ExpressVPN Review

ExpressVPN has consistently ranked at the top of our best VPN listings, and it’s easy to see why. Everything about the service is rock solid, from the speed to the user experience to the security and privacy. It’s undoubtedly at the top of the game, but recent refreshes to competitors like NordVPN and CyberGhost are starting to give ExpressVPN a run for its money. 

In this ExpressVPN review, we’re taking ol’ faithful out for a spin once again, testing its security, speed, features, user-friendliness and more. Although we think of ExpressVPN as a fast and secure virtual private network, we’re not cutting it any slack in this review. It’s still getting the full treatment, from speed tests to streaming performance. 

You can read the gory details below, but in short, ExpressVPN is still the best of the best. Even in an elite tier with competitors like NordVPN and PIA, ExpressVPN manages to set itself apart with uncompromising speed and a no-nonsense user experience. 

If you’re more of a fan of hands-on testing rather than reading, you can try ExpressVPN with a 30-day money-back guarantee to put our claim to the test. If you sign up for a year from the get-go, you get an extra three months for free, as well.

One thing we should point out, though, is that ExpressVPN is in no way linked to poorly ranked VPN.Express. That service has simply tried to cash in on ExpressVPN’s name. You can read our VPN.Express review to see just how bad it is.

ExpressVPN Video Review

ExpressVPN Review 2020: Still the Best? My Take After Two Years of Daily Use

Strengths & Weaknesses

Alternatives for ExpressVPN

Features

Although ExpressVPN comes with some unique goodies, it isn’t as packed with features as CyberGhost or NordVPN. For example, you’re missing malware protection and an ad blocker that some other VPNs include.

However, given how poorly these extras usually perform, we’re not too upset with ExpressVPN’s omission. You should be using a tool from our best antivirus software list, anyway.

ExpressVPN offers in-app split tunneling, which shockingly few VPNs support (read our StrongVPN review for another service that does). Although you can manually set up any VPN with split tunneling, the process is unintuitive and arduous. ExpressVPN makes it easy, allowing you to specify directly in the app which programs use the VPN connection and which don’t.

ExpressVPN is pretty fast across the board, as we’ll get into shortly, but not all of the locations in its server network are equal. Thankfully, you can quickly get a grasp on which servers are best for your location with the built-in speed test. ExpressVPN even stores your speed test results so you can consult them later down the line.

You can run the test on either recommended locations, all locations or locations within a specific region. ExpressVPN provides a download speed, latency and speed index for each service.

Although they are helpful as a point of comparison, we wouldn’t recommend paying too much mind to the actual numbers. Based on our testing, they’re inaccurate (usually slower than the actual speed). They’re relatively accurate when related to each other, though. If location A looks faster than location B, it usually is, even if the specific numbers aren’t reliable.

Routers, Browsers and Consoles, Oh My!

As a network tool, you can use a VPN with any internet-connected device, so long as you have access to configure the network settings of that device. That said, an installer goes a long way. ExpressVPN offers installers for just about every device imaginable, allowing you to keep your data safe no matter where you are.

The standards are accounted for, with applications for Windows, macOS, iOS and Android. Beyond that, ExpressVPN natively supports ChromeOS through the Google Play store, Fire TV and Kindle Fire, multiple Linux distros and routers.

You can also use ExpressVPN’s MediaStreamer function on Apple TV, Xbox One, PS4, PS3 and Xbox 360, though it won’t provide the same level of protection (more on that in the “streaming” section below).

If you prefer a manual approach, ExpressVPN can accommodate. You can download OpenVPN configuration files for most of ExpressVPN’s network, including locations in the Americas, Europe, Asia, the Middle East and Africa. Although it may seem daunting, configuring manually isn’t so bad as long as you have easy access to the OpenVPN client.

All you need to do is import the OpenVPN configuration file into your client. The configuration file includes all of the necessary keys to use your account with ExpressVPN.

Outside of that, you may need your username and password — generated by ExpressVPN — and import the necessary certificates. Thankfully, that’s simple, too, because ExpressVPN includes a .zip file with all the necessary keys and certificates.

ExpressVPN Features Overview

Pricing

Every VPN service has a weakness, and for ExpressVPN, that’s price. Although it’s traditionally been the most expensive service out of our VPN reviews, high-cost options like Hide.me and Astrill have made it look more reasonable. Still, ExpressVPN isn’t cheap, and there are plenty of less expensive options.

