VPN providers love to boast about how advanced their apps are, but how do you know you can really trust them? After all, it’s easy to overemphasize the importance of certain features and downplay the things that really matter. We’ve extensively tested two leading services, ExpressVPN and PrivateVPN, cutting through the jargon and creating a newcomer-friendly guide that explains exactly what you’re getting (and if they’re worth paying for in the first place).
ctech_content_w_bk dark_bk=”yes”]Don’t know whether to pick ExpressVPN or PrivateVPN?
If you’re struggling to decide between these providers, we’d recommend ExpressVPN. It’s quick, easy to use, and comes with almost half off its annual plan. PrivateVPN is a great choice as well, though, and you can take advantage of its current deal to score a huge discount on long-term subscriptions.
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By creating a list of every tool, feature, and option that these VPNs offer, we were able to accurately compare and contrast them. Here’s what we uncovered during our investigation:
Summary: ExpressVPN vs PrivateVPN
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ExpressVPN vs PrivateVPN pricing
| No value | ExpressVPN | PrivateVPN |
|---|---|---|
| Website | ExpressVPN.com | PrivateVPN.com |
| Subscription periods | 1 month, 6 months, 1 year | One month, three months, one year |
| Special offer | Three months free with a 1 year subscription | Get an extra two years of coverage for free with the annual plan |
| Highest price per month | $12.95 | $9.90 |
| Lowest monthly cost | $6.67 | $2.00 |
| One year price | $99.95 (actually for 15 months) | $72 |
| Money back guarantee | 30 days | 30 days |
| Best deal (per month) | $6.67 SAVE: 49% on the annual plan |
$2.00 SAVE 85% on the three year plan |
ExpressVPN is on the higher end of the pricing spectrum, charging up to $12.95 per month. It does cut this in half if you sign up for a year, but PrivateVPN remains significantly cheaper, both in the short and long term. In fact, PrivateVPN effectively manages to cut its cost to just $2 per month by giving annual subscribers an extra two years of coverage for free.
On the plus side, both providers include a 30-day money-back guarantee. You can sign up, try either service for a month, and simply ask for your money back if you’re in any way unsatisfied. We’ve actually taken advantage of these policies ourselves (from accounts not linked to Comparitech in any way) and can confirm that getting a refund is quick and painless.
ExpressVPN vs PrivateVPN features
| No value | ExpressVPN | PrivateVPN |
|---|---|---|
| Website | ExpressVPN.com | PrivateVPN.com |
| Simultaneous Connections | 5 | 10 |
| Devices Supported | Windows, MacOS, iOS, Android, Linux, Smart TVs, Routers | Windows, MacOS, iOS, Android, Linux, Amazon Fire TV, Routers |
| Manual install devices | Set-top boxes and certain routers | Linux, routers, set-top boxes |
| Free extras | Smart DNS service. Browser extensions for Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Vivaldi, and Brave | Stealth mode |
| Best deal (per month) | $6.67 SAVE: 49% on the annual plan |
$2.00 SAVE 85% on the three year plan |
Both of these VPNs have apps for all of the main platforms, but of the two, ExpressVPN is easier to install on all of your devices. That’s because it has a command-line installer for Linux and custom router firmware, whereas PrivateVPN has to be manually configured in both situations.
ExpressVPN also offers extensions for a wide range of browsers. These work a little differently from others you might have tried, though. Instead of being a lighter, standalone addon that encrypts your browser traffic, they simply allow you to control the main VPN app directly in your browser. It also has a Smart DNS service called MediaStreamer that can help you access US-only streaming services on devices without full VPN support, like Xbox consoles or some Smart TVs.
PrivateVPN doesn’t have as many fancy tricks up its sleeve, but it does let you connect twice as many devices as ExpressVPN. There’s also a toggleable stealth mode designed to help you bypass particularly strict online censorship (ExpressVPN also obfuscates traffic but it’s unclear if this happens all the time, only as needed, or only with certain servers).
Streaming and Netflix comparison
| No value | ExpressVPN | PrivateVPN |
|---|---|---|
| Website | ExpressVPN.com | PrivateVPN.com |
| Unblocks Hulu | ||
| Unblocks Sky Go | ||
| Unblocks Prime Video | ||
| Unblocks BBC iPlayer | ||
| Unblocks ABC | ||
| Unblocks CBS | ||
| Unblocks NBC | ||
| Unblocks ITV | ||
| Unblocks Channel 4 | ||
| Best deal (per month) | $6.67 SAVE: 49% on the annual plan |
$2.00 SAVE 85% on the three year plan |
Just about every major streaming service is geo-restricted these days, so finding a VPN that works reliably with all of your favorite platforms can be tricky to say the least. ExpressVPN and PrivateVPN both performed extremely well, though, securely accessing multiple Netflix libraries and even notoriously tricky services like BBC iPlayer. ExpressVPN did come out on top since it worked with ABC, though we simply can’t test every streaming service. In other words, it’s entirely possible that PrivateVPN works with some platforms that its rival doesn’t.
