Where Proton VPN pulls ahead is verifiability. It is run from Switzerland by Proton AG, its desktop and mobile apps are fully open-source, and it has cleared five consecutive independent no-logs audits — more than ExpressVPN can show. It also ships the best free tier on the market: unlimited data, no ads and no logging, something ExpressVPN does not offer at all. The drawbacks are at the checkout and the edges — €9.99 month-to-month, a prorated refund rather than a clean 30 days, and no Smart DNS for consoles or older smart TVs.
So the split is clean. If you mainly want a VPN that quietly unblocks RTÉ Player, Netflix and BBC iPlayer and then disappears, ExpressVPN is the pick — and it sits near the top of our best VPN for Ireland ranking. If you would rather inspect a provider’s code and audit history yourself, or trial a serious VPN for free before paying a cent, Proton VPN earns the nod.
Quick comparison
The short version, side by side — every figure from our hands-on testing in Dublin, the same data behind our best-VPN ranking. Green highlights show which provider takes each round.
| ExpressVPN | Proton VPN | |
|---|---|---|
| Our score | 9.4 / 10 | 9.3 / 10 |
| Best for | Best for streaming & privacy | Best for privacy |
| Price from | €2.99/mo | €2.99/mo |
| Money-back guarantee | 30-day | 30-day |
| Avg Dublin speed | 445 Mbps | 430 Mbps |
| Netflix unblocking | Yes | Yes |
| Simultaneous devices | 10 | 10 |
| Servers | 3,000+ | 20,000+ |
| Countries | 105 | 145 |
| Works in China | Yes | No |
| No-logs policy | Yes | Yes |
| Jurisdiction | British Virgin Islands | Switzerland |
| Support | 24/7 live chat | Live chat (paid) + email |
Open-source apps & audit depth: Proton lets you check the work
This is the philosophical fault line between the two, and it is worth its own section. ExpressVPN asks you to trust a closed, proprietary client backed by repeated Cure53 inspections of its TrustedServer setup — a credible record, and the most-audited in our chart. Proton VPN takes the opposite tack: every Proton VPN app, on Windows, macOS, iOS, Android and Linux, is fully open-source, so independent researchers (and you) can read exactly what the client does rather than take the company’s word for it.
Pair that transparent codebase with five consecutive independent no-logs audits and a Swiss operator in Proton AG, and Proton offers more for a sceptic to actually verify. ExpressVPN’s assurances are strong, but they are something you accept; Proton’s are something you can inspect line by line. If "show me, don’t tell me" is how you judge a privacy tool, that distinction matters.
RTÉ Player, Netflix & MediaStreamer: ExpressVPN’s Smart DNS edge
Both reliably unblock what Irish households actually watch — RTÉ Player and TG4 from abroad, plus Netflix (IE/UK/US), BBC iPlayer and Disney+ — so a proxy error is unlikely on either. ExpressVPN rates a notch higher in our streaming score because its servers tend to keep working month after month with the least fiddling, and it bundles Smart DNS (MediaStreamer), which gets streaming onto consoles and older smart TVs that cannot run a VPN app at all.
Proton VPN is close behind, and we confirmed RTÉ Player and TG4 unblocking in our own checks, backed by its own Fire TV, Android TV and Apple TV apps. The catch for cord-cutters is that Proton ships no Smart DNS, so a games console or legacy TV means configuring your router. For the most hands-off streaming across every screen in the house, ExpressVPN is the safer pick.
| ExpressVPN | Proton VPN | |
|---|---|---|
| Netflix unblocking | Yes | Yes |
| Streaming rating | 9.6 / 10 | 9.3 / 10 |
| TV / streaming-box apps | Fire TV, Apple TV, Android TV | Fire TV, Android TV, Apple TV |
Swiss privacy law vs a BVI base: jurisdiction and the no-logs paper trail
Both sit outside the 5/9/14 Eyes alliances and both run audited no-logs policies, so the question is which legal home and which paper trail you trust more. Proton VPN operates under Swiss data-protection law, which has no mandatory logging requirement, and it has now passed five consecutive independent no-logs audits — the longest run in our chart. That continuity, not just a single clean report, is what sets it apart here.
ExpressVPN answers from the British Virgin Islands, a jurisdiction with no data-retention obligations either, and its TrustedServer RAM-only design wipes every server on reboot — a setup Cure53 has audited more times than any rival we list. The practical gap between two genuinely strong cases is narrow, but Proton’s repeated audits and Swiss footing give privacy-first buyers the firmer ground.
| ExpressVPN | Proton VPN | |
|---|---|---|
| No-logs policy | Yes | Yes |
| Independent audit | Cure53 (2026) | Securitum (2025) |
| Jurisdiction | British Virgin Islands | Switzerland |
| Privacy rating | 9.7 / 10 | 9.9 / 10 |
Lightway vs WireGuard: peak Dublin Mbps against global speed loss
These two are effectively level, but they get there by different routes. ExpressVPN’s in-house Lightway protocol posts the fractionally higher average Mbps in our Dublin spec table, while Proton VPN’s WireGuard build clings to a touch more of your line on long international hops, giving it the lower global speed-loss figure. One wins the local sprint, the other the long haul.
