ExpressVPN Review – In-Depth Breakdown (2025 Edition)

Like many digital nomads, we’ve spent a fair amount of time hanging out in our favorite neighborhood café, taking advantage of the excellent pour-over coffee and free Wi-Fi. The trouble is that these internet connections are usually not very secure, putting your private details and sensitive work files at risk.

A VPN diminishes these dangers by encrypting your data, so that it’s impossible for third parties to read it. Some are also paired with malware detectors and ad blockers to protect your device from being infected by bad actors.

ExpressVPN is one of the most tried and tested options on the market. With more than 15 years of experience under its belt, it continually ranks among the best reviewed options out there. Its simple user interface makes it an ideal option for people who are new to VPNs and want an easy way to connect.

In this post, we’re going to look at how it stacks up against the competition in terms of speed, security and pricing, as well as highlighting its unique features.

Company Background

ExpressVPN was founded back in 2009, which makes it older than top competitors like Surfshark, NordVPN and Proton. The company is incorporated in the British Virgin Islands, so that it can take advantage of that overseas territory’s privacy laws, especially those governing data retention.

Originally owned and operated by a pair of college friends, it was acquired by cybersecurity company Kape Technologies in 2021. This caused a bit of a ruckus back in the day, as some people pointed out that the new parent entity had been linked to ad tech and data harvesting. However, the official stance is that ExpressVPN operates as a separate entity.

ExpressVPN now has more than 4 million subscribers across 180 countries, supported by teams in over 20 cities around the globe, including London, Tokyo, Toronto and Sydney.

Core Features

ExpressVPN is no shirker when it comes to features. Their VPN can be used across smartphones, computers and smart TVs, complemented by a suite of extras like ad blockers, threat managers and even Wi-Fi routers.

Although their limit of 8 simultaneous devices is not as generous as Surfshark (unlimited) or Hola (10), it should still be enough for most digital nomads.

Security & Privacy

ExpressVPN recently ditched some of their older, less-secure protocols and trimmed their offering down to 3: Lightway, OpenVPN and IKEv2. They use AES-256 encryption as standard, although they do also employ ChaCha20 for some devices, depending on what’s compatible.

The company has a strict no-logs policy, which includes both activity logs and connection logs. This was last independently audited by KPMG in 2023 as part of a broad inspection of its privacy policy.

In fact, they regularly order audits of other parts of their product, including their Lightway protocol, their Aircove routes and their browser extensions.

ExpressVPN also has several tools to beef up your privacy, including:

• Kill switch. A popular VPN tool, this immediately blocks your connection the moment your VPN drops, preventing data leaks. ExpressVPN’s version is called Network Lock and is available for Windows, Mac, Linux and routers.
• DNS leak test and IP checker. These let you confirm whether your VPN is properly hiding your browsing and IP address.
• Tracker blocker. Some apps and websites record activity on your device, so that they can share this information with third parties. ExpressVPN’s Threat Manager blocks this form of tracking.

Performance & Server Network

ExpressVPN has 10 Gbps servers spread across 105 countries. They no longer specify exactly how many servers they have, which comes across as a bit sketchy and makes us wonder if they are falling behind their competitors.

That would perhaps explain why their speeds aren’t quite as good as they used to be. While Mullvad, Proton and NordVPN can all exceed 950 Mbps downloading on a high-speed internet connection, ExpressVPN languishes at about 350-400 Mbps.

That said, the speed is still plenty good enough for video calls, streaming and gaming across multiple devices, so it may be a moot point!

Even though the percentage loss in speed when you’re using ExpressVPN is relatively high compared to the market leaders (scroll down for more info), you’re more likely to be limited by the baseline internet speed than the VPN.

To help you get the most out of four VPN, ExpressVPN has a load balancing feature called Smart Location that will automatically select the best server for you in terms of speed.

Special Features

ExpressVPN supports split tunneling for most devices, excluding macOS 11 and above. This means that you can segment your internet usage into traffic that passes through your VPN and traffic that doesn’t. This can be useful if you want to directly access some sites that are taking a long time to load, while still maintaining anonymity on other sites.

In addition to its tracker blocker, ExpressVPN also has an ad blocker that shuts out some display ads from popping up on your screen. It’s not full proof, but the company is continually updating it blocklists – although the software doesn’t cover video and audio ads.

There’s also limited GPS spoofing available with browser extensions for Chrome, Firefox and Edge. This helps fake your GPS location so that it matches your VPN, which can be handy for streaming and gaming.

Other useful free extras include ExpressVPN Keys (a dressed-up password manager), private DNS (stops ISPs tracking your activity) and Identity Defender (a US-only feature that offers ID theft insurance, personal data removal and alerts of suspicious activity on the dark web).

