# Alternatives to ExpressVPN

Premium VPN with the Lightway protocol.

ExpressVPN ranks #6 of 9 in Personal VPNs, with an Alt Score of 85. It is proprietary, sold by subscription from $3.49/month and available on Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android and Browser extension. 11 of 12 checklist rows are verified against a public source.

Source: https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/expressvpn/
Category: Personal VPNs

## Where ExpressVPN stands out

- **Dedicated IP option** — 4 of 9 apps with a verified answer have this

## Overview

- **Who it's for**: Individuals who want to protect their online privacy and security, including travelers, remote workers, and anyone using public Wi-Fi. Also useful for people who want to browse without geographic content restrictions.
- **What you get**: Access to VPN servers in 113 countries, encrypted via ExpressVPN's proprietary Lightway protocol with AES-256 encryption. Includes a no-logs policy (independently audited), kill switch, split tunneling, and private DNS. Apps are available for Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, routers, and major browsers, with up to 8 simultaneous connections.
- **How it works**: Install the ExpressVPN app on a device, sign in, and connect to a server location; traffic is then routed through an encrypted tunnel that masks the device's IP address and location.

## Profile

- **License**: Proprietary (verified 2026-07-11)
- **Pricing model**: Subscription (verified 2026-07-11)
- **Starts at**: $3.49/month (verified 2026-07-11)
- **Platforms**: Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, Browser extension
- **Status**: active (verified 2026-07-11)

## Ranked alternatives

| # | App | Alt Score | Licence | Platforms |
|---|-----|-----------|---------|-----------|
| 1 | [Private Internet Access](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/private-internet-access.md) | 100 | Proprietary | Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS |
| 2 | [Windscribe](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/windscribe.md) | 96 | GPL-2.0 | Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS |
| 3 | [Surfshark](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/surfshark.md) | 93 | Proprietary | Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS |
| 4 | [NordVPN](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/nordvpn.md) | 89 | Proprietary | Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS |
| 5 | [Proton VPN](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/proton-vpn.md) | 85 | GPL-3.0 | Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS |
| 6 | [Mullvad](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/mullvad.md) | 78 | GPL-3.0 | Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS |
| 7 | [IVPN](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/ivpn.md) | 66 | GPL-3.0 | Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS |
| 8 | [Cloudflare WARP](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/cloudflare-warp.md) | 51 | Proprietary | Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS |

Alt Score = Verified coverage (90%) + Visibility (10%). See https://altcatalog.com/how-alt-score-works/

## Feature comparison

Legend: Yes / No / Partial / ? (not verified).

| Personal VPNs checklist | ExpressVPN | Private Internet Access | Windscribe | Surfshark | NordVPN | Proton VPN |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Subscription | Subscription | Freemium | Subscription | Subscription | Freemium |
| Starts at | $3.49/month | $1.33/mo | $1.00 per location/month (Build-A-Plan, $3 minimum); Pro from $5.75/month billed yearly | €2.29/mo. | $3.49 per month | $11.99/month (VPN Plus, monthly; cheaper on annual terms) |
| License | Proprietary | Proprietary | GPL-2.0 | Proprietary | Proprietary | GPL-3.0 |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, Browser extension | Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, Browser extension | Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, Browser extension | Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, Browser extension | Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, Browser extension | Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, Browser extension |
| Independent audit published | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| No-logs policy jurisdiction | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| WireGuard support | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Server count / countries | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Simultaneous devices | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Kill switch | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Split tunneling | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Partial | Partial |
| Port forwarding | No | Yes | Yes | No | No | Yes |
| Dedicated IP option | Yes | Yes | Partial | Yes | Yes | Partial |
| P2P allowed | ? | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| RAM-only servers | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Anonymous payment accepted | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |

## Sources

Sources for ExpressVPN. Each alternative is sourced on its own page.

- **Pricing model**: Subscription — <https://www.expressvpn.com/support/manage-account/available-subscriptions/> (verified 2026-07-11)
  - Quote: “ExpressVPN offers three subscription tiers: Basic, Advanced, and Express Pro.”
- **Platforms**: Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, Browser extension — <https://www.expressvpn.com/vpn-download> (verified 2026-07-11)
  - Quote: “ExpressVPN is available for Android, iOS, Windows, macOS, and more.”
- **License**: Proprietary — <https://www.expressvpn.com/tos> (verified 2026-07-11)
  - Quote: “Usage of any material that is subject to ExpressVPN's intellectual property rights is prohibited unless you have been provided with explicit written consent by ExpressVPN.”
- **Starts at**: $3.49/month — <https://www.expressvpn.com/blog/introducing-expressvpn-tiered-pricing/> (verified 2026-07-11)
  - Quote: “starting at just 3.49 USD/month on a two-year plan”
- **Status**: active — <https://www.expressvpn.com/about-us> (verified 2026-07-11)
  - Quote: “Since 2009, ExpressVPN has helped millions of people take control of their online privacy.”
- **Independent audit published**: Yes — <https://www.expressvpn.com/trust> (verified 2026-07-11)
  - Quote: “We engage independent auditors to review the security of our services and software.”
- **No-logs policy jurisdiction**: Yes — <https://www.expressvpn.com/what-is-vpn/policy-towards-logs> (verified 2026-07-11)
  - Quote: “We're registered in the British Virgin Islands, which is a jurisdiction with strong privacy laws.”
- **WireGuard support**: Yes — <https://www.expressvpn.com/what-is-vpn/protocols/wireguard> (verified 2026-07-11)
  - Quote: “Yes. ExpressVPN offers a custom-built WireGuard implementation across its apps for iOS, Android, Windows, macOS, Linux, and tvOS (Apple TV).”
- **Server count / countries**: Yes — <https://www.expressvpn.com/vpn-server> (verified 2026-07-11)
  - Quote: “Servers in 113 Countries”
- **Simultaneous devices**: Yes — <https://www.expressvpn.com/features/how-many-devices-can-i-connect> (verified 2026-07-11)
  - Quote: “One ExpressVPN subscription covers up to 14 simultaneous active connections, giving you access to our full ExpressVPN feature suite on every platform.”
- **Kill switch**: Yes — <https://www.expressvpn.com/features/network-lock> (verified 2026-07-11)
  - Quote: “automatically blocks all internet traffic until the secure VPN tunnel is restored”
- **Split tunneling**: Yes — <https://www.expressvpn.com/features/split-tunneling> (verified 2026-07-11)
  - Quote: “choose which apps or websites use the VPN and which connect directly”
- **Port forwarding**: No — <https://www.expressvpn.com/blog/vpn-ports/> (verified 2026-07-11)
  - Quote: “ExpressVPN doesn't support port forwarding on its VPN servers.”
- **Dedicated IP option**: Yes — <https://www.expressvpn.com/features/dedicated-ip> (verified 2026-07-11)
  - Quote: “a unique IP address assigned only to you”
- **RAM-only servers**: Yes — <https://www.expressvpn.com/features/trustedserver> (verified 2026-07-11)
  - Quote: “All data wiped with every reboot, as VPN servers run on RAM only”
- **Anonymous payment accepted**: Yes — <https://www.expressvpn.com/blog/expressvpn-now-accepts-bitcoin/> (verified 2026-07-11)
  - Quote: “ExpressVPN is committed to ensuring user privacy, which is why we have been accepting Bitcoin payments for users signing up for new accounts since 2014.”

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Ranked by verified data, never by who paid. https://altcatalog.com/trust/