Is it the best VPN in the market? It certainly claims to be. Obviously, we do not believe in claims, and neither should you.
So, we will discuss all the primary features (and flaws) that ExpressVPN comes with. Do note that I’m neither for nor against the VPN. I’ll only lay out the facts for you.
The decision of going or not going with the VPN completely rests with you.
The VPN has a 30-day free trial (refund policy) anyway, so you aren’t losing anything even if you give it a try! Let’s get started?
ExpressVPN Quick Overview
Here’s a brief insight into the VPN and its features, That will help you to make up your mind, Is ExpressVPN really the best VPN service or not?
- No Log Policy: Yes, independently verified
- Countries and Servers: 94 countries, ~3500 servers
- Jurisdiction: British Virgin Islands
- Simultaneous Devices: 5
- Speed: 5/5
- Compatibility: Windows, Android, iOS, macOS, smart TVs, routers, Linux and others.
- Ad/Malware Blocker: Yes
- Split Tunneling: Yes
- Netflix Unblocking: Yes, 5 regions
- Support: 24X7 live chat.
- Cheapest Plan: $8.32/month
- Refund Policy: 30 days.
- Free Password Manager: ExpressVPN Keys
Features it lacks:
- Double VPN
- Obfuscated servers
- Onion servers
- Meshnet etc.
That should give you an honest idea of the VPN. If you think it’s worth your time, let’s get started.
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No Log Policy
The “No log policy” is probably what everyone should look at as soon as they think of a VPN.
You’ll almost always find a “no log” policy with all VPNs. Not all of them are truthful.
Some VPNs do collect your IP and activity logs secretly and share it with third parties.
ExpressVPN can never do that. This is because the VPN has been independently audited by a third-party called PwC. You can read the report here.
It does not log your IP address or web activities and that has been proven.
Do note that transparency is another key factor. ExpressVPN doesn’t say it doesn’t collect any logs.
It does collect logs, the following information is collected:
- Dates you use the VPN on (timings aren’t collected)
- Bandwidth used
- Which VPN server “location” you connected to
- App version.
Now, if I’m being honest, yes, that’s a bit more data than I’d like to share. There sure are VPNs that collect less data.
However, none of these can be used to identify you or your activities which is what matters.
Jurisdiction
A very important question you should ask when choosing VPNs is, Where does the VPN operate from?
In this case, ExpressVPN has its headquarters in the British Virgin Islands. While it’s not the best choice, it’s still a pretty privacy-friendly location for a VPN.
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94 Countries and Nearly 3500 Servers
Being a VPN, the no. of countries it lets you connect to matters, doesn’t it?
ExpressVPN actually is one of the industry-leaders when it comes to this. You get to choose from a massive list of over 90 countries!
On top of the countries, ExpressVPN boasts about 3500 servers (the number isn’t accurate, but close).
Now, the more servers a VPN offers, the more bandwidth it can offer. Meaning, even if multiple devices try to connect to a server, it doesn’t get bottlenecked. This obviously impacts speed, wouldn’t it?
In a nutshell, there are only a few VPNs (NordVPN, Surfshark) that can surpass ExpressVPN when it comes to country/server options.
You may check out comparison posts like nordvpn vs expressvpn and expressVPN vs IpVanish VPN
Max 5 Devices Access to Each Account
Not the best moments from ExpressVPN, I know.
If you’ve been researching VPNs, you’ll probably agree that 5 isn’t the highest no. of allowed devices most VPNs offer.
Hence, if “no. of devices” is your primary concern, I’d obviously not recommend ExpressVPN to you.
But then again, do you seriously have more than 5 devices that will be using the VPN at the exact same time?
Speed
All VPNs reduce speed, that’s a given and expected. However, ExpressVPN is one of the fastest of the VPNs on the planet.
It too impacts your speed due to the encryption, server distance etc. However, the speed reduction is mostly negligible.
This isn’t just my opinion or a luck-based thing. ExpressVPN actually developed the Lightway protocol which gives it this edge.
Lightway is basically Wireguard but on steroids. If you know VPNs, you know that WireGuard is fast, well, Lightway in most respects is equal, if not faster.
In fact, I’ve only seen very few VPNs offer better speed than ExpressVPN.
Compatibility (Devices and OS)
ExpressVPN is one of the oldest VPNs in the industry, that’s why most available devices support expressvpn. There’s almost no device or OS ExpressVPN doesn’t work on.
As the screenshot shows, you can use it on:
- Windows, macOS, Routers, Gaming consoles, Linux, Smart TVs, Kindle, Chromebook, Android, iOS
- And there even are browser extensions for Chrome, Firefox, Edge, and even Vivaldi.
Unlimited Bandwidth and Speed
This isn’t much of a “rare” feature anymore yet it’s a feature that’s still desirable.
Like most other VPNs out there, ExpressVPN too doesn’t restrict your bandwidth or speed.
You can use the VPN as much as you’d like. No matter how much data you pass through it, your speed is never reduced.
Split Tunnelling
As the name suggests, the tunnel is “split” using this feature.
What I mean is, the VPN lets you select a few apps/browsers which should or shouldn’t use the VPN.
Meaning, let’s say you’re browsing Youtube and you need the VPN for that. But, you’re also playing a game and you don’t want the VPN to influence the game.
Split Tunnelling lets you choose which apps/browsers/networks use your VPN and which skip it.
This lets you use the VPN for the apps you need while skipping it for those you don’t.
Network Lock Kill Switch
This is basically a fancy name for the kill switch that all VPNs offer.
The kill switch, despite not being a very unique feature, is certainly one of the most important security features you need.
