Expressvpn review: full test of the VPN supplier

Whatever server we connected, the flows have always remained close to 200 Mb/s in download. The slightly more distant servers, on the other hand, have more harm with in particular a ping rise exceeding 200, or even 300 ms in the majority of cases.

Expressvpn: a very serious but a little expensive VPN

It has now been more than 14 years since ExpressVPN has existed and it is now part of this caste of private virtual network services that have taken comfort in a market that has become ultra-competitive. Over time, its performance has improved largely and its interface has rebuilt a beauty to better suit the standards of current simplifications. Here is our opinion on VPN.

Expressvpn characteristics

�� Currentoff	€ 6.26 /month
�� Refund	Yes, within 30 days
���� Number of servers/ locality	Not mentioned
�� Applications	PC/ Mac/ Linux/ Android/ iOS/ Android TV/ Firetv/ Routeurs
��‍��‍��‍�� Number of simultaneous connection	5
�� Access to Netflix US	Yes
⏬⏫ P2P mode	No
�� Data storage	Read the part ‘Privacy Policy “

Expressvpn ?

Expressvpn is one of the oldest services in our comparator. Its creation dates back to 2009 under the leadership of two American entrepreneurs. For more than 10 years, the VPN was very successful because of its performance and its ease of use. He also makes it a point of honor to respect the privacy of his users via a strict confidentiality policy and regularly calling on audit firms specializing in computer security to test his ambitions.

Its best advertising (and undoubtedly the most controversial) comes in December 2017 just after the assassination of a high Russian official in Turkey. The latter led to the entry of a brand server used to delete Gmail and Facebook accounts. Of the latter, no information (logs, historical, connections, etc.) could not be recovered, proof of the effectiveness of the VPN in terms of user data security. A free communication operation, but to say the least effective. To complete the table, ExpressVPN is based in the British virgin islands, which gives it (in addition to a drastic tax reduction) a non-compliance with the data conservation of its users, wanted by international treaties.

This reputation may however be undermined via the buyout of ExpressVPN by Kape Technologies in 2021. An acquisition that is controversial, because the company is a specialist in the publishing of advertising software, a sector that Combat ExpressVPN since its inception. Today, ExpressVPN is counting on 3 million users around the world and has announced that there would remain a separate service of KAPE activities.

Expressvpn interface and handling

The design of the ExpressVPN application has been visibly thought out to be the simplest and most ergonomic possible. Disgraphous point of windows or filling with checking options, it goes straight to the basics with a reception window that allows you to connect to a remote server in one click.

Everything is translated into impeccable French, which is a significant contribution, even today, compared to many competitors. We would still have liked the contribution of a dark mode or even a card for the choice of the server. This aesthetic choice brings the same interface on PC and on mobile, thus creating global consistency in the application ecosystem of VPN when you are used to using your VPN on several devices at the same time.

The application also includes some very practical accessory options, such as the possibility of checking your IP address to ensure that you are well located in a country different from its connection, or DNS or webrtc leak tests. These are however accessible in the tab ” Help and support “, Which is a bit disturbing.

The application also offers the direct installation of Chrome and Firefox extensions, the latter to secure your browser session without overlooking the overall connection of your computer. Only mobile exclusivity, the password generator is very practical, although we would have liked something more ambitious, such as a Dashlane type aggregator or 1Password.

Too bad finally that certain advanced options, such as the possibility of having a fixed IP address or using a double VPN do not exist. We still note the presence of more classic options for a VPN, such as the Split Tunneling, the discovery of peripherals in a local network or the equivalent of a Kill Switch To cut the connection in the event of dysfunction.

Expressvpn servers and performance

In 2023, ExpressVPN offers more than 3000 servers in 160 locations distributed in 94 countries. From Bangladesh to the United States via Algeria, there is much. Some countries also benefit from several servers. This is the case of the United States, for example, where you can find a dozen different locations allowing you to connect both to the East Coast and the West Coast.

Unlike its competitors, ExpressVPN does not offer ” Specialized servers »In a certain type of domain. This is actually a promise of ExpressVPN: whatever the server you are connecting to and no matter what use you want to make of it, this overall meets performance requirements. Whether for download (live or in peer to peer), to access the American catalog of Netflix or simply protect its connection, we have never encountered any problem or DNS leakage via the set of servers tested.

