Detailed side-by-side comparison based on our March 2026 testing. Which VPN comes out on top?
| Feature | ExpressVPN | Private Internet Access |
|---|---|---|
| Rating | 9.5/10 | 8.8/10 |
| Price (Best Plan) | $6.67/mo | $2.03/mo |
| Servers | 3,000+ | 35,000+ |
| Countries | 105 | 91 |
| Simultaneous Devices | 8 | Unlimited |
| Download Speed | 860 Mbps | 770 Mbps |
| Upload Speed | 450 Mbps | 360 Mbps |
| Latency | 14 ms | 21 ms |
| Protocols | Lightway, OpenVPN, IKEv2 | WireGuard, OpenVPN |
| Encryption | AES-256-GCM / ChaCha20 | AES-256-GCM |
| Kill Switch | Yes | Yes |
| Split Tunneling | Yes | Yes |
| No-Logs Policy | Verified | Verified |
| Streaming Support | Yes | Yes |
| Torrenting | Yes | Yes |
| Jurisdiction | British Virgin Islands | United States |
| Money-Back Guarantee | 30 days | 30 days |
In our March 2026 speed tests, ExpressVPN achieved download speeds of 860 Mbps compared to Private Internet Access's 770 Mbps. This gives ExpressVPN a clear speed advantage, although both VPNs are fast enough for 4K streaming and gaming.
Upload speeds tell a similar story: ExpressVPN at 450 Mbps versus Private Internet Access at 360 Mbps. For latency-sensitive tasks like gaming, ExpressVPN's 14 ms average ping beats Private Internet Access's 21 ms.
Both ExpressVPN and Private Internet Access offer AES-256-GCM / ChaCha20 encryption and maintain no-logs policies. ExpressVPN is based in British Virgin Islands while Private Internet Access operates from United States. Both passed our DNS, WebRTC, and IPv6 leak tests without issues.
While both are excellent VPNs, ExpressVPN edges ahead with a 9.5/10 rating compared to Private Internet Access's 8.8/10. ExpressVPN offers faster speeds, and premium features that justify the investment.
That said, Private Internet Access is still a strong choice, especially if you value open source. You cannot go wrong with either option.