Do you want to purchase the most suitable VPN (Virtual Private Network), yet you don’t know which VPN offers the best services between Avast Secureline VPN vs. ExpressVPN? Finding the right answer to the question may be challenging as thousands of reviews online claim to give unbiased reviews.
So, why should you trust us? Unlike other reviews, we put both Avast VPN and ExpressVPN in actual use in addition to researching more about their services. Also, you can check one of the Avast subsidiaries in our AVG Secure VPN. Or, if you are still not convinced, look into the review of VPN by Norton. During the test, we had a side by side comparison of how each performs in different aspects. So, which one should you trust between the two VPNs? I bet you can't wait to find out? Let’s dive into it. In addition, if you are not a Windows fan, check out the best VPN for Mac. Or, if you are a gamer by any chance, check out these popular VPN for gaming services we reviewed. Also, some software offer other neat features, like a no-log policy, as explained in our PIA VPN review.
Avast VPN Vs. ExpressVPN – Comparison and Results
A few years back, a friend of mine, a respectable and senior member of the society, had her Twitter account hacked. It was used to send inappropriate content, including pornographic videos, to her family and friends.
I’m also aware of several cases where hackers would send messages to users of a social media platform and warn them that their account was about to be disabled. They would then instruct them to use a particular link to reactivate their account. The link would open to a page asking for various personal details, including credit card details.
Nowadays, browsing the internet without a VPN is exposing yourself to a lot of threats. The internet has eased numerous inconveniences. Today, you can attend online classes, sit for exams, do your shopping, attend webinars, and so much more at the comfort of your sofa.
But together with the convenience comes a lot of risks to your identity and security. The online world has no shortage of criminals who include hackers who spy on your online activities and steal your identity. They are capable of using stolen identity for fraudulent online businesses and cybercrimes.
Thus, you not only require a VPN to protect yourself from the threats by surfing anonymously, but the VPN should also be reliable. It should ensure your identity doesn’t leak even when there is a connection drop.
Avast VPN and ExpressVPN are both reputable VPNs, and they both claim to offer the best protection and privacy while surfing the internet.
In our comparison of Avast and ExpressVPN, we wanted to find out how reliable they are. We put them to task on the same parameters, including speed, streaming performance, user-friendliness, security, etc.
We discovered that the two VPNs are good at conducting various services, with one winning in one category and the other prevailing in the next category. So, which one was the overall winner, and why?
How to Choose a VPN
If you are looking for a VPN, you’ve probably noticed that there are many of them in the market. With all the available options, how do you decide which one is suitable for you and why?
Before you can settle for a VPN, you need to figure out why you need one in the first place. Do you need one that will cover all the devices in a household? Should it be router-based to cover simultaneous connections. It also depends on your favorite browser and your budget. You can see the best free VPN for Firefox here.
For instance, before you settle on Avast, ask yourself, “Do I need Avast Secureline VPN?”
If you travel a lot and use public Wi-Fi several times, you need a VPN that has reliable servers worldwide and offers the best security.
If you are traveling to a location where they restricted websites content and some websites you want to use, you need to be sure your VPN of choice will unblock the content.
Once you figure out your needs, you just have to find out the different features that the various VPNs offer.
You can also consider the user-friendliness of the VPN.
Some VPNs can have a complicated installation process, and they can be hard to use. Whether you are tech-savvy or not, it would help a lot of you get a VPN with a user-friendly interface.
As such, you won’t have challenges in downloading, setting up, and using the VPN. You can even come across VPNs with a virtual set up, so you don’t have to lift a finger.
So, what factors do you consider when choosing the right VPN between Avast and ExpressVPN? If you want to look for other alternatives, we compared ExpressVPN and Ipvanish, as well.
Connection Speed
Every VPN you choose will have an impact on your internet speed. Most of them will make your internet speed slower.
However, you should consider how much your choice of VPN slows down the connection speed. Even if a VPN offers the best security and privacy, it would be frustrating if you have to browse at a crawling speed.
