Astrill VPN and ExpressVPN represent some of the most reliable VPNs in 2024. While Astrill VPN is known for its ability to work in China, ExpressVPN is a famous all-arounder that never fails to impress new and ongoing users.
In today’s Astrill VPN vs ExpressVPN comparison, we aim to see which service is better. Recently, we compared NordVPN and Astrill VPN. In this duel, NordVPN had an edge over its rival, beating it with a respectable score. Today, we’re replacing NordVPN with its fierce rival – ExpressVPN.
Our readers know we love this provider and our team uses it daily. It’s been our #1 service for years now, thanks to blazing-fast speeds, above-average security, and servers in 160 locations. On the flip side, many people swear by Astrill VPN, despite its ludicrous price.
Yes, this is an expensive provider that’ll cost you twice as much as ExpressVPN. But does it really justifies its price with features and overall quality? In this ExpressVPN vs Astrill VPN duel for 2024, you will see if that is the case.
As always, we have 9 in-depth comparisons ahead of us, ranging from ease of use to security, privacy, streaming, performance, pricing, and many other categories. Needless to say, staying with us should be your priority before spending money on any of these services.
Astrill VPN vs ExpressVPN: Apps & Ease of Use
We like to say that your first contact with the VPN comes through its app. Therefore, it’s very important that the VPN offers a pleasant user experience with every second of use. In our comparison, we found that ExpressVPN is vastly superior to Astrill in this regard and you’ll see why soon.
For the start, both services support typical platforms like Windows, iOS, Android, Linux, and macOS. As such, you can easily install their native apps on all your devices. Astrill VPN has no native app for Fire TV Stick, which is a bummer, while ExpressVPN has it – and it’s one of the best.
In fact, why don’t you check our favorite free VPNs for Amazon Firestick TV? ExpressVPN’s app is free to download as well! Regardless, both providers have router support, albeit, ExpressVPN’s support for this device is a bit better, as it can be installed on more firmware versions.
One thing where Astrill VPN takes the lead is the number of simultaneous connections. It offers no connection limits, whereas, ExpressVPN gives you just 5. We’ve been very critical of the 5 simultaneous connections in this VPN for years now. Its rivals, almost all of them, offer much more.
Astrill VPN
When it comes to ease of use, Astrill VPN is easily among the worst providers we used. It’s so opulent and we have no doubt the company is well situated, but they still can’t make a proper app. Just look at it – it’s so tiny and cramped, making it confusing for the newcomers.
All you can see is the big connection button and transferred bandwidth during the connection. To open Settings, you’ll click on the three horizontal dots where some of its features are located. Thankfully, they’re easy to activate or tweak, as everything is done with one-two mouse clicks.
To change the protocol, you’ll use the dropdown menu on the right. The settings you get depend on the protocol in place. For example, when using OpenVPN, you can choose the level of encryption or enable port forwarding, which can’t be done with some of the other protocols.
Speed Test is here as well, and at least this feature opens in the new window and allows for quick and efficient server testing. It’s vital to mention that the app isn’t the most responsive. It’s not as polished as ExpressVPN and looks like a free VPN at best.
On the good side, the connection times are very short when using OpenWeb or WireGuard. As soon as you smash the connection button, no more than 2 seconds will pass until the connection is established. This is pretty fast and on the level with ExpressVPN.
ExpressVPN
ExpressVPN or Astrill VPN – which has better ease of use? Of course, it’s ExpressVPN! Just look at the app below. It looks so nice, stylish, and minimalistic. It’s also dead simple to use and supports one-click connections that take no more than 2 seconds.
Once you open the server list, it’ll appear in a separate window on the right. From here, you can connect to a smart location to get the best speeds. Or, you can also find the server location by searching for it above or using the All Locations option.
Server locations are divided into their respective continents, which we find very intuitive. The Settings menu is accessible with the three horizontal lines in the top-left corner. Here, you can find ExpressVPN’s features in two menus, so you don’t have to wander around searching.
