ExpressVPN vs Windscribe 2024

Angela Jovanoska

Cybersecurity Researcher

This is always a tricky question to answer because every VPN has its own strengths. But, I have to admit, it makes my job easier when the verdict is a much clearer call, which was the case today.

After thorough testing, I concluded that ExpressVPN is the overall better VPN. It worked seamlessly with all my licensed streaming services, and I could watch without lag or interruptions. Plus, it has one of the most intuitive VPN apps I’ve tested — it’s lightweight, minimalistic, and can connect to servers within seconds.

Windscribe is also a good option, especially if you’re looking for a secure VPN that won’t break the bank. It offers the security essentials offered by premium VPNs at a lower price. Plus, its Stealth protocol allows it to work on restrictive networks, even in China. It performed poorly during long-distance speed tests, though, and has a relatively small server network.

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Streaming — ExpressVPN Wins by a Narrow Margin

Despite not offering any streaming-optimized servers, ExpressVPN and Windscribe are both good options for streaming. However, ExpressVPN is the overall winner because it let me stream content in HD from all my licensed streaming sites without issues.

Our international testing team confirmed that ExpressVPN works with more than 20 Netflix libraries while testing from their respective countries. My teammate in the US used its NY server to safely watch Gilmore Girls in HD on Netflix US. They could also use their Disney+, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, and Max accounts without hiccups.

We could all watch our favorite local shows in UHD with ExpressVPN

Windscribe is also a decent streaming VPN. Our international testers reported that it works with Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, and BBC iPlayer. However, getting it to work with these platforms sometimes took a bit of troubleshooting.

For instance, our US-based tester had to switch between a few servers to watch Amazon Prime Video US. They could also watch Max, but there was constant lag during streaming.

Our US testers binge-watched Grey’s Anatomy on Netflix US with Windscribe

However, most platforms loaded in a few seconds, and our team faced no major interruptions while streaming. It’s also helpful that Windscribe supports WireGuard (a speed-optimized protocol), as it can dramatically improve speeds for streaming or any other activity.

Streaming was much smoother with ExpressVPN, though. I never experienced any lagging, even when I connected to a server on the other side of my home country, which wasn’t the case with Windscribe. This is largely thanks to Lightway, ExpressVPN’s proprietary protocol, which is built for fast speeds.

Both VPNs offer a Smart DNS service that you can use to stream on devices that don’t support VPNs, like smart TVs and gaming consoles. However, unlike Windscribe, ExpressVPN’s Smart DNS (MediaStreamer) is included with the VPN subscription, so you don’t have to pay extra to get it.

Winner

ExpressVPN and Windscribe are both good streaming VPNs, but ExpressVPN is the overall winner. It works with most streaming services without issues and offers faster speeds.

Server Network — ExpressVPN Has a Lot More Servers Than Windscribe

ExpressVPN has a much larger server network than Windscribe, with over 3,000 servers in 105 countries worldwide. Compared to that, Windscribe falls short, currently offering only 177 servers across 69 countries. ExpressVPN also covers a lot more regions than Windscribe, including Europe, America, Asia Pacific, the Middle East, and Africa.

With five times the size of Windscribe’s server network, ExpressVPN is the definitive winner in this category. The more server options you have, the less likely it is you’ll face issues like overcrowding and server overload.

Winner

ExpressVPN has a much larger server network than Windscribe and covers more regions. Most of Windscribe’s servers are located in the US and Europe, while ExpressVPN offers connections in every part of the world, making it the winner in this category.

Speed — ExpressVPN Is the Fastest VPN I’ve Tested

Windscribe offers good speeds, but ExpressVPN is one of the fastest VPNs on the market, making it the overall winner.

Our dedicated speed tester located in the UK measured how both VPNs perform over short and long distances. To get the best results, the tests were performed with each VPN’s fastest protocol — Lightway for ExpressVPN and WireGuard for Windscribe.

Below, you can see how much each server lost compared to the speeds without a VPN connection. While it’s normal for a VPN to reduce speeds by 10-20% (depending on how far away the server is from your location), you should still be able to stream, torrent, or browse without significant interruptions.

Starting with baseline speeds of 111.65Mbps, ExpressVPN’s local UK server reached up to 104.93Mbps, which is only a 6% speed drop. Our speed tester said that they barely noticed any speed difference and could browse, stream local content, and torrent as if they were using their regular connection.

A minor speed loss of 6% is barely noticeable when streaming, browsing, or torrenting

In comparison, Windscribe reached 81.45Mbps on nearby servers, which is a 28% speed drop. These are still decent speeds, but most premium VPNs rarely lose over 10% when connected to nearby servers. For comparison, ExpressVPN’s speeds only dropped this much on long-distance connections.