Uniquely, ExpressVPN also has its own router, dubbed Aircove. These have VPN functionality built in, so that all devices on your Wi-Fi network are protected. They come in a compact size for smaller spaces and a larger size for bigger homes.

Speed, Streaming & Torrenting Performance

ExpressVPN used to be touted as one of the fastest VPNs on the market, but that crown has slipped slightly in recent years. To try and boost their speeds, they recently launched an upgrade to their Lightway VPN protocol dubbed Lightway Turbo, but it’s had a few teething issues.

Even though the update isn’t functioning well just yet, it’s at least promising to see that ExpressVPN have plans in the pipeline to bring it more in line with faster competitors.

Speed Test Results

We conducted our tests using ExpressVPN’s Lightway protocol, connecting to a local server in Europe.

Our figures are based on the percentage decrease in speed according to three key factors: downloading, uploading and latency. This seems like the most useful measure to us, since absolute speeds will necessarily be limited by your connection.

It’s all very well saying that ExpressVPN can reach 400 Mbps, but that’s not particularly meaningful if you’re on a slow connection out in the boonies of Bulgaria.

Downloading: 15.61%

Uploading: 40.79%

Latency: 2,096.50%

Measuring speed is a notoriously difficult thing with VPNs, since the rates can be massively affected by the distance to the server, congestion on a server and other factors. (Don’t even get us started on trying to get a decent connection in China!)

However, we found our connection was stable using the ExpressVPN app across both an Android phone and a Windows PC.

Streaming & P2P Support

ExpressVPN was one of the best VPNs we tested for unblocking streaming platforms. We were easily able to access geographically specific content from Netflix, as well as view shows and movies on Disney+, Hulu, BBC iPlayer and DAZN.

Even though we’ve mentioned the comparatively slow speeds of ExpressVPN relative to the VPN market leaders, we didn’t have any issues with resolution and buffering while streaming content.

On the torrenting side, ExpressVPN allows P2P traffic on all their servers, which is pretty handy and makes the whole process simpler (with some VPNs, only some servers support torrenting).

Like many VPN brands, they don’t support port forwarding, although they do provide instructions on how to set it up on a router that is running ExpressVPN. Just remember that this traffic will not run through your VPN.

Security and Data Protection

The overall picture of ExpressVPN’s security is positive, with constant updates and audits to improve their ability to safeguard the data and browsing history of their users. As part of those efforts, they run a bug bounty that offers cash rewards for any vulnerabilities that are discovered within its infrastructure.

However, there is a bit of a black mark against ExpressVPN at the moment. Last year, it was revealed that a bug in their split tunneling feature meant that they had been inadvertently exposing the domains that users were visiting since 2022! This bug has since been fixed and audited, but it’s pretty worrying that this was missed for so long.

Encryption & VPN Protocols

Lightway is ExpressVPN’s signature, custom protocol, with a choice of AES-256 or ChaCha20 encryption. Built from the ground up and recently recoded using Rust, it’s the fastest option available and has fewer connection drops than the alternatives. It’s also advertised as having “post-quantum protection,” although that’s hard for us to test.

IKEv2 is a good option for mobile VPNs because it rapidly re-establishes dropped connections. However, it doesn’t have the same speed as Lightway and is more likely to be blocked by firewalls.

OpenVPN is the most versatile connection, as it is highly configurable. It has comparable security to Lightway and IKEv2, making it a good option for people who don’t mind sacrificing a bit of speed for custom setups and settings.

No-Logs Policy & Audit History

The company’s no-logs policy (including both activity and connection logs) means that they would not be able to share any meaningful data about your VPN usage, even if they were legally compelled to do so.

Their webpage displays a transparency report that indicates how many law enforcement requests, DMCA requests, government warrants, gag orders and national security letters they have received in the past year.

Perhaps most reassuring of all, they have regular audits on their privacy and security conducted by a variety of companies, including KPMG, Cure53 and Praetorian. All these can be scrutinized via their Trust Center, which is a handy hub for all ExpressVPN’s security and privacy initiatives.

Jurisdiction & Privacy Implications

ExpressVPN is incorporated in the British Virgin Islands, which have no data retention laws. This is what facilitates the company’s no-logs policy.

Even though the archipelago is technically part of the UK, it operates autonomously, meaning that it does not engage in intelligence-sharing organizations like Fourteen Eyes.

To obtain data from ExpressVPN, an entity would have to petition the British Virgin Islands high court, which is a burdensome process with a lot more legal hurdles than, say, the United States.

Put simply, the British Virgin Islands are a privacy-friendly region.

Pricing and Subscription Plans

Unlike many of its top competitors, ExpressVPN has a single service tier. That means features like the threat manager and ad blocker are included as standard.

There are substantial discounts for purchasing one-year and two-year subscriptions over one-month subscriptions. All fees must be paid upfront and are subject to sales tax.

