Avast SecureLine VPN vs ExpressVPN

Overview

Avast VPN vs ExpressVPN – which one’s better? If you know anything about the VPN market, you’ll agree that there’s hardly any contest here as one of these two is so far ahead of the other. If you’re new to VPNs, though, the question still stands. Which is the better VPN?

To find out, join us as we put these two popular products against each other in a number of areas including security, privacy, speed, ease of use, support, and compatibility in this Avast VPN vs ExpressVPN comparison.

Security and privacy

The first stop, of course, is security and privacy. So, how well do these VPN solutions perform? Well, this round begins a trend that carries through the rest of the comparison. ExpressVPN ticks virtually every box desirable when it comes to security. It offers secure AES-256-CBC encryption and a number of security protocols. It’s “Network Lock” feature which is basically a kill switch terminates all traffic in the event of a connection interruption.

ExpressVPN is also one of the best options for anonymity as the company behind it is registered in the British Virgin Islands. Thus, it’s free from the prying eyes of the 5/9/14 Eyes group, US intelligence, and EU data protection laws. It also boasts a proven no-logging policy which should keep your mind at rest.

What about Avast SecureLine VPN? Let’s begin with the good stuff. Avast SecureLine does offer AES-256 military-grade encryption, DNS leak protection, and the IPsec and OpenVPN (through UDP) protocols.

However, things take an ugly turn with the discovery that Avast’s VPN lacks a kill switch feature. Even worse, it keeps logs of your timestamps, the IPs of the VPN servers you connect to and even your actual IP address. If you think that’s quite unacceptable, we agree. If you are very serious about your online privacy and anonymity, Avast SecureLine simply isn’t ideal.

ExpressVPN, without a doubt, wins this round.

Speed and performance

When it comes to speed and performance, the gap between these VPN services seems to close a bit as both offer decent speeds and good coverage across the globe. On closer inspection, however, ExpressVPN still offers better speeds thanks to its fleet of over 3000 servers in 148 locations across 90 countries.

Avast SecureLine, in comparison, boasts only 54 servers spread across 30 countries. Remarkably, though, it manages to offer good enough speeds in many locations.

Still, ExpressVPN emerges as the faster and more consistent solution and wins this round also.

Ease of use

If ease of use ranks as an important factor to consider for you, then either of these two options will serve you just fine. Both are very uncomplicated and easy to set up. Avast SecureLine’s interface resembles that of the brand’s Antivirus software and will, thus, look and feel familiar to brand loyalists.

We’ll call this round a draw.

P2P and torrenting

Both Avast SecureLine VPN and ExpressVPN support torrenting and P2P file sharing.

However, while ExpressVPN is a solid option for torrenting thanks to its robust security features and fast speeds, Avast SecureLine isn’t exactly a good choice due to the privacy and logging concerns we mentioned earlier. Even if you choose to ignore that, Avast SecureLine only allows torrenting on a limited number of servers.

Once again, ExpressVPN is the much better option.

Netflix and China

If you want a VPN service to watch Netflix, ExpressVPN is great, while Avast SecureLine is decent. With Avast’s solution, you can watch Netflix US, UK, FR, and even Netflix JP. Other Netflix regions, however, may get the best of SecureLine. ExpressVPN, on the other hand, allows you to connect to servers in many regions watch Netflix from any location.

When it comes to China, Avast’s offering is no match for China’s Great Firewall. ExpressVPN, however, works comfortably in China, giving it another clear cut victory.

Compatibility

While Avast SecureLine VPN gives you apps for the major platforms (Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS), ExpressVPN has a client for practically everything. In addition to Avast’s offering, ExpressVPN has apps for Linux, routers, and browser extensions for Chrome, Firefox, and Safari.

Yet another easy win for ExpressVPN.

Customer support

When it comes to customer support, ExpressVPN is way ahead of Avast SecureLine as it offers a 24/7 live chat option, something sorely lacking on Avast’s offering. You, however, get free 24/7 consultation if you choose to call the customer support number. Both services also cater to those who prefer self-help guides with Avast’s Support Center offering access to an FAQ database and help forums.

Pricing

In the area of pricing, neither of these offerings can be called cheap. Of course, Avast SecureLine is cheaper than ExpressVPN. However, it’s prices may be harder to swallow considering the gulf between the two services. On the plus side, though, Avast SecureLine offers a 7-day free trial for monthly plans and a 60-day free trial for 1-year plans.

ExpressVPN offers no free trial but provides a 30-day money-back guarantee for all pricing plans. Its plans allow for up to 5 simultaneous connections, similar to Avast’s.

While ExpressVPN may be the more expensive offering, it’s definitely the better bargain. If dirt cheap is what you’re looking for, you might want to look elsewhere.