ExpressVPN Review 2026
ExpressVPN is a VPN service run by Express Technologies Ltd. in the British Virgin Islands. This review covers its ownership, privacy record, security features, apps and prices, using the facts ExpressVPN publishes itself and the other sites’ tests listed below, credited to those sites. We have not run our own speed or streaming tests, so this review makes no claims about either.
ExpressVPN at a glance
ExpressVPN at a glance
- Servers
- —
- Countries
- 113expressvpn.com/vpn-server · checked 2026-11-13
- Devices per plan
- 10–14 (by plan)expressvpn.com/pricing · checked 2026-11-12
- Money-back
- 30 days (new users)expressvpn.com/pricing · checked 2026-11-12
- Jurisdiction
- British Virgin Islands (ExpressVPN says its headquarters and registered place of business is there, and that Express Technologies Ltd. operates under BVI law)expressvpn.com/privacy-policy · checked 2026-11-13
- Owner
- Express Technologies Ltd. (British Virgin Islands) runs the service; ExpressVPN's privacy policy names Kape Technologies PLC (UK) as its ultimate holding company, and its About page says it joined the Kape Technologies family in 2021expressvpn.com/privacy-policy · expressvpn.com/about-us · checked 2026-11-13
- Latest audit
- 2025KPMG LLP · TrustedServer architecture and privacy-policy claims as of 28 February 2025, ISAE (UK) 3000 Type 1; KPMG gave reasonable assurance that the systems worked as designed, with no identified issues in the technical safeguards against activity logging (ExpressVPN's words)expressvpn.com/blog/kpmg-2025-no-logs-poli… · checked 2026-11-13
- RAM-only servers
- Yes, ExpressVPN says its TrustedServer technology runs only on volatile memory (RAM) and that all data on a server is wiped at every reboot; it says PwC audited TrustedServerexpressvpn.com/trust · checked 2026-11-13
- Protocols
- Lightway (UDP and TCP), WireGuard (ExpressVPN's own version, in the Windows app among others), OpenVPN (UDP and TCP) and IKEv2; PPTP is in none of the appsexpressvpn.com/what-is-vpn/protocols · checked 2026-11-12
- Logging policy
- Says it does not collect logs of online activity (browsing history, traffic destinations, data content, DNS queries) and never stores connection logs (your IP address, the VPN IP address, connection timestamps or session duration); it does keep some usage statistics and account data, described in the policyexpressvpn.com/privacy-policy · checked 2026-11-13
- Lowest price
- $2.99/moUS prices; prices and currencies vary by countryBasic, 28 monthsexpressvpn.com/pricing · checked 2026-11-13
+ Pros
- Outside firms have examined the service every year from 2019 to 2023, and again in 2025: PwC, Cure53 and KPMG
- The 2023 KPMG report has its own page on ExpressVPN’s website
- ExpressVPN says its servers run only from RAM and are wiped at every reboot
- Apps for computers, phones, Apple TV, Fire Stick and Android TV, browser extensions and routers
- Split tunneling on Windows, macOS, Linux and Android, including an inverse mode on Windows
- A refund period for new users, shown in the card above
− Cons
- In 2021 a US Justice Department agreement named an ExpressVPN executive over work for the UAE; the details are in the security incidents section
- The low first-term price is a promotion, and the price table shows no end date for it
- On iPhone, split tunneling can exclude websites but not apps
- ExpressVPN’s kill switch page lists Windows, macOS, Linux, Android and a router, and does not list iPhone or iPad
Price and refunds
| Plan | First term | Per month | First term total | Then renews at |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Basic | 28 months | $2.99 | $83.72 | $99.95 a year |
| Advanced | 28 months | $4.19 | $117.32 | $119.95 a year |
| Express Pro | 28 months | $7.19 | $201.32 | $199.95 a year |
US prices; prices and currencies vary by country.
The table shows the prices our editors checked on ExpressVPN’s own pricing page on a US connection, in US dollars. ExpressVPN sells three tiers: Basic, Advanced and Express Pro. Each is sold as a long first term with extra months added, and each row shows the first-term price, the total for that term, and the renewal price side by side, so you can see what the plan costs after the first term ends. The first-term prices belong to a Black Friday promotion, and the page shows no end date for it. Each row shows the date our editors checked it; because the promotion has no stated end, the table hides it automatically a week after that check, and if the table shows “Re-verifying”, that is the reason.
