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ExpressVPN Review
ExpressVPN Overview
ExpressVPN is one of the best VPN services and it’s known all around the world. But so many reviews seem too good…
Well, ExpressVPN in the past couple of months has proceeded to introduce new security, network, and infrastructure updates. The highlight of these updates is their new Lightway VPN protocol which harnesses quicker speeds and higher levels of encryptions.
ExpressVPN’s website has a bold claim saying they are the “1# trusted leader in VPN,” we needed to make sure that statement was correct.
During our ExpressVPN review we will answer questions like:
- Is there a free trial?
- Is it safe to use?
- How fast is ExpressVPN?
- How much does it cost, and is it worth it?
We rigorously tested ExpressVPN, making sure we didn’t miss out on a feature.
Continue reading to find out!
ExpressVPN Pros & Cons
Pros
- No-Log VPN
- Located in a privacy-friendly jurisdiction
- Secure applications for many devices
- High level of encryption and advanced security features
- Quickly gaming, streaming, and browsing
- Excellent customer service and support
- Huge server network across 94 countries
- Offers split tunneling
Cons
- More expensive plans than other VPNs
Pros:
Brief History
ExpressVPN is one of the leading VPNs offered by the British Virgin Islands-registered company Express VPN Internation Ltd.
It was released in 2009 and has grown significantly since then. They have released apps for Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, Linus, and even routers!
Security
Most VPNs claim to protect you in the case of a communication breakdown or to ensure that your IP address is always secret. The only way to find out if the claims are true is by researching, testing, and confirming.
I was looking for full encryption during my study, strong security protocols and defence against IP leaks. I also decided to extensively test the extra security features of ExpressVPN, such as its split tunnelling capability.
Having performed every possible security check on ExpressVPN and troubleshooting all its apps, I can safely say that its advanced encryption will protect you, even with an unreliable connection.
Encryption
Simply put, there’s no need to stress about your data being decrypted or falling into the wrong hands.
ExpressVPN uses the highest encryption standard. The 256-bit AES encryption protects you, integrating 256-bit AES with a 4096-bit RSA key and the HMAC authentication SHA-512.
The symmetric encryption of AES 256-bit ensures that your data must be decrypted with the same key used to encrypt the data. This makes breaking almost impossible. Even the best computer in the world will take billions of years to decrypt just 0.1 percent of its data.
The ExpressVPN SHA-512 Authentication is extremely safe for transferring data.
ExpressVPN also makes perfect use of forward secrecy. This is a highly advanced feature that every time you log on changes your encryption key, so you get a new key at the start of each session. Any information from your previous session has no relation to your current session. If someone tries to intercept your browsing session anything would be completely secure before or after this.
VPN Protocols
ExpressVPN has the ability for you to select which VPN protocol you want to use directly in the app.
Here are some of the available VPN protocols that you can see in their Windows client:
When you have “Automatic” turned on, ExpressVPN will choose the best VPN protocol for you based on your network settings. ExpressVPN almost always uses OpenVPN, or Lightway UDP as the default option, if not you’re automatically protected to the highest level, without moving a finger.
ExpressVPN’s Lightway protocol seemed to be significantly faster than OpenVPN protocols. OpenVPN is still good for many tasks such as gaming, streaming, and even torrenting.
You can also use other VPN protocols, such as OpenVPN TCP, PPTP, and L2TP/IPsec. These do not offer the same level of security as some of the other protocols.
ExpressVPN Network Lock (Kill Switch)
ExpressVPN’s Network Lock (kill switch) purpose is to keep your data secure by blocking all traffic if the VPN connection cuts out. This means that every data packets remain encrypted and safe, and your real IP address is being protected at all times.
The kill switch is currently only available for the following:
- macOS
- Windows
- Linux
- Routers
Here you can see ExpressVPN’s Network Lock feature in the General setting on the windows app:
The Network lock worked very well when I tested it. All the traffic was blocked when I interrupted the VPN connection.
The Network Lock (kill switch) is extremely important for keeping your data secure if the connection drops. Most VPNs offer this (but many aren’t as good at it).
Kill Switches regarding mobile devices – Mobile devices do not support the official Network Lock feature but it still supports a classic kill switch which is still great for online protection.
ExpressVPN No-Logs Policy
ExpressVPN is also one of the very few VPNs with no proven logs and has one of the most transparent policies I’ve ever seen. They clearly tell you the type of data they keep and what type of data they don’t keep.
The only type of data they keep is the information you provided when you sign up (email, and payment details).
In 2017, an ExpressVPN server was seized by the Turkish authorities. The server was used to delete social media posts as-well-as emails by the assassinator of the Russian Ambassador.
The Turkish authorities requested server logs so they could try and find who deleted the files. ExpressVPN couldn’t provide this information because they didn’t store logs.