Promise held therefore since in general, the expressvpn servers display very good flow rates, often superior to what we find in many other VPNs. Here are some flow tests that we have carried out on a PC with a Parisian wired fiber connection and via the NPERF platform.

Download (MB/S)	Upload (MB/S)	Ping
Vpn	853	671	2
French server (car)	828	590	4
French server (Strasbourg)	584	244	17
US server (New York)	273	246	79
US server (San Francisco)	134	51	151
Japanese server (Tokyo)	90	69	367
Hong Kong server	53	15	237
South African server	19	0.60	174
Finnish server	311	32	46

The tests were carried out with an automatic allocation of protocol

Whatever server we connected, the flows have always remained close to 200 Mb/s in download. The slightly more distant servers, on the other hand, have more harm with in particular a ping rise exceeding 200, or even 300 ms in the majority of cases.

These good performances are undoubtedly highlighted by the contribution of the Lightway protocol. It is a house network protocol developed by ExpressVPN based on performance, reliability and flexibility. A way for the service to put aside openvpn, the universal protocol used by many VPNs, but whose seniority and complexity are no longer suitable for current standards.

Expressvpn’s privacy policy

Like most VPNs (in any case paid), ExpressVPN claims total confidentiality concerning sensitive information from its users. This goes through the logs during its use, historicals and even the horoditing of its users’ sessions. For once, even if it is a habit in most VPNs, the communication of the service has always been honest on this.

ExpressVPN has already proven its good faith in the past via the certification of its privacy policy by the independent audit company Price Waterhouse Coopers. Later, it was Cure53, another independent security audit company, which was responsible for validating the protocols used. ExpressVPN is also a member of the TRUST Initiative VPN, a consumer online security defense group and, until then, the service has not been the subject of any leaks or hacking of data.

Formerly independent, ExpressVPN was bought in 2021 for $ 936 million by Kape Technology. Why is it a problem in this case ? You should know that this company specializing in advertising software has been the subject of many controversies for years and its activities are against what the VPN has been promoting since its creation. It has already acquired many other companies specializing in cybersecurity and in particular VPN as private internet access, Zenmate or … Cyberghost VPN. If ExpressVPN claims its independence from its new parent company, doubt is already allowed as to the future of the service of service of the service. To be continued.

Expressvpn customer service

This is a point on which Expressvpn is very competent. Its customer service is responsive and you can quickly access an online advisor via the cat on the official website. In addition, it has recently had an automatic translation module allowing to converse with a connected agent without fear of being misunderstood.

We also appreciate the presence of many tutorials and guides in French accessible from the page of VPN support, sometimes very useful to avoid going through online chat.

The price of subscriptions in ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN is undoubtedly one of the most expensive VPN suppliers on the market. It offers three subscription formulas, the most popular of which is a one -year subscription, currently at 6.26 euros per month, or 93.76 euros per year. It is almost twice as expensive as the annual subscription at NordVPN or that of two years at Cyberghost.

As it stands, it is complicated to determine if it remains a good deal despite the qualities of the service. In all cases, the first 30 days can lead to a total reimbursement on request.

Expressvpn review: full test of the VPN supplier

In a world filled with VPN suppliers, it is not so easy to make the right choice. We did the ExpressVPN test to see if it is up to its reputation, built for over 10 years. Is it really efficient ? Is it really the fastest VPN supplier on the market ? Can you enjoy all its features ? Answers in our opinion on ExpressVPN.

Expressvpn ? How to install it ?

ExpressVPN is a VPN supplier based in the British Virgin Islands, which was born in 2009. With more than 10 years of experience, it is positioned today as the real reference on the market. Many users who present it as the best VPN on the market in 2023, especially in terms of speed and safety.

So we wanted to check all of this and evaluated its application on many criteria. Below in our opinion on ExpressVPN, you will discover its advantages and disadvantages, in all transparency. Does he deserve his leading position ? This is what we are going to study now.

