ExpressVPN vs Astrill VPN: which one to choose?
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Choosing between ExpressVPN and Astrill VPN can be difficult. ExpressVPN is known for its streaming performance, user experience, and security features, while Astrill VPN has carved out a niche for users in restrictive regions like China, where it maintains a loyal following.
To determine which one comes ahead in the ExpressVPN vs Astrill VPN comparison, I conducted extensive testing across multiple categories. I evaluated connection speeds, server network coverage, streaming capabilities, security protocols, ease of use, and pricing.
Whether you're looking for reliable daily security or specialized features for specific regions, understanding each provider's strengths and weaknesses will help you make an informed decision. Read on to discover my detailed findings and see how these two VPNs stack up across metrics that matter.
ExpressVPN vs Astrill VPN: overview
ExpressVPN is a widely recognized provider that consistently ranks among the top VPNs on the market. Astrill VPN, on the other hand, specializes in bypassing restrictions in countries with heavy internet censorship while delivering fast connection speeds.
| ExpressVPN | Astrill VPN | |
| ⭐ Rating: | ||
| 🥇 Overall rank: | #4 out of #41 | #29 out of #41 |
| 🖥️ Servers: | 3,000+ servers in 105 countries | 3,000+ servers in 58 countries |
| 📖 No logs policy: | No logs | No logs |
| 💵 Price: | From $2.79/month | From $12.50/month |
| 🔥 Coupons: | ExpressVPN coupon 78% OFF | Astrill VPN coupon 50% OFF |
| 🔒 VPN protocols: | Lightway, OpenVPN, IKEv2 | WireGuard, OpenVPN, StealthVPN, OpenWeb |
| 🍿 Streaming services: | Netflix, Hulu, BBC iPlayer, Disney+, and more | Netflix |
| 🖥️ Platforms: | Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS | Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS |
| 📥 Simultaneous connections: | 14 | 5 |
| 💁🏻 Support: | Knowledge base, FAQs, email, 24/7 live chat | Knowledge base, FAQs, email, 24/7 live chat |
We spare no effort to test the products & their features. All information is gathered by our in-house research team & fact-checked by our team of experts. Discover the ins and outs of our testing procedures.
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Key differences between ExpressVPN and Astrill VPN
ExpressVPN and Astrill VPN target different needs. ExpressVPN is a well-rounded, user-friendly VPN with strong streaming, security, and value, while Astrill VPN focuses on niche use cases like restrictive regions and high-speed performance.
Choose ExpressVPN if:
- You want the best streaming experience. ExpressVPN reliably unblocks major platforms like Netflix, BBC iPlayer, YouTube, and more, while Astrill VPN is mostly limited to Netflix US.
- You’re looking for better value for money. ExpressVPN is significantly more affordable and offers more features, while Astrill VPN is known for its high pricing.
- Security and privacy are your priority. ExpressVPN has an audited no-logs policy and more advanced encryption setup, making it the more trustworthy option.
- You prefer ease of use and broader compatibility. ExpressVPN offers a simpler interface, more device support, browser extensions, and more simultaneous connections.
We tested every aspect of this service, all detailed in our ExpressVPN review.
Choose Astrill VPN if:
- You need a VPN for restrictive regions (like China). Astrill VPN is optimized for bypassing censorship and is a popular choice in heavily restricted environments.
- Speed is your top priority. Astrill VPN delivers faster download speeds in testing, outperforming ExpressVPN in most locations.
- You’re focused on torrenting. Astrill VPN provides better P2P performance with faster and more consistent speeds.
- You need specialized features. Astrill VPN includes unique tools like native deep web support and multiple protocol options tailored for specific use cases.
Our Astrill VPN review walks you through everything from setup to streaming performance.
