ExpressVPN Review 2023

In this ExpressVPN Review, I’m gonna show you everything that you need to know about this VPN provider before deciding if you should get started with it.

I will give you a quick demo of the software and point out the main unique features of ExpressVPN, including some secret tips to get a free trial.

I will then conduct a speed test to find out how fast this VPN really is.

Next, I will reveal to you which streaming services ExpressVPN is able to successfully connect to.

We will then conduct numerous privacy tests to see how safe and secure ExpressVPN is, and I will also share with you my experience when I tried their customer service channels.

And lastly, I will break down the pricing structure and help you decide which plan is best suited for you. So make sure to check out my special discount link in the description below where you will receive the best deal currently available.

1. Setup & Features (10/10)

ExpressVPN’s humble beginnings date back to 2009, making it one of the earliest VPN providers out there.

Today, it is considered to be a trusted leader in VPN and I have also mentioned ExpressVPN as my overall recommendation in my previous videos. It now has more than 3,000 servers across 94 countries.

You can install ExpressVPN very easily and in less than five minutes. All you have to do is sign up on their website by choosing a plan and providing your valid email address and preferred password. After that, then you can just easily select the app that you want to download based on your device. 

You can download ExpressVPN on Windows, Mac, Android, iOS, Linux, routers, Chromebook, Kindle Fire, TV, game consoles, and browser extensions for Chrome, Firefox, and Edge. For example, here’s how you can download ExpressVPN’s Chrome Extension. It is quick, easy, and in no time, I’m already connected to their U.S. server.

ExpressVPN allows you to subscribe to a single plan and use a maximum of five devices simultaneously which isn’t bad at all if you want to keep most of your devices secured.

Now, if you want to do a test drive withF ExpressVPN first, you can definitely do so for free in seven days. Most people get confused about ExpressVPN’s free trial as it is not clearly indicated in their website. What they suggest is to subscribe to any of their plans with the assurance of a 30-day money back guarantee if you’re not satisfied with their service. But just to break it up to you, you can actually download the ExpressVPN app to your mobile device and get a seven-day free trial just by using a valid email address. After that, you can log in to any device you want and enjoy the rest of your free trial!

To get ExpressVPN on your mobile device, all you have to do is download it from Google Play for Android users or the App Store for iOS users. One you are logged in, you can easily connect to the fastest server based on your location.

You can also download the desktop app hassle-free. It almost has a similar app design compared to the mobile app where you can connect to the fastest server based on your location but of course, you have all the freedom to choose from a bunch of servers or use the search bar to find your desired location.

If you want to disable VPN on trusted applications like your mobile banking apps, you can do so with split tunneling. It is a common feature to all VPN providers where you can assign certain apps that will use or bypass the VPN every time you’re connected. 

For its basic features and the ease of setting up and using it, ExpressVPN got  a rating of 10 out of 10 here. Aside from having a free trial available to those who want a test drive first, it also has the split tunneling available to all of its clients.

2. Speed (9/10)

Now, to check if ExpressVPN has what it takes when it comes to connection speed and stability, I used Ookla to test the speed of four VPN servers from different countries but before that, I recorded my original Internet download speed which was 28.58 mbps. Next, I ran the speed test three times for each server to get the average mbps and here are the results. 

First, I tested one server in Australia and got an average speed of 26.58 mbps. This is an excellent speed for gaming, web surfing experience and for streaming HD videos and of course, it is close to my original speed which is impressive. The server in the United Kingdom recorded the fastest speed which is 26.75 mbps! The server in the United States recorded 26.29 mbps, and out of the four servers, the Canada server has the slowest speed which is only at 25.91 mbps.

Based on my original speed, I can say that ExpressVPN really proved here that it’s up for competition. These speeds are all excellent and these results show close relation and very low percentage reduction in average. I have recorded a 7 percent reduction in Australia, 7 percent in the UK, 8 percent in the U.S., and a percentage reduction of only 9 percent in Canada!

From my speed test reviews with other VPN providers, which you can also watch in my channel, I can conclude that ExpressVPN is a very strong competitor in terms of speed and with an average percentage reduction of only 8 percent, it deserves a great rating of 9 out of 10.

3. Streaming & Torrenting (10/10)

You can also access more than 20 geo-blocked Netflix libraries with ExpressVPN though they don’t have streaming-optimized servers. But what makes ExpressVPN user-friendly if you are a Netflix fan is its Speed Test feature for Windows and Mac apps. Using the Speed Test, you can determine which server has the fastest, blazing speed for streaming that you can use to ensure Ultra HD quality of your favorite Netflix show.

