Personal Web Entry VPN and ExpressVPN are two of the fastest-performing VPNs I’ve examined thus far. With each choices offering top-tier VPN speeds, it could be exhausting to decide on which resolution you and your enterprise ought to go for.
Thankfully, each VPN providers have their very own distinctive promoting factors that differentiate them from each other. On one hand, PIA VPN presents actually good worth with its inexpensive paid subscriptions and a number of system connections. Then again, ExpressVPN prioritizes providing a clean and dependable person expertise — albeit for the next price ticket.
On this article, we check out which VPN is greatest for you and your group.
- Personal Web Entry: Finest for startups and budget-conscious customers that need quick VPN speeds and limitless system connections at an inexpensive value.
- ExpressVPN: Finest for small-to-medium sized companies searching for a well-designed and user-friendly VPN utility whereas providing quick and dependable speeds.
Semperis
Staff per Firm Measurement
Micro (0-49), Small (50-249), Medium (250-999), Massive (1,000-4,999), Enterprise (5,000+)
Massive (1,000-4,999 Staff), Enterprise (5,000+ Staff)
Massive, Enterprise
Options
Superior Assaults Detection, Superior Automation, Anyplace Restoration, and extra
ESET PROTECT Superior
Staff per Firm Measurement
Micro (0-49), Small (50-249), Medium (250-999), Massive (1,000-4,999), Enterprise (5,000+)
Any Firm Measurement
Any Firm Measurement
Options
Superior Menace Protection, Full Disk Encryption , Fashionable Endpoint Safety, and extra
ManageEngine Log360
Staff per Firm Measurement
Micro (0-49), Small (50-249), Medium (250-999), Massive (1,000-4,999), Enterprise (5,000+)
Micro (0-49 Staff), Small (50-249 Staff), Medium (250-999 Staff), Massive (1,000-4,999 Staff), Enterprise (5,000+ Staff)
Micro, Small, Medium, Massive, Enterprise
Options
Exercise Monitoring, Blacklisting, Dashboard, and extra
Personal Web Entry VPN vs ExpressVPN: Comparability
| Our ranking | ||
| Safety protocols | ||
| No. of servers | ||
| VPN server places | ||
| Simultaneous system places | ||
| Supported platforms | ||
| Free trial | ||
| Beginning value (annual) | ||
|
|
Personal Web Entry VPN vs ExpressVPN: Pricing
Each PIA VPN and ExpressVPN provide three subscription tiers that fluctuate relying on the contract size. Personally, I like this strategy because it simplifies the shopping for course of in comparison with different VPNs that categorize their plans relying on the variety of options included in a specific tier.
Personal Web Entry VPN pricing
PIA VPN comes with three plans: a one-month, an annual and a three-year subscription. All three subscription plans present the identical performance, with the one distinction being the ultimate contract size.
- 1 month: $11.95 per 30 days.
- 1 12 months: $3.33 per 30 days.
- 3 years: $2.03 per 30 days.
Sadly, PIA VPN doesn’t have a free model. Nevertheless, it does provide a free trial through its cell utility. Fortunately, you need to use PIA VPN on desktop after accessing the free trial both by means of Android or iOS. I’m additionally comfortable to report that this trial doesn’t require any cost or bank card data to entry.
If you wish to study extra, learn our full Personal Web Entry VPN evaluation.
ExpressVPN pricing
ExpressVPN has three plans: a month-to-month, a six-month and an annual subscription. Like PIA VPN, all three plan choices present the identical characteristic set.
- 1 month: $12.95 per 30 days.
- 6 months: $9.99 per 30 days.
- 1 12 months: $8.32 per 30 days.
ExpressVPN presently doesn’t provide a devoted free model. What it does provide is the same seven-day free trial that’s accessible by means of its Android or iOS cell utility. One key distinction in comparison with PIA’s trial, nevertheless, is that ExpressVPN’s free trial requires cost data to entry.
SEE: NordVPN vs ExpressVPN: Which VPN Is Finest? (TechRepublic)
To be clear, the trial is free and ExpressVPN gained’t cost you till after the seven-day interval. However in order for you a free trial that doesn’t require handing over any cost data, PIA VPN is the higher possibility.
If you wish to study extra, learn our full ExpressVPN evaluation.
Personal Web Entry VPN vs ExpressVPN: Characteristic comparability
Safety protocols and encryption
Winner: Tie
When it comes to safety protocols and encryption, PIA VPN and ExpressVPN each rating a degree. Each PIA VPN and ExpressVPN carry safety protocols constructed each for safety and velocity.
