10 ExpressVPN alternatives to consider in 2024

Reasons to look for an ExpressVPN alternative

On the surface, all VPNs do the same thing. They encrypt your traffic to protect you from the dangers of the internet. However, not all VPN providers are equal. Each offers a unique package of perks and features that users can benefit from. You might have particular needs, so it’s worth looking into each provider in closer detail.

Some premium VPN services are cheaper than ExpressVPN, allow unlimited simultaneous connections, offer more features, or have more servers in more countries worldwide. Knowing what sets each of them apart will make it much easier to pick your next VPN service provider.

What makes Surfshark one of the best alternatives for ExpressVPN?

If you’re looking for a budget-friendly alternative to ExpressVPN that still offers an extensive package, Surfshark is the way to go. It offers very similar performance and security for a fraction of the price. 

On top of that, Surfshark offers a Surfshark One bundle, which includes Surfshark’s Antivirus, Alert, and Search features. None of these are available with ExpressVPN.

The cheapest ExpressVPN plan will cost you $8.32/month for a one-year subscription. If you get Surfshark with a 2-year plan, it will only cost $2.49/month with the base plan or $3.98 for the Surfshark One bundle.

An ad blocker, a cookie pop-up blocker, and a double VPN are all included in Surfshark’s base plan. Neither of these is offered by ExpressVPN. Surfshark also has slightly more servers in more countries, with 3200+ servers in 100 countries, compared to ExpressVPN’s 3,000+ servers in 94 countries.

If you have many devices connected to the internet at the same time, Surfshark offers an unlimited simultaneous connections feature to keep them all protected. ExpressVPN limits simultaneous connections to 5.

For a more detailed look at how these providers stack up against each other, check out our Surfshark vs. ExpressVPN comparison guide.

9 more ExpressVPN alternatives to consider

Unless you plan to quit the internet altogether, you’ll probably want to protect your privacy as long as you’re online. So don’t rush into it and take a look at other alternatives to ExpressVPN before you make your decision. 

1. NordVPN

NordVPN is one of the biggest players in the VPN game and should be considered as one of the options whenever you’re looking for a VPN. It offers premium privacy and security features, has a great server infrastructure and features such as an ad blocker or Threat Protection.

Even its most expensive plan, which includes all the benefits of NordPass and NordLocker, costs $5.99/month if you choose to subscribe for 2 years. That’s cheaper than ExpressVPN’s cheapest plan. The NordVPN standard plan only costs $3.99 for the same time period and is a great option if you don’t need its other products.

NordVPN has well over 5,000 servers, most of which are located in Europe and North America, which makes it a solid choice for users in these regions. 

If you want to see how NordVPN stacks up against Surfshark, check out our comparison guide.

2. CyberGhost 

CyberGhost and ExpressVPN are both owned by the same company, Kape Technologies. That said, the two continue to function as separate companies and offer different packages to their users. 

CyberGhost has an impressive fleet of over 9,000 servers in 90+ countries worldwide, three times more than ExpressVPN. It also has an ad blocker feature and offers a dedicated IP option for an additional price. Something you can’t get from ExpressVPN. 

The pricing is very appealing as well, with CyberGhost’s 2-year plan costing only $2.11/month. And if you’re unsure about your selection, the provider offers a 45-day money-back guarantee, which is longer than the industry-standard 30 days. 

You can check out our Surfshark vs. CyberGhost comparison for more detailed information.

3. Private Internet Access

Private Internet Access (PIA) is another big player in the VPN game, with an impressive number of servers and appealing pricing. The 10,000+ servers ensure that you’ll always find an uncrowded server. It’s worth noting that these servers are spread across 84 countries, less than the 94 countries on ExpressVPN’s list.

If you feel like committing to PIA for 3 years, you can get it as cheap as $2.03/month. The 1-year plan is priced at $3.33/month, which is also relatively cheap compared to ExpressVPN’s $8.32 for the same subscription duration.

All in all, PIA is a solid alternative to ExpressVPN. Take a more detailed look at all it offers in our Surfshark vs. PIA comparison.

4. ProtonVPN

ProtonVPN doesn’t stand out of the pack in any single way but offers a good all-around package. At $4.99/month for its cheapest plan, ProtonVPN is cheaper than ExpressVPN but more expensive than other alternatives mentioned so far.

It allows up to 10 simultaneous connections, which is more than the 5 that ExpressVPN allows but less than the unlimited simultaneous connections offered by some others on this list. ProtonVPN has 2,900+ servers in 67 countries, which, once again, is good, but nowhere near CyberGhost’s or PIA’s 9,000+ servers each.

Nothing negative stands out either, as Proton flaunts a good set of features, connection speed, and a secure connection. So you’re getting a solid VPN experience with your subscription. 

For more comparison information, look at how ProtonVPN stacks up against Surfshark. 

5. PrivateVPN

PrivateVPN is a significantly smaller company than ExpressVPN or any others on this list. It is a great option to consider if you’re one of those who always cheer on the underdog. It offers a good VPN experience, even though it does lag behind the competition in some areas.

PrivateVPN has 200+ servers in 56 countries. A decent fleet on its own, but it’s far from impressive compared to the thousands offered by other providers. It also doesn’t have WireGuard, the fastest VPN protocol right now, so the connection speeds may tend to be a bit slower.

That said, you can get it for as cheap as $2/month if you choose a long-term plan. For that price, you get access to a VPN with secure encryption as well as some comfort features.