Unlimited GB Bandwidth 5 Included Devices Bitcoin	1-month plan $ 12.95/ month 6-months plan $ 9.99/ month $59.95 billed every 6 month Save 23 % 15-months plan $ 6.66/ month $99.95 billed first 15 months and 12 months thereafter Save 49 %

The base monthly price is around $13. However, as is the case with nearly all VPNs, you’ll save a lot by subscribing for the long term. A year runs around $100, which isn’t a terrible rate, though we’ve seen better. PureVPN, for all its faults, offers up to five years of service, bringing the monthly price to only a few dollars.

Thankfully, the high cost is offset by ExpressVPN’s no-nonsense refund policy, which we’ll get to in a minute. Although you can try out ExpressVPN for a month for essentially free, you can’t use the VPN service for free beyond that. It didn’t make the list of our best free VPNs, beat out by options like Windscribe.

As for payment, ExpressVPN gives you a lot of options, including PayPal, credit cards, regional payment systems and anonymous bitcoin payment. We would’ve liked to see cold, hard cash as a payment option — Mullvad offers that — but even so, ExpressVPN gives you plenty of ways to pay, some of which are anonymous.

ExpressVPN Simultaneous Connections

No matter which duration you choose, you’ll be able to use ExpressVPN on up to five devices at once. That’s not an install limit, mind you; you can install ExpressVPN on as many devices as you want. However, only five of those devices can be actively connected to ExpressVPN’s services at any given time.

Having simultaneous connections is often touted as a key spec of VPNs, with services like ProtonVPN offering up to 10 devices at once (read our ProtonVPN review). In practice, though, five is more than enough. In a personal use case, you’re unlikely to have more than one or two devices connected to a network at any given time.

If you’re running up against the device limit, you can always install ExpressVPN on your router, too. As long as your router is protected, all devices connected to that network will be protected, as well. The setup is more involved than running an installer on Windows, but with ExpressVPN’s guides, it’s not too difficult.

Does ExpressVPN Have a Free Trial?

Now for some bad news. Unfortunately, ExpressVPN doesn’t offer a free trial, at least not in the traditional sense. Unlike Surfshark, which offers a week-long VPN trial for mobile users, you’ll have to pay upfront if you want to use ExpressVPN (read our Surfshark review). That said, if you’re unsatisfied, you can get a refund quickly.

ExpressVPN offers a no-questions-asked, 30-day money-back guarantee. No matter what duration you purchase, you can get a full refund within the first 30 days for any reason. Although it’s not as long as CyberGhost’s 45-day refund period, it’s on par with PIA (read our Private Internet Access review).

User-Friendliness

ExpressVPN is the perfect example of how a VPN should function. The signup process is as straightforward as they come, and the local application presents few hurdles. When comparing ExpressVPN to a service like AirVPN, it becomes very clear why we rank the former in a different league (read our AirVPN review).

Starting with signup, ExpressVPN makes it easy to get an account, with a large, red “get started” button following you around the site. On the checkout page, you’ll need to enter an email and your payment information, but that’s it. There’s no account creation or any other nonsense to bog down the experience.

Instead, ExpressVPN generates an activation key, which you’ll need to enter into the application once you download it. On nontraditional installs, where you’ll need to use the command line, ExpressVPN offers a randomly generated username and password.

The important thing here is that you don’t need to remember any credentials. Once ExpressVPN is registered to your device, it’ll stay that way as long as you have an account.

Anyone can use the local application (unless pressing an obvious “on” button is above your pay grade). ExpressVPN automatically assigns you a “smart location,” and although you can squeeze more performance out of the service by choosing a location manually, the “smart location” gets pretty close. All you need to do is click the “on” button, and you’ll be connected in seconds.

Once you’re connected, ExpressVPN shows some links to popular websites — you can set your own, too — though we rarely used them. A VPN should operate in the background, and on that front, ExpressVPN is great.

However, we did run into a few issues with startup. Occasionally, the connection would snag, leaving us without internet for five or so minutes. Those cases were few and far between, though, and easily solved by disconnecting and reconnecting.

Using the ExpressVPN Chrome Extension

ExpressVPN has massively improved its browser extensions since the last time we tested it. Essentially, the Chrome extension is ExpressVPN in your browser, but with a home in your address bar and a sleek, black finish. The same rules apply: click the “on” button to get connected, either with your chosen location or a “smart location.”

Outside of reminding you that you can open the extension with a shortcut — Ctrl + Shift + X, by default — the extension mirrors the local app, both in terms of usability and settings. The extension actually pairs to your local application, so whatever settings you have there will be mirrored in the extension.