China
It’s no secret that China has some of the harshest online restrictions in the world. Sites like Google, Facebook, and Wikipedia are inaccessible, and most VPNs have been blocked by the country’s Great Firewall.
ExpressVPN and PrivateVPN still work in China, though users may notice intermittent disruption to their service from time to time as the government improves its web-filtering system. All PrivateVPN users have to do is enable the Stealth mode in their app’s settings menu. Things are even easier for ExpressVPN customers, since they can use the app as normal. Whichever VPN you pick, we strongly suggest keeping a copy of the manual setup instructions just in case you run into any connectivity problems on arrival.
Setup and interface
| No value | ExpressVPN | PrivateVPN |
|---|---|---|
| Website | ExpressVPN.com | PrivateVPN.com |
| Automatic setup wizard | Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, Linux, Tomato and DD-WRT routers | Windows, Android, MacOS, iOS |
| Main location selection | List-based | List-based |
| Extra settings pages | ||
| Mobile-friendly | ||
| Best deal (per month) | $6.67 SAVE: 49% on the annual plan |
$2.00 SAVE 85% on the three year plan |
ExpressVPN has a very simplistic interface that helps make its apps as newcomer-friendly as possible. Recently-chosen locations are accessible directly from the main screen, and you can connect to the fastest server possible in a single click. The settings menu is neatly separated into tabs, and each option has a brief description of what it actually does, which is great to see.
PrivateVPN actually has two views: one for novice users and one for those who want a little more control. The first replicates the type of interface seen in competing services, with a quick-connect button and location selection option on the main screen. The second allows you to change encryption level and protocol as well as enable the stealth mode or choose which apps are closed when your internet connection drops unexpectedly.
Servers and performance
| No value | ExpressVPN | PrivateVPN |
|---|---|---|
| Website | ExpressVPN.com | PrivateVPN.com |
| Server countries | 94 | 63 |
| Total number of servers | Undisclosed | 200+ |
| Mobile-friendly | ||
| Best deal (per month) | $6.67 SAVE: 49% on the annual plan |
$2.00 SAVE 85% on the three year plan |
ExpressVPN covers more locations than most of its rivals, with servers in around 160 cities across 94 countries. This larger network likely contributes to its higher overall cost, but there’s no denying that it fills a niche; there are very few other VPNs that can get you an IP address from Myanmar, for instance.
PrivateVPN has a fairly small network, but still manages to support over 60 locations including Russia and Nigeria, neither of which are available to ExpressVPN users. Here’s a full list of each service’s supported countries:
| ExpressVPN | PrivateVPN | |
|---|---|---|
| Albania |  |
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| Algeria | |
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| Andorra | |
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| Argentina | |
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| Armenia | |
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| Australia | |
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| Austria | |
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| Bahamas | |
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| Bangladesh | |
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| Belarus | |
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| Belgium | |
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| Bhutan | |
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| Bolivia | |
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| Bosnia and Herzegovina | |
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| Brazil | |
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| Brunei Darussalam | |
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| Bulgaria | |
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| Cambodia | |
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| Canada | |
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| Chile | |
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| Colombia | |
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| Costa Rica | |
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| Croatia | |
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| Cyprus | |
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| Czech Republic | |
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| Denmark | |
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| Ecuador | |
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| Egypt | |
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| Estonia | |
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| Finland | |
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| France | |
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| Georgia | |
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| Germany | |
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| Greece | |
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| Guatemala | |
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| Hong Kong | |
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| Hungary | |
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| Iceland | |
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| India | |
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| Indonesia | |
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| Ireland | |
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| Isle of Man | |
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| Israel | |
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| Italy | |
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| Japan | |
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| Jersey | |
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| Kazakhstan | |
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| Kenya | |
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| Kyrgyzstan | |
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| Laos | |
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| Latvia | |
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| Liechtenstein | |
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| Lithuania | |
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| Luxembourg | |
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| Macau | |
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| Malaysia | |
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| Malta | |
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| Mexico | |
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| Moldova | |
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| Monaco | |
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| Mongolia | |
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| Montenegro | |
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| Myanmar | |
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| Nepal | |
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| Netherlands | |
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| New Zealand | |
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| Nigeria | |
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| North Macedonia | |
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| Norway | |
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| Pakistan | |
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| Panama | |
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| Peru | |
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| Philippines | |
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| Poland | |
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| Portugal | |
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| Romania | |
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| Russia | |
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| Serbia | |
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| Singapore | |
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| Slovakia | |
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| Slovenia | |
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| South Africa | |
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| South Korea | |
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| Spain | |
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| Sri Lanka | |
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| Sweden | |
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| Switzerland | |
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| Taiwan | |
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| Thailand | |
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| Turkey | |
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| Ukraine | |
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| United Arab Emirates | |
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| United Kingdom | |
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| United States | |
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| Uruguay | |
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| Uzbekistan | |
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| Venezuela | |
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| Vietnam | |
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Having access to all of these locations won’t help you if your VPN is too slow, though. One of the great things about regular testing is that we can see when a provider’s performance has improved or declined. Unfortunately, both ExpressVPN and PrivateVPN fell into the second group this time.
