ExpressVPN Review: Which Is The Fastest VPN On The Market?

Who Are ExpressVPN?

ExpressVPN has been at the top of our list of the best VPNs for a long time now. It has a high level of reliability and speed, which makes it better than all of its competitors in terms of stability and speed.

ExpressVPN was founded in the British Virgin Islands in 2009. It is one of the world’s top VPN providers. They support many non-profit groups that fight to protect digital rights, including the well-known EFF ( Electronic Frontier Foundation ). They are known for having a very strict “no logs” policy.

 While NordVPN or CyberGhost may have more servers overall than ExpressVPN. The provider stands out because it has a lot of physical or virtual locations around the world. Plus, ExpressVPN has also developed many high-performance technologies, like TrustedServer, which adds an extra layer of security.

This advanced technology makes it possible for servers to run only on RAM (memory). Data doesn’t get stored on hard drives but only on volatile memory that gets erased when the servers start up again. This further minimizes the risk to your data. They state, ‘We know what’s running on every server, with no inconsistencies.’

ExpressVPN also used its own in-house VPN protocol called Lightway that lets you connect 2.5 times faster than before, can double your connection speed, and provides always-on protection. 

ExpressVPN says that it’s faster and more efficient than other protocols, including WireGuard because it has a smaller codebase than the other one. This puts ExpressVPN on the same level as NordVPN and its NordLynx protocol, which is also available on all platforms. These innovations put NordVPN and ExpressVPN at a more premium level than most providers.

ExpressVPN has over 3,000+ servers spread across 160 locations and 94 countries worldwide. The company has servers all over the world, except for Antarctica. Even though it only has about half as many servers as CyberGhost and NordVPN, it still has speeds that are just as fast, if not faster. The provider doesn’t say how many servers are in each country, but only how many cities there are when there are any. For example, cities in the United States: 22; Canada: 4; the United Kingdom: 4; and France: 3

ExpressVPN’s apps show very little technical information about the servers, like how far they are from each other, how many people are using them, etc. A “speed test” built into the app can give you more information if you want it. To figure out which ExpressVPN servers and locations have the best speeds, you can look at how long it takes to get a connection and how quickly it downloads. This isn’t quite as good as other providers who present you with more info. However, there’s something to be said to simplify things for new users.

Express provides an IP address verification tool to see if websites that you visit can see the IP address and location of the VPN. Proof that they have nothing to hide from its users if that’s the privacy they need.

Leading the Cross-Platform Race

Fully Encrypted

Similar to other providers, AES 256-bit encryption is used by default by ExpressVPN to protect all the data that passes through its private virtual tunnels.

To hide the real IP address, mix traffic from other users, or encrypt communication between the user’s computer and the VPN servers, this technology generates close to unbreakable 256-bit keys. ExpressVPN then adds another layer of security thanks to its own TrustedServer technology, which only allows data to be written to volatile RAM rather than server hard drive.

ExpressVPN has further tech that protects the user, including a self-managed emergency blocking feature (Kill Switch) that protects against DNS leaks.

The VPN also has Split Tunneling, which lets you keep certain apps out of the encrypted tunnel if you need to. Useful if you want to run p2p software such as uTorrent but don’t want the VPN running when browsing on Chrome.

Developing New Tech

WireGuard is a new open-source protocol that many other providers are using. However, the British Virgin Islands-based provider doesn’t want to use it and offers Lightway as an alternative. 

Apart from their new Lightway protocol, ExpresVPN still has a lot of other VPN protocols, like OpenVPN (UDP or TCP), IKEv2, L2PT, and PPTP in a few countries. 

ExpressVPN doesn’t mess around with privacy and always deletes sensitive data. A tiny amount of information is collected to ensure the service works.

The ExpressVPN app hasn’t changed in a long time. It’s simple and effective. Settings mostly consist of choosing a protocol, setting up Split Tunneling, or setting the VPN to start automatically when the computer starts up. In real terms, the provider takes care of everything so that its service can run smoothly and almost completely with no help from the provider.