Additionally, you can successfully unblock and stream on certain platforms such as Disney Plus, BBC iPlayer, Amazon Prime, ESPN, HBO, DAZN, Sling, Hulu, and many more.

Another great news and this time, for torrenters out there. ExpressVPN definitely supports peer-to-peer sharing and torrenting. Not all VPN providers allow this feature so if you’re looking for a VPN where you can torrent all you want, ExpressVPN is an absolute one to consider. It’s evident here where I connected to their server and the file I’m downloading in uTorrent didn’t get interrupted.

Not only that ExpressVPN unblocks streaming platforms and allows torrenting, but it also has its own specialized set of features that make these experiences user-friendly. Because of that, I have given ExpressVPN a rating of 9 out of 10 here.

4. Security & Privacy (8/10)

While other VPN providers had their vulnerabilities in the past, causing records of hacking, ExpressVPN remains unbreached since it was founded in 2009.

One reason they are confident about is having a “no logs policy”. Ever since the beginning, ExpressVPN has sworn to keep you secure and anonymous so you can sleep at night confident that none of your user credentials and activities are logged.

Additionally, ExpressVPN is based and operating under the jurisdiction of the British Virgin Islands which isn’t a member of the Five Eyes, Nine Eyes or Fourteen Eyes alliances. In short, they don’t have any mandatory law for data retention so your information is safe with them.

Do you like the level of detail I am providing you in my review so far? If so, make sure to like my video and hit that subscribe button for more high quality content about tech which I release every single week.

Moving on, ExpressVPN uses a 256-bit encryption to protect your traffic and make security penetration almost impossible, the standard and currently the longest encryption for website security.

It also has a selection of protocols that helps VPN safely send your data through the Internet. It offers WireGuard, IPsec or L2TP, IKEv2, PPTP, and SSTP. Each protocol varies in speed but WireGuard is known to be the future of VPN protocols because of its technological structure that offers the highest levels of speed, security and privacy. But hold up! The good news isn’t done yet. ExpressVPN is actually developing Lightway, the next generation protocol with great chances of beating Wireguard. Lightway is still in its early days but if you’re up to test its beta version, you can go visit my discount page to get the cheapest ExpressVPN plan for you.

Another feature that ExpressVPN is proud of is their network security setup called TrustedServer. Unlike most VPN providers, ExpressVPN runs their servers in ram disks and not hard drives which provides another layer of confidence for you knowing that all data gets wiped in reboot, minimizing the risk of vulnerabilities or misconfiguration.

Now, in cases where your VPN connection drops unexpectedly due to unstable internet connection or unexpected server and networking failure, just breathe easy because ExpressVPN got your back with its kill switch feature called Network Lock. Most of the time, the VPN will try to reconnect you after a disconnection, but leaks could already happen within these few seconds so the kill switch is designed to overcome this vulnerability. The Network Lock works to block all Internet traffic until VPN protection is restored.

Additionally, to avoid sudden VPN connection malfunctions, ExpressVPN ensures that the very second you connect to their VPN, you are already protected with an automatic ad blocker feature that blocks ads, obviously, as well as trackers and malwares before they can even create a negative impact to your Internet connection.

Unfortunately, if you’re looking for Double VPN to add an extra layer of security since your data will be encrypted twice, ExpressVPN won’t be a good option as they don’t offer it.

Neither do they offer the Dedicated or Static IP feature even as a paid add-on. This means that every time you connect to ExpressVPN, you are using a shared IP with other users and your Internet footprints are hidden among your co-users’ online activities. When I asked one of their chat support agents regarding this, he responded that it’s because ExpressVPN regularly rotates the IP addresses used by all customers to increase user anonymity and safeguard your privacy, which at some point, actually makes sense.

Now, I will do some testing to check if ExpressVPN is really secure. Let’s start off with the IP Leak Test. Here, I used an IP leak test tool from ip leak dot org and as you can see, it showed my IP address first and the result of the IP leak test. We got a positive result here as it shows no leak detected, even on the second try.

Next, the DNS Leak Test. I will use a simple DNS leak tester in Google. Now, I’m connected to a US server. You will see that the DNS leak tester already identified our VPN location. I clicked on the standard test and it showed my IP address. Only our U.S. VPN showed up here, that means that we don’t have a DNS leak. If the results showed other servers not provided by ExpressVPN, then we’re in trouble. ExpressVPN passed this test then with no DNS leaks.

