- ✓ExpressVPN is excellent — the main reason people leave is simply the price, the highest of the big VPNs.
- ✓You can get most of what it offers for noticeably less, without dropping to a poor provider.
- ✓NordVPN is the closest premium like-for-like, and cheaper and faster in our tests.
- ✓Surfshark is the value pick: unlimited devices and a fraction of the cost.
- ✓Ownership note: ExpressVPN, CyberGhost and PIA are all owned by Kape Technologies — so the “cheaper” Kape brands aren’t an independent switch.
The short answer
ExpressVPN is excellent, so the best alternative is usually the one that delivers most of the same for less money. NordVPN is the premium like-for-like — cheaper, faster in our tests, different owner. Surfshark is the pure value play with unlimited devices. And if it’s ExpressVPN’s ownership you want out of, Proton VPN is the independent choice. Match it to your reason below.
Leaving over price → NordVPN or Surfshark. Leaving over ownership → Proton. Leaving because it’s bad → you’re not; it isn’t.
Why people leave ExpressVPN
ExpressVPN sits near the top of our best VPN for Ireland ranking, so the reasons are specific:
- The price. It’s the dearest of the major VPNs, and the renewal is higher again.
- Device limits. It allows fewer simultaneous connections than the value brands — a squeeze for big households.
- You want more for your money. Rivals bundle extras and unlimited devices at lower prices.
- The owner. Some privacy-minded users are uneasy about Kape Technologies, ExpressVPN’s parent.
Who owns ExpressVPN — and why it matters
ExpressVPN is owned by Kape Technologies, which also owns CyberGhost and Private Internet Access (PIA). That’s the fact to know before you switch: if you’re moving away from ExpressVPN to escape a particular owner, hopping to CyberGhost or PIA keeps you in the exact same company. If independence is the goal, the clean options are Proton VPN (Switzerland) and Mullvad (Sweden). If it’s only price you care about, ownership won’t change your day-to-day — it’s just worth knowing.
The best ExpressVPN alternatives
Three, each matched to a reason for leaving:
Owner: Nord Security
The natural landing spot. NordVPN matches ExpressVPN’s all-round polish, comes in cheaper, and was actually faster in our 2026 speed tests, with a bigger server network and an audited no-logs policy. If you liked Express but not the bill, this is the like-for-like — and it’s a different owner group entirely.
Read our NordVPN review →
Owner: Nord Security
If price is the whole reason you’re leaving, Surfshark is the sharpest answer: a fraction of ExpressVPN’s cost, unlimited simultaneous devices, and streaming that holds up well. You lose a little of Express’s refinement and consistency, but for most households the value is hard to argue with.
Read our Surfshark review →
Owner: Independent (Proton AG, Switzerland)
If it’s ExpressVPN’s ownership rather than its price that’s prompting the move, Proton is the clean break — independently owned in Switzerland, open-source and heavily audited, with a free tier to try. It’s not as fast or as slick, but it’s the strongest independent privacy story here.
Read our Proton VPN review →At a glance
Should you actually switch?
Only if the price genuinely bothers you — because on quality alone, ExpressVPN doesn’t give you much to run from. Its apps are the easiest in the business, its audit record is the longest, and its streaming is rock-solid. If those are worth the premium to you, stay. If they’re not, NordVPN gets you 95% of the experience for less, Surfshark undercuts everyone, and Proton answers the ownership question. Pick for the reason you’re leaving, not just to leave.
Compare them head-to-head in Surfshark vs ExpressVPN and NordVPN vs ExpressVPN. Or read the full ExpressVPN review.