ExpressVPN Review 2023: 2 Cons and 4 Pros

by Petr Lippert, updated March 30, 2023

1. ExpressVPN: Fast VPN suitable for streaming and gaming

   • Higher price compared to competitors
   • Low number of simultaneously connectable devices (5)

   • Average download (203 MB/s) and upload (109 MB/s)
   • High level of security
   • Custom Lightway protocol that does not degrade performance
   • Wide selection of available countries (94)

   The ExpressVPN offers one of the fastest VPNs on the market, and the difference in both download (203 MB/s) and upload (109 MB/s) are significant compared to the competition. In testing, we were pleasantly surprised by the stability of the connection, the functionality, and the excellent level of security. This is a good choice, especially for users looking for a VPN for gaming or streaming.

   The weaker side of ExpressVPN is the lack of some extra features, such as antivirus or email protection. Since ExpressVPN does not offer these extras, we recommend choosing NordVPN or Surfshark for a comprehensive Internet protection solution. However, if you’re looking for a VPN whose main purpose is to provide an extremely fast connection, ExpressVPN is a good choice. At the same time, the VPN provider makes up for the absence of the aforementioned features with a myriad of other goodies worth checking out.

   Security is at a very high level with this VPN provider. The fact that it doesn’t provide ad blocking may not be a problem. In fact, ExpressVPN provides a significant number of added features of top quality concerning security and privacy.

   The VPN has some interesting solutions that are backed by the creators of ExpressVPN. These include the Lightway Protocol or the Aircove Router, the world’s first production router with built-in VPN protection.

2. Subscription ExpressVPN: Discount coupon, trial version, money-back guarantee…

   • Your Price: $12.95​49% off  $6.66 /mo (5 devices)
   • Money Back Guarantee: Yes (30 days)
   • Free Trial: Yes (7 days)
   • Cryptocurrency payments:
     Yes

     Bitcoin :Yes
     Dash :No
     Ethereum :No
     Ripple :No

   Get this VPN 49% cheaper

   ExpressVPN offers monthly, semi-annual, and annual subscriptions as standard. During promotions, VPNs can be subscribed for longer periods at a lower price. Outside of promotions, the annual subscription is the most worthwhile, where you now get three extra months for free.

   If you want to try ExpressVPN for free, you can only take advantage of the money-back guarantee within 30 days of making your payment. As such, the trial version is not offered by ExpressVPN. You can simply request a refund directly on the ExpressVPN website.

   Only the bare essentials are required when ordering a subscription: an email address and the chosen payment method. No other personal information is required. Payment for ExpressVPN can be made by Visa, MasterCard, or American Express. Other options include PayPal, bitcoin, or SEPA payment.