His strengths :

• Excellent speed
• Ease of use
• Unlock SVOD platforms
• Customer support 24/7/365
• Large global coverage (94 countries)
• Many compatible devices
• TrustedServers technology
• Split Tunneling
• Works in all countries of the world

Its weaknesses:

• Only 5 connections at the same time
• Higher pricing than its competitors

How to install your application ?

The ExpressVPN application is compatible on many devices. You can not only install it on computer, tablet and mobile, but also on a router, a game console, or a smart TV or an Apple TV. Just download the file corresponding to your device from the supplier’s website.

The installation is very intuitive on Mac, Windows, iPhone, iPad or other Android mobiles and tablets and it is done in just a few (or minutes). In general, you will not even need to refer to the installation guide as the different steps are easy to follow.

And with regard to the configuration of the software on the least classic devices such as televisions and connected boxes or Wi-Fi routers, simplicity is also there. Even people who are less comfortable with computer science will install it in no time. But in case, ExpressVPN provides complete installation tutorials in video and text format in its help section. At this level, our opinion on ExpressVPN is therefore excellent.

How to use VPN ?

The great strength of the ExpressVPN application is its sleek side. Only essential information and commands are on the interface which makes it very easy to use. In summary, you will only have to choose a country in its list of locations and then click on the activation button in the middle to establish the connection. Expressvpn algorithm will be responsible for selecting the most suitable server according to their load and geographic location.

Then wait 2 to 5 seconds before everything goes green. Once it’s done, it’s good, you are connected and your IP is masked. From that moment, you can start navigating completely anonymously.

Speed ​​test

Once the VPN is installed on our computer, we wanted to test its speed in order to have a really complete opinion on ExpressVPN. A good connection rate is extremely important for daily navigation without incident, but also for streaming, downloading and sharing torrents in P2P.

Above all, it is very important to understand that any VPN will influence your speed, it is inevitable. And for good reason, this adds an additional step between you, and the site you want to visit since your traffic is redirected to a remote server. Who says more steps, also says a longer journey, and therefore an increase in response time.

Also, the speed of Expressvpn will greatly depend on your basic speed without VPN. There is nothing to compare the speed performance of a VPN if it is not made on the same basic connection. To carry out our speed test and to make an opinion on ExpressVPN, our basic connection was as follows:

Another essential information to fully understand our speed test, we were based in Dubai when performing the test. Consequently, the speeds displayed for connection in France and the United States will vary considerably (upward) if you are in France.

Here are the results we have obtained for France:

Unsurprisingly, there is a fairly strong increase in ping or latency time but speeds in download and upload remain very satisfactory. Remember that we are more than 5000 km from Paris. Our opinion on ExpressVPN and its connection speed is therefore very positive.

Since you may use your VPN to have an American IP address, we also wanted to test the speed when we connect to a server in the United States. There, geographic distance is even more important, and, obviously, it is felt on performance.

Here are the results of the speed test by reiterating the operation with a connection to a server across the Atlantic:

The response time increases even more, which is logical, and there is also a slight drop in the speed of Download (for download) and upload (in transfer). Nothing very worrying since reading an ultra HD video requires a speed of 25 Mb/s and 5mb/s for a HD video. You will therefore have no problem watching videos hosted in the United States.

Overall, in terms of speed, ExpressVPN is therefore doing very well and we can recommend it. So this is an in addition to our Expressvpn opinion. Now let’s go to a second part: streaming. Is it up to the task to unlock international bookstores ?

Expressvpn test for streaming

Indeed, we did not encounter any problem during our tests – foreign and national chains combined. The error message that can be seen appear due to geo-blocking disappears once the connection to ExpressVPN has been established and the updated page.

In addition to TV programs, we also looked at what it was with streaming services. Many users use these tools to unlock platforms not available in their geographic area.

Security and Privacy Policy

A VPN is used above all to protect themselves and prevent anyone from entering our confidential information. For this, ExpressVPN will encrypt all your data on the Internet using the latest algorithm AES (Advanced Encryption Standard) of 256 bits. Also, its VPN server will assign you a new IP address as soon as you log into. As part of this ExpressVPN 2023 notice, we combed security and the supplier’s privacy policy in fine.

