ExpressVPN vs ProtonVPN 2026: Speed vs Privacy

ExpressVPN and ProtonVPN are both first-rate, and they are first-rate at different jobs, which is what turns this into a real decision instead of a league table. One is built for speed, painless streaming, and staying online in places that fight VPNs. The other is built by a company whose whole reason for existing is privacy, run out of Switzerland, with source code anyone can read and a stack of yearly audits behind the promise. I have paid for both for years and carried them across a lot of borders on the same laptop, and here is the short answer: if you want one fast, simple, do-anything VPN, ExpressVPN is the pick. If privacy is your priority, if you torrent and want port forwarding, or if you would like to start on a properly free plan, ProtonVPN is the one I would steer you to, and I think highly of it.

That is the split in a sentence. The rest walks the specific gaps: what they charge, how quick they are, the protocol choices, how each does streaming and torrenting, the security kit, and the privacy foundation, with real figures where they exist, and on a couple of them the advantage runs the opposite way to what the names would lead you to expect.

ExpressVPN vs ProtonVPN at a glance

	ExpressVPN	ProtonVPN
Cheapest paid plan	~$2.49/mo (2-yr Basic)	~$2.99/mo (2-yr Plus)
Free tier	None	Yes, unlimited data
Devices at once	8	10
Local speed loss	2%	1%
Port forwarding	No	Yes
Open-source apps	No	Yes, fully
Recent no-logs audit	KPMG, 2025	Securitum, yearly
Base / owner	British Virgin Islands / Kape	Switzerland / Proton AG
Money-back	30 days	30 days (paid)

The floor they both clear

It is worth naming how much these two already share, because it sets a high floor. Neither records what you do online, and each has put that claim to an outside auditor. Both default to a WireGuard-based protocol for pace and keep OpenVPN and IKEv2 for networks that block it or for phones that switch between WiFi and cellular. Both encrypt to the current standard, both come through independent leak tests clean, and both unblock the streaming libraries people care about on their paid plans. Each is registered somewhere with no obligation to retain your data, the British Virgin Islands for one and Switzerland for the other. So the runner-up in any category below is still a strong VPN; the differences here are between two of the best you can buy.

Price, plans, and the free tier

On paid plans the two sit close together. ExpressVPN’s entry Basic tier comes to about $2.49 a month if you commit to two years. ProtonVPN’s VPN Plus lands near $2.99 on the same commitment, and that plan opens the full server network, streaming access, the Secure Core feature, and ten devices at once against ExpressVPN’s eight. ExpressVPN divides its subscription into Basic, Advanced, and Pro, holding a password manager and identity tools back for the pricier rungs, so matching the feature sets narrows the gap. Neither counts as expensive in this category.

The real difference is that ProtonVPN runs a free tier, and a clean one. No adverts, no data ceiling, and no selling of your traffic to pay for the servers, which is the trap almost every other free VPN falls into. The free plan limits you to a small set of countries and will not unblock streaming, but it is the one free VPN I recommend without hedging, and it is a real reason to begin with Proton. To be precise about the split, since it trips people up: the free tier gives you the core VPN, no logs, and no ads on a handful of countries and one device, while the paid VPN Plus adds the full network, streaming, Secure Core, port forwarding, and ten devices. In other words the free plan proves the trust, and the paid plan unlocks the features, which is a fairer arrangement than the usual free VPN that monetises you. You can stay on it forever, and if you outgrow it the step up is a single tap with no new brand to learn. ExpressVPN has nothing to set against that. Its 30-day money-back guarantee lets you try the paid product without risk, but a refund window is a trial, not a free plan you can keep indefinitely. On price and plans, Proton takes it, on the strength of that free tier and the extra two device slots.

The free plan is worth understanding in practice, because it is unusual. It runs on a limited set of countries and a single device, with no streaming and slower servers than the paid tier, so it is not a substitute for VPN Plus. What it is, is a real, open-ended way to see whether a VPN fits your life before you spend anything, and I point plenty of people to it when they say they are not yet convinced they need a VPN. If they outgrow it, the upgrade keeps the same app and account, so nothing has to be relearned or migrated. No other name in this comparison offers that, and it makes ProtonVPN the natural first stop for a cautious beginner even if they eventually pay for something else.

