ExpressVPN

VS

Proton VPN

VPNs Comparison

ExpressVPN vs Proton VPN: Side-by-Side Comparison

ExpressVPN
Proton VPN
Rating
★★★★★★★★★★
4.6/5
★★★★★★★★★★
4.6/5
Free Tier
No
Yes
Trial Days
30-day trial
30-day trial
Pricing
1-month plan $12.95/month. 6-month plan $9.99/month. 12-month plan from $6.67/month.
Free tier available. Plus from $4.99/month (2-year). Proton Unlimited from $7.99/month.
Company
Kape Technologies
Proton AG
Founded
2009
2017
Best For
Travelers to restrictive countries needing guaranteed VPN access with premium connection speed
Privacy advocates wanting an audited open-source VPN with free tier and Swiss legal protection

Pros & Cons

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ExpressVPN

Lightway protocol delivers the fastest and most stable connections of any VPN
Works reliably in restrictive countries like China and UAE where others fail
MediaStreamer unblocks streaming services even on devices that cannot run VPN apps
Independent audits by Cure53 confirm no-logs policy and app security
Router app allows VPN protection across entire home network from one device
One of the more expensive VPNs with no major discount on short-term plans
Only 8 simultaneous device connections compared to competitors offering unlimited

Proton VPN

Based in Switzerland with the strongest legal privacy protections of any VPN jurisdiction
Open-source apps with published code independently audited by SEC Consult
Secure Core routes traffic through privacy-safe countries before exiting to destination
Free tier available with no data limits and no ads or tracking
Netshield ad-blocker and Stealth protocol included on all paid plans
Speeds on the free plan are noticeably slower due to server congestion
Fewer total servers than NordVPN or Surfshark limits server selection variety

Use Case Analysis

Which is better for Privacy?

Both ExpressVPN and Proton VPN support Privacy workflows. ExpressVPN has a slight edge with a 4.6 rating and Most reliable VPN in censored regions like China with MediaStreamer for non-VPN devices. If Privacy is your primary use case, ExpressVPN is the safer pick.

Which is better for Streaming?

Both ExpressVPN and Proton VPN support Streaming workflows. ExpressVPN has a slight edge with a 4.6 rating and Most reliable VPN in censored regions like China with MediaStreamer for non-VPN devices. If Streaming is your primary use case, ExpressVPN is the safer pick.

Which is better for Encryption?

Both ExpressVPN and Proton VPN support Encryption workflows. ExpressVPN has a slight edge with a 4.6 rating and Most reliable VPN in censored regions like China with MediaStreamer for non-VPN devices. If Encryption is your primary use case, ExpressVPN is the safer pick.

Which is better for No Logs?

Both ExpressVPN and Proton VPN support No Logs workflows. ExpressVPN has a slight edge with a 4.6 rating and Most reliable VPN in censored regions like China with MediaStreamer for non-VPN devices. If No Logs is your primary use case, ExpressVPN is the safer pick.

Which is better for Kill Switch?

Both ExpressVPN and Proton VPN support Kill Switch workflows. ExpressVPN has a slight edge with a 4.6 rating and Most reliable VPN in censored regions like China with MediaStreamer for non-VPN devices. If Kill Switch is your primary use case, ExpressVPN is the safer pick.

Verdict

ExpressVPN edges out Proton VPN with a 4.6 vs 4.6 rating. ExpressVPN's main advantage: Most reliable VPN in censored regions like China with MediaStreamer for non-VPN devices. That said, Proton VPN may still be the better choice if Privacy advocates wanting an audited open-source VPN with free tier and Swiss legal protection.

Try Them Yourself

The best way to choose is to trial both. See full details on each:

Get ExpressVPN Try for Free

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