ExpressVPN’s average speeds fell from nearly 500 Mbps to just 193 Mbps during our latest tests. That’s still quicker than the majority of its competitors, but there’s no denying it’s a pretty significant drop. PrivateVPN, meanwhile, lost almost 50 percent of its speed from one test to another, previously averaging 75 Mbps and now delivering average speeds of around 40 Mbps.
To be clear, both providers are still fast enough to handle any everyday task like streaming or playing games. However, PrivateVPN users may struggle with more bandwidth-intensive activities.
Security comparison
| No value | ExpressVPN | PrivateVPN |
|---|---|---|
| Website | ExpressVPN.com | PrivateVPN.com |
| VPN protocols | OpenVPN, Lightway, IKEv2 | OpenVPN, PPTP, L2TP |
| OpenVPN data encryption | 256-bit AES | AES-256 (with 128-bit option) |
| OpenVPN control channel encryption | RSA-4096 | RSA-2048 |
| Kill Switch | Desktop only | Windows only |
| Private DNS servers | ||
| Best deal (per month) | $6.67 SAVE: 49% on the annual plan |
$2.00 SAVE 85% on the three year plan |
Although both of these providers support the OpenVPN protocol, they also work with a couple of others as well. PrivateVPN also allows PPTP and L2TP connections, although we’d advise against using PPTP as it’s outdated and no longer considered secure. ExpressVPN, meanwhile, supports IKEv2 and has even developed its own protocol named Lightway. This claims to offer much higher speeds over long-distance connections as well as the ability to keep your data secure even when switching between mobile networks and wifi.
Whichever provider you choose, you can trust that it’ll keep you safe. ExpressVPN and PrivateVPN both use 256-bit AES encryption, which is currently considered uncrackable, meaning there’s effectively no risk of anyone being able to see what you get up to online with standard network monitoring tools or a Man-in-the-Middle attack.
Each has a kill switch built-in. This stops you from browsing the web unprotected if your connection to the VPN drops, and is a crucial security feature. Unfortunately, while it’s included in all versions of ExpressVPN, PrivateVPN users can only access it on Windows (though similar functionality can be configured in Android’s native settings).
Privacy
| No value | ExpressVPN | PrivateVPN |
|---|---|---|
| Website | ExpressVPN.com | PrivateVPN.com |
| HQ base of operation | British Virgin Islands | Sweden |
| Connection logs | Some aggregated data | |
| Activity logs | No identifying data | |
| User details for signup | Email address | Email address |
| Anonymous payment options | Bitcoin | Bitcoin |
| Best deal (per month) | $6.67 SAVE: 49% on the annual plan |
$2.00 SAVE 85% on the three year plan |
Now, let’s examine the privacy credentials of each service. As you might expect, PrivateVPN did very well here: it owns and hosts all of its servers outright, and actually acts as its own ISP. This gives it full control over user data every step of the way and greatly reduces the chance of outside interference. What’s more, PrivateVPN keeps no logs whatsoever and allows you to pay in Bitcoin for another layer of anonymity.
ExpressVPN does store a little bit of information when you use it, but nothing that can be tied to you individually. For instance, it can tell which location a user has chosen, whether they successfully connected, and how much bandwidth they used in the last 24 hours, but not which sites you visited, how long you spent there, or what your IP address was. To prove that it’s safe, ExpressVPN has been independently-audited, something that we’d like to see PrivateVPN copy.
Customer service
| No value | ExpressVPN | PrivateVPN |
|---|---|---|
| Website | ExpressVPN.com | PrivateVPN.com |
| 24/7 live chat | ||
| Ticket support | ||
| Email support | ||
| Average email response time | 49 mins | 6 minutes |
| Searchable knowledge base | ||
| Phone support | ||
| Video guides | ||
| Best deal (per month) | $6.67 SAVE: 49% on the annual plan |
$2.00 SAVE 85% on the three year plan |
Each of these services offers first-class customer support, with extensive help sections on their websites and the ability to chat to support staff in real time. However, PrivateVPN’s live chat feature goes offline for a few hours each day, whereas ExpressVPN’s is available 24/7. Of course, even if you need help during one of these periods of downtime, you can still send PrivateVPN’s support team an email or submit a ticket.
