Best ExpressVPN Alternatives, Vetted by Experts
Our team found the three best ExpressVPN alternatives with way better pricing.
Last Updated on Jul 24, 2024
When we tested ExpressVPN, we mostly liked it. It made our list of the best VPNs. We got completely anonymous service with its no-logs policy and its headquarters is in the British Virgin Islands, which is outside any international surveillance alliances. That means governments can’t require ExpressVPN to give them its data.
FYI: By connecting to a VPN’s server, you send it your IP address, which can connect your browsing activity to your device. VPNs with a no-logs policy delete that information permanently to keep your browsing activity private. Read our roundup of the best no-logs VPNs to find out our favorites with this policy.
We also liked how it supported so many devices, with apps that made it easy to set up on all our devices — from our computer to our Apple TV. To top it off, it has 105 servers, which is the second most in the industry.
Even with all those benefits, though, we still think the premium price ExpressVPN charges isn’t worth it. Its month-to-month prices are competitive, at $12.95 per month, but it doesn’t give much of a discount on its six-month or 12-month plans when most in the industry cut their prices at least in half for a 12-month commitment.
So here are three alternatives our experts tested that provide the same quality service we got from ExpressVPN — but at lower prices.
Comparison Between the Best ExpressVPN Alternatives
| System |
NordVPN
|
Surfshark
|
Private Internet Access VPN
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Ranking | 1st | 2nd | 3rd |
| Ratings | 9.7/10 | 9.5/10 | 9.4/10 |
| Server count | 6,300+ | 3,200+ | 35,000 |
| Server locations | 111 | 100 | 91 |
| Subject to an International Surveillance Alliance? | No | Yes | Yes |
| Price | Starting at $3.39 per month | Starting at $2.19 per month | Starting at $1.98 per month |
| Read Review | NordVPN Review | Surfshark Review | Private Internet Access VPN Review |
Best ExpressVPN Alternatives
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1. NordVPN
Product Specs
Multihop Yes Camouflage Mode Yes Kill switch Yes Split Tunneling Yes Netflix Yes Torrenting Yes
Why Choose NordVPN Over ExpressVPN?
NordVPN gets all the same things right as ExpressVPN, but without a few of the drawbacks. NordVPN, for instance, is headquartered in Panama, another country outside of international surveillance alliances. We also trusted NordVPN to keep our browsing activities completely private with a no-logs policy even stronger than ExpressVPN’s. NordVPN passed multiple third-party audits.
NordVPN’s plans come down in cost significantly when you pay for a year or two up front. ExpressVPN limits you to eight devices, while NordVPN limits you to 10. When you want the kind of high-quality VPN that ExpressVPN provides at a competitive price point, go with NordVPN.
Pricing
We know NordVPN isn’t the cheapest option, but it isn’t close to the cost of ExpressVPN aside from its month-to-month plans. As long as you pay for at least a year, NordVPN costs a lot less. Below is an overview of NordVPN’s pricing.
Basic Plus Ultimate 1 month $12.99 $13.99 $15.99 1 year $59.88 ($4.99 per month) $71.88 ($5.99 per month) $95.88 ($7.99 per month) 2 years $95.76 ($3.99 per month) $119.76 ($4.99 per month) $167.76 ($6.99 per month) NordVPN beats ExpressVPN on price, but wait until you see Surfshark and Private Internet Access’ prices before getting too excited. They’re even better.
VPN Apps
We expected high-quality apps with an industry leader like NordVPN, and our expectations were met. We loved the apps for desktop and mobile devices, since they gave us an intuitive interface with full access to all of NordVPN’s options and features — although we thought the apps for smart TVs could use a bit of work. Below are all the platforms you can use NordVPN with via the NordVPN app.
- Windows
- MacOS
- Linux
- iOS
- Android
- Apple TV
- Android TV
- Fire TV
Customer Support
ExpressVPN and NordVPN give you similar options for customer support — both notably lack a phone number — but we felt NordVPN’s support was a bit more responsive. When we sent ExpressVPN an email, it took two days before we heard back. NordVPN responded in less than 24 hours. It still didn’t hit our gold standard for support, but with access by 24/7 live chat, email, and social media, it had enough for us.
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2. Surfshark
Product Specs
Multi-hop Yes Camouflage Mode Yes Kill switch Yes Split Tunneling Yes Netflix Yes Torrenting Yes
Why Choose Surfshark Over ExpressVPN?
When you want value for total digital security, Surfshark is hard to beat. Its month-to-month prices are a bit higher than ExpressVPN’s, but its prices are way lower as long as you’re willing to pay for at least a year. You can get Surfshark’s premium tier, which includes antivirus software, ID breach alerts, data-removal tools, and more, for less than half of ExpressVPN’s lowest price for just a VPN.
Even with Surfshark’s low prices, it still offers some of the best digital security products. It made our list of the best antivirus software even though it’s primarily a VPN company. And when we tested Incogni, that data-removal tool, we thought it was highly effective, showing results quicker than most of the competition.
Pricing
Compared to ExpressVPN, Surfshark is extremely cheap. The lowest price for Surfshark VPN is $2.19 per month, which is only a quarter of what ExpressVPN charges. Over the course of the two-year Surfshark plan, you’d save a total of $140.77 by going with Surfshark. You’re also paying less up front for a two-year Surfshark plan than a one-year ExpressVPN plan.
Here’s a quick overview of Surfshark’s pricing for all three of its plans.
