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ExpressVPN Review – Top Choice for Speed & Security

By Will Ellis
Last Updated on December 22, 2023

By now you might be sick of reading reviews on VPN services that don’t live up to the hype. But you can put down the anti-nausea meds now because this is a good one.

ExpressVPN has a lofty reputation and we wanted to establish whether or not it was deserved. Specifically:

  • How fast this VPN really is
  • If it lived up to the hype when it comes to unblocking streaming services
  • If it is really as secure as everyone says it is
  • If it is truly worth the money

There are a lot of speed tests on the Internet that said ExpressVPN has consistently fast speeds. There are a number of people who swear by ExpressVPN as a surefire way to get access to geo-restricted streaming content. Sounds great. But we had to see it for ourselves. We tried it out. Here’s what we found.

ExpressVPN Overview


When you visit the ExpressVPN site, you immediately see what they are offering. They promise fast VPN servers in more than 90 countries. They promise to unblock the apps and sites you love instantaneously.

expressvpn secured

They say they provide secure and anonymous browsing and 24/7 customer service with live chat support.

FeaturesInformation
Usability:Easy to use
Logging Policy:No Logs policy
Server Size:3000+ servers
Server Distribution:94 Countries
Support:24/7 Live Chat Support
Torrenting:Allowed
Streaming:Allowed
VPN protocol and encryption:Lightway, L2TP/IPsec, OpenVPN, IKEv2, PPTP protocol / AES 256-bit encryption
Headquarters:British Virgin Islands
Price:From $8.32/month
Official Website:https://www.expressvpn.com/

Pros

  • Easy to use app
  • Fast speeds
  • 30-day money-back guarantee
  • Split tunneling feature
  • Works with streaming services
  • 24 hours a day, 7 days a week live chat support

Cons

  • More expensive than the competition

Features:

  • Unlocks content from around the globe
  • 160 server locations
  • Built-in speed test feature
  • Applications for every device
  • 256-bit AES encryption
  • No activity logs or connection logs
  • IP address masking
  • Anonymous browsing
  • OpenVPN and other protocols
  • Zero knowledge DNS

Can You Trust ExpressVPN?


ExpressVPN is a business that is based in the Virgin Islands. You can find information about the company’s vice president, their communications manager, and a few other team members. However, much of their team prefers to work in anonymity. We will talk a little bit more about that later.

express vpn privacy policy

ExpressVPN has a very strict no-logging policy. They lay out the details of their privacy policy using clear and easy to understand language. That being said, ExpressVPN does store some of your information.

For example, they store the version of the app you’re using, crash reports, the email address you use when you sign up for the service when you are able to connect successfully, and the country of origin of your ISP.

To be clear, they’re not storing your IP address. They also store the location you connect to and the amount of data you use on their VPN.

ExpressVPN does require you to use a name and an email address when subscribing to the service. However, both of them can be fake if that’s what you want.

ExpressVPN Payment Methods

While they do accept traditional forms of payment, like credit cards and PayPal, you also have the option to use anonymous forms of payment, including Bitcoin. This means that you can purchase ExpressVPN in a completely anonymous way. This is not a privacy feature that is offered on many high-end VPN services.

ExpressVPN Owner

So who runs ExpressVPN? There’s not enough information out there. In fact, when you Google the mailing address for ExpressVPN, you learn that the company is located somewhere on the British Virgin Island of Tortola

The company vice president, Harold Li, was quoted as saying that their company’s founders opted not to disclose their personal identities for operational security reasons. They believe that running the company without publicly facing owners gives an extra level of security and protection to users.

Quite honestly, we are on the fence as to whether or not it is in the user’s best interest for the individuals who run ExpressVPN to put their face out there and stand up and be accountable for the product or if through their anonymity they are providing greater protection for their clients.

How Fast Is ExpressVPN? We Tested and It’s… Fast


On the ExpressVPN website, you constantly see statements like “ultra-fast” and “high-speed”, and it’s easy to wonder if they are exaggerating. As an established VPN provider, it is only natural for us to expect them to provide fast speeds. Anything less than that would be disappointing.

Multiple speed tests prove that ExpressVPN lives up to the hype. They have fast download and upload speeds. And the speeds were consistent in several tests.

expressvpn speed test results

Ease of Use


ExpressVPN has done a great job of making their product easy to use. It has a logical layout and is intuitive.

It just takes a few seconds to get your bearings and you are able to use the VPN like a professional. Unlike other VPNs that have a map and other information that you can click on, ExpressVPN has a very simple single panel interface. There is a large on and off button that allows you to connect and disconnect from the VPN.

expressvpn interface layout

The collapsible menu on the left-hand side gives you access to all of the application features. Everything is exactly where you would expect it to be when using this product.

You can decide if you want ExpressVPN to launch when you start up Windows, you can enable or disable the Internet kill switch, and you can select the VPN protocol you would like to use. Unless you are very familiar with different VPN protocols, it’s usually best to leave that option to be automatic.

ExpressVPN will automatically select a smart location based on your physical location. However, the Choose Location button brings up a series of cities and countries for you to choose from. If there is an arrow next to the country, you can click on the arrow to produce a drop-down menu. This drop-down menu will provide you with specific cities within the country, giving you greater control over the VPN servers you connect to.

OS Compatibility


This is another area where ExpressVPN really shines. They offer compatibility with the standard platforms, including iOS, Windows, and Android devices.

