app also has a user friendly interface. The kill switch is always on, and NordVPN users can enable post-quantum encryption under their profile settings. Meshnet lets you connect your own devices, but NordVPN’s split tunneling isn’t available on iOS, and desktop-only tools like Threat Protection Pro’s file scanning don’t carry over to the mobile app.

ExpressVPN’s app defaults to an Automatic protocol setting that picks the protocol for your network. You can toggle the kill switch between Standard and Advanced modes, send specific IP addresses outside the VPN as regular internet traffic with split tunneling (added in May 2026), and follow your connection from a Lock Screen Live Activity (added in August 2026). One limitation: you can’t change the app’s language without changing your iPhone’s system language.

VPN services increasingly go beyond the VPN itself. Surfshark, NordVPN, and ExpressVPN all sell their higher-tier plans as privacy and security suites that add tools for scam protection, identity monitoring, and personal data removal.

Two iPhone-specific details stand out:

If you want to reduce how much of your personal information data brokers hold, Incogni sends removal requests on your behalf and is included in Surfshark One+ and available as an add-on to NordVPN’s plans. ExpressVPN offers a comparable data removal service, Identity Defender, for US users on its Advanced and Pro plans. Surfshark also includes Alternative ID, in the iOS app’s Antiscam tab, which generates placeholder identity details for online signups on every plan.

Each provider has its own strengths on the iPhone. To sum up this NordVPN vs. ExpressVPN vs. Surfshark comparison for iOS, here’s how to match each one to what matters most to you.

On iPhone, Surfshark, NordVPN, and ExpressVPN are more alike than you might expect. All three deliver similar download speeds in independent iPhone testing, use industry-standard encryption, have passed independent no-logs audits, and work within the same iOS rules for kill switches and antivirus software.

The clearest differences are cost and coverage. Surfshark has the lowest two-year monthly price among the three and no device limit, making it easy to protect every iPhone, iPad, and Mac in your household with one subscription. NordVPN offers the largest disclosed server network, with 7,800+ NordVPN servers in 150 countries, and ExpressVPN supports the widest range of iOS versions. The right choice depends on how many devices you need to cover and which features you’ll actually use.

Looking for a head-to-head breakdown? Read our Surfshark vs. NordVPN and ExpressVPN vs. Surfshark comparisons.