Plus, the provider also has the Speed Test feature – something we use often. Thanks to its responsiveness and smoothness, the speed test will quickly test all servers, giving you the fastest option in a minute. Not to mention ExpressVPN’s apps on mobile devices that look identical to the Windows/macOS app.
This makes it extremely easy to use no matter your platform. If you’ve used it on Windows, you’ll know how to use a VPN like this on Android, iOS, or macOS. Compared to Astrill VPN’s buggy mobile apps, this provider is buttery-smooth and more functional.
Who Wins?
Despite Astrill VPN offering unlimited connections, ExpressVPN WINS this round. It has much better and more polished apps coupled with superior device compatibility. Let’s not forget Astrill has no support for Fire TV Stick, which is a noticeable downside for many streaming enthusiasts.
Security & Privacy: Which One Is Safer to Use?
Security and privacy are extremely important when choosing a VPN. No one wants a provider that stores logs or violates your privacy in any way. Don’t fret. Neither of those will do that, but still, there are some differences that we’d like to point out.
Security Features
Let’s first talk about their similarities in terms of security features. Since all VPNs work the same, except for P2P providers like Hola, they’re bound to have some similarities. For example, Astrill VPN and ExpressVPN use 256-bit AES encryption to secure your connection and keep you safe online.
Although Astrill VPN lets you change the level of encryption to 192-bit or 128-bit, it isn’t very important as you’ll most likely stick to 256-bit encryption. One thing to note is that both services have an automatic kill switch. And a decent one at that!
What about split tunneling? Fortunately, it’s here in both cases. ExpressVPN calls it by its original name, while Astrill VPN goes with the name Application/Site Filter. However, it functions the same and omits/allows certain apps/sites to use a VPN tunnel.
In terms of security protocols, they’re different, with one exception – OpenVPN. Both services allow for OpenVPN, albeit, they prioritize their in-house solutions that we’ll explain in a minute. IP/DNS leak protection is yet another feature that both services share.
To that, we should add RAM-based servers, which ExpressVPN calls TrustedServer technology. And finally, there’s Private DNS. This feature comes with both providers and ensures your DNS requests are handled by a proprietary DNS server from the VPN, ensuring no logs are stored.
What Are the Differences?
As much as they’re similar, these providers are also different. ExpressVPN has an in-house protocol called Lightway. During our review of ExpressVPN, we explained why this is the best solution currently available, offering the fastest speeds and supreme security.
Besides, the provider has built-in obfuscation, which makes every connection completely secure and suitable for circumventing firewall restrictions. On the other hand, there’s Astrill VPN with two protocols – OpenWeb and StealthVPN.
These protocols have one function in mind – bypassing the Great Firewall. OpenWeb is unbelievably fast, too, and in the case of this provider, it’s the fastest option you can go for. Even WireGuard which is also offered in Astrill, is a tad slower than OpenWeb.
In general, Astrill offers more protocols than ExpressVPN, giving you a bit more options for approaching different scenarios. Albeit, Lightway does the job regardless of what you throw at it, so we have no complaints. Another thing is that Astrill VPN seems to be more feature-rich.
It offers VPN Sharing for sharing your VPN connection with other devices without additional hardware. There’s also port forwarding, ad blocker, proxy options, and various DNS settings. However, ExpressVPN manages to still feel more polished and secure than its rival.
We find it to be a perfect “plug-and-play” service where you just click on the connection button and everything works as expected. Astrill VPN’s advanced features, with the inclusion of optional MultiHop, seem more suitable for advanced users.
These features work well, don’t get us wrong. It’s just a matter of preference. ExpressVPN is less feature-rich and lacks an ad blocker, while Astrill VPN has it, plus a myriad of other features. But it has one big disadvantage that we’ll mention in a second.
Is There a No-Logs Policy?