PIA VPN lets customers select between OpenVPN and WireGuard, whereas ExpressVPN comes with OpenVPN and its proprietary Lightway protocol. In accordance with ExpressVPN, Lightway is designed to supply a speedy and safe VPN expertise.
I personally assume having OpenVPN for safety and both WireGuard or Lightway for velocity is a superb stability in a modern-day VPN. I’m glad PIA and ExpressVPN didn’t skimp on this side.
SEE: The way to Begin a Profession in Cybersecurity (TechRepublic Premium)
We get the identical story within the encryption division, with each PIA VPN and ExpressVPN using the military-grade AES-256 encryption algorithm.
In 2024, I nearly contemplate having AES encryption a requirement because it’s widely known as one of the crucial uncrackable encryption algorithms immediately. A lot in order that it’s utilized by the likes of america authorities and banking establishments to maintain their knowledge protected.
VPN server community and places
Winner: ExpressVPN
Wanting into each VPN’s respective server networks, I’ve to offer the win to ExpressVPN for its extra various location unfold in comparison with PIA VPN. As of July 2024, ExpressVPN’s server community contains servers from 105 nations. It additionally has a reported 3,000+ servers in its fleet.
On the flipside, PIA VPN’s server suite has VPN servers from a decent 91 nations. Whereas PIA doesn’t explicitly disclose its server depend, studies have it at round 10,000 to 35,000 servers.
Whereas having a lot of servers might look like the higher selection, I discover extra worth in ExpressVPN’s bigger location unfold.
With VPN servers from 105 nations, people and companies may have a wider and extra various vary of places to select from in comparison with PIA VPN’s 91-country suite. That is going to be notably helpful for companies whose primary goal with a VPN is to unblock geo-blocked content material.
Third-party audits and monitor information
Winner: ExpressVPN
ExpressVPN’s spectacular and constant unbiased third-party audits give it the win when it comes to third-party testing and monitor report. As of Might 2024, the VPN has undergone a commendable 18 unbiased audits, with the most recent one particularly testing its Privateness Coverage claims.
Its portfolio of safety audits is presently unmatched within the VPN area, having audits relationship again to 2018. Its third-party exams embody wanting into important features of its service like its no-logs coverage, VPN protocols, server tech and browser extension.
This isn’t to low cost PIA VPN’s efforts on the audit facet, because it has additionally undergone essential third-party audits for its service. Its most up-to-date audit was printed in April 2024, the place Deloitte reviewed PIA VPN’s server community and administration programs. In addition they usually publish Transparency Stories that comprise particulars on courtroom orders or knowledge requests despatched to its authorized division.
Which means that regardless when you select PIA VPN or ExpressVPN, you’re going to be utilizing a safe and examined VPN. That being stated, if we’re strictly speaking about which supplier has extra audits, for an extended time frame, ExpressVPN is the higher selection on this spherical.
Efficiency and velocity
Winner: ExpressVPN
In the case of velocity and total efficiency, ExpressVPN will get the slight edge over PIA VPN. Per my testing, ExpressVPN gave me extra constant speeds and a comparatively smoother app expertise.
To check each VPNs, I did my typical workflow as a author of getting a number of tabs open for analysis, utilizing Google Workspace apps like Docs and Drive, attending on-line video conferences and streaming the occasional 4k YouTube video.
With ExpressVPN particularly, I obtained nice speeds and reliability. There have been zero noticeable drops in connection velocity, and all of the websites I visited loaded shortly. ExpressVPN additionally carried out properly in my velocity testing. For downloads, it recorded a 25.57% lower in comparison with my web service supplier, whereas for add speeds, it garnered a 27.96% drop.
For me, a 30-40% drop in velocity is the place I’d count on most VPNs to fall beneath, so ExpressVPN’s velocity outcomes are wonderful.
Then again, PIA VPN additionally carried out properly when it comes to velocity. I had comparable leads to day-to-day use and usually loved constant speeds all through utilizing PIA VPN. For its velocity exams, PIA VPN really recorded a smaller lower in obtain speeds at only a 17.1% drop. For uploads, it had a good 32.8% lower in speeds as properly.
The place PIA VPN lags behind is in-app efficiency. Throughout my time with PIA, I skilled a bizarre bug the place I had bother connecting to a server after switching to its WireGuard protocol. This was bizarre contemplating I didn’t encounter the identical problem whereas utilizing OpenVPN. Fortunately, the bug resolved itself after restarting the applying twice.