Worth adding: Proton sells a wider bundle called Proton Unlimited that folds in its encrypted email and cloud storage alongside the VPN, which is strong value if you want the whole privacy suite from one company. ExpressVPN keeps to the VPN and its immediate add-ons. If you are the sort who would rather consolidate your email, files, and VPN under one Swiss roof, that ecosystem is a point in Proton’s favor that never shows up on a spec comparison.

Seen over two years, the paid plans land within a few dollars of each other, so price is not the thing that should decide this. Two years of ExpressVPN Basic sits near sixty dollars, two years of Proton Plus a little above that, and both climb at renewal the way the whole industry does, so set a reminder to reprice before it auto-renews at the higher rate. The money question really only bites at the extremes: Proton is cheaper if the free tier covers your needs, and ExpressVPN is cheaper for one month only if you genuinely want a VPN for four weeks and no longer. For anyone committing to a year or two, treat them as priced the same and choose on the features instead.

Speed: the numbers

ProtonVPN spent years wearing a name for sluggishness and has since shed it, so this calls for data rather than old habits. On a roughly 100 Mbps test line, Proton gave up just 1% locally, holding 99 Mbps, and dropped to 85 Mbps on a server abroad, a 15% loss. On the same benchmark, ExpressVPN lost 2% close in at 98 Mbps and landed on the same 85 Mbps internationally, also a 15% loss. That is a dead heat, Proton a whisker ahead near home and the two identical at distance.

Sustained throughput, the speed each keeps across a long transfer, went narrowly to ExpressVPN at 9.8 megabytes a second against Proton’s 9.2, both healthy enough that neither buffers on a fast line. Proton credits a feature it calls VPN Accelerator, which splits the work across processor cores and smooths long-distance routing, for shaking off its old sluggishness, and in day-to-day use I cannot tell the two apart for streaming, calls, or downloads. Ping stays low on a nearby server for either, so games and video calls run without a hitch. The upshot is that the old “ExpressVPN fast, Proton slow” line is out of date; on speed these two are level.

Protocols, encryption, and open source

Both lead with a WireGuard-based default and fall back to OpenVPN and IKEv2, and both encrypt properly, so the base is shared. Each adds its own touch. ExpressVPN’s is Lightway, a protocol it wrote itself and later rebuilt in the Rust language to close off whole classes of memory bug, with post-quantum protection layered in, the safeguards built to survive the day quantum machines can break the encryption in use today. ProtonVPN’s is Stealth, an obfuscation protocol that disguises VPN traffic so it can slip past systems built to spot and block it, alongside the VPN Accelerator that handles the speed side.

The one categorical difference is openness. Every ProtonVPN app is open-source from top to bottom, so any researcher can inspect the code directly instead of taking a marketing page on faith, and that auditability is a real plank of the privacy case, not a slogan. ExpressVPN’s Lightway keeps an open-source core, but its apps as a whole are not open the way Proton’s are. For the present both use current, well-built encryption; ExpressVPN edges slightly ahead on post-quantum readiness, ProtonVPN on being inspectable in the open. On either you can leave the default in place and never think about it.

The one time the protocol choice matters is on a hostile network. If a workplace, campus, or country tries to detect and block VPNs, Proton’s Stealth wraps the tunnel so it reads as ordinary traffic, and ExpressVPN applies its own obfuscation automatically without a toggle. Both also keep OpenVPN for the rare network that only permits older, familiar-looking protocols. The rest of the time the WireGuard-based default is the quickest choice and the one to leave alone, which is why most people never open the menu at all.

Streaming and restrictive countries

Both stream well on their paid plans, with ExpressVPN a shade ahead. In independent testing ProtonVPN opened Netflix in several regions, the US, Canada, UK, and Australia among them, through servers the app tags for streaming, and I hop between the US and UK catalogs on it without the proxy error that plagues weaker services. ExpressVPN reaches the same headline platforms and adds MediaStreamer, a smart-DNS feature that brings US and UK streaming to the TVs and consoles that cannot run a VPN app themselves, which Proton has no direct answer to. On a laptop the two are close; on a TV, ExpressVPN is the smoother route. Remember that Proton’s free tier does not stream at all, so unblocking is a paid-plan feature there.

