ExpressVPN vs Astrill VPN 2024

Agnieszka Stec

Cybersecurity Researcher

ExpressVPN and Astrill VPN are popular, high-ranked VPNs that share numerous features. Yet, many reviews overlook significant differences between the two.

I tested both for speed, ease of use, privacy, security, gaming, and more. Below, I explain the key distinctions between the two to help you choose the one that better suits your needs.

As expected from top-tier services, both VPNs scored high on my tests. However, ExpressVPN comes first in the comparison, thanks to its user-friendly features, superior speeds, and a privacy policy backed by third-party audits.

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Short on Time? Here Are My Key Findings

Streaming — ExpressVPN Works With More Streaming Platforms

Both are good for streaming popular platforms like Netflix US or Hulu within the US, but ExpressVPN works with more services. Our international team and I tested these VPNs with platforms licensed for our respective regions and confirmed that, unlike Astrill VPN, ExpressVPN reliably works with smaller libraries and localized streaming websites like BBC iPlayer in the UK or Netflix Japan.

In terms of speed, both providers performed very well. When I tested the services in the UK, I was able to watch Netflix UK and Disney+ without any delays. Both VPNs let me watch Modern Family in HD with no problems or lag.

It took me less than a minute to connect to ExpressVPN and start streaming Disney+ from the UK

If you're in the US or the UK, ExpressVPN’s MediaStreamer lets you stream in HD on devices that usually don’t work with a VPN, like smart TVs or gaming consoles. Since MediaStreamer doesn’t encrypt your data, you’ll get even faster speeds than with a VPN.

With Astrill VPN, I could stream Grey’s Anatomy in the UK without buffering

Winner

Both VPNs ensure smooth streaming thanks to their good speeds, but ExpressVPN works with more platforms, so it wins this category.

Server Network — ExpressVPN Has a Bigger Server Network

ExpressVPN’s network covers twice as many countries as Astrill VPN. A wider range means you’re less likely to rely on long-distance servers, which will lower your speed. Connecting to a server nearby also lets you browse and stream your local websites safely.

Astrill VPN has decent server coverage in Europe and North America and quite good in Asia. However, unlike ExpressVPN, it doesn’t have servers (including virtual servers) in many African and South American countries.

Winner

Although Astrill VPN has a good server offer, ExpressVPN wins with a bigger number of servers in more countries.

Speed — Both Are Fast

I conducted speed tests on various global servers from the UK, including in the US, UK, and Japan. For ExpressVPN, I used its proprietary Lightway protocol. Astrill's proprietary protocols are designed to circumvent tough firewalls rather than gain speed, so I used WireGuard. My testing started with an average download speed of 108 Mbps and an upload speed of 14 Mbps.

ExpressVPN’s 7% speed drop on a UK server was almost unnoticeable

Both VPNs provided consistent fast speeds, but Astrill VPN was a bit faster on the US servers. Although ExpressVPN edged ahead with the download speed on the Japan server, Astrill’s upload speeds were better. That being said, the differences were minimal, so you can’t go wrong with either.

With Astrill, I only got a 15% speed drop on a far-away US server, which is a great result

Winner - draw

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ExpressVPN and Astrill VPN both provide fast and consistent speeds, so this category is a draw.

Gaming — Both VPNs Are Good For Gaming on Nearby Servers

It's an equal match between the two VPNs here. Optimal gaming requires a ping under 100ms. Both VPNs demonstrated low ping on nearby servers, while distant servers showed higher latency, a common outcome due to greater physical distances.

Playing PinKreator on local servers was smooth, but I experienced stuttering on international servers. Given that most services face challenges in maintaining low pings over long distances, this wasn't a major concern for me.

The characters responded immediately to my commands thanks to low latency on nearby servers

Winner - draw

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ExpressVPN and Astrill VPN are good for gaming on nearby servers. However, both have higher latency on long-distance servers.

Torrenting — ExpressVPN’s Privacy Protection Is Proven

Both VPNs are good for torrenting, but ExpressVPN comes ahead with better privacy protection. While both VPNs use RAM-only servers that regularly wipe off your data, ExpressVPN’s proven non-logs policy goes one step further to ensure its privacy protection is airtight.

That being said, Astrill VPN is also a good choice. Both VPNs allow P2P on all their servers, have super strong 256-bit AE encryption, and prevent IP leaks from exposing your real IP address.

When it comes to speed, they performed on a very similar level, and in both cases, I was able to download a 1GB copyright-free file in a little over a minute. They both offer port forwarding, which may result in faster speeds. Although, ExpressVPN’s port forwarding feature can only be set up via router configuration.

Winner

It’s a close contest between the two, as both VPNs are really good for torrenting. In the end, ExpressVPN wins this category with its proven no-logs claims.

Security — Both VPNs Provide Top Security Features

ExpressVPN and Astrill VPN share a lot of features essential to your online safety. A kill switch keeps your data confidential even when the VPN connection is lost. Additionally, 256-bit encryption ensures the highest level of protection. Astrill VPN also allows you to lower the encryption level to reduce slowdowns.

ExpressVPN offers a customizable ad, malware, and tracker blocker — you can choose which of these to block. It also has a parental control option to prevent adult sites from loading. After enabling this feature, only the Automatic and Lightway protocols are available.

The ad blocker and Threat Manager are in the Advanced Protection tab in the settings

Astrill VPN is suitable for advanced users. It has more protocols, including two proprietary protocols, Stealth and OpenWeb to use on restrictive networks. VPN sharing can be used on your PC to share VPN connections with other devices, including gaming consoles and smart TVs that don’t usually work with VPNs.