In distinction, I had no such expertise with ExpressVPN and located the app to run easily all all through my time with it. Whereas this might very properly be a one-off bug, my testing confirmed that ExpressVPN will present higher total efficiency than PIA VPN.
I additionally should shout out ExpressVPN for its add outcomes. Most VPNs provide good velocity check outcomes for obtain speeds solely. So, I discover it spectacular that ExpressVPN’s obtain and add speeds carried out equally throughout my velocity exams.
Standout security measures
Winner: Personal Web Entry VPN
Whereas each VPNs have comparable options on prime of the principle VPN, PIA seems to have a greater set of extra security measures. It contains superior VPN-centric security measures like community automation, which robotically connects you to the VPN after sure situations are met; multi-hop performance, which routes person visitors into two completely different servers; and obfuscated servers, which masks that you simply’re utilizing a VPN.
Whereas not a characteristic per se, PIA VPN’s purposes are additionally open supply. Which means that its supply code is publicly out there for evaluation — a plus for companies that worth transparency and privateness within the software program they use.
You even have the choice to buy PIA VPN’s antivirus and devoted IP providers as add-ons to your VPN subscription. Whereas I’d’ve preferred both to be bundled in, it’s nice that we have now that possibility for customers seeking to have extra safety capabilities with the present VPN plan.
On the flipside, a spotlight of ExpressVPN’s security measures is its TrustedServer RAM-only server know-how, which ensures person knowledge is wiped at each reboot and isn’t written on firm exhausting drives. It additionally bundles in ExpressVPN Keys — its personal devoted password supervisor that’s included with any ExpressVPN subscription. It is a cool addition, particularly if your enterprise doesn’t have a password administration resolution but.
Each VPNs come together with your commonplace VPN options, like cut up tunneling, kill swap and built-in advert/tracker/malware blockers. Whereas having a devoted password supervisor is attractive, I really feel PIA VPN’s open-source software program and VPN-focused options give it the benefit on this spherical.
Ease of use and design
Winner: ExpressVPN
ExpressVPN takes the cake relating to ease of use and design. Subjectively talking, I really feel ExpressVPN has the very best stability of design and intuitiveness in a VPN utility immediately.
It has an enormous energy button as your On/Off swap, a easy listing the place you will discover your servers and a settings menu that’s neatly organized for straightforward entry to options. The design additionally feels and appears trendy with out sacrificing total performance.
A private spotlight for me is how ExpressVPN’s browser extension acts as a distant management for the desktop app. This provides to the excessive degree of polish and user-friendliness that ExpressVPN brings.
PIA VPN’s interface has its personal deserves as properly. PIA VPN’s desktop and browser purposes are customizable, enabling customers to bookmark their most used VPN options on the prime.
As a tinkerer, I respect PIA VPN giving customers the sort of management over their VPN expertise. The app itself can also be comparatively simple to make use of and doesn’t have any obtrusive negatives from a design standpoint.
Nevertheless, if we take each VPN apps facet by facet, it’s clear that ExpressVPN has a extra polished and refined person interface than PIA VPN.
Simultaneous system connections
Winner: Personal Web Entry VPN
One massive benefit PIA VPN has over ExpressVPN is with simultaneous system connections, permitting for a vast variety of units in comparison with ExpressVPN’s most of eight units related on the similar time.
That is essential given that the majority companies don’t need to spend a further subscription to guard a number of units. It definitely will increase PIA VPN’s worth proposition, contemplating it has a extra inexpensive annual plan in comparison with ExpressVPN’s equal subscription.
I additionally discover that limitless simultaneous connections function a handy set-and-forget characteristic since PIA customers gained’t have to fret about exceeding the utmost system restrict when utilizing the VPN.
Supported platforms
Winner: ExpressVPN
When it comes to official platform help, ExpressVPN has a slight benefit over PIA VPN. ExpressVPN helps the principle platforms similar to Home windows, macOS, Linux, iOS and Android.
If we have a look at browser help, ExpressVPN has official browser extensions for Google Chrome, Firefox, Microsoft Edge, Vivaldi, Chromium and Courageous browsers. Sadly, there’s presently no Safari help for ExpressVPN.
ExpressVPN additionally helps extra area of interest platforms like Chromebooks, the Amazon Hearth pill, Amazon Hearth Stick and Hearth TV, Apple TV, Google TV and Android TV. You too can manually configure ExpressVPN for routers and media and gaming consoles like older era Apple TVs, the Nintendo Swap, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Ps 3, PS4 and PS5.