Moving on, we will check the exposure of my browser to WebRTC leaks while using ExpressVPN. You will see this box with red warning texts that say WebRTC is not protected and my IP address is exposed to sites that I visit. I can conclude from here that the ExpressVPN app alone doesn’t make the cut to secure me from WebRTC leaks. Instead, what they suggest is installing plugins or extensions to prevent WebRTC leaks depending on your browser.

For example, you can install a free plugin called WebRTC Network Limiter when using Google Chrome, it will prevent any WebRTC or Chrome Extension leaks.

For its security and privacy features, ExpressVPN got a rating of 8 out of 10. Aside from offering the important features to make sure you are secured, ExpressVPN has extended an extra mile of valuing your privacy and security all the way through by innovating with their ram servers and Lightway protocols. The reason why they lost two marks here is because they lack the DoubleVPN and the Dedicated IP feature which they might consider offering in the future.

5. Support & Reliability (9/10)

When it comes to customer support, a quick note to mention is that ExpressVPN doesn’t provide phone support, so for anyone who is more comfortable speaking to a human being, you won’t be able to with ExpressVPN. What they have are 24 7 email and live chat channels that I have both tried multiple times. Let me share my experience with you. I think ExpressVPN has trained their live chat agents thoroughly, because I’ve always had excellent experience chatting with them. They are fast, in fact, the average response time is only a minute or two. Their responses are also personalized and I never got the feeling that I’m only being fed with scripts. Good job here, ExpressVPN!

During my attempt to send their support team an email, I can’t actually send them one since the button on their support page isn’t working so I ended up chatting them. When I told the agent about the problem, she proactively offered assistance and also mentioned that if I prefer sending an email, she can just send me our chat transcript so I can reply with my inquiries there. In less than five minutes after our chat, I received the transcript and I couldn’t be more satisfied about their proactive resolution offering.

So far, their customer support hasn’t disappointed me and it isn’t actually surprising given the fact that they have an excellent Trustpilot rating of 4.7 out of 5 from more than 6,000 reviews.

Overall for its support and reliability, ExpressVPN can also be your best friend that’s why I’m giving it a rating of 9 out of 10 here. One mark lost because for a VPN provider with a very high reputation, I think they should already consider offering phone support.

6. Pricing (8/10)

Now, let’s talk about the pricing plans. ExpressVPN offers a one-month subscription for $12.95. The monthly price will be discounted if you choose to subscribe for a longer period. If you pick up a six-month plan, you will only pay $59.95. Technically, the monthly fee has now been reduced to only $9.99, saving you roughly 23 percent. If you choose the one-year plan instead, you will have to pay $99.95. Now, this really decreased the monthly price down even further to just $8.32, saving you 35 percent! So if you have the budget and are happy with the performance within 30 days of testing out ExpressVPN, I always recommend you to buy the longest plan as this will save you so much money.

Currently, you can pay via credit card, Paypal, bitcoin if you prefer the cryptocurrency method of payment to become even more anonymous, and many more.

When it comes to refund, you are liable for their 30-day money-back guarantee. Regardless of your subscription, you can get a full refund within 30 days if you’re not satisfied with ExpressVPN. All you have to do is contact them through chat or email and request a refund.

ExpressVPN, without sugarcoating, is expensive. Compared to other VPN providers, ExpressVPN could be your wallet’s worst enemy but with its exceptional features overall, your payment is all worth it. In this category, I have given ExpressVPN a passing rating of 8 out of 10.

Recommendation (9/10)

As a summary, ExpressVPN gets a high rating of 9 out of 10 and I recommend ExpressVPN as the best overall VPN software because of its top-tier features and benefits. But if your sole purpose for getting VPN is streaming, then I believe you and NordVPN would make a perfect match with their blazing fast speeds. And lastly, If you want to begin with the cheapest VPN and get the most bang for your buck, then SurfShark will be your best choice. More information on these three VPN providers is in the description if you are interested.

If you are already confident in starting today, feel free to click the link in the description to select your ExpressVPN package with the best discount. However, if you would like a step-by-step guide on how to set up and use ExpressVPN then this next video is for you. But if after watching this review you think ExpressVPN is not right for you, then you can check out my other video reviews on a wide range of VPN providers out there. I’ll see you over in that next video.