ExpressVPN and Astrill VPN have a no-logging policy. Period. End of story. That’s for you lazy readers.
For those willing to dig deeper, you should know that ExpressVPN and Astrill VPN have some stark differences. Starting with Astrill VPN, this provider is based in Seychelles.
This is an awesome off-shore location with no data retention laws. And so are the British Virgin Islands – the country where ExpressVPN resides. Much like Seychelles, the BVI has no ISP surveillance and data retention that could violate your privacy.
As you can see, Astrill VPN’s privacy policy is short and to the point. Indeed, it’s a no-logging policy with a few bits of information stored during the connection period. For example, the provider stores the connection time and your IP for as long as the connection lasts.
This information is wiped clean once you disconnect. Astrill VPN collects no logs of your online activities, DNS requests, and other similar bits of information, which is always welcome. The issue, however, is that no third-party audit can prove that.
So far, the provider has ZERO audits on its privacy policy or apps. That, compared to several audits from KPMG, PwC, and Cure53 that ExpressVPN has, sounds a bit miserable. And on top of that, ExpressVPN has a no-logging policy that sounds and looks better.
The service never stores your IP address, browsing history, DNS queries, and traffic metadata/destination. Not even while you’re connected! The only information that the provider stores is your payment data and email, necessary for keeping your subscription alive.
Of course, some troubleshooting data is here as well, but it’s all in an anonymized form. ExpressVPN proved its no-logging a few times in practice. When the Turkish authorities seized its servers in Turkey in the case of the assassination of Khashoggi, they found no relevant data.
You can read more about that case on ExpressVPN’s Wikipedia page. But overall, ExpressVPN is much more trustworthy thanks to three separate security audits that Astrill VPN doesn’t have.
Who Wins?
In this Astrill VPN vs ExpressVPN comparison, ExpressVPN WINS. Astrill VPN does have more features but ExpressVPN ends up being safer, more secure, and significantly more trustworthy thanks to several third-party audits and a proven no-logging policy.
ExpressVPN vs Astrill VPN Streaming Test
Some people just want a VPN to watch MotoGP live on a free TV channel or enjoy various shows and movies on streaming platforms. They don’t care about security and privacy, logging practices, and so on. That’s okay – even in this case, these services will show excellent performance with a few differences.
Our team used Astrill VPN for streaming many times and it worked well. For example, Netflix US works with this VPN and you can enjoy other streaming platforms from the US, the UK, Canada, and a few other countries. We must notice that Netflix Japan doesn’t work, for instance.
On the other hand, foreign TV channels are easily accessible without any tweaks. You just connect to the server in the respective country and enjoy. The streaming quality is solid as well given Astrill VPN’s stellar and stable performance when using OpenWeb and WireGuard.
Keep in mind that Astrill VPN has no special or dedicated streaming servers and neither does ExpressVPN. Now, since we’re talking about it, we think this provider has a slight edge over Astrill VPN. In fact, that edge is a bit larger than you’d expect.
So far, ExpressVPN proved to work with 15 or so libraries of Netflix. It can also unblock BBC iPlayer with a click of a mouse, plus, various US TV channels will work abroad. When using this provider, there are no obstacles.
Thanks to the Lightway protocol with obfuscation, you can bypass pretty much any geo-block and stream to your heart’s contempt. Not to mention this is the fastest provider, so 4K streaming is a breeze. Heck, even 8K on YouTube works like a charm!
Who Wins?
In this part of our Astrill VPN vs ExpressVPN duel, ExpressVPN WINS. Both providers are good for streaming but this one has an edge in terms of streaming quality and unblocking capabilities. Needless to say, these are crucial factors for watching restricted content online.
ExpressVPN vs Astrill VPN Speed Comparison
With the streaming review out of the way, let’s talk about these VPNs’ performances. We often mention that free VPNs usually don’t have fast speeds, which is rectified by getting a premium provider. Now, we know these two are premium VPNs, so it’s interesting to see just how fast they are.
