ExpressVPN vs. Proton VPN: Two of the Best VPNs for Privacy Go Head-to-Head

Not each VPN cares about your privacy. However when you’re in search of a VPN that takes your privateness significantly, ExpressVPN and Proton VPN are amongst the best — and particularly ones I like to recommend most to individuals with important privateness wants. Whereas Proton VPN presents a couple of further privateness options like double VPN and Tor over VPN servers that ExpressVPN lacks, ExpressVPN contains forward-thinking privateness protections like post-quantum encryption, which Proton VPN doesn’t present. Past a robust dedication to privateness, ExpressVPN and Proton VPN are each quick, simple to make use of and wonderful for streaming. Based mostly on our newest tests, Proton VPN has a slight edge with regards to pace, however Categorical is less complicated to make use of throughout platforms. 

For those who’re in search of a greater total worth, want multihop connections or need entry to servers in additional areas for journey or streaming, I’d advocate going with Proton VPN. And when you don’t need to pay in your VPN, Proton VPN’s free tier is the one free VPN we advocate at CNET. For those who don’t thoughts paying a premium and need essentially the most streamlined app expertise throughout platforms, the best router setup for gadgets that do not natively assist VPN apps, essentially the most constant streaming content material unblocking or post-quantum protections, then go along with ExpressVPN.   

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Value $13 per thirty days, $75 for the primary yr or $98 complete for the primary two years (one- and two-year plans renew at $100 per yr)Newest Checks No DNS leaks detected, 18% pace loss in 2025 checksCommunity 3,000 plus servers in 105 international locationsJurisdiction British Virgin Islands

ExpressVPN is CNET’s Editors’ Selection for Greatest Total VPN, because of its cutting-edge privateness protections mixed with quick speeds, top-notch streaming capabilities and excellent ease-of-use throughout platforms. This helps make ExpressVPN a strong selection whether or not you’re an entire newbie or a VPN veteran. I additionally particularly like how the corporate continues to innovate, set requirements and push the business ahead yr after yr, like with the publication of its white paper detailing its course of for implementing post-quantum WireGuard. The catch is that ExpressVPN is likely one of the costliest VPNs, so when you’re in search of one thing somewhat extra budget-friendly, Proton VPN is an effective different.  

73% off with 2yr plan (+4 free months). Now solely $3.49/month

Newest checks No leaks detected, 16% pace loss in 2025 checksCommunity 12,000-plus servers in 117 international locationsJurisdiction SwitzerlandValue $10 a month, $60 for the primary yr or $108 for the primary two years (one- and two-year plans renew at $80 per yr)

Proton VPN is a superb possibility for privacy-critical and informal customers alike, as a result of it strikes a pleasant steadiness between excessive privateness, distinctive efficiency and usefulness. It’s one of many quickest VPNs round, presents an enormous community of worldwide servers, is nice for streaming and delivers superior privateness options. Proton VPN additionally presents a superb free tier that has a couple of limitations however doesn’t compromise on privateness or restrict utilization. In order for you the total, premium expertise, Proton VPN’s paid subscription plans are nonetheless comparatively budget-friendly.  

Velocity winner: Proton VPN by a hair

All VPNs will slow your internet speeds to a sure diploma — typically even by 50% or extra. At CNET, we take into account a VPN fast if it will probably keep a median pace lack of 25% or much less throughout our pace testing. Proton VPN and ExpressVPN each fall beneath our 25% threshold, rating because the second- and third-fastest VPNs, respectively, in our 2025 testing. The 16% pace loss we calculated with Proton VPN barely edged the 18% we measured with ExpressVPN throughout our 2025 pace checks.

If you wish to obtain the very best speeds from both supplier, I like to recommend connecting by means of Lightway with ExpressVPN and thru WireGuard with Proton VPN. Each VPNs provide performance that may theoretically increase your VPN speeds. ExpressVPN upgraded its proprietary VPN protocol with Lightway Turbo and added Knowledge Channel Offload (DCO) to OpenVPN this yr, whereas Proton VPN says that its VPN Accelerator can increase your VPN speeds by as much as 400%. ExpressVPN’s Lightway Turbo and DCO translated to a big increase in speeds through the a number of rounds of pace checks I carried out earlier than and after their implementation earlier this yr. Nevertheless, I didn’t discover a considerable enchancment in my VPN speeds once I ran some casual checks with Proton VPN’s Accelerator characteristic enabled. However Proton VPN says that its VPN Accelerator could not enhance efficiency underneath supreme community situations, and also you may solely discover quicker speeds whereas on a slower or extra unreliable reference to excessive latency or packet loss.  

