ExpressVPN vs Proton VPN: which is better?

Three gaps decide most of this comparison. Price: Proton VPN Plus costs $9.99 a month against ExpressVPN Basic’s $14.99, and once the intro terms end it renews at $83.88 a year against ExpressVPN’s $99.95. Proof: all five of Proton VPN’s Securitum no-logs reports are public in full, while ExpressVPN’s KPMG report downloads only after accepting KPMG’s terms. Refunds: ExpressVPN’s 30-day money-back guarantee does not apply to purchases made between 11 Jul and 11 Aug 2026, during its sweepstakes promotion; Proton VPN’s guarantee stands on every paid plan.

Add those up and Proton VPN is the better buy for most people. ExpressVPN keeps two real wins — reviewer consensus on streaming and RAM-only servers — and its Basic renewal still works out to about $8.33 a month, below Proton VPN’s rolling monthly price. To see both against six other providers, start with our full VPN rankings.

ExpressVPN vs Proton VPN at a glance

Figures come from the two vendors’ own pages, as of 23 Jul 2026.

ExpressVPN vs Proton VPN, as of 23 Jul 2026

	ExpressVPN	Proton VPN
Monthly price	$14.99 (Basic)	$9.99 (VPN Plus)
Best intro rate	$3.19/mo — $89.32 for 28 months	$2.99/mo — $71.76 for 24 months
Renewal after intro term	$99.95/yr (about $8.33/mo)	$83.88/yr ($6.99/mo)
Money-back window	30 days — excludes purchases 11 Jul–11 Aug 2026	30 days, every paid plan
Simultaneous devices	10 (Basic) to 14 (Express Pro)	10
Server countries	113	148
Server count	Not published (214+ locations)	20,677
Protocols	Lightway (default), WireGuard, OpenVPN, IKEv2	WireGuard, OpenVPN, Stealth
RAM-only servers	Yes — TrustedServer	No — encrypted disks by design
Latest no-logs audit	KPMG, 2025 (third KPMG audit)	Securitum, 2026 (5th annual audit)
Audit report access	Gated behind KPMG terms acceptance	Published in full, 2022–2026
Free plan	No	Yes — 1 device, no data cap
Jurisdiction	British Virgin Islands	Switzerland
Owner	Kape Group	Proton AG (Geneva)

One footnote on network size: ExpressVPN does not publish a total server count — its server pages list 113 countries and 214+ locations. For the single-service teardowns, see our ExpressVPN review and Proton VPN review.

Which costs less?

Proton VPN, whichever term you pick. Rolling monthly it charges $9.99 against ExpressVPN’s $14.99, and the two-year deals split the same way:

Cost	ExpressVPN Basic	Proton VPN Plus
Monthly plan	$14.99	$9.99
Two-year deal, billed upfront	$89.32 (28 months)	$71.76 (24 months)
Effective intro rate	$3.19 a month	$2.99 a month
Renewal after the intro term	$99.95 a year	$83.88 a year
Renewal, per month	about $8.33	$6.99

Both advertise intro rates that renew higher, so on that habit they tie. Proton VPN’s $2.99 becomes a $6.99-a-month equivalent at renewal — more than double. ExpressVPN’s $3.19 becomes about $8.33 — roughly two and a half times. One point in ExpressVPN’s favor: that $8.33 renewal still undercuts Proton VPN’s $9.99 no-commitment monthly price, so a long-term ExpressVPN Basic subscriber pays less than a month-to-month Proton VPN one.

Watch the tiers, though. ExpressVPN sells bundles rather than a bare VPN: Basic ($14.99 a month), Advanced ($16.99), and Express Pro ($22.99) mix the VPN with an email relay, a password manager, identity tools, and eSIM data, and they renew at $99.95, $119.95, and $199.95 a year. Proton VPN Plus is the VPN alone; a separate Proton Unlimited bundle adds Proton’s Mail, Drive, Calendar, and Pass services.

The refund windows read identical — 30 days each — but the fine print does not. ExpressVPN’s guarantee covers first-time purchases only, excludes app-store payments, and is suspended for purchases made during its sweepstakes promotion from 11 Jul to 11 Aug 2026; the pricing table itself marks it “Not applicable” in that window, and unintended renewals get a 14-day window instead. Proton VPN’s pricing page shows the 30-day guarantee on every paid plan, refunded in full on request.

Whose no-logs proof is easier to check?

Proton VPN’s — a difference in paperwork access, not in the quality of either audit.

ExpressVPN’s no-logs policy passed its third KPMG engagement, announced 25 Jun 2025: an ISAE (UK) 3000 Type 1 assurance report covering TrustedServer and the no-logs claims as of 28 Feb 2025, with no identified issues. The report is published, but downloading it requires accepting KPMG’s terms and conditions first.

Proton VPN’s 2026 Securitum audit is its fifth consecutive annual check, and every report from 2022 through 2026 is published openly. All Proton apps are open source, and Proton states its no-logs policy has held across more than 400 legal cases with no logs available to hand over.

Server design splits on philosophy rather than quality. ExpressVPN’s TrustedServer fleet runs entirely in RAM: nothing writes to disk, and every reboot reloads the full software stack, with audits by PwC and Cure53. Proton VPN deliberately skips RAM-only, arguing the design adds no real protection, and instead encrypts bare-metal servers end to end with LUKS AES-256, holding the keys off-site. Both are defensible answers to the same server-seizure threat. For how to weigh claims like these, see our guide to how no-log VPN audits work.

