ExpressVPN Review: Is It Still The Best in 2025?

ExpressVPN Review: Fast, Secure & Easy to Use (But Not Perfect)

If you‘re looking for a virtual private network (VPN) to keep your internet activity private, secure and unrestricted, ExpressVPN is one of the most popular and highly rated options available. Based in the privacy-friendly British Virgin Islands, this VPN service offers a compelling combination of advanced security, fast speeds, and easy-to-use apps for all your devices.

But with so many VPN providers out there, is ExpressVPN really the best choice for you? How well does it actually perform when it comes to important factors like encrypting your data, masking your true location, and accessing blocked websites and streaming services?

I put ExpressVPN through its paces to find out. Over several weeks of testing, I evaluated ExpressVPN‘s privacy and security safeguards, speed and reliability, ability to unblock popular sites/apps, and overall value compared to other leading VPNs.

Here‘s what I discovered about whether ExpressVPN lives up to the hype as I put it under the microscope. Let‘s dive into an in-depth ExpressVPN review to help you decide if it‘s the right VPN solution for your needs.

Ironclad Privacy & Security to Keep Your Data Safe

One of the top reasons to use a VPN is to protect your private information from hackers, internet service providers, government agencies, advertisers and other prying eyes online. ExpressVPN makes your privacy and security its top priority.

For starters, ExpressVPN has a strict no-logging policy. The company doesn‘t collect or store any traffic logs or user activity data that could be used to identify you. Connection logs are limited to non-identifiable data like server location used and total data transferred. Even your source IP address is never recorded.

All your traffic gets routed through an encrypted tunnel using Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) with 256-bit keys. This is the same encryption standard used by militaries and governments. Combined with secure VPN protocols like OpenVPN and IKEv2/IPSec, this makes your data virtually impossible to crack if intercepted.

Another standout privacy feature is ExpressVPN‘s automatic kill switch, called Network Lock. This prevents unprotected data from leaving your device if you lose VPN connectivity for any reason. While many VPNs offer this, ExpressVPN enables it by default so you never forget.

For maximum anonymity, ExpressVPN is also compatible with The Onion Router (Tor). You can connect to the Tor network and easily access .onion hidden sites through ExpressVPN‘s apps. Between the VPN encryption and Tor‘s routing, your identity is incredibly concealed.

ExpressVPN has proven its no-log claims in the real world too. When authorities in Turkey seized one of the company‘s servers in 2017, no customer data was found as promised.

So while nothing is 100% foolproof, ExpressVPN‘s robust safeguards and track record make it a trustworthy choice if protecting your privacy online is a key concern. You can browse, download and stream knowing your personal info isn‘t being collected, leaked or decoded.

How Fast is ExpressVPN? Speed Tests Reveal Mixed Results

Another major factor when choosing a VPN is speed. Routing your data through a remote server and encrypting/decrypting it will always slow you down compared to a direct connection. But the best VPNs can minimize this to maintain good performance.

ExpressVPN claims to be one of the fastest VPNs on the market. It even has "Express" in the name. The company says all its servers are optimized for speed with unlimited bandwidth.

In my real-world tests, ExpressVPN delivered solid speeds – but didn‘t quite match its stellar reputation. My non-VPN speed averaged around 75 Mbps. When I connected to ExpressVPN servers, I typically saw speeds between 25-50 Mbps. So roughly a 50% reduction.

Results did vary quite a bit between server locations though. Generally, the closer the server was to my physical location, the better the speed. But there were some outliers.

I got the most consistent performance from ExpressVPN‘s U.S. servers, with download speeds around 40-45 Mbps. Certain U.K. servers struggled to top 10 Mbps. And even some nearby servers in Australia ranged anywhere from 25-50 Mbps.

Fortunately, the ExpressVPN apps make it easy to find the fastest servers. There‘s a built-in speed test you can run to check the latency and download speed of each server location. It takes about 5 minutes and then displays a handy list sorted by speed.

While 50% slower than my normal internet connection, ExpressVPN‘s speeds were still respectable. Websites loaded quickly, HD videos played smoothly, and large files downloaded without issues in most cases.

Just be aware that ExpressVPN may not give you the stellar speeds it advertises 100% of the time. Be prepared to try a few different servers to find the sweet spot.

Hit or Miss When Unblocking Region-Locked Content

Perhaps you want a VPN not just for privacy and security, but also to access streaming services, websites and other content that‘s restricted to certain countries. By masking your real IP address and location, VPNs can help you get around these virtual borders.

With 3000+ servers across 94 countries, ExpressVPN is well-equipped for this geo-hopping. I put it to the test with two of the most in-demand but VPN-hostile services: Netflix and BBC iPlayer.

First up was Netflix, which is notorious for detecting and blocking VPN traffic. I connected to a U.S. server and tried playing videos from the American Netflix catalog. Success! Various shows not available in my country loaded with no proxy error message.

However, my triumph was short-lived. When I disconnected and tried other random U.S. servers, most did get blocked by Netflix. Same story with the U.K., Australia and other countries‘ servers and catalogs. All told, only about 1/3 of the ExpressVPN servers I tried could sneak past the Netflix VPN police.

Next I took on BBC iPlayer, which is only officially accessible from the U.K. This time I had better luck. After striking out with the first U.K. server I chose, the next two I connected to let me stream BBC shows without a hitch.

Your mileage may vary, but I‘d characterize ExpressVPN‘s geo-unblocking powers as decent but not foolproof. With some patience and trial and error, you can usually find a server that slips past a site or app‘s virtual bouncers. Just be prepared for it not to work on the first try.

