ExpressVPN has long been a major player in the VPN industry — but the competition among VPN providers is fierce. Is ExpressVPN still an industry leader, or should you consider other (better) options? And what does the spate of new ExpressVPN audits have to tell us? This new and updated ExpressVPN review for 2023 will answer your questions.
ExpressVPN remains one of the biggest VPNs on the market today. While you will see it being recommended by many big “review” websites, how well does it actually perform in real-world tests? This ExpressVPN review will give you the answer and reveal the pros and cons of this VPN.
Before we get into the details, this table highlights the key facts about ExpressVPN:
Website | ExpressVPN.com |
Based in | British Virgin Islands |
Logs | No logs (audited) |
Price | $6.67/mo. |
Support | 24/7 live chat |
Refund | 30 days |
Coupon | 49% Off + 3 Months Free |
In this new and updated ExpressVPN review, we took a deep dive to examine and test every aspect of this VPN:
- How fast is ExpressVPN with the new Lightway protocol and how does it compare to other VPN speeds?
- Do all of ExpressVPN’s features and leak protection settings work correctly?
- Are the VPN apps secure and user-friendly?
- Can ExpressVPN unblock Netflix and other streaming services?
- Is ExpressVPN worth the (above average) price?
ExpressVPN Pros and Cons
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 below.
Here is a brief overview of our findings:
+ Pros
- User-friendly and secure apps
- Split tunneling feature (for Mac OS, Windows, and routers)
- Works with Netflix and most streaming services
- 24/7 live chat support
- Passed independent third-party audits for security and no-logs
- Very large server network
– Cons
- Above-average prices
- Fewer features
- Average OpenVPN speeds (use Lightway)
FAQ
- Has ExpressVPN been extensively audited?
- Does ExpressVPN work for torrenting?
- Does ExpressVPN work in China?
- How many connections do you get with ExpressVPN?
- Does ExpressVPN offer a VPN router?
Now let’s examine the details and findings of this ExpressVPN review, starting with the pros.
ExpressVPN Pros +
Here are the pros of ExpressVPN:
Secure and user-friendly apps
ExpressVPN sets a high standard for security with all VPN apps and infrastructure. The user-friendly lineup of apps have undergone intense scrutiny with security audits performed by Cure53 and others. In short, you will find this VPN to be both secure and user-friendly.
ExpressVPN offers apps for all major operating systems and platforms:
- Windows (version 10, 8, and 7)
- Mac OS
- Linux
- iOS
- Android
- Routers
- Chromebook
- Amazon Kindle devices, Fire, and Nook
ExpressVPN also offers a feature they call MediaStreamer. This is a smart DNS service that is ideal for unblocking content and accessing your favorite streams. Additionally, MediaStreamer is a great solution if you need to use a VPN for Apple TV, gaming systems, or other devices that do not normally support VPN apps.
And with more people going online for streaming news and other media, reliable VPN apps for all devices are important. We examined ExpressVPN to see if it’s the best VPN for streaming content online — and the results were pretty good. Below I’m testing out the ExpressVPN Windows app for this review. You can see it has a clean and minimal design and it was easy to use:
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 more in the review below.
The ExpressVPN apps have always had an intuitive design and a simple layout. Many VPN apps are buggy and/or clunky, as we noted in the CyberGhost review. Based on our tests for this review, there is not much to criticize with ExpressVPN’s apps.
Strong encryption and security
Based on our tests and everything we analyzed for this ExpressVPN review, this VPN does not cut any corners with security. And this is good, especially when you consider all of the security risks and attack vectors we’ve seen over the past year. Here are the different areas we examined: encryption, VPN protocols, security features, and leak test results.
ExpressVPN encryption
The cipher, key, and authentication with ExpressVPN depend on the VPN protocol you have selected within the VPN app.
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 a very high level of encryption that is currently considered unbreakable. 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. Below 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 it would be a good idea to just use the Lightway protocol.
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 hidden at all times.
