ExpressVPN Review

ExpressVPN offers premium speeds and servers across 105 countries, making it ideal for travelers and streamers. It costs significantly more than competitors, but its Lightway protocol and streaming reliability justify the price for power users.

11 September 2026

ExpressVPN costs $6.67 per month on a yearly plan and operates 3,000+ servers across 105 countries. Its defining technical feature is Lightway, a proprietary protocol built for speed and fast reconnection, especially on mobile where network switching happens constantly. If you need a VPN that reliably works on every continent and prioritizes performance over price, ExpressVPN delivers.

Who ExpressVPN Suits

ExpressVPN is built for people who travel internationally and need consistent speeds across unpredictable networks. Digital nomads who move between countries weekly find the 105-country coverage essential when local VPNs in a region fail. Streamers in supported markets benefit from its optimized Netflix and BBC iPlayer unblocking, which is reliably maintained. The 8 simultaneous connections (versus NordVPN's 6) help families or teams splitting a single subscription.

Where It Falls Short

The pricing is the core tradeoff. At $6.67 per month, ExpressVPN costs more than double NordVPN's promotional rate of $3.09 per month on a two-year plan. For the average home user, that premium difference adds up to $40+ per year for marginal gains in country variety. There is no ad blocker at any tier, while NordVPN includes it in its paid plans. ExpressVPN's acquisition by Kape Technologies in 2021 raised trust concerns, though independent audits have verified its no-logs claims.

Alternatives Worth Considering

NordVPN offers better value if you stay in popular regions. Proton VPN is faster at connecting to less common countries and has a transparent infrastructure model. Compare them directly at /compare/nordvpn-vs-expressvpn if cost matters most to you.

Verdict

ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN is the better VPN for speed and country coverage, but you're paying a significant premium over NordVPN. If performance on obscure server locations or streaming reliability matters most, it's justified. For most users, it's not.

Best for: Users who need servers in specific countries or who travel frequently and need reliable connections from unusual locations

8/10

Free tier

Custom pricing

Pro

$80.04 USD

$6.67 USD/mo · billed annually

Business

$12.95 USD/mo

Pros

  • Lightway protocol delivers consistently fast speeds across long-distance connections
  • 3,000+ servers across 105 countries, widest country coverage available
  • Excellent streaming support: Netflix, BBC iPlayer, Disney+, Hotstar
  • TrustedServer technology: RAM-only servers wipe data on every reboot
  • 8 simultaneous connections vs NordVPN's 6

Cons

  • $6.67/mo annual is more than double NordVPN's $3.09/mo 2-year rate
  • No ad blocker included at any tier
  • ExpressVPN acquired by Kape Technologies in 2021, raised trust concerns at the time
  • Fewer servers than NordVPN (3,000 vs 5,800+)

Features

Lightway, OpenVPN, IKEv2, L2TPProtocol
3,000+Servers
105Countries
8Simultaneous Connections
Kill Switch
Split Tunneling
Ad Blocker
Audited No Logs
Torrenting
Streaming Optimized

Frequently Asked Questions