ExpressVPN is arguably the best VPN you can currently find online, I alongside many other websites believe this to be true and this article will make you understand why.
Note that this article is not sponsored by ExpressVPN or any other company, which means that everything written here is only my honest opinion. ExpressVPN did send me a free premium subscription for me to try out their service, but that has in no way affected this review.
Firstly, I'll like to mention that there are loads of VPNs out there, which makes it harder for a consumer to pick any of them. In my case, it only took me a few sections of searching around the internet and testing different VPN services to finally settle on this one.
When choosing a VPN, there are features the consumer would want the VPN service to have, and needs that the consumer would want the VPN to take care of. Below I have taken a look at some of those features and needs, and how ExpressVPN takes care of them, or not.
What Consumers Look for in a VPN - Has ExpressVPN got it?
SECURITY
Believe it or not, the first and most important thing any consumer looks for in a VPN is security. The main reason people use a VPN is to be secured online, and by this, I speak not only of being secured from their network provider, the government but also from hackers.
When a VPN is not secured it kills the whole purpose of using it at all. This is why ExpressVPN has taken security very seriously, or so they say.
How has ExpressVPN proven that its services are secured? This is a question that would be asked by at least 80% of people who would come across this article, the answer is not far-fetched either.
1. Strong 256-bit AES Encryption: The average consumer may not understand how this works or how strong it may be. TheBestVPN in their review described this level of encryption as "Super-strong", we're also made to understand that this is the same encryption standard that is used by the CIA or FBI to protect the transmission of sensitive data.
I believe that should give you a little insight into how secure the 256-bit encryption used by ExpressVPN truly is.
2. OpenVPN Tunneling: This is mainly a method of connecting to a VPN server that provides not only a fast connection but a very secure one.
PRIVACY
After security comes privacy, at least that's how I rank them because I believe that an unsecured connection can never be private, therefore security should be considered first.
Even though security is first on the rankings of what I desire in a VPN, it doesn't make privacy any less important as both are always as important to me as the other, so let's take a look at how ExpressVPN privatizes your connection.
1. No Logging Policy: ExpressVPN said here on their website that they do not keep logs of your sensitive data or information while you make use of their services.
This means that they do not store your browsing history, metadata, DNS queries, your IP, or even the virtual IP that was provided to you when you used the VPN.
We've heard stories of companies allowing access to their customers' data unintentionally to hackers or even intentionally selling them to different agencies. It's a good thing to know that this won't be the case with ExpressVPN as they literally can't sell what they don't have.
2. Anonymous IP: This should be self-explanatory because of the word "Anonymous" which already gives it away. By providing you an anonymous IP each time you connect to an ExpressVPN server it ensures that your connection cannot be traced via the IP you logged into a website with.
SERVERS
The number of servers a VPN has will always be one of the most vital things a consumer takes into consideration when choosing a VPN. No one wants a VPN with only a dozen servers or fewer as that may not be enough to satisfy the consumer's needs.
Luckily, ExpressVPN still hasn't done badly in this aspect. With over 3000 servers and 94 countries to choose from, ExpressVPN comes out on top as one of the VPN services with the most servers.
SPEED
The speed of a VPN is just as important as the other selection factors I talked about. A VPN is useless if it's unable to provide the speed needed to complete a task in time, this is why it is always important to take speed into consideration when choosing a VPN.
Interestingly, this happens to be what ExpressVPN is well known for. It is in fact considered the fastest VPN out there, this can also be seen from the speed results on TheBestVPN review I linked earlier.
TORRENTING
Torrenting is one of the many reasons that people use VPN services, unfortunately not every VPN service allows this. Paying for a VPN service and finding out that you're not allowed to use probably the most important thing that made you pay for the service in the first place can really be a pain in the ass.
However, if you're opting for ExpressVPN then you've got nothing to worry about if torrenting is one of the reasons you want the service.
ExpressVPN allows its customers to use their VPN service for torrenting and file sharing, even though they do not seem to be a fan of it.
VERSATILITY
When I speak of 'versatility' I'm simply referring to the various options available to the user with which he/she can make use of the VPN service.