The Network Lock feature is currently available in the following apps:
- Windows
- Mac OS
- Linux
- Routers
Below you can see ExpressVPN’s Network Lock feature under the General settings in the Windows app:
In our tests for this review, the Network Lock feature worked well on Windows and Mac OS operating systems. It effectively blocked traffic when the VPN connection dropped or was interrupted.
A good VPN 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.
Threat Manager
Next up on our feature list is Threat Manager, a VPN ad blocker that will filter out ads, trackers, and malicious websites. The Threat Manager feature is a DNS ad blocker that works by filtering out domains associated with ads, trackers, and malware.
Threat Manager is currently available in the Mac, iOS, and Linux applications. I tested it out on Mac OS and everything worked well. You can see in the screenshot below that Threat Manager is activated directly in the VPN preferences area.
Like other VPN ad blockers we have tested, ExpressVPN’s Threat Manager will only work if you are connected to a VPN servers, since it utilizes DNS filtering. You can see this notification at the bottom of the screenshot above.
ExpressVPN leak tests
I ran the ExpressVPN apps through some basic VPN tests to identify any potential issues or problems. The main testing site I used was ipleak.net. I did not find any leaks or security issues with any of the ExpressVPN apps.
Below is one of the tests we ran showing no leaks with the desktop client for Windows:
With the tests above, you can see that the IPv4 address matches up with the New York server location, with the IPv6 address being blocked. The DNS leak tests show that ExpressVPN servers are handling all DNS requests. We did not find any leaks and rate this as one of the best VPNs for Windows.
I also ran the ExpressVPN Mac OS app and also the Android app through the same leak tests. As with previous tests, no leaks were found. These are the same tests that we ran in the NordVPN vs Surfshark comparison guide.
No-logs VPN in a safe jurisdiction
ExpressVPN is a verified VPNs with no logs. It has passed independent audits and also real-world verification tests, as we’ll show below. This is important because we have seen at least two cases of VPNs claiming to be “no logs” that were actually logging their users:
- IPVanish provided logs to the FBI for a criminal investigation (see the details in our IPVanish review).
- PureVPN also provided logs to authorities for a criminal investigation (see the PureVPN review for more info).
So let’s get back to ExpressVPN. First, we will take a close 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.
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 passes third-party audits
ExpressVPN is also one of a handful of VPNs that have been independently audited. And man have they been audited! Over the last few years, they have commissioned and completed a grand total of 11 third-party audits. These audits covered many different aspects of their service, including features like TrustedServer and Lightway, as well as the inner workings of the service.
Most recently they completed three audits, one for each of their desktop apps. They commissioned Cure53 to audit their macOS and Linux desktop apps. Cure53 completed penetration tests and source code audits. These audits uncovered a few minor issues, which the engineers at ExpressVPN have dealt with.
The company also brought in F-Secure to do penetration testing and source code audits of version 12 of their Windows app. These audits turned up one minor issue that has also been dealt with.
ExpressVPN appears to be leading the industry when it comes to demonstrating the quality of their service through third-party audits. We can only hope that other companies will follow in their footsteps.
‘No Logs’ policy verified with a server seizure
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.
Note: There was also a situation where Windscribe servers were seized. Unlike with ExpressVPN, however, the servers were not secured and authorities obtained Windscribe’s private key, thereby putting Windscribe users at risk. We also covered this situation in our Windscribe VPN review.
Located in the British Virgin Islands
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.
Large, secure VPN 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.
This network size puts ExpressVPN about on par with other big VPNs, such as NordVPN and CyberGhost. The one big difference is that ExpressVPN relies on more virtual server locations.
TrustedServer: all servers running in RAM
ExpressVPN is now one of only a handful of VPNs that run all servers in RAM-disk mode. In other words, ExpressVPN does not use any hard drives with its server network, but instead, only RAM memory. This network security setup is referred to as the TrustedServer feature.
The TrustedServer feature offers ExpressVPN users a higher level of security. We also discuss RAM servers in our NordVPN vs IPVanish comparison.