Worth winner: Proton VPN delivers higher total worth on all subscription plans

On the entire, Proton VPN is less expensive than ExpressVPN, from its free plan (one thing ExpressVPN doesn’t provide) to its fundamental tier and bundled subscriptions. 

Proton VPN presents loads of worth with its fundamental VPN Plus subscription plan, which additionally permits for as much as 10 simultaneous connections, however contains the VPN in addition to Proton’s NetShield advert, tracker and malware blocker, and prices $10 a month, $60 for the primary yr or $108 for the primary two years. The annual and two-year plans each renew at $80 a yr after the preliminary time period. 

Against this, ExpressVPN’s fundamental, VPN-only tier doesn’t provide a lot worth for the cash. ExpressVPN’s Fundamental subscription plan permits for as much as 10 simultaneous connections and contains solely the VPN and its advert and tracker blocker and prices $13 a month, $75 for the primary 15 months or $98 for the primary 28 months. The introductory pricing is pretty cheap, however the yearly and two-year plans each renew at $100 a yr after the preliminary time period, which is dear for a base VPN plan.

Both VPN supplier permits you to bundle additional privacy and security tools, like password managers, antivirus software program, identification theft safety providers and different apps. However with Proton Limitless, you pay a lot much less whereas getting much more in your cash than even ExpressVPN’s Professional plan.

ExpressVPN’s Superior plan presents maybe the most effective worth out of the corporate’s three tiers and prices $14 a month, $90 complete for the primary 15 months or $126 complete for the primary 28 months. Each the annual and two-year plans then renew at $120 a yr following the preliminary subscription time period. The Superior subscription plan permits as much as 12 simultaneous connections and contains the VPN, password manager, full suite of Superior Safety options and most Id Defender options.

The Professional subscription plan presents as much as 14 simultaneous connections, all the things within the Superior plan, plus the total suite of Id Defender instruments and a devoted IP, however is significantly costlier at $20 a month, $135 for the primary 15 months or $210 for the primary 28 months. Each longer-term plans then renew at $200 a yr.  

The excellent Proton Limitless subscription offers you full entry to a VPN, safe e mail, calendar, encrypted cloud storage, password supervisor and safe pockets for $13 a month, $120 a yr or $192 complete for the primary two years (renewing at $120 a yr). 

For those who don’t need to pay for a VPN in any respect, Proton VPN presents a legit free tier. Proton VPN’s free plan limits the variety of simultaneous connections to a single system, randomly connects you to one in all 5 server areas (US, Japan, Poland, Romania and the Netherlands) and doesn’t assist P2P or streaming. Nonetheless, it presents the identical fundamental privateness protections as its premium tier and doesn’t put limits on pace or utilization — making it the one free VPN we advocate at CNET. Despite the fact that Proton says that it doesn’t assist streaming on its free tier, CNET Senior Editor Moe Lengthy and I efficiently unblocked Netflix streaming content material whereas linked to Proton VPN’s free servers.

Notably, ExpressVPN simply launched a standalone free VPN service referred to as EventVPN that features adverts and limits customers to a single energetic connection at a time, however presents entry to servers in 35 areas and contains premium privateness protections like post-quantum encryption, RAM-only servers and a kill swap. Whereas EventVPN is brand-new and I haven’t absolutely examined but to find out whether or not it will probably compete with Proton VPN’s free tier, it seems promising on paper and may make for a compelling different for individuals who need privateness with out paying.       

Privateness and safety winner: ExpressVPN has a slight edge because of forward-thinking privateness initiatives

ExpressVPN and Proton VPN put an excessive concentrate on privateness and transparency, so when you’re a journalist, activist, whistleblower, lawyer or anybody else with critical privacy needs, both one is a superb selection. For those who worth the cutting-edge privateness of post-quantum encryption, substantial transparency, RAM-only servers and a willingness to push the business ahead, then I’d advocate ExpressVPN. For those who want open-source apps or further privateness options like double-hop connections or Tor over VPN capabilities, then I’d go along with Proton VPN.

