ExpressVPN review

ExpressVPN does not just beat the competition on standard features, though it has unique technologies of its own. Lightway is ExpressVPN’s speedy and secure VPN protocol, for case. And the MediaStreamer smart DNS system enables freeing some websites indeed on bias which ca n’t run the apps.

A clear and simple sequestration policy explains that ExpressVPN does not log any sensitive information – but you do not have to take the company’s word on trust. ExpressVPN has had its waiters checked to confirm they live up to its pledges, while F- Secure has just checked ( opens in new tab) its apps to look for security issues( they passed with flying colors).
The real name point could be support, however, where ExpressVPN has agents available24/7 on live converse. This is not the veritably introductory, outsourced, first- line support you will frequently get with other services they are experts who can walk you through just about any specializedissue.However, also, you will not be staying a day( or potentially longer) for a support response, If you run into trouble. In our experience, there is always someone available on ExpressVPN’s live converse, and you could be getting quality help within a couple of twinkles.

All that adds up to a service that we really could not recommend more that is why Express is still sitting enough at the top of our list of the world’s stylish VPNs.

ExpressVPN: what’s new?

Improvements since our last review start with a major upgrade to ExpressVPN’s network. In June 2022 the company blazoned real progress on its move from 1 Gbps to at least 10 Gbps waiters, with 70 of global bandwidth formerly serving, and the rest to follow ‘ over the coming many months ’ we’re told.

This is n’t just about network bandwidth ExpressVPN says numerous old waiters have four CPU cores( processing units), but the new models have from 20 to 32 cores. The redundant processing power means further dependable connections for everyone, and ensures waiters can take full advantage of the briskly network pets.
Away, ExpressVPN has released Aircove, a important Cure53- checked Wi- Fi 6 router with the company’s router app erected- in. Set this up at home and all your internet- enabled bias can use ExpressVPN incontinently, without having to install a single app, or fussing about device connection limits.

Aircove pricing looks good, too, at$169.90 on launch( the regular price is$189.90). But if you ’re on a budget, no problem you can still install the ExpressVPN router app on your own tackle( assuming it’s compatible) for free.( The sanctioned Router Setup runner( opens in new tab) has further on this.)
Major app additions include Network Protection for iOS( interpretation 14 or latterly), a point which reduces the chance of data leaks by automatically blocking your internet connection if the VPN drops. And if that’s not your Apple platform of choice, ExpressVPN’s Mac apps now run natively on Apple Silicon Mackintoshes( M1 and M2), delivering better performance and reduced battery consumption.

Indeed if you are not interested in app tweaks, it’s worth looking at just how frequently ExpressVPN releases updates. numerous companies leave months between iOS updates, for case – indeed, a many take further than a time – but ExpressVPN releases commodity every 10 days or so( check the iOS Release Notes( opens in new tab) for yourself). Indeed if you run into a problem, that is a sign that you may not have to live with it for long, because fixes are noway far down.

ExpressVPN pricing

As explained in our devoted ExpressVPN pricing and deals companion, the provider has a veritably simple pricing structure with only three plans, and these start with a yearly- billed product( opens in new tab) for$12.95.

That is not cheap, but CyberGhost, Hotspot Shield and Surfshark all charge around$ 13 for their yearly plans, and it’s not far from the$ 9-$ 10 charged by utmost big- name VPNs.
Subscribe up for ExpressVPN’s 6- month plan( opens in new tab) and the price drops to$9.99 per month. That is a reasonable reduction, and it also gives you further inflexibility than you will get with some challengers, who do not offer a 6- month plan at all.

The periodic plan( opens in new tab) cuts the cost further to a yearly fellow of$8.32, a chunky 35 reduction on the yearly subscription. But it’s still mainly further than some of the competition( Private Internet Access asks$3.33 on its periodic plan, Windscribe is$4.08), especially if you are willing to subscribe up for long ages. Private Internet Access has a three- time plan which costs only$2.03 a month in its first term, for case, while Ivacy presently charges just$ 1 a month on its five- time plan.
When you are comparing caption prices, however, be sure to check the small print, because ExpressVPN is near to numerous challengers than you might realize. For illustration, numerous merchandisers have low prices which increase latterly. IPVanish looks good value at$3.75 a month in time one, but that price jumps to$7.50 on renewal. And NordVPN starts at$4.92, but renews at a expensive$8.29.

