ExpressVPN vs VyprVPN

VPN providers often seem to forget that most people aren’t computer experts. For instance, they like to brag about things like their encryption algorithms, or how easily they can bypass deep-packet inspection, but it’s not always made clear how these features actually help you. Worse, potential customers frequently have to search the help center (or Google) for answers to fairly simple questions.

That’s where we come in. We’ll be comparing two of the most popular VPNs on the market (ExpressVPN and VyprVPN) side by side and breaking down exactly what each offers in plain English. We’ll also let you know what each advanced feature does and explain how you can use it in your day-to-day life as we go.

Summary: ExpressVPN vs VyprVPN

ExpressVPN vs VyprVPN pricing

At $12.95 USD, ExpressVPN is one of the higher-priced services on the market if you’re subscribing for one month at a time. However, it also offers six-month and one-year plans that reduce this price significantly, so it’s possible to save if you expect to use the VPN for the foreseeable future. VyprVPN is a little less expensive, costing $10 per month and just $60 per year.

ExpressVPN and VyprVPN both come with a 30-day money-back guarantee. This means you can sign up and use either service for almost a month. If they fail to impress you, just cancel and get your money back.

Best Deal for ExpressVPN:Choose ExpressVPN’s one-year plan to get a 49% discount and an additional three months coverage for free.

Best Deal for VyprVPN:Save 50% with VyprVPN’s one-year plan.

ExpressVPN vs VyprVPN features

Good news for people with lots of devices: both of these VPNs permit up to five simultaneous connections. Further, each offers strong multi-platform support, with command-line based apps for Linux. Both services can be installed on home routers, but ExpressVPN has custom firmware for certain routers that allows for simple setup. VyprVPN users must configure the service manually on compatible routers.

Both services offer split tunneling functionality which allows you to choose certain apps to bypass the VPN (for instance, if you don’t care about encrypting traffic from games or certain streaming apps). Neither VPN offers this feature in its iOS app, and it’s not available in VyprVPN’s Windows app either.

ExpressVPN has a Threat Manager feature that works in the background to protect you from ads, trackers, malware, and phishing sites. That’s a nice touch, especially since users don’t have to enable this themselves.

Streaming and Netflix comparison

As you can see in the table above, both VPNs did an excellent job at unblocking popular streaming platforms. In fact, ExpressVPN and VyprVPN were able to access every service we tried, even particularly difficult ones like Amazon Prime Video and Netflix. In fairness, though, ExpressVPN did work with a higher number of regional Netflix libraries (12 instead of two), and as such, it has a narrow lead in this category.

Which of these VPNs work in China?

China has some of the strictest internet restrictions in the world and as a result, most VPNs won’t work. VyprVPN used to be one of the few that did, but seems to be experiencing issues lately, with many users reporting problems (and these were replicated in our latest testing).

The good news is that ExpressVPN still works, albeit with the occasional interruption when the Great Firewall is updated. Better still, you don’t have to enable any kind of stealth mode or manually configure your connection. Further, ExpressVPN actually runs several mirror sites that you can use to contact support while visiting the mainland.

Setup and Interface

Both ExpressVPN and VyprVPN have clean, easy-to-use desktop apps. ExpressVPN makes it quick and easy to get started, with a link to your most-recently-used server and a large, one-click connection button on the main screen. We also liked how neat the menus were: both the settings and server list are broken up into categories, which means that despite all the choices available, you’ll never feel overwhelmed.

VyprVPN’s app is a little different. It has three tabs that let the user swap between the main page, a full server list, and a settings page. Users can sort servers by their country, region, or speed, and there’s a quick-connect button for faster access next time. All customizable settings are on one screen, but this isn’t a problem since there aren’t very many of them.

ExpressVPN’s mobile apps are almost identical to the desktop versions. However, the settings have been pared down significantly, with only split tunneling, network protection, protocol selection, and auto-connection options still available.

VyprVPN maintains a consistent service across its mobile and desktop apps. Better yet, mobile users can take advantage of every feature too. In fact, there’s even a split-tunneling feature (called “Connection per app”) in the Android version that isn’t available on Windows.

Servers and performance

ExpressVPN has an expansive network, with more than 3,000 servers spread across 94 countries. This is an impressive number of locations, even for a major provider. However, VyprVPN won’t be beaten without a fight; while it has fewer servers, it still manages to cover 64 countries. Neither provider reveals exactly how many are in each location, so it’s difficult to tell which would be more reliable during peak times.

Both of these VPNs use virtual servers to provide access to far-flung places like Brunei and the Marshall Islands without having to physically maintain a server there. This is also how VyprVPN manages to offer servers in places with strict internet censorship like Russia and Saudi Arabia. Since the servers aren’t really in these countries, they don’t have to follow their laws.

On the other hand, if you don’t know the true location of your server, it’s difficult to know what information might be recorded. ExpressVPN and VyprVPN both have a no-logging policy, though, so there’s really no risk. To its credit, ExpressVPN provides a list of its virtual servers, but VyprVPN doesn’t.