ExpressVPN doesn’t have dedicated servers for streaming or P2P because it doesn’t need them, so it doesn’t have them. All of its servers can, in fact, be used for any purpose. As long as you don’t mind the differences in ping, there aren’t many speed differences between places.

On the home page, a button says “connect.” You can also choose a location from the list by clicking on the three-dot icon. You can add servers to your favorite list by clicking the little star next to the location name on the right.

If you use a VPN service like this one, you won’t see things like Ping, distance, or load rate. This sort of data can be helpful with some other VPNs that don’t have good connection speeds between their servers. ExpressVPN has such a consistent quality of service and speed across its network that this information isn’t very important.

You can get some technical information by clicking on the three small horizontal lines icon at the top left of the connection window, then clicking on “Speed Test,” for example. You can also access “Help and support/What is my IP address?”

Privacy On The Move

Mobile apps are also known for their simplicity, just like their desktop clients. Whether you’re on Android or iOS, the service works almost entirely on its own. Many tutorials are built into the app to help users get started, solve a problem, or even learn more about the benefits of Trusted Server. A lot of different things can be done in the settings. You can change your VPN protocols there, for example, or use the “Auto connection” feature to reconnect if the server disconnects.

If you want to make sure that your computer is safe, you can use the application’s “IP Address Verification,” “DNS Leak Test,” or “WebRTC Leak Test.”

Home users can connect or disconnect from the fastest server in the blink of an eye by clicking on the button in the middle of the screen. Select the three dots icon on the connection menu, then scroll down to see the list of countries. ExpressVPN’s mobile app is easy to use and effective, especially when unblocking streaming services.

Premium Level Streaming?

All of our tests have shown that ExpressVPN is the best option to get around geo-restriction blocks for services such as Netflix (US/UK), Spotify, Pandora, YouTube US, HBO Now, Disney+, Hulu, TF1, BBC iPlayer, Canal+, or Amazon’s Prime Video service,.

The latter, which other rival VPNs often have a hard time with because they don’t work well with it. 

The exceptions are ExpressVPN, Hide.me, and PureVPN. You have to change your Amazon account and change your billing address to the country you want to connect to so that the VPN doesn’t show up.

Similar to Netflix, there are, in fact, a lot of VPNs we’ve been testing recently where Amazon has caught on to the fact a VPN is running.

Speed & Connections

Today, there are very few VPN services that can compete with ExpressVPN in terms of speed. Our SpeedTest tests using our fiber optic connection show that even if you choose a server in France, the United Kingdom, or the United States, your connection won’t be slowed down by the service.

The British Virgin Islands provider has one of the most stable and fastest connections on the market, no matter where the server is.

Our fiber optic connection results were close to each other, even in far-flung places like Japan and Australia. The speed is even good enough to stream content or get TV services that aren’t blocked

Help Only A Click Away

They have technical support available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You can reach them by live chat or email through the VPN’s online management console. Our tests showed, on average, just a two-minute wait to get a response.

How much is ExpressVPN?

Like many competing services, ExpressVPN prices have gone up a little recently.

The non-binding monthly plan has gone up a few cents and now costs $12.95 a month. The 6-month deal costs $9.99 a month, and the 12-month one is $8.32 a month. Compared to rival providers, this is somewhat on the pricey side.

 Each subscription lets you use up to five devices simultaneously and comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee, enough time for a proper tryout.

Should You Trust ExpressVPN?

ExpressVPN is still setting itself apart with stellar performance worldwide, making it a better choice than other VPN providers. He is still one of the best for unblocking streaming and TV platforms.

ExpressVPN has never been found to lack security or privacy either. Some people who are experts might be disappointed that there aren’t more advanced settings or technical information. This is a preference for the supplier, who wants to keep things simple and efficient by controlling the settings.

Overall, there isn’t a better service level on the market today. Other top players like NordVPN, and CyberGhost, follow very closely behind.

ExpressVPN is the best all-around. The only real flaw in the service is that price-wise, they are definitely at the more expensive end of the VPN market. However, you do get what you pay for.