1v1 Pricing Showdown
ExpressVPN vs Proton VPN
Side-by-side pricing breakdown for VPN decision-makers
Prices in USD, verified from the United States. Regional pricing may vary.
When choosing between ExpressVPN and Proton VPN for your vpn stack, the right answer depends on three things: your budget, the specific features you actually use day-to-day, and your tolerance for renewal-price increases. Below we lay out the prices each vendor advertises today (verified against their live pricing pages), the plan limits that decide whether they'll fit your team, and the features that differ between them.
ExpressVPN starts at $9.99/mo; Proton VPN starts at $9.99/mo. The cheaper headline price isn't always the cheaper total cost — renewal pricing, per-user fees, and overage charges can shift the math. Use the plan-by-plan tables below to model your actual spend.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | | |
|---|---|---|
| servers | 3000+ | 15000+ |
| countries | 105 | 120+ |
| devices per account | 8 | 10 (paid) |
| kill switch | Yes | — |
| lightway protocol | Yes | — |
| trusted server tech | RAM-only servers | — |
| jurisdiction | British Virgin Islands | Switzerland |
| audit | PwC audited no-logs | SEC Consult audited |
| streaming | Netflix, Disney+, BBC iPlayer, Hulu | — |
| money back | 30 days | 30 days |
| free tier real | — | Yes |
| netshield | — | Plus+ |
| streaming support | — | Plus+ |
| secure core | — | Plus+ |
| open source | — | All apps open-source |
Affiliate links — you pay the same price
Dive Deeper
About the vpn category
VPN pricing in 2026 is the most aggressive discount game in SaaS. Monthly rates are $10-15 across the category (NordVPN, ExpressVPN, Surfshark), but 2-year plans drop to $2-5/month — sometimes 85% off. The twist: these 'discount' prices renew at full monthly rates unless you cancel. Mullvad broke the model years ago with €5/month flat — same price regardless of commitment — and has never raised it since 2009. For a non-deceptive pricing structure, Mullvad is the only VPN that doesn't play the promo game.
How to choose between vpn options
Forget the 2-year discount bait. Calculate total cost over your actual usage period. A 2-year plan at $3/mo sounds great until you renew at $13/mo — that's $156/year vs $60/year for Mullvad at €5/mo flat. Decide if you need the enterprise features: NordVPN and Surfshark bundle antivirus + password manager; ExpressVPN is pure VPN; Proton bundles VPN + email + drive + password manager. If you want privacy-focused with minimal marketing noise: Mullvad. If you want a bundle that replaces multiple subscriptions: Proton Unlimited. If you need top speed and streaming reliability: ExpressVPN. If you want the cheapest competent VPN: Surfshark on a 2-year plan.
Building Your Business Stack?
Decision-makers comparing tools often need more than one category. Here are related comparisons:
Frequently Asked Questions
- Is ExpressVPN cheaper than Proton VPN?
- ExpressVPN is cheaper starting at $9.99/mo. ExpressVPN starts at $9.99/mo and Proton VPN at $9.99/mo.
- Does ExpressVPN or Proton VPN offer a free plan?
- Proton VPN offers a free plan.
- Which is better, ExpressVPN or Proton VPN?
- Proton VPN scores 9/10 compared to ExpressVPN's 8.6/10 in our analysis. Proton VPN ranks higher on features and value, but ExpressVPN may suit specific use cases — see the feature comparison above.
- Is ExpressVPN cheaper than Proton VPN for a team of 5?
- For a team of 5, ExpressVPN costs $9.99/mo (flat rate) and Proton VPN costs $9.99/mo (flat rate). ExpressVPN is the cheaper option at this team size.
- Are there other vpn alternatives besides ExpressVPN and Proton VPN?
- Yes. Our [VPN pricing comparison](/pricing/vpn/) page covers all major providers with daily-verified prices. You can also see the [cheapest vpn](/pricing/vpn/cheapest/) for budget-focused options.