3. Device support at ExpressVPN: Android, iOS, macOS…

   • Device limit: 5

   Platforms supported

   • Android:
     Yes

     Android is supported by 100 % of reviewed VPNs
   • Android TV:
     Yes

     Android TV is supported by 41 % of reviewed VPNs
   • Apple TV:
     Yes

     Apple TV is supported by 23 % of reviewed VPNs
   • Fire TV:
     Yes

     Fire TV is supported by 42 % of reviewed VPNs
   • Chromebook:
     Yes

     Chromebook is supported by 18 % of reviewed VPNs
   • Chromecast:
     Yes

     Chromecast is supported by 22 % of reviewed VPNs
   • iOS:
     Yes

     iOS is supported by 98 % of reviewed VPNs
   • Kodi:
     Yes

     Kodi is supported by 27 % of reviewed VPNs
   • Linux:
     Yes

     Linux is supported by 54 % of reviewed VPNs
   • Mac:
     Yes

     Mac is supported by 98 % of reviewed VPNs
   • NAS:
     Yes

     NAS is supported by 30 % of reviewed VPNs
   • nVidia Shield:
     Yes

     nVidia Shield is supported by 26 % of reviewed VPNs
   • Playstation:
     Yes

     Playstation is supported by 28 % of reviewed VPNs
   • Raspberry Pi:
     Yes

     Raspberry Pi is supported by 22 % of reviewed VPNs
   • Roku:
     Yes

     Roku is supported by 24 % of reviewed VPNs
   • Router:
     Yes

     Router is supported by 52 % of reviewed VPNs
   • Windows:
     Yes

     Windows is supported by 100 % of reviewed VPNs
   • xBox:
     Yes

     xBox is supported by 28 % of reviewed VPNs

   Browser Extensions

   • Brave :
     Yes

     The Brave browser add-on is offered by 53 % of reviewed VPNs.
   • Chrome :
     Yes

     The Chrome browser add-on is offered by 53 % of reviewed VPNs.
   • Edge :
     Yes

     The Edge browser add-on is offered by 21 % of reviewed VPNs.
   • Firefox :
     Yes

     The Firefox browser add-on is offered by 38 % of reviewed VPNs.
   • Opera :
     Yes

     The Opera browser add-on is offered by 53 % of reviewed VPNs.
   • Safari :
     No

     The Safari browser add-on is offered by 1 % of reviewed VPNs.
   • Vivaldi :
     Yes

     The Vivaldi browser add-on is offered by 53 % of reviewed VPNs.

   ExpressVPN can be used simultaneously on 5 different devices within a single subscription. For most users, this will probably be a sufficient value. However, compared to competitors, it is somewhat below average; for example, Surfshark offers unlimited connected devices within the subscription.

   The ExpressVPN apps are available for Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, and iOS devices. You can also use ExpressVPN on Android TV, Apple TV, and Fire TV smart TVs. You can also use the app on most browsers, including Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Opera, and more.

   The ExpressVPN supports running the VPN service on a router, so you can use the VPN on devices and platforms that don’t support the connection on their own. The operator ExpressVPN also sells its own Aircove Router, which carries its own VPN protection and is one of the most commonly available routers. However, expect its higher purchase price.

4. ExpressVPN app: user-friendliness, whitelist, server selection…

   • Traffic limit: Unlimited
   • App Languages: 🇺🇸 English +16 more🇪🇸 Spanish 🇷🇺 Russian 🇩🇪 German 🇹🇷 Turkish 🇫🇷 French 🇮🇹 Italian 🇵🇱 Polish 🇸🇪 Swedish 🇵🇹 Portuguese 🇰🇷 Korean 🇳🇱 Dutch 🇯🇵 Japanese 🇳🇴 Bokmal 🇩🇰 Danish 🇹🇭 Thai 🇫🇮 Finnish
   • Whitelisting:
     Yes

     Whitelisting is supported by 54 % of reviewed VPNs

   The ExpressVPN app is very simple for the average user to use. Compared to competing VPN services, it is clearer and faster to navigate. The app’s overall design is minimalistic, just like the provider’s website, so navigating it is intuitive even for less experienced users. The download time of the app is in the range of 1-2 minutes. It is currently available in 17 languages, English is among them.

   There is an option to switch between simplified and advanced settings in the app, giving the user multiple options. A useful feature is Smart Location, which connects the user to the fastest server at the time. The app also offers a list of recently used countries and servers. Another feature of all app versions is the ability to test for IP, DNS, and WebRTC leaks. The ExpressVPN supports whitelisting.

   The advantage of the ExpressVPN desktop app over other VPNs is the ability to set your own Internet shortcuts. The encryption method can be manually selected in the application settings. Lightway, OpenVPN, IKEv2, and L2TP/IPsec are available. On the desktop, the application can also be set to start automatically when the computer boots.

   The mobile app ExpressVPN is similarly intuitive and easy to use and can display statistics on VPN connections, among other things. Overall, the app is one of the best on the market.

5. Connection speed and traffic for ExpressVPN

   Download speed

   Higher is better. The average download of all tested VPNs is 90 MB/s.

   Upload speed

   Higher is better. The average upload of all tested VPNs is 59 MB/s.

   Server latency

   A lower value is better. The average response rate of all tested VPNs is 66 ms.