The number of devices depends on the tier, as the card above shows. The refund period applies to new users.
Privacy: who runs it and what it logs
ExpressVPN says its headquarters and registered place of business are in the British Virgin Islands, and that Express Technologies Ltd. operates under BVI law. Its privacy policy names Kape Technologies PLC, a company in the UK, as its ultimate holding company, and its About page says ExpressVPN joined the Kape Technologies family in 2021.
ExpressVPN says it does not collect logs of online activity: browsing history, traffic destinations, data content or DNS queries. It also says it never stores connection logs: your IP address, the VPN IP address, connection timestamps or session duration. ExpressVPN says it does keep some usage statistics and account data, which the policy describes. Outside firms have examined these claims:
- 2025KPMG LLP · TrustedServer architecture and privacy-policy claims as of 28 February 2025, ISAE (UK) 3000 Type 1; KPMG gave reasonable assurance that the systems worked as designed, with no identified issues in the technical safeguards against activity logging (ExpressVPN's words)expressvpn.com/blog/kpmg-2025-no-logs-poli… · checked 2026-11-13
- 2023KPMG · privacy policy audit of the VPN serversexpressvpn.com/security-audit-reports/kpmg… · expressvpn.com/security-audit-reports/kpmg… · checked 2026-11-13
- 2022Cure53 · TrustedServer: penetration test and source code audit (May 2022)expressvpn.com/news-pr/kpmg-privacy-policy… · checked 2026-11-13
- 2022KPMG · controls behind key parts of the privacy policy, including no activity or connection logs and how TrustedServer operates (September 2022)expressvpn.com/news-pr/kpmg-privacy-policy… · checked 2026-11-13
- 2022Cure53 · Lightway VPN protocol (second assessment, October and November 2022, published March 2023; ExpressVPN says Cure53 found five low-severity and four informational issues and re-tested the fixes in February 2023)expressvpn.com/blog/cure53-lightway-audit · checked 2026-11-13
- 2021Cure53 · Lightway VPN protocol (first assessment)expressvpn.com/blog/cure53-lightway-audit · checked 2026-11-13
- 2020PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) Switzerland · build verification processexpressvpn.com/blog/cure53-lightway-audit · checked 2026-11-13
- 2019PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) Switzerland · privacy policy compliance of the VPN servers, including no activity or connection logs, and how TrustedServer works (ISAE 3000 (Revised))expressvpn.com/blog/pwc-audits-expressvpn-… · checked 2026-11-13
The list covers three kinds of work. PwC Switzerland and KPMG examined whether the privacy policy and the way the servers run match what ExpressVPN says; Cure53 tested the security of the Lightway protocol and of TrustedServer, ExpressVPN’s server software. Not every audit is on the list: we left out the audits of apps, routers and browser extensions. Except for the 2023 KPMG report, which ExpressVPN publishes on its website, the reports themselves sit behind the auditors’ terms, so for most items we can describe only what ExpressVPN’s own announcements say about the scope. An audit checks a service as it stood when the auditor looked; it does not show what happens between audits.
Security features
ExpressVPN lists several protocols. Lightway is its own protocol and runs over UDP or TCP. It also offers its own version of WireGuard, OpenVPN over UDP or TCP, and IKEv2. ExpressVPN says PPTP is in none of its apps.
The kill switch, which ExpressVPN calls Network Lock, blocks your internet connection if the VPN drops, so your real address is not exposed while the app reconnects. ExpressVPN’s page lists it for Windows, macOS, Linux and Android, and for its Fortify router. On the computer apps it is on by default and can also block traffic after you disconnect by hand. The page does not list an iPhone or iPad app.
ExpressVPN says TrustedServer, its server technology, runs only from volatile memory (RAM), so everything on a server is wiped at every reboot, and says PwC audited TrustedServer. The 2022 Cure53 work and the 2022 and 2025 KPMG work in the list above cover TrustedServer too.
Split tunneling lets you choose which traffic skips the VPN. It is on Windows, where it can exclude apps and websites or, in the inverse mode, send only the apps you pick through the VPN. It is also on macOS, Linux and Android, where it works per app, and on iOS, where it can exclude websites only.