There are ways to save some cash, as well. subscribing up with our exclusive deal which adds three free months to the periodic ExpressVPN subscription, giving you 15 months of service for an effective$6.67 per month.
Still, including cards, PayPal, If you decide to subscribe up you will discover a wide range of payment styles.

still, installing the Android or iOS app gets you a 7- day trial, If you are not relatively convinced. And indeed after handing over your cash, ExpressVPN’s 30- day plutocrat- reverse guarantee allows you to safely check out the service for yourself.

Privacy

ExpressVPN’s sequestration protection begins with its choice of largely secure protocols( OpenVPN and its own open source Lightway), with artificial strength encryption to shield your data from indeed the most well- equipped bushwhacker.

The company does not just offer DNS leak protection to help data about your online conditioning oohing out of the VPN lair – ExpressVPN also runs its own private, zero- knowledge, 256- bit translated DNS on every garçon.
We refocused the mobile and desktop apps to multiple testing websites, and they all verified that ExpressVPN’s connections used its own DNS service, and none of these had any DNS or business leaks.

ExpressVPN has put itself through colorful checkups and instruments in the once time or two, and these add a little redundant sequestration consolation.

ExpressVPN’s ioXt Alliance instrument( opens in new tab) covered all kinds of low– position specialized details, for case cryptography, network security, the software structure process, automatic updates and further. For illustration, it checks that the app stores its private keys in the secure operating keystore rather than via some custom scheme of its own, an index of a secure design and commodity that would take a lot of time and moxie to check for yourself.
Indeed if you do not have the background knowledge to interpret these details( that’s okay, we struggle with some of them too), it’s cheering to see the company expose itself to this kind of specialized scrutiny.

Logging

Check out the typical VPN website and you will generally find‘ NO LOGGING!’ claims prominently displayed in a veritably large fountain, but frequently behind that there’s a sequestration policy which either gives you veritably little details on any specifics, or reveals that the company does log some of your information, after all.

ExpressVPN does effects a little else. Out goes the usual fact–free‘ zero log’ boasting, in comes a easily written‘ Policy towards logs( opens in new tab)’ document which explains precisely what ExpressVPN collects, what it doesn’t, why the service works this way, and what it means for druggies.
The runner states that the service does not log your IP address when you connect to ExpressVPN, the time you’ve logged in, the VPN IP address you are assigned, or any information on the websites or runners you visit( including via DNS requests), or any of your business.

There’s some minimum logging. The company records each date of when you connect to the service, and your choice of garçon. But as it does not store the connection time, or the IP address you ’re allocated, there is no way anyone can use this data to definitively link an internet action back to a specific ExpressVPN account.
The company also records the interpretation number of any software guests you’ve installed, along with the total quantum of data you’ve transferred each day. This data also does not constitute any kind of sequestration threat, and we have no mistrustfulness that other VPNs do analogous effects they just do not admit it.

ExpressVPN is grounded in the British Virgin Islands. Despite its small size, the BVI regulates its own affairs, and the UK and US do not have governance to automatically impel ExpressVPN to release any data.
The BVI is not a part of’14 Eyes‘, the intelligence sharing agreement also known as SIGINT Seniors Europe( SSEUR), and isn’t known to be a party to any of its intelligence participating arrangements.

In short, any would- be plaintiff would have to raise their issue in the BVI High Court, show that the records related to a serious crime( one punishable by a time or further in captivity if it happed in the BVI), and explain how those records would give applicable substantiation to that case. It’s hard to see how the minimum ExpressVPN records could give useful substantiation of anything.
There is a lot to like then. It’s clear that ExpressVPN understands the issues to hand and is making considerable sweats to explain them, duly and in full, to its guests. That in itself is reassuring, and a huge enhancement on the detail–free sequestration programs of numerous VPNs.