That doesn’t make the extension obsolete, though. HTTPS Everywhere, HTML5 geolocation spoofing and a WebRTC blocker are built in, offering some additional security and privacy for your browser.

ExpressVPN on Android

ExpressVPN took first place in our best VPN for mobile and best VPN for Android guides, and it’s easy to see why. The desktop application looks tailor-made for mobile, and unsurprisingly, the same interface is present on Android. Simply choose your location, tap the big “on” button, rinse and repeat.

You can, of course, download the app through the Google Play store (that’s the easiest method). However, ExpressVPN makes the APK openly available, allowing you to use ExpressVPN on rooted devices or limited versions of Android that otherwise wouldn’t have access to the full Google Play store.

Mobile users have the benefit of a free week-long trial, too. It’s tied to Google Pay, of course, so you’ll need to be vigilant to cancel if you don’t want to continue your subscription. Still, it’s a nice offer for mobile users, and it gives you a taste of how ExpressVPN works without putting any money down.

Speed

ExpressVPN is the fastest VPN we’ve tested, not only considering the speed test data close to home, but also abroad. You can see the numbers we gathered during this review in the table below, as well as our testing process a little further down.

Looking at the download speeds, we never dropped below 125 Mbps, which shouldn’t come as much of a surprise with our unprotected speed of 458 Mbps. It seems like a severe drop, and it is, though we’ve noticed that there’s a large initial drop when making the first connection, which ExpressVPN shares with NordVPN and CyberGhost, among others.

The real test is how the VPN handles speeds across locations, and on that front, ExpressVPN is a winner. After the initial drop, we stayed within the same range of speed, no matter where we were tunneling to in the world. The latency also stayed low in all locations except South Africa, which is why ExpressVPN ranks among the best VPNs for gaming.

As we’ll get into in a moment, we let ExpressVPN choose the specific location, with us simply specifying the country in order to emulate a normal-use scenario. The only exception to that was Chicago, which we chose based on the fact that it was the closest to our testing location.

Interesting, the “smart location” in New Jersey had far better download and upload performance, though the closer server still won in terms of latency.

How We Ran Our ExpressVPN Speed Tests

To keep everything fair, we tested ExpressVPN’s speeds using OpenVPN UDP on a wired connection. Before taking our numbers, we tested the unprotected speed of our connection to gauge the relative drop in performance when connected to the VPN service. Although you may have faster or slower internet, the drop in speed should be about the same.

Our numbers aren’t law, though. As we’ll get into in the next section, ExpressVPN supports a wide range of protocols, each of which will affect your performance and security in some way.

OpenVPN is the standard for just about every VPN service out there and is what we use to universally compare providers, so that’s what we tested with. However, you should see higher numbers with protocols like IKEv2 and L2TP, if you choose to use them.

As for locations, we picked the country but not the specific VPN server, letting ExpressVPN choose the best server for the job. The only exception to that is the Chicago location, which we gathered numbers for to compare with the “smart location” in New Jersey.

Security

Security with ExpressVPN is about as stock as it comes. Your connection is usually established using OpenVPN with UDP as the transport protocol, which is paired with AES-256 encryption (read out description of encryption for more on that). There are other protocols available, though OpenVPN is usually the best option.

The other options include IKEv2, which is great for mobile connections, and L2TP/IPSec, which is a good choice for low-risk situations. PPTP is also available, though we wouldn’t recommend using it (read our VPN protocol breakdown to learn why). Finally, there’s OpenVPN with TCP, which we’ll circle back to in a minute (there’s also the new ExpressVPN Lightway protocol, but it’s still in beta).

ExpressVPN may be stock, but that doesn’t mean it’s unsecure. OpenVPN and AES-256 is the secret to a safe connection, and that’s what ExpressVPN is rocking out of the box. Still, we would’ve liked to see some sort of encapsulated OpenVPN protocol like the one VyprVPN offers (read our VyprVPN review).

Even so, there’s no denying that ExpressVPN is a secure VPN. In the app, you’ll find quick links to DNS, IP and WebRTC link tests, as well as IPv6 leak protection. We tested using ExpressVPN’s tools, as well as our own, and didn’t find any IP, WebRTC or DNS leaks.

Torrenting With ExpressVPN

You can easily torrent with ExpressVPN, though we should remind you that torrenting copyrighted content is illegal in most countries. Still, if you fancy sailing the digital seas, ExpressVPN will keep you protected. In fact, it ranked near the top of our best VPN for torrenting guide.

