ExpressVPN Review – Is the price still worth it?

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Since its launch in 2009, ExpressVPN has managed to climb to the top of the VPN game. It has built a reputation for great performance and top-tier security. It also managed to stay beginner-friendly while offering some interesting features for seasoned power users.

With its reputation and more than three million users around the globe, ExpressVPN deserves our full attention. Can it still justify its high price tags in 2022? Has the change in ownership affected its performance and privacy levels?

We decided to conduct full hands-on testing to see how ExpressVPN holds up. Read our detailed ExpressVPN review below to learn all about our testing results and overall experience with this VPN veteran.

ExpressVPN gets a lot of praise, but it costs more than most of its competitors, (even with the discounted offer it is currently running).
So is it really worth it?
What does ExpressVPN offer that others don’t?
Most VPNs use the same underlying technology, so how much better can it possibly be?
Is it better than NordVPN, PIA, CyberGhost, IPVanish, and other highly rated services?

In my last ExpressVPN review, I sought to determine whether the benefits outweigh the cost. I tested the VPN service on both desktop and mobile devices to answer these questions:

• Is ExpressVPN still the fastest?
• Does ExpressVPN work with region-locked websites (Netflix, BBC iPlayer, Amazon Prime Video, Hulu)?
• Is ExpressVPN safe and private?
• Does ExpressVPN work in China?
• Is it better than the cheaper alternatives?

I’ll cover all that and more in this review.

During my time with ExpressVPN, I used it to secure my connection while traveling to China and for unblocking video streams that I couldn’t normally access from my home in Canada. I also put it through a battery of tests to gauge its speed and security.

Although ExpressVPN is on the pricier side, it’s comforting to know I’m not cutting any corners regarding cybersecurity. App stores are full of cheap and free VPNs that I wouldn’t trust to keep my data safe and private. ExpressVPN has always been on the vanguard of VPN security and continues to innovate in that regard. And it doesn’t have to compromise features, speed, or user experience to do so.

I summarized my thoughts on ExpressVPN below, but read the full review to get a comprehensive look at this premium VPN service.

ExpressVPN Short Review

PROS	CONS
Solid connection protocols	No dedicated IPs
AES-256 encryption	Expensive
Excellent logging policy	Customer support team can’t handle overly technical problems
Automatic kill switch	Modest FAQ section on the site
Easy to install & use
Large server network
TrustedServer technology
Obfuscated servers
Works with Netflix and other streaming platforms
Torrenting is allowed
24/7 customer support (including live chat)
30-day money-back guarantee
Bitcoin accepted

ExpressVPN is a beginner-friendly service that sits at the top of the VPN game. It offers intuitive apps that are easy to install and use. It flaunts an excellent collection of VPN protocols, including a super-fast proprietary option called “Lightway.” AES-256 encryption provides top-tier security.

ExpressVPN offers 3000+ servers in 94 countries. The company doesn’t keep any activity logs or any other data that could be used against you. Some of its nice-to-haves include obfuscated servers, TrustedServer technology, and split-tunneling. It can be used to unblock Netflix US and many other geo-restricted platforms. Despite these great features, its price tag still feels rather high. Its recent acquisition by Kape Technologies and choice of CIO also cause some doubt.

Speed: Is ExpressVPN fast?

ExpressVPN is among the fastest VPNs we’ve tested, thanks largely in part to its proprietary Lightway protocol. While many other VPNs jumped on the Wireguard bandwagon, ExpressVPN decided to go its own route and create an all-new VPN protocol. Lightway is open-source and promises not only faster speeds, but fast switching between wi-fi and mobile networks, as well as strong security.

Using a 5 Gbps connection, we performed three sets of speed tests at different times of day. These tests were run on servers in North American, Europe, and Asia. Across all locations and times tested, ExpressVPN’s download speed averaged 475 Mbps. It’s faster than NordVPN and Surfshark, but slower than CyberGhost and IPVanish.