You do not simply have to take what ExpressVPN says on trust, however. The company has had its TrustedServer technology and backend systems checked by PricewaterhouseCoopers to confirm that it’s living up to its sequestration pledges.
Legal restrictions mean we can not quote from the summary report, but it’s freely available for guests to download andread.However, check out this blog post( opens in new tab) for background on the inspection, in particular the’ full details of what was covered in the inspection‘( this is a PDF) link, If you are not yet a client. That document includes a vast quantum of word on how ExpressVPN’s systems work, what it collects and what it does not – all the details PwC vindicated. This is intriguing all on its own, indeed without the report, as a specialized companion to how ExpressVPN works internally.

Performance

Speed is an important factor when choosing a VPN, and we run some ferocious tests to find out how a service performs.

We checked pets from a US domestic position and a UK data center, both with 1 Gbps connections. We used the standard ExpressVPN Windows app to connect to our nearest position, also checked the download pets reported by multiple speed test spots and services( SpeedTest’s website and command line app, nPerf,SpeedOf.me and further). We took at least five results from each point, using two protocols( OpenVPN and ExpressVPN’s own Lightway), and ran the entire test set in both morning and evening sessions to look for variations over time.
ExpressVPN’s peak OpenVPN pets were able at 355 Mbps. That outperforms IPVanish( 120 Mbps), Surfshark( 190 Mbps), Ivacy( 220 Mbps) and others, although some did significantly better. Mullvad’s OpenVPN connections soared to 600 Mbps, for case, and TorGuard did indeed more at 630 Mbps.

The real star is ExpressVPN’s Lightway protocol, however, which accelerated its download pets to 540- 560 Mbps. That shot past challengers like Hotspot Shield( 210- 375 Mbps), ProtonVPN( 360- 510 Mbps) and Private Internet Access( 450- 510 Mbps). That said, some providers go briskly still, and Atlas VPN,Hide.me, IPVanish, Surfshark and TorGuard all reached 700 Mbps and advanced in recent tests.

Netflix and streaming

Unlike utmost of the competition, ExpressVPN does not just make vague claims about its unblocking capacities. The company intimately specifies which platforms are supported Netflix, BBC iPlayer, Amazon Prime, Disney Plus, Google, Wikipedia, YouTube and others. It’s good to see a provider being outspoken about what it’s claiming to do.

To get a sense for ExpressVPN’s unblocking capacities, we tried penetrating 12 popular streaming spots from a number of ExpressVPN locales.
The service delivered great Netflix results, getting us into US Netflix on three out of the five waiters we tried, and also freeing Netflix Australia, Canada, Japan and the UK, too.

It was the same story with other top US platforms, as ExpressVPN got us access to Amazon Prime Video and Disney Plus.
The positive news continued in Australia, as we managed to stream content from 9Now and 10 play. And in our final UK tests, ExpressVPN successfully unblocked BBC iPlayer, ITV and Channel 4.

These are great results, but a quality VPN is not just about getting you access right now – it’s also what happens if a platform blocks a new range of IPs, and your favorite garçon does not work presently.

Complain to numerous VPNs and they’ll just reply that’ we do not guarantee access to any streaming platforms’, leaving you on your own.
ExpressVPN proactively monitors its own unblocking performance, giving it a chance to descry and fix any problems before you’ve indeed noticed.

On the rare occasions we have had unblocking issues with ExpressVPN, we have opened a live converse session, been talking to an agent within a couple of twinkles, and either had recommendations on locales to try, other troubleshooting advice, or been told it’s a given issue that’ll be fixed soon( which has always been true). Now that is what we call helpful.

Inundations

ExpressVPN’s website does not announce its P2P support, but we dug into the details, ran a many tests, and set up it’s far further alluvion-friendly than utmost of the competition.

P2P druggies are not forced onto a small number of overloaded waiters, for case. You can pierce inundations from the full set of ExpressVPN locales.

There are no bandwidth or transfer- related catches, either. The company says it’ll noway garrote your connection.

Performance testing with inundations is a challenge as there are numerous factors which might affect pets, but we tried downloading using three locales( US, UK, Netherlands), had no connection or other issues, and saw astronomically the performance we would anticipate in each case.