At the time of writing this ExpressVPN vs Astrill VPN duel, we were located in Europe. When doing the speed test without using any of the services, we received these results:
As you can see, our download/upload speeds are around 120/15 Mbps. Now, with these results in place, we tested both services for 3 days in a row, 3 times a day, across 4 server locations. Our team uses servers in the UK, the US, Australia, and Japan.
In terms of protocols, we used the Automatic option on ExpressVPN. This means it would choose the best protocol according to the server to ensure the best performance. On the flip side, Astrill VPN doesn’t have this option and by default, it uses OpenWeb.
We stuck with that protocol because it’s the fastest according to our Astrill VPN review. And with these parameters set in stone, let’s check our speed test results and compare them directly.
ExpressVPN
UK:
US:
Australia:
Japan:
Astrill VPN
UK:
US:
Australia:
Japan:
Who Wins?
Our ExpressVPN vs Astrill VPN speed test shows you some clear results. As you can see, ExpressVPN WINS this round by being a lot faster than Astrill VPN. This especially rings true on long-distance servers such as in Japan and Australia.
Interestingly, Astrill VPN constantly delivered poor upload speeds but for some reason, managed to keep up with ExpressVPN in download speeds in the US. Other servers show an obvious difference, with ExpressVPN having faster speeds and usually lower ping than its rival.
Torrenting: Are Astrill VPN and ExpressVPN P2P-Friendly?
Going online and downloading torrents is a pretty controversial thing these days. Many countries frown upon torrenting, especially when talking about copyrighted content. Even legal content can lead you to trouble, as torrent sites store your download history and IP address, jeopardizing your privacy.
Either way, for a VPN to be used with BitTorrent or any other client, it must be safe, secure, and fast. Do these services fulfill these criteria? The answer is YES, which means both of them can download torrents once you connect to one of their servers.
In the screenshot below, you can see we’re using the US server to download Linux. It works without problems and we even get pretty much no speed reduction, so you’re looking at full-speed downloads. In addition, ExpressVPN has no special P2P servers.
This means all of its servers are capable of torrenting, which makes things infinitely easier. You can just connect to the closest server to you and have blazing-fast speeds. Astrill VPN also has no torrenting servers. All of them are suitable for P2P, which you can see below.
Using the US server in Astrill VPN brought no speed losses. Upload speeds were a tad slower, though, but we don’t think this is a big problem. Besides, you’re most likely going to be downloading torrents rather than uploading them, except if we’re talking about seeding.
Who Wins?
We don’t want to make this round longer than it needs to be. Is it better to choose ExpressVPN or Astrill VPN for P2P downloading? It’s a DRAW, as both providers are torrent-friendly. Not only that but they’re very fast, offer excellent security features, and have a no-logging policy, which is of the utmost importance for torrenting in many countries.
Are ExpressVPN and Astrill VPN Working in China?
Working in China is a big issue for VPNs these days. With the Great Firewall receiving more updates and becoming stronger, it’s VERY rare to find a VPN that works properly. We’ll talk about ExpressVPN first, as it’s the most reliable pick next to Astrill VPN.
However, in 2024, people noticed that this provider isn’t going to work 10 out of 10 times as it used to. For some reason, ExpressVPN sometimes works and sometimes doesn’t. Our testers are using ExpressVPN daily in China but they sometimes end up switching to Astrill VPN.
Even if you visit Reddit and get additional info there, you’ll see that Astrill VPN is the #1 VPN for use in China. This provider has the StealthVPN protocol that works in this country and allows you to get over the Great Firewall. Even its OpenWeb protocol works, allowing for the same benefits.
It’s vital to mention that Astrill focused on this parameter exclusively. It has hundreds of Asian servers near China to ensure you get excellent performance. Plus, there are Chinese servers in Hong Kong, in addition to enhanced Asian servers for better speeds that come with MultiHop.
