ExpressVPN Reviews
Pros
-
Extensive device support
-
Exceptional speed
-
Intuitive apps
-
Convenient extras
-
7-day free trial for mobile devices
Cons
-
Higher prices than competitors
-
Only 8 simultaneous connections
-
No multi-hop
Features
VPN network
Privacy protection
With an extensive server network spanning 105 countries, apps for all major platforms, and even extra security tools like an ad blocker, ExpressVPN delivers all you need for a private and secure online experience.
The software is easy to use across all devices, and the speed trumps many of its competitors, making it one of the fastest VPNs on the market. Android and iOS customers can make the most of a 7-day free trial with unlimited bandwidth and everyone can enjoy three months for free when opting for annual billing.
Features
Features
Bandwidth
Unlimited
# connected devices
8
Kill switch
Created in 2009 and based in the British Virgin Islands, ExpressVPN sits comfortably among the top-tier VPN providers in the industry. The online platform serves as a client hub, providing users with subscription information, receipts, DNS settings, and setup guides.
Online portal
Servers
Servers and core features
When establishing a new connection via ExpressVPN’s visually pleasing app, users are recommended a server based on speed and distance. Alternatively, there’s the option to reconnect to the most recent server. Whichever you go for, your VPN connection will be up and running in no time.
Like any other reliable VPN, ExpressVPN features a killswitch (named Network Lock) and IPv6 leak protection. Furthermore, the VPN includes a threat manager that blocks trackers and malicious websites, an ad blocker, and parental controls to block adult sites.
Killswitch
IPv6 leak protection
Advanced protection
Shortcuts
Another great addition is the customizable shortcuts to apps and websites. These show up below the connected server name and provide users with a quick way to access their frequently used tools and sites directly from the interface.
Lightway protocol
With ExpressVPN, users get the usual options like IKEv2 and OpenVPN, plus its own protocol, Lightway. This protocol is faster, requires less processing power, and includes post-quantum protection.
Lightway is open source and available on GitHub, allowing users and developers to review the code and contribute to improvements. Still, for those who don’t know which protocol to use, the app lets you set ExpressVPN to automatically pick and connect the best protocol according to your network.
Additional features
Unlike some competitors, ExpressVPN offers extensive extras to enhance the user’s experience. The app includes a built-in speed test, and shortcuts to an IP address checker alongside a DNS and WebRTC leak test. Also, the company takes it up a notch with ExpressVPN Keys, the company’s password manager for iOS, Android, and Chrome, which is included in all plans.
Last but not least, while it is possible to set up the VPN on some routers, the company has developed its own – Aircove. It comes with ExpressVPN pre-installed and lets users fully manage each device’s connection.
Speed test
IP and leak check
DNS leak test
VPN network
VPN network
Countries
US, UK, CA, DE, RU, FR, NL, ES...
# countries
100
# servers
3
# IPs
ExpressVPN has 163 server locations in 105 countries, making it one of the most extensive VPN services. After running a few speed tests with the Lightway protocol, we were delighted with the results. We ran our tests from Europe, with an average network speed of 645 Mbps for download and 210 Mbps for upload.
Incredibly, the download speed decreased by a mere 9%, regardless of location. On the other hand, uploads showed a 40% decrease in speed and as usual, ping times greatly varied depending on how distant the server was.
It was a surprise that ExpressVPN doesn’t offer dedicated IPs or multi-hop, which are frequently offered by other VPN providers. While it supports split tunneling on most devices, macOS 11 and above doesn’t, so be sure to keep this in mind when considering ExpressVPN.
Privacy protection
Privacy protection
SSL
OpenVPN
PPTP
L2TP
SSTP
IPSec
Show all
To guarantee complete privacy and security, this VPN uses AES-256 encryption, which is highly endorsed by cybersecurity experts worldwide. Additionally, ExpressVPN has a policy that ensures that no browsing history, traffic destination, data content, DNS queries, or connection logs are collected.
Showcasing transparency, the company is occasionally audited, and most audit reports are freely available via its website. Others are accessible via its online platform for subscribers.
This solution also provides its own technology, TrustedServer. This technology runs connections entirely on volatile memory, which is RAM. Since it requires power to store data, all data is erased every time it’s powered off.