You won’t notice much of a slowdown while connected to ExpressVPN unless your home internet speed is well over 300 Mbps. Here are the average speeds for servers in each region:

• North America (nearest): 472 Mbps
• Asia: 453 Mbps
• Europe: 500 Mbps

We strongly recommend using the Lightway protocol if you want to maximize speed. It’s available on all devices that support ExpressVPN apps, including routers. OpenVPN is also available on all ExpressVPN connections, with the option to connect over UDP (faster) or TCP (more stable). IKEv2 and L2TP/IPSec are no longer supported, which is fine, since these had limited locations, features, and network compatibility anyway.

Speed test results ExpressVPN

We tested ExpressVPN from the US. Depending on your connection and location, you might get different results. Therefore, this table only gives an indication of potential performance.

Here are the results of our ExpressVPN speed test:

SERVER	DOWNLOAD (MBPS)	% DOWNLOAD	UPLOAD (MBPS)	% UPLOAD	PING (MS)
No VPN	222.8	100%	10.67	100%	15
The Netherlands	164.66	73.9%	2.13	20%	216
United Kingdom	163.99	73.6%	2.76	25.9%	194
The U.S.	188.61	84.7%	8.84	82.8%	27
Germany	147.16	66.1%	1.78	16.7%	243
France	149.53	67.1%	3.08	28.9%	188
Japan	114.38	51.3%	2.04	19.1%	342
Egypt	155.92	70%	3.39	31.8%	210

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As you can see, our speeds did drop to an extent (even on local servers). However, the remaining speeds were still more than fast enough to enjoy the internet without much delay — we could do anything from streaming to playing Diablo 2 online. However, if your connection speed is quite low, some servers of ExpressVPN might drive it into the ground.

During our tests, we didn’t experience any disconnects, crippling lag, or any other anomalies. Everything felt smooth despite relatively high pings. We were able to connect to any server in mere seconds.

Speed during daily use

ExpressVPN dishes out solid speeds during day-to-day operation. We didn’t experience any lag during regular browsing or working on our own website. Streaming and downloading were no problem either. We could watch videos on YouTube and use Netflix without any trouble.

When using the recommended servers, we didn’t experience lag while gaming either. However, in this case, it’s important to connect to a server that isn’t too far away from your actual location. Overall, ExpressVPN is a good VPN for gaming.

In general, we’ve been able to maintain high internet speeds when using ExpressVPN, without debilitating speed drops. With fast connections, you won’t even feel that ExpressVPN is there. However, we don’t recommend using it if your connection speed is already very low and you want to perform demanding tasks on the internet, like streaming or gaming.

ExpressVPN in-app speed test

ExpressVPN has a test for speed built into its application. If you click the option “Speed Test,” you’ll be able to test your speed on either recommended or all server locations. This takes a couple of seconds and will only work when your VPN is disconnected.

The test will show your latency, which is also known as ping in gaming. It’ll also list out the downloading speeds and a general speed index. On the ExpressVPN website, you’ll find an easy guide that explains the tool further and helps you make the best choice in servers.

Safety – How Secure is ExpressVPN?

Solid VPNs should anonymize your browsing and protect you from any prying eyes. It does this by masking your real IP, encrypting your traffic, and refraining from logging your data. ExpressVPN does well in this regard, pairing a transparent privacy policy with stellar security tools. Below you can read all about their protocols, logging practices, and security mechanisms.

Here’s a quick rundown of ExpressVPN’s security features:

• ExpressVPN uses 256-bit encryption.
• It supports OpenVPN, L2TP/IPSec, IKEv2, and Lightway protocols.
• It has an automatic kill switch.
• To create an account, you only need an email address and payment method.

Protocols

The flexibility and performance of your VPN will largely hinge on its collection of VPN protocols. They ensure consistent speeds and allow you to bypass online censorship and unblock Netflix US, for example. Every VPN tunnel has its strengths and weaknesses, so having more options to choose from is always a plus in our book.