   In our speed testing, we measured the download speed of 203 MB/s and the upload speed of 109 MB/s. The above-average speed of ExpressVPN was not a big surprise, as the VPN provider prides itself on it.

   For the closest servers, connection speeds were well above average, with the best results achieved using UDP-Lite. For the foreign servers, we measured speeds that were still above average compared to the competition.

   In our testing, we achieved average response speeds 12 ms, which is sufficient for most activities.

   With ExpressVPN, you can stream top-quality videos, including 4K, without any problems. With above-average upload speeds, connection stability, and unlimited data transfers, the VPN is suitable for transferring large files and playing computer games.

6. List of countries and VPN servers at ExpressVPN

   • Number of servers:
     3,000

     The average number of servers for the reviewed VPNs is 1549.
   • Number of countries:
     94

     The average number of countries available for the reviewed VPNs is 39.

   Europe	🇧🇪 Belgium 🇦🇱 Albania 🇦🇩 Andorra 🇧🇾 Belarus 🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina 🇧🇬 Bulgaria 🇲🇪 Montenegro 🇨🇿 Czech Republic 🇩🇰 Denmark 🇪🇪 Estonia 🇫🇮 Finland 🇫🇷 France 🇭🇷 Croatia 🇮🇪 Ireland 🇮🇸 Iceland 🇮🇹 Italy 🇯🇪 Jersey 🇨🇾 Cyprus 🇱🇮 Liechtenstein 🇱🇹 Lithuania 🇱🇺 Luxembourg 🇭🇺 Hungary 🇲🇹 Malta 🇲🇩 Moldova 🇲🇨 Monaco 🇩🇪 Germany 🇳🇱 Netherlands 🇳🇴 Norway 🇮🇲 Isle of Man 🇵🇱 Poland 🇵🇹 Portugal 🇦🇹 Austria 🇷🇴 Romania 🇬🇷 Greece 🇲🇰 Northern Macedonia 🇸🇰 Slovakia 🇸🇮 Slovenia 🇬🇧 United Kingdom 🇷🇸 Serbia 🇪🇸 Spain 🇸🇪 Sweden 🇨🇭 Switzerland 🇹🇷 Turkey 🇺🇦 Ukraine
   North America	🇧🇸 Bahamas 🇬🇹 Guatemala 🇨🇦 Canada 🇨🇷 Costa Rica 🇲🇽 Mexico 🇵🇦 Panama 🇺🇸 USA
   South America	🇧🇷 Brazil 🇦🇷 Argentina 🇪🇨 Ecuador 🇨🇱 Chile 🇨🇴 Colombia 🇵🇪 Peru 🇺🇾 Uruguay 🇻🇪 Venezuela
   Asia	🇦🇲 Armenia 🇦🇿 Azerbaijan 🇧🇩 Bangladesh 🇧🇹 Bhutan 🇧🇳 Brunei 🇵🇭 Philippines 🇬🇪 Georgia 🇭🇰 Hong Kong 🇮🇳 India 🇮🇩 Indonesia 🇮🇱 Israel 🇯🇵 Japan 🇰🇷 South Korea 🇰🇭 Cambodia 🇰🇿 Kazakhstan 🇰🇬 Kyrgyzstan 🇱🇦 Laos 🇲🇴 Macao 🇲🇾 Malaysia 🇲🇳 Mongolia 🇲🇲 Myanmar 🇳🇵 Nepal 🇵🇰 Pakistan 🇸🇬 Singapore 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka 🇹🇭 Thailand 🇹🇼 Taiwan 🇺🇿 Uzbekistan 🇻🇳 Vietnam
   Africa	🇩🇿 Algeria 🇪🇬 Egypt 🇿🇦 South Africa 🇰🇪 Kenya
   Oceania	🇦🇺 Australia 🇳🇿 New Zealand

   ExpressVPN gives users a choice of more than 3,000 servers located in 94 countries around the world.