OS, device support
Platform support
Web app
Mobile optimized
macOS
Linux
Android
Windows
iOS
PlayStation
Xbox
Apple TV
Chromebook
DD-WRT
Tomato
ExpressVPN offers comprehensive device compatibility. It supports desktop and mobile devices, wireless routers, browsers, smart home devices, and more. While it offers apps for the most popular operating systems like Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, and iOS, some require manual configuration. However, this doesn’t present a problem with the company’s thorough setup guides.
Such is the case with ExpressVPN’s MediaStreamer, a DNS service that lets users access geo-restricted content on devices that don’t support VPN apps. It improves the connection to streaming services like Netflix on devices such as smart TVs.
The mobile apps for this VPN provider are accessible for both Android and iOS devices and are a breeze to navigate. The Android app presents a weekly overview of the device’s protection time, but this isn’t available on other platforms.
Android app
Android app server
Browser
Browser settings
For easy accessibility, this VPN solution offers browser extensions for Chrome, Firefox, and Edge, which work as a remote control for the desktop app. The extension is as smooth to navigate as the desktop app, can be fine-tuned, and contains a button and keyboard shortcut to open the main app.
ExpressVPN permits eight simultaneous connections across devices, which is fewer than some competitors. However, it is possible to set up the VPN on a router, which allows unlimited connections across devices. Additionally, this solution provides unlimited bandwidth on all connections.
Pricing
Pricing
Lowest price
$6.67/mo
Free trial
7 days
Money-back guarantee
30 Day(s)
Free version
ExpressVPN offers the same features across three billing cycles. You can subscribe for one, six, or twelve months – the longer you subscribe, the better deal you get. The yearly subscription costs $6.67 per month, providing a monthly discount of 49% compared to its monthly counterpart, plus three months for free.
12 Months
$6.67/mo
Billed annually
100+ countries
160+ locations
Unlimited bandwidth
10Gbps servers
Password manager
Ad and tracker blocker
3 months free
6 Months
$9.99/mo
Billed every 6 months
100+ countries
160+ locations
Unlimited bandwidth
10Gbps servers
Password manager
Ad and tracker blocker
–
1 Month
$12.95/mo
Billed monthly
100+ countries
160+ locations
Unlimited bandwidth
10Gbps servers
Password manager
Ad and tracker blocker
–
The three subscriptions include access to all ExpressVPN’s servers, unlimited bandwidth, a password manager, ad and tracker blockers, plus fast and reliable 10Gbps servers. While there’s a 7-day free trial for Android and iOS devices, computers and smart TVs don’t get this privilege. Still, you’re backed by a 30-day money-back guarantee regardless of the plan chosen, granting you a month’s worth of the service without financial risk.
It’s also possible to earn free days of service through ExpressVPN’s referral program. All users must do is refer friends via the company’s app and get 30 days free for each sign-up. To pay for the service, customers can use credit and debit cards, PayPal, ApplePay, Bitcoin, and other payment services via Paymentwall.
Payment options
Visa
Mastercard
American Express
Discover
PayPal
Wire transfer
Check
Cryptocurrency
Show all
Customer service
Customer support
24/7
Live chat
Email
Phone
Community
FAQs
Video tutorials
Remote desktop
Blog
Facebook
Instagram
X
YouTube
Show all
ExpressVPN offers 24/7 customer support through email and chat, with fast response times. The easiest way to reach the agents is via chat – we received a prompt, friendly, and informative response. Unfortunately, there is no phone number available for direct person-to-person queries. Nonetheless, with its numerous support resources like setup guides, troubleshooting articles, and account instructions, customers rarely have to contact ExpressVPN.
Resources
Chat
You can find ExpressVPN on Facebook, X, LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube. However, its activity on social media is limited to posting tips, news, and other relevant information about the industry, so you won’t get a response if you reach out via these channels.
Bottom line
ExpressVPN is clearly one of the best VPN providers worldwide. It has numerous servers and supports a diverse range of devices, from computers to smart home hubs, making it an excellent option for users with various tech setups. Despite the limit of eight simultaneous connections and platform-specific features, all its apps are intuitive and smooth to navigate with customizable shortcuts.
While it doesn’t provide multi-hop and limits split tunneling to some devices, ExpressVPN is undoubtedly a solution worth investing in. This is even considering its prices, which are a bit higher than other leading VPNs. The strict no-log policy, exceptional server performance with the Lightway protocol, and extras like a password manager make this price difference justifiable.