In the meantime, PIA VPN helps a variety of platforms in its personal proper, having official apps for Home windows, macOS, Linux, Android and iOS. It additionally helps routers, Amazon Hearth TV and Hearth Stick, Android TVs, PS4, PS5, Xbox and the Nintendo Swap.
Official browser help is the place PIA VPN loses out, because it solely has apps for Chrome, Firefox and Opera in the meanwhile. Whereas help is extra of a case-to-case side of VPNs, ExpressVPN has the slight benefit when it comes to total platform compatibility.
Worth for cash
Winner: Personal Web Entry VPN
PIA VPN takes the value-for-money spherical, given its extra inexpensive pricing throughout all its subscriptions. If we have a look at each VPN’s base annual plans, ExpressVPN’s $8.32 per 30 days is greater than twice the worth of PIA VPN’s $3.33 per 30 days subscription. After one 12 months, that’s roughly $100 for ExpressVPN and simply $40 for PIA VPN.
The pricing for each suppliers’ month-to-month plans is nearer, at $11.95 per 30 days for PIA and $12.95 per 30 days for ExpressVPN.
I do discover it bizarre that ExperssVPN’s longest-term subscription is for a one-year contract. Usually, VPN’s provide a two-year or three-year plan with decrease month-to-month charges to entice customers to choose in for longer, at a extra inexpensive value. On this case, solely PIA has that kind of plan with its three-year subscription at $2.03 per 30 days, or simply above $24 per 12 months.
Whereas ExpressVPN seems to justify this greater price ticket with its extra refined utility and bigger server community, PIA VPN’s considerably extra inexpensive pricing is a significant benefit.
Lastly, the kicker is the worth you get with PIA VPN’s limitless simultaneous system connections. At $3.33 per 30 days, you get to attach all laptops, smartphones and different units to a PIA VPN server with out worrying about exceeding a most system restrict.
Personal Web Entry VPN execs and cons
Execs
- Limitless simultaneous system connections.
- Customizable VPN utility.
- 7-day free trial through cell; no cost data required.
Cons
- WireGuard protocol may be buggy at occasions.
- No free model.
ExpressVPN execs and cons
Execs
- Refined and polished person expertise.
- Server community throughout 105 nations.
- Constant and dependable VPN speeds.
Cons
- Costly annual plan.
- Solely permits as much as 8 simultaneous system connections.
- Lacks extra inexpensive, long run subscription.
Ought to your group use Personal Web Entry VPN or ExpressVPN?
After an intense match-up, ExpressVPN comes out as our winner on this comparability. With its huge 105-country server community, dependable and quick VPN speeds and polished desktop expertise, I’m assured most companies or customers that select ExpressVPN might be comfortable clients.
Add to that its sturdy portfolio of unbiased audits and intensive help for a number of working programs, and also you get a high-quality VPN resolution that’s well worth the value.
ExpressVPN is greatest for small-to-medium sized companies that desire a no-nonsense VPN expertise with an easy-to-use interface and dependable efficiency.
This isn’t to say that PIA VPN isn’t an excellent possibility — fairly the opposite. I imagine PIA VPN offers actually good worth with its strong 91-country server fleet, customizable utility and open-source software program.
PIA VPN is greatest for startups, small groups and budget-conscious customers that desire a bang-for-buck VPN that may cowl a number of units whereas nonetheless providing quick VPN speeds.
Methodology
My comparability of Personal Web Entry VPN and ExpressVPN concerned an in-depth evaluation of each VPNs’ included options, total worth and real-world efficiency.
To evaluate every VPN, each PIA VPN and ExpressVPN had been scored on all the pieces from their server networks to pricing. Specifically, I checked out 5 primary pillars for analysis, every having corresponding weights:
- Pricing (20%).
- Core VPN options (30%).
- Ease of use (15%).
- Buyer help (30%).
- Skilled evaluation (5%).
If you would like extra particulars, you possibly can take a look at our full VPN Evaluation Methodology.
As well as, I additionally analyzed actual person suggestions to spherical out my ultimate suggestions for each Personal Web Entry VPN and ExpressVPN.
For velocity and efficiency, I examined each VPNs on my private Home windows laptop computer and ran them by means of Ookla’s public Speedtest. Lastly, I additionally thought of which varieties of companies or customers would greatest profit from both Personal Web Entry VPN or ExpressVPN.