This is a part of the VIP add-on package which starts at $10 a month for 100 GB of traffic and goes up to $100 a month for 1 TB of traffic. Interestingly, Astrill gives you the option of several private IPs in China deemed “Supercharged”, bringing terrific performance at just $5 a month.
That said, ExpressVPN will work in China from time to time. Astrill VPN, on the other hand, will work without problems, offering a fully-optimized experience for people in China. If you live in this country or you’re staying there for longer periods, this is a choice to go for.
Who Wins?
Astrill VPN WINS this round against ExpressVPN by being a more reliable and optimized service for China. It not only offers StealthVPN and OpenWeb but also various other “goodies” that you can use to enhance the online experience in this country. It’s, however, very expensive, so keep an eye out for that.
Astrill VPN vs ExpressVPN Server Fleets
In terms of their server parks, Astrill VPN and ExpressVPN do an impressive job, both in size and the quality of the network. Let’s check out their server distribution and locations to see which one is better in 2024.
Astrill VPN (300 servers in 57 countries)
Astrill VPN offers 300 servers in nearly 60 countries. We’re talking about 10 Gbps servers that, as you saw, offer great speeds. Also, the provider bases its servers on RAM, which means they’ll keep you private online by not storing any logs.
As for the server distribution, Astrill is more than decent. It has many servers in the United States, which can be used for unblocking ABC or simply getting a US IP. On top of that, servers in Singapore, Japan, Hong Kong, and Indonesia are numerous.
This means, while in China, you can get good performance thanks to nearby servers around you. One thing to mention is that dedicated servers aren’t here but the addition of private IPs is very welcome. Basically, these are your dedicated IP servers.
Each private IP comes at $5 a month and you have a boatload of choices! Aside from the US, your private IP can come from China, Serbia, Poland, Lithuania, Russia, Italy, and many other locations. This adds to server variety and makes it great for advanced users who want a bit more from their VPN.
ExpressVPN (3,000 servers in 105 countries)
ExpressVPN offers no dedicated IPs. As said, it’s your plug-and-play VPN that allows you to do everything you want on any server. Currently, it has 3,000 servers in 105 countries and 160 locations, making for a vastly larger server park compared to its rival.
The server number is identical but you get nearly 40 more countries! For that reason, ExpressVPN has more servers in the US, Europe, and Asia, offering 10 Gbps servers for excellent speeds. Some speculations are that it’ll upgrade to 40 Gbps servers, which would make it even faster.
Of course, we’re talking about RAM-based servers with an accent on user privacy. This, along with several third-party audits, makes ExpressVPN’s server fleet one of the best. If you need a private IP, however, you can get a dedicated IP in Astrill VPN.
But we’d much rather recommend our favorite dedicated IP VPNs that are much better than this service. They include NordVPN, CyberGhost, and Surfshark.
Who Wins?
Despite Astrill VPN offering private IPs, ExpressVPN WINS this round by having a larger, more robust network. While its rival has servers in 57 countries, ExpressVPN offers a server network that spans 105 countries and 160 locations, making it a clear winner.
Customer Support: Astrill VPN or ExpressVPN?
For years, our team has been enjoying ExpressVPN’s customer support. It’s dependable and able to fix any issue in a few minutes. Its 24/7 customer support through live chat responds in 5-15 seconds, allowing you to get in touch almost instantaneously.
Not to mention its email support that’s best around. Unlike many providers that take 24 hours to respond, ExpressVPN will get back to you in a few minutes. This allows you to get more information or fix an issue while not waiting for an eternity.
Another thing is that its on-site support is phenomenal. FAQs and Help Center are here, so you can read various step-by-step guides if you want. All guides are accompanied by images to help you get around or set up a VPN on your router, for example.