Speed comparison: ExpressVPN vs Astrill VPN
| ExpressVPN (Lightway) | Astrill VPN (OpenWeb) | |
| The US (download/upload) | 237Mbps/ 222Mbps | 299Mbps /32Mbps |
| The UK (download/upload) | 251Mbps/ 225Mbps | 290Mbps/302Mbps |
| Canada (download/upload) | 227Mbps/ 215Mbps | 289Mbps/208Mbps |
| Germany (download/upload) | 257Mbps/ 265Mbps | 295Mbps/200Mbps |
It appears that Astrill VPN is relentless in trying to speed up its service. As a result, the provider offers several protocol options: OpenVPN, OpenWeb, StealthVPN, and WireGuard. We were pleasantly surprised by OpenWeb's lightning-fast speed. During our tests, OpenWeb reduced download speed by 3% on average. Meanwhile, upload speeds suffered much more – 46%.
Yet ExpressVPN is not that far behind. This provider comes with three protocols: Lightway, IKEv2, and OpenVPN. The best one is ExpressVPN's proprietary protocol Lightway, that's made to be secure and fast. During the tests, the average download speed drop was 34%. Yet the upload speed was worse. ExpressVPN retained around 49% of upload speed on average.
This head-to-head challenge provided similar results. Both ExpressVPN and Astrill VPN operate at a similar speed. Nonetheless, Astrill VPN is faster, especially when it comes to download speeds.
Netflix and streaming performance
| Platform | ExpressVPN | Astrill VPN |
| Netflix | ✅ Yes (US, UK, Canada, Germany, Japan, and others) | ✅ Yes (US) |
| BBC iPlayer | ✅ Yes | ❌ No |
| YouTube | ✅ Yes | ❌ No |
Our tests confirm ExpressVPN's reputation – it can unblock all the main streaming platforms. We can't say the same for Astrill VPN, which showed a subpar performance.
ExpressVPN works well with Netflix libraries. It is also perfect for BBC iPlayer and YouTube. We tested it on Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, Disney+, and HBO Max to see what else it could do. Unsurprisingly, it has unblocked all these platforms, making it an ideal VPN for entertainment.
Unfortunately, we don't have much praise to give to Astrill VPN. The VPN is a great choice for Netflix US and nothing else, so you'll miss out on many other geo-restricted libraries and platforms. Astrill VPN failed miserably, trying to unblock BBC iPlayer and YouTube.
Torrenting
If you're looking for a good torrenting VPN, Astrill VPN is a great choice. The provider offers servers that are compatible with P2P traffic. Not only do they work with plenty of torrenting platforms, but they also come with excellent speed. During our tests, Astrill VPN topped around 20MB/s (160Mbps).
Meanwhile, ExpressVPN is a solid option for torrenting too, but not as good as Astrill VPN. The provider also allows P2P connections on all of its servers, but the speed could have been better. During our tests, the speed was 6-15MB/s (48-120Mbps) and prone to fluctuations.
Plans and pricing
| Plan | ExpressVPN | Astrill VPN |
| Monthly | $13.99/month | $30.00/month |
| 1-year plan | $4.99/month | $15.00/month |
| 2-year plan | $2.79/month | $12.50/month |
| Check latest discounts | Check latest discounts |
Placed side by side with Astrill VPN, ExpressVPN seems like a bargain. Astrill VPN is notorious for its hefty price tag, which is hardly justifiable.
Both providers offer a similar pricing scheme – subscriptions differ only by duration. You can opt-in for one month, six months, or a year.
That said, Astrill VPN has lower simulteneus connection limits. It only allows 5 devices, while ExpressVPN allows 8 to 14, depending on your plan.
The logic here is simple – the shorter the duration of your subscription, the more you are expected to pay. Thus, monthly subscriptions are the most expensive. ExpressVPN will charge you $13.99/month. Meanwhile, Astrill VPN doubles the price to $30.00/month.
Keep in mind that both providers charge for the whole subscription period. And only one of them – ExpressVPN – offers a 30-day money-back guarantee. You can get it even cheaper with our ExpressVPN coupons.