It basically automatically disconnects your entire internet connection if your VPN connection gets disconnected.
This ensures your IP address doesn’t accidentally get leaked.
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Threat Manager
This is one of the more impressive features ExpressVPN offers. I say that because not all VPNs offer the feature.
So, it’s basically a blocker that keeps unwanted ads, malicious sites, and viruses off your system.
In simpler words, it’s an advanced form of ad/malware blocker. The best part? It protects not just your browsers, but also apps.
It uses “blacklists” which are a collection of sites known for malicious behavior. These sites are blocked in general in addition to real-time protection.
It also helps you hide your fingerprints on the web. Every website you visit records extensive data about you. This includes time of visit, exact links you click, articles you read and so on.
That’s reduced (although not completely eliminated) with Threat Manager.
Hey, let’s keep things detailed and honest. Threat Manager unfortunately isn’t available on Windows and Android for now!
Trusted Server Technology
The name may sound complicated, the feature isn’t.
So, ExpressVPN basically uses these RAM only servers. This means no data is permanently written to the drives. Rather, it’s all wiped out on each reboot.
This minimizes the risks of a third-party hack or sabotage.
Netflix and OTT Unblocking
A lot of content on OTT platforms such as Netflix is NOT available to you. This is a region-lock thing and only specific content is shown in specific regions.
Now, theoretically, simply changing your IP address should solve this, but it doesn’t. Netflix has an extremely advanced firewall that detects VPNs and wouldn’t grant you access.
Fortunately, ExpressVPN is one of those very few VPNs capable of unblocking Netflix.
Again, it’s not the best at this job. I certainly have seen VPNs (only 1 actually) that can unblock more Netflix regions than ExpressVPN.
However, ExpressVPN does unblock about 5 regions including the U.S/U.K and few others.
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24X7 Live-Chat
This actually is an arena a lot of VPNs fail at, not ExpressVPN.
ExpressVPN has been here long enough to know the importance of good customer support.
If you ever get stuck, or just have a doubt, ExpressVPN has a 24X7 live-chat to help you out.
The staff is extremely friendly, well-informed and does their best to help you out.
Obviously, you can also get in touch with them via e-mail if that’s what you prefer.
ExpressVPN Pricing Plans and Refund Policy
Let’s address the Elephant in the room?
How much does ExpressVPN cost? That’s obviously a very important question, isn’t it?
Unfortunately, the VPN is one of the most expensive VPNs in the industry. Hey, it totally deserves the price. However, the VPN that’s my personal favorite actually offers way more features, speed, and devices and costs like 60% less!
You should read my ExpressVPN vs. NordVPN review for a detailed insight.
Anyway, ExpressVPN has three plans:
Yes, this is higher than the industry standard and I’m not sugarcoating things here.
On the brighter side, you do get a 30-day refund policy. That shows confidence, doesn’t it? If you don’t like the VPN within the first 30-days of your use, you get a complete refund.
Get 49% OFF and 3 Month Free on ExpressVPN Today!
Free Add-on: ExpressVPN Keys
The VPN offers its password manager for free with all subscriptions.
This basically is an end-to-end encrypted vault for your passwords.
Once installed, all your login IDs and passwords are saved to the manager automatically.
Because it’s E2E encrypted, no third-party, not even ExpressVPN has any access to these passwords.
It also can be used to generate strong passwords!
This also helps you login on other devices that have ExpressVPN installed. Yes, the manager can sync passwords across devices.
This is something that not many VPNs offer and hence does earn ExpressVPN an edge!
Anonymous Payment Methods
ExpressVPN of course supports anonymous sign-ups! You do not have to share anything that can be used to personally identify you.
On top of that, it also supports anonymous payments. You can use Cryptocurrencies to pay for your VPN.
For now, only Bitcoin seems to be accepted but isn’t that enough?
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Here are answers to some questions you may have:
Is ExpressVPN free?
No. It’s a paid-only service.
Does ExpressVPN have a free trial?
No. But it does have a 30-day refund policy which essentially makes it a free trial if you don’t like it.
Does ExpressVPN work in India?
Yes. The Indian govt. recently made it compulsory for VPNs to retain data which made a lot of VPNs remove their Indian servers. ExpressVPN removed its Indian servers too. However, you can still connect to an Indian IP via a virtual server that ExpressVPN offers in India.
What VPN is better than ExpressVPN?
NordVPN is better than ExpressVPN. It clearly offers more features, faster speeds, better jurisdiction at about half the cost.
Is ExpressVPN blocked by Netflix?
No. In fact, ExpressVPN can successfully unblock about half a dozen Netflix libraries.
Has ExpressVPN been hacked?
No. ExpressVPN has never been hacked in its entire history.
Can ExpressVPN trace me?
That depends. If you want 100% anonymity, I’d suggest using an anonymous e-mail ID while signing up. Also, use Tor browser to download the VPN for the first time. Finally, use Bitcoins for payments.
Final Verdict
Here’s my honest opinion of ExpressVPN.
It’s one of the most established, reputed, and fastest VPNs. However, it lacks many features that other VPNs out there offer.
Some of the missing features include Obfuscated servers, more Netflix libraries, Tor servers, and Double VPN to name a few.
The VPNs that do offer these features also cost less than half of what ExpressVPN is asking.
So, in my opinion, ExpressVPN is a great VPN but it’s certainly overpriced.
Get 49% OFF and 3 Month Free on ExpressVPN Today!
Hey, you do not need to agree with me. In fact, I’d urge you to not take this ExpressVPN review at face-value. Go try ExpressVPN free for 30-days! That should get you a better insight, wouldn’t it?