You only need 25Mbps for 4K streaming

Overall, ExpressVPN performed much better than Windscribe, even over longer distances. We were really impressed that, even when connected to an ExpressVPN server tens of thousands of kilometers away, webpages only took an extra second or two to load.

Winner

Thanks to its Lightway protocol, ExpressVPN is one of the fastest VPNs on the market. Its speeds were almost as fast as the baseline, while Windscribe lost nearly 30% on nearby servers and over 90% over long distances.

Gaming — ExpressVPN Has Lower Ping Rates Than Windscribe

Both ExpressVPN and Windscribe are good gaming VPNs, but ExpressVPN has lower ping rates, both over short and long distances.

Ideally, the ping rate should stay below 100ms when gaming. Anything over that can cause major lagging and disrupt your gaming experience.

To see how each VPN performs, I first measured my ping without a VPN connection. Then, I connected to the fastest server for my location, as well as a few other servers across the globe, including the US, the UK, and Hong Kong. I chose a fast-paced online game like Counter-Strike 2 to get the most accurate results.

ExpressVPN's fastest location gave me a ping of 38ms, which is fairly similar to the ping I get when gaming without a VPN. With the nearby UK server (2,000+ km away), the ping increased to 52ms, which is more than enough for lag-free gaming.

Connect to ExpressVPN’s Smart Location to get the lowest ping rates

As expected, the ping increased the further away I got from my location, so there was some lagging when I tried the US server. It wasn’t until I tried a server in Hong Kong that the game lagged too much, making it unplayable.

Windscribe also has low ping rates, but only on servers close by. Ping rates were noticeably increased on medium- and long-distance servers, so I struggled to play CS2 on servers in the US.

Winner

ExpressVPN had consistently lower ping rates, both over short and long distances, making it the winner in this category. I experienced no lag when connected to its fastest location and the nearby UK server, and the game was still enjoyable even at longer distances. Windscribe is also a good gaming VPN, as long as you use servers that are close by.

Torrenting — ExpressVPN Allows P2P Sharing On Every Server; Windscribe Doesn’t

ExpressVPN allows torrenting on all its servers, which is very practical since you don’t have to look for specialized servers to torrent safely. Simply connect to your closest location, and you can start torrenting instantly.

Windscribe also supports P2P sharing on most of its servers, except for a few locations where it’s not allowed, including Lithuania, Bosnia, India, Russia, and South Africa. These servers are clearly marked in the server list with a crossed-out P2P icon, so they can be easily spotted.

Unlike Windscribe, ExpressVPN only supports port forwarding on its router app. This feature increases torrenting speeds by connecting you to more torrenting peers. That said, it’s also considered a security vulnerability, as it can be used by hackers to uncover your real IP address.

Despite offering port forwarding, Windscribe has slower torrenting speeds than ExpressVPN. During tests, it took less than 6 minutes to download a 1.5GB copyright-free file with ExpressVPN’s fastest server — about the same as what I get without a VPN. With port forwarding enabled, it took around 10 minutes to download the same file with Windscribe.

Before using either VPN for torrenting, you should be aware that downloading copyrighted files is illegal. To make sure you don’t break any laws, you should only download torrents in the public domain. Also, be sure to check your country’s local laws and regulations on torrenting.

Winner

ExpressVPN allows torrenting on all its servers and has excellent speeds for quick downloads. Windscribe blocks P2P sharing on a few of its servers, and even though it supports port forwarding, it took longer to download a torrent file than ExpressVPN.

Security — Both VPNs Are Very Secure

ExpressVPN and Windscribe both offer all the standard security features of a premium VPN, including military-grade encryption, IP/DNS leak protection, and several advanced VPN protocols, so there is no definitive winner in this category.

ExpressVPN’s proprietary TrustedServer technology guarantees that all your data is wiped from the server with each reboot. This is because all its servers are RAM-based (they run only on volatile memory). Similarly to ExpressVPN, Windscribe’s servers are also RAM-based, which is much safer than full disk encryption.

Both VPNs support multiple secure VPN protocols. ExpressVPN’s most secure protocol is Lightway, which is its proprietary VPN protocol optimized for speed and safety. It’s also undergone multiple security audits and is open-source, so anyone can inspect the code for vulnerabilities.

If you click on Advanced Options for Lightway, you can choose between AES and ChaCha20 encryption cipher

In addition to military-grade encryption, IP/DNS leak protection, and a kill switch, both VPNs secure your data with Perfect Forward Secrecy. This feature changes the encryption key every time you log in, so even if one key is compromised, all your past and future sessions remain safe.

Unlike ExpressVPN, Windscribe offers multi-hop (double VPN) servers that add an extra layer of encryption to your data by routing your traffic through two different VPN servers. Although this provides extra security, it’s not recommended for everyday use, as it can greatly reduce speeds. Note that with Windscribe, this works by connecting to one location on the desktop app and another on the browser extension.

