ExpressVPN Alternatives — expressvpn free alternative
Popular premium VPN service with fast speeds and strong privacy
ExpressVPN Pricing
Monthly: $12.95/month; 6-month: $9.99/month; Annual: $8.32/month (billed annually, $99.95/year)
ExpressVPN is a popular premium VPN service known for fast speeds, strong privacy, and reliability. Pricing starts at $12.95/month or $8.32/month (billed annually). While excellent, it's expensive compared to other VPNs and free alternatives exist.
4
Free Alternatives
2
Open Source
1
Self-Hostable
$144
Est. Yearly Cost
Why Consider ExpressVPN Alternatives?
Use free VPN alternatives like Proton VPN Free or Windscribe Free
Use cheaper paid VPNs like NordVPN, Surfshark, or Private Internet Access
Use free browser-based VPN (Tor Browser) for anonymity
Use self-hosted VPN (Outline, Streisand) for full control
Common ExpressVPN Pain Points
These are the top reasons users look for alternatives
Expensive ($8.32/month billed annually, $99.95/year)
Impact: Users pay significant ongoing cost for VPN service
No free tier (only 30-day money-back guarantee)
Impact: Users must pay to try it
Cheaper alternatives with similar features exist
Impact: Users overpay for brand name
Based in British Virgin Islands (privacy jurisdiction concerns for some)
Impact: Some users prefer VPNs based in more privacy-friendly jurisdictions
Top-Rated Alternatives
Our highest-recommended free alternatives to ExpressVPN
Proton VPN is a free, privacy-focused VPN by the makers of Proton Mail. The free tier includes unlimited bandwidth, 3 server locations, and no ads. Paid plans start at €4.99/month (much cheaper than ExpressVPN).
Why it's a good alternative: Free tier includes unlimited bandwidth — much more generous than ExpressVPN's free trial
BEST FOR
Users who want a free, privacy-focused VPN with unlimited bandwidth
KEY FEATURES
PROS
- Free tier has unlimited bandwidth (very generous)
- Based in Switzerland (strong privacy laws)
- No ads or logs
- Much cheaper paid plans than ExpressVPN
CONS
- Free tier has limited server locations (3)
- Free tier is slower than paid tier
- No Netflix streaming on free tier
NordVPN is a popular VPN that's cheaper than ExpressVPN ($3.71/month billed annually vs ExpressVPN's $8.32/month). It has similar features (fast speeds, strong privacy, many server locations) and is often rated as good or better than ExpressVPN in speed tests.
Why it's a good alternative: Cheaper than ExpressVPN ($3.71/month billed annually) with similar features
BEST FOR
Users who want a cheaper alternative to ExpressVPN with similar features
KEY FEATURES
PROS
- Much cheaper than ExpressVPN
- Similar features and speeds
- 6,000+ servers in 60+ countries
- Audited no-logs policy
CONS
- No free tier (only 30-day money-back guarantee)
- Based in Panama (privacy-friendly, but some users prefer Switzerland)
- Interface is less polished than ExpressVPN
All ExpressVPN Alternatives (5)
Compare features, pricing, and migration difficulty
Windscribe is a VPN with a free tier that includes 10GB/month. It's based in the US (privacy concern for some), but the free tier is generous for light browsing. Paid plans start at $2/month (much cheaper than ExpressVPN).
Why it's a good alternative: Free tier includes 10GB/month — good for light browsing
BEST FOR
Users who want a cheap or free VPN for light browsing
KEY FEATURES
PROS
- Free tier is generous (10GB/month)
- Much cheaper paid plans ($2/month)
- Supports WireGuard (fast protocol)
- Good for light browsing (free tier)
CONS
- Based in US (privacy concern for some)
- Free tier has limited bandwidth (10GB/month)
- Slower than ExpressVPN on some servers
Tor Browser is a free, open-source browser that routes your traffic through the Tor network for anonymity. It's completely free, requires no subscription, and provides strong anonymity (but slower speeds than a VPN).
Why it's a good alternative: Completely free, open-source browser for anonymity — no subscription needed
BEST FOR
Users who need anonymity (not just privacy) and don't mind slow speeds
KEY FEATURES
PROS
- Completely free and open-source
- Strong anonymity (Tor network)
- No subscription or registration
- Blocks tracking and fingerprinting
CONS
- Much slower speeds than a VPN
- Not suitable for streaming or torrenting
- Some websites block Tor exit nodes
Outline is a free, open-source tool for setting up your own VPN on a cloud server (DigitalOcean, AWS, GCP, etc.). You pay only for the server (as low as $5/month), and have full control over your data and privacy.
Why it's a good alternative: Free, open-source tool for setting up your own VPN on a cloud server — full control
BEST FOR
Technical users who want to set up their own VPN on a cloud server for full control and lower cost
KEY FEATURES
PROS
- Completely free (only pay for server)
- Full control over your data and privacy
- Much cheaper than ExpressVPN ($5/month vs $8.32/month)
- Bypasses censorship (Shadowsocks protocol)
CONS
- Requires setting up a cloud server (technical setup)
- No dedicated IP (unless you configure it)
- Learning curve for server management
ExpressVPN vs Free Alternatives — Detailed Comparison
| Tool | Price | Open Source | Self-Hosted | Rating | Migrate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ExpressVPN | Paid | — | — | ||
| Proton VPN (Free Tier) | Free | — | (4.8) | Easy to migrate | |
| Windscribe (Free Tier) | Free | — | (4.5) | Easy to migrate | |
| NordVPN (Paid, Cheaper than ExpressVPN) | Paid | — | (4.7) | Easy to migrate | |
| Tor Browser (Free, Open-Source) | Free | — | (4.6) | Medium to migrate | |
| Outline (Free, Open-Source, Self-hosted) | Free | (4.3) | Hard to migrate |
How to Migrate from ExpressVPN — Step by Step
- 1
For Proton VPN/Windscribe/NordVPN: sign up for free tier or paid plan, download app, and connect
- 2
For Tor Browser: download and install, then browse (no sign-up needed)
- 3
For Outline: set up a cloud server (DigitalOcean, AWS, etc.), install Outline server, then connect via Outline client
- 4
Test your new VPN for speed and privacy (check IP address, DNS leaks, etc.)
- 5
Only cancel ExpressVPN after confirming your new VPN works well
Pro Tips
- 💡Proton VPN Free has unlimited bandwidth — the best free VPN tier
- 💡NordVPN is much cheaper than ExpressVPN with similar features — the best paid alternative
- 💡If you're technical, Outline lets you set up your own VPN for as low as $5/month (much cheaper than any VPN service)
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a completely free alternative to ExpressVPN?
Yes. Proton VPN Free has unlimited bandwidth. Windscribe Free has 10GB/month. Tor Browser is completely free and open-source (but slow speeds).
Which ExpressVPN alternative is cheapest?
Proton VPN Free (free, unlimited bandwidth). For paid: NordVPN ($3.71/month annually) or Windscribe ($2/month). For self-hosted: Outline ($5/month for server).
Is NordVPN better than ExpressVPN?
NordVPN is cheaper ($3.71/month vs $8.32/month) with similar features and speeds. Many users switch from ExpressVPN to NordVPN to save money.