Although a lack of peer-to-peer servers puts a damper on the experience, ExpressVPN’s high security and uncompromising speed makes it an ideal choice for downloading torrent files quickly and securely.

If you fancy streaming movies and TV shows from, say, questionable websites, ExpressVPN is a good choice there, too (read our Kodi guide if that sounds like your thing).

ExpressVPN Security in China and Other High-Risk Countries

One of the main reasons to use a VPN is to bypass censors in high-risk countries like China. Although internet censorship is a problem in one form or another in most countries around the world, some are worse than others, with countries like China, Russia, Egypt and Iran being particularly nasty offenders.

Thankfully, ExpressVPN is among our best VPNs for China, able to bypass any amount of censorship thrown at it. There are two reasons for this, the first of which is OpenVPN with TCP. OpenVPN appears as a normal internet connection, but should a censor capture the signal when you are using UDP, they can monitor it without you knowing.

On the other hand, TCP features packet confirmation. It’s slower, but you’ll know if your packets are going where you intend. If a censor were to intercept your packets, it wouldn’t reach the destination, and you wouldn’t receive confirmation back. That means your connection is protected.

There are other factors that make ExpressVPN a solid choice in high-risk situations, including its kill switch, DNS settings and IPv6 leak protection. For us, however, perfect forward secrecy is the most important security feature for high-risk situations. In short, PFS protects a network snooper from using a single encryption key to decrypt all historic traffic.

ExpressVPN generates a new key each time you connect, or in the event you’re connected for a long period, every 60 minutes. Even if someone intercepting your connection were able to crack it, the most they’d be able to see is an hour of history.

As for VPN blocks — which China is notorious for — there’s little ExpressVPN can do to prevent them. However, ExpressVPN has a long history of solving blocks as they come up. Read our guide on how to use ExpressVPN in China if you plan on visiting the country.

Privacy

ExpressVPN has a no-logs privacy policy. In short, this means it knows nothing about you, your browsing history or your VPN connection. There is some basic collection that takes place, but ExpressVPN is very clear about that in its privacy policy, rather than simply lying to achieve the “no logs” claim (looking at you, IPVanish).

Let’s start with what isn’t collected. ExpressVPN knows nothing about the IP addresses that connect to its servers, nor the DNS queries its users send. In short, ExpressVPN may know that a user is connected to one of its servers, but it has no information about who that user is, what server they’re connected to or what they’re doing while connected.

As mentioned above, ExpressVPN also implements perfect forward secrecy, meaning that your browsing data is refreshed every hour. Even if ExpressVPN were to log your browsing data, it could view only up to an hour of that data. The likelihood that your browsing data is collected is very low, too, considering ExpressVPN is based in the British Virgin Islands.

The British Virgin Islands have some of the best privacy laws in the world, with no data retention laws. Furthermore, normal courts in the British Virgin Islands can’t force companies to produce records, unlike the U.S. The only way the government could see your browsing data is if an order comes from the British Virgin Islands High Court, and even then, ExpressVPN has nothing to hand over.

Now for what ExpressVPN does collect. When you’re connected to the service, ExpressVPN can see the app version, if the connection was successful or not and the amount of data transferred. However, the time of the connection, the original IP address, the destination IP address and the browsing history of the user isn’t logged or monitored.

How Safe Is Your Information With ExpressVPN?

In short, your information is safe with ExpressVPN. The privacy policy alone clearly states any personal information that could identify you isn’t monitored or stored by ExpressVPN. Furthermore, its location in the British Virgin Islands offers protection against foreign courts and laws.

As for what is collected, ExpressVPN keeps very little on record, just enough to help in the event that your version of the app runs into issues. This anonymous aggregate information is used only for diagnostics, not for sale, and you can even turn off that collection in ExpressVPN’s settings.

Streaming Performance

ExpressVPN is a streaming monster. Although it lacks streaming-specific servers like CyberGhost offers, most server locations will break into Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video and BBC iPlayer. We also gave ExpressVPN a spin with Kodi, and after trying it out, we crowned it as the best VPN for Kodi.

Hulu and Amazon Prime Video were a little touchy based on our testing, which shouldn’t come as a surprise (these services are generally hard on VPNs, as you can see in our best VPN for Hulu and best VPN for Prime Video guides). ExpressVPN also broke into Disney+, BBC iPlayer and CBS All Access.