ExpressVPN’s YouTube channel is here too and the provider is active on social media. This is yet another way of contacting this company in times of need. Astrill VPN’s support is stellar. You get 24/7 live chat support as well, which responds quickly to your requests.
Much like ExpressVPN, Astrill has email support, plus FAQs and other on-site support methods. We think ExpressVPN is a bit better in this regard as its guides are more helpful, albeit, its Blog section isn’t as active as Astrill’s Blog section with articles published every few days.
Astrill doesn’t have a YouTube channel and its social media activity isn’t as prominent. But this is a smaller company with fewer users, which explains why this is the case. For a provider of this caliber, Astrill indeed has excellent support.
Who Wins?
In this round of comparison, ExpressVPN WINS by having a bit better customer support experience. As stated, we like its live chat support a tad more, with email support being definitely faster. Not to mention other methods of contact through social media, plus in-depth guides on its site.
Astrill VPN vs ExpressVPN Pricing Comparison
The final ExpressVPN vs Astrill VPN comparison will tell you which service is cheaper. We know you’re aware of Astrill’s pricing and the fact that it’s the most expensive provider in 2024. Therefore, let’s get on with it now and see how much it’ll empty our wallet.
The prices on the screen show us that not many people can afford this VPN. The monthly plan is a whopping $30 each month, while the annual plan costs $15 a month or $180 every year. Absurdly, the 2-year plan is $12.5 a month, with an upfront price of a staggering $300!
Let’s not forget about its VIP add-on that can go up to $100 a month, plus a private IP at $5 a month. If you get a VIP add-on for, let’s say, $50 a month, and pay for it for 2 years, it ends up being $1,200 for 2 years. This is only your VIP add-on, mind you!
To that, add $300 for the subscription and you’ll end up paying $1,500 in total! Let’s be clear. This is a really good VPN but no service is worth this price – even ExpressVPN if you will. Another problem is that Astrill has no refund policy, so you can’t be reimbursed in the case of dissatisfaction.
Therefore, if you buy it and you don’t like it for any reason, you can just cancel it – not get a refund. ExpressVPN’s pricing now looks much more affordable. Its annual plan is discounted by 49% and you get 3 free months, making the price $6.67 a month.
So yeah, it’s around 50% or so cheaper, plus, it has a 30-day money-back guarantee for ALL plans, with no conditions. This means that, if you dislike it or you don’t use it as much as you thought you’d do, you can get a refund in the first 30 days and not lose a dollar.
Who Wins?
Do we even need to declare the winner of this round? Of course, ExpressVPN WINS by being significantly cheaper than Astrill, and offering a 30-day refund policy in addition. Astrill VPN isn’t worth the asking price and doesn’t allow you to get a refund, which is a major red flag.
Conclusion: ExpressVPN Wins!
To finalize our Astrill VPN vs ExpressVPN comparison 2024, we need to count the score across 9 rounds. As things stand, ExpressVPN wins the duel with a score of 8:2, which is quite a big difference, despite Astrill VPN being a solid provider.
This just explains how great ExpressVPN is, as it managed to lose just one round and be on par with its rival in terms of torrenting. Other than not working as well as its rival in China, ExpressVPN is a much more reliable and sensible choice, especially taking into account its rival’s expensive price.
The provider is faster, it’s better for streaming and offers servers in 160 locations. To that, we should add 3 security audits, superior customer support, and an excellent user experience that you can enjoy on all your devices. So, why does Astrill VPN exist? Would we recommend it at all?
Honestly, we wouldn’t, except in one specific case – if you’re in China or you’re planning to stay there for an extended period. In this case, this provider will be more reliable, as long as you can get over its price. Anything other than that, it’s ExpressVPN all day – every day.
With a special discount available through our site, you can’t go wrong with it. Saving 49% on the annual plan and getting 3 free months sounds pretty awesome. Do you still think ExpressVPN is expensive? If so, you might want to think again – and this time, for real!
ExpressVPN