Factor in other crucial features of the service – no exertion logs, lots of locales, apps for everything, Bitcoin support, the 30- day plutocrat- reverse guarantee – and ExpressVPN looks like a great choice of VPN for all your torrenting needs.

customer setup

Getting a VPN app installed and working duly can occasionally be a challenge, but the well- designed ExpressVPN website keeps hassles to an absolute minimum.

Log in to your account dashboard, for case, and the website detects the type of device you are using, displays a Download button for that app, and enables grabbing a dupe with one click.

still, clicking’ Set up on all your bias’ takes you to links for Windows, iOS, If you need commodity for another platform. opting any of these displays further download links and instructions.

Indeed these are far more helpful than you would anticipate. Hit the’ Android’ link with utmost VPNs and you will presumably just be diverted to Google Play. ExpressVPN has a Play Store link, but it also gives you a QR law, a button to dispatch yourself a setup link( ideal if you need to install it on another device), and indeed an option for experts to directly download the APK train.

In a neat setup touch, ExpressVPN does not force you to find and manually enter your username and word. rather, all you have to do is copy the unique activation law displayed on your download runner, and bury it into the app when you are asked. The software also automatically sets up your login credentials, and you will not have to suppose about usernames and watchwords, at all.( veritably handy if, say, you are using a word director and do not indeed know what your watchwords are.)

Windows app

The ExpressVPN Windows app has a comfortable and familiar interface which incontinently makes you feel at home. A big On/ Off button allows you to spark the service when needed, a clear status display shows you the current garçon, a Choose position button enables picking commodity differently, and a menu button top- left gives speedy access to other features.

The customer makes it exceptionally easy to choose the stylish garçon by always displaying the three most likely options the closest, whatever’s presently named in the list, and the position you penetrated last. No need to open a position list, hunt, sort, apply pollutants or anything differently, just click the garçon you need and generally you will be connected in a bit of a alternate( it’s seriously fast).

You can still view a full list of locales, of course, and it has all the conveniences you’d anticipate. locales are grouped by mainland and country, a Hunt box allows you to find locales by keyword, or you can add individual locales to a pets list for speedy recall latterly.

The app makes smart use of its system charger icon, too. Right- clicking displays a menu which includes your last three locales, and choosing one of those will get you connected incontinently, without having to open the full app.

A able Settings dialog allowed us to choose from four protocol variations ExpressVPN’s Lightway or OpenVPN, both in UDP or TCP flavors( L2TP and IKEv2 have been dropped, as they ’re less secure).

Away, a kill switch blocks all internet business if the VPN connection drops, reducing the chance of any data leaks. There is no setup involved with this, it’s enabled by dereliction, and always ready to cover your sequestration.

It works, too. We dissembled all kinds of extreme situations – dropping the VPN, breaking or closing ExpressVPN’s Windows services, and all its processes – but the app took everything we threw at it, and kept our business defended at all times.

Low- position specialized traces include introductory IPv6 leak protection, and the capability to pierce bias on the original network when you are connected to the VPN.

One highlight of the app is its support for split tunneling, a smart technology which enables defining which apps use the VPN, and which use your regular internetconnection.However, say), you can make it use your normal internet connection rather, If an operation will not work when your VPN is over( an dispatch customer. And if you are gaming, turning game business out of the VPN lair should ameliorate performance.

Mac app

ExpressVPN’s Mac app looks important like the Windows app, at least originally it shows the current position, a Settings icon, a big Connect button and nothing differently to get in the way. Indeed newbies will figure out what to do incontinently.

There are some small interface differences, and they are substantially advancements. The Windows app only displays your last two locales in its Recent list, for case, but the Mac app has a separate Recent tab where it lists numerous further.

The Mac Settings box is presented a little else, but the options are organized in exactly the same way. And if you are used to Mac VPN apps which leave out utmost of the more advanced Windows features, good news this bone
has the kill switch, WireGuard and OpenVPN support, IPv6 leak protection and further.

There’s one significant elision there is no split tunneling on the Mac. But the app makes up for that with ExpressVPN’s shamus
and malware- blocking trouble director( not yet available on Windows). We did not test this in depth and can not give a definitive verdict on how effective it is, but any redundant subcaste of protection is welcome.( And if it causes you any issues, you can always turn it off.)