Does ExpressVPN offer dedicated IP addresses?
No, ExpressVPN does not offer dedicated IP addresses.
If you want a dedicated IP address, see my guide on VPNs with dedicated IPs for more details. (Note that dedicated/static IPs are not the best choice for privacy because your internet traffic is not getting mixed with other users.)
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 ExpressVPN 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 you which server(s) to use instead.
ExpressVPN is one of the best VPNs for Netflix for three main reasons:
- Good streaming quality with fast speeds (no buffering or interruptions)
- 24/7 access to Netflix (no network-wide blocks)
- Unblocks numerous Netflix regions around the world: Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, Spain, UK, and USA.
ExpressVPN works with BBC iPlayer and other streaming services
In addition to Netflix, ExpressVPN also works well with Disney Plus, Amazon Prime, Hulu, and Kodi. ExpressVPN has fixed past issues with BBC iPlayer and is now one of the best VPNs for BBC iPlayer:
Lastly, ExpressVPN is also one of the few VPNs for Firestick with a dedicated app you can find in the Amazon App Store.
ExpressVPN browser extensions
ExpressVPN offers browser extensions for Chrome and Firefox browsers. The browser add-on is an extension of the ExpressVPN desktop app. This means you’ll need to be running the ExpressVPN Windows, Mac OS, or Linux desktop application.
Why use the browser extension? The main reason is convenience. With it you can easily switch server locations without leaving the browser window. Additional advantages of the browser extensions:
- Block WebRTC leaks in the browser (WebRTC is a privacy risk that can expose your real IP, even when using a good VPN).
- Spoof your HTML5 geolocation data in the browser.
- HTTPS Everywhere – automatically connects to the more-secure HTTPS version of websites where available.
Here’s what the ExpressVPN browser extension looks like in Firefox:
The extension can be set to light or dark mode. We tested out ExpressVPN’s extension on Chrome browsers, then rated it as one of the best VPNs for Chrome. Everything worked well in our tests.
Split tunneling feature
ExpressVPN offers a split tunneling feature with their applications for Windows, Mac OS, Android, and routers.
A split tunneling VPN allows you to select which apps will go through the VPN tunnel and which can bypass the VPN to the regular (unencrypted) internet.
Navigate to Settings to control this feature. By default, all traffic and applications are routed through the VPN. In the settings, you can select three different options:
- All apps use the VPN
- Do not allow selected apps to use the VPN
- Only allow selected apps to use the VPN
If you click the second or third options, a pop-up window appears, allowing you to select the specific apps.
This is also really useful with routers because it allows you to select specific devices and/or websites to bypass the VPN.
Secure and reliable mobile apps
The ExpressVPN mobile apps I tested on Android and iOS performed very well.
Android users will be happy to hear they can take advantage of the Lightway protocol with the latest Android app release. This offers some advantages to mobile users:
- Seamlessly transition between different networks without your VPN connection dropping
- Faster download speeds
- Better reliability
- Improved battery life
Legacy protocols, particularly OpenVPN, simply do not perform well on mobile devices. Lightway solves these problems.
Note: Lightway is available for both Android and iOS mobile devices, as well as many other operating systems.
Below is a screenshot of the ExpressVPN Android app:
If you are a heavy mobile user, ExpressVPN has you covered with excellent mobile VPN apps. See our best VPNs for Android for more discussion on this topic.
VPN router app
ExpressVPN is also one of the few VPN services that offer a dedicated VPN router app. The router app works on select router models with the supported firmware. (Check with live chat support here to see which routers are supported.)
Using a VPN on your router is a smart way to get an unlimited number of connections with your VPN. This is because the router will only count as one connection, but it will provide every device that connects to your router with the full benefits of the VPN: encrypted traffic, new IP address, location anonymity.