ExpressVPN supports the following protocols:

• OpenVPN (TCP/UDP): This is the most popular open-source option with an excellent speed-security balance. It’s an all-round protocol that meets the needs of most VPN users. The TCP connection is slower than UDP, but can reliably tackle obstacles like the Great Firewall of China. It can even retransmit lost data packets, which guarantees data delivery to its destination. UDP is faster but easily blocked and data delivery is not 100% guaranteed.  This option is ideal for streaming, video conferences, and other tasks that demand sheer speed.
• IKEv2: This protocol is very fast and less CPU-intensive than OpenVPN. Its sophisticated reconnection capabilities made it popular among mobile users and frequent travelers. With IKEv2, you can switch between mobile and Wi-Fi networks without ever dropping your connection and risking data leaks. Having said that, it still uses IPSec for encryption, which makes it vulnerable to man-in-the-middle attacks.
• Lightway (TCP/UDP): This is ExpressVPN’s proprietary protocol built for speeds, privacy, and security. Instead of upgrading WireGuard like NordVPN did, ExpressVPN has created its own VPN tunnel from scratch. It mirrors the blazing speeds of WireGuard while adding TCP support, obfuscation, and better privacy. The protocol was independently audited by Cure53. Similar to IKEv2, Lightway won’t skip a beat when you switch between networks or lose signal. Instead of terminating, your connection will become idle until you can reconnect to the same ExpressVPN server. With only 2,000 lines of code, Lightway saves your battery, uses less CPU power, and offers fewer targets to hackers.
• L2TP/IPSec: Although it isn’t the most obvious choice, L2TP/IPSec is a fast and somewhat secure VPN tunnel. It is, however, very resource-intensive, so you can’t use it effectively without a strong CPU and fast connection (100+ Mbps). It can only use three ports, which makes it pretty easy to block. Honestly, the only time you should pick this protocol is when OpenVPN and Lightway are unavailable, for whatever reason. ExpressVPN also offers fewer server locations for this protocol.

ExpressVPN uses the AES-256 cipher to scramble your online traffic. This is the most secure encryption method we have today. It’s also used by the military, banks, hospitals, and other institutions that need to protect highly sensitive data.

Apart from AES, Lightway also supports the ChaCha20 cipher. AES has excellent hardware acceleration, though, and it will be available on most of your devices. So Lightway will resort to ChaCha20 only on entry-level mobile devices and low-powered routers.

If you’re not sure about the best protocol, you can let the ExpressVPN client pick one automatically. It will determine the best option based on your connection speed, location, and hardware configuration.

Logging and privacy

ExpressVPN is based in the British Virgin Islands. In spite of its name and formally being a part of the UK, the BVI is governed by its own legislation. The absence of mandatory data retention laws makes it a VPN-friendly location. It’s also outside of the Eyes alliance.

So, ExpressVPN is not obligated to keep any harmful user logs and it doesn’t. This is quite fortunate, since the BVI Supreme Court can order the company to disclose customer records. Even if that happens, ExpressVPN won’t have any IP addresses, traffic data, browsing history, or DNS queries to hand over. In other words, they collect nothing that can positively identify you or trace your traffic back to you.

Having said that, here is the information that ExpressVPN does collect:

• Personal information: Email and payment method. You can easily remain anonymous by providing a newly-made email and paying for your subscription with Bitcoin.
• Aggregate VPN usage statistics: Your app version, successful connections on a particular day (without specifying the time), your country/ISP (but not your real IP), the VPN servers you connected to (but not the assigned IP), and the total sum of data transferred.
• Anonymous app diagnostics: VPN connection diagnostics, usability diagnostics, speed test results, and crash reports. Sharing this data is optional and you can turn it off at any moment.
• Customer support records: Any correspondence with ExpressVPN’s customer support as well as your country, operating system, and anything else that can help with troubleshooting.