Using ExpressVPN With Netflix

ExpressVPN really comes into its own with Netflix. We tested across 10 server locations, and only two returned a proxy error. ExpressVPN has consistently beat out the competition in our best VPN for Netflix guide, and our testing in this ExpressVPN review only affirms that. If you’re looking for a Netflix VPN, it doesn’t get much better than ExpressVPN. Check out our guide on how to watch Netflix with ExpressVPN.

MediaStreamer

ExpressVPN ranks first in our best VPN for streaming guide, and that’s not just because it can easily access various platforms. If your connection is relatively secure or you have a device that normally doesn’t support a VPN, you can use MediaStreamer. This tool adds the geographical spoofing benefits of a VPN without the encryption overhead.

It’s a bit like a proxy in that it doesn’t offer any additional encryption to your connection (read our VPN vs proxy vs Tor guide for more on that). Although that means your connection is less secure, it also means it’s much faster. With MediaStreamer, you can break into just about any streaming platform in any location with any device.

Server Locations

ExpressVPN is no NordVPN when it comes to server locations, but it beats just about every other VPN. More than 3,000 servers span 160 VPN server locations in 94 countries. No matter if you’re in New York or Kenya, you’ll have a VPN server close to you.

Furthermore, all server locations support OpenVPN with UDP, at minimum, though many support all of ExpressVPN’s protocols.

There are plenty of VPN services with a lot of servers. ExpressVPN’s spread is what’s most impressive. It covers the media centers of the world, including the U.S., UK and nearly all countries in Europe. However, unlike other VPNs, ExpressVPN also has a presence in South America, the Middle East and Africa.

Not all of these locations have bare-metal servers, though, a fact that ExpressVPN is very upfront about. More remote locations — like Monaco, Isle of Man and Sri Lanka — are obtained through virtual servers, most of which run through the Netherlands. This is the same way the HideMyAss VPN achieves its massive server network.

Customer Service

If you need help, you can contact ExpressVPN over live chat or email, though we much prefer the former. Throughout our review, we reached out to live chat a handful of times, and we received a response quickly each time. They weren’t the most technical of responses, but for surface-level questions, live chat does the trick.

Email is around for the heavy lifting, though you’ll need to wait a few hours before hearing back. Although this is much faster than most other VPNs, live chat is still the best option for most questions. Still, if you want to speak with a support rep on a deeper level, email is an option.

The contact options are fine, but we like the self-help resources much more. Support resources are divided into two categories: troubleshooting articles and instructions. ExpressVPN touches on just about every topic possible, from setup instructions for your Kindle Fire to troubleshooting articles on specific error codes.

Out of the lot, the setup guides are most impressive. Even if ExpressVPN doesn’t have a dedicated app for the platform you want to install it on, it likely has a setup guide. That includes the browser extension, nontraditional Linux installs and even BlackBerry guides.

We’ve seen plenty of VPNs with decent direct support, and although ExpressVPN is slightly faster and a little more thorough, the direct support isn’t leagues better than the competition. However, the self-help resources set ExpressVPN apart from the pack.

The Verdict

We’ve tested the limits of ExpressVPN time and again, and after each evaluation, we come to the same conclusion: it’s simply the best VPN option.

Competitors like NordVPN and CyberGhost get very close in terms of speed, security and usability, and they even beat ExpressVPN in features. However, ExpressVPN is still the fastest, and although the competition has come a long way in terms of usability, it’s still the easiest to use.

We’ve sang its praise enough, though. We recommend giving ExpressVPN a shot either with the free mobile trial or 30-day money-back guarantee to see how you like it. Be sure to let us know about your experience in the comments below and, as always, thanks for reading.

ExpressVPN FAQs

• Is It Safe to Use ExpressVPN?

  Yes, it’s safe to use ExpressVPN. This VPN uses OpenVPN with AES-256 encryption, making your connection virtually impossible to crack. Furthermore, ExpressVPN implements a no-logs privacy policy and perfect forward secrecy, so your browsing habits are known by you alone.

• How Much Does ExpressVPN Cost?

  ExpressVPN costs $12.95 per month, but you can save by subscribing for a longer period of time. For example, the yearly plan costs $99.95. No matter which duration you choose, all of ExpressVPN’s plans come with up to five simultaneous connections and a 30-day money-back guarantee.

• How Do You Cancel ExpressVPN?

  You can cancel ExpressVPN by going to “my account” on the home page and clicking on “subscription settings.” From there, you can turn off auto-renew so you won’t be charged for your next term. If you’re taking advantage of the VPN’s refund policy, you need to reach out to support via live chat.