Read on to see which countries ExpressVPN and VyprVPN have servers in:

There’s a big difference between these two services in terms of speed. ExpressVPN averages about 475 Mbps, with slight variations based on things like your distance from the server, current load, and so on. VyprVPN’s average speed is still impressive, at around 258 Mbps. For context, either of these services is fast enough for gaming, torrenting, and streaming, even if lots of people are sharing your internet connection.

Security

Whichever of these services you choose, you’ll be able to use the OpenVPN and IKEv2 VPN protocols to connect. Additionally, each provider has its own proprietary protocol: ExpressVPN’s is called Lightway and VyprVPN’s is called Chameleon.

Lightway is an extremely lightweight protocol that’s designed to keep your data safe even in the split-second while switching networks. Chameleon’s claim to fame, however, is its ability to fly under the radar of even the most advanced VPN-detection systems. That’s particularly helpful if you’re in a country with strict digital censorship.

Both providers use 256-bit encryption and although they rely on different algorithms, in practical terms, there’s no real difference and both are considered uncrackable. ExpressVPN does have a slight advantage in that it uses 4096-bit RSA keys. These are longer and more difficult to crack than VyprVPN’s 2048-bit keys.

Each service also offers a kill switch that immediately stops sending data when your connection to the VPN drops. Although, VyprVPN provides this functionality in its Android app and ExpressVPN doesn’t. It’s worth noting though, that Android has similar functionality built directly into the operating system.

Privacy

ExpressVPN and VyprVPN are based in the British Virgin Islands and Switzerland, respectively. These countries have some of the strongest privacy protections in the world, and as such, there’s no need to worry about governmental snooping. Of course, neither VPN keeps any personally identifiable information so your activities can’t be traced back to you regardless.

If you’d like, you can even sign up for ExpressVPN almost completely anonymously by providing a disposable email address during registration and paying in Bitcoin. Unfortunately, you can’t pay for VyprVPN with cryptocurrency.

Customer service

Both services offer a wide range of support, with a searchable knowledgebase full general information and more in-depth walkthroughs. Additionally, ExpressVPN has a solid range of setup guides on its YouTube channel, whereas VyprVPN’s page is only used to host ads.

If you ever run into any issues, you can contact customer support over live chat. To test how easy it is to get help when live chat isn’t available, we sent three questions to each VPN over email. Below, you’ll find the full table of results:

ExpressVPN’s email response time remained in-line with the results from previous tests. VyprVPN maintained impressive response times too, apart from one instance where it took more than two days to respond.

While both services used pre-written responses for some of our questions, they each provided an in-depth, step-by-step guide to configuring a VPN for Raspberry Pi, which was a bit unexpected but certainly welcome. Overall, the level of support is quite high and users are always encouraged to reply if they need further assistance.

The winner: ExpressVPN

It’s clear that these are both extremely versatile services. Despite being a very low-cost provider, VyprVPN manages to offer exceptional unblocking ability, powerful security features, and access to a wide range of server locations.

Ultimately, though, ExpressVPN is the better choice for most people. It is much faster, has more than three times as many servers, works with a greater number of Netflix libraries, and is easier to install on your home router. Additionally, it allows you to sign up almost completely anonymously with Bitcoin. Whether you want to access your usual streaming services abroad, torrent securely, or even just keep your browsing habits private, ExpressVPN has you covered.

Best Deal for ExpressVPN:Choose ExpressVPN’s one-year plan to get a 49% discount and an additional three months coverage for free.

Methodology: How we compared ExpressVPN and VyprVPN

Even if two VPNs seem similar at first glance, there are often significant differences under the hood. That’s why we needed a robust, thorough testing process to really break down what makes ExpressVPN and VyprVPN stand out. Here are just a few of the main areas we examined:

• Network scale and spread: It’s not enough to have thousands of servers — they also have to be in reasonable locations, ideally spread around so that anyone can get a low-latency connection. We considered the network size and server distribution, noting down any interesting or unusual locations that either VPN had to offer.
• Performance: Our team regularly speed tests leading VPNs to see how they compare to their rivals. This involves checking their speed at three times of day, using servers in three different countries, then averaging out the results. Given the inherent randomness of the internet and the difficulty of accounting for consistency, this method is the fairest, most accurate way to test.
• Streaming ability: Streaming platforms are getting very good at detecting VPN users, but we don’t think you should have to disconnect just to watch TV. That’s why we tested ExpressVPN and VyprVPN agains services like Netflix, HBO Max, and BBC iPlayer to see which was the more reliable option.
• Security and privacy: We carefully examined each provider’s encryption strength, supported protocols, and the availability of safeguards such as kill switches and leak protection. Further, we looked at their logging policies and checked to see if either VPN had been independently audited.
• Ease of use: The less hassle, the better. We’re big fans of VPNs that lower the bar to entry by providing clean, beginner-friendly apps, 24/7 support, and an expansive help section. Other features like task-specific servers are very welcome as well.
• Price: There’s no denying that cost is a large factor. First, we check the monthly subscription price and see how that compares to similar services. Next, we look at long-term discounts, how often the VPN goes on sale, and whether there are any free trials or money-back guarantees available.

Looking to learn more? We’ve written a whole post that breaks down our VPN testing methodology in a concise, easy-to-understand way.

ExpressVPN vs VyprVPN FAQs