ExpressVPN is a well-regarded VPN service used by many people – but how well does it actually perform?
In the past year, ExpressVPN has undergone some big security and infrastructure updates. The biggest change has been the release of Lightway, a new VPN protocol that promises faster speeds and upgraded encryption – but it also comes with some noteworthy drawbacks.
In this new and updated ExpressVPN review, we set out to answer these questions:
- How fast is ExpressVPN and does it outperform other leading VPNs?
- How well do the features and leak-protection settings work?
- Are the VPN apps secure and user-friendly?
- Can it unblock Netflix and other streaming services?
- Is ExpressVPN worth the (above average) price?
We purchased an ExpressVPN account and tested the VPN apps on both desktop and mobile operating systems to answer these questions and more. All test results are posted bellow.
Here is a brief overview of our findings:
Pros of ExpressVPN
- Secure VPN apps for all devices
- Strong encryption, good security features, and no leaks
- No-logs VPN in a safe jurisdiction
- Large and secure server network
- Works with Netflix and other streaming services
- Secure browser extensions
- Split tunneling feature
- Secure and reliable mobile apps
- Dedicated VPN router app (for unlimited connections)
- Great customer support and refund policy
Additional research findings
- Lightway Protocol
- Can you use ExpressVPN for torrenting? (Yes)
- Does ExpressVPN work in China? (Yes)
- How many connections do you get with ExpressVPN?
- Is ExpressVPN worth it?
Now let’s examine the details and findings of this ExpressVPN review, starting with the pros.
ExpressVPN Pros
Here are the pros of ExpressVPN:
1. Secure VPN apps for all devices
When it comes to secure, reliable, and user-friendly VPN apps that just work, ExpressVPN is one of the best options available.
They offer dedicated apps for all major operating systems and devices, including:
- Windows
- Mac OS
- Linux
- Android
- iOS
- Routers
- Chromebook
- Kindle Fire and Nook
ExpressVPN also offers a feature they call MediaStreamer. This is basically a smart DNS service that is ideal for unblocking content and accessing your favorite streams. This is a great solution if you are wanting to use a VPN for Apple TV, gaming systems, or other devices that do not normally support VPN apps.
Below I’m testing out the ExpressVPN Windows app for this review. You can see it has a clean and minimal design that doesn’t take up too much space on your desktop.
Tapping the three lines in the top-left corner of the VPN app opens up a new window with more features and settings that we’ll discuss further below.
The ExpressVPN apps have always had an intuitive design and simple layout. Many VPN apps are buggy and/or clunky, but this is not the case with ExpressVPN.
2. Strong encryption, good security features, and no leaks
When it comes to implementing strong encryption and security, ExpressVPN does not cut any corners. We’ll examine the encryption, VPN protocols, security features, and leak test results in this section.
ExpressVPN encryption
With the OpenVPN and IKEv2 protocols, ExpressVPN uses an AES-256 cipher with an RSA-4096 key and SHA-512 HMAC authentication. The Lightway protocol uses AES-256-GCM and ChaCha20/Poly1305 ciphers to encrypt traffic, along with D/TLS 1.2 for server authentication.
The AES-256 and ChaCha20 ciphers offer an extremely high level of encryption that is currently considered unbreakable, even with modern quantum computers. They also provide excellent performance, especially the Lightway protocol (test results below). Additionally, ExpressVPN supports Perfect Forward Secrecy negotiated through a Diffie-Hellman key exchange.
VPN Protocols
ExpressVPN gives you the ability to select which VPN protocols you want to use directly in the apps. Here you can see the available VPN protocols in the Windows client:
With “Automatic” enabled, ExpressVPN will select the best VPN protocol based on your network settings. I tested out OpenVPN UDP and Lightway UDP for this review.
In my tests, Lightway was faster than OpenVPN by a large margin. If you want the best performance, then I’d recommend using Lightway at all times, although OpenVPN UDP was still plenty fast enough for browsing, streaming, and torrenting.
ExpressVPN Network Lock (kill switch)
ExpressVPN refers to the kill switch as the Network Lock. The Network Lock feature will keep your data secure by blocking all traffic if the VPN connection drops. This ensures every data packet remains encrypted and secure, with your real IP address being protected at all times.
The Network Lock feature is currently available in the following apps:
- Windows
- Mac OS
- Linux
- Routers
The Network Lock feature worked well when I tested it out with Windows and Mac OS. All traffic was effectively blocked when I manually interrupted the VPN connection.
The kill switch (Network Lock) is important to keep your data secure if your connection drops for any reason. Most VPNs offer this feature, but in many cases it does not work well.
Kill switch for mobile devices – On mobile devices, ExpressVPN does not offer the official Network Lock feature, but it still has a kill switch to protect against traffic leaks.
- Android has the “Network Protection” option that functions as a kill switch and will block traffic when the connection drops.
- iOS has the “Auto-Connect” feature that will also block traffic and automatically reconnect the VPN when your internet connection resumes.
3. No-logs VPN in a safe jurisdiction
ExpressVPN is one of the few VPNs with no logs that have been verified and proven to be true. Why is this important? Choosing a VPN is all about trust, since the VPN has the ability to log and record your data. There have been at least two cases where “no logs” VPNs have given up information on their users:
- IPVanish handed over logs to the FBI for a criminal investigation (details in the IPVanish review).
- PureVPN also provided government agents with data logs for a criminal case (see the PureVPN review for more info).
But back to ExpressVPN. First, we will take an in-depth look at ExpressVPN’s policies, then we’ll cover the real-world cases that verified these policies.