Server locations
| Regions | ExpressVPN | Astrill VPN |
| Americas | 24 countries | 5 countries |
| Europe | 48 countries | 34 countries |
| Asia Pacific | 27 countries | 13 countries |
| The Middle East and Africa | 9 countries | 5 countries |
When it comes to the server fleet, ExpressVPN is particularly secretive. The last time we checked, the provider boasted over 3,000 servers worldwide. Currently, the number of servers is not available, but the provider has disclosed that it offers servers in 105 countries.
With the majority of ExpressVPN’s servers in Europe, a handful in the Americas and Asia, and one of the largest numbers in the middle east and Africa, it's clear that you will be able to find a location to connect to.
Now, Astrill VPN boasts ~3,000 servers across 58 countries. While the number is solid, it doesn't compare to what ExpressVPN offers.
One thing to note – the service is widely used in China. This means that your IP may end up being flagged as Chinese by Google. So, don't get surprised if you start seeing localized Chinese pages.
ExpressVPN vs Astrill VPN features
Comparing what ExpressVPN vs Astrill VPN brings to the table is a tough task. Both come with various features that benefit the users in different ways. For instance, ExpressVPN offers SmartDNS to improve streaming performance. Meanwhile, Astrill VPN natively supports deep web domains, allowing you to access these websites without a Tor browser.
It’s also clear that both providers care about their users' safety and aim to make VPN use as convenient as possible. So, they both have implemented tools such as split tunneling, router support, and a kill switch. These features help users customize their VPNs while staying safe during challenging situations.
Split tunneling
Split tunneling allows you to choose which internet traffic is routed through the VPN and which is not. The feature works with domain names, IP addresses, and specific applications. It increases your privacy and security while maintaining good internet speed since only the necessary traffic is sent through the VPN.
ExpressVPN has split tunneling available for Android, Windows, macOS, and Linux. We found the feature to be efficient and customizable.
Astrill VPN has a feature called Smart mode, which excludes local websites from the VPN tunnel. But if you need more customization, the provider also offers an Application filter, which works like a typical split tunneling feature. Both of these features work well and are available for most operating systems, such as Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, and even iOS.
SmartDNS
Exclusive to ExpressVPN, the MediaStreamer, also known as the SmartDNS feature, is a technology that allows bypassing geo-restrictions. It reroutes your DNS queries through a server in a different location, making it look like you are accessing the website from a different location.
The feature is an excellent solution for devices that do not support a VPN connection. So, you'll be able to stream geo-restricted content on your smart TV freely. However, keep in mind that MediaStreamer only works with US libraries.
Kill switch
There’s no decent VPN that doesn't offer a kill switch. This failsafe mechanism prevents your IP and other data leaks when the connection between the VPN server and your device is disrupted. Luckily, both ExpressVPN and Astrill VPN come with one.
ExpressVPN calls it the Network Lock. It is easy to use and works efficiently. The feature is available on Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS and Android.
During our tests, Astrill's kill switch did not leak the IP data at any point. This efficient feature is available for Windows, macOS, and Linux.
Deep web support
If you need to browse the deep web but want to avoid going through the trouble of downloading the Tor browser, Astrill VPN has you covered. It's one of the few providers that natively support deep web domains. Astrill VPN is a safe and convenient alternative to the Tor browser.
Unlike Astrill VPN, ExpressVPN doesn't offer this feature. So if you’re a frequent dark web visitor, Astrill VPN may be more useful.
ExpressVPN vs Astrill VPN: which is more secure?
| ExpressVPN | Astrill VPN | |
| Encryption | AES 256-GCM and ChaCha20 | AES-256-CBC |
| Hash | SHA-512 | N/A |
| RAM servers | Yes | Yes |
| Outside the Fourteen Eyes alliance? | Yes | Yes |
| No-logs policy | Audited | Not audited |
| Kill switch | Yes | Yes |
| DNS leak protection | Yes | Yes |
If you’re particularly worried about your online privacy, ExpressVPN is a better choice for you. Not to say that Astrill VPN is not secure. The provider offers a decent level of security. However, ExpressVPN takes it up a notch with an audited no-logs policy.