If you want to use ExpressVPN on your router, you have the following options:
- Use the ExpressVPN router app on one of the supported router models (recommended)
- Manually setup ExpressVPN on your router (more work, but not too difficult with some routers, such as with most Asus models)
Using the ExpressVPN router app (option 1) is the best solution because it offers the following features:
- Easily switch between VPN servers
- Split tunneling (select which apps or websites bypass the VPN)
- Network Lock (kill switch) to block all traffic if the VPN connection drops
Note: ExpressVPN has begun shipping a VPN router called Aircove. This could be another option if you wish to run ExpressVPN on your router.
Good customer support and refund policy
While support with larger VPN services can sometimes be hit or miss, ExpressVPN seems to be doing quite well with live chat support.
I tested out the support repeatedly for this ExpressVPN review. In all my interactions, I found the support department to be prompt, knowledgeable, and polite.
You can get access to 24/7 live chat support directly through their website in the bottom-right corner. With all of my chat sessions, I was connected with a representative in under a minute (no long delays).
Live chat support is definitely a plus if you need help setting up the VPN on your devices or have specific questions that are not answered on the website.
Money back guarantee
Another great benefit with ExpressVPN is that it offers one of the longest refund windows in the industry. With all VPN subscriptions (even one-month plans), you get a full 30 day money-back guarantee. If you are not 100% satisfied with your VPN subscription, you can cancel on day 30 for a full refund, no questions asked.
Overall, ExpressVPN offers great customer support.
Now owned by Kape Technologies
In September 2021, we learned that ExpressVPN was in the process of being bought out by Kape Technologies. In our original article on the situation, we noted that:
- Kape Technologies was formerly called Crossrider
- Crossrider produced a browser development platform, which third parties (not Crossrider) used to infect devices with malware
- Crossrider shut down its development platform in 2016, began purchasing VPNs in 2017, and changed its name to Kape Technologies in 2018
- Kape Technologies owns CyberGhost, Private Internet Access, ZenMate VPN, and now also ExpressVPN.
- Kape Technologies owns VPN “review” websites that rank its holdings in the top spots.
While ExpressVPN is now owned by Kape Technologies, only time will tell how this affects the VPN. Right now it looks like ExpressVPN will continue to operate independently, despite its new owner. Additionally, ExpressVPN is performing better in our latest round of tests (compared to this time last year).
We will keep an eye on the situation and update this ExpressVPN review with our observations.
Next up in this ExpressVPN review, we will look at some cons/drawbacks of ExpressVPN.
ExpressVPN Cons –
Above average prices
Another drawback with ExpressVPN is that it is more expensive than many rival VPN services (but also not the most expensive VPN). In short, this is not a cheap VPN.
With the regular pricing, the cheapest you can get ExpressVPN for is $8.32 per month, or $99.95 per year. However, there is a discounted coupon rate that gives you three months for free with the coupon below.
While ExpressVPN is more expensive than some other rivals, namely NordVPN and Surfshark, the key question is value, or what you get for your money. In terms of value, ExpressVPN has a lot to offer, as you can see with all of the pros above. Based on the results and information in this review, these are the factors that make ExpressVPN stand out from other options:
- Faster speeds with the Lightway protocol
- Secure and reliable apps with strong encryption and built-in leak protection
- 24/7 access to Netflix and many other streaming services
- Live chat support
Another factor that’s important to consider is the history of the VPN itself. ExpressVPN has a squeaky-clean record going back many years. Additionally, it is a verified and proven no-logs VPN service that runs a very secure server network.
Slow OpenVPN performance
Another noteworthy drawback with ExpressVPN is the performance issues we found with the OpenVPN protocol. The OpenVPN protocol is still the most widely-used protocol with VPN services and offers security and (typically) good performance. OpenVPN is also open source and trusted by many users and organizations.
We ran speed tests using the OpenVPN protocol with ExpressVPN on a 500 Mbps connect. The results were not very good.
ExpressVPN server in Seattle with the OpenVPN protocol: 32 Mbps.
This is really slow considering my baseline of 500 Mbps and the fact that OpenVPN speeds can often get about 200 to 300 Mbps.
Next up was an ExpressVPN server in Los Angeles at 41 Mbps.