There’s a 30-day money-back guarantee policy in place, which covers all plans. Plus, users can enjoy discounts of up to 49%, but not before trying ExpressVPN with its 7-day free trial for Android and iOS devices.
Why you can trust us
The Best Reviews team researches and tests all products first-hand. We've been reviewing products
and services since 2012 and are proud to only publish human-created content.
Alternatives to ExpressVPN
Sérgio F.
Mary P.
Added Expressvpn to my Linksys WRT and it works great. I highly recommend this service.
I would rather pay the price of a handful of movie tickets for a quality product than have a so-so product so all things considered with EVPN, customer serv, etc…I’m cool with the annual fee…js
If you live in China, you need this app. Seriously.
Pro tip : if you’re having trouble watching netflix, it’s because you are on the wrong server. They update the servers every day to stay a step ahead. Open a chat box if you need help.
I use this VPN everyday in France. Works really well. I appreciate how the American servers work too.
I primarily use the Mac app to stream NBA and NFL games when I’m abroad. It’s crazy how good it works.
Works really well with Popcorn time. I also use it with iPlayer too. Good service.
good vpn for gaming. Helps me keep my servers secure and I can switch between east and west cost servers without any lag.
I run chromecast with expressvpn and use it with apple tv too. Works great.
Anonymous, private and best of all, very fast. I have it installed on my windows desktop, Macbook and iPhone. All work great.
ExpressVPN is an essential as a good antivirus. The Mac app especially is good.
Works pretty good on my iphone. I like how to app just runs in the background without too much noise or interference. Easy to use too.
I have had expressVPN for 1yr now! (ONLY because I signed up for the 1 yr plan) I was mostly using ONLY the DNS servers to stream, but when that quit working I was forced to purchase a new router (which they recommended, and advertised on their website) so I could use their VPN service… my speeds went down EXTREMELY LOW!!!! Sometimes by as much as a 90% loss!!!! I constantly argue and fight back and forth with them, only to get BS excuses in return! I do NOT feel they should be legally allowed to advertise as they do!!!! STAY AWAY!!!!
There are cheaper options available, but in the end you get what you pay for. This service has worked really well for me. The speeds are as good as if you were browsing regularly and the connection success rate is damn near perfect. Plus, they’re actively updating and revamping their apps to make them better. Customer service is srsly the best in the business and it works extremely well in China.
Awesome vpn service. Runs smooth on everything from my macbook to ps4. I like how they’re constantly optimizing their network to provide a faster service.
Am in Nigeria and can’t find Express VPN on Google Play Store as becuase it says that it isn’t available. Please help out.
Gabriel T
I wonder if ExpressVPN do have a hidden download limit. If you exceed it, they throttle your bandwidth very quickly down to zero, but rarely disconnect you.
At such times, when expressvpn seems to have lost connection with its servers, if I shut down expressvpn I can browse/download/upload as normal over my standard ISP connection.
(I’m not 100% certain of expressvpn being the cause of the dropouts, but I’m gradually trying out new/replacing bits of hardware to try and determine if the fault is with expressvpn or not.)
I get the impression expressvpn give you a months grace after joining their service, then they begin tightening the screw on your bandwidth/connection.
Banks and airlines could learn a lesson or twelve from ExpressVPN’s excellent customer service
As a digital nomad it’s nice knowing that Express VPN is keeping me safe when I’m on airport or cafe wifi.
If you want to give the middle finger to Comcast, buy ExpressVPN and never turn it off.
Couldn’t buy games off steam while travelling abroad in Spain because my location didn’t match up. Connecting to the US on ExpressVPN solved the problem.
Even if you don’t torrent but go to those illegal streaming sites like Couchtuner and YIFY, you should probably be using a good VPN like Express
You can stream the Walking Dead on Hulu from outside the US with ExpressVPN.
Up to 5 not 3 devices would make me jump in and get a year + delete PIA just like that! I miss terribly Hulu+ from PcS in Quintana Roo.
I’ve watched a looooot of Bojack Horseman and Bob’s Burgers on ExpressVPN
I’ve watched a looooot of Bojack Horseman and Bob’s Burgers on ExpressVPN
A lot of people in Brazil are switching to Telegram because gov’t has been blocking Whatsapp, but it still works with ExpressVPN on iOS and probably Android too.