On the specific services people ask about, both paid plans handle the hard ones. Netflix is the toughest, since it actively hunts for VPN traffic, and each gets into multiple regional libraries; Disney Plus and Prime Video simply serve the catalogue of the server’s country on either; and BBC iPlayer, the strictest of them, loads on both. The practical edge stays with ExpressVPN only because of MediaStreamer and its long streaming track record, not because Proton fails any of these. If a particular platform is your reason for buying, the 30-day guarantee, or Proton’s free-then-upgrade path, lets you confirm it works for you before committing.

Restrictive countries are ExpressVPN’s clearer win. Years of being the provider that keeps working behind the toughest firewalls have given it a track record inside mainland China that few match, with its obfuscation built in and dependable. ProtonVPN’s Stealth protocol helps across many filtered networks, but independent testing finds it does not reliably beat China’s censorship. If your route runs somewhere the internet is heavily policed, ExpressVPN is the safer choice, and for either the same advice holds: download and check the app before you set off, since a censor usually blocks the app’s own site soon after you arrive.

The server networks

Neither of these wins on raw server count, and neither needs to. ExpressVPN fields roughly 3,000 servers spread over 105 countries, a smaller fleet than the budget giants but spread widely enough that a nearby option is rarely far. ProtonVPN keeps a large network of its own across dozens of countries, with a small free subset and the rest reserved for paying users, plus the hardened Secure Core data centers it owns in Switzerland, Iceland, and Sweden. What matters more than the totals is that both keep well-distributed, uncrowded servers in the regions most people connect from, so on either you get a fast local option almost anywhere. If you specifically need to appear in an out-of-the-way country, check the server list before you buy, but for the common cases both are more than covered.

Torrenting and port forwarding

Here the advantage flips, and it is ProtonVPN’s strongest practical card. Both permit P2P on optimized servers with a kill switch shielding your address, so on safety they are even. The separator is port forwarding, the setting that lets your torrent client reach more peers and pull a busy download down faster. ExpressVPN does not offer it. ProtonVPN does, on its paid plan, next to P2P-optimized servers, which makes it an excellent torrenting VPN despite never marketing itself as one, rather in keeping with a company that prefers to let the substance speak.

For a casual downloader the gap is small, since both move a single file about as fast as your line allows. But anyone who torrents in earnest looks specifically for port forwarding, and on that count ProtonVPN is the clear choice of the pair, with the Swiss base and audited no-logs record meaning there is no activity trail left behind to worry about. If serious torrenting is a real part of why you are buying, that one feature can settle the whole thing for Proton.

One practical note for downloaders: on a single large file both providers saturate a normal home line, so the speed you see on any one torrent is much the same. Port forwarding earns its keep on busy, well-seeded torrents where reaching more peers shortens the download, and on private trackers that reward a good connection ratio. If neither of those describes you, ExpressVPN’s lack of it will never register; if both do, Proton is the obvious pick, and neither service logs what you pull down.

Security tools and the deeper privacy case

This is the contest ProtonVPN was built for. Both handle the essentials properly: a permanent kill switch, split tunneling, private DNS, and leak protection. Past that, Proton stacks a set of serious privacy tools. Secure Core is the headline, a multi-hop design that first sends your traffic through a fortified server Proton runs in a privacy-friendly country before the exit hop, so even an exit machine that were somehow compromised never learns your real address. NetShield strips ads, trackers, and malware at the network level. There is Tor routing built into the app for the days you want it, and the Stealth protocol for hostile networks. It is a toolkit assembled by people who treat privacy as the product, not a feature.

The case underneath those tools is where Proton pulls decisively clear. It operates from Switzerland, outside the Western intelligence-sharing alliances; its apps are fully open-source; and its no-logs policy has been audited by Securitum several years in a row, the reports published openly rather than described. One episode always comes up, so here it is straight: in 2021 Swiss authorities served a valid legal order that forced Proton to start logging activity on a single Proton Mail account. It concerned the email service, not the VPN, and Proton has said plainly that Swiss law places no VPN-logging requirement on it, so the incident leaves the VPN’s no-logs standing untouched. ExpressVPN’s privacy record is itself strong, a British Virgin Islands base, a no-logs claim proven when a server of theirs was seized in Turkey in 2017 and yielded nothing, and a 2025 KPMG audit, but it carries the Kape Technologies ownership question and its apps are not open. For the users who places provable, inspect-everything privacy above all else, ProtonVPN is the stronger pick, which is why I place it near the top of my best VPNs of 2026 guide. ExpressVPN wins the everyday-security round on polish; ProtonVPN wins the deeper privacy round outright.