Security

In order for a VPN supplier to protect you effectively, it is above all necessary that the latter crypt correctly your data. For this, ExpressVPN provides you with a wide range of VPN protocols like Lightway, Openvpn (UDP and TCP) IKEV2 or L2TP-IPSEC.

The choice of protocol depends on the balance/safety balance you are looking for. Very often, the best compromise will be openvpn, but, in some cases, you may have to choose another.

However, we advise you to check the “automatic” option which will immediately find the protocol most suitable for your network and your country. It is ideal for beginners who want maximum security without entering the technical aspect. By default, this interface is not visible when you open the ExpressVPN window, you will have to go to the application settings.

Once the VPN is activated, we made sure that no leakage of IP and DNS occurred. It is extremely important to check this in order to avoid any unpleasant surprises. To analyze the efficiency of ExpressVPN, we used the site https: // ipleak.net/. The latter informs us in particular the IP address, the location, as well as the DNS used or the webrtc leaks.

You can see on the image above that Expressvpn has effectively hidden our IP address, locating us in New York State. Also, DNS have the IP of the VPN server and not yours, which proves that no DNS escape is detected (very dangerous for your anonymity). Finally, there is no webrtc leakage. This is essential to ensure that your browser will not disclose your IP address to the websites visited.

Expressvpn security is all the better since the supplier has its own DNS servers. Thus, any risk of leakage is considerably reduced. As a reliable VPN supplier, ExpressVPN obviously has the Kill Switch functionality that he calls Network Lock. It is the latter that will cut all exchanges with the Internet if your VPN protection were to abandon you for a few seconds.

Privacy policy

Let us continue this opinion on ExpressVPN with another essential point which is the Privacy Policy. Everything we have just seen on security is very good, but it would be completely useless if ExpressVPN was not impeccable on the management your data. We reassure you right away, the service provider does not need to manage them since he simply does not collect them.

To confirm this, the supplier made an external audit of his servers by KPMG. This audit confirmed that the Expressvpn claims were legitimate. No information on you (your original IP address for example) and your navigation with the VPN (consulted sites, DNS requests, the destination of your traffic …) is registered.

Recall that the location of a VPN company is extremely important. Indeed, some countries are forced to keep the logs (connection logs). Others, like the British virgin islands, have no law on data conservation. Also, they do not belong to a coalition like the 5, 9 or 14 Eyes. It is not for nothing that the Expressvpn headquarters are there. Thanks to its strict no-log policy, your data is really safe with ExpressVPN and this may constitute the most important point of this opinion.

We will note all the same that very rare information relating to your account is kept. This is the case of the email address entered when registering for the service or the means of payment, for example. This allows you to keep you informed by sending you emails but also to manage invoicing and, possibly, make a refund. In any case, these data will not threaten your confidentiality since they have no connection with your online activities.

The bypass of censorship works ?

If you are used to traveling or going on business trip abroad, you certainly know that one of the uses of VPN is to get around censorship. What about ExpressVPN ? Does he effectively bypass it in the most censored countries ?

As we told you at the time of expressvpn speed tests, we were located in Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates. This country is one of the few countries in the world that block VPNS. Obviously, we were able to use our VPN without incident, which proves that it works perfectly in this country.

Also, many users we have contacted have confirmed that it worked very well in other countries in the Middle East, but also in China or Russia. Expressvpn servers are very powerful and they are constantly updated to be able to thwart the blockages.

Our opinion on ExpressVPN can therefore only be very good in terms of censorship bypass. All you have to do is click to find freedom on the Internet and not be deprived of your usual sites and applications.

Gaming: Is ExpressVPN a good solution to play online ?

More and more people are asking us if it is possible to use this VPN in order to play online. We have therefore decided to devote a section of our opinion on this subject.

First of all, it is good to note that ExpressVPN can be used both on a computer, as a PS5, an X / S Xbox Series, or a Nintendo Switch. Suffice to say that regardless of your favorite console, you will have to find your account.

But why activate VPN protection when playing online ? There are several reasons that can push you to do such a thing. This can be to avoid DDOS attacks, improve your anonymity online, or even access geo-restaurant servers.