This is a solid privacy policy and it qualifies Express as one of the rare no-logging VPNs. They do collect some harmless data to keep the service running, but nothing that could put you in harm’s way. As ExpressVPN puts it:

“We may know THAT a customer has used ExpressVPN, but we never know HOW they have utilized our Service… ExpressVPN does not collect any IP addresses, browsing history, traffic data, or DNS queries that could be used to identify any specific user.”

You have the right to access, transfer, correct, delete, and object to the processing of your personal data. All you have to do is contact the company at support@expressvpn.com and tell them what you want to do.

Daniel Gericke controversy

It’s important to note that ExpressVPN’s Chief Information Officer, Daniel Gericke was fined for his role in UAE’s project “Raven” by the US Department of Justice. As a UAE mercenary hacker, he was supposedly involved in hack attacks against American citizens, political opponents, and human rights activists. Although this occurred before Gericke’s involvement with ExpressVPN, his work on these surveillance practices caused worries in the community.

In its official statement, ExpressVPN stands behind its CIO. They denounced the project itself, but mentioned that “hiring an ex-offender is the best defense.” Time will have to tell whether that’s actually the case.

Kape Technologies acquires ExpressVPN

In September of 2021, Kape Technologies announced the acquisition of ExpressVPN for $936 million. Kape Technologies also owns CyberGhost, Private Internet Access, and some other VPNs. According to the parties involved, the ExpressVPN acquisition shouldn’t affect its independent operation.

Our team is currently investigating the potential repercussions of these recent developments. At the moment, we have no evidence that ExpressVPN’s privacy and security have been affected in any way. We’ll continue with our investigation and will keep you up-to-date with our latest findings.

Kill switch

Any VPN can malfunction and drop connection for whatever reason. Even a two-second stutter is enough for your real IP to leak. That’s why most VPNs implement a kill switch. This fail-safe blocks all internet traffic until your VPN protection is restored.

ExpressVPN comes with an automatic kill switch on Windows, Mac, Linux, and routers. Note that they call it their “Network Lock,” which is just a fancy name for a kill switch. Even though we don’t recommend this, you can disable it on Windows, Mac, and Linux (not on routers, though).

ExpressVPN’s Android app has a similar feature, even though it’s not explicitly named Network Lock. It allows you to block the internet when you’re unable to connect or reconnect to your VPN. It also supports full leak-proofing that always blocks all non-VPN traffic. However, this will also block some VPN features, like split-tunneling.

Some of the situations when your kill switch might activate include:

• Switching between Wi-Fi networks with a protocol that can’t sustain the connection
• Signal flickering or ISP’s momentary outage
• Closing your laptop or putting your computer to sleep
• Toggling your connection on or off

What information does ExpressVPN need?

To create an account with ExpressVPN, you only need an email address and a payment method. This means you can stay completely anonymous if you use a fresh email (without any identifiers) and pay with Bitcoin.

Usability – How User-Friendly is ExpressVPN?

ExpressVPN is a very decent user-friendly VPN. Even if this is your first VPN ever, you’ll have no issues navigating your way around its site and clients. Below, you’ll find detailed information about its website, installation, apps, pricing, and customer support.

Here’s the short version of our conclusions:

• ExpressVPN’s website is simple and easy to navigate.
• The installation is quick and easy on all devices and operating systems.
• ExpressVPN’s clients are beginner-friendly and intuitive.
• ExpressVPN is on the expensive side.
• Crypto payments are accepted.
• ExpressVPN offers 24/7 customer support (live chat included).
• The expertise of the live support team is not where it needs to be.

Website and installing ExpressVPN

The ExpressVPN website is simple and easy to navigate. Everything feels intuitive and well-laid out. Even VPN beginners will have no trouble finding their way around and getting ExpressVPN going.