Just like Surfshark and NordVPN, the renewal price after your initial term goes up astronomically. For instance, you can sign up for a 2-year plan that will cost around $76.56 (plus VAT), but after 24 months your renewal price will be at least $149.70 – about double.

Plan Breakdown

All ExpressVPN subscriptions come with VPN tools like split tunnelling, kill switch and private DNS. They also include extras like the ad blocker, threat manager and password manager, as well as Identity Defender for US users.

Single-month subscription: $12.95 plus VAT.

12-month subscription: $6.67 per month ($80.04 plus VAT total).

24-month subscription: $4.99 per month ($119.76 plus VAT total).

A dedicated IP can be purchased for an extra $8.99 per month (monthly subscription), $3.75 per month (yearly subscription) or $3.19 per month (biennial subscription).

There’s a 7-day free trial for people who want to test the VPN out on their iOS or Android smartphones.

Payment Options & Refunds

ExpressVPN accepts all the usual payment methods, including credit cards, PayPal, Google Pay and Apple Pay. You can also purchase a subscription using cryptocurrency.

Like Surfshark and Nord, ExpressVPN has a 30-day money-back guarantee. Basically, you can request a full refund up to 30 days after you sign up for a subscription. This is only available for first-time users who purchase through the website or Google Play (not the Apple App Store).

To get a refund, you have to speak to a rep through the live chat service or email, but you can cancel for any reason. The only caveat is you cannot have used the money-back guarantee previously, no matter how long ago it was.

Refunds can take up to 7 business days, but most people seem to receive their cash faster than that.

Customer Support Experience

ExpressVPN has a 24/7 live chat function, which is clearly displayed on the bottom right-hand corner of all webpages. It’s also possible to contact them via email.

Like Surfshark and NordVPN, you first interact with an AI bot, which will direct you to handy posts in the support center. If that doesn’t satisfactorily answer your questions, it’s very easy to request a human rep.

ExpressVPN’s knowledge base is solid, with succinct articles that cover all the operating systems and devices that the VPN supports. The search function isn’t the most intuitive, and we had to be quite specific to get the details we were looking for about manually configuring the software for Windows devices.

That said, once we found the right article, the screenshots accompanying the instructions made everything super clear.

Pros and Cons

Pros:

✅ Easy to use for VPN newbies

✅ Good for streaming

✅ Single subscription tier

✅ 24/7 live chat

✅ Regular audits of security and privacy policies

Cons:

❌ No double VPN option

❌ Some features only available to US subscribers

❌ Price hike on renewal

Comparison With Other VPNs (300 words)

*We’ve selected the midrange option for each service listed above, rather than the basic or premium plan. Speeds and prices will vary according to geography.

ExpressVPN is on the more expensive side of the spectrum, which might automatically turn some people off – especially since their product slows down connection speed more than some of their cheaper competitors.

They also don’t have the antivirus capabilities of Surfshark or the breadth of security features of NordVPN.

On the flip side, they have a very proactive customer service team and are one of the top choices for unblocking geo-blocked streaming services.

Plus, as we’ve already mentioned, they are actively working to match their competitors by developing faster protocols and more security features. So, even if they are a bit pricier, at least it’s clear that they’re putting the money to use!

User Reviews and Ratings

ExpressVPN has a good rep on Trustpilot with a score of 4.2/5. Even though that’s not as high as Surfshark, only 7% of its reviews are 1 star, which is a better proportion than most of its major competitors.

It also has solid feedback on Google Play Store (4.4/5) and the Apple App Store (4.7/5), with users of ExpressVPN on iOS devices notably happier with the consistency than people on Android devices.

What people like:

Proactive customer service. People appreciate the responsiveness of the reps.

Regular fixes. When bugs arise, ExpressVPN quickly works to patch the issue.

Covers a wide range of devices. These include iPhones, Android smartphones, computers and Smart TVs.

What people don’t like:

???? Auto-renewal process. Renewal alerts are insufficient, leading some people to feel trapped into the higher renewal price.

???? Issues with operating systems. Some Windows and Android users have complained about recent updates to the app.

Final Verdict & Recommendation

ExpressVPN are one of the standout options for streamers, with the ability to consistently unblock a range of services, from Netflix and Hulu to ESPN and HBO.

Some users may be dissatisfied that ExpressVPN doesn’t offer the depth of features that some other VPNS do, such as double VPN or onion over VPN. That’s especially true since security concerns have been flagged in the past.

To counterbalance those negatives, ExpressVPN is quite diligent about patching bugs. Their regular independent audits and bug bounties evidence just how keenly they try to stay on top of potential issues.

What we like best about ExpressVPN though is that it’s one of the easiest products to use right out of the box. The user interface and features like Smart Location make it simple to just purchase a subscription, click the power button and get safely connected to the fastest available server.