ExpressVPN Review 2024: The Definitive Choice for VPN Enthusiasts

Overview

When it comes to securing your online activities, ensuring privacy, and enjoying seamless streaming, ExpressVPN remains at the pinnacle of VPN services. Whether you’re a privacy-conscious user or someone who simply values fast and reliable VPN performance, ExpressVPN deserves a top spot on your list. While it may cost a bit more than some other VPNs, ExpressVPN consistently outshines the competition in delivering a top-tier VPN experience.

IT has once again earned VPNStation’s Editors’ Choice award, and it’s easy to see why. Even in the wake of external scrutiny following its 2021 acquisition by Kape Technologies and a Department of Justice investigation involving the company’s CIO, it remains unwavering in its commitment to user privacy. What truly sets it apart is its impressive record of undergoing 12 independent security audits in 2022 alone, demonstrating its dedication to transparency and privacy. With features like TrustedServer technology, it stands as a trustworthy choice for users with critical privacy requirements, including journalists, activists, doctors, and lawyers.

To provide you with a comprehensive assessment of ExpressVPN, I conducted extensive evaluations covering speed, cost, privacy, and overall performance. Let’s delve into the key aspects that make ExpressVPN the top contender in the VPN arena.

Express VPN’s Speed: Impressive and Consistent

While ExpressVPN may no longer hold the title of the absolute fastest VPN, it remains highly competitive in terms of speed. In my thorough testing, which encompassed 500 hands-on speed tests across various protocols and server locations, ExpressVPN exhibited remarkable performance. Despite an 18% average speed loss in my 2023 tests compared to previous years, ExpressVPN continues to impress.

I conducted speed tests from different locations, including Ohio and Central Europe, connecting to servers in New York, the UK, Australia, Germany, France, and Singapore. Both the OpenVPN UDP protocol and ExpressVPN’s proprietary Lightway protocol were put to the test. The results revealed that ExpressVPN’s Lightway protocol outperformed OpenVPN, with an average speed loss of 15% and 21%, respectively.

The fastest speeds were achieved using the Lightway protocol, with the highest recorded speed of 327.69Mbps from Ohio to Germany. ExpressVPN’s European servers consistently performed exceptionally well, with the UK, New York, Australia, and Singapore showing slightly slower but still impressive speeds.

ExpressVPN’s consistent speed performance sets it apart from competitors, as many other VPNs struggle with maintaining stable speeds across various server locations and protocols. While it falls slightly behind NordVPN in terms of speed, ExpressVPN is more than capable of handling any online activity, including streaming, video conferencing, torrenting, and web browsing.

Moreover, it is continuously upgrading its server infrastructure to 10Gbps servers, promising even faster speeds and greater reliability across its extensive network spanning 94 countries.

Cost: Premium Pricing for a Premium ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN’s excellence comes at a premium price, and it’s worth every penny. The service offers three subscription plans to cater to different user preferences:

1. Annual plan: $100 per year (includes three free months for the first term).
2. Bi-annual plan: $60 every six months.
3. Monthly plan: $13 per month.

Each subscription plan comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee, allowing you to try it risk-free. Payment options include major credit/debit cards, PayPal, bitcoin, and various other methods such as Giropay, UnionPay, iDeal, and Sofort.

While ExpressVPN’s annual price matches NordVPN’s (following the expiration of Nord’s introductory $60 price for the first year), it is notably more expensive than Surfshark’s $60 annual price. However, the superior performance, extensive server network, and robust privacy features make Express well worth the investment.

ExpressVPN is compatible with a wide range of devices, including Windows, MacOS, Linux, Android, iOS, Fire TV, and routers. Using ExpressVPN on a router allows you to secure all your connected devices, including those that do not natively support VPNs, such as gaming consoles and most smart TVs.

One area where it could improve is its simultaneous connection limit, currently capped at five. Many other premium VPNs offer more generous allowances, with some, like Surfshark and IPVanish, providing unlimited simultaneous connections. It should consider increasing its connection limit to better accommodate the growing number of devices in modern households, aligning itself with the competition.

Streaming: The Ultimate VPN for Streaming

ExpressVPN’s prowess in streaming sets it apart as the ultimate VPN for accessing content from various platforms. In my testing, I successfully accessed content on Netflix, Disney Plus, Amazon Prime Video, and HBO Max, and even bypassed blackout restrictions on MLB.tv to watch locally televised baseball games.

For users who value uninterrupted streaming experiences, it is worth its premium pricing. It ensures you can enjoy your favorite content regardless of geographical restrictions or blackout rules.

Customer Support and Additional Features

Express offers 24/7 live chat customer support to assist users with any issues or queries. Additionally, an extensive knowledge base is available, offering setup guides, troubleshooting resources, FAQs, and more.

Express is also set to introduce its password manager solution, Keys, to all users at no extra cost. While still in beta during my testing, Keys showed promise as a robust password manager.

Privacy and Security: Unparalleled Transparency

Express’ commitment to privacy and security is unwavering. Here are the key aspects that contribute to its advanced privacy and unmatched transparency:

• Jurisdiction: Operating under the British Virgin Islands jurisdiction, Express benefits from favorable privacy laws and freedom from mandatory data retention requirements and intelligence-sharing alliances.
• Encryption: Express employs AES 256-bit encryption, ensuring robust data security.
• TrustedServer Technology: ExpressVPN’s TrustedServer technology goes beyond standard RAM-only servers by reinstalling the entire software stack with each server reboot, minimizing security risks. This technology has undergone multiple third-party audits and is backed by a $100,000 bug bounty program.
• No Leaks Detected: My testing revealed no leaks, confirming ExpressVPN’s no-logs policy, which includes no logging of browsing history, traffic destination, data content, DNS queries, IP addresses, connection timestamps, or session durations.
• Additional Security Features: Express offers features like split-tunneling and Threat Manager, which block third-party trackers and potentially malicious sites.

ExpressVPN’s unwavering privacy claims were put to the test when Turkish authorities seized ExpressVPN’s servers in an attempt to collect evidence related to a 2016 incident. The servers yielded no data, validating ExpressVPN’s no-logs policy.

Conclusion

In conclusion, ExpressVPN stands as a testament to excellence in the VPN industry. Its consistent speed, robust security, and unmatched transparency make it the top choice for users seeking the best VPN experience, even at a premium price. Whether you’re streaming content, safeguarding your privacy, or accessing restricted content, Express delivers on its promises. Additionally, the Aircove router, while a separate purchase, offers a hassle-free and intuitive way to extend ExpressVPN’s benefits to your entire network. While it’s not the most budget-friendly option, Express remains the gold standard in VPN services.