A fast connection speeds of internet makes it possible to upload and download content fast.
So, in the battle between ExpressVPN Vs. Avast VPN, which one carries the day in offering the best connection speed?
To get a clear picture, we first tested the connection speed without a VPN. Then, we tried it using each of the two VPNs.
Note, the connection speed that we get may differ from what you’ll experience. The variance will result from your nearest or fastest VPN server location, physical location, and ISP’s connection speeds.
Our tests were conducted by connecting the VPNs to the US-based servers. In terms of connection speed, Avast offers 73.8 Mbps, which is enough for most online activities, including video streaming services, file sharing, gaming, among others.
On the other hand, ExpressVPN speed was an impressive 106.78 Mbps. That makes ExpressVPN an excellent choice for all your online activities, including streaming 4K videos and fast action gaming.
Avast can take up to two to three seconds for a page to start loading, but ExpressVPN loads every page quickly irrespective of the server you choose.
When you test the two VPNs using servers from the United Kingdom, Avast VPN offers a averages download speeds of 65,5 Mbps while ExpressVPN offers 85.5 Mbps.
In comparing the two VPNs in terms of the speed that they offer, ExpressVPN wins. It provides enough speed to enable you to stream even 4k videos.
Privacy
What happens when you surf the internet without using a VPN? Is anybody monitoring you when you are browsing the internet?
If you are browsing your net without a VPN, your internet service provider is storing your browsing data. When you don’t use a VPN, you use your IP address to request the website you want to use directly. The website also returns your request directly to you.
Therefore, it is possible for anyone who is monitoring you to get your IP addresses. The guy monitoring you could be the guy who is sitting next to you in a public library. Advertisers love it when they get your logging information so that they can start sending you pop-up ads.
All this points to the need to get privacy protection.
If you use a VPN, it acts as a gateway between you and the internet. When you request to visit a particular website, the request first goes through the VPN. The VPN then changes your IP address and requests on your behalf, and the request is also returned through the VPN.
As such, anybody who tries to monitor you cannot get to you.
Thus, when you want to get a VPN, consider the following privacy factors:
- Does the VPN provider keep logs of your activities online?
- Where is the VPN based? Is it in a location with data retention laws?
- Does the VPN provider accept payment options such as cryptocurrencies and merchant gift cards that enhance your privacy?
The answers to these questions are vital in finding out how private you expect your data to be when you use the VPN.
For instance, ExpressVPN accepts payment using Bitcoin. Therefore, you don’t need to fill numerous fields with your email, credit card details, etc., all of which are prime targets for hackers.
It is also based in the British Virgin Islands, a Caribbean country that doesn’t impose VPN providers’ data retention laws. It also doesn’t sell your personal data to any third party and observes a strict no-logs policy.
On the other hand, Avast is based in the Czech Republic, which cooperates with the Five Eyes Surveillance Alliance. Although it doesn’t mean it freely shares your data, the fact that it cooperates with the alliance can make you nervous.
Plus, unlike other VPNs with a no-logs policy, Avast does keep data logs. That means there is a possibility of a third party tracking your online activities to you.
Features
How do you know whether a VPN is right for you or not?
The only aspect that can help you determine how good is Avast VPN compared to ExpressVPN or any other VPN is the features. Some features are basic, and we expect to see them in every VPN.
For instance, we expect every VPN to come with a user-friendly and intuitive interface, making it easy to use even when you are not technologically savvy. Also, it helps a lot if a VPN offers several subscription plan options.
As such, you can subscribe to a short-term plan when your budget doesn’t allow for a long one or when you only need a VPN for a short period.
Another common feature that we expect for almost every VPN is a kill switch. The switch comes in handy to lock your traffic and prevent IP address leak if there is a connection drop.
So, what features do ExpressVPN and Avast have that make them stand out from each other?
Both VPNs come with a kill switch to help block traffic when there is a connection drop. The Secureline VPN Avast comes with a kill switch that turns off by default. On the other hand, ExpressVPN has its kill switch from the get-go.