While this is slightly better than the previous server in Seattle, it is still far slower than it should be. We should be getting speeds of well over 100 Mbps with the OpenVPN protocol.
Your best bet is to just use the Lightway protocol. And with Lightway, ExpressVPN beats out many other VPN services, as you can see in the ExpressVPN vs CyberGhost post.
Limited feature set
The last con we are going to discuss with ExpressVPN is the lack of features.
ExpressVPN is more expensive than other leading VPNs but lacks many features offered by its competitors.
For example, here are some features of NordVPN (best overall VPN in our rankings) that are not available with ExpressVPN:
- Double VPN servers that encrypt traffic over two separate hops. This adds a higher level of security for those who want it.
- Tor-over-VPN servers that add an additional layer of encryption via the Tor network.
- Obfuscated servers that allow you to use the VPN in restricted locations, where VPNs may be blocked.
- P2P servers that are optimized for torrenting and fast download speeds.
The lack of features was one of the big reasons that NordVPN came out on top in our ExpressVPN vs NordVPN comparison. In addition, NordVPN also runs all servers in RAM-disk mode but does not use any virtual server locations like ExpressVPN. Beyond that, NordVPN is rolling out self-owned (colocated) servers with high-speed 10 Gbps bandwidth channels. We discuss these items more in our NordVPN review.
Additional findings
Here is some additional information I found for this ExpressVPN review:
About Lightway
After over a year of development, ExpressVPN officially launched the Lightway VPN protocol. Lightway is available on all major operating systems: Windows, Mac OS, Linux, Android, and iOS, and some router firmware.
So what does Lightway offer? Here’s what I found:
- Faster speeds than OpenVPN
- Updated encryption standards
- Fast to establish connections (about one second or less)
- Seamless transition when going in and out of connectivity or changing networks
- Smaller code base makes it easier to audit than OpenVPN and IPSec
In many respects, Lightway is similar to the WireGuard protocol. It is smaller, leaner, faster, and more secure, while solving a lot of the problems and baggage of legacy protocols like OpenVPN and IPSec/IKEv2. It’s great to see this protocol is now live and supported in the ExpressVPN apps.
Lightway is faster than OpenVPN
One of the biggest benefits to Lightway is the potential for faster speeds and better overall performance. I ran some tests of Lightway on a Mac OS computer with a 500 Mbps connection. Here were some results with US servers:
ExpressVPN Lightway server in Seattle: 196 Mbps.
This is better than before with OpenVPN.
ExpressVPN Lightway server speeds in Los Angeles:
Another good ExpressVPN speed test result.
ExpressVPN Lightway server in New York:
As you can see, Lightway speeds are much better than OpenVPN.
While Lightway is faster than OpenVPN, we still see that’s it’s not quite as fast as other VPNs with WireGuard. You can see this in our ExpressVPN vs Surfshark comparison report.
Lightway vs WireGuard
For comparison, here is a speed test with NordVPN using the WireGuard protocol:
As you can see, NordVPN with the WireGuard protocol is giving us speeds that are over 200 Mbps faster than ExpressVPN with Lightway.
Recommendation: If speed is your top priority, then check out NordVPN with WireGuard.
Audited and open source
In August 2021, ExpressVPN announced that Lightway has officially passed a third-party audit and is being fully released under an open source license. This means the code is available for anyone to audit, which further helps with trust and verification.
The audit of the Lightway protocol was conducted by Cure53, which is a well-respected cybersecurity firm that has also audited other VPNs. They had this to say:
The codebase observed on Lightway Core follows consistent coding patterns and exhibits—in the testers’ view—a high quality.
– Cure53 audit report
ExpressVPN FAQ
Here are the answers to some of the common questions people have about ExpressVPN:
Has ExpressVPN been extensively audited?
I would guess that ExpressVPN has had more third-party audits than any other VPN. According to their blog, as of November 9, 2022 they had completed a total of 11 third-party audits of various aspects of their service.