Security incidents
- 2021In September 2021 a US Justice Department deferred prosecution agreement with three former US intelligence and military personnel over work for the UAE's "Project Raven" included Daniel Gericke, an ExpressVPN executive (TechRadar's reports at the time call him ExpressVPN's chief information officer, CIO; Reuters reported that he was named chief technology officer in August 2021); the three agreed to pay more than $1.6 million in fines in total (TechRadar). ExpressVPN said it knew his employment history when it hired him but had not known of the federal investigation or the details of his UAE work, called the UAE surveillance campaign "completely antithetical to our mission", and kept him in the post.euronews.com/next/2021/09/23/usa-cyber-exp… · techradar.com/features/expressvpn-and-proj… · checked 2026-11-13
Facts first. In September 2021 a US Justice Department deferred prosecution agreement was reached with three former US intelligence and military personnel over their work for the UAE’s “Project Raven”. The three included Daniel Gericke, an ExpressVPN executive. TechRadar’s reports at the time call him ExpressVPN’s chief information officer (CIO); Reuters reported that ExpressVPN named him its chief technology officer (CTO) in August 2021. Euronews and TechRadar covered the agreement and reported the fines the three agreed to pay; the amounts are in the incident entry above.
ExpressVPN’s statement. ExpressVPN said it knew his employment history when it hired him but had not known of the federal investigation or the details of his UAE work. It called the UAE surveillance campaign “completely antithetical to our mission”, and kept him in the post.
Server network
The card above gives the number of countries ExpressVPN lists. For what the network offers in particular places, see our country guides:
- Best VPNs for the US
- Best VPNs for the UK
- Best VPNs for Canada
- Best VPNs for Australia
- Best VPNs for Germany
- Best VPNs for France
- Best VPNs for Japan
- Best VPNs for Singapore
- Best VPNs for India
- Best VPNs for South Korea
Apps and devices
ExpressVPN has apps for Windows, macOS, Linux, iPhone and iPad, Android, Apple TV, Fire Stick and Android TV. It also has browser extensions for Chrome, Firefox and Edge, and it supports routers. How many devices one subscription covers depends on the tier; the card above shows the range.
The apps are not identical:
- Windows, Mac and Linux: ExpressVPN states minimum system requirements for each computer app, and they differ. See our guides for Windows, Mac and Linux for what each app needs. The Linux app comes as a single installer.
- iPhone and iPad: the app is on the US App Store, and split tunneling there can exclude websites but not apps.
- Android: split tunneling works per app.
- Browser extensions: an extension protects the browser’s own traffic, not other apps on the same computer.
Streaming, torrenting and speed
We have not run our own speed or streaming tests yet. Below is what other review sites reported, each credited and dated, and our own spot checks where we have one. Use the refund period to check the services you care about.
- Streaming: we have not tested which streaming services work with ExpressVPN, and streaming services block VPN addresses from time to time.
- Torrenting: we found torrenting results only in the other sites’ tests below.
- Speed: we make no speed claims without our own tests. Your speed depends on your connection, the protocol and how far away the server is.
What other testers found
These are other sites' tests, not ours. Each one is credited and linked, and nothing is merged or averaged.