6. IPVanish

IPVanish is a lot like ExpressVPN because, according to most online reviews, it provides a really fast and secure connection but lacks some additional features when compared to other top VPN providers. It has no ad blocker, double VPN, or Smart DNS. Then again, some users don’t need any of these features.

It does have an edge over ExpressVPN when it comes to pricing. IPVanish’s cheapest plan costs $3.33/month, more than two times cheaper than the cheapest option from ExpressVPN.

IPVanish, like Surfshark, offers unlimited simultaneous connections. That’s an extremely handy feature if you use a lot of devices at the same time or simply want to protect your whole family with a single subscription. 

If you want to see how the two stack up side-by-side, check out our Surfshark vs. IPVanish comparison guide.

7. Mullvad

Try comparing Mullvad with Surfshark, ExpressVPN, or any other provider on this list, and you’ll quickly realize one thing — Mullvad is different. Rather than trying to provide an all-around great experience, it puts all its eggs in one basket. And that basket has an anonymity and privacy tag attached to it.

Mullvad doesn’t require an email, or even a password, to create an account. Instead, Mullvad generates a unique code that acts both as your username and password. As of June 2022, they don’t offer subscriptions either. You choose the period you want to pay for; when this time runs out, you simply repeat the process.

This means they can get rid of your payment data after approving the payment, which is not an option with subscriptions. You can even send them an envelope with your unique code and cash to get access to Mullvad’s services. This way, no digital payment is involved.

In simpler terms, Mullvad does as much as a VPN provider can do to keep you anonymous online. With so much emphasis on anonymity, Mullvad lacks the budget to keep up in other areas. It doesn’t offer 24/7 support, and has a smaller set of additional features when compared to other providers on this list.

All things considered, Mullvad is a great option for anonymity geeks, but it may not be the best option for the average user because of the disadvantages mentioned above.

8. Windscribe

Windscribe is another addition to the list of good VPN providers. According to the many reviews out there, it maintains a fast and private connection, which is most important for a VPN. However, it lacks 24/7 support, and the server infrastructure isn’t anything to write home about, with 480+ servers in 69 countries to choose from.

Windscribe does offer free access to their VPN services, which very few premium VPN providers do. With the free plan, your bandwidth and number of available locations are limited. As a result, you can’t keep the VPN on all the time, and the servers may tend to be crowded, which can lead to slower connection speeds.

The pricing for the yearly plan comes to $5.75/month, which is slightly cheaper than ExpressVPN, but more expensive than most others on this list. For this price, you get full access to all servers, no bandwidth limitations, and can have unlimited simultaneous connections.

It’s also worth noting that Windscribe has its headquarters in Canada, which is a part of the Five Eyes Alliance. So while the company flaunts a no-logs policy, there are plenty of reasons to doubt it — at least until they prove the no-logs policy with an independent audit.

9. AtlasVPN

With 750+ servers in 37 countries, AtlasVPN is another of the smaller players in the VPN game that provides a great alternative to ExpressVPN. AtlasVPN also offers a free plan, which is limited to 3 server locations, but doesn’t limit bandwidth. 

AtlasVPN is also the cheapest VPN provider on this list. You can get it for as cheap as $1.83/month if you choose to go with a 3-year plan. For this price, you can forget about slow and overcrowded free servers and enjoy a fast and private connection. 

The list of features that AtlasVPN offers is quite impressive. It has an ad blocker and a double VPN feature, which ExpressVPN doesn’t have. Unlike some other smaller providers on this list, AtlasVPN has 24/7 live chat support, so you’ll never be left stranded if things go wrong. 

So, what’s the best alternative to ExpressVPN?

Whenever you’re looking for an alternative to something, you look for a better option than what you already have. When it comes to VPNs, most users probably would prefer a VPN with more servers and server locations, more features, and a smaller price point. All of this while maintaining the same level of privacy, security, and connection speed.

Surfshark offers all of the above for less than a third of the price of ExpressVPN. Here are a few more reasons you should consider Surfshark as your next VPN provider:

• Unlimited simultaneous connections — protect yourself and your family with a single subscription. Surfshark doesn’t limit the number of devices that can be connected at the same time;
• 3200+ servers in 100 countries — with this fleet of servers to connect to, you’re always sure to find an uncrowded server nearby and enjoy a fast connection while protected by a VPN;
• A long list of features — ad blocker, cookie pop-up blocker, Smart DNS, Kill Switch, static IP… We’re just scratching the surface of all the features that Surfshark offers;
• Dedicated IP — an anonymous IP address assigned only to you, providing stable access to IP change-sensitive services and reducing captcha prompts;
• Approved no-logs VPN policy — Deloitte, one of the Big Four auditing firms, has approved Surfshark VPN’s no-logs policy. So you can rest assured that it’s more than just a statement.

Take a look at our Surfshark review to find everything it has to offer.

FAQ

Is there a free alternative to ExpressVPN?

In general, you should avoid free VPNs. But if you must use one, look for a premium provider that offers a free plan rather than a free VPN service. Since they make money from other subscriptions, they aren’t motivated to bombard you with ads or steal data from you to make some money. AtlasVPN and Windscribe are two such providers.

Is there a better VPN than ExpressVPN?

ExpressVPN is one of the best VPN service providers around. But with its cheapest plan priced at $8.32/month, it’s also one of the priciest. Some other VPN providers, such as Surfshark or NordVPN, offer a package that is similar but for a fraction of the price.