ExpressVPN Review

ExpressVPN is a premium VPN service.  They manage a large network of servers around the world.  You can expect fast, reliable VPN service.  Our ExpressVPN review found that their support team is among the best in the industry.  Members enjoy unlimited access to the ExpressVPN network through their Windows and Mac clients.  They also have well designed mobile apps for iOS and Android.  You can even connect through your router.

ExpressVPN

Plans and Term Discounts

ExpressVPN offers a single plan that includes unlimited VPN access. Members can connect to the VPN service on up to five devices simultaneously. Secure your laptop, mobile phone, tablet, and more at the same time. You can even run the VPN through your router to protect your entire network. The retail price of ExpressVPN is $12.95 a month. ExpressVPN offers deep discounts on longer terms including six month and annual sign ups. They are currently offering 3 months free with annual subscriptions.

ExpressVPN pricing

ExpressVPN is offering discounts on their popular VPN service. During the promotion you can save up to 49% off unlimited VPN access. Enjoy 12 months of VPN + 3 months free for just $6.67 a month. Visit their ExpressVPN Special page to learn more. You will clearly see the discounted pricing as shown above.

Sign Up Process & Payment Options

ExpressVPN has the easiest sign up process we’ve seen.  They do not collect any personal information to register your account.  You can sign up for an ExpressVPN account with an email address and your payment information. They will not ask for your name, address, or any other personal info.

ExpressVPN sign up process

You can sign up for VPN access using a number of payment methods. ExpressVPN supports credit card (Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover, etc.), Paypal, Bitcoin, WebMoney and several more payment options. We recommend bitcoin for those seeking the highest level of anonymity.

ExpressVPN 30 Day Risk Free Trial Period

Like most VPN companies the ExpressVPN team understands that new members need time to test the service.  They help by offering a 30 day money back guarantee.  The 30 day risk-free trial period will give you plenty of time to test their network and client software.  There aren’t any usage or connection limits to worry about.  If you need to cancel for any reason simply contact support in the first 30 days.

Visit ExpressVPNKey VPN Service Features

ExpressVPN offers a number of key features that help their service stand out.  Here are some examples:

ExpressVPN features

  • Large network – ExpressVPN manages a network of VPN servers in locations around the world.
  • Smart DNS – unblock sites and streaming services in other countries without the performance hit of encryption.
  • VPN clients – custom software for Windows and Mac.
  • Mobile apps – custom mobile apps for iOS and Android.

VPN Server Locations

ExpressVPN manages a large network of over 145 server locations in 94 countries.  Members enjoy unlimited access to the service.  Switch between servers anytime with the ExpressVPN desktop client and mobile app.  Here’s a list of server locations sorted by region:

ExpressVPN servers

  • Americas – United States (Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Jose, Seattle, Chicago, New York, New Jersey, Washington DC, Miami, Dallas, and Atlanta), Canada (Montreal and Toronto), Argentina, Bahamas, Brazil, Chile, Columbia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Guatemala, Mexico, Panama, Peru, Uruguay, and Venezuela.
  • Asia Pacific – Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Mongolia, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam.
  • Europe – United Kingdom (London, Berkshire, and Maidenhead), Germany (Frankfurt, Cologne, and Darmstadt), Albania, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belgium, Bosnia, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France (Paris and Lyon), Georgia, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Isle of Man, Italy, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Moldova, Netherlands (Rotterdam and Amsterdam), Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine and Uzbekistan.
  • Middle East & Africa – Algeria, Cyprus, Egypt, Israel, Turkey, and South Africa.

Security and Privacy

ExpressVPN uses 256-bit encryption to help secure your Internet traffic.  Their client software supports OpenVPN, PPTP, and L2TP connections.  I recommend using OpenVPN for Windows and Mac.  You can secure your iPhone, iPad and Android devices with the ExpressVPN mobile app.

ExpressVPN makes their no log policy clear on the site.  They do not log your activity on the network.  They also promise never to share your details with anyone.  The sign up process is another plus in terms of privacy.  ExpressVPN doesn’t require any personal information to join.  They even accept bitcoin for more anonymous payments.

Visit ExpressVPNCustomer Support

The ExpressVPN support team is among the best in the industry.  They provide 24/7 tech support via live chat on the site.  You can also email support with any questions.  They are committed to answer all support requests within 24 hours.  In my experience they answer much faster.  ExpressVPN also has a support page with answers to common questions.