I’ve never seen any other VPN claim anywhere close to that level of external auditing. It speaks well to ExpressVPN’s commitment to deliver a quality product that works as advertised.
Does ExpressVPN work for torrenting?
Many VPNs restrict or limit torrenting on their network. With ExpressVPN, torrenting is allowed without any restrictions or limitations.
There are four factors that make ExpressVPN a good choice for torrenting:
1. High-performance (premium) server network with exceptionally fast speeds and great reliability.
2. Overseas jurisdiction that is not subject to DMCA requests or copyright violation demands.
3. High-quality applications that will keep your data secure while also protecting you against leaks and vulnerabilities. This, of course, also protects you from copyright trolls and DMCA notices.
4. No bandwidth limitations or traffic restrictions.
ExpressVPN is among the top recommendations in our best VPN for torrenting guide.
Does ExpressVPN work in China?
ExpressVPN continues to work in China on most occasions. Speaking to some people located in China, we have learned that sometimes all ExpressVPN servers get blocked. However, ExpressVPN (like a few others) is quick to implement solutions and get through any restrictions.
To use ExpressVPN in China, simply connect to one of the China-designated servers (check with support to see these). These servers use an obfuscation protocol with the VPN app, making your VPN traffic look like regular HTTPS encryption. This easily gets through the Great Firewall.
See the best VPNs for China guide for additional information and setup tips.
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 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.
Does ExpressVPN offer a VPN router?
ExpressVPN recently began marketing their Aircove WiFi-6 router with built-in ExpressVPN support. Cure53 audited the router, stating that “the ExpressVPN team has established a first-rate security level for the components in focus following the completion of this audit.”
“Overall, the code organization and quality garnered a positive impression, indicating that security was a high priority during development and a substantial aspect of the software’s life cycle.”
We have not had the opportunity to test the Aircove router and hardware testing is not part of our normal business. We will update this review when and if we do test this interesting router.
Conclusion: Is ExpressVPN worth it?
Your data is a target for vast numbers of crooks and snoops around the world. Letting them get their hands on it can result in identity theft, having our devices hacked, or simply getting bombarded with targeted ads. ExpressVPN can help you keep the bad guys at bay.
Our test results show that ExpressVPN is a top-notch service. It is definitely 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.
And if you want to give this VPN a test drive, then grab the coupon below for the best savings:
ExpressVPN Coupon:
Sign up for the 12-month plan and get 3 months added to your subscription for free.
(Coupon is applied automatically.)
ExpressVPN alternatives
Click the VPN name below to read our full review – or click the discount coupon for the best savings. Both of these VPNs have a 30 day money-back guarantee, and both support the WireGuard VPN protocol.
You can also check out our guide on the top-rated VPN services for other recommendations. Curious how ExpressVPN does in head-to-head testing against other VPNs? Here are our ExpressVPN comparisons:
If you have used ExpressVPN, feel free to share your honest review (good or bad) below in the comments section.
This ExpressVPN review was last updated on January 7, 2023.
Hello Sven
I am very curious about why Expressvpn, which Kape owns, doesn’t receive the same treatment as Cyberghost in your reviews.
You literally destroy Cyberghost in your review, not so much for technical reasons but because Kape owns them. On the contrary, your review of Expressvpn is mainly positive, with only a small section of it dedicated to naming that Kape are their owners, but not saying any negative things about this relationship.
I am not here to defend Cyberghost, I have myself concerns about Kape and all the VPN companies owned by them, I am just genuinely interested in knowing why the different treatment of the 2 companies in your pages.
I see that Expressvpn continuously appears between your 4-5 recommendations. It is concerning the bias that you are showing towards them when it is owned by Kape too.
No, CyberGhost has not been a good product for years, and that is why the review is negative. We’ve even published recent stories about major security vulnerabilities:
https://restoreprivacy.com/cyberghost-vpn-client-vulnerable-to-man-in-the-middle-attacks/
https://restoreprivacy.com/cyberghost-vpn-for-windows-vulnerable-to-command-injection/
ExpressVPN is a solid product, regardless of the ownership.