ExpressVPN and Astrill VPN employ the highest-level AES 256 encryption. However, ExpressVPN has the advantage of a more secure AES 256-GCM cipher and SHA-512 hash function to secure your authentication.
Other security measures both providers employ are a kill switch and DNS leak protection. These tools are made to secure your IP address and other data during challenging situations, such as when your connection drops.
Yet, when it comes to data logging, ExpressVPN takes the crown. As we already mentioned, it employs RAM-only servers, making data logging impossible. On top of that, it has independently audited a no-logs policy. The same can't be said about Astrill VPN. While it upgraded its server infrastrucutre to RAM-only, it has yet to undergo independent audits.
Infrastructure
Both ExpressVPN and Astrill VPN offer a standard security measure – encrypted servers. Also, both VPNs now have RAM-only servers.
These types of servers don’t use hard drives to store data. As a result, all information, such as usage logs, is wiped out when servers reboot. By making all of its servers RAM-only, both VPNs guarantee complete anonymity and data security for its users.
Privacy
Apart from RAM-only servers, providers employ encryption to secure users’ privacy. The method of choice for both providers is the AES encryption protocol. It is known for providing excellent security without compromising speed.
ExpressVPN uses the AES 256-GCM cipher, which is deemed more secure than Astrill’s AES-256-CBC. However, both are virtually impenetrable and provide adequate security.
On top of that, ExpressVPN provides an additional encryption method with its proprietary Lightway protocol – ChaCha20/Poly1305. This method is more suitable for lower-powered routers or entry-level mobile devices since it improves their performance.
Logging
When it comes to logging, both ExpressVPN and Astrill VPN promise not to collect your data. The only data ExpressVPN collects is usage information, like successful VPN connections, yet you have the opt-out options. Similarly, Astrill VPN collects some anonymized data, which is used to optimize servers.
But how well do these providers stay true to their claims? ExpressVPN is based in a privacy-friendly country – the British Virgin Islands. Thus, it’s not required to retain any user data. It also has a bulletproof no-logs policy that has been independently audited.
Astrill VPN is also registered in a country with no data retention laws – Seychelles. However, the provider has no published third-party audit reports, which means that the trustworthiness of its no-logs policy is not yet verified. However, our research found no tangible proof of any previous incidents.
Platforms, interface and ease of use
| ExpressVPN | Astrill VPN | |
| Supported OS | Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS | Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS |
| Other software and devices | Android TV, Kindle Fire, Chromebook | – |
| Browser extensions | Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Vivaldi | – |
| Simultaneous connections | 14 | 5 |
| Usability level | Easy | Moderate |
ExpressVPN is an excellent choice when you need excellent cross-platform support and a simple setup. The provider delivers compatibility on all major operating systems and devices, including Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, Linux, Kindle Fire, and Chromebook. Also, it works with a manual set up on most routers and offers an app for Aircove routers.
Additionally, ExpressVPN has several browser extensions – Chrome, Firefox, Edge, and Vivaldi as well as up to 14 simultaneous connections.
Astrill VPN lags behind ExpressVPN. The provider offers lesser device compatibility and no browser extensions. While the provider is compatible with Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS, and routers, it may not work with Kindle Fire or Chromebook. It also doesn't offer any browser extensions.
Desktop apps
ExpressVPN offers an intuitive Windows application that is easy to set up and navigate.
The macOS version is very much the same. The UI is simple and easy on the eyes. Even as a first-time user, you should manage to set it up and running swiftly.
