Head to head

ExpressVPN vs Proton VPN

Best streaming record and the easiest apps; you pay for it. Against: swiss, open source, audited every year, and the only serious free tier.

Best plan
$2.99/mo · 2 years + 4 months·
$3.49/mo · 2 years
Up front
$83.72·
$83.76
Renews at
$99.95/yr
$83.88/yr·
Monthly
$14.99
$9.99·
Devices
10
10
Countries
113
140·
No-logs audit
KPMG 2024
Securitum 2026·
Open source
no
yes·
Pay without a name
crypto
cash·
Based in
British Virgin Islands (no alliance)
Switzerland (no alliance)
Netflix
·
iPlayer
·
Torrenting
·
Blocked networks
Speed
Refund
30 days
30 days
Free tier
no
yes·

A dot marks the better number on that row. Numbers carry their dates on each provider’s page.

Which one, for which job

ExpressVPN

  • +Most consistent streaming unblocker
  • +Obfuscation on every server, nothing to configure
  • +P2P on all servers
  • –Highest renewal of the group ($99.95 a year on Basic)
  • –Owned by Kape, which also owns two rivals
Visit ExpressVPNNot an affiliate link. Opens the provider's site.

Proton VPN

  • +Open-source apps, audited every year, reports public
  • +Switzerland, outside every intelligence alliance
  • +A real free tier with no data cap
  • –Streaming is hit and miss outside Netflix and iPlayer
  • –P2P only on some servers
Visit Proton VPNNot an affiliate link. Opens the provider's site.