Most VPN services can be utilized only via their desktop software or via a browser extension, some of those too do not support Android or iOS.
ExpressVPN does a very good job here as it has made a lot of options available to the user. With ExpressVPN you can make use of their service on different platforms and operating systems, you can also use their service via browser extensions.
The various methods you can make use of ExpressVPN include:
I would advise you to start with the 1-month plan to try out their service and decide if it suits your needs, then upgrade to the 12-month plan, later on, to save costs or get your money back within 30 days if you're dissatisfied.
Note that this article is not sponsored by ExpressVPN or any other company, which means that everything written here is only my honest opinion. ExpressVPN did send me a free premium subscription for me to try out their service, but that has in no way affected this review.
Firstly, I'll like to mention that there are loads of VPNs out there, which makes it harder for a consumer to pick any of them. In my case, it only took me a few sections of searching around the internet and testing different VPN services to finally settle on this one.
When choosing a VPN, there are features the consumer would want the VPN service to have, and needs that the consumer would want the VPN to take care of. Below I have taken a look at some of those features and needs, and how ExpressVPN takes care of them, or not.
What Consumers Look for in a VPN - Has ExpressVPN got it?
SECURITY
Believe it or not, the first and most important thing any consumer looks for in a VPN is security. The main reason people use a VPN is to be secured online, and by this, I speak not only of being secured from their network provider, the government but also from hackers.
When a VPN is not secured it kills the whole purpose of using it at all. This is why ExpressVPN has taken security very seriously, or so they say.
How has ExpressVPN proven that its services are secured? This is a question that would be asked by at least 80% of people who would come across this article, the answer is not far-fetched either.
1. Strong 256-bit AES Encryption: The average consumer may not understand how this works or how strong it may be. TheBestVPN in their review described this level of encryption as "Super-strong", we're also made to understand that this is the same encryption standard that is used by the CIA or FBI to protect the transmission of sensitive data.
I believe that should give you a little insight into how secure the 256-bit encryption used by ExpressVPN truly is.
2. OpenVPN Tunneling: This is mainly a method of connecting to a VPN server that provides not only a fast connection but a very secure one.
PRIVACY
After security comes privacy, at least that's how I rank them because I believe that an unsecured connection can never be private, therefore security should be considered first.
Even though security is first on the rankings of what I desire in a VPN, it doesn't make privacy any less important as both are always as important to me as the other, so let's take a look at how ExpressVPN privatizes your connection.
1. No Logging Policy: ExpressVPN said here on their website that they do not keep logs of your sensitive data or information while you make use of their services.
This means that they do not store your browsing history, metadata, DNS queries, your IP, or even the virtual IP that was provided to you when you used the VPN.
We've heard stories of companies allowing access to their customers' data unintentionally to hackers or even intentionally selling them to different agencies. It's a good thing to know that this won't be the case with ExpressVPN as they literally can't sell what they don't have.
2. Anonymous IP: This should be self-explanatory because of the word "Anonymous" which already gives it away. By providing you an anonymous IP each time you connect to an ExpressVPN server it ensures that your connection cannot be traced via the IP you logged into a website with.
SERVERS
The number of servers a VPN has will always be one of the most vital things a consumer takes into consideration when choosing a VPN. No one wants a VPN with only a dozen servers or fewer as that may not be enough to satisfy the consumer's needs.
Luckily, ExpressVPN still hasn't done badly in this aspect. With over 3000 servers and 94 countries to choose from, ExpressVPN comes out on top as one of the VPN services with the most servers.
SPEED
The speed of a VPN is just as important as the other selection factors I talked about. A VPN is useless if it's unable to provide the speed needed to complete a task in time, this is why it is always important to take speed into consideration when choosing a VPN.
Interestingly, this happens to be what ExpressVPN is well known for. It is in fact considered the fastest VPN out there, this can also be seen from the speed results on TheBestVPN review I linked earlier.
TORRENTING
Torrenting is one of the many reasons that people use VPN services, unfortunately not every VPN service allows this. Paying for a VPN service and finding out that you're not allowed to use probably the most important thing that made you pay for the service in the first place can really be a pain in the ass.