For maximum security, choose Always On, so you’ll only have internet access when connected to the VPN

I liked that Windscribe offers static IP addresses. A static IP remains the same every time you connect, but it’s not exclusive to you. Using a static IP address can help you avoid CAPTCHAs and 2FA checks. This feature is not part of Windscribe’s regular subscription, though, so you have to pay extra to get it.

Winner - draw

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Both VPNs are very secure, with military-grade encryption, a kill switch function, and several trusted VPN protocols. However, unlike ExpressVPN, Windscribe offers multi-hop servers and static IPs. In turn, ExpressVPN’s kill switch is available on all platforms, which isn’t the case with Windscribe. So, ultimately, this category comparison is a tie.

Privacy — ExpressVPN is Based Outside Any Surveillance Alliances

Both ExpressVPN and Windscribe have strict no-logs policies, but ExpressVPN’s claims have been proven true by multiple independent audits.

ExpressVPN clearly states in its privacy policy that it doesn’t keep any activity or connection logs, such as your browsing history, DNS queries, or IP address. It only collects sign-up details, like your email address and billing info, plus general anonymized information, like the server location you used and the amount of data transferred.

In September 2022, an external audit conducted by the independent organization KPMG proved ExpressVPN truly stands behind its no-logs claims. This is one of the many audits ExpressVPN has undergone throughout the years.

ExpressVPN only stores anonymous data that can’t be tied back to you

Windscribe's privacy policy is transparent, claiming the VPN keeps no logs of users' IP addresses, browsing history, or connection times. It doesn’t even require an email address for signup. However, it hasn’t undergone an independent audit to prove its no-logs claims.

ExpressVPN is also based in the British Virgin Islands, a privacy-friendly country that’s not a part of the 5/9/14 Eyes Alliances. The members of these alliances are known to track their citizens’ online activity and share it with each other, so it’s a huge plus that ExpressVPN is based outside of it or any other similar organization.

On the other hand, Windscribe is headquartered in Canada, which is a 5 Eyes country. It’s also worrying that Windscribe was recently involved in an incident where two of its Ukranian servers were seized by Ukranian authorities. The servers weren’t encrypted, so it’s possible the authorities were able to retrieve the information stored on them.

Winner

ExpressVPN is the overall winner. It has a strict no-logs policy that has been audited multiple times and is based outside the 5/9/14 Eyes Alliance. Windscribe also claims it keeps no logs, but this hasn’t been verified by an independent audit. Plus, it’s based in a 5 Eyes nation.

Works in China — Both VPNs Can Be Used In China

The Great Firewall of China (GFW) blocks VPN traffic, but both VPNs offer obfuscation, a feature that disguises your VPN traffic as normal internet traffic.

ExpressVPN comes with built-in obfuscation when you use the Automatic protocol, so there is no need to look for specialized servers or perform any manual configurations to use the internet outside the GFW. On its official website, you can even access a list of servers that work best in China, which is regularly updated.

Windscribe offers obfuscation through its Stealth protocol, so you’ll need to connect to it to use it reliably in China. The only slight drawback is that Stealth can greatly reduce your speeds, which isn’t the case with ExpressVPN’s obfuscation feature. Plus, the Stealth protocol is not currently available on iOS.

Note that ExpressVPN and Windscribe don’t have physical servers in mainland China. But you can still get a Chinese IP address from their servers in Hong Kong or ExpressVPN’s additional servers in Macau.

Winner - draw

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ExpressVPN and Windscribe both work in China. ExpressVPN offers automatic obfuscation on all its servers, so there is no need to look for any specialized servers to use. Windscribe also works reliably in China as long as you use the Stealth protocol.

Installation & Ease of Use — ExpressVPN Is More Intuitive on Desktop and Mobile

Both VPNs offer easy-to-use apps for all major platforms and devices, including Windows, macOS, Windows, and Android. Setup is quick and easy in all cases. All I needed to do was download the apps from their official websites and install the VPNs on my Windows laptop — the whole process didn’t take me more than 5 minutes.

ExpressVPN’s desktop app is one of the most intuitive I’ve used. Its Smart Location feature automatically connects you to the fastest available server based on your location. There is also a star icon next to each location, so it’s easy to find your favorite servers for later use.

Add a shortcut to your favorite websites so you can access them and protect your connection with one click

You can personalize your home screen by adding shortcuts to your most frequently used apps and websites so you always have easy access to them. Once you click, you'll open your preferred service and connect to the VPN.

ExpressVPN’s home screen doesn’t display information like VPN protocol or the VPN IP address, which gives the app a sleek and minimalist look that I really liked. Plus, you can easily find any setting you want to customize by selecting Options from the hamburger menu at the top.

