Snapshot
ExpressVPN are one of the most recognisable names on the market, offering best-in-class zero logs privacy, fantastic speeds, awesome features and easy to use applications. ExpressVPN is a true market leader, and whilst it comes with a premium price tag (compared to others), users are rewarded with an outstanding product!
Compatible with
Rating
Our score:
4.8
★★★★★ 4.8/5
Pricing
Price from:
$8.32
per month
Pros
- Blazing-fast servers with up to 170Mbps download speeds
- Extremely user-friendly applications on all devices
- Kill switch, DNS leak protection, 256-bit AES encryption
- Access to over 3,000+ servers spanning 94 countries
- Unblocks Netflix, BBC iPlayer and great for HD streaming
- Peer-to-peer (P2P) torrenting permitted
- Defeats content and government censorship
- One of the most trusted names out there
Cons
- Only allows you to protect 5 devices
- Premium brand so you pay a premium price
Introduction
‘The VPN that just works’, ExpressVPN certainly does what says on the tin, and is the market leader for a whole host of good reasons. Since 2009, this premium provider has transformed and innovated the VPN market. Today they operate one of the most expansive worldwide server networks that deliver unbeatable performance and reliability. They are by no means the cheapest, but often in life you get what you pay for and a premium price delivers a premium service.
ExpressVPN are extremely privacy and user focussed deploying the most advanced encryption techniques combined with a whole host of additional security features. They have a really well-designed app that even the most tech averse user could get to grips with in minutes.
Whether you are browsing online, using public wi-fi, wanting to stream geo-restricted content or trying to evade government censorship, they deliver in all areas. They are also torrent friendly which is a feature we know our readers will love!
ExpressVPN offer a 30-day money-back guarantee so you can test their service out risk-free, so you really have nothing to lose by giving them a go. We reiterate, they may not be the cheapest, but they really do deliver by unlocking every restriction and opening every door.
Pricing
Plans are available on 1, 6 or 12 month deals. The 12-month plan represents the best value for money and is currently on special offer with 35% off when purchased through our website. On top of this, ExpressVPN offer an up to 30-day no quibble money back guarantee on all their plans.
For payment, ExpressVPN currently accepts a wide range of options including most major debit and credit cards (including American Express), PayPal, and lots of international methods including Alipay, Mint, FanaPay, UnionPay and WebMoney. If you’re looking for additional anonymity, they also accept Bitcoin cryptocurrency.
6 month plan
$
9
99
per month -
Billed $59.95 every 6 months
Visit website
30-day money back guarantee
12 month plan
$
8
32
per month -
Billed $99.95 every 12 months
Visit website
30-day money back guarantee
SAVE 35%
Features
As you have probably guessed by now, ExpressVPN comes fully packaged and won’t leave you feeling short changed. With any top provider, your privacy is our number one priority and we are pleased to report ExpressVPN deliver with military grade IP and traffic encryption keeping you safe and secure from online threats and monitoring. ExpressVPN don’t log any of your browsing activity and back up your protection with handy security features like the must have ‘kill switch’ and DNS leak protection.
When it comes to speeds, ExpressVPN are industry leading. Couple this with a truly advanced network of 3,000+ servers in 94 countries and they really are up there with the very best!
Geo-restricted content on the likes of Netflix, BBC iPlayer, sports streams and other popular content are unblocked with ease, and they also offer a mind blowing ‘split tunnelling’ feature which enables users to route selected device traffic through a VPN whilst others maintain direct access to the internet. Wow! Extremely handy for example if you’re looking to stream overseas whilst utilising web services from local IP addresses.
When it comes to the app, it’s easy to use, no frills, straight forward and obvious. A big button in the middle of the screen saying on or off… How far wrong can you go!? Set your location, hit the button and off you go.
Platforms and devices
ExpressVPN are a little less liberal than their peers only allowing you to protect 5 of your devices with one account. That said, it’s going to work with pretty much any device that you can connect to the internet, ensuring your online activity remains private and protected at home or on the move.
Their user-friendly apps can be installed on macOS, Windows & Linux operating systems as well as iOS and Android mobile devices. If using a Fire TV (Amazon Firestick) or Kodi is your thing… they’ve got you covered too, as well as Chrome and Firefox browser users. It’s also easy enough to configure your home router and protect your entire wi-fi network in one go offsetting your 5 device limit which is good to know!
Streaming
Accessing some of the best geo-restricted content is only possible with a VPN, and Express is super reliable and perfect for doing this. With great speeds and thousands of servers, Netflix, BBC iPlayer, Hulu, Spotify, live sports events etc., sometimes censored by governments, are instantly unblocked with a click of a button. Whether you are at home or travelling abroad, their service won’t let you down. All you need to do is select a server from the country’s content you want to view (e.g. US for the US Netflix store and the UK for BBC iPlayer) and you’re all set!
Torrenting
ExpressVPN is an ideal choice for users who want the protection of a VPN when torrenting as P2P file sharing is permitted on all 3,000+ of their servers and they don’t have any limits on bandwidth. This in turn equates to industry leading speeds and reduces any potential for congestion. They also have the much talked about kill switch built in which helps secure your activity further from potential prying eyes.