With ExpressVPN by your side, you will make sure that your gaming experience will be of good quality. While protecting you and allowing you to change IP and location address, it will give you the opportunity to enjoy good performance. Our tests allowed us to see that the ping remained relatively low, enough to play without worries at FPS for example.

Same observation for flow rates that are not too impacted, especially if you can connect to a server close to your current location.

To sum up, ExpressVPN is a very good choice for those looking for a VPN in order to play online video games.

Zoom on the network of countries and servers

The quality of the network is essential in your choice of a VPN. It is necessary both that many countries are available, but also that there are many servers in countries. Indeed, if you have 100 countries available, but only 1 server per country, you may be sure that performance will not be up to. The servers will be constantly overloaded and that will affect your flow which will be very slowed down.

Users generally have a positive opinion on ExpressVPN because it offers one of the best networks on the market. And for good reason, it has more than 3,000 servers distributed in 94 countries. In other words, you will always find your happiness. It is a good way to connect in as many countries in the world as possible.

Among the covered countries, we can notably cite France, Switzerland, Germany, the United States, Australia, the United Kingdom, South Africa, and many more ! It will really be necessary to do an in -depth research to find a country which is not covered by ExpressVPN.

During our ExpressVPN test, this large infrastructure resulted in very good performance in terms of speed, as you saw above in this opinion. It will also be added that supplier servers are of very good quality. Admittedly, they do not have as much as NordVPN or Cyberghost, but, following our many tests, we really think that they offer better performance. On this subject, do not be impressed by a huge number of servers. The quantity is not everything and the quality is just as important.

What is the customer assistance of ExpressVPN ?

Who says online service automatically says customer support. How to join that of ExpressVPN ? Is it reactive ? We have tested all of this for you to reassure you before you are purchasing.

If you need help, three options are available to you at ExpressVPN:

• FAQ (find a solution)
• Instant messaging
• User manuals (very detailed guides)

The option we prefer is online cat use which is accessible from the official ExpressVPN website. During our test, we were impressed by their responsiveness. We contacted them twice and never waited more than 30 seconds before we have a response.

Advisers can be reached 7 days a week and 24 hours a day from instant messaging, which leaves you the opportunity to contact them at any time and without any limit. So do not hesitate to send them a message if you have any questions.

Offers and prices

We come to the point on which ExpressVPN is often criticized: its price. It is true that it is not the cheapest VPN on the market, but we believe that its pricing is completely justified.

And for good reason, if we compare it to its competitors who sometimes cost less than € 3 per month, you have to engage on 2 or 3 years to reach such a monthly cost. With ExpressVPN, you will not have a longer subscription than its 12 -month offer.

In this case, three offers are offered in 2023:

• 1 month at $ 12.95
• 6 months at $ 59.95 ($ 9.99 / month)
• 12 months + 3 free months at $ 99.95 ($ 6.67 / month)

The long -term offer is therefore very clearly the most interesting since it allows you to benefit from 49% reduction and 3 free months ! The only “constraint” is that the bill will have to be paid at once and not via monthly direct debits.

It will also be added that ExpressVPN has a satisfied or reimbursed guarantee of 30 days. No justification is to be given if you want to get your refund. You just have to contact the assistance to obtain full refund of your purchase. Difficult to have a negative opinion on ExpressVPN when you know this. Either you are convinced or you get your reimbursement 100% !

In terms of payment methods, you will also not lack choice. The solutions are as follows:

• Payment cards (Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover, etc.)
• Paypal
• Bitcoin
• Webmoney
• Giropay
• Unionpay
• ideal

Regardless of the payment method chosen, you can always take advantage of the 30 days satisfied or reimbursed without condition.

Bonus information

We soon arrive at the end of this article. That said, there are still certain points that we still want to cover. These additional information could help you refine your opinion on ExpressVPN.

The number of connections in parallel

With an expressvpn subscription, you can use the application on 5 simultaneous devices. This means that you can use it at the same time on a computer, a tablet, and 3 phones for example. However, you can install it on an unlimited number of devices. On the other hand, only 5 can be activated at the same time. This is good news since today we all have several computer equipment.

Note that you can increase the number of simultaneous connections if 5 are not enough for you by configuring the VPN directly on your Wi-Fi router. Thus, all connected devices will benefit from the protection.