Astrill VPN may seem luxurious judging from the price, but its UI does meet the expectations. The design seems outdated and lacks user-friendliness. However, it lets you tweak many settings, making the VPN customizable according to your needs. But if you're new to the virtual private network game, this may only seem intimidating.
When it comes to Astrill's macOS app, the situation is similar. The app is just as unintuitive. What's worse is that it even lacks some features, such as split tunneling.
Mobile apps
ExpressVPN mobile apps are very similar to their desktop counterparts. The overall design is user-friendly and responsive. You'll find that most of the layout is identical, such as the country selection tab.
Yet, when we compared Android and iOS apps, we noticed that Android is better equipped with features.
Now, Astrill VPN has a great Android app, which is refreshing compared to its other apps. The UI seems well-designed and easy to navigate. The only drawback is that it lacks features like OpenVPN tunneling protocol and no kill switch.
However, the situation with iOS could be better. The app doesn't much apart from OpenVPN protocol support. The design could be more pleasant when compared with the Android app.
Customer support
| ExpressVPN | Astrill VPN | |
| 24/7 live chat | ✅ | ✅ |
| ✅ | ✅ | |
| Phone line | ❌ | ❌ |
| Guides or articles | ✅ | ✅ |
| FAQ | ✅ | ✅ |
Both providers don't cut any corners when it comes to customer support. The service they provide is efficient and helpful. It's hard to see which provider has the edge. Both ExpressVPN and Astrill VPN offer fairly solid customer service.
The first thing to notice about both providers is the extensive knowledge base. You'll find setup manuals, FAQ, video tutorials, and more.
Yet, if you need help sorting out the issue, you can easily contact customer support. Reach out through the live chat or drop them an email – you'll get the response in no time. Both providers respond to queries in a timely manner.
ExpressVPN vs Astrill VPN – which one wins?
ExpressVPN stands out with superior streaming, stronger security with an audited no-logs policy, better usability, and a more affordable price. Astrill VPN excels in speed, torrenting performance, and reliability in restrictive regions like China.
While both offer solid features and support, ExpressVPN delivers a more balanced, high-value experience overall.
| Feature | ExpressVPN | Astrill VPN | Verdict |
| Pricing | ExpressVPN offers a significantly better price-to-quality ratio, while Astrill VPN is considerably more expensive with fewer advantages. | ||
| Speed | Astrill VPN delivers faster download speeds and better overall performance, outperforming ExpressVPN in most tested locations. | ||
| Privacy | ExpressVPN leads with an audited no-logs policy and stronger encryption setup, while Astrill VPN lacks independent verification. | ||
| Features | Both providers offer a wide range of useful features, making this category a draw depending on individual user needs. | ||
| Streaming | ExpressVPN unblocks a wide range of streaming platforms, while Astrill VPN is mostly limited to Netflix US. | ||
| Torrenting | Astrill VPN provides faster and more consistent torrenting speeds, outperforming ExpressVPN in P2P performance. | ||
| Support | Both providers offer reliable customer support with 24/7 live chat and helpful resources, resulting in a tie. |
FAQ
Which is better, Astrill VPN or ExpressVPN?
According to our tests, ExpressVPN is a better provider than Astrill VPN. ExpressVPN comes with greater streaming service unblocking capabilities as well as excellent speed. Additionally, it has almost twice as many server locations and boasts a lower price.
Which one is better for streaming - Astrill VPN or ExpressVPN?
Our test results show ExpressVPN is much better than Astrill VPN for streaming. ExpressVPN can unblock Netflix libraries, as well as BBC iPlayer, Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, Disney+, and HBO Max. Meanwhile, Astrill VPN unblocked only Netflix US.
Which VPN works better in China, ExpressVPN or Astrill VPN?
While ExpressVPN is also often used in China, Astrill VPN may be a better option. It offers a proprietary StealthVPN tunneling protocol that effectively beats the Great Firewall. Also, the VPN has a large pool of servers in Asia.