Speed
Express by name and express by nature! Speed tests for ExpressVPN have turned up some fantastic results, delivering blazing fast speeds to us when testing. Not only this, we found they were really consistent throughout, meaning wherever you are in the world, you have a nearby connection to a super-fast server.
ExpressVPN also has its ‘smart location’ feature meaning the app can automatically direct you to the quickest server based on your location. Pretty handy if like us you just want to open your app click one button and be connected to the fastest and least congested server available!
Like with all VPNs, local connections with give you the best speed as generally speaking, the closer you are to the server the better. Hugely impressive speeds of up to 170Mbps were achieved locally. Global average speeds of around 63Mbps are reliably delivered if you are connecting to the USA from the UK for example (perfect for HD streaming Netflix etc). For these reasons, you will benefit from solid upload speeds and very low latency if you are gaming or P2P torrenting.
Whilst some other VPNs may deliver slightly higher speeds on select servers, it’s fair to say ExpressVPN has some of the most consistent, highest quantity, servers continually at your disposal.
If you enjoy HD streaming, P2P file sharing, gaming and general internet browsing, you can’t go wrong with choosing ExpressVPN.
Security
ExpressVPN claim to be #1 trusted VPN around, so our question is, can we trust them with your data? The simple answer is yes! They employ some of the best and most industry leading security measures available helping to keep you safe online.
Encryption is delivered by industry favourite AES-256 which means your true IP address is fully hidden and untraceable. They also use our preferred OpenVPN protocol as well as IKEv2 & L2TP giving users a number of options to play with.
For those of us who just want our VPN app to take care of everything, you can simply set the app to default you to the best performing protocol which is handy if speed is of priority to you.
As you would expect from a market leader, it ticks all the right boxes by having DNS leak protection and the additional feature of ‘split tunnelling’ which allows you to be fully protected by a VPN without losing connection to local devices (such as printers and TV’s).
They also have a built-in kill switch, which in our view is a total must, ensuring you won’t be left exposed should your VPN lose connection, a robust no logs policy, and operate from an ultra-privacy friendly jurisdiction.
ExpressVPN is hugely popular choice for users who live or travel to countries like China & the UAE where there are the highest levels of government censorship, but a generally just a fantastic provider the world over. They perfectly combine the best blend of security measures with additional obfuscation techniques ensuring you can safely and privately overcome government blocks and stay safe online.
Applications
The ExpressVPN apps, whilst packed with great features, are extremely easy to get to grips with and simple to navigate. It takes just the click of a button to be securely connected to the best VPN server for you.
Their apps can be easily installed onto popular iOS and android devices and are perfect for using with the Amazon Firestick and Android TVs.
Customer service
ExpressVPN offer top notch 24/7 customer support, delivered via online chat and email, in the unlikely event you should need them. There is also an impressive quantity of guides on their website (the best we have seen) giving advice on setting up your VPN with various devices and for specific purposes. Overall, we found ExpressVPN offering good customer service and quick response times during our mystery shopping test.
Log policy
ExpressVPN advertise as a no logs VPN and we are confident that customer data and privacy is at the forefront of their operations. They state “ExpressVPN does not see or record which websites you visit. We never log the destination or contents of your traffic, and we run our own private on every VPN server for added privacy and anonymity”. This ensures they don’t collect any IP addresses, browsing history or traffic information.
However, they do collect the following data to help improve their services as outlined on their website: dates when your account has connected to their VPN service, which server location you chose, and the total amount of data you used per day. They make it absolutely clear that none of this data can be linked back to any individual.
They have zero obligations to store any data and should any authority make a request, we are 100% confident that ExpressVPN won’t be able to hand any of your online activities to any authority as its not stored in the first place.
Jurisdiction
Located in the British Virgin Islands (BVI), ExpressVPN is totally isolated from the US and EU authorities with their strict data regulations. The BVI enforces no such requirements so they are under no obligation to log and store information. This is perfect for privacy conscious users as they have no connection to any government or international data sharing schemes.
The verdict
ExpressVPN has been a market leader for a long time now and for good reason too. Premium products don’t come cheap, and the price differential vs the benefits on offer compared to other top rivals is why we have marked them down slightly on our overall score.
Additionally, you can only protect 5 devices at the same time for your one subscription, whereas other providers are offering double, or even unlimited. We certainly think ExpressVPN could be more generous here.
That said, you really are getting one of the best VPNs money can buy. It’s undoubtedly fast, super secure, and truly reliable, and effortlessly unblocks the likes of Netflix, BBC iPlayer & other popular streaming services.
P2P file sharing is allowed on all its servers as well as safely bypassing any government censorship or blocked websites/apps. Its choice of speedy servers both in quantity, quality and variety of location choice is second-to-none.
It’s no wonder millions of users swear by their service and Melvyn and the team at comparemyvpn.com are delighted to recommend them to all our readers around the world!