The only thing I didn’t like is that ExpressVPN doesn’t offer a full GUI for Linux, so the only way to use it on Linux is with the command line.

Windscribe is also very user-friendly and intuitive, but less so than ExpressVPN. It has a relatively small home screen, almost half the size of ExpressVPN, but it displays a lot more information, including the VPN protocol, the server IP address, and even the option to disable the Firewall feature, which makes it look cluttered.

You can change the VPN protocol directly from the home screen

Unlike ExpressVPN, Windscribe offers a full GUI for Linux, so you can use it on your Linux device just like on any other platform. However, it doesn’t offer an app for your router — but ExpressVPN does.

With both VPNs, the app design is pretty consistent across platforms. ExpressVPN’s desktop and mobile apps are almost identical feature-wise. Perhaps the only difference is that the mobile app includes a Protection Summary at the bottom of the screen, so you can see information such as the connection length and server IP address, which isn’t the case on the desktop.

Windscribe’s Android and iOS apps let you choose between a light and dark mode, which isn’t an option with ExpressVPN. They are also pretty similar to their desktop counterparts. A unique feature exclusive to mobile is the Network Whitelist feature, which lets you choose specific trusted networks that you don’t want to use Windscribe with.

Winner

ExpressVPN takes the lead due to its more intuitive apps. Its straightforward server selection and the ability to personalize the home screen give it a practical edge. While Windscribe is also easy to use, ExpressVPN's minimalistic and user-friendly design makes it a better option.

Reliability & Support — ExpressVPN Comes Out on Top As It Offers a 24/7 Live Chat

ExpressVPN offers a 24/7 live chat, so you can get help at any time. The live chat is readily available on any page of ExpressVPN’s official site. For less urgent issues, you can also contact support via email or dive into its rich knowledge base, where you can get answers to the most common questions.

Windscribe doesn’t have a live chat feature — it only offers a live chatbot called Gary. While Gary can help answer simpler questions, it’s not of much use when you have a real problem and are in need of assistance. Plus, some of its answers can be outdated.

The only way to get in touch with a Windscribe support agent is via email, but it took more than 24 hours to receive a response. Windscribe also has a searchable knowledge base where you can access step-by-step guides and answers to more general questions about the VPN.

Given that most premium VPNs today offer a 24/7 live chat support option, it’s a huge drawback that Windscribe doesn’t offer one yet, so I would like to see that fixed in the future.

Winner

ExpressVPN has a huge advantage over Windscribe with its 24/7 live chat option. Windscribe doesn’t offer it yet, so the only way to speak to a support representative is via email, which usually takes a day to respond.

Tips on Choosing Between ExpressVPN and Windscribe

ExpressVPN and Windscribe excel in different areas, so it can be difficult to find which one is best for you. During my tests, I used the following criteria to determine the overall winner:

• Smooth streaming — Make sure to choose a VPN that works well with streaming sites licensed for your country. Both ExpressVPN and Windscribe work with the most popular streaming platforms, but ExpressVPN offers better quality and reliability.
• Fast speeds — Whether you plan to use the VPN for streaming, torrenting, or browsing safely, slow speeds can significantly hinder your experience, so you need to pick a VPN that doesn’t drop your base speeds too much. A 20-30% decrease is acceptable.
• A large number of servers — The more servers are available to you, the easier it is to find a nearby speedy connection. Plus, a large server network makes it easier to avoid issues like overcrowding.
• Robust security — A premium VPN service should offer all the basics, like military-grade encryption, a functioning kill switch, and strong data leak protection. Other security features like obfuscation and multi-hop servers are an added bonus that you should look for if protecting your online activity is your top priority.
• Intuitive apps for all the major OSs — You should make sure the VPN offers an easy-to-use app for the device you plan to use it on. The more platforms are supported, the better, as you can protect all your devices.
• Reliable customer support — Ideally, the VPN should offer 24/7 support via live chat. If that’s not available, you should at least be able to reach out to a support agent via email. A comprehensive knowledge base can also be of great help.
• Trustworthy money-back guarantee — Most premium VPNs offer a money-back guarantee, which means you can use the VPN for a certain amount of time and get a full refund if you don’t like it.

ExpressVPN vs Windscribe — Reddit Opinions

I looked at Reddit threads to see how ExpressVPN and Windscribe stack up according to users. Though not many posts directly compare the two, there's a noticeable lean towards ExpressVPN. Redditors highlight its fast speed and effectiveness with streaming sites, though they do mention it's a bit on the pricey side.

Redditors say that ExpressVPN is one of the fastest VPNs on the market

Windscribe is also a decent option for streaming, particularly for people within the UK and the US, but users note that its speeds are slower compared to ExpressVPN. This aspect, coupled with fewer features, seems to give ExpressVPN the edge in Redditors' opinions.