Country selection is the headline reason ExpressVPN is a compelling alternative to 1.1.1.1: it’s built for changing your apparent location, not just encrypting traffic to a nearby edge. That makes it a better fit for travel, censorship workarounds, and situations where a specific region endpoint is required rather than “best available” routing.
It also behaves like a full traditional VPN suite, with the kinds of controls people expect when they want an always-on privacy layer. Features like a kill switch, split tunneling, and obfuscation options help cover cases where basic encrypted tunneling isn’t enough, especially on restrictive networks.
On top of per-device apps, ExpressVPN’s router support is a practical differentiator for households. Putting the VPN on a router can protect consoles, smart TVs, and IoT devices that don’t support VPN apps, and it simplifies coverage when you want the same rules across everything.
The trade-off versus 1.1.1.1 is typically more overhead and a more “VPN-native” experience—worth it when location choice, whole-network coverage, and advanced controls matter more than maximum simplicity.