ExpressVPN used to have decent customer support. However, as of April 2023 their Chat function does not work on either Firefox or Chrome. If you need immediate help, i.e. you can’t get on to your VPN at all, good luck. They say they have 24×7 support, but in my experience this is not true, i.e. it is false advertisin. Their email responses have been delayed by a whole day and the instructions most often just refer you back to their online support.
One last thing is tha when it does work, Expressvpn is very slow to establish a connection to begin with.
Hi Sven Sir,
As Express VPN has improved compared to this time last year, it is now a better option than Surfshark VPN?
Accordingly to you which one is better currently, Surfshark VPN or Express VPN?
Please give a simple and straight forward answer.
Thanks
Surfshark still comes out on top at this time, see the comparison here.
There is no split tunnelling option in iOS.
Correct. As we stated in the review, “ExpressVPN offers a split tunneling feature with their applications for Windows, Mac OS, Android, and routers.”
Does not work from China – update your article please.
I’ve been in China-Shanghai for almost two years now and while Express VPN worked fairly well over this period of time (although US servers were often unavailable), in the past 3+ months things changed dramatically for the worst. Right now and for the past couple of days Express VPN does NOT even have a SINGLE working server from China. Their customer service has also gone WAY downhill, it takes a long time to get a response and even then is a generic response not addressing the actual issues/questions. For China at least, I would suggest to look elsewhere.
Just a warning.
I’ve been advised by ExpressVPN administration to turn off the Internet Access function (kill switch) to be able to continue using basic apps/hardware (Sonos, Apple Car Play, Pandora, etc.) via ExpressVPN.
The kill switch is of course a fundamental and integral “safety”/“privacy” feature of ExpressVPN, so hopefully this software glitch/“hole” will be fixed as soon as possible.
As I’ve already paid for a year’s subscription, and this glitch only recently appeared following the most recent updates to the app, perhaps it would be wise holding off committing to ExpressVPN until this security feature has been repaired.
I am looking at using a VPN and have yet to use any. I am curious about the pricing maybe it is just me. The offer I see on the screen first payment is $6.67 per month for 15 months including 3 months free. My mind keeps saying that is wrong! If 3 months out of the 15 are free that is 12 months at $6.67 which is $80.04 and not the $99.95 they are asking for. This appears to be how they get around it by using the following wording (Special 12+3 deal, billed once for 15 months ($6.67/month average) When calculating the average, the free months should not be used as part of the equation. If this is the case they are clearly saying to me I am paying $6.67 for each free month. I find this practice to be dishonest I am not interested in people or companies that try to justify a price in this way.
This puts the red flag up for me straight away.
Sorry, but I have to mention it again! The Split-Tunneling feature on Windows does not work! If you enable the option and exclude just one app you get dns leaks and you are not safe from your ISP. Is it possible to mention this in this review, because it is a huge privacy problem.
Here someone reproduced the issue over two years ago and it still isn´t fixed:
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Ww4maZfjrg]
Brad, that issue was from two years ago, with a previous version of the app, and ExpressVPN told me that they got it fixed.
Hi Sven,
Yes, but it still exists. I reproduced it today and got confirmation from ExpressVPN Support:
„ Thanks for getting back to us.
I can confirm that this is a known and reported bug and our engineers are already informed about it. „
„In the meantime, please disable split tunneling as this is the one causing the leak.“
It was never fixed. You just have to exclude one single app and you get dns leaks.
I think this has to be mentioned because Users who have enabled Split Tunneling have leaking DNS on Windows. You can try yourself by excluding an app and check Ipleak afterwards. Your ISP DNS will show up.
Ok I will test this myself and see what happens. Thanks for the info.
I found the solution. It had also other VPN´s installed. After uninstalling NordVPN Split Tunneling works as intended.
Good luck with emailing or chatting with support. The Network Lock feature is not working. Further, I am not notified when the connection drops, or it is not connected. It still allows unrestricted internet traffic. With Nord, it stops everything immediately.