Clicking the “My Account” button in the top-right corner will open up your personal dashboard. Here, you can edit your payment method, download apps for supported platforms, view invoices, get your referral link, tinker with the DNS settings, and change your password. You can also view your subscription details and manage subscription settings.

The installation of ExpressVPN was quick and effortless. Their easy-installation wizard will guide you every step of the way. ExpressVPN offers native apps for Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, Linux, and certain routers. If your device is not supported, you can set up ExpressVPN manually with OpenVPN or L2TP/IPSec. However, we don’t recommend this unless you know exactly what you’re doing.

When it comes to browser extensions, ExpressVPN supports Chrome, Firefox, and Edge. Oddly enough, we didn’t have the option of downloading the Microsoft Edge extension from our client. Apart from this, Express can be used with Android TV, Fire TV & Kindle Fire, gaming consoles, Apple TV, Chromebook, and many other platforms.

For this ExpressVPN review, we mainly tested its Windows app. Here are the installation steps:

1. Go to ExpressVPN’s website.
2. Click on “Get Started” in the top-right corner.
3. Pick your subscription option.
4. Provide the required information (email and payment method).
5. Download the setup file for your system.
6. Click on the downloaded file and the installation will start automatically.
7. After installation, enter your activation code.

During installation, you’ll have to answer two questions:

• Do you want ExpressVPN to start with Windows? This is highly convenient so you can agree.
• Do you want to share crash reports, speed tests, usability diagnostics, and whether VPN connection attempts succeeded? We don’t like sharing any unnecessary info with companies so we recommend going with “No” on this one.

With all this in mind, we can say that ExpressVPN’s setup is beginner-friendly and streamlined to perfection. We especially like the fact that you can register an account and purchase a subscription in a single step.

ExpressVPN’s appearance and ease-of-use

ExpressVPN’s client is very sleek and professional. The home screen is devoid of any complicated options, which makes it extremely beginner-friendly. Everything “regular users” might need, is right there on the start screen. Some advanced options are available once you scratch the surface.

The main window features a prominent on/off button and a shortcut to switch between servers. The Windows client also displays some interesting articles from the company’s blog at the very bottom.

The hamburger menu in the top-left corner allows you to:

• Open the server list.
• Perform an in-client speed test.
• Access the “Options” menu.
• Contact customer support.
• Check your IP address and test for DNS/WebRTC leaks.
• Get your referral link.
• Log out

ExpressVPN’s client has something for both beginners and power users. We appreciate the minimalistic design and give Express a huge thumbs up for its user interface. VPNs with complicated clients, like Windscribe, could definitely learn a thing or two from ExpressVPN.

Pricing and payment methods

ExpressVPN is definitely on the expensive side, with a price as high as some other competitors like BolehVPN. However, one could argue that its impressive list of features justifies the high price tag. You can always use their 30-day money-back guarantee and get a pseudo-free ExpressVPN trial that way. It gives you plenty of time to test the software cost-free and see if it works for you.

ExpressVPN offers three different subscription plans:

• 1 month: $12.95 per month
• 6 months: $9.99 per month (billed $59.95 every 6 months)
• 12 months: $6.67 per month (billed $99.95 every 12 months)

ExpressVPN accepts the following payment methods:

• Credit cards (VISA, MasterCard, American Express, Discover JCB, Diners Club International)
• PayPal
• Bitcoin
• Various regional payment methods (WebMoney, Klarna, iDeal, UnionPay, Sofort, Giropay, and more)

Note that your subscription renews automatically by default. You can turn this off from the “Manage Subscription Settings” tab in your on-site personal dashboard.

Server Network ExpressVPN

The server network of a VPN is important if you want to bypass geographical restrictions by connecting to servers in other countries. For instance, you can connect to a server in the US to watch a show on the American version of Netflix. Moreover, if your government censors what you can do and see online you can reroute your connection through a server in a different country to have free access to the internet.

