ExpressVPN – Software Review
#1 leading VPN for fast streaming and privacy
Connect to over 94 countries
Ultra secure – 256-bit AES encryption
High speed streaming for popular apps
30-day money-back guarantee & 24/7 customer service
Plans & Pricing
ExpressVPN’s pricing policy is as simple as it gets. You can choose to pay month-by-month, at $12.95 per month, or take on a 6- or 12-month subscription, which come in at $9.99 pm and $8.32 pm respectively. The only difference between the three options is the length of your commitment.
Whichever you go for, you can always take advantage of the 30-day money-back guarantee if the service doesn’t live up to your expectations. This is important as ExpressVPN doesn’t offer a free trial.
Overview
ExpressVPN is an established VPN (Virtual Private Network) service provider that promises speed, ease-of-use, and best-in-class customer support. With over 1,500 servers, and 145 server locations, in more than 100 cities worldwide, 256-bit encryption and guaranteed logless browsing it also offers top notch privacy and security, not to mention wide device and operating system support.
- Servers in 94+ countries
- Unmetered bandwidth for fast connection speeds
- Simple setup and configuration
- Fast & knowledgeable customer support
Features & Functionality
If your main concern is protecting your privacy while you browse the internet ExpressVPN aims to provide you with everything you need, all wrapped up in a friendly package that takes minutes to set up.
Unmetered bandwidth
Highly optimized servers promise unthrottled speeds, which should mean no problems in streaming HD video and music.
Servers in 94 countries
ExpressVPN has 136 servers across the globe, including numerous options up and down the East and West coasts of the US, making it easy to find a proximate server wherever you are in the world.
Total security & privacy
ExpressVPN has all the main bases covered, including 256-bit SSL encryption, a good range of VPN protocols, and a guarantee that no browsing logs are kept.
Comprehensive OS & Device compatibility
You get support for Windows, Mac and Linux, Android and iPhone, as well as support for most major gaming and media devices, including PS4, Xbox, Chromecast, Apple TV and many more. You can use ExpressVPN on three devices simultaneously.
Fast setup and easy to use
ExpressVPN is one of the simplest VPN services to set up and configure. The software is straightforward and cleanly designed, and dedicated mobile apps make it a breeze to get running on your phone or tablet.
Privacy and Security
While all reputable VPN services offer good privacy and security protection – after all, that’s one of the main selling points – ExpressVPN is second to none in this regard.
It offers a wide range of VPN protocols, including OpenVPN UDP/TCP, L2TP/IPSec, SSTP and PPTP, to ensure anonymous browsing. And all traffic between your device and the ExpressVPN servers are protected by powerful 256-bit SSL encryption, which should be sufficient to hide your activities from spying governments and criminals alike.
You can count on this level of protection, whether you’re using your computer, mobile phone or tablet, and even on a public Wi-Fi network.
Beyond that, ExpressVPN guarantees that no logs are kept of your browsing history and that it will not share your private information with third parties. As a logless VPN, ExpressVPN keeps no activity logs or session data, so there’s nothing to connect you to your browsing activities. ExpressVPN also has split-tunneling available for its Mac application, to add an additional level of privacy for users.
You can even pay for your subscription by Bitcoin if you’re looking for an added layer of anonymity.
Customer Support
If there’s one area where ExpressVPN really shines it’s in the speed and quality of their customer support. You can contact support by phone or email 24/7. But we love the live chat support.
When I asked about setting up VPN on my Netgear router I received a response within 15 seconds. Not only was the reply almost instantaneous, it was accurate and helpful, and also included links to the relevant tutorials on the site.
While we’re on the subject it’s only fair to draw attention to the excellent VPN tutorial section, which provides clear but comprehensive guides for setting up ExpressVPN on almost any OS or device you could imagine, including routers, games consoles and eBooks.
It’s easy to overlook support quality when considering purchasing a product but doing so can lead to major regrets if things don’t go smoothly. This is especially true of VPN services, where even tech-savvy consumers can find themselves lost when attempting a more complex set up.
Speed
You’d expect a service that goes by the name ExpressVPN to be pretty fast. Indeed, the company’s website states boldly that it is “the fastest VPN on earth”.
If you’re main concern is anonymity or sidestepping censorship this may not be your key criterion. But if you plan on using your VPN to access streaming services that aren’t offered where you live, then this is a crucial consideration in choosing the right VPN provider.
ExpressVPN claims to offer “unmetered bandwidth and speed”, so this shouldn’t be an issue. That’s the promise – so how did it perform?
Well, while there was a noticeable drop in speed, the service was still plenty fast enough for most people’s needs. A quick test using a UK-based server had HD video up and running on All4 within seconds.
The same was true for our mobile test. In fact, we downloaded the app, set it up and had an episode of Brooklyn Nine-Nine playing all in the space of about 3 minutes!
Ease of Use
Set up and configuration is a real area of strength for ExpressVPN. If you’ve been meaning to set up a VPN at home but keep putting it off because you’re scared it might be too complicated, then we can put your mind at ease. Setup couldn’t be simpler.
Once you’ve subscribed to a plan, you’ll receive an email with a link to the software download page. The installation process is a simple click-and-go affair, and once the software is installed and you open the client for the first time you’ll be presented with an option to immediately connect to a recommended server. ExpressVPN also offers browser extensions for Chrome and Firefox, so users can control their ExpressVPN app remotely. You can only use the browser extensions with the ExpressVPN app.
Of course, you can browse the various servers on offer and save the most useful ones to you in a favorites list. Aside from that there is also the option to select a specific VPN protocol for your connection. Although if you leave this the software will automatically default to the best option for you.
There isn’t much to add when it comes to the ExpressVPN mobile app.
We tested the Android version and it offers all the same functionality as the desktop client, just optimized for touchscreens. When it’s running you’ll see an icon in your status bar and you can quickly access server and uptime information from the notification menu.
ExpressVPN really lives up to its name in the usability department. There may not be enough bells and whistles for power users, but the rest of us get a clean, intuitive interface that makes setting up VPN connections a one-click (or one-touch) process.
Final Word
It’s easy to recommend ExpressVPN. It has a solid range of VPN protocols, comprehensive device support, streaming-friendly connection speeds, and offers strong privacy and security protection.
More than that, it makes setting up and using a VPN as intuitive and painless as can be. Which, along with the super responsive and helpful customer support, makes it the ideal VPN service for the mainstream.
