While ExpressVPN is renowned for its long-standing, extraordinary VPN service, Brave VPN is a new player in this industry. Many are interested in the Brave VPN vs ExpressVPN duel to see if the newcomer can come close. However, after examining both, we must say we anticipated the outcome correctly.
We ultimately sided with ExpressVPN over Brave VPN and didn’t look back.
Brave VPN’s logless policy, firewall protection, and security are excellent. However, ExpressVPN offers much more and even costs considerably less. If you’re in a rush, you might as well pick ExpressVPN’s discount here and enjoy. If not, stay along for the ride and see what’s behind our decision.
ExpressVPN vs Brave VPN: A Quick Comparison
| ExpressVPN 🏆 | Brave VPN | |
| 📋 Our Current Ranking | #2 | TBD |
| 🔖 Prices | Starts at $4.49 monthly | $99.99 annually |
| 💸 Money-Back Guarantee | 30 days for all plans | No |
| 🆓 Free Version/Free Trial | No/7 days | No/7 days |
| 📓 Logging/Jurisdiction | No logging/British Virgin Islands | No logging/USA |
| 🔐 Protocols | OpenVPN, IKEv2, Lightway, Lightway Turbo | WireGuard, IKEv2 |
| 🌐 Servers | 3,000+ in 105+ countries | 300+ in 20+ countries |
| 🔝 Specialty Servers | Dedicated IP | No |
| ⛔ Ad Blocking | Yes | Yes |
| 💾 RAM-Only Servers | Yes | No |
| 📺 Working With Netflix | Yes (15+ catalogs) | No |
| 🔽 P2P Allowance | Yes | Yes |
| 📱 Concurrent Connections | 10 to 14 | 10 |
Applications & Ease of Use
Brave VPN and ExpressVPN are incredibly different, both regarding applications and compatibility. Brave VPN offers applications for almost all major platforms, including Windows, Android, macOS, and iOS. ExpressVPN includes these, but introduces a VPN for Linux and supports routers, Fire TV Stick, and Apple TV.
There’s a huge difference: Brave VPN is an in-browser service.
Does it protect only your browser traffic? Brave VPN claims differently. It claims to protect all traffic across all devices. We tested this by connecting to a server and visiting an IP-checking website through Edge. Much to our surprise, our IP has changed, indicating all-around VPN protection outside Brave.
ExpressVPN offers dedicated apps plus a helpful browser extension that works with Brave, Edge, Chrome, Firefox, and other renowned browsers. Brave VPN’s VPN apps work only on iOS and Android. As silly as that sounds, that’s the only place where we found *some* VPN features.
Even sillier, Brave VPN allows up to ten simultaneous connections. Meanwhile, ExpressVPN lets you protect 10 to 14 devices simultaneously, beating Brave VPN to a pulp.
Are They Easy to Use?
During this Brave VPN vs ExpressVPN test, we had the pleasure of testing their apps.
So, here’s how Brave VPN looks:
You call it barren, anemic, or whatever; you’d be right! The in-browser app is a simple connection toggle with about two dozen servers. Pick the server, smash the connection button, and your traffic is anonymized.
To access its settings, you’ll have to launch the iOS or Android Brave app.
This is where you’ll find a kill switch (iOS only!) and… well, not much else. The app is indeed barren, but straightforward, likely because it lacks many features. Either way, Brave VPN sports a foolproof design that even the most ‘hardcore’ beginners will easily grasp. Now, here’s ExpressVPN’s app:
We don’t have to display it on iOS or Android: it’s essentially the same!
The large connection button occupies the initial home screen. You can launch the server list underneath, click the server you want, and connect to it. Settings are on the three horizontal lines, and on Windows and macOS, ExpressVPN launches them in a separate window for more convenience.
If you’re unfamiliar with using VPNs, ExpressVPN and Brave VPN are excellent starting points. During our comparison, we thoroughly enjoyed both.
Winner: ExpressVPN
However, if we had to pick one, that would be ExpressVPN! The VPN excels in ease of use, offering outstanding compatibility and up to 14 simultaneous connections. Brave VPN fell short of excellence due to its lack of Linux, Fire TV Stick, and Apple TV support.
Price Comparison: Brave VPN vs ExpressVPN
This ExpressVPN vs Brave VPN comparison explores their prices and plans.