The Split Tunneling

Another interesting feature that we liked during our ExpressVPN test was the Split Tunneling. The latter allows you to manually select applications that require a VPN connection or not.

For example, if you are watching youtube videos on Google Chrome and at the same time, you do P2P on Utorrent, you can activate the VPN only on Utorrent and let your browser run without VPN. Thus, you will best optimize speed and considerably improve your user experience. You can do the same with your email application if you believe it does not need VPN protection.

TrustedServer technology

Since 2019, ExpressVPN has implemented the new TrustedSserver technology on its entire infrastructure. The principle is simple: servers only operate on RAM so that no trace of user data is kept. As soon as the server restarts, everything has disappeared. This stands out considerably from its competitors whose servers operate on hard drive.

This is an additional safety layer, showing, once again, that ExpressVPN is at the cutting edge of safety material technology.

Browser extensions (Chrome and Firefox)

Last point before our Final ExpressVPN opinion: extensions on your browsers. If you do not want to bother with the configuration of the split tunneling, you can take advantage of the excellent ExpressVPN extensions for Chrome and Firefox. The installation is done in one click and you will then have the ExpressVPN icon at the top right of your screen on the browser.

We particularly appreciated this feature during our ExpressVPN test since it very easily activates and deactivate VPN only on the browser. The extension complements the office application since it allows, in particular, to protect you even more effectively against webrtc leaks.

Conclusion: our opinion on ExpressVPN

Following this complete review on ExpressVPN and the tests of many criteria, we can therefore confirm that this is probably the best supplier in 2023. Apart from its pricing slightly higher than the average and its number of limited simultaneous connections, we have nothing to criticize it.

Its performance is up to its reputation and the user experience was neat from A to Z to offer a simple and efficient service. We can only advise you to test it now and take advantage of its satisfied or reimbursed period in order to obtain your refund if it does not suit you.

To take advantage of its reduction of 49% reduction and get 3 free months, remember to take the subscription 12 months. To find out more, we invite you to go directly to the site of the technology publisher here:

And you, what is your ExpressVPN opinion ?

Frequently asked questions

In order to make this expressvpn analysis as complete as possible, we will still take the time to answer a few questions asked by our readers. If you ever have any other questions, do not hesitate to let us know so that we can answer it in this opinion.

Expressvpn uses virtual locations ?

Yes, in order to offer IP addresses in some countries, ExpressVPN uses virtual servers locations. This is worth in particular for countries like India, Indonesia, or Egypt. You can find the full list on its website.

Why does ExpressVPN use it ? After a few exchanges with customer support, we were able to learn that the company uses virtual server locations because it is not easy to find reliable and secure servers in all countries of the world. In order to ensure a high level of safety and performance for its customers, ExpressVPN therefore uses virtual locations in countries where it is unable to find reliable and secure servers.

It is therefore a very good thing for service customers because it allows access to IPs in some countries that do not have powerful infrastructure for ExpressVPN standards.

Through the application, it is possible to quite easily distinguish virtual locations. Indeed, they include a mention “via *Nompays *”. To give you an example, if you want to connect to India, your traffic will be sent to a server in the United Kingdom and an Indian IP address will be allocated, so that your traffic seems to come from India (and not from the Kingdom -United).

ExpressVPN allows you to avoid the clamping of Internet flows by its FAI ?

It all depends on the nature of the clamping of your internet debit. If this one is linked to the activities that you perform through your Internet connection, then yes Expressvpn will be able to help you.

Indeed, the VPN will encrypt your internet traffic and make it illegible by your Internet access provider. As your ISP cannot see what you are doing (streaming, P2P, etc.), it will no longer be able to restrict your flow.

As a reminder, the clamping of flows according to the activities carried out online is common. The objective for ISPs is to ensure a correct level of service for all its customers, even in times of high demand.

Is it possible to try ExpressVPN for free ?

Expressvpn offers a free 7 -day trial if you install its application on iOS or Android. Now if you want to test it free of charge for longer, you can also turn to its satisfied or reimbursed guarantee of 30 days. Although a subscription should be paid at first, this guarantee will allow you to try ExpressVPN longer, then request a full refund before the end of the 30 days.