The VPN market is a tough one, with a lot of competition around, but ExpressVPN knows exactly how to stand out from the crowd: it piles on the professional features, delivering way more than just about anybody else.

Top-notch platform support includes apps for Windows, Mac, Android, iOS, Linux and other operating systems, not to mention custom firmware for many routers, as well as detailed manual setup guides for Apple TV, Fire TV, PlayStation, Chromebooks, Kindle Fire and more.

A strong set of core features give you multiple layers of protection. ExpressVPN protects your internet traffic by using its own DNS servers, for instance. High-end encryption technologies prevent even the most advanced attackers from snooping on your activities. Even if the VPN drops, no problem: a top-quality kill switch activates immediately to block your internet connection and keep you safe.

The company offers a vast network of more than 3,000 servers spread across 160 cities in 94 countries. Europe and the US have the best coverage, but ExpressVPN also has many locations in Asia and several countries that rarely appear elsewhere. There are 27 Asia Pacific countries alone, for instance – Mozilla VPN only has around 30 countries in its entire network.

A clear and simple privacy policy explains that ExpressVPN doesn’t log any sensitive information. And unlike most of the competition, this isn’t some generic marketing promise – the website goes into great detail on exactly what the service does and doesn’t collect. Furthermore, ExpressVPN has recently had its servers audited to confirm that the company is following its own privacy policy.

The real standout feature could be support, though, where ExpressVPN has agents available 24/7 on live chat. This isn’t the very basic, outsourced, first-line support you’ll often get with other services: they’re experts who can walk you through just about any technical issue. If you run into trouble, then, you won’t be waiting a day (or potentially longer) for a support response. In our experience, there’s always someone available on ExpressVPN’s live chat, and you could be getting quality help within a couple of minutes.

ExpressVPN pricing

As explained in our dedicated ExpressVPN pricing and deals guide, the provider has a very simple pricing structure with only three plans, and these start with a monthly-billed product for $12.95.

That’s not cheap, but CyberGhost, Hotspot Shield and Surfshark all charge around $13 for their monthly plans, and it’s not far from the $9-$10 charged by most big-name VPNs.

Sign up for ExpressVPN’s 6-month plan and the price drops to $9.99 per month. That’s a reasonable discount, and it also gives you more flexibility than you’ll get with some competitors, who don’t offer a 6-month plan at all.

The annual plan cuts your costs still further to a monthly equivalent of $8.32, a chunky 35% discount on the monthly subscription. But it’s still substantially more than some of the competition (Private Internet Access asks $3.33 on its annual plan, Windscribe is $4.08), especially if you’re willing to sign up for long periods. Private Internet Access’s three-year plan costs only $2.19 a month, for instance, while Ivacy currently charges just $1.33 a month on its five-year plan.

When you’re comparing headline prices, though, be sure to check the small print, because ExpressVPN is closer to many competitors than you might realize. For example, many vendors have low prices which increase later. IPVanish looks reasonable value at $4.50 a month in year one, but jumps on renewal to $7.50. And NordVPN starts at $4.92, but renews at a costly $9.92.

There’s more to a VPN than price, of course. Anyone can offer low headline rates; it’s offering a decent service, too, that’s the tricky part.

There are ways to save some cash, as well. Signing up with our exclusive deal adds three free months to the annual ExpressVPN subscription, giving you 15 months of service for an effective $6.67 per month.

If you decide to sign up you’ll discover a wide range of payment methods, including cards, PayPal, Bitcoin, and a host of other players (AliPay, Yandex Money, WebMoney and more).

If you’re not quite convinced, installing the Android or iOS app gets you a 7-day trial. And even after handing over your cash, ExpressVPN’s 30-day money-back guarantee allows you to safely check out the service for yourself.

If you decide you want to cancel, that process is also very straightforward. There are no small print clauses to catch you out, and you don’t have to justify your decision to the company. You can use the service, in full, for 30 days, and if you’re unhappy, or you simply change your mind, just tell ExpressVPN and you’ll get your money back. That has to be a reassuring sign of just how confident ExpressVPN is in its service.

Privacy and Security

In addition to hiding your IP address, ExpressVPN uses AES (Advanced Encryption Standard) with 256-bit keys, aka AES-256, to encrypt your data. The company also never keeps activity logs, including information on DNS queries, traffic destination and browsing history.

ExpressVPN also does not maintain any record of your connection logs, such as source IP address, connection timestamps and any ExpressVPN IP addresses your computer uses.

Split Tunnelling

Split tunneling, available on all of ExpressVPN’s supported devices, allows you to choose what traffic goes through the VPN and what traffic goes directly to the internet. Not all VPNs offer this service.

ExpressVPN offers two different ways to take advantage of split tunneling: Users can protect their information on an app-by-app basis, or they can choose a blanket protection approach and choose what apps they wish to exclude.

Network Lock

ExpressVPN’s kill switch is called Network Lock and is used to help maintain your privacy and security. If for any reason your VPN connection drops, Network Lock will automatically block all online activity until your connection is restored. That way, your IP address and data won’t be exposed.

ExpressVPN App For Routers

Setting up a VPN router is a simple way to secure all your devices on your Wi-Fi network and saves you time from installing a separate app on your devices. Users can purchase a router that’s preconfigured with ExpressVPN or install it themselves using a compatible router.

The app comes with your ExpressVPN subscription and can protect all your devices through the router on your network.

Technically speaking, ExpressVPN allows only five simultaneously connected devices, but all devices connected through the secure router—even smart TVs, printers and Wi-Fi connected light bulbs—are protected.

Other Benefits