ExpressVPN Review 2025

Overview

ExpressVPN has spent years trying to shed its 'expensive' reputation. In 2025, they introduced tiered pricing (Basic, Advanced, Pro), but the 'Advanced' tier is just their old standard plan renamed. Like CyberGhost, they're owned by Kape Technologies. You're paying for the engineering—specifically the Lightway protocol and TrustedServer architecture.

Our Full Review

ExpressVPN has spent the last few years trying to shed its reputation as the "expensive" option. In 2025, they finally broke their single-price model and introduced a tiered structure: Basic, Advanced, and Pro. While this makes the entry price look lower on a comparison table, the reality is that the "Advanced" tier is just their old standard plan with a new name.

Like CyberGhost, ExpressVPN is owned by Kape Technologies. This acquisition in 2021 was a massive shift for the industry. Kape now controls a huge percentage of the consumer VPN market. If you have an issue with the parent company's history in ad-tech, that doesn't change here. However, ExpressVPN still operates with its own technical stack, and they've been aggressive about independent audits—over 18 of them so far—to prove their "TrustedServer" architecture actually wipes data.

Now the details.

The Lightway gamble

Instead of just using WireGuard like everyone else, ExpressVPN built their own protocol called Lightway. They open-sourced it, which was a smart move for transparency.

In my experience, Lightway is why people stay with Express. It connects almost instantly. While WireGuard is fast, Lightway feels more stable when you are switching from Wi-Fi to 4G or walking in and out of elevators. They recently introduced "Lightway Turbo," which uses multi-lane tunneling. It's a fancy way of saying it handles data congestion better. On a 1Gbps line, I've seen it hit 300-400 Mbps consistently. It isn't the absolute fastest on the market anymore, but it is the most reliable.

TrustedServer: Hardware-level privacy

They don't use hard drives. Every server in their network runs on RAM only. This is "TrustedServer" technology.

The benefit is simple: if someone seizes a server and pulls the plug, there is zero data to recover. The OS is reinstalled from a read-only image every time it boots. This isn't just a marketing claim; it has been audited by firms like PwC and Cure53. For a business owner, this is the kind of "set it and forget it" security that justifies a higher price. It removes the risk of a server being "poisoned" by a persistent backdoor.

Streaming and the 105-country footprint

ExpressVPN still leads in geographic diversity. They have servers in 105 countries. This includes locations like Kenya, Bahamas, and Sri Lanka that most providers ignore.

If you are trying to unblock a specific local sports broadcast or a niche Netflix library, this is your best bet. They don't have "streaming servers" labeled like CyberGhost does. Every server is meant to work. In 2026, they are still the most consistent at unblocking Netflix, Disney+, and BBC iPlayer. You rarely have to play the "try three different servers" game here.

The Pricing Trap

The new "Basic" plan starts at around $2.79 if you commit to two years. It sounds cheap until you realize it limits you to 10 devices and strips out the password manager and identity protection features.

The "Pro" plan is where they put the Dedicated IP and 14-device limit, but you'll pay nearly $6 a month for that. Also, keep an eye on the renewals. The "first two years" price is a bait-and-switch. It often jumps to $99 annually after the initial period. If you aren't tracking your subscriptions, this is an expensive surprise.

Known Annoyances

No Port Forwarding: If you are a heavy torrenter who needs to seed or if you run specific home server setups, the lack of port forwarding is a dealbreaker.

MacOS Split Tunneling: Apple made this hard for everyone. ExpressVPN is one of the few that still offers it on Mac, but it can be finicky depending on your specific macOS version.

The CIO Controversy: In 2021, it came out that their CIO was involved in a UAE hacking project years ago. He is still there. If your threat model involves state-level actors, this is a valid reason to pause.

The Verdict

ExpressVPN makes sense if you want:

• The highest "it just works" factor
• A custom, high-speed protocol (Lightway)
• A massive 105-country server list
• Reliable tunnel that won't drop when switching networks

You should skip it if you:

• Are budget hunting
• Need port forwarding for torrenting or home servers
• Have concerns about the CIO controversy or Kape ownership
• Just want to hide your IP while browsing Reddit