We tested ExpressVPN to see whether it lived up to the hype of being the fastest, most secure VPN on the planet right now…
Key Takeaways
- ExpressVPN Overview: ExpressVPN is a fast and secure VPN service. It does not log user data, has over 3000 servers worldwide, and offers robust upload, download, and latency performance. It can also access Netflix and other streaming services.
- Why Use ExpressVPN?: ExpressVPN is faster than many other VPNs, including NordVPN. It allows up to 5 simultaneous connections, unblocks Netflix, and can be run directly through a router. It is compatible with all major platforms.
- ExpressVPN Security: ExpressVPN uses TrustedServer Technology, which means VPN servers run on RAM only, so all data is wiped with every reboot. It also offers an anonymous IP, a kill-switch feature, and military-grade AES-256-CBC encryption.
- ExpressVPN Speed Performance: ExpressVPN has been found to be faster than many other VPNs, with average download speeds of 98.71Mbps in tests. This speed makes it ideal for streaming services like Netflix.
- Conclusion: ExpressVPN is a top choice for a VPN service due to its speed, security, and usability. While other VPNs may offer faster speeds, ExpressVPN’s clear privacy policy and consistent performance make it a reliable choice.
ExpressVPN Review
Things Covered In This Review:
- ExpressVPN Speed (Upload, Download & Latency)
- Ease of Use
- Number & Quality of Servers
- How It Compares To NordVPN
TL;DR – If you do not want to read this review in full, here’s a quick overview. ExpressVPN is one of the fastest VPNs I have used in the last 12 months (and I’ve tested over 12, free and paid).
It is also 100% no logs, meaning none of your data is stored or logged. You have over 3000+ servers to choose from and rapid upload, download, and latency performance compared to NordVPN (my previous VPN before testing ExpressVPN).
ExpressVPN will access Netflix too, and thanks to its impressive speeds and latency, performance while using the app is great. If you’re mindful of security, ExpressVPN has robust protocols in place, including TrustedServer Technology, Anonymous IP, Kill-Switch, and military-grade AES-256-CBC encryption. Basically, it covers all the bases, so when it comes to privacy and security you’re 100% covered.
Why Do I Like It?
- It’s Fast (Noticeably Snappier Than NordVPN)
- You Can Run 5 Simultaneous Connections
- It’s 100% No-Logs
- It Unblocks Netflix
- You Can Run It Directly Through Your Router
- Runs on ALL Mobile/Computer Platforms
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Full ExpressVPN Review – All Details & Features Covered
When it comes to VPNs, there are basically too many. You hear about new ones coming out every day, promising this and that, and nine times out of ten it’s all bravado – nothing more than marketing speak.
Why are there SO MANY bloody VPNs, then? The short answer is money (and increasing demand for secure ways to browse the internet). If you have a popular VPN, you can make a lot of money. You can even make your own VPN by piggybacking off larger, more established VPNs and make money without any of the usual costs associated with developing an actual VPN.
Or, you can set up a free VPN – remember Hola? – and steal people’s data and sell it on to the highest bidder and, yep, you guessed it: make loads of money.
But I digress…
If you’re sick of researching, checking, and reading about VPNs, I know how you feel. I spent the better part of 2019 testing out VPNs – loads of them! And, trust me, it’s not much fun, although it did give me a pretty good idea about what the difference between a good VPN and a really great VPN looks like…
And, don’t worry, the long and short of it is pretty simple.
You want a VPN that is 100% no logs. You want the VPN to be fast, so you can actually use it for useful things like watching videos. You want good encryption. And you want it to run on multiple devices like your phone, tablet, and PC/laptop.
That’s basically all you need when it comes to a VPN. And this is exactly what ExpressVPN does – it’s fast, it’s secure, and it works on all my devices. It’s also properly quick too. Most of the time I don’t even notice that I have it up and running. And for a VPN, that is damn impressive.
But What About NordVPN?
I used to be a big NordVPN guy. I used NordVPN from 2017 right up until the beginning of this year. Up to that point it had been my daily-driver for as long as I could remember – and it served me well. To a point. I did always have reservations about its speed; it never really lived up to the hype.
But I kept hearing about ExpressVPN, reading about it online. People talked about how fast it was, so I had to check it out. Turns out the hype this time around was legit; ExpressVPN is freakin’ quick. Way quicker than NordVPN, in my experience, and this makes it an ideal choice for power users that demand more from their VPN.
I am now 100% converted and a big fan of ExpressVPN – at least until something better comes along.
Is ExpressVPN Security Decent?
With respect to encryption and security, NordVPN and ExpressVPN are fairly evenly matched which is to say they’re both very good. As you can see below, ExpressVPN has all the right boxes ticked when it comes to security and encryption protocols:
ExpressVPN Security Features
- TrustedServer Technology (VPN Servers run on RAM only, so all data is wiped with every reboot)
- Anonymous IP
- Kill-Switch
- Works With Netflix
- Apps For Android, iPhone, Windows, Mac
- Only VPN provider with designated router app
- P2P services
- 5 simultaneous connections
- 3000+ servers in 160 locations
ExpressVPN Speed Performance
If you look around online, you’ll see that many sites list NordVPN, as well as TunnelBear and HideIPVPN above ExpressVPN. Similarly, other paid-for VPNs like CyberGhost VPN and Private Internet Access are also listed as having faster upload and download speeds, as well as better latency.
I’ve used and tested all of these and, for the most part, the results are fairly similar – paid-for, premium VPNs are much faster than their freemium counterparts. Conversely, I found ExpressVPN to be a lot quicker than many reports give it credit for – and I find that odd.
In my experience, ExpressVPN is way more consistent when it comes to speed (it averaged 98.71Mbps download speeds in my tests) when compared to some of the more popular VPNs on the market.
NordVPN, which I used for a couple of years, averaged less than 90Mbps in some instances and as low as 80Mbps on rare occasions. That’s a big difference. And I immediately noticed the difference when I switched over – Netflix ran A LOT smoother.
Wrapping Up…
The speed difference isn’t much, and a lot of a VPN’s performance will be derived from your internet connection, so results will, of course, vary based on this. All I can do is tell you how I got on using both. I’m in the UK and use my VPN to connect to servers in the US and I have found ExpressVPN to be noticeably snappier.
Neither NordVPN or ExpressVPN, however, can match HideIPVPN for overall upload and download speeds, as well as latency. Right now, HideIPVPN is currently the fastest VPN you can use, although its privacy policy isn’t quite as clearly defined as NordVPN or ExpressVPN’s which is something you will definitely want to keep in mind.
I’d take a drop in speed for better privacy, and you should too – privacy and data security, especially when using VPNs, is of
Out of all the VPNs I have tested in the last 12 months (around 12 in total, free and paid), ExpressVPN is the one I use on my phone and computer. I used to use NordVPN. I’ve flirted with SurfShark. And I did have a stint with PureVPN and HideIPVPN, as well as TunnelBear and Private Internet Access.
But none of them impressed me like ExpressVPN. And, yes, I’m talking about general speed and overall usability. ExpressVPN is just so damn quick; it is also extremely consistent with very little lag and/or hang. And this makes it way more useful for work and play. The app is easy to use, it works great on Windows/macOS too, and it has plenty of servers dotted around the world.
And for me, that’s basically all you’ll ever need from a VPN.
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