French guy here. I can watch UK and US Netflix with ExpressVPN.
Express APP is awesome on my ASUS tablet.
I think if ExpressVPN lowered their price there would be no question about which VPN was the best.
Two thumbs up for ExpressVPN. One for customer support and one for a great, fast app.
5 star reviews are fake on most sites, ExpressVPN sucks! I am a computer expert, and they do not have fast servers at all, even trying different servers they are slow, Tormenting with the worst speed possible. I can post the conversation between me and customer service for laugh but I’ll save them the embarrassment. They know nothing! Stay away from these fake paid reviews, stay away from ExpressVPN.
5* Customer Service. This is what you want with any on-line purchase and company. I needed my setting “tweeked” and something_ was wrong. My speed was dropping off horribly, and I knew something was wrong. EXPRESSVPN, sat with me for literally hours on line, doing screen shots, and working out all my problems. The amazing patience of Freddy at EXPRESSVPN was beyond anything that you could expect from customer service. All I can say to anyone with speed problems, dropping really badly is THAT YOU HAVE TECHNICAL PROBLEMS! and these CAN be fixed! My setting needed changing, and most importantly DO NOT EVER have your APP running in the background when you are connected to wifi VPN. CLOSE the APP, watch your speed go from 4 or 5 as mine was to a blazing 45!! Don’t give up!! Have patience, you’ll get a perfectly working VPN with Express, but YOU have to have patience and time to work out your settings! Most people will be easy, I had a dual router set-up using APPLE_ Time Capsule (no OPEN VPN possible with that) and piggybacked into Netgear Night Hawk 7000. 5***** to ExpressVPN with great product, and EXCEPTIONAL SERVICE!! Thank you FREDDY!!
I like that ExpressVPN uses activation codes so you only have to set it up once and then never log into the app again.
I can use Snapshot and Instagram in China with Express
Bought an ExpressVPN subscription for my son when he studied abroad in Shanghai. I figured it’s easy to use and pretty reliable. Now they allow more computers to be connected at the same time, so we just share one plan from opposite sides of the world!
Got Express on my Kindle Fire. Runs smoothly, doesn’t drop the connection.
Just finished up watching Game of Thrones from Italy on HBO Go with Express vpn.
Just finished up watching Game of Thrones from Italy on HBO Go with Express vpn.
Been using Express while living in China for three years and it’s been better than all the ones my colleagues here use.
In a world of poorly put together VPNs Express is a well polished gem.
ExpressVPN makes the best and most stable mobile apps for both iOS and android imo
just got expressvpn. really love gow easy it is to use. great support, great download speeds.
watching the new season of broad city from New Zealand with express VPN. Yass queen!
expressvpn works very well with Steam if you’re having trouble making payments from other countries.
Comcast has a nasty habit of restricing bandwidth to netflix, but you can get around it with an encrypted VPN like Express.
Just binge-watched the entire new season of House of Cards from China with ExpressVPN.
I’ve watched netflix from 4 different continents with ExpressVPN
Never have to worry about videos buffering on Express VPN
This company stole $99.95 USD from me without my consent through Paypal for a service I haven’t used in 2 years. Paypal sided with them and put in the transaction anyway despite my contacting ExpressVPN to cancel my account. ExpressVPN promised to refund me the money and said they did, but they didn’t. So I made a complaint to Paypal again and I have to keep contacting them and receive more lies and excuses from them not to pay me back because I “put in another dispute”. I have to take legal action. AVOID!
Express is my 31 app when travelling on mobile and desktop
So fast, so so easy. Highly recommend ExpressVPN!
o as someone who has used tons of VPNs before, ExpressVPN definitely has more servers than your average VPN. This means that my service is largely freed up and is nice and quick!
They have a 30 day free trial which is pretty good for a VPN company. First time I signed up, I actually chose not to go forward with ym30 day trial because I didnt think I’d use it enough. However I ended up signing up for the yearly package all the same afterwards 😛
A bit on the pricey side when it comes to VPNs, but for the added couple of bucks, its definitely worth the consistent quality
I am from Singapore. I always have problem connecting to US networks. For a VPN that costs so much, I would have expected to connect to any network I want in less than a min. Totally unacceptable. Plus livechat is currently down and I have to wait a few hours for replies. So much for customer service. Going to ask for a refund soon if this problem isn’t fixed. #1 VPN my ass….
