Best ExpressVPN Alternatives in 2026 (Tested & Ranked)

ExpressVPN has long held a reputation as one of the best VPN services on the market – and for good reason. In my experience, it’s user-friendly with great feature parity, a solid server network, and respectable speeds. Yet even the top VPNs have their trade-offs. It’s not the cheapest VPN, despite lacking the antivirus protection of some rivals. It’s unblocking wasn’t flawless in recent tests either.

That’s why I tested multiple VPNs to identify the strongest ExpressVPN alternatives. My goal is to help you find a service that fits your specific needs. Whether you’re looking for better value or more simultaneous connections, you shouldn’t have to compromise. Below are the top contenders worth considering, based on the results of my hands-on experience and our in-depth testing.

Why Consider an Alternative to ExpressVPN?

While ExpressVPN is a solid choice, there are reasons to consider alternatives. Despite lacking antivirus protection and Double VPN servers, it sits at the higher end of the pricing spectrum, which may not suit budget-conscious users. In our testing, it failed to unblock Netflix UK – that’s not exactly an insignificant drawback if you’re a streaming enthusiast. ExpressVPN doesn’t offer anonymous payment options either which may be a deal-breaker for privacy-focused users.

Top ExpressVPN Alternatives Compared at a Glance

Need to make a quick decision? Here’s a quick rundown of the best ExpressVPN alternatives. As part of my hands-on testing process, I evaluated each VPN in key areas including speed, security, ease of use, and features, all to find worthy competitors to ExpressVPN.

Here are the VPNs I found to be the best ExpressVPN alternatives:

• NordVPN: More server locations and the added bonus of antivirus protection at a comparable price
• Surfshark: Lower long-term pricing and unlimited connections makes it a great value
• Proton VPN: Swiss-headquartered service with open-source apps and anonymous payment

The Best ExpressVPN Alternatives Reviewed

1. NordVPN – Best ExpressVPN alternative

Not only is NordVPN my best ExpressVPN alternative, it’s our best VPN overall. With 181 server locations compared to the 105 of ExpressVPN, it gives you more local server options and greater flexibility to bypass geo-blocking.

Speaking of geo-blocking, NordVPN had a 100% success rate in our unblocking tests, seamlessly unblocking every streaming service we tried it with including Netflix UK – which ExpressVPN failed to work with.

We only had 10.68% speed loss from our base connection when connected to NordVPN servers, compared to 17.31% with ExpressVPN. Overall, NordVPN’s marginally faster speeds make it a safer bet for streaming 4K content lag-free.

If anything, I’d consider NordVPN more of an all-in-one security suite following the launch of its next-gen antivirus tool. That’s not something ExpressVPN offers and, in my eyes, it takes NordVPN’s protection to another level.

Despite its advantages over ExpressVPN, NordVPN starts at $3.49 a month which is only a little more than the $2.49 a month of ExpressVPN.

Visit NordVPN.com

Or read our full NordVPN review.

2. Surfshark – Great value contender

Surfshark starts from just $2.49 a month which is a fair bit cheaper than ExpressVPN’s $2.49 a month. To me, that’s impressive when you consider the advantages Surfshark holds over ExpressVPN.

Whereas ExpressVPN limits you to 10-14 simultaneous connections, Surfshark doesn’t impose a limit. This adds to its value and makes it more suitable if you want to share protection with others at home.

Like NordVPN, Surfshark worked with every streaming platform we tried it with including Netflix UK, which ExpressVPN struggled with. Streamers will be happy to hear we had minimal speed loss of 9.09% with Surfshark (compared to the 17.31% of ExpressVPN).

Surfshark may be a more affordable VPN than ExpressVPN, but it has even more features. You can add an extra layer of encryption to your traffic via MultiHop servers while Alternative ID lets you generate random personal information to protect your real data. A Surfshark One subscription even includes antivirus protection.

Visit Surfshark.com

Or read our full Surfshark review.

3. Proton VPN – Better for privacy-first users

If you’re looking for a VPN with a privacy-first focus – and which lets you pay anonymously in cash – Proton VPN is for you. Between its Swiss jurisdiction, independently audited no-logs policy, and open-source apps, it’s as trustworthy a VPN as you’ll get.

You might think then that performance falls by the wayside but, having often used this VPN for streaming myself, I’ve not found that to be the case. In testing, we had 17.56% speed loss (similar to ExpressVPN). Proton VPN speeds in Europe, North America, and Asia were comparable to those of ExpressVPN too.

Like NordVPN and Surfshark, Proton VPN had a 100% streaming service hit rate, accessing Disney+, Prime Video, and more. You’ll have no shortage of servers to choose from either because Proton VPN has 20,000 servers in 127 locations.

At $2.99 a month, Proton VPN is slightly more expensive than ExpressVPN. Yet it has the added benefit of Secure Core (Double VPN) servers which route traffic via a privacy-hardened country.

Visit ProtonVPN.com

Or read our full Proton VPN review.

How to Choose the Right ExpressVPN Alternative for Your Needs

Not all VPNs serve the same purpose. Which ExpressVPN alternative you select depends on what matters most to you:

• Server coverage: NordVPN leads the way here, offering servers in 181 locations. In my opinion, this massive reach makes it the better choice if you need access to highly specific regional content.
• Unlimited device connections: If ExpressVPN’s 10-14 device allowance is too limiting, Surfshark is the clear winner for me. It allows unlimited devices on a single subscription.
• Budget pricing: For those seeking the lowest cost without sacrificing performance or protection, I think Surfshark is particularly good value from $2.49 per month.
• Maximum privacy: Proton VPN stands out if your primary concern is privacy. It operates under Swiss jurisdiction, features open-source apps, and has an independently audited strict no-logs policy.
• Streaming and speed: If you’re struggling streaming with ExpressVPN, know that NordVPN, Surfshark, and Proton VPN all posted similar or better speeds and worked with every platform we threw at them.

Final Verdict: Which ExpressVPN Alternative Should You Pick?

NordVPN is the best ExpressVPN alternative. It was slightly faster and a better unblocker in our latest speed tests, and offers far more server locations. Unlike with ExpressVPN, you even get antivirus protection – all of this despite comparable pricing.→ Get for $3.49/mo

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