The audit records are worth comparing directly, because both companies do more than assert. ProtonVPN has had Securitum examine its no-logs policy year after year, with each report published openly, and pairs that with apps whose source anyone can read. ExpressVPN has a long run of its own, with KPMG the most recent name to review its no-logs and RAM-only server setup in 2025, alongside repeated Cure53 assessments. Both audit their no-logs claim repeatedly, so that is not the separator. What sets Proton apart is the open-source transparency and the Swiss base stacked on top, so a sceptic can verify more of the claim independently without leaning on the auditor and the marketing alone. For most buyers ExpressVPN’s record is more than enough; for the user who wants to check the homework themselves, Proton offers more to check.

Secure Core, and who really needs it

Secure Core deserves a closer look, because it is the feature people either overlook or overrate. Most VPNs send you straight from your device to an exit server in whatever country you picked. Secure Core inserts a first hop through Proton’s own hardened data centers in Switzerland, Iceland, or Sweden before that exit, which means an attacker who managed to watch or seize the exit server would still not see where you actually are. For the ordinary user browsing on cafe WiFi, that is more protection than the threat calls for, and you can leave it off. For a journalist, an activist, or anyone whose adversary is serious and well resourced, it is exactly the kind of layer that justifies choosing Proton in the first place. ExpressVPN has no equivalent; its security model is about doing the standard things impeccably rather than adding a second hop. That is a fair philosophy, but it is a real gap for the high-threat user, and naming who each tool is for matters more than counting features.

Two smaller Proton tools round out the picture. NetShield is a network-level blocker that stops adverts, trackers, and known malware domains before they load, and unlike a browser extension it works across every app on the device, not just the browser. Built-in Tor routing lets you send your traffic into the Tor network straight from a Proton server for the occasions that call for it, without installing the Tor browser separately. Neither is unique to Proton in concept, but having both baked into a VPN whose whole pitch is privacy fits, and ExpressVPN’s leaner Threat Manager, good as it is at blocking trackers and malicious domains, does not reach as far.

Everyday use and the apps

ExpressVPN’s apps are the most stay-out-of-your-way in the business: a single big button, a clean list of places, nothing that sends you to a manual. ProtonVPN’s carry a little more on screen, the price of having Secure Core, NetShield, and a protocol picker to show you, yet they stay clean and connect in one tap on mobile. Windows, Mac, Linux, iPhone, and Android are all covered on both sides, each has browser extensions, and either can go on a router to protect an entire home. ExpressVPN also sells the Aircove, a plug-in router that ships with its VPN preloaded, for the buyer who would rather purchase hardware than set anything up.

Neither is hard to live with. ExpressVPN keeps a slight edge for an outright beginner who wants the least possible to think about, while Proton rewards the person who wants the depth and is happy to meet it. If a router install is where you are headed on either, my setup guide covers the steps per platform.

Gaming and video calls

Gaming and video calls hinge on latency, the delay between your input and the server acting on it, far more than on download speed, and both hold that down on a close server. On a paid Proton node near home the ping barely rises, and ExpressVPN behaves the same, so ranked matches and long calls stay smooth on either from a sensible spot. The exception is Proton’s free servers, too busy to game on, so this is a paid-plan point. From a nearby server neither adds the kind of delay that loses you a round, and I score it level, settled by which service keeps a node closest to you.

How I compared them

There is no guesswork here. I keep paid subscriptions to both installed together and move between them across plenty of countries and plenty of shaky connections. The measurements I cannot take cleanly at my desk, mostly how much speed each holds over distance, I read from independent labs and set against my own experience. The no-logs claims I take from the named audits, KPMG for ExpressVPN and Securitum for ProtonVPN, and the streaming verdicts from repeated third-party testing, never from a company’s own adjectives.