Put it all together and this is a likeable Mac app, a well- designed blend of power and ease of use. Well worth a pass.

Android app

The Android app looks good, with portrayal and tablet-friendly geography interfaces. As on the desktop, your closest, presently named and lately used locales are always visible, and in numerous cases you ’ll simply connect or dissociate with a valve.

The full position list is on hand if you need it. This also looks and feels important like the desktop apps, with locales grouped by country and mainland, and a Hunt box if there’s commodity you ca n’t find( just class a many characters of a country or megacity and any matches pop up).

There’s no visible sign of a way to mark locales as pets. You can make a pets list veritably fluently – just swipe right on your chosen position – but that may not( no, will not) be egregious to first timekeepers.

A Protection Summary box displays details of your current VPN position, IP address, and how important time you’ve used the service for lately. We do not see any great need for a map showing us that we use the VPN substantially on Wednesdays( for case), but the position and IP information is handy, and if you do not like the Protection Summary also you can turn it off with a valve.

A Security Assistant reminds you of way you should take to ‘ cover your device ’ and ‘ guard your sequestration ’( keep Android up- to- date, use Facebook’s sequestration scan and so on). They ’re reasonable suggestions and it makes sense to give them a look, but we ’d prefer the Security Adjunct to be put away away on a menu rather than on the main app window( or at least, have that as an option).

The Settings section includes an intertwined kill switch to cover you if the connection drops. Protocol support includes OpenVPN and ExpressVPN’s own Lightway protocol, and resolve tunneling enables defining which apps should or should not use the VPN.

A perk bus- connect point is particularly welcome, voluntarily connecting you to the VPN whenever you join untrusted networks( like public Wi- Fi).

The’ App and Website Lanes’ point provides a configurable toolbar on the connection window which can hold up to five lanes for your favorite apps. It’s a veritably simple idea, but a useful one, which facilitates launching generally used apps with a valve just as soon as you are connected.

still, there is in- app help which gives you speedy access to support documents without having to head off to the website, while an’Em ail us’ link should get you nippy backing if and when you need it, If you are having problems.

It does not have relatively as numerous expert- position features as you will get with some apps – you can not set your preferred DNS waiters, for case – but ExpressVPN’s Android immolation has further than enough functionality for utmost people, while remaining easy to use. Indeed more, install the app and you can try the service for free for seven days, an offer you will not get if you subscribe up on thewebsite.However, ExpressVPN needs to be on your shortlist, If you are at all interested in Android VPN apps.

iOS app

ExpressVPN’s iOS app opens with important the same clean and straightforward interface that you will see on other platforms it displays a recommended position, a big Connect button to get online, and a menu button to explore further.

The well- designed position Chooser offers multiple ways to find specific metropolises or countries. You can add generally used locales to your pets by swiping right, assuming you realize that’s an option, and a Recent position list includes everything you ’ve penetrated recently.

The choice of protocol is limited to IKEv2, Lightway UDP and TCP; there is no OpenVPN presently. We are noway entirely happy to see options vanish, but Lightway and IKEv2 performed well for us, and it’s likely they’ll give everything you need.

A new Network Protection point acts as a kill switch, blocking internet access if the VPN drops and ca n’t be restored.

The iOS app now includes trouble director, too, voluntarily blocking trackers or dispatches with vicious spots.

We have seen further point- packed VPN apps, but on balance ExpressVPN’s iOS immolation is likable, easy to use and delivers the functionality most folks are likely to need. And if you’d like to check out the service for yourself, good news as with Android, there is a threat-free 7- day trial available.

Cybersurfer extensions

The ExpressVPN apps are generally veritably polished and stoner-friendly, but they are not the only way to work with the VPN. The company also offers Chrome and Firefox extensions which allow you to control its Windows, Mac or Linux apps directly from your cybersurfer.

Why? Suppose you ’re using Chrome on Windows 11, and realize you need to open the current website. So now you have to switch down from the cybersurfer, perhaps launch the ExpressVPN app, choose whatever position you need, and go back to Chrome when you ’re done.

