ExpressVPN vs. Proton VPN: Which VPN Is Better?

Which VPN is better, ExpressVPN or Proton VPN? For most people, it’s Proton VPN. It has a free plan with unlimited data, costs less to keep after your first contract, and runs one of the biggest server networks we’ve tested. ExpressVPN fights back with a perfect security score, faster uploads, and a pile of premium extras you won’t find anywhere else.

We used both as our everyday VPN for two weeks each, and overall, Proton VPN comes out on top, 87/100 to ExpressVPN’s 79/100.

That’s the short version. For the deep dives, check out our ExpressVPN review and Proton VPN review. For the head-to-head, here’s how these two top-tier VPNs compare.

ExpressVPN vs. Proton VPN at a glance

Pricing: Proton VPN costs less

This one isn’t close. ExpressVPN has the lower teaser rate, but Proton VPN wins almost everywhere else. Proton’s free plan costs nothing at all, its month-to-month rate is cheaper, and its VPN Plus plan renews at a significantly cheaper rate than Express’ Basic plan.

The renewal story is where the gap really shows. Proton VPN Plus came at the expected cost, and our renewal rate was clearly listed. With ExpressVPN, our Pro plan invoice showed it renewing at almost double the intro price, and that rate never showed up in our account. You’d think a premium VPN would be up front about what you’ll pay next. Not here.

Here’s what each plan costs and what you get.

Speed and performance: ExpressVPN by a nose

ExpressVPN edged ahead on our speed score by about one point, and the reason comes down to how you use the internet. On a nearby server, Proton VPN was the snappier of the two, with lower latency and almost no jitter. But it took a big bite out of upload speeds, while ExpressVPN barely touched them. In daily use, we took Zoom calls all day on ExpressVPN without a hiccup, while Proton had the occasional laggy call.

A quick note on distant servers: On a server in Hong Kong, ExpressVPN held up better where it counts, with noticeably less lag (292 ms vs. 420 ms) and stronger uploads.

What does that mean for you? If you stream, browse, and game on nearby servers, Proton VPN will feel quick. If you upload big files, back up to the cloud, or connect to servers overseas, ExpressVPN is the better pick.

Features: ExpressVPN packs in perks; Proton VPN builds for privacy

These two cover the same essentials, so you won’t go without on either one. Both block ads, trackers, malware, and adult content, offer a kill switch and multiple protocols, work on routers, and help you get around age-verification and regional blocks.

The extras are where they part ways. ExpressVPN goes premium, with the following features on its top-tier plan:

• Post-quantum protection
• Private email relay on every plan
• Travel eSIM
• Dedicated IP
• Up to $5 million in identity theft insurance
• ExpressAI, a private AI chat tool

Proton VPN goes deep on privacy routing instead, with:

• Secure Core
• Tor over VPN
• Servers built for P2P and BitTorrent
• Port forwarding

Plus, VPN Plus unlocks the free tiers of Proton Pass, Mail, Calendar, and Drive.

Which bundle wins depends on you. Want identity protection and more devices? Go Express. Torrent, care about privacy routing, or already live in Proton’s apps? Go Proton.

Security and privacy: ExpressVPN on paper, Proton VPN in court

Let’s be clear: Both are safe choices. Each uses AES-256 and ChaCha20 encryption, and each has a no-logs policy verified by third-party audits.

ExpressVPN earned a perfect security score from us. Its RAM-only servers can’t store your data long-term, it benefits from the British Virgin Islands’ strong privacy laws, and it has never had a privacy or security breach. The one asterisk: Kape Technologies bought ExpressVPN in 2021, and Kape’s past issues with ad and malware distribution raised some eyebrows.

Proton VPN has something you can’t put on a spec sheet: a record of saying no. It has denied every one of the 458 requests it’s received for identifying user information, including 121 legally binding orders in 2021. It’s based in Switzerland, outside the Five Eyes alliance, and its apps are open source, so anyone can check the code. If proven backbone matters most to you, that’s hard to beat.

Apps: A tie, with different strengths

Both apps earned a perfect score from us, and both connect with a single click. Where they differ is what they show you.

ExpressVPN is built for tinkerers. It shows the latency of every server, explains each protocol in plain English, and lets you set rules so the VPN connects on its own when you join a new network.

Proton VPN is built for explorers. You get a clickable server map, live server load, and icons that flag which servers handle streaming, P2P, or Tor. Its one miss: no protocol explanations, so you’ll need to look those up yourself.

Proton also brings a much bigger network, with 20,588 servers to ExpressVPN’s 3,000-plus, so finding an uncrowded server is easy.

Billing and cancellation: ExpressVPN by a hair

Good news: Both providers made getting our money back easy. Each offers a 30-day money-back guarantee, and each honored it without a fight.

ExpressVPN gets the slight edge because we never had to talk to anyone. We requested our refund right from our online account in a few clicks.

With Proton, we filled out a form, and support got back to us within an hour. When you cancel Proton, your account simply drops to the free plan, so you’re never left unprotected. Here’s how the two compare.

Proton VPN takes it, 87/100 to 79/100. ExpressVPN actually wins more head-to-head categories, but only by a point or two each. Proton’s leads on price and servers are big ones, and those are the things you’ll feel in your wallet and your server list every day.

ExpressVPN is still a strong pick if you want a perfect security score, faster uploads, more devices, or premium extras like identity theft insurance and a dedicated IP. For everyone else, Proton VPN gives you more for less, and you can try it for free first.

ExpressVPN vs. Proton VPN: FAQ