Similar Software to Express VPN: 13 best alternatives for 2023

Express VPN is one of the most well-known and popular VPN providers on the market today. What sets Express VPN apart from its competition is its innovative and proprietary Lightway VPN protocol. Lightway uses the wolfSSL, which has an extensive cryptography library. Lightway helps maintain your security by using dynamic encryption keys that are purged and regenerated regularly. A VPN is a virtual private network. When using a VPN a secure and encrypted link is established between your computer or device and the websites that you visit. This means that anyone trying to look at your online activity will not be able to do so, including your internet service provider. If you have used public wifi in places like restaurants, hotels, airports, or at work then a VPN might be a great option for you. In addition, VPNs can be a great way to change regions when using streaming services in order to access additional content or to get a discount when ordering airfare.

1. NordVPN

Nord VPN was created in 2012 by a team of developers. It is a virtual private network (VPN) that allows users to connect to the internet through servers located all over the world. Nord VPN is one of the most popular VPNs on the market, and for good reason. What makes Nord VPN unique is its focus on security. It's one of the few VPNs that offer military-grade encryption, which makes it perfect for businesses and individuals who are concerned about their online privacy. Nord VPN is also one of the fastest VPNs on the market, making it perfect for streaming videos and downloading files. It encrypts the user's data and masks their IP address, making it difficult for anyone to track their online activity. Nord VPN can be used on a variety of devices, including computers, smartphones, and tablets. It has multiple pricing plans and can be installed on multiple devices.

2. Total AV

Offers powerful real-time malware detection as it earned almost perfect rates of malware detection.

Have some extremely useful features such as robust online security capabilities and different data privacy measures, all of these inside an easy-to-use and simple user interface (UI).

Includes anti-phishing protection, system cleanup, VPN (a virtual private network), data breach monitoring, password manager, identity theft monitoring (which is only available for the United States-based consumers), and so on.

The anti-phishing protection is superior to that of Chrome and Firefox's built-in protection, the device optimization tools are fantastic for improving system performance, and the virtual private network (VPN) is one of the best on the market in terms of speed, reliability, and the ability to access Netflix and other streaming services.

Provides a range of plans that are inexpensive and cover all of the main operating systems, are less expensive than the majority of its rivals with a money-back guarantee for a period of thirty days.

3. BullGuard

BullGuard was founded in 2002 in London by Danish experts, and now has offices around the western world. BullGuard's motto is "Safe. Simple. BullGuard." Their logo is modelled after an employee's pet dog named Winston, who still visits the offices. Bullguard's focus is on ease of use. They offer Bullguard Mobile Security as a separate flagship product. Bullguard has won awards and broken records over the years but is not now included in every industry test. Bullguard is known to perform very well on lab tests for malware and viruses but may need improvement on anti-phishing protection. They offer firewall protection with network scanning, whitelisting and parental controls, "Sentry" protection against "zero-day " (previously unknown exploits) leveraging machine learning, and a "Spamfilter" for email. A gaming feature helps Bullguard not slow down gaming performance with scans. Most game features shut down scans, but Bullguard actually optimizes gaming performance.

4. MalwareBytes

Malware is one of the biggest threats to your computer's safety. It is a type of software designed to work for malicious purposes: from stealing your identity, to holding your digital files to ransom. If you want to be confident that your device is secured against these threats, MalwareBytes is a smart and effective choice. MalwareBytes not only protects against malware, but by working in real-time it also prevents future infections, meaning that you can be preemptively shielded from attacks. This software uses clever technology to hide from malware too, so that it is masked from detection from vicious malware looking to exploit it. It expertly shields against a vast array of malware, including trojans, worms, bots and spyware, so that you can be assured in the knowledge that it's got all bases covered. Download today to secure your iOS, Android, Chrome, or Windows operating systems against malware attacks.

5. Surf Shark VPN

Surfshark is a reputable Virtual Private Network company that is situated in the British Virgin Islands. With this VPN, users can access this server around the globe as a way of hiding their browsing work with the use of end-to-end encryption. The goodness with the service is that it comes with apps that suit the Amazon Fire TV stick, macOS, Windows, Android, iPad, and iPhone. You can be sure that your browsing will be hidden and no one will steal your data in any way. Since you change your IP, your privacy is increased and no one can track you because you can switch from one IP address to another. Better still, you can travel securely because you’ll not have any fear when using a network connection that is not protected. The advantage of this service is the fact that there is no logs policy, offers high-speed content delivery, 24/7 customer support, advanced security features, and can support unlimited devices.

6. CyberGhost

CyberGhost is a VPN service that allows users to bypass internet censorship and provide high-speed internet connections to people in countries where internet censorship is severe. CyberGhost also helps protect privacy. CyberGhost isn't just a VPN service — it's a so-called “decentralized network.” This means that you aren't connected via a single IP address but rather independent networks with their own protocols and other parameters determined by the user. Through this network, any user can connect to any other user using any protocol and any kind of encryption tool . This provides an Internet connection that almost doesn't exist: In some countries, no Internet connection exists. In others, Internet connections are extremely slow or inoperable for many hours of the day. There is no longer anything like an Internet connection for those who live in these regions and thus no way to reach people outside their country. Cyberghost offers unrivaled security and privacy, which are essential for anyone who relies on the Internet for work or personal communication outside his country .