Jurisdiction and ownership: ExpressVPN is registered in the British Virgin Islands and belongs to the Kape Group. Proton VPN is run by Proton AG from Geneva, which says Switzerland’s current legal framework places no logging duties on it.

Which is faster and better for streaming?

Speed first, because the record is unusually murky: recent third-party comparisons disagree. Across CNET, CyberInsider, 01net, and Cybernews, some report a slight Proton VPN edge while others find ExpressVPN faster, so no reported consensus exists. The protocol stacks predict no large gap either way — ExpressVPN defaults to Lightway, its open-source Rust protocol with post-quantum ML-KEM encryption, alongside a customized WireGuard, OpenVPN, and IKEv2; Proton VPN runs WireGuard and OpenVPN, topped by its in-house Stealth protocol for slipping past networks that block VPN traffic.

Streaming is clearer. Tom’s Guide, CyberInsider, and Gizmodo all rate ExpressVPN the stronger pick, reporting that it unblocks more services more reliably. None of those write-ups disclose test regions or retest counts, so treat it as reviewer consensus rather than measured data — but the consensus points one way. For picks judged on streaming alone, see the best VPNs for streaming.

On the apps, CNET and Forbes Advisor describe ExpressVPN as the more polished, easier option across platforms, while the same comparisons say Proton VPN appeals more to users who want advanced privacy controls.

What does Proton VPN’s free plan change?

The trial math, completely. Proton VPN’s free plan is permanent: one device, servers in 10 randomly selected countries, no ads, no logs, no data cap, at medium speed. ExpressVPN has no free plan — a 3-day trial exists only in its iOS and Android apps, and the 30-day guarantee is the trial route everywhere else. With that guarantee excluded for purchases through 11 Aug 2026, Proton VPN is currently the only one of the two you can try on a computer at no cost.

Choose ExpressVPN if

• Streaming decides it. Tom’s Guide, CyberInsider, and Gizmodo all rate it stronger at unblocking geo-restricted services.
• RAM-only servers matter to you. TrustedServer holds everything in memory, wipes on every reboot, and carries audits from PwC and Cure53.
• You need more device headroom. Express Pro covers 14 simultaneous connections against Proton VPN’s 10 — at $22.99 a month.
• You want the bundle. Advanced and Express Pro add an email relay, a password manager, identity tools, and eSIM data.

Try ExpressVPN — note that purchases made between 11 Jul and 11 Aug 2026 are excluded from its 30-day money-back guarantee.

Choose Proton VPN if

• You plan to keep it. Renewal is $83.88 a year against ExpressVPN’s $99.95, and the gap repeats every year.
• You want audit reports without a gate. Five Securitum reports (2022–2026) download openly; ExpressVPN’s KPMG report requires accepting KPMG’s terms.
• You want to start free. One device, 10 randomly selected countries, no data cap — the trial never expires.
• You want the bigger network. 148 countries and 20,677 servers against ExpressVPN’s 113 countries.
• You connect from networks that block standard VPN protocols, which is what Stealth is for.

Try Proton VPN — every paid plan carries a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Frequently asked questions

Is ExpressVPN better than Proton VPN?

For most buyers, no. Proton VPN costs less at every term ($9.99 versus $14.99 monthly, $83.88 versus $99.95 a year at renewal), publishes its no-logs audits in full, and includes a permanent free plan. ExpressVPN is the better pick when streaming reliability matters most — Tom's Guide, CyberInsider, and Gizmodo all rate it stronger there.

Which is cheaper, ExpressVPN or Proton VPN?

Proton VPN, at every term, per both vendors' checkout pages on 23 Jul 2026: $9.99 versus $14.99 monthly, $71.76 versus $89.32 upfront on the two-year deals (covering 24 and 28 months respectively), and $83.88 versus $99.95 a year once the intro terms end.

Which is faster, ExpressVPN or Proton VPN?

Recent third-party comparisons disagree: across CNET, CyberInsider, 01net, and Cybernews, some report a slight Proton VPN edge while others find ExpressVPN faster. Both run modern WireGuard-class protocols — Lightway on ExpressVPN, WireGuard on Proton VPN — so everyday browsing is fast on either.

Which is better for streaming, ExpressVPN or Proton VPN?

ExpressVPN, per reviewer consensus: Tom's Guide, CyberInsider, and Gizmodo all report it unblocks more streaming services more reliably than Proton VPN. None of those reviews disclose test regions or retest counts, so the call rests on that consensus rather than reproducible data.

Does ExpressVPN have a free plan like Proton VPN?

No. ExpressVPN offers only a 3-day trial inside its iOS and Android apps plus a 30-day money-back guarantee, and that guarantee excludes purchases made between 11 Jul and 11 Aug 2026. Proton VPN's free plan is permanent: one device, no ads, no data cap, on servers in 10 randomly selected countries.

Which has more servers, ExpressVPN or Proton VPN?

Proton VPN, by a wide margin on published numbers: 20,677 servers across 148 countries stood on its live server page on 23 Jul 2026. ExpressVPN's pages list 113 countries and 214+ locations but no total server count. Comparisons that call ExpressVPN's network larger rely on older counts.

Which is better for torrenting, ExpressVPN or Proton VPN?

Both support torrenting. vpnMentor, CyberInsider, and Cybernews report that ExpressVPN allows P2P on all of its servers, while Proton VPN limits torrenting to paid plans and designated P2P servers — so on ExpressVPN there is no server-picking step.