However, if you're opting for ExpressVPN then you've got nothing to worry about if torrenting is one of the reasons you want the service.
ExpressVPN allows its customers to use their VPN service for torrenting and file sharing, even though they do not seem to be a fan of it.
VERSATILITY
When I speak of 'versatility' I'm simply referring to the various options available to the user with which he/she can make use of the VPN service.
Most VPN services can be utilized only via their desktop software or via a browser extension, some of those too do not support Android or iOS.
ExpressVPN does a very good job here as it has made a lot of options available to the user. With ExpressVPN you can make use of their service on different platforms and operating systems, you can also use their service via browser extensions.
The various methods you can make use of ExpressVPN include:
- Windows Software
- VPN Software on Mac OS
- Linux
- VPN app on Android (Smartphones and Tablets)
- VPN app on iOS
- Chrome and Firefox extensions (This requires the desktop software to be installed)
- Dedicated VPN Router app
CUSTOMER SERVICE
This is very important in case you run into any problems with the service you purchased.
Though I didn't have any reason to contact ExpressVPN's customer service during the 3-month period I used their service, testimonies from other customers confirm that their customer service is good enough and highly dependable.
Though I didn't have any reason to contact ExpressVPN's customer service during the 3-month period I used their service, testimonies from other customers confirm that their customer service is good enough and highly dependable.
When searching for a VPN you should aim for one with 24/7 customer support, that way you would be sure to always have your issues resolved as soon as your mail reaches their desk. Luckily, this type of reliable customer support service is what ExpressVPN offers.
PRICING
It is not unusual for consumers to prefer one VPN over the other simply because it is cheaper, this is because we all want the best service we can get for our buck, in other words, we all want the best value.
The price of the service (be it a VPN or some other type of service) goes a long way to deciding if it's really worth going for. If you think $8.32 monthly for a 12-month plan ($99.95 per year) is fair enough for a VPN service that does all I talked about above very well, then ExpressVPN is your best bet.
Left to me, I'd say ExpressVPN is very much on the expensive side in pricing, especially when compared to other VPN services with similar or even identical features.
At $12.95 for the 1-month plan, $9.99 monthly for the 6-month plan, and $8.32 monthly for the 12-month plan, I would definitely not include it in my list of cheap VPN services.
At $12.95 for the 1-month plan, $9.99 monthly for the 6-month plan, and $8.32 monthly for the 12-month plan, I would definitely not include it in my list of cheap VPN services.
Pros and Cons of ExpressVPN Service
PROS
- Highly secured with strong 256-bit AES encryption
- Privacy assured service
- One of the fastest VPN services out there
- Can be used for torrenting
- Unblocks Netflix USA
- Has loads of servers and locations to choose from
- Available on almost all platforms
- Excellent customer service
CONS
- Only 3 connections can be made at a time
- On the expensive side for the average user
- Only one means of payment (Paypal)
- The browser extensions aren't standalone as they require the desktop software to be installed in order to work.
Verdict
From all that I've said in this review, the only deal-breaking factor of ExpressVPN is its expensive cost for the average month-to-month user. Every other feature is spot on as expected, which makes me think that the high cost of service can be overlooked since the VPN does everything right.
Should you go for this VPN? It's a YES for me.
I would advise you to start with the 1-month plan to try out their service and decide if it suits your needs, then upgrade to the 12-month plan, later on, to save costs or get your money back within 30 days if you're dissatisfied.
Interested? Visit ExpressVPN.com now to make your payment and start enjoying their awesome service.
If you've used ExpressVPN and would like to drop a review, please do that in the comment section and I would be very glad you did.
I would also be glad to hear about a better alternative from you via the comments if you think there's any (I do think there is).
I would also be glad to hear about a better alternative from you via the comments if you think there's any (I do think there is).
Experss and Ivacy are amazing. If you have their extensions on your browser, you don't even have to worry about going through the loading times. They fast af.
ReplyDeletePeople have been skeptical to use Express VPN after it acquisition by Kape. I personally use Ivacy's USA VPN and Canada VPN to stay safe and anonymous. Be it for working or for streaming content blocked in my region.
ReplyDelete