One helpful feature is ExpressVPN‘s split tunneling option. This lets you pick and choose which apps use the VPN and which don‘t. So if a server works for everything except Netflix, you can set Netflix to bypass the VPN entirely. Handy for getting the best of both worlds.

Is ExpressVPN Worth the Cost? Pricing Comparison

ExpressVPN positions itself as a premium VPN, and its pricing reflects that. It‘s one of the more expensive options on the market.

The normal month-to-month subscription costs $12.95, definitely on the high end. You can reduce that to $9.99/month by paying for six months upfront. The cheapest option is the 12-month plan at $8.32/month (billed as $99.95 per year).

While not budget-friendly, these prices are in line with ExpressVPN‘s main rivals like NordVPN and CyberGhost. And the company justifies the cost with its advanced feature set, broad server network, and reputation for security and privacy.

One nice perk is that a single ExpressVPN subscription covers five devices simultaneously. So you can protect your laptop, phone, tablet and other gadgets under one plan. This is more generous than some competitors that limit you to 1-3 devices.

There‘s no free trial, but ExpressVPN does offer a 30-day money-back guarantee on all plans. This acts as a risk-free trial period. Cancel within the first 30 days for any reason and you‘ll get a full refund, no questions asked.

Overall, while ExpressVPN is far from the cheapest VPN, you do arguably get what you pay for. If you value the peace of mind of using an established leader in VPN security and don‘t mind paying a slight premium, the value is reasonable. And the 30-day refund window lets you test it out before fully committing.

Easy and User-Friendly Apps for All Your Devices

No matter which devices or operating systems you use, ExpressVPN likely has you covered. The service offers user-friendly apps for:

• Windows
• Mac
• iOS
• Android
• Linux
• Routers
• Chromebooks
• Kindle Fire
• Nook

There are also browser extensions for Chrome, Firefox and Safari to control the VPN right from your web browser. And you can manually configure ExpressVPN to work with gaming consoles, smart TVs and other platforms.

I tested the Mac and iOS apps and found them to be very intuitive and easy to use. After a quick download and installation, you can connect and disconnect from the VPN with a single click.

Changing to a different server location is also simple. The app displays a list of "Smart Location" servers, recommended based on proximity, speed and latency. You can expand this to see the full location list and save your favorites for quick access later.

All the advanced security features and settings are easily accessible through a preferences menu. But the default configuration is already optimized for most users, so you can just install and start browsing securely without a learning curve.

While I didn‘t test every single app, ExpressVPN‘s reputation for simple and seamless apps held true in my experience and research. Whether you‘re a tech novice or power user, you can get up and running smoothly in minutes across your whole device fleet.

Helpful Customer Support When You Need It

Even with the most user-friendly VPN, questions and issues can come up. ExpressVPN has you covered with 24/7 customer support through:

• Live chat on the website
• Email
• Support ticket system

The support section of the website is cleanly laid out, with a searchable knowledge base of setup guides, troubleshooting steps and FAQ articles. You can usually find the answer you need here without having to contact a live agent.

But if you do need to reach out, the live chat is fast and helpful. I had quick exchanges with support reps who were knowledgeable and friendly and pointed me to relevant guides for my questions.

The only minor downside is that there‘s no phone support if you want to talk to someone directly. But between the extensive knowledge base, responsive live chat/email, and active user forum, you shouldn‘t have trouble getting the help you need when you need it.

ExpressVPN Compared to the Competition

We‘ve covered a ton of ground in this ExpressVPN review. But how does it stack up against the other top VPN providers? Let‘s quickly compare it to two other popular options I‘ve also tested hands-on.

ExpressVPN vs. NordVPN
NordVPN is a security-first VPN based in Panama, another privacy haven. Its advanced features and huge server network make it a close competitor to ExpressVPN. Key differences:

• NordVPN uses a map-based interface to select server locations rather than a list
• NordVPN offers specialty servers optimized for P2P sharing, double VPN encryption, Onion over VPN, and more
• NordVPN is slightly cheaper, with plans starting at $3.49/month

ExpressVPN vs. Astrill VPN
Astrill VPN is a lesser-known but high-quality option with good speeds and a no-logs policy. It‘s not as beginner-friendly as ExpressVPN but has some unique features like:

• Dedicated IP option to avoid shared IP blacklisting
• Port forwarding and multi-hop VPN routing options
• Built-in ad blocker
• Slightly more expensive than ExpressVPN ($20/month or $120/year)

Overall, I‘d say NordVPN is the strongest direct alternative to ExpressVPN, with a comparable blend of robust security, reliable performance and responsive customer support. Astrill VPN is a solid choice for more technical users who want maximum configurability.

The Bottom Line: Is ExpressVPN Right For You?

We covered a lot of ground in this in-depth ExpressVPN review. When you boil it all down, here‘s my bottom-line take:

ExpressVPN is an excellent choice if your top priorities in a VPN are privacy, security and ease of use. The service excels at protecting your data and identity across your devices with best-in-class encryption and a verified no-logging policy, all through intuitive apps.

It‘s a strong performer for speed and unblocking region-locked content too, but not quite the undisputed leader it claims to be. My speed tests found results that were good but not great, and I had to hunt a bit to find servers that could bypass Netflix‘s VPN blocks.

The main sticking point is the above-average price. You can get quality VPN protection for quite a bit less. But if ExpressVPN‘s polished experience, huge server list and privacy-first reputation are worth a small premium to you, it‘s a reliable option. And the 30-day money-back guarantee makes it a low-risk one to try.

There‘s no single VPN that‘s perfect for everyone. But hopefully this detailed evaluation of ExpressVPN helps you decide if it‘s the best fit for your needs. Protect your privacy, safeguard your security and expand your internet freedom with this trusted VPN solution.