   The ExpressVPN menu includes both physical and virtual servers. Virtual servers are not physically located in a given country, so some geolocation services cannot distinguish them. Instead of a virtual server in Argentina, for example, they show Singapore as the actual location. Virtual servers are primarily located in smaller and developing countries.

   A complete list of servers, including available protocols, is available on the website ExpressVPN. The list distinguishes whether the servers are physical or virtual. For virtual servers, the location of the actual physical server is indicated in parentheses, with most of them located in Singapore.

   With more than 3,000 servers on offer, ExpressVPN ranks above average compared to the competition. It leads the rankings with 9,690 servers available CyberGhost VPN. However, the number of servers at ExpressVPN is sufficient, the connection is stable, and the speed is at a very high level.

7. Security at ExpressVPN: DNS protection, kill switch…

   • DNS leak protection :
     Yes

     DNS leak protection is offered by 96% of the reviewed VPNs.
   • Kill Switch:
     Yes

     Kill Switch is supported by 82% of the reviewed VPNs.
   • Tor:
     No

     Tor support is offered by 12 % of the reviewed VPNs.

   ExpressVPN offers some very useful features that enhance connection security. DNS spoofing protection and a kill switch feature are standard. It uses 256-bit AES encryption, which is used by the US government, among others, to protect its sensitive data. This encryption is almost impossible to break.

   Of the available protocols, ExpressVPN supports OpenVPN (UDP and TCP), IKEv2/IPsec, L2TP/IPsec, and PPTP. The supported protocols may vary from platform to platform. In addition, ExpressVPN offers a custom Lightway protocol that does not reduce connection speed and is ready to run at all times. Its other advantage is a lower load on the device, which results in no shortening of battery life.

   Each ExpressVPN server runs private DNS and each server is subject to DNS encryption, which helps with security. The VPN guarantees the use of TrustedServer technology on all servers.

   Users of ExpressVPN can use Threat Manager, which blocks sites and applications from communicating with third-party trackers and threats.

   Unlike some competing services, ExpressVPN does not offer ad blocking.

8. VPN streaming on ExpressVPN: Netflix, Youtube, Amazon…

   • Amazon Prime:
     Yes

     Amazon Prime streaming is supported by 52 % of reviewed VPNs
   • Disney+:
     Yes

     Disney+ streaming is supported by 50 % of reviewed VPNs
   • HBO:
     Yes

     HBO streaming is supported by 52 % of reviewed VPNs
   • Hulu:
     Yes

     Hulu streaming is supported by 48 % of reviewed VPNs
   • Netflix:
     Yes

     Netflix streaming is supported by 64 % of reviewed VPNs
   • YouTube:
     Yes

     YouTube streaming is supported by 83 % of reviewed VPNs

   In testing ExpressVPN, we were able to unblock foreign streaming of Netflix, Disney+, HBO, YouTube, and Amazon Prime.

   Playback was smooth, and there was no annoying image stuttering. Overall, we didn’t encounter any major issues with video loading, playback, or skipping. Thus, ExpressVPN can be ranked among the best video streaming apps.

   The connection speed of ExpressVPN is sufficient for watching live streams. Throughout testing, connection speeds were well above the 50 MB/s threshold required for most services to play 4K video.

9. Function ExpressVPN: Adblock, static IP address…

   • Blocks Ads:
     No

     Ad blocking is offered by 48 % of the VPNs reviewed.
   • Blocks Malware:
     Yes

     Malware blocking is offered by 45 % of the VPNs reviewed.
   • Blocks Trackers:
     No

     Trackers blocking is offered by 42 % of the VPNs reviewed.

   Tracker blocking is offered by ExpressVPN via Threat Manager. Ad blocking is not available. The advantage of ExpressVPN is that it actively masks all servers, which is a fairly advanced tool.

   The application itself is supplemented with several useful features. Users can search for the fastest servers, choose from a list of recently used servers, or set their own Internet shortcuts. The application can also be set to automatically start ExpressVPN when the computer is turned on. The split tunneling feature allows you to send traffic through the VPN and the local network at the same time.