Installing the cybersurfer extension gets you an ExpressVPN icon on your address bar. Clicking this gets you an nearly identical interface to the desktop app, with the same main screen and position list. The ‘ Recent position ’ is the bone
you need, so you click it, the extension passes your command to the regular app, which connects to the position for you. This way, you ’ve unblocked your point in a couple of gates, with no need to find the factual ExpressVPN app, or indeed leave your cybersurfer.

This is n’t always as handy as itsounds.However, for case, you might be awaiting to just click one of those, If you ’ve marked some of the most useful locales as pets. You can find waiters using the regular position chooser, but if you ’re doing redundant work, you might as well just switch to the app as usual.

There is also a little good news, however, in the shape of some perk sequestration tools. Both the Chrome and Firefox extension include settings to help HTML5 geolocation from revealing your real position while you are connected to the VPN, as well as blocking WebRTC leaks at the cybersurfer position, and using HTTPS far and wide to automatically force connections to the HTTPS performances of websites whenever they are available.

The cybersurfer extension will not be for everyone, especially as you must have the ExpressVPN app installed to use it. But the capability to control the app from your cybersurfer is a authentically useful point that you will not find with the competition, and overall, it’s a veritably worthwhile addition to the package.

Support

important like any other networking technology, a VPN can act up in numerous ways, and figuring out exactly what is going on can be a real challenge. That is why indeed the most educated stoner can profit from quality VPN support.

ExpressVPN’s support point( opens in new tab) gets off to a good launch with its lengthy list of troubleshooting attendants. Whether you are trying to diagnose slow pets or dropped connections, understand error dispatches, change your word or cancel your account, there is useful information to hand.

utmost papers are well- written and deliver in all the crucial areas. They do not assume specialized knowledge, rather taking the time to explain the background, offering multiple suggestions to resolve utmost problems, and linking to other applicable papers. For illustration, where other VPNs might have a single line suggesting you” try another garçon” to help diagnose speed problems, ExpressVPN also links to a detailed composition explaining how to find the stylish position for you.

The setup papers are indeed more emotional. You do not just get one general installation tutorial per platform, for case. There are attendants covering how to install the app, how to set up homemade connections, or use third- party apps similar as OpenVPN GUI. And this is not just about Windows. You will find tutorials for Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, Chromebooks, Smart TVs, routers, and. well, you get the idea.

An accurate hunt machine scans further than 250 of these papers to find whatever fits your conditions. It’s monstrously stimulating to enter keywords on a VPN support point and actually view a lot of useful content. OpenVPN has 39 successes, DNS has 56, there are 112 for Android, 13 for Ubuntu, 7 for DD- WRT, and the list goes on.

still, ExpressVPN’s support platoon is available24/7 via dispatch and live converse, If the website can not help.
ExpressVPN recommends live converse for the fastest results, but we transferred a test dispatch question anyway to check response times. Although the company suggests it can take up to 24 hours to reply, we got a friendly, detailed and helpful communication by well under an hour. That is important faster than we anticipated, and the reply contained everything we demanded to diagnose and resolve our issue.

Live converse also performed veritably well. We ran several checks on the service, there were always agents available, and generally we had a first genuine response( a real comment on our issues, not just an automated’ I am Steve and I am then to help you’ bot- type reply) within a couple of twinkles.

The quality of converse support was well above normal, too, with agents willing to spend a veritably long time patiently walking us through some well- chosen individual way.

still, it’s tempting to assume this does not really matter, If you are a networking expert. You know what you are doing, so there is no need to pay a decoration for this kind of handholding, right?

Well, perhaps, but keep in mind that there is further to VPN support than explaining the low- position highbrow oddities. We have also asked about system status issues like temporary connection problems, or the stylish garçon to use for US Netflix or Amazon Prime. Unlike some providers, there is no waiting for a day to get an dispatch response – we have always had useful advice within twinkles of asking, and that capability to get speedy help makes a huge difference to the overall service experience.

ExpressVPN review Final verdict

This is a top- quality VPN which exceeds our prospects in everything from platform content and sequestration, to ease of use, freeing capacities and its excellent client support. ExpressVPN is more precious than utmost, but you can see why this is a polished, important and professional service.