Surfshark Starter Surfshark One Surfshark One+ 1 month $15.45 $15.95 $17.95 1 year + 3 months $2.79 per month ($41.85 total) $3.19 per month ($47.85 total) $5.09 per month ($76.35 total) 2 years + 3 months $2.19 per month ($59.13 total) $2.69 per month ($72.63 total) $4.29 per month ($115.83 total) Based on our experience, both VPNs give you nearly the same quality protection. ExpressVPN is located outside of the Nine Eyes and Fourteen Eyes surveillance alliances, but both have no-logs policies, which means they shouldn’t have any of your information to hand over anyway.
VPN Apps
Surfshark left us wanting more when it came to the apps it supports. It gave us enough apps to support all the devices we currently use, but there are a few extra platforms ExpressVPN supports that could come in handy. With Kindle support, for instance, if we travel to a country that bans a book we’re reading, we could use ExpressVPN to keep reading it while abroad by making Kindle think we’re still in the U.S.
Here’s a quick comparison of the platforms ExpressVPN and Surfshark have apps for.
Platform Surfshark ExpressVPN Windows Yes Yes macOS Yes Yes Linux Yes Yes iOS Yes Yes Android Yes Yes FireTV Yes Yes Apple TV Yes Yes Blackberry No Yes Kindle No Yes Router Yes Yes Customer Support
Just like ExpressVPN and NordVPN, Surfshark offers support only through email and a 24/7 live chat. Surfshark hides its live chat a bit more. ExpressVPN has a clearly labeled Support tab on its top menu. With Surfshark, we had to go into the Resources tab, and then the Help Center, and then scroll to the bottom of the page to find the live chat option. We like support to be one click away. Once we got to the live chat support, however, we connected to a live agent within a minute.
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3. Private Internet Access VPN
Product Specs
Multihop Yes Camouflage Mode No Kill switch Yes Split Tunneling Yes Netflix Yes Torrenting Yes
Why Choose Private Internet Access Over ExpressVPN?
ExpressVPN lets you buy only up to a year of service with a max discount of 35 percent off. That may seem good at first — who doesn’t want 35 percent off their VPN? — but once you compare it to other providers, it starts to feel like nothing. Private Internet Access gives discounts of up to nearly 85 percent, bringing the price down to less than $2 per month — but that comes with a three-year commitment.
We recommend Private Internet Access to anyone who wants a long-term VPN at a low price. You can then add other digital protections, such as antivirus software, with the money you save from that low-cost VPN.
Pricing
Private Internet Access has great prices for long plans, but its standard rates are good too. They’re cheaper across the board than ExpressVPN. Here’s a quick comparison of the two providers.
Private Internet Access ExpressVPN Savings 1 month $11.95 $12.95 $1.00 1 year $39.95 $99.95 $60.00 3 years $79.00 $299.85 $220.85 VPN Apps
As one of the best cheap VPNs, we didn’t expect Private Internet Access to offer native apps for many platforms. We thought they’d focus on just desktop and mobile apps to keep costs as low as possible. When we tested it, we were glad to find out we were wrong.
Pro Tip: Always look at the reviews of a VPN’s mobile apps before making a purchase. A VPN with high-quality mobile apps usually has solid desktop apps too. Private Internet Access’ apps got a 4.7-out-of-5 rating on Apple’s App Store and a 4.3 on the Google Play store. Needless to say, the apps are good.
During our tests, we installed it on our iPhone, MacBook Pro, and Apple TV. That made it easy to set up on our main devices, since all we had to do was install the app and click connect. We could have also installed it on any Windows, Linux, or Android devices since Private Internet Access supports unlimited devices with any subscription.
Customer Support
Like with the other providers, we were left wanting a customer-support phone number to call even though we usually use the live chat. Private Internet Access gave us a live chat option, although we had to wait a few minutes when we tried to get support on a weekday. It’s also clear where you should go to get help on Private Internet Access’ website, with a dedicated Support page. We could also email customer support.
Final Recommendation
Overall, Surfshark’s an awesome choice for the average user who wants to bundle their VPN and antivirus software to keep their overall digital security budget low.
Sometimes you want the best privacy you can get, though. For that, we recommend NordVPN. Other times, you need a VPN that boasts a robust server infrastructure ensuring there’s always a fast server available for you. In that case, we think you should go with Private Internet Access. If you want a bit of what makes each VPN great and use Windows devices, go with CyberGhost.
FAQs About ExpressVPN Alternatives
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What’s the best ExpressVPN alternative?
If you plan to sign up for only a month of service, ExpressVPN should be at the top of your list. But you can save a lot by signing up for a year or more with a different VPN provider. NordVPN, Surfshark, and Private Internet Access offer up to 85% off longer plans, and their VPNs are just as good or better.
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Is ExpressVPN a good VPN?
Yes, ExpressVPN is a good VPN, but we think it’s too expensive.
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What’s a free alternative to ExpressVPN?
When you need a VPN but don’t have any money left in your monthly budget, Hotspot Shield can work in a pinch. You need to sit through 15 to 30 seconds of ads every 15 minutes of use, but it’s one of the only free VPNs without a data-usage limit. Most free VPNs cap the data you can use in a month at between 500 MB and 2 GB, which isn’t enough to stream a single movie. Check out our review of Hotspot Shield to see the results of our tests with the free VPN.
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Is NordVPN a good alternative to ExpressVPN?
Yes, we think NordVPN is a great alternative to ExpressVPN. Its one-year and two-year plans cost significantly less than ExpressVPN’s long-term plans.
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Are there better VPNs than ExpressVPN?
ExpressVPN ticked all our boxes. The apps were easy to use on each platform, we could get in touch with customer support, and it hid our browsing activities effectively. There aren’t many providers that give you a much better VPN, but you can get better value from NordVPN, Surfshark, and Private Internet Access and their lower-cost long-term plans.