Avast VPN vs ExpressVPN

Overall winner

ExpressVPN

Choosing the best VPN for your needs can be a tough choice. But, in this comparison, ExpressVPN comes out on top, and it’s easy to see why.

Express VPN has better security standards, very fast speeds, and can get around virtually any geo-restriction or content block. It is more expensive than Avast (no matter which plan you choose), but if you’re not on a budget the price is well worth it.

Finally, for both of these tools, you have access to a 30-day money-back guarantee. So, if you’re still on the fence you can test out both VPNs risk-free. All you have to do is reach out to customer support to process your refund request.

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Pricing

Price shouldn’t be the sole factor in choosing a VPN, but it’s still important. Your goal should be to find a VPN that has the features you need while still fitting within your budget. 

Avast has straightforward and simple pricing. Offering two different plans, a one-month plan and a one-year plan. The simplicity makes it easy to choose the plan right for you. The monthly plan costs $8.99/mo, while the yearly plan breaks down to $3.99/mo. 

ExpressVPN is one of the more expensive VPNs on the market today, so it isn’t the best VPN for those on a budget. ExpressVPN offers one-month, six-month, and 12-month plans. The one-month plan costs $12.95/mo, the six-month plan costs $9.99/mo, and the 12-month plan costs $8.32/mo. 

ExpressVPN offers more pricing plans, but Avast has much cheaper prices. So, if you’re on a budget, this could be a great choice. But, as you’ll soon learn, it isn’t equipped with the same level of features. 

Keep in mind that most VPNs regularly offer discount pricing for new users, so there’s a good chance you’ll be able to lock in a cheaper rate for your first month or first year of service.

Winner: AvastVPN

Avast VPN wins this round with its vastly cheaper prices. Note that if you’re choosing on price alone you will have to sacrifice certain features.

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Features

ExpressVPN and Avast VPN do have some overlapping features, but ExpressVPN has a much larger feature set. For example, they both have compatibility with macOS, Windows, Android, and iOS.

But, Avast doesn’t support Linux or have browser extensions for Chrome or Firefox web browsers.

Both VPNs also give you the ability to connect up to 5 simultaneous connections. This helps if you have multiple people in your household or have a handful of devices you want using the VPN at once.  

ExpressVPN also allows you to use split tunneling. This feature lets you choose between different applications that are using the VPN, so every application you’re running doesn’t have to route through the VPN and can instead go straight through your ISP. 

Some additional core features that ExpressVPN offers include:

• Bundled DNS leak protection 
• Obfuscated servers to help you get around tough firewalls
• WedRTC leak protection
• IPv4 and IPv6 leak protection

These additional features all work together to ensure you remain protected online. 

Overall, Avast is a pretty bare-bones VPN. It can get you up and running quickly since it’s user-friendly but isn’t very flexible.

Winner: ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN has a much larger feature-set, supports a wider range of devices and platforms, plus has an easy-to-use split tunneling feature. 

Security

Avast and ExpressVPN both utilize the AES-256 encryption protocol, which is one of the most secure encrypted connections available. However, Avast doesn’t offer much customization in terms of configuring your connection.

For example, Windows users will automatically connect using AES-256-bit encryption and the OpenVPN protocol, while Mac users will connect using the IKEv2 protocol.

ExpressVPN offers more options, including the ability to customize your connection. It offers the industry-standard OpenVPN protocol over AES-256. But also gives you the ability to connect via L2TP/IPSec and PPTP. 

Another main security feature you’ll want is DNS leak protection. Both service providers do offer leak protection, so you’re covered no matter which VPN provider you choose.

The final key security protocol to look for is a kill switch. This ensures that the internet connection drops whenever you’re not connected to a VPN. When your VPN connection drops, your wi-fi will be dropped too. This makes it so your online activity will never go straight to your ISP provider.

Both ExpressVPN and Avast VPN have a kill switch, so you’re safe with both providers.

Winner: ExpressVPN

Both VPN services have overlapping features, however, Express VPN comes out ahead with its ability to customize your VPN connection. Plus, it has built-in malware protection.

Speed & servers

Is Avast VPN or ExpressVPN faster? Generally, this can be a difficult question to answer since there are a lot of factors that influence connection, upload, and download speeds.

For example, your existing broadband connection, the location of your VPN server, your router, the time of day you’re connecting, and more can all influence your speeds.

However, ExpressVPN is known for its blazing-fast speeds. While most speed tests clock Avast VPN at just above average speeds. It isn’t slow by any means, but it’s difficult to compete with the vast number of servers offered by ExpressVPN.

Avast has a decent spread of server locations, with 55 different servers spread out across 34 different countries, including countries like New Zealand and Brazil. However, some locations only have a single server, which can lead to bandwidth issues and very slow speeds.

ExpressVPN has over 50 times the amount of servers as Avast, with over 3000 servers spread out across 94 different countries. The large server selection allows ExpressVPn to deliver very high levels of bandwidth, even during peak times. 

Winner: ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN sweeps this round with its faster connection speeds and much larger server network.

Privacy

One of the main considerations when choosing a VPN is the privacy standards they adhere to. After all, you’re trusting your VPN provider to protect your private information and online activity. 

Everything you do online should route through the VPN provider’s servers, and they should maintain a strict no connection logs policy, which means your information will never be recorded by the company. 

Avast does have a no-logs policy, so they don’t record your online activity. However, they do keep some of your user information, including your IP address and data usage. Plus, this information can be tied to your email address. Avast is also based in the Czech Republic, which isn’t part of any privacy treaties, but they have been known to cooperate in investigations. 

ExpressVPN has a short and transparent online privacy policy that spells out its zero-logs policy. They keep zero records of your online activity, and they’ve never given information over to any government parties. Plus, Express VPN is based in the British Virgin Islands, which have some of the best privacy laws. 

Finally, ExpressVPN gives users the ability to pay via Bitcoin for a completely anonymous transaction. Avast doesn’t offer users any way to pay anonymously and only offers standard payment options like credit card and PayPal. 

Winner: ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN has a completely private no-logs policy, is located in a country with very strict privacy standards, and allows you to pay anonymously via cryptocurrency.

Content unblocking

For most people, unblocking streaming services is going to be the reason you’re using a VPN. Depending on where in the world you’re located, you’ll have access to different content streaming options by using the VPN to get around geo-restrictions.

Avast VPN has a variety of servers that are dedicated specifically for streaming. Some users have reported difficulties in streaming Netflix. However, the VPN worked fine when unblocking BBC iPlayer, which can be notoriously difficult.

ExpressVPN doesn’t have servers that are specifically dedicated to streaming, however, the streaming speeds were very fast without this. This VPN doesn’t have any difficulty streaming and unblocking services like BBC iPlayer or Netflix.

ExpressVPN is also one of the few VPNs that can get around the Great Chinese Firewall. However, you do need to set up the VPN before entering the country, as VPN websites are blocked by China. 

Express VPN has an entire list of streaming services that you can unblock, including:

• Disney+
• Hulu
• Amazon Prime Video
• Showtime
• HBO
• Sling TV
• And much more

Finally, both VPNs allow for torrenting. Avast VPN even offers P2P servers dedicated to torrenting, however, their privacy policies are less-than-stellar. 

Winner: ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN wins this round with access to more streaming networks, plus the ability to easily get around content blocking and geo-restrictions.