Streaming · In the US
- Top10VPN (Netflix; article updated Nov 2026): Netflix US worked
- Safelyo (Netflix; article updated Oct 2026; run from Vietnam): Netflix US played at full resolution with no buffering
- vpnMentor (Netflix; article updated Sep 2026): The US Netflix library opened with no need to switch servers
- Top10VPN (Hulu; article updated Nov 2026): Hulu US worked
- CNET (Hulu; article updated Oct 2026): Hulu unblocked
- Safelyo (Hulu; article updated Oct 2026; run from Vietnam): Hulu played in the US at full resolution
- vpnMentor (Hulu; article updated Sep 2026): Hulu ran in HD on the US servers with short load times, and the video stayed stable throughout
- Top10VPN (Prime Video; article updated Nov 2026): Prime Video US worked
- Safelyo (Prime Video; article updated Oct 2026; run from Vietnam): Prime Video played in the US with no buffering mid-stream
- vpnMentor (Prime Video; article updated Sep 2026): Prime Video US streamed in HD without a change of server or settings
- Safelyo (Disney+; article updated Oct 2026; run from Vietnam): Disney+ played in the US at full resolution
- vpnMentor (Disney+; article updated Sep 2026): Disney+ played reliably in the US, opening almost at once with no drops in quality
- Top10VPN (Max; article updated Nov 2026): HBO Max US worked
- Safelyo (Max; article updated Oct 2026; run from Vietnam): Max played in the US with no buffering mid-stream
- Safelyo (Paramount+; article updated Oct 2026; run from Vietnam): Paramount+ played smoothly in the US
- Safelyo (Sling TV; article updated Oct 2026; run from Vietnam): Sling TV played smoothly in the US
- Safelyo (ESPN; article updated Oct 2026; run from Vietnam): ESPN streamed live sports in the US without lag
Streaming · In the UK
- Top10VPN (Netflix; article updated Nov 2026): Netflix UK worked
- Safelyo (Netflix; article updated Oct 2026; run from Vietnam): Netflix UK played at full resolution with no buffering
- vpnMentor (Netflix; article updated Sep 2026): The UK servers loaded Netflix UK consistently
- vpnMentor (Prime Video; article updated Sep 2026): Prime Video UK streamed in HD without a change of server or settings
- Top10VPN (Disney+; article updated Nov 2026): Disney+ UK worked
- Top10VPN (BBC iPlayer; article updated Nov 2026): BBC iPlayer worked
- Safelyo (BBC iPlayer; article updated Oct 2026; run from Vietnam): BBC iPlayer played smoothly
- vpnMentor (BBC iPlayer; article updated Sep 2026): BBC iPlayer opened on the first attempt, and on servers in all six UK locations
- Top10VPN (ITVX; article updated Nov 2026): ITVX worked
- Safelyo (ITVX; article updated Oct 2026; run from Vietnam): ITVX played smoothly
Streaming · In Canada
- Top10VPN (Netflix; article updated Nov 2026): The Canadian Netflix library was among the 18 that opened
- Top10VPN (DAZN; article updated Nov 2026): DAZN Canada worked
- Safelyo (DAZN; article updated Oct 2026; run from Vietnam): DAZN Canada played with no proxy errors
- Top10VPN (FuboTV; article updated Nov 2026): FuboTV Canada was the one service the VPN could not get past
Streaming · country not stated by the source
- Top10VPN (Netflix; article updated Nov 2026): 18 Netflix libraries opened, the US, UK and Canada among them
- CNET (Netflix; article updated Oct 2026): Netflix unblocked, though access was sometimes blocked on Apple TV and a server switch usually fixed it
- Safelyo (Netflix; article updated Oct 2026; run from Vietnam): 25 of the 40 Netflix libraries they tested worked, with India needing two or three server changes; results were weakest in Latin America and in the Middle East, Africa and Central Asia
- vpnMentor (Netflix; article updated Sep 2026): 20 or more Netflix libraries worked, the UK and Japan among them, with no buffering
- CNET (Prime Video; article updated Oct 2026): Amazon Prime Video unblocked
- CNET (Disney+; article updated Oct 2026): Disney+ unblocked
Speed
- CyberInsider (article updated Nov 2026; run from the US): On a 1 Gbps connection in the US with Lightway, ExpressVPN reached 718 Mbps on a Seattle server, with 612 Mbps in New York, 551 Mbps on a UK server and 444 Mbps in Los Angeles
- CNET (article updated Oct 2026): They measured an overall 20.82% average speed loss in 2026, ranging from 8.92% on macOS over Wi-Fi to 25.22% on Windows over Ethernet
- Safelyo (article updated Oct 2026; run from Vietnam): On Lightway, an average of 436.9 Mbps download across 5 server locations, keeping 51.5% of an 848.94 Mbps no-VPN baseline measured from Vietnam; the US Los Angeles server gave 388.58 Mbps, or 45.8%
Torrenting
- Tom's Guide (article updated Nov 2026): Their review found the service strong for torrenting, and note there is no native port forwarding
- Security.org (article updated Sep 2026): Their quick stats record torrenting as supported, and they say they downloaded torrent files with it
Leaks and kill switch
- Top10VPN (article updated Nov 2026): IP, DNS and WebRTC leak tests on a nearby server passed with nothing exposed. Every app ships the Network Lock kill switch, and an advanced mode blocks the device's internet until the VPN is reactivated; the page does not report a simulated-drop result for ExpressVPN itself
- CyberInsider (article updated Nov 2026; run from the US): Leak tests on the Windows, macOS and Android apps found no leaks: IPv6 was blocked and all DNS requests went to ExpressVPN servers. The Network Lock kill switch worked well on Windows and macOS and blocked traffic when the connection dropped or was interrupted
- CNET (article updated Oct 2026): No leaks were detected, and the kill switch worked as intended in both its standard and always-on modes
- Safelyo (article updated Oct 2026; run from Vietnam): No leaks in the Windows leak tests with Lightway: IPv4 and IPv6, DNS and WebRTC all passed. The Network Lock kill switch cut all traffic as soon as the connection was pulled, and traffic only returned after the VPN came back up
- vpnMentor (article updated Sep 2026): Leak tests on ipleak.net across 10 servers on Windows, Mac, Android and iPhone found no IP, DNS, IPv6 or WebRTC leaks, only the VPN's own address and DNS server
These are other sites’ tests, run on their own days from their own locations and devices, so their results cannot be compared directly, and they are not our results. Streaming results are grouped by country in the list: read the group for the country you live in. None of this feeds into our verdict.