ExpressVPN has constructed a fame for pushing the boundaries and serving to usher the business into the long run. Together with Mullvad, ExpressVPN was one of many first VPN suppliers to implement post-quantum encryption, which will help guard in opposition to potential future threats from quantum computer systems. Though we’re nonetheless years away from quantum computing breaking in the present day’s encryption requirements, post-quantum protections are necessary to implement now due to “harvest now, decrypt later” assaults, the place adversaries steal encrypted knowledge now to decrypt later utilizing quantum computer systems.

Publish-quantum encryption is on the market when utilizing ExpressVPN’s proprietary Lightway protocol or its new post-quantum WireGuard implementation. The corporate has open-sourced Lightway for the business to implement, however acknowledging that different VPNs could be hesitant to undertake a “branded” resolution, ExpressVPN rolled out a model of WireGuard with post-quantum protections and revealed a white paper detailing its course of as a blueprint for others to comply with. That is all emblematic of the corporate’s drive not solely to spearhead progressive privateness efforts internally, but additionally to push the complete business ahead. 

Proton is taking a decidedly totally different route. The corporate is engaged on building post-quantum encryption for its email service, however stays intentionally cautious, citing the inherent danger in new cryptography not being battle-tested and safety dangers related to misimplementation. There’s advantage in being affected person, and I’m assured that Proton will roll out post-quantum protections for VPN customers when the corporate determines that the time is true. 

In the meantime, Proton VPN’s present privateness protections are rock-solid and embody a couple of extras that ExpressVPN doesn’t provide: Safe Core and Tor over VPN servers. Whereas the common consumer simply in search of common privateness or to stream content material won’t want Proton VPN’s superior servers, they’re useful for individuals with critical privateness considerations about on-line monitoring. These specialty servers run your connection by means of a number of servers fairly than only one, which supplies further encryption and makes it tougher for others to trace your on-line exercise. Proton VPN’s fleet of Safe Core servers route your visitors first by means of servers positioned in privacy-friendly international locations (Switzerland, Sweden and Iceland) earlier than exiting by means of a second VPN server in one other location. It features basically like a double-hop connection, however I like how Proton VPN goes to excessive lengths to bodily safe its Safe Core server infrastructure by housing the Swedish servers in an underground bunker and the Icelandic servers on a former army base. Alongside sturdy double VPN connections, Proton VPN additionally permits you to entry the Tor Network by means of its Tor over VPN performance.

Each ExpressVPN and Proton VPN are positioned in privacy-friendly jurisdictions (British Virgin Islands and Switzerland, respectively) and provide important VPN privateness protections like AES 256-bit and ChaCha20 encryption, a kill swap, DNS leak safety and audited no-logs insurance policies. Every VPN’s kill switch — which protects your privateness by chopping off your web connection in case your VPN disconnects unexpectedly — labored flawlessly, and we encountered no leaks throughout our newest checks. 

Nevertheless, every VPN’s MacOS app operates in another way when you bounce from one server instantly to a different. A seasoned VPN consumer would seemingly anticipate that switching from one server to a different on MacOS usually breaks the encrypted connection and put together accordingly by exiting out of any apps or web sites they needed to maintain hidden. However some VPN customers could not notice that their public IP tackle and web exercise may be uncovered even when the connection is disrupted for a fraction of a second through the server swap. ExpressVPN’s MacOS app shows a warning pop-up that claims “Your web visitors could also be unsecure throughout reconnection” when you try to leap from one server instantly to a different, whereas Proton VPN’s app doesn’t problem such a warning, which is stunning given Proton VPN’s sturdy total privateness posture. 

Though each suppliers have been repeatedly audited over the previous few years, ExpressVPN’s 23 audits since 2018 — together with its latest audit this summer time — outpace the six complete audits Proton VPN has commissioned since 2019, together with annual audits from 2022 by means of 2025. The outcomes of Proton VPN’s most recent audit had been revealed in September 2025. Whereas it’s impossible to verify a VPN’s claims with 100% certainty, regular audits are necessary and will help construct belief. Fewer or much less frequent audits don’t essentially imply {that a} VPN’s infrastructure is much less safe or that it’s much less geared up to guard consumer privateness. However given the large quantity of belief customers have to put of their VPN supplier, it’s important for VPN corporations to exhibit a robust, sustained dedication to transparency by means of impartial audits — and ExpressVPN has been by far essentially the most constant in that regard. 