Servers run in RAM-disk mode
ExpressVPN has chosen to be one of the few VPN services to have all of their servers run in RAM-disk mode. This means their servers do not use hard devices, they only use RAM memory. This method of security is called the TrustedServer feature. (more)
See ExpressVPN’s video on the topic of network security and some of the features they’ve implemented to further enhance protection:
ExpressVPN Leak Test
A leak is also known as a DNS leak and it’s a security flaw that reveals DNS requests to ISP DNS servers, even though VPN services attempt to mask them.
A Good VPN protects you from DNS leaks and allows you full anonymity. I ran a-few DNS leak tests on ExpressVPN’s apps for iPhone, Windows, Android, and Chrome to see how ExpressVPN can hold up.
Here I tested on ExpressVPN’s leak test:
As you can see there were no DNS leaks detected while I was using the VPN, ExpressVPN does a great job at securing all my traffic.
I conducted a test on macOS using ExpressVPN client and the test couldn’t find any DNS leaks or security problems with my connection.
Security Conclusion on ExpressVPN
This is by far one of the best VPNs for security and performance. ExpressVPN is an amazing choice if you want a super-secure VPN service, with maximum encryption.
Split Tunneling
ExpressVPN offers the split tunnelling feature which allowed you to choose which apps will use the VPN, and which apps will not use it when you are connected to ExpressVPN.
For example, you want to use the VPN on everything except Chrome. You also may only want to use VPN for Chrome and nothing else. This can set-up ExpressVPN to ‘split traffic’ so that only certain apps would use VPN.
BVI Jurisdiction
The British Virgin Islands is a self-governing group of islands in the Caribbean. The BVI is independent of Great Britain, even though they share the same Monarch. It has its legislature elected by the citizens of BVI.
The 14 eyes (SIGINT Seniors Europe) refer to 14 countries’ intelligence agencies who are reported to share military and counterterrorism. These intelligence agencies attempt to intercept all international communication.
Since the BVI is a small nation without any foreign intelligence operations, it’s definitely not a member of any 14 eyes intelligence sharing agencies. There are other VPN services that also choose to be based in privacy-friendly jurisdictions such as NordVPN (located in Panama) and Surfshark (located in the British Virgin Islands).
Why is jurisdiction important?
When choosing a VPN service it’s important to know if their ‘privacy-conscious‘.
No data retention law occurs in the BVI. The BVI has a reputation for overseas jurisdiction. This is not the case with many European and Australian countries, which have legislation requiring ISPs to retain metadata relating to the Internet activities of their users.
ExpressVPN Speed Tests
ExpressVPN is one of the fastest VPN services that we’ve tested.
The connection is extremely reliable and consistent, it doesn’t matter if you’re connecting to a local server or a server across the world.
The speeds are fairly high for places that restrict content such as China, where VPNs usually struggle to connect.
Before connecting to ExpressVPN:
After connecting to ExpressVPN on recommended server:
After connecting to ExpressVPN long-distance:
Before using ExpesssVPN my speed was 160.86 Mbps
After using ExpressVPN my speed was 143.85 Mbps
When I connected to a long-distance server my speed was 134.67 Mbps
With fast downloads and upload speeds, ExpressVPN’s low latency and low ping times make it great for VPN gaming, not the best for gaming but a good competitor for sure.
If you want the fastest speeds, and if you’re happily connecting to a nearby server, you can use the Smart Location feature. It’s a great tool that chooses a close-by server that is optimized for high speeds, and low latency.
ExpressVPN support - 24/7
ExpressVPN offers amazing customer service with 24/7 live chat support.
It’s truly incredible, it’s also extremely convenient for users.
I went on the ExpressVPN’s website and used the live chat function to ask about Amazon Firestick and if I can connect it ExpressVPN:
The agent responded quickly, and the agent knew what they were talking about.
Great for Netflix streaming
If you want a good VPN that works well with Netflix and other streaming services, then you would want to look into ExpressVPN because it’s one of the few VPNs that continues to work alongside Netflix, providing 24/7 access.
Many people are curious if ExpressVPN really works with Netflix. I tested it out for myself:
As you can see in the screenshot, I had no issues using the VPN with Netflix while I was connected to a US server.
There might be a slight delay – it depends on which ExpressVPN server you connect to. I would recommend you try out different locations until it works (there are tons of servers to choose from).
ExpressVPN works with Amazon Prime, Kodi, and Apple TV
ExpressVPN server network
ExpressVPN has a large range of servers across the world, and very secure networks.
Currently ExpressVPN has over 3000 VPN servers in 160 locations in 94 countries. North America and Europe have the best coverage for ExpressVPN, they still offer serves in Africa, South America, the Middle East, and Asia Pacific.
ExpressVPN offers a page that lists network servers across the world.