When you travel, there are a lot of places where internet connection is severely limited. Having a good VPN is essential if you want to stay in touch with people back home. I tried many of the free ones, with limited success, before getting an ExpressVPN subscription. The difference is unbelievable. It’s just so quick! And it’s never been down, as far as I can tell. Great service. 5 Stars.
The last VPN service I used put me off them. My internet connection is quite slow, and it just wouldn’t work with a VPN at all. Too much buffering made watching videos impossible. A friend put me on to ExpressVPN, and I am shocked at how quick it is. No buffering at all. And now I can stream all my shows again. Very happy!
I’ve tried hundreds of VPNS over the years. When you travel as much as I do, they are essential for safety and connecting. ExpressVPN has the most stable and robust connection I have found. And the speed is staggering. 10/10.
When we were travelling the Middle East, my Grandparents were involved in a car accident. We were frantically trying to get hold of them, or get news of what had happened, but we were having serious connection troubles. Most of the sites we used to communicate on were blocked or heavily censored. It wasn’t until we bought an ExpressVPN connection that we were able to get in touch with people back home. It turned out to be OK, but I can’t thank ExpressVPN enough for their service.
works great! no complaints
I’ve used Express VPN for about 9 months, connecting to one of their servers has become a highly time-consuming and agonizing task, increasingly often connecting to any one of them is absolutely impossible, even worse they constantly disconnect just seconds after connecting. The speed has become most of the time unacceptably slow, insufficient for even simple communication purposes. Their services started out somewhat acceptably, then they got worse and worse. The services provided now are definitely not worth the money paid.
Do not get Express VPN, constantly disconnects (I’ve used them for about a year with tons of customer service and hair pulling). They will throttle your connection and limit your bandwidth, or just constantly disconnect you to reset your buffer when trying to watch a movie or video. This saves them on bandwidth, and wastes your time. They start out decent, then they get worse and worse. Definitely, do NOT get Express VPN! I’ve finally become exhausted with them, so I’m now writing my reviews everywhere I can.
I am looking around for more security to add to my malware and antivirus and AES/WPA2 encryption for my wireless without having to go out and buy an expensive firewall. Express VPN was an excellent choice, works fine, very simple to use and very
Really impressed with the service. The fact I am on the other side on the world and the technician was able to help me remotely. Very Fast and reliable connection. I was able to get my job done efficiently while I travel abroad. I owe my job promotion to express VPN. Highly recommended!
Satisfied is not even able to describe the service; 1- The speed was amazing and Reliable – i have received a reply so quick and not only did a reply came – the reply included an answer !!! (which i have not encountered before!) AND MOST IMPORTANTLY – it was the correct answer and the appropriate solution !! I promise i have never had such a customer service experience SWIFT EFFICIENT EFFECTIVE !!! wow
Here’s my experiences using ExpressVPN for the last few months.
I’m using this ExpressVPN to bypass censorships, including accessing blocked sites and hulu.com. Occasionally, it’s hard to connect, but by waiting a bit longer or switching services, it’s always worked out. It’s fairly good considering lots of other VPN services didn’t even work once for where I am when it’s a hard time. I used it for months without having any big problems.
It worked for my DD-WRT router, so I can setup two Wi-Fi access points, one for VPN, one for direct connection, it’s worked good. Also when on the go, there’s an official Android app available, the app updated often for what I saw, and included a Gadget, so you can turn it on or off handy.
Hulu is blocking IP ranges, but also blocking VPN services, and last I checked, ExpressVPN is one of them. But lucky, there’s a free tool called “Hola!”. Turn on ExpressVPN, then turn on Hola for Hulu.com, it’s worked for me, and the speed is good here. You can enable Hola only for sites you choose, and can edit this list anytime. Besides using Hola, you can of course using a smart DNS service, like StrongDNS, to access Hulu. (If you live in a place where Hola is not blocked, you can using Hola only to access Hulu. And if you living in a place don’t have heavy Internet censorship, you can use StrongDNS only to access Hulu and other geo limited streaming services.)