7. Proton VPN

ProtonVPN is a VPN service that provides a secure, private and anonymous way to unblock blocked content, surf anonymously, and get access to all your favorite websites from anywhere in the world. It is a public network that allows you to connect to the Internet from your home computer or laptop and it allows you to access your favorite websites and apps safely, privately and securely. ProtonVPN has been around for years now, with over 40 million users in more than 100 countries worldwide. The VPN app is free for mobile phones and tablets, with no limitations on the number of devices you can connect simultaneously. ProtonVPN makes it simple for people who are already familiar with the basics of networking and VPN usage to learn about the technology without having to spend any money on packet sharing internet services or VPN services themselves. VPNs are the rockstars of the Internet. They seek to bypass the restrictions on your personal and financial data. They shield you from hackers and other online intruders while allowing you to surf safely.

8. Bitdefender

Bitdefender was founded as Softwin in Romana in 1990, becoming Bitdefender in 2001. Bitdefender is a top ten antivirus solution which is very well received and reviewed. Bitdefender now runs a security operations centre in Texas and has grown and acquired ops worldwide, winning many awards and being known as a cost-effective solution. They call themselves "best in class" and a "Global Leader in Cybersecurity," and their excellent ratings from the test labs support this. Bitdefender works with Europol and similar associations. Offerings include advanced ransomware protection, anti-theft protection, parental controls, better than most VPNs, anti-phishing, and optimization (defragging etc) tools, and a cloud-based password manager that even checks for breaches. Bitdefender did suffer some bad publicity in 2021. The famous Dark Side group was offering a white-labelled version to other hackers, with the flaw that one key unlocked all ransomed accounts. Bitstamp announced a counter-program which was not yet perfect, and thereby alerted the hackers.

9. McAfee

To keep any computer or device safe from viruses and malicious programs, McAfee is the ideal software because it has been awarded several times during the last years for being one of the best antiviruses, in fact, it is one of the most used since 2015. In addition to antivirus, McAfee provides a wide variety of security services, such as firewall, anti-spyware, detection of fraudulent websites, and real-time file analysis, among others. McAfee is a different antivirus from the traditional ones since it has new protection functions, such as the silent screen, which prevents antivirus notifications from appearing on the screen if any application is open on full screen. Besides, another feature that stands out is Secure File Shredder, with which you can eliminate completely any file, and there is no possibility of recovering it. Likewise, it has a special function for laptops, which optimizes energy so that the battery lasts longer in optimal conditions.

10. Norton Antivirus

Norton is an antivirus developed and distributed by Symantec and works for Windows and Mac, as well as Android and iOS. Norton is one of the most optimized antivirus software that exists because it consumes almost no resources, but at the same time, it is effective in blocking and removing any spyware, Trojans, or viruses. Norton only occupies about 250 MB in the hard disk, but to work perfectly, the hard disk should have at least 200 MB free. Norton offers a wide range of services to suit everyone's needs, such as the new version Norton 360 for Gamers, which provides extra security while playing online games and protects any digital assets you have. Norton 360 Standard offers protection for a single device, while the Deluxe version provides protection for five devices, and if you have more devices or computers you need to protect, there is also the 360 Premium version, which covers up to 10 devices. All of their packages offer VPN service, a Smart Firewall, and a backup of up to 10 GB in the cloud.

11. OpenVPN

OpenVPN is a system that creates secure point to point connections for a safe web-browsing experience for the user since connecting to the internet might not be as private as everyone thinks because someone might be snooping around in the connections deliberately stealing sensitive data and information to the user which is why using OpenVPN is very important. It was developed by OpenVPN Incorporated and was released in May 2001 over 20 years ago making it one of the most trusted VPNs for internet savvy users. But as a precaution, everyone must have a VPN installed on their desktop PC and Laptops as protection when using the internet, since it protects the user from hackers who could steal your data while browsing the internet. Its free and can be easily installed just go to its official website and download the application, it has friendly user interface and they guarantee that you will be secured while browsing the web.

12. Kaspersky

Kaspersky was founded in 1997 by Eugene Kaspersky, a Russian military cybersecurity expert who removed his first virus in 1989. Kaspersky is popular and installed on 400 million clients in 200+ countries. Kaspersky is a premier service that always rates at the top of industry trials, Kaspersky offers advanced features like intelligent ad blocking that will not disable websites, tools to block hackers from accessing cameras, alerts when malware attempts to harvest data, and the ability to stop malware before it is installed instead of just detecting it, Kaspersky KIds is a system to track, screen, monitor and block children's locations and social media use. Some tools don't work as well on iOS as on Androids and PCs. In 2017, the Wall Street Journal alleged that in 2015, Kaspersky helped Russia steal data from the home PC of an NSA contractor. Recently Kaspersky has refused to condemn Russia, leading some experts to withdraw their recommendation.

13. Panda Security

Panda Security was founded in Spain in 1990, now acquired by Watch Guard in Seattle. Panda offers Panda Dome security as a premium product, which has won many awards over the years. Dome has many features, like a VPN, a simple parental control/child guard, and permission-based ransomware protection. Panda Dome has cool advanced features such as available deep file encryption with a file shredder, a virtual keyboard to evade potential key loggers, USB monitoring for threats, and a pretty unique Rescue Kit, which installs through the USB port to remove malware from an infected computer. Panda Dome is a bit expensive but offers a 30-day free trial and discounts for multiple installs. The VPN does zero logging, but has limited (150mg per day) data and may be slow for downloads. Panda's scores are not perfect from test labs on malware and antivirus performance. The Mac iOS version scores better than PCs on anti-phishing, but otherwise has limited functionality.