The winner: ExpressVPN
Apps Available:
- PC
- Mac
- IOS
- Android
- Linux
Website: www.ExpressVPN.com
Money-back guarantee: 30 DAYS
Let’s clarify something: ExpressVPN and PrivateVPN are two of the most versatile providers on the market, and either would be a fantastic choice for keeping your online activities hidden from prying eyes. That said, ExpressVPN is the better option for most people and we’ll explain why.
First of all, it’s much faster. You’re less likely to notice performance hiccups while streaming or gaming. Additionally, ExpressVPN is easier to install on routers, and doesn’t require any settings changes to work in China. Finally, it offers access to servers in a huge number of locations, so whether you’re looking to watch Venezuelan TV abroad or simply browse anonymously in Egypt, this service has you covered.
Remember: both of these services come with a 30-day money-back guarantee. In other words, there’s nothing stopping you from trying them out risk-free – just tell customer support you’d like a refund if you’re unsatisfied.
Methodology: How we compared ExpressVPN and PrivateVPN
Comparing two VPNs isn’t as simple as you might think. Not only do we have to let you know what features and functionality they offer, we also have to think about how the average person will use each service. After all, having first-class security doesn’t mean anything if the VPN is too slow to actually use. Here are some of the key areas we looked into during our research:
- Network: First, we consider the number of available server locations. The more there are, the closer the average user will be, which helps minimize latency. Having a presence in more countries also means you’ll be able to access a wider range of content.
- Day-to-day suitability: People use VPNs for all kinds of tasks, so it’s important that they be able to handle anything from torrenting to online gaming. We also check to see if they’re suitable for use in China, and if they’re able to access platforms like Disney+ or Paramount+ since these both have very strict VPN-detection systems.
- Security and privacy: Keeping your data secure is our top priority. That’s why we look for powerful encryption, no-logs policies, and evidence of independent audits, as well as safeguards such as leak protection, kill switches, or anti-tracking tools.
- Speed: Our team regularly runs speed tests to chart how a provider’s performance has changed over time. Of course, internet speeds are inherently random, which is why our process involves testing each VPN nine times (with three servers at three times of day) before averaging the results to get a single, more representative speed.
- Ease of use: We’re big fans of services that go out of their way to be novice-friendly. They might have removed connection limits, included task-specific servers, or simply added a robust help section on their website. Really, we welcome anything that lowers the barrier to entry.
- Pricing: There’s no denying that cost is an important factor to a lot of people. Our goal is to ensure you can stay protected for as little as possible, so if there’s a deal, discount, or free trial available, we’ll always let you know. Where possible, we’ll even try to take advantage of money-back guarantees ourselves to see if they’re really as easy to claim as they seem.
Want to learn more? Check out our VPN testing methodology post – this explains exactly how we put VPNs through their paces.
ExpressVPN vs PrivateVPN: FAQs
Which is better for gaming: ExpressVPN or PrivateVPN?
These are both great choices for gaming, but we’d give ExpressVPN the edge. First off, it’s significantly faster, meaning you’ll have a smoother experience with less rubberbanding and a lower chance of disconnection. Additionally, ExpressVPN has its own router firmware. This is important because none of the most popular consoles support VPN apps, making a router installation the simplest way to play games safely on Xbox, Nintendo Switch, or PlayStation.
Of course, you could manually configure PrivateVPN to work with your router if you’d prefer. Since both of these services include a 30-day money-back guarantee, there’s really no risk – just sign up, try them out, and if you’re not impressed, tell support staff to claim a refund.
Can I try ExpressVPN or PrivateVPN for free?
Unfortunately, neither ExpressVPN nor PrivateVPN offer a free trial. However, you can use these services for a full month with no risk by taking advantage of their money-back guarantees. Simply sign up as you normally would, try them out, and if you’re not impressed, let support staff know you’d like a refund before your 30 days are up. We’ve personally tested both of these guarantee policies and have never had any issues claiming a refund.
Is PrivateVPN faster than ExpressVPN?
There are all kinds of things that can impact your VPN’s speed, from how far away your chosen server is to the level of encryption that you’re using. This makes it tricky to compare speeds in a fair and accurate way. That’s why we average the results of multiple tests to account for reliability – it allows us to say with a reasonable degree of certainty that a particular service will likely be quicker than another.
In our latest tests, ExpressVPN delivered average speeds of 193 Mbps and PrivateVPN averaged 50 Mbps. This is fine for most tasks, though PrivateVPN users might struggle if they like to do several things at once (downloading torrents while streaming, for instance).
See also:
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