Head-to-head · VPN
ExpressVPN vs Proton VPN
Which one to pick in 2026 — comparing 🇺🇸 ExpressVPN with the European alternative 🇪🇺 Proton VPN on the things that actually decide who can read your data.
🇺🇸 ExpressVPNvs🇪🇺 Proton VPN
Verdict
Who has stronger privacy guarantees by law?
Proton VPN — GDPR-native and outside the US CLOUD Act / FISA 702 reach.
Which one encrypts your data end-to-end by default?
Proton VPN ships E2E encryption by default. ExpressVPN does not.
Which one tracks you for ads?
Neither monetises through ad tracking.
Which one is open source?
Proton VPN is open source. ExpressVPN is proprietary.
Side-by-side
ExpressVPN vs Proton VPN — full comparison
Criteria
🇪🇺 Proton VPN
🇺🇸 ExpressVPN
Headquarters
Geneva, Switzerland
British Virgin Islands
Jurisdiction
Switzerland
Owned by Kape Technologies (UK/Israel)
Data location
Switzerland + 90 countries
Global
GDPR-native
Yes
No
CLOUD Act / FISA exposed
No
Yes
Ad tracking
No
No
End-to-end encryption
Yes
No
Open source
Yes
No
Ownership
Proton AG
Kape Technologies
Founded
2017
2009
Make the switch
Try Proton VPN instead of ExpressVPN
The only free VPN with no data limits.
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