ExpressVPN Review

If you’ve spent time researching VPN providers, chances are you’ve seen the same names popping up repeatedly. Among the heavyweights, ExpressVPN consistently ranks as one of the top contenders. Known for its blazing-fast speeds, robust security, and an impressive array of features, ExpressVPN often stands out as a go-to choice – especially for streaming enthusiasts.

Based in the British Virgin Islands and owned by Express VPN International Ltd, this VPN giant has been around since 2009. While widely praised by users and reviewers alike, the company has faced its share of controversy. Notably, it came under fire for allegedly helping obscure an assassin’s data from authorities. Despite this, ExpressVPN has cemented its position as a prominent name in the competitive VPN market. But does it truly live up to the hype as a market leader?

Signing up for ExpressVPN is much the same as many other providers. Users will be asked to choose a plan and create an account with email, payment information, and password. The packages come in three forms. The 2-year plan is the best value at $4.99 per month, which gets you all you need to stay protected and have all the benefits of a VPN while streaming. If you aren’t quite ready to lock in for 24 months, you can opt for the 12-month plan at $6.67 per month. If you’re really skeptical – despite the 7-day free trial – you can always just pay month by month at the rate of $12.95 per month. Keep in mind, though, that’s over 3x what you’d shell out monthly for the two-year plan.

ExpressVPN is also one of the most flexible in payment methods that we’ve come across. Users can pay with a multitude of credit cards, as well as PayPal, Bitcoin, Alipay, iDeal, and a variety of international financial options.

ExpressVPN currently has one of the most diverse collections of device compatibility and native applications. The usual suspects – Macs, Windows, iOS and Android – are all covered. ExpressVPN goes beyond the basics, however, with coverage for Linux, Chromebooks, Kindle Fires, and personal routers. If you prefer to run the VPN through your browser, ExpressVPN offers extensions for Chrome and Firefox as well.

As if that’s not enough, there are even more options for smart TVs and streaming hardware. ExpressVPN has options for Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV Stick, Samsung Smart TV, Roku, Chromecast, and Nvidia Shield. There are also instructions on how to secure your Xbox, Playstation, and Nintendo Switch, should you choose to do so.

A VPN’s reputation is based primarily on its claims to security. Is it trustworthy? Does it handle its security protocols properly? Does it offer enough options for users? While most VPNs will go out of their way to promote themselves as firm and reliable sources of data security, ExpressVPN does much of its security work upfront.

First off, ExpressVPN relies on a 4096-bit SHA-512 RSA encryption process to encrypt all of its data transmissions. Security experts predict that such a connection would take decades of effort to breach. ExpressVPN also uses AES-256-CBC to protect its control channels and Hash Message Authentication code, or HMAC for short, to protect real-time data.

ExpressVPN also offers support for Perfect Forward Secrecy, a software method that changes the keys used to encrypt said data in real-time. ExpressVPN operates its own DNS for all its servers, up to private, zero-knowledge, 256-bit encryption data. All of these tools have been tested by third parties and found to be reliable and strong.

ExpressVPN currently maintains only four protocols: UDP-OpenVPN, TCP-OpenVPN, IKEv2, and L2TP/IPsec. Not every protocol is available on every server or location, but the options are easy to swap in the settings.

On top of that, ExpressVPN maintains a lengthy and detailed “No Logs” policy that explains their process. ExpressVPN will not maintain any information about IP addresses or websites visited. It does log details about when the VPN was used and the specific server used, but such information could not identify anything meaningful about the VPN user. But thanks to over a decade of operations, ExpressVPN understands what it means to protect user security and has the experience and legalese to do it.

Like most VPNs, installation is very straightforward. Choose which OS or device you wish to have the software installed on and follow the instructions. For security purposes, ExpressVPN requires a verification code upon logging in or downloading the software. It will also provide a secondary code that must be input into the software to activate it. There’s no need to log in if you forget the password.

Using the applications is also very intuitive. You will receive an automatically recommended server to connect to or you can choose your own specific server location. This is useful for streaming when you want to connect to a specific location when traveling, for example, so you can access your streaming library when away from home.

While security needs to be a priority for internet users, maintaining internet speed is even more important in most cases. And the more software you’re running, the more difficult it can be to justify it. As we tested the ExpressVPN on a 100+ Mbps connection, we found that the software only slowed downloads to around 90 Mbps based on a Chicago server. A connection to a London-based server brought the connection down to 52.0 Mbps. An Australia-based server offered around 38 Mbps. Your mileage will obviously vary, but in almost all instances, the bandwidth is still more than enough for streaming most major platforms. Overall, the servers we tested were fast and reliable.

While many VPNs are blocked by video providers, ExpressVPN did an amazing job with almost every streaming service that we tried. This includes Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, YouTube, BBC iPlayer, and many more. If you have a specific service you need to unblock, you can always give the 7-day free trial a spin before pulling the trigger.

ExpressVPN maintains over 3,000 servers across 160 cities in 105 different countries. We tested several of them and found connections to be reliable, predictable and overall usable for the needs of a standard household.

With your ExpressVPN subscription, you can certainly justify the monthly price with all the features included. ExpressVPN includes TrustedServer technology (which ensures no data is ever written to a hard drive), private DNS, a reliable kill switch, no logs, AES-256 encryption, and ExpressVPN’s Lightway protocol. As if that weren’t enough, you’ll get a secure password manager, tracker blocker, and ad blocker all included.

ExpressVPN’s knowledge base is quite detailed. Not only does it offer a very detailed troubleshooting section for immediate help, but it also has 24/7 chat service and email options for more technical questions. It also has a series of videos that help show users how to use its software. ExpressVPN is absolutely the top of the crop regarding support options, and you’ll not be stuck for long should any issues arise when using the service.

ExpressVPN is one of the strongest options in the market for internet security. Not only does it provide complex security protocols to protect personal data, but it provides a variety of servers, functionality and extended features for every user. While it is one of the most expensive VPN providers, there is certainly quite a lot of value in what ExpressVPN offers that help set it above the rest.