ExpressVPN Review 2025: Premium Speed vs High Cost

The Bottom Line

ExpressVPN is legitimately the fastest VPN we've tested. Not by a small margin either - we're talking 10 to 15% faster than NordVPN and 20% faster than Surfshark on most connections. The Lightway protocol lives up to the hype.

But you're paying a premium for that speed. With their new tiered pricing system introduced in September 2025, the top-tier Pro plan costs $8.99 per month (annual plan) compared to Surfshark's $2.19. Even their Basic plan at $4.99/month is more than double Surfshark's cost. You need to decide if that performance boost matters for how you actually use a VPN.

Speed Performance: Where ExpressVPN Shines

We tested ExpressVPN from Kentucky over a month, running it constantly on multiple devices. The difference in connection times alone was noticeable. ExpressVPN's Lightway protocol connects in 2 to 3 seconds. NordVPN takes 5 to 6 seconds. Surfshark can take up to 8 seconds on distant servers.

We ran speed tests every morning at 9 AM when our connection is most stable. Our baseline is 500 Mbps down on Spectrum cable. Here's how ExpressVPN performed consistently:

These numbers look good on paper, but here's what they meant in real use. We streamed The Last of Us on HBO Max in 4K during peak evening hours without a single buffer. Video calls remained crystal clear all day with ExpressVPN active. Even gaming with ExpressVPN connected maintained ping under 45ms.

When we switched to Surfshark for comparison, we could immediately tell the difference. Pages loaded just a bit slower. Video took an extra second or two to start. Nothing terrible, but noticeably less snappy. For the extra cost, you're buying a premium experience that feels faster in daily use.

Lightway Protocol: The Tech That Makes It Fast

ExpressVPN's Lightway protocol is what sets it apart technically. Most VPNs use OpenVPN or WireGuard. ExpressVPN built their own protocol from scratch, and it shows.

The code base is tiny compared to OpenVPN - about 2,000 lines versus 70,000 lines. This matters because smaller code means fewer potential security holes and faster performance. It's also been independently audited by Cure53, so we know it's not just fast but also secure.

In our testing, Lightway connected 3 times faster than OpenVPN on average. Battery life on laptops also improved by about an hour compared to OpenVPN-based competitors. On mobile, the difference was even more dramatic - phones lasted noticeably longer with ExpressVPN running all day.

Streaming: It Just Works

We tested streaming extensively because that's what most people actually use VPNs for. ExpressVPN passed every test without breaking a sweat.

Netflix US worked on every single server we tried. Not just the major cities, but also smaller locations like Salt Lake City and Kansas City. We never saw a proxy error once in 30 days of daily testing. Disney+ and HBO Max were equally reliable.

The MediaStreamer feature deserves special mention. It's a Smart DNS service that lets you use ExpressVPN on devices that can't run VPN apps natively, like Apple TV, Roku, and gaming consoles. Setup took about 5 minutes by changing DNS settings, and then everything just worked.

Security Features: No Corners Cut

ExpressVPN uses AES-256 encryption, which is standard for good VPNs. What sets them apart is the TrustedServer technology. Every server runs entirely on RAM rather than having hard drives. This means when a server reboots, everything gets wiped. No data persists.

The no-logs policy has been audited multiple times by PwC and KPMG. These weren't paid puff pieces either. The auditors actually verified that ExpressVPN's server configuration matches their privacy claims. In 2017, Turkish authorities seized an ExpressVPN server and found nothing usable because the RAM-only setup meant no data was stored.

We tested the kill switch by disconnecting internet while connected to ExpressVPN. Network Lock (their kill switch) immediately blocked all traffic. When we reconnected, the VPN came back online without leaking our real IP. DNS leak tests also came back clean every time.

One minor concern: ExpressVPN is based in the British Virgin Islands, which isn't technically part of Five Eyes but has close ties to the UK. For most people this is fine because of the no-logs policy. But if you're extremely privacy-focused, you might prefer a provider in a more neutral jurisdiction like Panama.

New Pricing Structure: Three Tiers Available

ExpressVPN introduced a new tiered pricing system in September 2025, offering more options but still maintaining premium pricing across all plans:

To put this in perspective: Surfshark costs $2.19 per month for unlimited devices. NordVPN is around $3.09 per month for 10 devices. Even ExpressVPN's cheapest Basic plan at $4.99 is more than double the cost of both competitors.

What you're paying for across all tiers is speed, polish, and reliability. The apps are smooth and don't feel clunky. Connections happen fast. Customer support is genuinely responsive. But these are incremental improvements over much cheaper alternatives.

The 8-Device Limit Remains Unchanged

ExpressVPN still caps all plans at 8 simultaneous connections. For context, NordVPN allows 10, and Surfshark is unlimited. This became a real issue during our testing with multiple family devices.

The workaround is installing ExpressVPN on your router, which counts as one connection and protects everything on your network. But router setup is more technical than most people want to deal with. For families with lots of devices, Surfshark's unlimited connections make way more sense unless you specifically need ExpressVPN's premium speed.

Customer Support Actually Helps

We tested ExpressVPN's 24/7 live chat support three times during our testing. Each time, a human responded in under 30 seconds. Not a bot, an actual person who could troubleshoot technical issues.

When we had trouble getting split tunneling to work properly on Windows, the support agent walked us through checking network adapter settings and identified that Windows Defender was interfering. The whole conversation took maybe 10 minutes and actually solved the problem.

Compare this to some cheaper VPNs where you're stuck with slow email support or chatbots that can't handle anything beyond password resets. The quality of ExpressVPN's support is genuinely part of what you're paying for across all their plans.

Final Verdict: Premium Performance, Now With More Options

After a month of testing, here's our take: ExpressVPN delivers everything it promises across all pricing tiers. It's fast, reliable, works with streaming services, and the apps are polished. The support is genuinely helpful. But you're still paying a significant premium for incremental improvements over competitors like NordVPN and Surfshark.

ExpressVPN makes sense if:

• You work remotely over VPN all day and need consistent performance
• You stream 4K content regularly and don't want buffering
• You play online games and need low latency
• You travel frequently and need reliable connections worldwide
• You value premium support and polished apps
• Budget isn't your primary concern

Skip ExpressVPN if:

• You have more than 8 devices that need VPN protection
• You're on a tight budget and need to minimize costs
• You mainly use VPN for occasional browsing and light streaming
• You can sacrifice 10-15% speed for significant savings

The new tiered pricing structure offers more flexibility, with the Basic plan at $4.99/month being more accessible than their previous single-tier pricing. However, even this "budget" option costs more than double what you'd pay for comparable service from Surfshark or NordVPN.

For power users who need maximum performance and will use it daily, ExpressVPN's Pro plan at $8.99/month is worth the cost. The speed difference is real and noticeable in extended use. For casual users, even the Basic plan might be overkill when you can get 80-90% of the experience elsewhere for half the price.

ExpressVPN remains the VPN equivalent of buying a luxury car. It performs better, feels nicer, and costs significantly more. Whether that matters depends on what you're doing with it and how much you value that premium experience.