Find out more about the ExpressVPN server network below. The most important things to note about the server network are:

• ExpressVPN has over 3000 servers in 160 VPN server locations in 94 different countries
• ExpressVPN doesn’t offer dedicated IP addresses

Number of servers and locations

ExpressVPN offers 3000+ servers spread across 160 locations in 94 countries. Thanks to this impressive server network you’ll always find a location that meets your needs. You can also switch between servers whenever and as much as you want.

The list of available locations is easy to access from the client’s home screen. When you click on the location shortcut underneath the on/off button, a list will appear next to the main window.

Here, you can see the locations you recently visited for easier access. You can also build a list of your favorite servers. Lastly, the “Smart Location” tool can pick the optimal server for you based on your current location, ping, and connection speed. The “All Locations” tab shows you all available servers grouped by continents.

ExpressVPN offers servers in the following countries:

• Americas: Argentina, Bahamas, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Guatemala, Mexico, Panama, Peru, United States, Uruguay, and Venezuela.
• Europe: Albania, Andorra, Armenia, Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Isle of Man, Italy, Jersey, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Moldova, Monaco, Montenegro, Netherlands, North Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, and United Kingdom.
• Asia Pacific: Australia, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Macau, Malaysia, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, New Zealand, Pakistan, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, Uzbekistan, and Vietnam.
• Middle East & Africa: Algeria (virtual via the Netherlands), Egypt, Israel, Kenya, and South Africa.

Note that around 3% of ExpressVPN’s network consists of so-called “virtual servers.” This means that the assigned IP address matches the country you’ve chosen but the server is physically located elsewhere (usually a nearby country, although not always). For example, if you connect to Slovenia, your traffic will be routed through a server in the Netherlands and assigned a Slovenian IP address. Your traffic will still appear to come from Slovenia without actually being connected to a physical server in this country.

ExpressVPN resorts to virtual options for countries where finding high-quality servers can be difficult. This way, it can connect you to those countries without sacrificing speed and security. A full list of ExpressVPN virtual servers is available on their website.

TrustedServer technology

Traditional VPN servers usually rely on hard drives, which store data until it is erased and rewritten. This raises the risk of hackers stealing sensitive information. ExpressVPN solved this problem by introducing its “TrustedServer” technology.

The installation of ExpressVPN was quick and effortless. Their easy-installation wizard will guide you every step of the way. ExpressVPN offers native apps for Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, Linux, and certain routers. If your device is not supported, you can set up ExpressVPN manually with OpenVPN or L2TP/IPSec. However, we don’t recommend this unless you know exactly what you’re doing.

When it comes to browser extensions, ExpressVPN supports Chrome, Firefox, and Edge. Oddly enough, we didn’t have the option of downloading the Microsoft Edge extension from our client. Apart from this, Express can be used with Android TV, Fire TV & Kindle Fire, gaming consoles, Apple TV, Chromebook, and many other platforms.

Instead of using hard drives, their servers run entirely on volatile memory (or RAM). All information on any server is erased the moment it’s powered off. This prevents both data and potential intruders from persisting on the machine.

This RAM-only approach also ensures that every server runs on the most up-to-date software. This means that every single ExpressVPN server is running the exact same code. This consistency makes the network much easier to manage and reduces the chance of vulnerabilities and misconfiguration.

TrustedServer tech was audited by PwC and there was a $100,000 reward in ExpressVPN’s bug bounty program specifically for discovering security problems within TrustedServer.

Obfuscated servers

ExpressVPN is advertised as a “stealth VPN,” which means at least some of its servers provide the so-called “obfuscation” technology. This feature masks your VPN traffic to look like regular browsing. It has many applications, from unblocking Netflix to dealing with online censorship. With stealth servers, even deep packet inspection won’t be able to “see” that you’re using a VPN.

Having said that, the information about ExpressVPN’s obfuscation tech is surprisingly scarce. We have no blogs, no setup guides, no info whatsoever. In other words, we don’t know how this feature works with Express. With Surfshark, for example, obfuscation (they call it “Camouflage”) activates automatically when you switch to OpenVPN. Nord has an on/off toggle in the client, and so on.