ExpressVPN no-logs policy
If you want a VPN that does not keep logs, ExpressVPN is a solid choice. They explain their general stance on logging as follows:
ExpressVPN is a premium VPN provider focused on user privacy and anonymity. Our network is built around specifically NOT knowing the internet activities of our users. As privacy is a core part of our service offering, ExpressVPN is in the business of protecting our users’ private internet data.
And this screenshot from their website provides a good summary:
In the Privacy Policy, they further explain:
We do not collect logs of your activity, including no logging of browsing history, traffic destination, data content, or DNS queries. We also never store connection logs, meaning no logs of your IP address, your outgoing VPN IP address, connection timestamp, or session duration.
That being said, there is an option in the VPN apps to share crash statistics, which helps ExpressVPN improve apps, but this data is completely anonymized, does not include personal information, and is optional. Nonetheless, it can also easily be disabled with one click in the Settings area.
ExpressVPN passed third-party audit of logging policies
ExpressVPN is also one of a handful of VPNs that has been independently audited.
To verify and prove their no-logs claims, ExpressVPN underwent a third-party audit from PricewaterhouseCoopers. The audit verified the TrustedServer feature (discussed below), no logs policy, and that all privacy protections are being adhered to correctly.
Very few VPNs have undergone third-party audits to verify logging policies. And there’s also further proof that ExpressVPN is following a true no-logs policy. This is an advantage ExpressVPN has over other leading VPNs, as you can see in the ProtonVPN vs ExpressVPN comparison.
ExpressVPN servers seized: ‘no logs’ policy tested
In December 2017 news broke that authorities in Turkey seized an ExpressVPN server in an attempt to obtain customer data. Before the server was seized in Turkey, Turkish authorities had attempted to force ExpressVPN to provide logs from the server in question. ExpressVPN informed the officials that they are a no-logs VPN, not subject to Turkish law, and they do not have any data to provide.
After these demands failed, the Turkish government then seized an ExpressVPN server, but still came up empty-handed in their quest for user data.
Why is this important?
The relevant issue here is that the authorities were not able to obtain any customer data – either through demands or seizing a server – because there were no logs available.
This case from Turkey, and also the no-logs audit, confirm ExpressVPN’s logging policies and overall commitment to securing customer data.
Located in a safe, privacy-friendly jurisdiction (BVI)
ExpressVPN is based in the British Virgin Islands (BVI). The BVI is an independent, self-governing entity with strict laws protecting the privacy of businesses and individuals operating there.
Unlike the UK, the BVI has no mandatory data retention laws or wide-scale surveillance programs, which affect UK VPN services. Similar to Switzerland, the British Virgin Islands are well-known for strong privacy protection and data secrecy, unlike the different Five Eyes countries.
The judicial system in the BVI also cannot be compelled to force companies there to produce records on their customers. As a country, the BVI is fully independent and does not fall under any other country’s jurisdiction, despite the historical connection to Britain. We also see other VPNs incorporating in the BVI for these same reasons, as noted in the Surfshark review.
4. Large and secure server network
ExpressVPN offers a large selection of servers around the world, with a very secure network setup.
At the time of this review, ExpressVPN has about 160 VPN server locations in 94 countries. This includes a total of more than 3,000 VPN servers. Europe and North America have the best coverage, but they also offer a good selection of servers in South America, Africa, the Middle East, and the Asia Pacific region.
5. Works with Netflix and other streaming services
If you need a good VPN that works with Netflix and other streaming services, then ExpressVPN is a great choice. It is one of the few VPNs that continues to work with Netflix, providing 24/7 access.
For this review, I tested out US Netflix with an ExpressVPN server in Washington DC. Everything worked perfectly, as you can see below.
To use Netflix with ExpressVPN, simply start the ExpressVPN app on your device, connect to a server of your choice in the Netflix region you want to use, and then stream Netflix as normal.
If you get any kind of proxy error with Netflix when you are connected to an ExpressVPN server, just contact ExpressVPN’s chat support and they’ll tell which server(s) to use instead.
How many connections do you get with ExpressVPN?
With your ExpressVPN subscription, you will get five simultaneous connections.
Note: You can use ExpressVPN on an unlimited number of devices, but you are limited to five simultaneous connections at any one time with your subscription.
If you want to use more than five devices with the VPN, there is an easy solution. Simply use ExpressVPN on your router, as we covered above, for an unlimited number of connections. The router will count as only one connection and you’ll be able to use it with as many devices as you wish.
Does ExpressVPN work well for gaming?
There are some serious advantages to using the VPN for gaming — but you need to select the right VPN. Some of the key factors that you’ll want to look for are:
- A large server network with locations in the areas you need
- Fast speeds so your game play will not lag behind others
- Low ping (latency), which is improved by having fast servers close to your location
Even though ExpressVPN is not the best VPN for gaming, it is still a decent choice with good performance.
Conclusion: Is ExpressVPN worth it?
ExpressVPN’s performance for this latest review update has earned it a spot as one of the best VPNs we’ve tested — although it’s not in the top position any longer.
Overall, we think it is a great VPN service worthy of consideration. To summarize, here are the main findings from this ExpressVPN review:
- Safe offshore jurisdiction and company policies to protect customer data and user privacy.
- Continues to work with Netflix and most other streaming services.
- Huge selection of apps that are well-designed, secure, reliable, and user-friendly.
- Secure network with all servers running in RAM-disk mode.
- Good customer service with 24/7 live chat support and a 30-day money-back guarantee.
While there are a few drawbacks, we feel ExpressVPN is certainly a good choice for all types of users.