The honest weaknesses of each

For fairness, the honest downsides. ExpressVPN’s are the steep monthly rate, the eight-device cap, the absence of port forwarding, the Kape ownership question, and apps that are not open-source. ProtonVPN’s are the busier interface, streaming and torrenting that need the paid plan, the inconsistent access inside China, and lower tiers that strip out the very features that make it worth choosing. None of it rules either out, but a write-up that calls a product flawless has not been honest with you, and these are the details I would make sure a friend knew first. Judge each against your own needs, because a shortcoming that kills the deal for one buyer is a non-issue for the next.

Who each one suits

Set the two against your own circumstances and it clears up quickly. ExpressVPN suits the buyer who wants one quick VPN that unblocks everything, survives travel to awkward places, and never makes them open a settings screen, which describes a great many people and is the one I would install on a non-technical relative’s phone. ProtonVPN suits the privacy-minded user after Swiss jurisdiction and open code they can check, the torrenter who needs port forwarding, anyone assembling a wider privacy setup around Proton’s mail and storage, and the cautious buyer who wants to begin free and pay only if they stay. Both are sound; the useful step is being honest about which one you are. The clearest tell is what you would miss if it were gone: an ExpressVPN buyer would miss the one-button simplicity and the flawless streaming the day it vanished, while a Proton buyer would miss the open code, the Swiss base, and the knowledge that nobody can change the rules. Neither misses what the other prizes, which is exactly why forcing a single winner does you a disservice.

Who should skip each

Sometimes the cleaner route is to eliminate one. Rule out ProtonVPN if your travels run into mainland China, if your streaming happens on a smart TV or console and a router setup holds no appeal, or if a fuller app would irritate you. Rule out ExpressVPN if open code and an auditable jurisdiction are hard requirements, if you torrent and depend on port forwarding, or if trying a VPN for free before paying is something you want to do. Work through both lists and most users land on a side within a sentence, and that first instinct is usually the one to trust.

The verdict on ExpressVPN vs ProtonVPN

ProtonVPN is the sharper choice for a specific and growing group of users. If privacy is the whole reason you are shopping, if you want open-source apps and a Swiss base you can audit, if you torrent and need port forwarding, or if you simply want to begin on a free tier that will not sell you out, Proton is the one to get, and because that free plan exists you can try it today for nothing. My ProtonVPN review works through the whole toolkit.

Start free, or take a paid plan with 30 days to claim a refund.

Count it up and the answer turns on temperament more than a scoreline. ExpressVPN takes streaming, restrictive countries, app simplicity, and post-quantum protocols, and draws level on speed. ProtonVPN takes the free tier, torrenting with port forwarding, and the deeper privacy case of Swiss jurisdiction, open-source apps, and repeated audits. The scoreline flatters neither, because the two barely differ on speed and both keep no logs; what separates them is what you are optimising for. For the person who wants one fast, simple VPN that streams anything and works anywhere, ExpressVPN is the pick, and I lay out the whole case in my ExpressVPN review.

A 30-day money-back guarantee stands behind every plan.

Neither buys you a bad VPN; you are only choosing the one that fits your priorities, and between Proton’s free plan and ExpressVPN’s refund window you can test that choice before parting with anything.

The one-line answer

If you read nothing else, here it is. ExpressVPN is the faster-to-live-with choice: install it, and streaming, travel, and everyday privacy just work, with no settings to learn. ProtonVPN is the choice you make on principle and keep for the same reason: Swiss jurisdiction, open code, real audits, port forwarding, and a free tier that lets you start today. They are level on speed and neither logs a thing, so you are not trading away safety or performance in either direction; the decision is purely about which set of strengths matches your life. Pick ExpressVPN for convenience, ProtonVPN for provable privacy, and know that whichever you choose you have landed on one of the two best VPNs in the category. The only mistake would be paying for the one whose strengths you will never use: an ExpressVPN subscription is wasted on someone who wanted open-source auditability, and a Proton Plus plan is wasted on someone who only ever wanted to watch a different country’s Netflix on the sofa. Match the tool to the reason you are buying, and neither of those traps ever catches you, whichever of the two you end up handing your money to.

Frequently asked questions

Is ExpressVPN or ProtonVPN better?