Network Speed and Reliability

The VPN speed test was an important part of our ExpressVPN review.  Their team manages servers in a lot of countries and they rank among the top VPN providers in terms of speed.  They are very fast in North America, throughout Europe, and beyond.  I haven’t run into any performance issues with the service.  You have 30 days to fully test their network.

ExpressVPN Speed Test

  • ExpressVPN US speed test – we tested servers in several US cities and found the speeds to be quite good. We were able to achieve 58.94 Mbps download speed in Chicago.
  • ExpressVPN Canada speed test – testing a Montreal server from the US we were able to achieve speeds of 56.89 Mbps.
  • ExpressVPN UK speed test – testing their London VPN server from the US we were able to achieve speeds of 38.55 Mbps.

Visit ExpressVPNVPN Client Software and Compatibility

The ExpressVPN team developed a full set of VPN client software.  They did a very good job of designing the user interface for ease of use.  Members can download their VPN client for Windows and Mac.  You can install their mobile app on iPhone, iPad and Android devices.  They also support DD-WRT routers.  You can connect on two devices at the same time.

ExpressVPN Windows client in action

ExpressVPN Windows client

The ExpressVPN client supports Windows 10, 8, 7, Vista, and XP.  Here are some highlights of the ExpressVPN Windows client:

  • Favorite – star your favorite locations for easy access
  • Recommended – let ExpressVPN recommend the best server locations
  • Speed test – you can run a speed test from within the client

Mac client running on OS X

ExpressVPN Mac client

The ExpressVPN Mac client require OS X 10.8 or later.  They also have a previous version that supports OS X 10.7 and lower.  The client fully supports Yosemite. Here are some highlights of the ExpressVPN Mac client:

  • Auto-connect to best location – let the client select the best server based on your current location
  • Recently used – see a list of the latest VPN servers you connected to
  • Run a speed test – you can run a speed test from within the client

Connect from iPhone & iPad

ExpressVPN iOS app

The ExpressVPN mobile app require iOS 10.0 or later.  The app is optimized for iPhone 10 and up. Here are some highlights of the ExpressVPN iOS app:

  • Locations – select a server location from a list
  • Map view – see your server location and connection status
  • No protocol selection – you can not choose between protocol which can make it harder to connect in some countries.

Custom app for Android

ExpressVPN Android app

The ExpressVPN app require Android 5.0 and up.  The app fully supports Android 11. Here are some highlights of the ExpressVPN Android app:

  • Home screen widget – turn the VPN on and off with a single tap
  • Recommended locations – suggests the best locations based on your current IP
  • Recently connected – keeps track of the last three locations for easy reconnects

Tips for Using the Service

When you join ExpressVPN the service gives you a lot of options.  We’d like to end with some tips to help you select the best service, server location and protocol for different situations.

  • Secure your internet connection – if your primary goal is to secure your data and increase your online privacy then I suggest you connect using the OpenVPN protocol.  For the best performance you will want to connect to a nearby server.
  • Unblock geo-blocked sites like Netflix – if your primary goal is to unblock popular online streaming sites like Netflix, Hulu and HBO Go then you will want to use the SmartDNS service.  Most of the popular media sites are in the US.  In the case of Netflix you can connect to a server in another country if you want to view content from that region.  For BBC iPlayer and other British channels set your DNS for the UK.  The same is true for channels in other regions.
  • Watch live sporting events – this is one of my favorites.  Smart DNS is perfect for watching live sporting events like the World Cup, Olympics, ICC Cricket, Super Bowl, and Grand Prix circuit.  Set your DNS to the region in which you’d like to watch coverage of the event.

ExpressVPN Review: Conclusion

We’ll conclude out ExpressVPN review with If you’re looking for fast, reliable VPN access and excellent technical support then ExpressVPN is a perfect fit.  You’ll have full access to their network of VPN servers around the world.  Connect with their client software for Windows and Mac.  Secure your mobile devices with their iOS and Android apps.  Connect with up to two devices at a time.  You can even configure a DD-WRT router to protect your network with a single VPN account.

I’ve been using ExpressVPN since 2010 so I’ve seen their growth over the years.  As a company they have been very consistent.  ExpressVPN offers top notch VPN service and excellent support.  They have focused a lot of effort on expanding their network.  Expect good performance when connected.  You can sign up for unlimited VPN access from just $6.67 a month.  All new members are covered under their 30 day money back guarantee.

Visit ExpressVPN

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