Speedify vs ExpressVPN Comparison

Although both Speedify and ExpressVPN are labeled as VPNs, the two aim to solve rather different problems. Speedify, a much younger service, is not the typical VPN: it’s more suitable for those who strive for improving their connection speed or stability while remaining anonymous from ISPs and being able to access geographically blocked content with ease. Moreover, the program offers additional features that aim at providing a reliable connection, as well as maximum user security and privacy. ExpressVPN, on the other hand, is a more ‘traditional’ VPN. With vast experience in the VPN market, the company knows that delivering a large server network and the most important privacy and security features is enough to attract a loyal base of customers.

This feature, called Channel Bonding, is more useful than it may seem. For instance, on mobile devices it allows users to bundle a Wi-Fi network and their cellular data connection, and set priorities – choosing between Always, Secondary and Backup – to enjoy a fast and reliable internet connection all the time without any bumps. Additionally, there’s an automated failover protection feature, which is triggered the moment a certain connection fails, moving all traffic to the next working connection until the failed connection is back. All of this is done in the background, so the only thing users will feel is a slight speed decrease. And let’s not forget that thanks to this clever feature there is no need for a kill switch – hence why Speedify doesn’t have one.

However, the failover protector is not the only unusual feature. In fact, there’s also the so-called Redundant Mode that sends all data packets over every internet connection at the same time, a ‘brute force’ method to ensure said packets are delivered. Not only does this make connections more stable, but it’s also perfect for any activity that is more sensitive to latency, like online gaming, live streaming etc.

As it’s widely known, the delivery of data packets is heavily affected by the level of encryption and the communication protocol in use. Speedify has answers to those problems as well: the client allows users to choose between the TCP or UDP protocol while encryption is provided by the ChaCha cipher and DTLS (Datagram Transport Layer Security), which is TLS over UDP.

Moving on to Speedify’s server network, let us remind you that this company is a relative newcomer, meaning that its server capacity is smaller than that of the competition. Speedify speed servers are scattered around 31 countries, mainly in Europe and North America, but it’s possible to find other places like Brazil, South Africa, Hong Kong, Japan, and many others. Additionally, there is a server in Amsterdam reserved for the sole purpose of P2P, so rest assured, those using VPNs for torrenting are covered as well.

Although the existence of a P2P server indicates that Speedify is catering towards computer users, its compatibility with other platforms is pretty versatile. The service is indeed available for Windows 7, 8 and 10 computers, and Macs running OS X 10.8 and newer, but it’s best suited for mobile users with devices running at least iOS 9 or Android 4.4 (Kit-Kat). Regardless of what platform Speedify is used from, the app is not only easy to use, but it’s also the very same in all of its iterations. The maximum number of simultaneous connections allowed by the program is five, which, as a nice addition, includes Windows Server 2008 R2 as well.

If all of the above wasn’t convincing enough already, Speedify’s prices will definitely be. Fortunately, none of the paid plans have limitations, meaning that all of them give access to the same unlimited bandwidth and number of servers. What’s limited, however, is the number of available plans: new clients can choose between a monthly plan for $8.89 and an annual one costing $49.99 ($4.17 per month). The latter is without doubt the better option, as it provides a 53% discount regarding the default monthly subscription. There is also a free version that, although it doesn’t have any time or server number limits, won’t allow users to use more than 1GB per month. Additionally, Speedify offers a 30-day money back guarantee on paid plans and accepts payments made using credit cards and PayPal.

In order to provide fast and secure connections – that won’t leave their customers unprotected at any time – ExpressVPN implemented a kill switch and smart DNS features. Moreover, the service relies on secure protocols, including OpenVPN with TCP/UDP, SSTP L2TP/IPSec and PPTP, while every connection is protected by the top-notch AES-256-CBC encryption. Speaking of that encryption, CBC stands for Cipher Block Chaining that, alongside HMAC authentication, makes users’ private data impenetrable by hackers.

Being on the market for so long has given ExpressVPN enough time to build a more than decent VPN network, which, actually easily surpasses its competitors. In fact, with 1,700+ VPN servers – all of which are optimized for fast connections – it’s safe to say that ExpressVPN sports one of the largest VPN server networks in the world. This way the service reaches 94 countries and over 145 locations, also covering rare places like Brunei, Cambodia, Nepal, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, just to name a few. The extensive server network in itself demonstrates that ExpressVPN plays in a different division, not to mention that the company takes this even further by encouraging users to request new server locations.

Not only is ExpressVPN’s server network extensive, but it also provides satisfactory speeds, which was confirmed by our tests. Naturally, it’s quite possible that you’ll struggle to get a decent speed if ExpressVPN is used from countries with less than average internet connections, but it’s possible to opt for servers in different cities within the same country. This way you can easily unblock special features a certain program may have in specific locations.

ExpressVPN also performs outstandingly regarding cross-compatibility, as it runs on pretty much everything that has a screen. There are great apps for all major operating systems from Windows, Mac, iOS and Android to Linux and Blackberry. Additionally, ExpressVPN can be set up on routers as well to provide VPN connectivity on an unlimited number of devices. Moreover, there are official ExpressVPN extensions for browsers like Firefox, Safari and Chrome, and – thanks to MediaStreamer DNS servers – there is the option to enjoy this service on other devices like game consoles and smart TVs, too.

Despite offering outstanding features, many consider ExpressVPN a bit overpriced. Compared to Speedify, the variety of paid plans is better, as ExpressVPN offers a monthly, semiannual and an annual subscription. However, the month by month plan costs $12.95, which can only be reduced further if a longer subscription is chosen. In that regard, the semiannual plan is already a bit cheaper: it’s billed $59.95 every six months, which translates to $9.99 per month. But without doubt the annual offer is the one that saves you the most: costing $8.35 per month – or $99.95 every year – this plan’s fees come with a 35% discount compared to the default monthly subscription.

Unfortunately ExpressVPN provides neither a free version nor a free trial of their software, but it’s possible to rely on the 30-day money back guarantee to take the program for a test drive risk-free. To make things better, all plans include the full service, meaning there are no bandwidth or server restrictions whatsoever. Customers can pay using their credit cards, PayPal, Bitcoin and a handful other alternative methods including but not limited to WebMoney and Giropay.

Both Speedify and ExpressVPN are good services, but they have different intentions and serve different use cases.

Speedify clearly wants to deliver a service with those in mind who are cursed with slow and unreliable connections. The company uses unique methods to merge connections and make them work as flawlessly as possible, whether the service is used from the preferred mobile devices or from a computer. Additionally, Speedify can be purchased in two cost-friendly subscription plans or can be used for free either via a free version or a risk-free trial of the unlimited plans.

ExpressVPN, on the other hand, caters towards those who prefer a general VPN, as proven by well-known features like the kill switch and the smart DNS. However, unlike Speedify, ExpressVPN is compatible with more devices, offers a server network few can compete with, and has more (albeit pricier) subscription plans.

However, no matter which one of these services you go with in the end, Speedify and ExpressVPN won’t let you down regarding security and will provide trustworthy encryption levels and the best protocols available.