For most people who want a fast, simple VPN that streams reliably and works in censored countries, ExpressVPN. For the privacy-first user who values Swiss jurisdiction, open-source apps, and repeated audits, or who torrents and needs port forwarding, ProtonVPN. The two are level on speed and both keep no logs; the right one depends on whether you weigh convenience or provable privacy more heavily.

Which one is faster?

Effectively tied. In testing ProtonVPN held 99 Mbps locally, a 1% drop, to ExpressVPN’s 98 Mbps at 2%, and both held 85 Mbps internationally, a 15% drop. ExpressVPN was marginally better on sustained throughput, 9.8 against 9.2 megabytes a second. For streaming, calls, and browsing you will feel no difference between them.

Is the ProtonVPN free plan genuinely free?

Yes, and with no asterisk. No adverts, no data cap, and Proton does not sell your traffic, which is what sets it apart from the free VPNs you should avoid. The free plan is limited to a few countries and will not unblock streaming, but you can use it forever at no cost, which makes it the easiest way to try Proton before paying. ExpressVPN has no free tier, only a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Does ProtonVPN have Secure Core and what is it for?

Yes. Secure Core routes your traffic through one of Proton’s own hardened servers in Switzerland, Iceland, or Sweden before it reaches the exit server, so a compromised or watched exit still cannot see your real location. It is more protection than an ordinary user needs and can be left off, but for journalists, activists, or anyone facing a serious adversary it is a genuine reason to choose Proton. ExpressVPN has no direct equivalent.

Which is better for torrenting?

ProtonVPN, chiefly because it offers port forwarding and ExpressVPN does not. Both allow P2P on optimized servers with a kill switch, so both are safe, but port forwarding lets you reach more peers and finish a busy torrent faster, and it is the feature serious downloaders look for. Proton’s Swiss base and audited no-logs policy round out the case.

Do ExpressVPN and ProtonVPN keep logs?

Neither keeps activity logs, and both have had that verified by an outside auditor, KPMG for ExpressVPN and Securitum for ProtonVPN. ExpressVPN runs its whole fleet from RAM so nothing is written to disk, and Proton pairs its no-logs policy with a Swiss base and fully open-source apps. Both keep only the basic account information required to log you in and process payment, never any record of the pages you open, the services you use, or the traffic you send through the tunnel.

Is ProtonVPN good for privacy?

It is one of the strongest privacy choices available. ProtonVPN is based in Switzerland outside the Western intelligence alliances, its apps are fully open-source so the code can be inspected, its no-logs policy has been audited by Securitum several years running, and it offers Secure Core multi-hop and built-in Tor routing for higher-threat users. If provable, audit-everything privacy is your top priority, it is the one I would recommend over ExpressVPN.

Does the Proton Mail case affect the VPN’s privacy?

No. In 2021 Swiss authorities compelled Proton to log activity on one Proton Mail account under a valid court order. That involved the email service, not the VPN, and Swiss law does not require Proton to log VPN connections, so the VPN’s no-logs position holds. It is worth knowing, but it does not weaken the privacy case for ProtonVPN.

Is ExpressVPN worth paying more than ProtonVPN?

Their paid plans are within a few dollars of each other, so this is not really about paying more. ExpressVPN is worth choosing if you want the simplest app, the smoothest TV streaming, and the most reliable access inside censored countries. ProtonVPN is worth choosing if you want open-source apps, a Swiss base, port forwarding, or a free tier to start on. Pick on those priorities rather than on price, because the price is close.

Which one has the better apps?

ExpressVPN for outright simplicity: one button and a clean list, the easiest to hand to a beginner. ProtonVPN’s apps show more because they have more to show, Secure Core, NetShield, and the protocol picker among it, but they stay tidy and connect in one tap on mobile. Both cover every major platform and run on a router. If you value the least friction, ExpressVPN; if you want the depth on screen, ProtonVPN.

Can I use ProtonVPN for streaming on a TV?

On the paid plan Proton unblocks Netflix and other major services through its streaming-labeled servers, but it lacks a smart-DNS tool for devices that cannot run a VPN app, so a smart TV or console is easier to cover with ExpressVPN’s MediaStreamer or by running either provider on a router. For streaming on a laptop or phone, Proton’s paid plan handles it well; for a living-room setup, ExpressVPN is the smoother option.