However, ExpressVPN also supports your PlayStation, your Xbox, your Apple TV, and even works on your Amazon Fire TV.

If you want to install a browser extension, be it on Safari, Firefox, or Chrome, ExpressVPN allows you to do that. There’s even a router install option.

expressvpn apps

Simultaneous Connections


With just one ExpressVPN subscription, you can connect simultaneously on five devices. This includes connecting via virtual machines and routers. So you could have ExpressVPN on your router at home, protecting your entire family when they are at home, and still have four other connections that you can use if you are at work or traveling.

Where Are ExpressVPN Servers Located?


express vpn server locations vector

ExpressVPN has more than 3,000+ servers in 94 countries around the world.

When you visit their server information page, you are able to get exact information on which protocols different servers can handle as well as the cities that the servers are set up in. ExpressVPN can boast servers on almost every continent.

There are a number of servers in the United Kingdom as well as a score of servers in the United States. Privacy neutral locations, such as Panama, the Bahamas, and the Isles of Man, are all home to ExpressVPN servers.

Does ExpressVPN Support Torrenting?


One of the standout things about ExpressVPN is that it is a great VPN for customers who are looking for fast speeds while file sharing and torrent downloading. Many individuals who want to use file-sharing programs with a VPN find that their speeds are drastically affected.

Internet service providers can throttle the connection, making it slow. Using a VPN like ExpressVPN will solve the problem by giving you a securely encrypted tunnel for Internet use.

expressvpn torrenting

How Secure Is ExpressVPN?


In addition to hiding your IP address, as well as mixing your traffic with other users, ExpressVPN encrypts your Internet traffic. This means that it will not be read by third parties, including your ISP or your local Wi-Fi operator.

ExpressVPN is able to accomplish this by using AES with 256-bit keys. This is the same encryption standard the US government uses. It is also the encryption standard used by security experts around the world.

expressvpn security

To put another way, your data is encrypted using an advanced encryption key that has exactly 115,792,089,237,316,195,423,570,985,008,687,907,853,269,984,665,640,560 ×10(e24) possible combinations.

Even if all of the most powerful computers on the planet dedicated all of their time to trying to decrypt your data, it would take them billions of years. That is how secure ExpressVPN is.

ExpressVPN offers a number of VPN protocols, providing a layer of security between your computer and the VPN server you choose to use. ExpressVPN allows you to easily select the VPN protocol you will use.

However, since the majority of people do not understand the difference between VPN protocol options, it’s usually best to select automatic, which will allow ExpressVPN to pick the protocol that is appropriate for the network you are using.

Support


ExpressVPN offers three primary ways to get support. You can take advantage of troubleshooting guides, you can get instructions, or you can talk to a human via real-time live chat.

expressvpn support
ExpressVPN Live Chat

The 24/7 live chat option is where ExpressVPN really shines. Regardless of the question you pose, as long as it pertains to their product, their team of experts stands ready to give you an exact answer.

We had a problem connecting to Netflix. We asked a question about the chat and we were directed to the servers that are granting access to Netflix.

We had a question about installing ExpressVPN on a router. We were given information about installing the ExpressVPN firmware on our existing router a were given information on where we could go to buy a router that already had the firmware installed.

There are a number of instructional videos that show you step-by-step how to troubleshoot or install the VPN on different devices. ExpressVPN offers stellar support that we have not seen with any of the other VPNs we have reviewed.

Does ExpressVPN Work with US Netflix?


The direct answer is yes. However, it does not work with Netflix out-of-the-box. When we first tried to access US content on Netflix using ExpressVPN, we got the dreaded error code.

expressvpn netflix connect

At first, we were taken aback because ExpressVPN has a phenomenal reputation for being able to get past the Geo-restrictions that Netflix uses. So we contacted customer support and they quickly walked us through the steps we needed to follow.

Come to find out, there are certain servers ExpressVPN uses to allow access to Netflix in the United States. Once we were told what server to select, we were enjoying US Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu, and even YouTube without Geo-restrictions.

Pricing


As we mentioned at the outset, ExpressVPN is more expensive than many of the other popular VPNs on the market today.

A one-month plan will cost $12.95. A six-month plan will cost $9.99 a month. A 12-month plan will cost $8.32 a month. The longer you purchase a subscription for, the lower your monthly fee will be. All amounts shown are in USD.

The additional cost of ExpressVPN is because the company focuses on providing the most reliable platform on the market. They want their clients to have a superior and secure experience. They are not fighting to compete with the cheapest no name VPN out there.

That being said, ExpressVPN does offer ways for clients to earn free VPN service. For example, there is a referral program. For every client you refer to ExpressVPN who actually signs up, you earn 30 days of free service.

You can pay for ExpressVPN using major credit cards, PayPal, Bitcoin, and a number of internationally accepted forms of payment.

ExpressVPN offers a 30-day money-back guarantee if you are unhappy with the service for any reason.

Conclusion


ExpressVPN is an amazing product that is well-designed. It offers stellar security, unbelievable performance, and fantastic customer service. It works perfectly with streaming services such as Netflix and Prime Video and uses the latest state-of-the-art security and privacy.

ExpressVPN is able to avoid censorship in countries like China and Turkey.

ExpressVPN does not keep access logs, so you know that your connection is private, even when you are torrenting and downloading.


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