Introducing ExpressVPN
ExpressVPN is published by Express VPN International Ltd, based in the British Virgin Islands (BVI) since 2009. It’s one of the pioneers of the consumer market and, for a long time, was seen as the benchmark premium VPN. In 2021 it was acquired by Kape Technologies (which also owns CyberGhost and Private Internet Access) — a purchase that sparked debate but has not changed the no-logs policy nor the technical quality of the service.
The BVI jurisdiction is excellent: no data-retention laws, no membership of the 5/9/14 Eyes alliances, and no automatic cooperation with US or European agencies. ExpressVPN has proven this on several occasions, notably during a Turkish investigation in 2017 where the physical seizure of a server yielded no user data at all.
ExpressVPN pricing in 2026
ExpressVPN is still the most expensive of the major VPNs. Three commitment lengths:
| Plan | Monthly | 6 months | 2 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly | €12.95 | — | — |
| 6 months | — | €9.99 | — |
| 2 years (+ 3 months free) | — | — | €6.12 |
Prices in €/month, commitment paid upfront. 49% discount on the 2-year plan.
Our recommendation: if you pick ExpressVPN, go for the 2-year plan — it’s the only tier that makes the service competitive. On a monthly subscription you pay as much as three competing VPNs combined.
Speed and performance: Lightway makes the difference
ExpressVPN has invested heavily in its in-house Lightway protocol, and it shows. Speeds are now in the top 2 on the market, just behind NordLynx.
Our measurements (April 2026)
Tests from Paris, symmetrical 1 Gb/s fibre, Lightway protocol, 3 rounds per day over a week.
| Destination | Without VPN | ExpressVPN | Loss |
|---|---|---|---|
| France (Paris server) | 920 Mb/s | 860 Mb/s | 6.5% |
| United Kingdom (London) | 920 Mb/s | 820 Mb/s | 10.9% |
| United States (New York) | 920 Mb/s | 710 Mb/s | 22.8% |
| Japan (Tokyo) | 920 Mb/s | 410 Mb/s | 55.4% |
At short distance the loss is nearly imperceptible. For 4K streaming, gaming or heavy downloads, you won’t see any difference day-to-day. Long-distance performance (Japan, Australia) is good without being exceptional — NordVPN keeps a slight edge on very distant destinations.
Security and privacy
ExpressVPN ticks all the boxes expected of a premium VPN, with two notable technical specificities.
TrustedServer: the decisive argument
All ExpressVPN servers run exclusively in RAM, without a physical hard drive. In practice:
- At boot, each server loads its operating system into volatile memory only.
- No data is ever written to a disk.
- On every reboot (triggered regularly), everything is wiped.
Even in the event of a physical server seizure by an authority, there is technically nothing to extract. It’s tangible evidence of the no-logs policy, something few competitors can offer at this scale.
Lightway: the in-house open-source protocol
Launched in 2020 and open source since 2021, Lightway is ExpressVPN’s in-house protocol. It uses wolfSSL (a minimalist cryptographic library audited by NIST), which makes it:
- Faster than OpenVPN thanks to fewer than 2,000 lines of code
- Lighter on mobile (reduced battery consumption)
- More robust against network changes (Wi-Fi ↔ 4G without dropping)
- Auditable: the code is on GitHub and has been reviewed by Cure53
Other features
- AES-256 encryption with Perfect Forward Secrecy
- Kill switch (called “Network Lock”) on every platform
- Split tunneling available on Windows, macOS, Android, routers
- Private DNS on every server (no third parties)
- Threat Manager: third-party tracker blocker at the DNS level
- No-logs policy audited several times by PwC and KPMG
Streaming: as effective as NordVPN
ExpressVPN is one of the few VPNs to unblock the vast majority of streaming catalogues without friction. We tested in April 2026:
- Netflix: US, UK, Japan, Canada, France, Australia, Germany (OK everywhere)
- Disney+: US, UK, France (OK)
- Prime Video: US, UK, France, Japan (OK)
- BBC iPlayer: OK, no friction
- Hulu: OK
- Canal+, TF1+, France.tv: OK from abroad
- DAZN, Paramount+, Max: OK
Unlike CyberGhost, there are no streaming-labelled dedicated servers: you simply pick the country and it works. That simplicity is a real asset for non-technical users.
Ease of use: best on the market
This is ExpressVPN’s strongest point. The apps are arguably the most intuitive in the industry: a big ON/OFF button, a clean country list, instant search, settings that are accessible but never intrusive. A complete beginner is up and running in under a minute.
Supported platforms
- Windows, macOS, Linux: native apps, Lightway supported everywhere
- Android, iOS: native apps, among the best-rated on the stores
- Android TV, Fire TV: very well-made dedicated app
- Apple TV: yes (native support since 2024)
- Routers: in-house Aircove firmware (router sold by ExpressVPN) or manual configuration
- Browser extensions: Chrome, Firefox, Edge (control the app, not an isolated proxy)
8 simultaneous connections — slightly behind NordVPN (10) or Surfshark (unlimited), but sufficient for most households.
24/7 customer support
ExpressVPN offers 24/7 live chat, in French, with replies generally within 2-3 minutes. The knowledge base is very extensive and well translated. That’s clearly superior to Proton VPN (email tickets only) and on a par with NordVPN.
Detailed scoring
- Speed: 9.5/10 — Lightway is fast and stable, top 2 on the market
- Security: 9.5/10 — TrustedServer + BVI jurisdiction + regular audits
- Streaming: 9.4/10 — Unblocks everything, frictionlessly
- Price: 7.5/10 — Most expensive of the major VPNs, even on long-term plans
- Ease of use: 9.7/10 — The most intuitive apps on the market
Who is ExpressVPN for?
Ideal if: you want a VPN that works without ever asking you questions, you’re willing to pay a little more for peace of mind, you need responsive French-language customer support, or you want the best possible user experience on mobile and TV.
Consider alternatives if: your priority is price (→ Surfshark, CyberGhost, PIA), you want 10+ connections (→ NordVPN, Surfshark), or you’re after end-to-end open-source software (→ Proton VPN, Mullvad).
Our verdict
ExpressVPN remains the benchmark premium VPN. The combination of TrustedServer + Lightway + BVI jurisdiction + flawless apps + 24/7 support makes it the most “no-worries” service on the market. Price is the only real sticking point: at €6.12/month, you pay almost twice as much as Surfshark or CyberGhost for a comparable service.
If you value absolute simplicity and budget is not your main criterion, it’s an excellent choice. For optimal value for money, NordVPN and Surfshark remain ahead.
✅ Strengths
- In-house Lightway protocol, very fast
- TrustedServer: RAM-only servers
- Most intuitive apps on the market
- Covers 105 countries (largest footprint)
- Responsive 24/7 customer support
❌ Weaknesses
- Most expensive of the major VPNs
- Only 8 simultaneous connections