We’ll start with Brave VPN, whose pricing structure is incredibly similar. The VPN offers two plans: annual at $99.99 yearly or monthly at $9.99; whatever floats your boat. However, you’ll first start with a 7-day free trial, hand out your credit card information, and be charged after the fact.
It’s nice of Brave VPN to include a nifty little free trial, but we’ve seen better VPN free trial offers. On the darker side, Brave VPN doesn’t issue refunds, while ExpressVPN has a 30-day money-back guarantee serving as a ‘free trial’ if you get a refund. But wait: how much does ExpressVPN cost?
Apart from monthly, the VPN has biennial and annual plans, but biennial offers are, by far, the least expensive. The range kicks off with the Basic plan at $3.49 monthly, but our advice is the Advanced plan at $4.49 monthly for two years, with four free months and a 67% discount.
The initial price is just above $125 for 28 months, which you’ll then spend yearly, just a speck above Brave VPN. Annual offers start at $4.99 monthly, still less expensive than Brave VPN. In addition, you get many extras, such as unlimited eSIM traffic, a password manager, and exclusive 50-75% discounts on Aircove routers.
Winner: ExpressVPN
While ExpressVPN was never cheap, things have changed in 2026, and with its revamped and affordable pricing, the VPN offers better value for money. Considering its many discounts and a 30-day money-back guarantee, we’d rather spend less and get more with ExpressVPN.
Features Analysis
At the start of our ExpressVPN vs Brave VPN comparison, we briefly described the latter as barren. Does that mean it offers no features? Kind of, especially when compared to ExpressVPN. Still, we’ll compare them to demonstrate how Brave VPN stacks against a flagship VPN.
Similarities
Let’s discuss similarities first, but we’ll warn you: there aren’t many!
ExpressVPN and Brave VPN use the strongest 256-bit encryption protocol. They also offer a kill switch, which shuts down the internet connection to prevent leaks if the VPN connection breaks. Unlike Brave VPN, which offers it exclusively on iOS, ExpressVPN’s kill switch works on all systems.
Brave VPN offers so-called firewall protection, promising benefits of ad-blocking, tracker protection, and malware blocking. The VPN + Firewall combo provides ample protection against various online nasties, but so does ExpressVPN’s Advanced Protection, which now includes Parental Control.
Unfortunately, that’s a game over for Brave VPN, which doesn’t include anything else.
ExpressVPN keeps going with the basics, such as split tunneling, RAM-based servers, Private DNS, Perfect Forward Secrecy, and even Lightway Turbo, a proprietary VPN protocol for speed and security.
While Brave uses primarily WireGuard, we noticed that Lightway Turbo is more reliable. One noteworthy thing is that neither VPN displayed IP or DNS leaks in our tests, so from this standpoint, both are highly secure.
Unique Features
Okay, so since Brave VPN has no more features, and by extension, no advanced ones, will ExpressVPN suffice if you need them? It will.
ExpressVPN includes:
- Password manager. It’s known as Keys, and is built into the iOS and Android apps. Conversely, you can use it in your browser to manage and create new passwords.
- Advanced Protection. We mentioned it as an all-in-one protection kit against malicious sites, trackers, and ads. It also has Parental Control to block porn sites.
- Dedicated IP addresses. They’re designed for a single user who doesn’t want to share the IP. It’s ideal for business purposes or when you want to avoid IP blacklisting or bypass CAPTCHA.
- Identity Defender. This is an advanced toolkit featuring ID Alerts, ID Theft Insurance, Credit Scanner, Data Removal, and more. We explained them in depth in our ExpressVPN review.
The last feature is the most interesting, as ExpressVPN can essentially wipe your data from brokers and prevent abuse. This feature works primarily in the US, but its inclusion makes ExpressVPN more than a VPN, but rather a 360-degree protection suite designed to handle all aspects of your privacy.
Meanwhile, Brave VPN is… well, a VPN! And a feature-poor one, which doesn’t bode well for it.
Winner: ExpressVPN
ExpressVPN outperforms Brave VPN in this round. With the latter offering almost nothing significant, and ExpressVPN including trademark security features, it’s easy to see why the read team takes the medal. If you want ultimate security without compromises, by all means, shoot for ExpressVPN.
Do Brave VPN and ExpressVPN Store Logs?