The 2 corporations have totally different, albeit sound, approaches to server infrastructure and safeguarding knowledge. I like that ExpressVPN’s total fleet of servers runs strictly on RAM, which helps guarantee no knowledge stays on a tough drive as a result of the servers are utterly wiped every time they’re rebooted. ExpressVPN’s TrustedServer expertise takes the RAM-only idea to the subsequent stage by reinstalling the complete software program stack when the server is rebooted along with wiping it clear. Proton VPN doesn’t use RAM-only servers, as an alternative choosing full-disk encryption, which the corporate says is neither extra nor much less safe than RAM-only servers, however permits the corporate to do issues like extra simply run diagnostics and analyze server efficiency. Regardless, if the VPN doesn’t log any helpful consumer knowledge, then there shouldn’t be something of consequence on the server anyway.            

Usability winner: ExpressVPN is the best VPN to make use of

Of the VPNs we examined, ExpressVPN is the best one to make use of throughout all platforms, with no studying curve in any way, whether or not you’re utterly new to VPNs or have been utilizing them for years. I like ExpressVPN’s slick, minimalist app and the uniform expertise I get whether or not I’m utilizing it on my cell gadgets or laptops. The supplier’s new mobile apps have a recognizable interface however embody further parts that allow you to customise the look of the app and extra simply regulate settings and entry really useful servers. The brand new iOS app even works with Siri. 

Proton VPN’s app takes somewhat extra time to get used to, however is nonetheless intuitive and provides you extra choices to fine-tune your expertise. I like how one can arrange customized profiles that allow you to save and rapidly join to personalised server connections based mostly on the situation, particular server and VPN protocol. You may select whether or not the customized profile connection goes by means of the usual server community, Safe Core servers, Tor over VPN servers or P2P optimized servers (which may be nice for torrenting). So when you want an app that offers you extra management over your expertise, Proton VPN is a good selection.

Each suppliers provide apps for Windows, MacOS, Linux, Chromebook, iOS, Android, Apple TV, Fire TV and Android TV. Linux customers preferring a graphical consumer interface over utilizing the command line could recognize that ExpressVPN and Proton VPN provide a full Linux GUI app. Along with device-specific apps, each additionally provide browser extensions and router support. However if you need the best VPN to make use of on routers, ExpressVPN is unbeatable with its intuitive router app that works on suitable routers in addition to the corporate’s Aircove router. That mentioned, Proton VPN presents detailed directions on how you can get its service up and working on varied routers. 

Throughout our newest spherical of checks, ExpressVPN and Proton VPN each proved wonderful for streaming throughout all the platforms we examined, together with on streaming gadgets like Apple TV and Fireplace TV. Each suppliers are nice choices if you wish to get round geographical restrictions and entry streaming content material not usually obtainable in your location. ExpressVPN and Proton VPN had been in a position to unblock streaming content material on standard websites like Netflix, HBO Max, Disney Plus, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video and BBC iPlayer. Nevertheless, Hulu detected ExpressVPN and denied entry to its library on my Fireplace TV Stick and when my colleague Moe tried to stream the content material on his Android TV field.

Remember that unblocking geo-restricted content material on streaming providers is a perpetual cat-and-mouse scenario — content material you’re in a position to unblock in the present day with a VPN, it’s possible you’ll not tomorrow, and vice-versa. That mentioned, in my expertise, ExpressVPN and Proton VPN are among the many most dependable choices for constantly unblocking streaming content material. For those who occur to run into points with both supplier, a easy server swap or somewhat persistence can do the trick.     

Backside line

Finally, whether or not you select ExpressVPN or Proton VPN, you’re making a superb selection. Every supplier has its personal distinct method to privateness, however relaxation assured that each have your again, whether or not your privateness wants are important or when you’re simply in search of common privateness protections. Each are additionally in any other case well-rounded providers which are quick, simple to make use of and excel at unblocking streaming content material. 

Which one you select will seemingly boil all the way down to your price range, which supplier’s privateness philosophy you align with most and which particular options you’re in search of. For those who want particular options like double-hop and Tor over VPN connections, need the extra budget-friendly possibility or are a world traveler who wants entry to an enormous community of worldwide servers, go along with Proton VPN. However when you’re new to VPNs and in search of a ridiculously easy-to-use service, or have important privateness wants and require a VPN delivers cutting-edge privateness protections and excessive transparency, then ExpressVPN is the way in which to go.