Like
- Unmatched transparency
- Top-notch security with no leaks detected
- One of the fastest VPNs
- Excellent for streaming
Don’t like
- Expensive
- Only five simultaneous connections
- Owned by Kape Technologies
If you need a top-of-the-line VPN that’s committed to transparency and user privacy, or even if you’re a casual user who simply wants a VPN that’s fast and excellent for streaming, ExpressVPN should be at the top of your list. You’ll pay more than you would for other virtual private networks, but ExpressVPN continues to exceed the competition for users who want the most out of their VPN.
ExpressVPN is our Editors’ Choice best overall VPN for a reason. Even following the intense outside scrutiny, the company was subject to following the 2021 acquisition by Kape Technologies and a DOJ investigation of the company’s CIO (related to his work with an earlier employer), ExpressVPN continues to prove that it takes privacy seriously and that it’s worthy of its best VPN designation. Its total of 12 independent security audits in 2022 alone sets ExpressVPN apart from its competitors and is a testament to its ever-increasing transparency efforts. And its TrustedServer technology helps cement its place as a VPN provider that has what it takes to protect users with critical privacy needs like journalists, dissidents, activists, doctors and lawyers.
I evaluated ExpressVPN through the lens of speed, cost and privacy. My evaluation of ExpressVPN’s speeds included 500 hands-on speed tests across protocols and VPN server locations, from multiple testing locations. I evaluated ExpressVPN’s privacy policy, along with its audit reports and tested for leaks and the performance of its kill switch feature. My evaluation of ExpressVPN’s cost/value included examining its overall feature set and testing its apps across platforms while assessing the provider’s capabilities for streaming. I also tested Aircove — ExpressVPN’s new Wi-Fi 6 VPN router — to see how it worked with the various devices I connected to it at home.
The result? The service is one of the fastest VPNs I’ve tested, is incredibly easy to use (even for beginners) and privacy features work flawlessly. Even though it’s on the expensive side, ExpressVPN has proven once again that it’s the best of the best.