Additionally, ExpressVPN offers split tunneling, which is not present in Avast, and it is rare to find in any other VPN. Split tunneling is a feature that allows you to choose which apps should go through the VPN and which one should use the faster and unprotected internet connection.
What’s more?
Unlike Avast VPN protection that consists of only two security options, ExpressVPN offers you four security options to choose from. Although we don’t recommend using two of the options, it still helps that you have them.
If you are looking for a VPN, it also matters how many devices you want to protect simultaneously. Some VPNs will allow the connection of unlimited devices. For Avast, it enables you to connect only one device at a time. If you wish to connect more than one device using Avast, then you have to subscribe to the multi-device subscription, which is expensive.
For ExpressVPN, you can connect up to five devices and simultaneous connections. The best thing is that you don’t need to subscribe to any multi-device plan as the five connections are in the regular connection plan.
Another feature where ExpressVPN performs better than Avast is in the no-logs policy. It has a strict no-log policy that ensures no online activity logs are left on any of VPN servers. When you disconnect from the service, all your logs are deleted automatically to ensure no third party can track you.
So, which VPN wins in the features category?
ExpressVPN comes out as having more features than Avast.
Security
Isn’t privacy and security the main reason you are looking for a VPN?
When you look for a VPN, you probably are tired of annoying pop-up ads that disrupt you when you are online. Apart from being annoying, the pop-up ads are also disruptive, making you lose concentration on what you are working on or reading.
But how do the pop-up ads find their way to your desktop and not any other?
Spammers and advertisers track your online activities, and they get your IP address. Then, they start sending you pop-up ads with the hope you will open and perhaps purchase.
When you use a VPN, it helps you surf anonymously such that no third can track your identity.
But with your choice of VPN, is your private browsing truly private?
Avast VPN Secureline doesn’t offer you options when it comes to internet protocols and military grade encryption. Instead, it protects Windows users using the OpenVPN protocol and AES-256 encryption. This is a top-notch combination that guarantees your protection while online and ensures you are surfing anonymously.
If you are an Apple user, Avast provides you protection through the IKEv2 protocol, which is stable and offers reliable performance and protection.
On the other hand, ExpressVPN also offers you the top-notch OpenVPN protocol and AES-256 encryption. Additionally, it provides other protocols, including PPTP and L2TP, which are not recommended for use.
Plus, the VPN offers browser extensions that offer additional security e,g preventing HTML5 geolocation.
One significant factor to consider while looking at a VPN’s privacy is its no-logs policy.
For instance, ExpressVPN has a no-logs policy. Thus, no logs of your online activities are left on their servers when you log out from the service. Therefore, no third party, including the government, can trace back your online activities to you.
Additionally, unlike other VPNs with a no-logs policy, Avant confesses that it does keep logs. However, they say that they only keep details that show what time you connected to the service and when you disconnected, for how long you were connected, and the bandwidth you used. They also claim that the connection logs they store are to prevent the secure VPN connection and for diagnostic purposes.
But a closer look at the company’s privacy policy shows they share links with third parties such as Facebook and Twitter.
A deeper dig into the company reveals that authorities have used it to match an email address with an IP address to locate someone.
Pricing
Is the VPN you want to purchase within your budget?
Before you can settle on a VPN, you need to ensure that its cost is within your budget. Luckily, many VPNs offer a variety of subscription plans that you can choose from. The subscription plans will range from monthly to annual subscriptions, and some can go for two years.
For many VPNs, they offer impressive discounts when you opt for the lengthy subscription plan options.
So, is Avast VPN pricing friendly?
Avast performs better than ExpressVPN in the pricing aspect. The Avast VPN price comes in various subscription plan options that fit your needs depending on your device.
For instance, if you are a PC or Mac user, you can go for the annual subscription, which costs $59.99 and goes for $5 per month. If you wish to go for the multi-device subscription, it will cost you $6.67 a month, which translates to $79.99 annually.
