Avast VPN and ExpressVPN represent two notably different tiers of VPN service based on tested scores and verified features. With an overall score of 22%, Avast VPN trails significantly behind ExpressVPN's 68%, and examining the individual category breakdowns helps explain why that gap exists.
On the privacy and security front, both providers offer WireGuard protocol support, a kill switch, split tunneling, and P2P/torrenting capabilities. ExpressVPN adds a Bug Bounty Program to that list, which signals a greater commitment to identifying and addressing vulnerabilities through external researchers. Avast VPN is headquartered in the Czech Republic, an EU member state subject to European data retention frameworks, while ExpressVPN operates from the British Virgin Islands, a jurisdiction widely regarded as favorable for privacy due to the absence of mandatory data retention laws. Privacy audit scores are low for both providers, with Avast VPN scoring 8% and ExpressVPN scoring 23%, suggesting room for improvement in independent verification for each.
Performance is one of the starkest contrasts between the two. ExpressVPN achieved a perfect 100% in the speeds category, while Avast VPN scored only 20%. For users who prioritize connection quality for activities like streaming or large file transfers, this difference is substantial. ExpressVPN also scored 100% in the streaming category, indicating consistent ability to access geo-restricted content, whereas Avast VPN scored 0% in that same area.
The application and interface experience also favors ExpressVPN meaningfully. Its application score of 73% and GUI score of 90% reflect a polished and user-friendly product, compared to Avast VPN's 33% and 20% in those respective categories. Customer support is another area where the divide is clear, with ExpressVPN scoring 100% against Avast VPN's 0%, meaning users of the latter may find limited assistance when troubleshooting issues.
One area where Avast VPN stands out is ethics, where it scored a full 100% compared to ExpressVPN's 67%. This suggests Avast VPN performs better against ethical benchmarks in that particular evaluation, which may matter to values-conscious users. Pricing scores are relatively close, with ExpressVPN at 55% and Avast VPN at 45%, indicating neither provider is an exceptional value leader over the other based on tested criteria.
Overall, ExpressVPN demonstrates stronger performance across most measured categories, while Avast VPN holds a notable edge specifically in the ethics dimension.