Here’s a silly referral link for ExpressVPN, click it to signing up, then we can both get one month free:
I would like to say that I was extremely satisfied with ExpressVPN while my children and I were in China. We were homeschooling and it was important that we were able to reach those websites from China with acceptable response time. I was also able to keep friends and family updated through Facebook. We are back in the US and no longer need our VPN, but I will highly recommend ExpressVPN to friends and will sign up again when I go back to China!
Excellent service! I have no complaints at all with the service I have received from ExpressVPN over the last twelve months. Professional Customer support, Looking forward to the continuation of service when my contract is renewed.
Have had nothing but problems with the company. Their troubleshooting is mediocre at best. Their price would be great if the service worked when you wanted it to. Their customer service gets back to you but always a ridiculous amount of excuses and a lot of “it’s all Vpns not just us” type of crap. Even though their speeds aren’t the best I had few to no issues with strong vpn and will be returning to them.
Excellent service. I travel a lot and need a good speedy connection when im abroad. This does the trick – thanks for the review!
This isn’t the first VPN I’ve tried, but it is the best so far out of about 6. I need fast servers to get good streaming on my Netflix account and to get into Hulu when I’m out of town like now.
ExpressVPN works great for me to get a US IP address to communicate more securely with the home office, and to access Facebook and Skype when I am in the field.
I didn’t want to try ExpressVPN at first because it was more expensive than others. But then after trying others I realized I wasted a lot of time and money. ExpressVPN offers a lot more features and security than others for the price.
I started trying VPNs without knowing much about how they work. I chose ExpressVPN because they have great support and many options. Together I was able to learn how to choose great settings for my different activities. I stay with ExpressVPN because I have experiences their superior servers and service over more than a year.
When I first started using VPNs, I didn’t know much about how they worked. I just knew that I needed one for provacy protection. I looked for one that gave good tutorials and support. When I tried ExpressVPN it stuck because there are a lot of options that I could play with without gettingcharged extra fees. When I learned how to control the options, I stayed with ExpressVPN because they have great servers and security.
ExpressVPN has been a great help in my efforts to spread the word abouot website censorship and violations of freedom in China. I feel safe with them and so I can focus on my efforts towards Internet privacy and freedom.
ExpressVPN worked like a charm when I was in Sochi for the Games. I wanted a reliable and fast VPN to share Olympic highlights conveniently and it is the best I have tried.
ExpressVPN is not expensive like most websites claim. They just don’t have hidden charges. I appreciate this honesty. And I am also very particular about privacy policies. I found their policies to be very honest as well. Then I tried them and was even more impressed by the quality of service.
I need to get website access from China for work and I need to make sure I am not tracked so I chose ExpressVPN because they have a good privacy policy. They also have reliable speeds and the strong OpenVPN protocol for best security.
ExpressVPN offers a lot of features and protocol options that other VPN providers charge extra for. And customer service is very clear about what is included in their packages and how to get the best settings. Apps for different devices also do not cost extra.
I use ExpressVPN alot for private file sharing and video and live streaming. Our work files sometimes get corrupted because of personal BYOD devices passing malware to our network. Now our remote workers started using personal VPNs. We got the best results with ExpressVPN Android and iPhone/iPad apps. We want to get the ExpressVPN DD-WRT flashed outers for our offices too.
When I started using ExpressVPN, their customer support was very fast and helpful. I found them in vpnexpress.net and liked the articles. Now I feel confident because I learned a lot about the protocols and servers. It is very easy to use, and I especially like that it uses OpenVPN so it is more secure and private.
ExpressVPN is the first VPN service I tried. I chose this provider because they provide a lot of information about VPN services and how to install and manage it on different devices. It works very well to unblock content and so far no security issues.
I like this provider. I tried them for three months and it is very easy. I use OpenVPN and I feel safe when I access any website from my country.
I love the features of ExpressVPN, especially the options to change protocols and the availability of apps for so many different devices. I had some trouble at first and customer support sometimes took a while to review the issue but I understand because they were very thorough in solving my problem.
I love the privacy I get with ExpressVPN. As a journalist covering stories in Asia and the Middle East, I have to be very careful. ExpressVPN provides me with the protection I need so I can focus on my work without looking over my shoulder. Support is great, too, and I like the manageable protocol options.
Excellent and reliable. It made our China vacation more worthwhile.