What’s more?
Avast offers you a 7-day free trial for all devices. As such, you can try the VPN out during the seven days and decide if it provides what you are looking for before you can buy your subscription. It also comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
The VPN allows you to pay using PayPal, debit, or credit card. While the payment options are secure, they may not be anonymous, which may raise some privacy issues.
On the other hand, you have ExpressVPN that offers one plan that you can pay for in three periods. The subscription plans include a one-month plan at $12.95, a six-month plan at $9.99, and a 15 months plan at $6.66.
For the 15 months plan, you’ll pay $6.66 for the first 15 months and then 12 months after that as it includes a three months free throw-in.
For the ExpressVPN, you can pay using PayPal, credit or debit cards, Bitcoin, gift cards, etc. the Bitcoin and gift cards are ideal if you wish to pay anonymously as you don’t enter your details.
In the price comparison between Avast and ExpressVPN, ExpressVPN price is on the higher side.
Streaming Service Support
Suppose you want to enjoy some content on Netflix, BBC iPlayer, or YouTube. What happens when there are geo-restrictions on the content?
Most of us have a Netflix access and subscription or a subscription to any other streaming services. The content in the platforms is not available at all times, depending on your location and whether the government in your current location restricts the content.
Your VPN should help you get a way around the restrictions to enjoy your favorite music or access your social media platforms despite the blockages.
While testing the two VPNs, we tried them using various platforms such as Netflix and BBC iPlayer.
So, is Avast VPN good for cutting through the restrictions?
Avast performed well in unblocking content on the BBC iPlayer.
ExpressVPN also doesn’t disappoint when we test it using the BBC iPlayer, a most unforgiving platform in denying VPNs access.
When we tested the VPNs using Netflix, Avast Secureline had no challenges connecting to Netflix America as it has a server in the US dedicated to streaming. Nevertheless, when we tested it using servers in the UK and France, we received an error message at all times.
Even though ExpressVPN doesn’t have dedicated servers for streaming, it did a commendable job going around the restrictions to streaming on Netflix.
In this category, ExpressVPN comes out as the clear winner despite not having dedicated servers for streaming.
BitTorrent Support
A lot of sharing characterizes the online world. Whether it is a game, video, movies, or music, torrenting comes through to help you with that.
BitTorrent allows you to download bulk files from the internet. P2P file-sharing will enable peers to share various files, including movies, music, etc., in a snap.
While P2P sharing is not illegal, you can be in problems with the law if you share copyrighted content. You can be charged with copyright infringement and privacy, which are significant contributors to cybercrimes.
Is Avast VPN good for torrenting?
Avast allows torrent downloading on eight select servers in 6 geo zones. The servers that support torrenting on the server’s location screen so that you’ll have an easy time selecting.
ExpressVPN allows torrenting on all its servers globally. Also, it doesn’t throttle its connections. Therefore, ExpressVPN will enable you to enjoy faster streaming speeds than Avast or any other VPN with a few selected servers.
Global Server Coverage
If you are looking for music, videos, or games from other parts of the world, it would help if you check the global server coverage of your VPN of choice,
For Avast, it has 54 server locations in 34 countries.
ExpressVPN boasts of over 3,000 server locations in 94 countries globally.
Multi-Platform Support
If you still wonder which is the perfect pick between Avast and ExpressVPN, maybe you should consider their versatility. It helps a lot if a VPN can support multiple devices with different operating systems. It is convenient and also cost-effective.
Some VPN service providers also offer a router option for their VPN. It comes in handy when you want to connect more devices in the same location. The best thing is that you only pay for one VPN router license, and you connect multiple devices and multiple connections.
So, between ExpressVPN and Avast Secureline, which one is better in multi-platform support?
Avast offers modest compatibility, which may not be the best for device lovers, but it is still enough for most internet users. The VPN is compatible with Windows, macOS, and iOS. You can also find Avast VPN for Android.