For two days I have tried to deal with this, while they assured me that it was working properly, I was, at that time, communicating with them via chat, and reviewing their website with a dropped vpn connection. Their 24 hour customer service is useless if it is not effective. Some seem to have comprehension issues. For me, not a reliable app and customer service is poor.
Not sure I understand. On [https://www.vpnmentor.com/reviews/expressvpn/] it says “Every ExpressVPN server is automatically obfuscated, so you don’t have to take any extra steps to hide your VPN use.”
No, that is not accurate. To use the obfuscated servers from restricted locations, you have to check with support and they will tell which ones to connect to (there is a limited number) — it’s not every server.
Hi, does anyone know why my IP changes several times within an hour even when I don´t disconnect from ExpressVPN (Lightway protocol). With my other VPN the assigned IP stays the same till I disconnect and connect again, but with Express it changes several times within an hour even without any interruptions of the connection. Can someone reproduce or explain this behaviour?
Best regards
ExpressVPN leaks DNS on Windows 10 whenever split tunnelling is used. This bug has been present since at least 2018, and ExpressVPN tech support agents have admitted this bug to me on numerous occasions.
That’s right – this bug has gone unfixed since last decade. It’s absolutely diabolical that ExpressVPN haven’t bothered to fix the bug for at least 4 years. Moreover, ExpressVPN tech agents have stated that they don’t have an ETA on when the bug will be fixed. What a monstrous betrayal of users’ privacy!
ExpressVPN should never be trusted again. Because should your VPN have a DNS leak, you will no longer enjoy anonymity, and your ISP will be able to see exactly what you’re doing online. This situation makes your VPN worthless when it comes to privacy. I’ll say it again: if you use a VPN that allows DNS leaks, you might as well not even use it; it’s practically pointless.
Thanks Mark,
I mentioned this here before as well. It´s a shame, because it´s a potential security risk which has to be solved and should be addressed in the review please.
Here’s a new twist. Duckduckgo’s beta version of their new App Tracking Protection feature flags Expressvpn’s mobile app as containing both Google and Facebook trackers. So much for being a bastion of privacy. hmmmm so much for being a pillar of user privacy. Spread the word. EVPN should be brought down.
Rick, we’ve covered this before. These are not “trackers” in the usual sense of the word. These are just tools to provide basic, fully anonymized app usage stats, such as how the app is working with users, whether it is crashing (see Google Crashlytics), stability, what version is running, etc. The data is 100% anonymized and not traceable to your account or IP address. Again, these are not “trackers” that are tracking you or your online activities.
Second of all, you can just disable this in the preferences if you don’t want to “help NordVPN improve” by sending the basic usage data. Your call, but don’t think of these as “trackers” like you would find with advertising companies.
I’ve never had an issue with ExpressVPN. The apps were super simple to use. My only complaint is the high price. With that kind of price, I would expect more number of devices connected in a single account and a 2 year subscription.
Have had nothing but problems with this POS. you uncheck the kill switch, still no internet. This is probably the worst feature of ANY out there. It constantly blocks internet access for whatever reason. Total piece of sh** software!!!!! DO NOT BUY!!!!!!!!
They should add before purchase and in all reviews DOES NOT WORK IF YOU TRY TO CONNECT TO ANYTHING IN RUSSIA . I feel lied to after I bought it for a year with all the good reviews, and trying to connect to a game server in Russia I noticed there is no Russia or any city from Russia in the Express VPN search bar. Then contacted support and they said something like yea, we can not connect to Russia. But if you are in Russia you can use express vpn to connect o other places. I think this should be said in big bold letters everywhere.
There is a reason for this . Russia passed a new law basically saying you got to keep logs and handover data upon demand . If you dont , then you are not a ” legally” operating VPN anymore . Several VPN companies complied . Express didnt . Instead of changing how there servers operate , they just pulled the plug on any server in Russia , then opened up new spots AROUND Russia 🙂