   The ExpressVPN offers add-ons for Chrome, Edge, Opera, or Firefox, so VPN functionality can be used directly in the browser. In the browser extension, we miss the feature of securing HTTPS connections for sites that do not natively support it.

10. Computer load with ExpressVPN

    We did not observe a significant load on the device when ExpressVPN was connected. Although the load level was affected to a limited extent by the chosen protocol, the application did not deviate from the average compared to the competition.

    We observed lower machine load compared to competing VPNs for the Lightway protocol, which was designed directly by the creators of ExpressVPN. Using this protocol, you can be constantly connected via VPN without experiencing computer slowdown.

11. VPN torrent and ExpressVPN

    • Torrenting servers:
      Yes

      Torrenting support is offered by 88 % of the reviewed VPNs.

    ExpressVPN does not restrict the use of the service for torrenting, and all servers are optimized for this purpose. This eliminates the hassle of searching for servers – just connect directly to any of the offers.

12. Headquarters ExpressVPN

    • Country of origin: 🇻🇬 British Virgin Islands

    The owner and operator of ExpressVPN is Kape Technologies, which also owns CyberGhost VPN, Private Internet Access, and Zenmate.

    Kape Technologies is registered in Israel. It presents itself as a VPN provider that prides itself on respecting the privacy of its customers.

    It lists British Virgin Islands as its headquarters, which is a popular location among VPN operators. The legal system of this country contributes quite significantly to the possibilities of higher user protection.

13. Privacy and ExpressVPN: Log storage, security…

    • No-Logs Policy:
      Yes

      The No-Logs Policy is followed by 85% of reviewed VPNs.
    • Multi-Hop:
      No

      Multi-Hop connection is offered by 32 % of the VPNs reviewed.

    ExpressVPN does not store sensitive user data, and there have been no past leaks of company data.

    Only information about the number of applications installed, connection dates, locations selected, and the amount of data transferred is stored. This data is only stored for the purpose of improving the service, so you can connect to the servers you have used recently, for example. All data is immediately anonymised, so it cannot be associated with a specific user. However, the storage of usage data can be switched off completely in the application settings. Simply tick that you do not wish to share data for analysis purposes.

    Privacy and data retention conditions have also been checked by independent audits from KPMG and Cure53.

    The operator ExpressVPN is based in the British Virgin Islands, which is not part of the Nine Eyes group of countries whose intelligence services share information with each other.

14. Support at ExpressVPN: Chat, email…

    The ExpressVPN provides support via chat and a contact form on their site. It is provided 24 hours a day, and during our test, we got a response within minutes.

    Express VPN does not offer phone support.

15. FAQ on ExpressVPN

    What are the advantages of ExpressVPN?

    The ExpressVPN has several advantages over the competition. The desktop and mobile app is very simple and intuitive to use. The app features work at an excellent level and the connection speed is well above average. The VPN provider also prides itself on the security and privacy of its users, so it doesn’t store any sensitive data.

    How many devices can be connected at once via ExpressVPN?

    Within a single subscription, ExpressVPN can be used on 5 devices simultaneously. While this is below average compared to the competition, the connection is fast and stable. You can also use the VPN service on the router, which is manufactured directly by Express VPN. The router counts as a single device, although additional devices can be connected via it.

    Is ExpressVPN a trusted VPN?

    Yes, ExpressVPN is one of the most trusted VPN services. The company is based in the British Virgin Islands, whose laws are on the side of users. The VPN does not store any sensitive data, and security is also verified by independent audits. Moreover, there has never been a data leak in the past by the Express VPN operator.

    Does ExpressVPN need to be active all the time?

    An activated VPN connection provides you with additional protection on public networks. The downside, however, can be a reduction in Internet and device speed while in use. The ExpressVPN uses Lightway’s own protocol. It was designed to not degrade device performance or slow down the Internet connection. You can keep ExpressVPN enabled at all times without being negatively affected.