ExpressVPN offers a browser extension
ExpressVPN has a browser extension for Chrome, Firefox, and Safari. This will require you to be running ExpressVPN on Windows, macOS, or Linux.
What’s the point of using the browser extension if you have the desktop app?
It’s extremely convenient because you can easily switch server locations right in your browser. This is what ExpressVPN looks like on Chrome:
The ExpressVPN browser extension also adds HTTPS Everywhere – it forces a HTTPS connection which makes browsing online much more secure.
Cons:
ExpressVPN more expensive than others
A slight issue with ExpressVPN is that it is more expensive than other VPN services. It’s not the most expensive though.
The cost of ExpressVPN is $6.67 per month this discount coupon and selecting the 15-month plan. Without using the discount coupon, ExpressVPN gets expensive quick, the cheapest plan is $8.32 per month with the annual plan.
These are the current plans with the ExpressVPN coupons:
ExpressVPN is more expensive than NordVPN (3.49 per month), even while using the NordVPN coupon.
Yes, ExpressVPN is pretty expensive but it also does offer a lot in terms of value. ExpressVPN does amazing at these:
- Superfast speeds
- Live chat support
- 24/7 access to Netflix and other streaming services
- Security and reliable apps
Typically what you pay is what you get. ExpressVPN is more expensive but you get so much more than other VPNs.
FAQ for ExpressVPN
Here I will answer questions that people have asked:
How many devices can be connected to ExpressVPN at the same time?
A single subscription can be used simultaneously on five devices, regardless of the platform (including virtual machines). You may install ExpressVPN on as many devices as you want, but you can only connect five devices at the same time.
If you want to use your subscription on more devices simultaneously you can:
- Buy an additional subscription
- Configure a VPN router and connect as many devices as you want
Does ExpressVPN work in China?
Even though China tries to block VPNs, ExpressVPN still works in China.
If you want to use ExpressVPN in China, simply connect to one of the China-designated servers. These specialized servers will automatically use an obfuscation protocol alongside the VPN app, concealing the VPN traffic and regular HTTPS encryption.
Does ExpressVPN work for torrenting?
ExpressVPN allowing torrenting without any restrictions or limitations. Most VPNs restrict or try and limit torrenting on their servers.
Here are some reasons on why ExpressVPN is great for torrenting:
- No bandwidth limitations or traffic restrictions.
- Applications keep your data secure and prevent from DNS leaks
- Overseas laws that aren’t subject to DMCA requests
- Fast speeds and great reliability
More information about torrenting on ExpressVPN torrenting page.
How does the 30 day money back guarantee work?
ExpressVPN is confident that you will enjoy the ultra-fast and reliable VPN. For any reason you don’t want to continue with your subscription, you have 30 days to get a refund for the ExpressVPN subscription. Just contact ExpressVPN customer service.
How Many Payment Methods Does ExpressVPN offer?
ExpressVPN offers the most payment methods I’ve ever seen a VPN offer. This is great if you want to cover up your tracks and remain anonymous.
How do you install ExpressVPN?
- Get an ExpressVPN subscription
- Go to ExpressVPN.com and select MY ACCOUNT at the top of the page
- Login with your username and password
- Under My subscriptions, select configure ExpressVPN
- Select DOWNLOAD NOW for the appropriate version for your device
- Follow the instructions to configure ExpressVPN on your device and enjoy!
Is ExpressVPN safe?
Yes! ExpressVPN takes many steps to make sure your VPN connection is secure.
- Standard 256-bit AES encryption
- Network Lock (prevents DNS leaks)
- No logs
- Hides IP address using global server location
- Private DNS, without memory, applied to every server
Is ExpressVPN free?
No. ExpressVPN is a premium VPN service, although it does offer a free trial, it’s only available for some mobile devices.
In addition, all subscriptions come with a 30-day money-back guarantee, which means you can try our service for a month without risk if you change your mind.
Have more questions about ExpressVPN? Visit their Frequently Asked Questions page.
ExpressVPN conclusion (worth it?)
Is ExpressVPN worth it?
After testing and researching ExpressVPN, I’m confident this is the best VPN out there. I hope my ExpressVPN review has answered some of your burning questions!
Summary:
ExpressVPN surpassed my expectations, that why I give them 4.7 / 5!
Ultra-fast and reliable download speeds on every server.
Easy-to-use and visually appealing while outperforming the competitors!
Amazing for streaming, and torrenting, while working in countries with online censorship.
Amazing 24/7 support, that responds quickly, and always solves your problems.
Keeps true to a ‘no-log‘ VPN service which many don’t have.
And that’s why I highly recommend ExpressVPN.
We understand rates may be high (at $8.32 a month) but you can get a big discount to reduce the cost to $6.67. ExpressVPN will always improve its services over time.