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ExpressVPN Review
The fastest VPN on the market — Lightway protocol, 105 countries, BVI jurisdiction
Last reviewed: 2026-03-21 · By GBBR Editorial Team
Our Top Pick · Silver Tier
ExpressVPN
From $2.44/mo
The Bottom Line
ExpressVPN consistently tops independent speed tests and was the first major VPN provider to deploy a custom protocol (Lightway) engineered specifically for speed and reliability. It operates out of the British Virgin Islands — a strong privacy jurisdiction — and has undergone audits by KPMG and Cure53. Its current 28-month deal at $2.44/month ($68.40 total) makes it genuinely competitive on pricing. It earned a Silver tier rating because while its speeds and protocol engineering are best-in-class, it offers fewer simultaneous connections than Surfshark and has slightly fewer audits than NordVPN. For users who prioritize absolute maximum speed, ExpressVPN is the choice.
What is ExpressVPN?
ExpressVPN was founded in 2009 and is headquartered in the British Virgin Islands. Acquired by Kape Technologies in 2021 for $936 million, it has maintained its technical independence and privacy commitments since the acquisition. ExpressVPN's core engineering team is behind Lightway — a proprietary protocol built on wolfSSL that outperforms both OpenVPN and WireGuard in connection establishment time and reconnection speed. Over 4 million users in 180+ countries use ExpressVPN.
What does ExpressVPN offer?
ExpressVPN's current 28-month deal runs $2.44/month ($68.40 billed upfront) — competitive with NordVPN's 2-year plan and cheaper in total. The monthly plan is $12.95/month. All plans include access to 3,000+ RAM-only servers in 105 countries, the Lightway protocol, split tunneling, kill switch, 8 simultaneous device connections, and a 30-day money-back guarantee. All ExpressVPN servers run on RAM only (TrustedServer technology) — no hard drives means no persistent data even if a server is seized.
28-Month Deal
$2.44
/month
Monthly
$12.95
/month
Is ExpressVPN worth the price?
$2.44/month (28-month deal) — competitive pricing with the fastest speeds in the category
ExpressVPN's 28-month deal ($68.40 total) is actually cheaper than NordVPN's 24-month plan ($81.36) while delivering the fastest speeds — makes the price-vs-speed trade-off much more favorable than it once was
Strong valueHow we scored it
Overall score: 86/100
Lightway protocol achieves the fastest connection establishment and reconnection speeds of any VPN tested — 90%+ speed retention in independent tests
Audited by KPMG and Cure53; BVI jurisdiction provides strong legal privacy protection
3,000+ servers in 105 countries — excellent global coverage but smaller network than NordVPN or CyberGhost
The most consistently polished VPN interface across all platforms — minimal learning curve, excellent on routers and smart TVs
$2.44/month on the 28-month deal ($68.40 total) is competitive — cheaper in total than NordVPN's 24-month plan at this writing
8 simultaneous connections — adequate for individuals, limiting for families with many devices
Why ExpressVPN is Silver Tier
ExpressVPN earns Silver because its speed, protocol engineering, and ease of use are genuinely excellent — and the 28-month deal has closed the pricing gap with NordVPN significantly. It falls short of Gold because its server count (3,000) is lower than NordVPN (8,000) and CyberGhost (11,000+), it has fewer independent audits (2 vs NordVPN's 5), and offers 8 simultaneous connections vs NordVPN's 10. For speed-obsessed users, it's the category leader.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- ✓Fastest VPN speeds via proprietary Lightway protocol
- ✓100% RAM-only server infrastructure (TrustedServer) — no persistent data
- ✓Works in restricted countries (China, UAE, etc.)
- ✓Best-in-class interface across all platforms
- ✓28-month deal at $2.44/mo makes pricing competitive
Cons
- ✗Only 8 simultaneous connections vs NordVPN's 10
- ✗Smaller server network than NordVPN (3,000 vs 8,000+) or CyberGhost (11,000+)
- ✗Fewer independent audits than NordVPN (2 vs 5)
- ✗Acquired by Kape Technologies (some user trust concerns)
Ready to try ExpressVPN? Plans start at $2.44/mo.
Get ExpressVPN — from $2.44/mo →ExpressVPN earns Silver because its speed, protocol engineering, and ease of use are genuinely excellent — and the 28-month deal has closed the pricing gap with NordVPN significantly. It falls short of Gold because its server count (3,000) is lower than NordVPN (8,000) and CyberGhost (11,000+), it has fewer independent audits (2 vs NordVPN's 5), and offers 8 simultaneous connections vs NordVPN's 10. For speed-obsessed users, it's the category leader.
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