Our spot checks
| Our spot check | Result |
|---|---|
| Streaming playback on a US server | No spot check yet |
A spot check is our own: run in the US on a US server, five minutes of continuous playback to pass, with no fixed schedule. Results for other countries come from other sites' published tests.
ExpressVPN alternatives
| # | VPN | Best for | Jurisdiction | Simultaneous devices | Money-back guarantee |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | NordVPN | Best for a long audit record | Panama | 10 | 30 days |
| 2 | Surfshark | Best for unlimited devices | Netherlands | Unlimited | 30 days |
| 3 | Proton VPN | Best if you want a free plan | Switzerland | 10 (VPN Plus) | 30 days |
- NordVPN – choose it if you want a long run of no-logs audits. Read our NordVPN review.
- Surfshark – choose it if you need to cover many devices; it has no device limit. Read our Surfshark review.
- Proton VPN – choose it if you want a free plan. The free plan has limits on devices and locations; the paid plan is run from Switzerland.
How we checked these facts
Every figure on this page comes from ExpressVPN’s own website, its trust and privacy pages or its audit announcements. Our editors check each price themselves as a US buyer would see it, and re-check prices every two weeks and other figures at least every four months; prices and currencies vary by country. The test results we quote are other sites’ published tests, credited by name and dated, and our own spot checks are labeled as ours. Rankings and verdicts are our editors’ judgment.
FAQ
Is ExpressVPN safe to use?
ExpressVPN has been examined by PwC, Cure53 and KPMG over several years, says its servers run from RAM, and lists a kill switch on most of its apps. Against that, a 2021 US Justice Department agreement named one of its executives over work for the UAE, and ExpressVPN is owned by Kape Technologies PLC. Read the incident section and the privacy section above before you decide.
Does ExpressVPN keep logs?
ExpressVPN says it does not collect logs of online activity and never stores connection logs such as your IP address or connection timestamps. It says it does keep some usage statistics and account data. PwC and KPMG examined the policy, according to the audit list above.
Where is ExpressVPN based, and who owns it?
ExpressVPN says its headquarters are in the British Virgin Islands, where Express Technologies Ltd. operates under BVI law. Its privacy policy names Kape Technologies PLC as the ultimate holding company, and its About page says ExpressVPN joined the Kape Technologies family in 2021.
How many devices can I use with one ExpressVPN subscription?
It depends on the tier you buy. The key-facts card above shows the range, and the pricing page lists the number for each tier.
How much does ExpressVPN cost after the first term?
After the first term the plan renews at the renewal price shown in the price table, which our editors checked on ExpressVPN’s pricing page. The first-term price is a promotion, so compare the two columns before you pay.
Who is Daniel Gericke, and what is Project Raven?
Project Raven was a UAE program named in the agreement. In 2021 a US Justice Department deferred prosecution agreement was reached with three former US intelligence and military personnel over their work for it, and one of them, Daniel Gericke, was an ExpressVPN executive. ExpressVPN has given its own account, set out in the security incidents section above.