Naturally, we tried our luck with the customer support team but they didn’t offer much help.

Dedicated IP address

Dedicated IP addresses have several advantages over their shared counterparts. They are tied to your account and nobody else can use them. Your IP remains the same every time you connect. This facilitates online payments, skips annoying CAPTCHA popups, and lowers your chances of getting blacklisted by services like Netflix and Hulu.

ExpressVPN’s Options

ExpressVPN has a decent list of extra nice-to-haves. It is to be expected from a VPN of its caliber. We had zero problems accessing geo-locked services and anything torrent-related works like a charm.

A full list of ExpressVPN’s extra options includes:

• Unblocking regional versions of Netflix and other streaming platforms
• P2P support
• Split-tunneling

ExpressVPN and Netflix

In spite of offering only shared IP addresses, ExpressVPN is a true geo-unblocking powerhouse. Their use of obfuscation paired with thousands of IP addresses definitely has something to do with this. ExpressVPN works perfectly with Netflix US, as well as many other regional versions. It’s on our list of the best VPNs for Netflix for a reason.

We tested several geo-locked versions of Netflix and here are the ones that worked:

• The US
• The UK
• Japan
• Canada
• Germany
• France

With Netflix tightening up its VPN block, the list of services that can unlock it grows thinner by the day. ExpressVPN is definitely one of the VPNs that haven’t given up the fight. We were able to stream plenty of Netflix shows and movies without any lag or dreaded proxy errors. ExpressVPN also works with other coveted platforms, including Hulu, BBC iPlayer, and Disney+.

ExpressVPN and torrents

If you can’t start your day without firing up uTorrent, ExpressVPN is the service for you. It allows anonymous P2P filesharing on all of its servers without any speed throttling. Just make sure your kill switch is active — a dropping connection that leaks your IP in the middle of downloading a torrent is never fun.

As always, we have to point out that we do not recommend or condone illegal torrenting. Downloading copyrighted content can cause serious legal repercussions. In some countries, it can even mean jail time.

Split-tunneling

ExpressVPN offers split-tunneling. This useful VPN feature allows you to pick which apps are routed through the VPN, and which can connect directly to the internet. You can find this option in the General Settings tab in your client.

You can set up split-tunneling in two ways:

• Exclude programs: do you want all your apps except Firefox to use the VPN? Then you can set up ExpressVPN so that only Firefox doesn’t pass through the encrypted VPN tunnel.
• Allow only a few programs: this can be useful when you only want your VPN for things like downloading torrents. You can add the torrent software to ExpressVPN’s split tunnel settings.

Conclusion – Our Experience with ExpressVPN

It’s no wonder that ExpressVPN has a permanent spot on our list of the best VPNs. It performs well in the majority of areas that are important for a VPN service. They offer decent speeds and stable connections. Whether you’re just browsing or gaming intensely, ExpressVPN will secure your traffic without causing heavy lag or endless loading screens.

ExpressVPN offers the best possible encryption. You don’t have to worry about your anonymity thanks to their solid no-logging policy and RAM-only servers. Moreover, a kill switch will boost your privacy by leak-proofing your data. The company had some worrying developments recently, but we currently have no proof of any negative impact.

ExpressVPN is a beginner-friendly service with simple apps and streamlined installations. Their website and software are intuitive and devoid of any cryptic options. This makes their service accessible to everybody, from casual browsers to streamers and tech-savvy gamers. The on-site FAQ section needs some work, though. The live support team could also improve their technical problem-solving skills.

Having said all that, ExpressVPN’s price tags still feel a bit steep, especially on longer subscriptions. The quality is definitely there, but we believe that the same service could be provided for less money. It still remains one of our go-to services here at VPNOverview and we can honestly recommend it, unless your internet speed is extremely low.

ExpressVPN: Frequently Asked Questions