“Small” VPN companies usually don’t go an extra step to secure your privacy. However, Brave VPN is interesting because it’s an alleged no-log VPN with an independent audit. We had the chance to read its privacy policy, and indeed, Brave VPN looks clean as a whistle. It doesn’t store:
- DNS traffic
- Network activity
- Individual bandwidth usage
- Originating IP addresses
- Account activity information
- Connection metadata
Brave VPN stores minimal information needed for functioning. This information is typically used for troubleshooting and never reveals your original identity. Brave VPN’s audits were performed by the company Assured.se on the VPN’s software and infrastructure. Also, the provider is based in the USA.
We now move on to ExpressVPN, which we already know is a zero-log service. The VPN’s legal jurisdiction is the British Virgin Islands, and it’s been audited over twenty times by KPMG, PwC, Cure53, and other famous companies. A short glance at ExpressVPN’s privacy policy reveals what we expected.
It stores no logs of your:
- Online history
- DNS traffic
- IP address
- Geographical location
- Connection metadata, etc.
Like Brave VPN, ExpressVPN operates with minimal data, mostly used for troubleshooting and enforcing its simultaneous connection limit. Neither VPN had scandals or data leaks akin to IPVanish or HideMyAss in the past.
Winner: Tie
After examining their privacy policies, we concluded that both VPNs take utmost care of your privacy. Besides, both have third-party audits, ensuring maximum trustworthiness. Thus, if storing no logs and privacy, in general, are your concerns, you can pick any and not go wrong.
Speed Tests: Which Service is Faster?
But what about speeds? Should you pick Brave VPN or ExpressVPN if you prioritize fast connections for torrenting, streaming, gaming, or even trading crypto? That’s where we see stark differences. Before we explain our testing, let’s set up the stage with a native internet speed test:
At the time of testing, we were in Belgrade (Serbia), on a LAN connection with 50/10 Mbps speeds. We tested both VPNs on a Windows 11 desktop computer and the web version of Speedtest.net with the latest OS version and updated network adapter drivers. However, we didn’t perform one test; we went for a couple.
To be precise, three tests, three times a day, on three server locations that included the UK, the USA, and Japan. We prioritized farther locations to put maximum stress on VPNs and see how they fare. Noteworthy is that we set ExpressVPN to automatic protocol selection, letting it choose accordingly.
Meanwhile, Brave VPN doesn’t allow protocol selection, so we couldn’t tamper.
After extensive testing, we used the best results, so here’s how efficient they are in preserving internet speeds. As you see below, ExpressVPN is faster in download and upload speeds, retaining a good portion of our native speeds throughout our dozens of tests.
| ExpressVPN | Brave VPN | |
| Download Speed Retention | 76% | 60% |
| Upload Speed Retention | 91% | 76% |
To give our test more perspective, we’ll divulge the speed test results. Again, we’re using the best results, where again, ExpressVPN dominates, especially when using American and Japanese VPN servers.
| DL/UL Speed UK | DL/UL Speed US | DL/UL Speed Japan | |
| ExpressVPN | 46.25/9.53 Mbps | 42.04/9.34 Mbps | 32.06/8.65 Mbps |
| Brave VPN | 35.97/9.30 Mbps | 19.75/8.07 Mbps | 26.57/8.54 Mbps |
ExpressVPN also displayed lower latency across the board. With 301 ms on the Japanese server, it was a smidge better than Brave VPN’s maximum of 406 ms on the same server.
Winner: ExpressVPN
While Brave VPN isn’t a slouch (it was surprisingly good, actually!), ExpressVPN outperformed it on more distant servers. We attribute that to its in-house Lightway Turbo protocol and a larger server fleet with less congestion that ultimately produces superior performance.
Streaming & Torrenting Comparison
It’s time to see how they perform for streaming and torrenting, and here, we have some interesting results. Looking forward to seeing them? Here are our findings in this ExpressVPN vs Brave VPN test.
Streaming Test Results
Our curiosity got the better of us, and we immediately started with Brave VPN, hoping to unblock Netflix, BBC iPlayer, and other famous streamers. The results were terrible, as Brave VPN failed to unblock nearly everything we threw at it. We’ll take BBC iPlayer as an example, which wouldn’t work no matter what.
We used an incognito window, switched to Edge, and used different UK VPN locations.
We then switched to Netflix and tested a few foreign libraries: none worked! The same went for ESPN Plus, Max, and other streamers. Brave VPN’s terrible results continued on iOS and Android, and we eventually gave up. Someone’s gotta pay for losing this much time and nerves!
