ExpressVPN
Premium VPN with military-grade encryption and servers in 105 countries
ExpressVPN is a British Virgin Islands-based VPN service offering high-speed connections through its proprietary Lightway protocol, TrustedServer RAM-only infrastructure, and servers across 105 countries. In 2026, the company overhauled its pricing into three tiers—Basic, Advanced, and Pro—bringing entry-level costs down to compete with rivals whilst maintaining its reputation for speed, streaming reliability, and independently audited no-logs privacy.
How we scored it
Six-factor weighted score. Each dimension scored 0–10 by our editorial team across testing periods of 3–18 months. No vendor influence.
What it actually costs
Intro pricing shown — see the renewal note for what you'll pay after the introductory term. We don't hide the second-act price.
The real cost
What you'll actually pay across 4 years, including the renewal cliff. We blend the math so you see the true monthly cost.
When the bill actually arrives
Most hosts advertise intro pricing prominently and renewal pricing in the fine print. Here\'s the trajectory drawn to scale.
ExpressVPN against the field
The highest-scoring alternatives in the same category, compared on the figures we hold for all of them.
| ExpressVPNThis page | Proton VPN | NordVPN | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ReviewCost score | 8.6/10 | 8.4/10 | 8.4/10 |
| Cheapest plan | Basic 2-Year | — | — |
| From | $3.49/mo | — | $3.09/mo |
| Renews at | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| Biggest strength | Proprietary Lightway protocol delivers consistently fast speeds, particularly with Lightway Turbo on Windows | Audited no-logs policy and full open-source codebase provide exceptional transparency | Fastest VPN in independent 2026 tests—82% speed retention with NordLynx protocol, minimal latency on local and mid-distance servers |
| Biggest drawback | Device limits (10/12/14) lag behind competitors like Surfshark and PIA that offer unlimited simultaneous connections | No 24/7 live chat support—email-only, with 1-3 day response times reported | Renewal pricing jumps significantly—2-year Basic plan renews at $219.48/year ($18.29/mo), a 529% increase over introductory $3.09/mo rate |
Prices are the published figures at the time of writing and change often. Renewal pricing is shown where the vendor publishes it. See how we review.
What people ask about ExpressVPN
Straight answers to what buyers actually ask, drawn from the documentation and published user reports.