ProtonVPN vs ExpressVPN: Privacy Comparison
Here we put ProtonVPN head-to-head with ExpressVPN across the six privacy factors that matter most: their data collection practices, encryption implementation, third-party data sharing, user privacy controls, transparency, and historical track record. While both products address similar requirements, the philosophies they bring to protecting users diverge sharply. Our assessment finds that ProtonVPN provides a noticeably better overall privacy experience, although neither service is without trade-offs that deserve a careful, detailed look.
Who Wins, and Why
The most useful starting point is the overall tally and the single dimension that decided it. Across the six privacy dimensions we score, ProtonVPN finishes ahead of ExpressVPN, 49/60 to 37/60. That total reflects a side-by-side review in which one service is consistently the more privacy-respecting choice, even though both cover the same functional ground.
The largest single-dimension gap is in Data Collection, where ProtonVPN leads by 2 points -- ProtonVPN 9/10 to ExpressVPN 7/10. On Data Collection the margin nearly vanishes: ProtonVPN 9/10 against ExpressVPN 7/10. The deeper analysis that follows shows how the lead was built.
What Gets Collected
Every privacy assessment starts with data collection. How much a service gathers, stores, and processes about its users is what ultimately drives the privacy risk of using it. ProtonVPN takes a leaner approach here, capturing only the data strictly required to make the service work. Its rival pulls in a wider net of information -- behavioral patterns, device identifiers, and usage analytics that go well past what the core features actually need. Our marks were ProtonVPN 9/10 and ExpressVPN 7/10 in this area. What separates them is not merely how much is gathered but why it is gathered and whether it is truly needed.
Encryption Standards
Encryption guards user data as it moves and while it sits at rest, and how well it is built differs enormously from one service to the next. ProtonVPN puts tougher encryption in place, with sturdier protocols shielding data in transit and stronger safeguards for what is stored. The two implementations part ways on coverage (which data actually gets encrypted), on strength (which algorithms and key lengths back it up), and on whether end-to-end encryption is in play (which keeps even the provider from reading user content). For encryption, ProtonVPN scored 10/10 while ExpressVPN scored 8/10.
Sharing Data With Outside Parties
A service's willingness to hand data to outside parties is a make-or-break privacy factor. That covers advertising networks, analytics providers, business partners, and what happens when governments come asking. ProtonVPN keeps a tighter lid on who can reach user data. These sharing habits shape security as much as privacy, since every extra party granted access becomes one more way a breach could happen. Scores: ProtonVPN 6/10, ExpressVPN 4/10.
Controls You Can Actually Use
The availability and effectiveness of user-facing privacy controls determine how much agency individuals have over their own data. This includes settings for data collection opt-out, download and deletion capabilities, granular permission controls, and the ease with which users can exercise their rights under applicable privacy regulations. ProtonVPN provides more comprehensive and accessible privacy controls. Scores: ProtonVPN 7/10, ExpressVPN 5/10.
Openness About Data Practices
Transparency comes down to how plainly a service explains what it does with data. It shows up in how readable the privacy policy is, whether transparency reports are published, how quickly privacy questions get answered, and whether policy changes are communicated up front. ProtonVPN comes across as the more transparent of the two overall. Plain, easy-to-find privacy communication is the bedrock of informed consent and trust. Scores: ProtonVPN 8/10, ExpressVPN 6/10.
Track Record Over Time
A service's history of privacy incidents, regulatory actions, and responses to vulnerabilities provides important context. ProtonVPN has a stronger historical record on privacy, with fewer incidents and more responsible handling of the issues that have arisen. Past behavior is often the best predictor of future privacy practices. Scores: ProtonVPN 9/10, ExpressVPN 7/10.
Overall Verdict
Our comprehensive analysis gives ProtonVPN a total score of 49/60 and ExpressVPN a total score of 37/60. The overall winner for privacy is ProtonVPN. While both services serve similar functional needs, the winner demonstrates a more privacy-respecting approach across the dimensions that matter most. That said, no service is perfect, and users should always configure privacy settings actively regardless of which option they choose. We recommend supplementing your choice with additional privacy tools, a VPN, DNS-level ad blocker, and privacy-focused browser, to build a comprehensive privacy posture. If your threat model requires the strongest possible privacy, consider whether an even more privacy-focused alternative exists in this category beyond the two compared here.