But then, ExpressVPN came to the rescue and mended our wounds. Everything from BBC iPlayer and Netflix US to Max, Disney+, and others worked phenomenally. We even tested its VPN for Edge and Chrome, and with its location spoofing, accessed some of the most ‘stubborn’ streamers while in Belgrade.
Not to mention, ExpressVPN’s speeds were top-notch, allowing for Ultra HD streaming and catching all details without a hitch.
Torrenting Experience
On the P2P side, ExpressVPN and Brave VPN performed like champs. This time, Brave VPN hasn’t prevented us from downloading Linux Mint and actually displayed exceptional speeds while using the Croatian server. We chose that server because we were in Belgrade and wanted to maximize our performance.
After testing a few more server locations, we noticed that Brave VPN allows P2P on all servers, and that’s awesome, because ExpressVPN is identical. All you must do is connect to a server, initiate the download, and expect excellent overall performance, security, and privacy.
Overall Winner: ExpressVPN
The 2-in-1 round goes to ExpressVPN, which ultimately destroyed Brave VPN in streaming. Despite the former’s comeback in torrenting, its subpar, or better said, underwhelming streaming performance, ruined the VPN’s score and made it far less attractive.
Server Locations
Another thing we checked was the server list, and again, we noticed stark differences. We know ExpressVPN offers over 3,000 servers in 105 countries and 160+ locations. The server list isn’t the largest, and we’ve seen more servers in NordVPN and Private Internet Access. However, it’s larger than Brave VPN!
The orange team currently has just over 300 servers in over 40 regions. This translates to a smidge over 20 countries. While they’re strategically placed in popular locations, some servers that we’d like to see are still missing. Servers in Argentina are absent, and Brave lacks many in Africa.
We also couldn’t find Indian servers, which implies the provider likely relies strictly on physical servers. Meanwhile, ExpressVPN has a virtual+physical server combo, ensuring more IP addresses in “less accessible” locations like India, Turkey, and other censorship-plagued regions.
ExpressVPN’s infrastructure is RAM-based, and the VPN uses primarily 10 Gbps servers. According to Brave VPN’s own claims, the VPN allows for speeds of up to 500 Mbps, which is significantly slower.
Winner: ExpressVPN
All things considered, ExpressVPN is this round’s clear winner. Both network quantity and quality are on a higher level, propelling ExpressVPN to the winning podium again.
Bypassing Censorship: Which VPN Does It Better?
We haven’t mentioned it, but ExpressVPN offers built-in VPN obfuscation. It masks your VPN traffic, making it look ordinary. This allows the VPN to sidestep censorship and network filtering. However, in 2026, ExpressVPN doesn’t work very reliably in China. That’s not to say it won’t work at all!
Having tested it ourselves, we can say it works about 50% of the time. When it does, it performs well and is usable for streaming and browsing social media. ExpressVPN’s OpenVPN TCP protocol displays the best performance, while Lightway, more speed-oriented, is better for ‘regular’ conditions.
Brave VPN won’t work at all. We tested it and learnt that the hard way.
However, we don’t blame it because China and its Great Firewall are insurmountable obstacles for many. At least both VPNs perform optimally in less censored regions like the UAE, Qatar, Turkey, India, and others. We tested a few, particularly the UAE, and had no connection issues.
Winner: ExpressVPN
ExpressVPN is just a tad more reliable in China, which ultimately delivered a point in this round. To be clear, there are better VPNs to use in this country, such as Astrill VPN, but we don’t recommend it because it’s too expensive.
The Final Verdict
After an exhaustive Brave VPN vs ExpressVPN comparison, we have to confirm what we said at the beginning. Brave VPN makes no sense when you can get ExpressVPN for less money, at least in the initial ‘welcoming’ deal. Even after that, you’ll spend marginally more, but still get considerably better results.
We won’t take away Brave VPN’s greatness in certain aspects.
The VPN displayed tremendous ease of use, security, privacy, and torrenting results. Unfortunately for it, ExpressVPN was at least an octave above in these and other categories, rendering Brave VPN obsolete. If you’re still interested in Brave VPN, you may as well check out our full review.
If you’d rather act logically, you know ExpressVPN is the right choice. Pick up the 67% discount and four free months below and get one of the best overall VPNs of 2026.