Although Astrill’s interface is a bit clunky, I quickly found the ad blocker feature in the settings

Winner - draw

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Both VPNs have excellent security features. While ExpressVPN has an advanced ad blocker and Threat Manager, Astrill has more protocols and a useful VPN-sharing feature.

Privacy — ExpressVPN Offers Top Privacy Confirmed By Independent Audits

Both VPNs claim to obey a strict no-logs policy, but only ExpressVPN has gone through multiple third-party audits. They all confirmed that the service doesn’t keep any logs. This doesn’t mean that Astrill VPN’s privacy policy is less secure, but without an independent audit to back up its claims, we have to give a point to ExpressVPN.

Astrill VPN and ExpressVPN are based in privacy-friendly countries — The Secheleys and The British Virgin Islands, respectively. This means that they’re both outside of the 5/9/14 Eyes Alliance and don’t have to disclose users' data to government agencies.

Both VPNs also use RAM-only servers (ExpressVPN refers to this as Trusted Server technology). Unlike hard drives, RAM servers automatically wipe your data with each reboot.

Winner

Although they both are based in privacy-friendly jurisdictions and have no-logs policies, only ExpressVPN has been independently proven not to keep any logs.

Works in China — Astrill VPN Has More China-Related Features

Both VPNs are capable of working in China, with their obfuscation techniques that disguise VPN traffic as regular internet traffic. ExpressVPN automatically obfuscates all its servers using its automatic protocol. For Astrill VPN, using its StealthVPN protocol is necessary in China.

ExpressVPN allows sign-ups from within China. Normally, VPN websites are blocked there, and a pre-arrival app installation is necessary. However, ExpressVPN provides a mirror link to its website, which can be used to sign up. This can be obtained by emailing support@expressvpn.zendesk.com (Hotmail still works in China).

Astrill VPN has several servers near China to ensure fast connections. Its VIP package includes Chinese servers in Hong Kong and enhanced Asian servers with the Multi-Hop feature. Multi-Hop ensures better speeds as it uses premium links to connect to the Chinese server from your location. The only downside is that it adds to the cost of an already expensive subscription.

Winner

Both VPNs are known to work reliably in China, but Astrill VPN has a bunch of premium features that make it faster and easier to connect from within the country. If the price is not an issue for you, Astrill VPN is worth a try.

Installation & Ease of Use — ExpressVPN Offers Better Apps

Both VPNs are fairly easy to use, but ExpressVPN has cleaner and more intuitive apps.

Astrill VPN’s app is tiny and has a very old-school look. All settings are cramped together, which makes it more confusing for beginners. However, simply connecting to a server or choosing a protocol shouldn’t be a problem, even for a VPN newbie.

Although Astrill’s interface is pretty old, I like the Tip of The Day feature

I recommend using ExpressVPN’s Smart Location feature, which lists the best available server for you based on your location. Thanks to this option, I was able to minimize the speed drop each time. Astrill has a similar option, but I wasn’t sure on what basis it recommends a server, as the servers it listed were pretty far away from me.

ExpressVPN also has a Shortcuts feature that lets you add links to your favorite website for an easy and secure connection.

Shortcuts allow you to quickly launch your favorite apps and websites from the VPN’s home screen

Winner

ExpressVPN wins this round with a clean and intuitive interface.

Reliability & Support — Excellent Customer Support From Both Providers

It’s a draw — I experienced great customer service from both VPNs. They offer extensive options to get in touch (with a live chat being the quickest one), plus a whole range of articles and videos for self-study.

When I contacted both ExpressVPN and Astrill VPN via live chat, I got a response almost immediately, and, in both cases, I was happy with the help I got.

Winner - draw

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It was hard to pick a winner, as both VPNs offer stellar customer service.

Tips on Choosing Between ExpressVPN and Astrill VPN

• Smooth streaming — ExpressVPN works with more platforms than Astrill VPN. In theory, these VPNs can connect you to global locations and allow you to stream content outside of your region. Be aware that this goes against most platforms’ T&Cs, though, and could even amount to copyright infringement.
• Fast speeds — Both VPNs offer comparable speeds that ensure smooth streaming and browsing.
• Server networks — ExpressVPN covers 105 countries, while Astrill VPN covers 56. Choose the one with a lot of servers near you for the best speed.
• Robust security features — Both VPNs have you covered with top security features like military-grade encryption, IP/DNS leak protection, a kill switch, and more.
• Respectable privacy practices — ExpressVPN is better because its no-logs policy has been independently proven. It also has RAM-only servers that regularly wipe all information.
• Easy to use — ExpressVPN is easier to use for beginners because its apps are clean, modern, and intuitive. In comparison, Astrill VPN’s UI is a bit more outdated.
• Trustworthy money-back guarantee — Only ExpressVPN offers a money-back guarantee, so you can try it without risk.

ExpressVPN vs. Astrill VPN — Reddit Opinions

Most of the Reddit reviews I found for Astrill VPN concern its use in China. While some users complain that Astrill VPN doesn’t work in the country, others confirm they’ve been using it successfully. Many users pinpoint the issue due to Astrill VPN not working on mobile devices and/or public WiFi networks in China.

ExpressVPN has also recently received mixed reviews on its capabilities in China. The contradicting reviews for both VPNs are to be expected as the Great Firewall of China is constantly being strengthened. So, even the best VPNs stop working in China occasionally.

There are tons of reviews from Redditors across the globe who have been happily using ExpressVPN for several years. They praise it for its speeds and reliability — saying that although it’s costly, it’s worth the price.

I found many threads and various opinions on Reddit about which VPN works better in China