ExpressVPN
ExpressVPN is a high-speed privacy tool that encrypts your internet traffic and hides your IP address to protect your online activity from hackers, trackers, and government surveillance.
Tailscale
Tailscale is a zero-config VPN software that creates secure mesh networks between your devices and cloud resources using the WireGuard protocol to simplify remote access and internal connectivity.
Quick Comparison
| Feature | ExpressVPN | Tailscale |
|---|---|---|
| Website | expressvpn.com | tailscale.com |
| Pricing Model | Subscription | Freemium |
| Starting Price | $12.95/month | Free |
| FREE Trial | ✘ No free trial | ✓ 0 days free trial |
| Free Plan | ✘ No free plan | ✓ Has free plan |
| Product Demo | ✘ No product demo | ✓ Request demo here |
| Deployment | ||
| Integrations | ||
| Target Users | ||
| Target Industries | ||
| Customer Count | 0 | 0 |
| Founded Year | 2009 | 2019 |
| Headquarters | Tortola, British Virgin Islands | Toronto, Canada |
Overview
ExpressVPN
ExpressVPN provides you with a secure, encrypted tunnel for your internet traffic, ensuring your online activities remain private and protected from outside interference. By masking your IP address and encrypting your data, you can browse the web anonymously and access content that might be restricted in your current location. It operates a vast network of high-speed servers across 105 countries, allowing you to maintain fast connection speeds while staying secure on public Wi-Fi or at home.
You can use the service across all your devices, including laptops, smartphones, tablets, and even routers. The software is designed for individuals who prioritize digital privacy and want a simple, one-click solution to secure their data. Whether you are traveling, working remotely, or streaming media, it helps you bypass censorship and prevent your internet service provider from tracking your browsing history.
Tailscale
Tailscale makes creating a secure network between your computers, servers, and cloud instances as easy as installing an app. It builds a private mesh network—called a tailnet—that connects your devices directly to each other using the WireGuard protocol. This means you can access your home office computer from a coffee shop or connect to a private database in the cloud without managing complex firewall rules or centralized VPN gateways.
You can manage identity and access through your existing providers like Google, Microsoft 365, or GitHub, ensuring that only authorized users can reach your sensitive resources. It handles the difficult parts of networking, like NAT traversal and key rotation, automatically in the background. Whether you are a developer connecting to a local test environment or an enterprise securing thousands of endpoints, it provides a stable, encrypted connection that works across any provider or location.
Overview
ExpressVPN Features
- AES-256 Encryption Protect your data with the same encryption standard used by security experts to keep your information unreadable to hackers.
- TrustedServer Technology Ensure your data is never written to a hard drive as all servers run only on volatile memory (RAM).
- Network Lock Kill Switch Keep your data safe if your VPN connection drops by automatically blocking all internet traffic until protection is restored.
- Private DNS Run your own encrypted DNS on every server to make your connections faster and safer from third-party tracking.
- Lightway Protocol Experience faster speeds and more reliable connections with a pioneering VPN protocol designed for the modern internet.
- Threat Manager Prevent apps and websites on your device from communicating with known trackers or malicious third-party sites.
- Device Groups Connect your various devices to different server locations simultaneously through a single router setup for ultimate flexibility.
- Split Tunneling Choose which apps use the VPN and which apps use the regular internet to optimize your connection speeds.
Tailscale Features
- Zero-Config Mesh VPN. Connect your devices directly to one another without manual port forwarding or complex firewall rules.
- Single Sign-On Integration. Use your existing identity providers like Google, Microsoft 365, or Okta to authenticate users and devices.
- MagicDNS. Access your devices using short, easy-to-remember names instead of tracking changing IP addresses across your network.
- Tailscale SSH. Manage SSH access to your servers using your tailnet identity instead of distributing and rotating static SSH keys.
- Split DNS. Configure specific DNS servers for different domains so your internal queries stay private while public traffic flows normally.
- Exit Nodes. Route all your internet traffic through a specific trusted device on your network to stay secure on public Wi-Fi.
- Subnet Routers. Expose entire existing networks to your tailnet so you can access legacy devices that cannot run the software.
- Access Control Lists. Define granular security policies in code to restrict which users can access specific devices or ports.
Pricing Comparison
ExpressVPN Pricing
- High-speed servers in 105 countries
- Apps for all your devices
- 24/7 live chat support
- Best-in-class encryption
- 30-day money-back guarantee
- Everything in 1-Month Plan, plus:
- Significant monthly savings
- 3 months of extra protection free
- ExpressVPN Keys password manager
- Cloud backup for your credentials
Tailscale Pricing
- Up to 3 users
- Up to 100 devices
- MagicDNS
- Tailscale SSH
- Community support
- Admin console access
- Everything in Personal, plus:
- Up to 10 users included
- User & group management
- Basic access control lists
- Email support
- 1 identity provider
Pros & Cons
ExpressVPN
Pros
- Consistently fast connection speeds for streaming
- Extremely simple and intuitive user interface
- Wide selection of global server locations
- Reliable 30-day money-back guarantee policy
- Excellent 24/7 customer support responsiveness
Cons
- Higher monthly price than many competitors
- Limited to eight simultaneous device connections
- Lacks some advanced dedicated IP options
Tailscale
Pros
- Extremely simple setup process for all devices
- Reliable connectivity even behind strict firewalls
- Generous free tier for personal projects
- Minimal impact on system performance and battery
- Seamless integration with existing identity providers
Cons
- Requires a third-party identity provider login
- Limited advanced routing features for complex setups
- Mobile app can occasionally drain battery
- Admin console lacks some deep auditing logs