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NordVPN vs ExpressVPN vs Surfshark: which app has fewer problems?
We compared 300 recent App Store reviews of NordVPN, 300 recent App Store reviews of ExpressVPN and 300 recent App Store reviews of Surfshark, each classified by AI into 7 complaint themes (samples from up to 6 storefronts, latest review 2026-10-22). ExpressVPN has the fewest complaints overall: 13% of its recent reviews contain a complaint, vs 72% for NordVPN and 46% for Surfshark.
Ratings at a glance
| App | All-time US rating | Ratings | Avg in our sample | Reviews analysed | Reviews with a complaint | Sample dates |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NordVPN | 4.7★ | 711K | 2.29★ | 300 | 72% | 2026-07-14 – 2026-10-22 (101 d) |
| ExpressVPN | 4.7★ | 420K | 4.49★ | 300 | 13% | 2026-06-24 – 2026-10-22 (121 d) |
| Surfshark | 4.7★ | 133K | 3.3★ | 300 | 46% | 2026-08-31 – 2026-10-22 (53 d) |
Complaint themes side by side
Share of all analysed reviews that mention each theme (review count in brackets). Bold = lowest. A review can mention several themes.
| Theme | NordVPN | ExpressVPN | Surfshark |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bugs | 60% (179) | 12% (35) | 37% (110) |
| Crashes / freezes | 6% (19) | 2% (7) | 5% (14) |
| Performance | 19% (57) | 5% (14) | 17% (51) |
| UX / design | 7% (20) | 0% (1) | 3% (10) |
| Pricing / subscription | 27% (80) | 6% (18) | 16% (48) |
| Ads | 2% (6) | 0% (1) | 1% (2) |
| Feature requests | 10% (30) | 2% (7) | 9% (26) |
Verdict: which one has fewer problems?
Across the latest 900 App Store reviews we collected, ExpressVPN has the lowest share of reviews with a complaint (13%) and NordVPN the highest (72%). The biggest single difference is in bug complaints: 60% of NordVPN reviews mention them, vs 12% for ExpressVPN. Each app's own biggest complaint theme: NordVPN, bugs (179 reviews); ExpressVPN, bugs (35 reviews); Surfshark, bugs (110 reviews). Average star rating in the samples ranges from 2.29★ (NordVPN) to 4.49★ (ExpressVPN). Time span of each sample: NordVPN 101 days (2026-07-14 to 2026-10-22); ExpressVPN 121 days (2026-06-24 to 2026-10-22); Surfshark 53 days (2026-08-31 to 2026-10-22). The samples cover comparable periods, so the comparison is reasonably like-for-like. Samples that reach back many months (fewer reviews per day) show long-running issues rather than the effect of one recent update.
- Fewer bug problems: ExpressVPN, 12% of its reviews vs 60% for NordVPN.
- Fewer crash and freeze problems: ExpressVPN, 2% of its reviews vs 6% for NordVPN.
- Fewer performance (slowness, battery, storage) problems: ExpressVPN, 5% of its reviews vs 19% for NordVPN.
- Fewer UX / design problems: ExpressVPN, 0% of its reviews vs 7% for NordVPN.
- Fewer pricing and subscription problems: ExpressVPN, 6% of its reviews vs 27% for NordVPN.
- Ad complaints: roughly tied (NordVPN 2%, ExpressVPN 0%, Surfshark 1% of reviews).
- Fewest feature requests: ExpressVPN, 2% of its reviews vs 10% for NordVPN.
Gaps under 3 percentage points are called a tie. Samples are recent reviews only, so this is a snapshot of current problems, not all-time quality.
Top 3 specific issues for each app
NordVPN
- Answer support requests (29 reviews, severity 2.7/3)
- Justify or adjust the price (27 reviews, severity 2.7/3)
- Speed up loading (22 reviews, severity 2.5/3)
Biggest theme: bugs. Free PDF
ExpressVPN
- Speed up loading (8 reviews, severity 2.6/3)
- Justify or adjust the price (6 reviews, severity 2.6/3)
- Answer support requests (5 reviews, severity 2.8/3)
Biggest theme: bugs. Free PDF
FAQ
Which has fewer problems overall: NordVPN, ExpressVPN or Surfshark?
In the most recent App Store reviews we analysed, ExpressVPN had the lowest share of reviews with a complaint (13% of 300) and NordVPN the highest (72% of 300). NordVPN: 215 of 300; ExpressVPN: 40 of 300; Surfshark: 138 of 300.
Which has fewer bug complaints: NordVPN, ExpressVPN or Surfshark?
ExpressVPN. NordVPN: 179 of 300 recent reviews (60%); ExpressVPN: 35 of 300 recent reviews (12%); Surfshark: 110 of 300 recent reviews (37%).
Which has fewer crash and freeze complaints: NordVPN, ExpressVPN or Surfshark?
ExpressVPN. NordVPN: 19 of 300 recent reviews (6%); ExpressVPN: 7 of 300 recent reviews (2%); Surfshark: 14 of 300 recent reviews (5%).
Which has fewer pricing and subscription complaints: NordVPN, ExpressVPN or Surfshark?
ExpressVPN. NordVPN: 80 of 300 recent reviews (27%); ExpressVPN: 18 of 300 recent reviews (6%); Surfshark: 48 of 300 recent reviews (16%).
Which has fewer ad complaints: NordVPN, ExpressVPN or Surfshark?
In our samples they are roughly tied: NordVPN: 6 of 300 recent reviews (2%); ExpressVPN: 1 of 300 recent reviews (0%); Surfshark: 2 of 300 recent reviews (1%).
Which is rated higher on the App Store: NordVPN, ExpressVPN or Surfshark?
All-time US App Store ratings: NordVPN 4.7★ from 711K ratings; ExpressVPN 4.7★ from 420K ratings; Surfshark 4.7★ from 133K ratings. Surfshark is highest, but all-time ratings move slowly; the recent-review samples above show current problems.
How recent is this NordVPN vs ExpressVPN vs Surfshark data?
Each sample is the most recent public App Store reviews we could collect (from up to 6 storefronts): NordVPN: 300 reviews over 101 days (2026-07-14 to 2026-10-22); ExpressVPN: 300 reviews over 121 days (2026-06-24 to 2026-10-22); Surfshark: 300 reviews over 53 days (2026-08-31 to 2026-10-22). It is a snapshot of current problems, not all-time quality.
What is the most common complaint about NordVPN, ExpressVPN and Surfshark?
NordVPN: bugs (179 of 300 reviews), top-ranked fix: “answer support requests”; ExpressVPN: bugs (35 of 300 reviews), top-ranked fix: “speed up loading”; Surfshark: bugs (110 of 300 reviews), top-ranked fix: “justify or adjust the price”.
Full reports
- NordVPN reviews: top complaints and what users want fixed
- ExpressVPN reviews: top complaints and what users want fixed
- Surfshark reviews: top complaints and what users want fixed
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