For browsing, 4K streaming or video calls from Ireland you will not feel the difference either way — both rank among the faster VPNs we test. Call this round a tie and let the other categories break it.
| ExpressVPN | Proton VPN | |
|---|---|---|
| Avg Dublin speed | 445 Mbps | 430 Mbps |
| Speed rating | 9.1 / 10 | 9.2 / 10 |
| Global speed loss | 9% | 8% |
Secure Core & Stealth vs split tunnelling on every OS
The foundations match: AES-256 with ChaCha20, an always-on kill switch and full P2P torrenting on both. Proton VPN then stacks on the power-user kit — its Secure Core multi-hop routing through hardened Swiss, Icelandic and Swedish data centres, the Stealth protocol for slipping past restrictive networks, and P2P with port forwarding for faster torrents.
ExpressVPN’s reply is consistency: split tunnelling on every platform. Proton offers split tunnelling too, but not on macOS or iOS, so Apple-heavy households lose it where they may want it most. Choose on the feature you will actually reach for — Proton for Secure Core and Stealth, ExpressVPN for split tunnelling that behaves the same on every device.
| ExpressVPN | Proton VPN | |
|---|---|---|
| Encryption | AES-256 + ChaCha20 | AES-256 + ChaCha20 |
| Kill switch | Yes | Yes |
| Split tunnelling | Yes | Yes |
| P2P / torrenting | Yes | Yes |
| Protocols | Lightway, WireGuard, OpenVPN, IKEv2 | WireGuard, OpenVPN, IKEv2, Stealth |
Proton’s no-hike renewal & free tier vs ExpressVPN’s clean 30-day refund
Both long plans open at the same €2.99/mo, but Proton VPN takes value on two counts: it holds that rate at renewal instead of hiking it the way ExpressVPN does, and it backs it with the best genuinely-free tier on the market — unlimited data, no ads and no logging. You can run a serious Proton VPN for €0, provided you accept fewer server locations and no Irish free server.
The trade-offs are concrete. Proton’s month-to-month rate jumps to a steep €9.99, and its guarantee is prorated rather than a clean refund, with cash and crypto top-ups non-refundable. ExpressVPN asks a little more on long plans but answers with a straightforward 30-day money-back guarantee and a 7-day mobile trial. If you want to test before you commit, though, Proton’s permanent free plan beats any trial outright.
| ExpressVPN | Proton VPN | |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | €2.99/mo | €2.99/mo |
| Free trial | 7-day (iOS & Android) | Free tier |
| Data cap | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Value rating | 8.2 / 10 | 9.0 / 10 |
One-tap apps & 24/7 live chat vs Proton’s paid-only chat
ExpressVPN is the most effortless VPN we test, and its 9.7 ease rating reflects it: the apps are the calmest in the category, connecting is a single tap, and 24/7 live chat is on every plan for the moments something does go wrong. It is the one to pick if you would rather never think about your VPN again.
Proton VPN’s apps are clean and capable, but they surface more options than a newcomer needs and reserve live chat for paying subscribers — free and lower-tier users get email support instead. For an outright beginner who wants set-and-forget, ExpressVPN is the gentler landing.
| ExpressVPN | Proton VPN | |
|---|---|---|
| Ease-of-use rating | 9.7 / 10 | 9.1 / 10 |
| Native platforms | Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, Linux | Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, Linux |
Proton’s 20,000-server fleet vs ExpressVPN’s curated network
On raw scale it is not close: Proton VPN fields roughly 20,000 servers across 145 countries to ExpressVPN’s leaner fleet, which means more nearby endpoints and less congestion when everyone logs on at peak time. Both run physical Dublin servers, so a genuine Irish IP for RTÉ Player and TG4 is on the table whichever you choose.
ExpressVPN counters with a smaller but deliberately curated network — fewer boxes, consistently fast, with broad country coverage. If you value sheer headroom and fallback locations, Proton VPN clearly owns this round.
| ExpressVPN | Proton VPN | |
|---|---|---|
| Servers | 3,000+ | 20,000+ |
| Countries | 105 | 145 |
| Works in China | Yes | No |
Which should you choose?
It comes down to what you value most. Here's the quick way to decide.
Choose ExpressVPN if…
- check_circleYou want the simplest, most one-tap apps and genuine 24/7 live chat.
- check_circleStreaming reliability is your priority — the most consistent unblocking, plus Smart DNS for consoles and smart TVs.
- check_circleYou prefer a clean 30-day money-back guarantee over a prorated refund.
- check_circleYou like its British Virgin Islands base and the most-audited TrustedServer record in our chart.
Choose Proton VPN if…
- check_circleIndependently audited privacy is your top concern — Swiss jurisdiction, open-source apps and five no-logs audits.
- check_circleYou want to try a serious VPN for free first — Proton has the best free tier on the market.
- check_circleYou value the bigger server network and stronger long-term value (no renewal hike).
- check_circleYou want power-user extras like Stealth, Secure Core and P2P port forwarding.
Advertiser disclosure: we earn a commission when you buy through links on this page. This never affects our scores or the winner of each round.