Plus, you can install it as a browser Firefox browser extensions and Chrome, enhancing your online security.
On the other hand, ExpressVPN outdoes itself in terms of compatibility. It supports a wide range of platforms, including Linux, Windows, iOS, Android, Amazon Fire Tv, Nook, Blackberry, and various routers.
What’s more?
You can use it as a browser extension for most browsers, including Chrome, Safari, and Firefox.
In terms of multi-platform support, ExpressVPN outdoes itself by supporting a wide range of operating systems, while Avast only supports a handful.
Customer Support
Does it matter the kind of customer support a VPN provides?
Yes, it does. No VPN should have an issue in its installation or performance. If you are a novice, you may still require guidance on setting up and using the VPN. In such an instance, it helps a lot if you have quickly accessible customer support.
Customer support can be in various ways, including detailed guides on the company’s website, phone calls, live chat, emails, tickets, etc.
We recommend live chat as it offers instant solutions, especially here the detailed guides on the website are not enough. Live chat is better than emails and tickets as it offers instant responses. On the other hand, emails and tickets can go for hours, if not days, without being replied to.
So, in the battle between Avast VPN Vs. ExpressVPN, which one offers better customer support that leaves their customers satisfied?
Both VPNs offer reputable services and reliable customer support.
For instance, Avast offers a user forum, a trouble ticket system, and a detailed and searchable library. You can get all the guidance you want on installation, setup, and use in the detailed guides.
One feature of customer support that stands out for Avast is the 24/7 phone support. Phone support is rare in the VPN industry, which puts Avast a step ahead. During our testing, we dialed the customer support number (844-340-9251) during our testing, and we were happy with the timely response.We
They also reply to the trouble ticket system within 24 hours.
With ExpressVPN, you enjoy excellent customer support with a live chat available on a 24/7 basis. Also, you have access to detailed instructions on how to set up and troubleshooting guides. If you still have issues, you can reach out to ExpressVPN customer support by filling a support ticket or email.
In this category, it’s hard to choose a winner as both offer reliable customer support. However, Avast stands out for the 24/7 phone support.
Conclusion
Which one comes out as the winner between the two? Although both VPNs offer reliable security and privacy, ExpressVPN comes out as the best because of its advanced features. For instance, its strict no-logs ensures that no logs of your online activity is left on their servers. For Avast, it does keep logs. Plus, ExpressVPN supports a large variety of platforms as compared to Avast.
So, is Avast a good VPN? Although it doesn’t offer advanced features like ExpressVPN, Avast is still a reliable VPN that you can trust for your anonymous browsing and security.
FAQs
1. How good is Avast VPN?
Avast SecureLine provides VPN security and performs well in speed tests, but it is limited by a lack of features, rigid pricing, and privacy practices that result in the company retaining more customer data than some competitors. PCMag editors independently select and review products.
2. Is ExpressVPN a good VPN?
Express is an excellent VPN service. ExpressVPN has 160 server locations in 94 different countries. Among my top-rated VPNs, ExpressVPN has the optimal combination of physical and virtual servers in the most countries (more on this later). Additionally, ExpressVPN maintains servers in countries with repressive internet policies, such as Turkey and Vietnam.
3. Can I trust ExpressVPN?
Yes, you can trust ExpressVPN. We are a trusted and reliable VPN service provider with over 1,000,000 customers worldwide. We have a strict no logs policy and we are committed to protecting your privacy. Our VPN service is backed by a 30-day money-back guarantee so you can try us risk-free.
4. How much does Avast VPN cost?
Avast SecureLine is $59.99 per year for PCs and Macs. This equates to approximately $5 per month for access to a single device. The annual subscription fee for this VPN for Android devices, iPhone, or iPad is $19.99.
5. Is VPN Free with Avast?
Yes, you can begin your 7-day free trial of Avast SecureLine VPN right now to experience true online privacy and anonymity through a secure and encrypted connection — with no obligation.
