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2024-11-22 Latest Tests DNS leaks detected, 25% speed loss in 2024 tests Network 3,000 plus servers in 105
Latest Tests
DNS leaks detected, 25% speed loss in 2024 tests
Network
3,000 plus servers in 105 countries
Jurisdiction
British Virgin Islands
usability 10/10Value 9/10Speed 8/10Privacy 9/10Features 8/10
There are several big player in the virtual private network industry jostle for the top spot on CNET ’s list of the good vpn . It is ’s ’s an extremely close race , but expressvpn still maintain the No . 1 position — if only by a razor – thin margin ahead of Surfshark and nordvpn . practically speak , our top three VPNs is are are so close that the good choice for you really depend on what you value most : speed , cost or privacy and transparency .
If you’re looking for the best in terms of usability, along with a strong commitment to transparency and privacy — or if you just want to open up a world of streaming content with a VPN that’s a breeze to use across all platforms — then ExpressVPN should be your go-to service, scoring an industry-leading 8.8 out of 10 in CNET’s evaluation. The catch is that you’ll have to pony up quite a bit more than you would for its more budget-friendly competitors, including Surfshark and PIA. If the steep price isn’t a deterrent, you’ll experience how ExpressVPN is one of the best and most powerful VPNs on the planet.
I ran an extensive battery of tests on ExpressVPN to see how it stacks up in terms of factors like speed, privacy, usability, streaming and overall value. Along with the CNET Labs team, I ran more than 250 individual speed tests on multiple servers through various protocols and operating systems. I thoroughly tested ExpressVPN’s features on all platforms and operating systems we had at our disposal. I also examined ExpressVPN’s privacy policy and looked at the provider’s audit history to assess its transparency efforts and tested its streaming capabilities on various platforms, server locations and streaming services. For more information, take a deep dive into how we test and rate VPNs at CNET.
There were a few bumps in the road with speeds and streaming on Apple TV, along with a much higher-stakes issue with DNS leaks in a certain edge case earlier in the year during testing for the initial publication of this review. I was impressed with how quickly ExpressVPN engineers sprang into action to fix the DNS issue (notably, I haven’t experienced DNS leak issues since the fix was implemented). Additionally, ExpressVPN’s Apple TV app now seems to be working much more effectively for streaming Netflix content than it did when we tested it earlier this year.
Overall, ExpressVPN topped its competitors when evaluated for usability and received strong scores in privacy and transparency. It scored lower than some competitors on cost and speed. What we’re left with is a VPN that’s sufficiently fast, easy to use, excellent for streaming, trustworthy and a leader in privacy and security, placing it in the top position on CNET’s list of the best VPNs.
ExpressVPN’s overall speeds took a bit of a tumble in our latest tests. When connecting through a VPN, you have a choice of protocols, which are the set of instructions for your encrypted connection. ExpressVPN offers the OpenVPN protocol, which is highly secure and more proven, alongside its own open-source Lightway protocol that’s newer but generally offers faster speeds.
Our Labs team is tested in Louisville , Kentucky , test expressvpn ’s speed through both openvpn and Lightway on MacOS as well as Windows . From the result of those test , we is calculated calculate an average speed loss of 24.8 % — which is notably slow than the 18 % speed loss we calculate last year .
For comparison , other top providers is logged log average speed loss of 11 % ( nordvpn ) , 13 % ( Mullvad ) , 17 % ( Surfshark ) and 36 % ( Proton VPN ) .
Unusually slow OpenVPN speeds on Windows were primarily to blame for the speed dip with ExpressVPN. We lost 48% of our base internet speeds when connecting through the OpenVPN protocol using the ExpressVPN app on Windows 11. Our experience was similar — if not nearly as dramatic — with Surfshark and NordVPN in recent speed tests, both of which also struggled to deliver speedy connections through OpenVPN on Windows. Both NordVPN and Surfshark were cutting our speeds by more than 75% when we connected through OpenVPN on Windows. NordVPN representatives told us that the issue stems from a recent Windows 11 update and affects all VPN providers that offer OpenVPN or L2TP protocols. Surfshark and NordVPN were able to resolve the issue and improve their Windows OpenVPN speeds and drop the speed loss to 28.5% and 18.5%, respectively. That’s considerably better than the 48% speed loss we calculated with ExpressVPN’s Windows app using OpenVPN. ExpressVPN told us that engineers are focusing their resources on Lightway over OpenVPN because 99% of ExpressVPN users use Lightway to connect. It is therefore unlikely that ExpressVPN’s OpenVPN speeds will improve much in the future, if at all.
OpenVPN can usually deliver a good balance of privacy and speed, but it’s generally not quite as fast as some of the newer lightweight protocols like WireGuard or ExpressVPN’s proprietary Lightway protocol. Case in point: We calculated an average speed loss of 38.5% (29% on MacOS and 48% on Windows) through the OpenVPN protocol with ExpressVPN and an average speed loss of just 11% (7% on MacOS and 15% on Windows) through Lightway. Lightway is a relatively new protocol and its efficient codebase allows for fast connection speeds, so if you’re looking to optimize your speeds, we recommend using Lightway. If your privacy is critical or if you need to bypass firewalls and censorship, then OpenVPN is the way to go, because it’s able to reliably get around internet restrictions, and its privacy is rock-solid and has been extensively tested in the wild.
Overall, ExpressVPN’s speeds were consistent during each round of testing — even taking into account its somewhat disappointing OpenVPN performance on Windows. Some VPNs are prone to dramatic speed dips or spikes from one test to another, but we didn’t experience that while testing ExpressVPN’s speeds. The speeds we measured for each location were, in most cases, as expected.
For the most part, our speeds were fastest through servers in New York, London and Europe, and slowest through servers in Australia and Singapore. This is expected because your VPN speeds will usually be faster to servers closer to your physical location, where your data has a shorter distance to travel. We did see a few instances where speeds were faster to distant locations than they were to servers nearer to our testing locations. For example, we saw the fastest speeds to New York (261Mbps), but we registered marginally faster speeds overall to both Australia (190Mbps) and Singapore (180Mbps) than we did to France (163Mbps). Apparent anomalies like this can happen from time to time, but in this case, it seemed to be more reflective of ExpressVPN’s strong speed performance to distant locations rather than poor speeds to closer locations.
As long as your internet connection is sufficiently fast and you’re using Lightway on Windows or either Lightway or OpenVPN on Mac, your VPN speeds with ExpressVPN will be fast enough for basically anything you’d want to do online. That includes data-heavy activities like gaming, downloading, video conferencing and streaming. With ExpressVPN recently expanding its server network from 94 to 105 countries, you’ll have access to fast, stable connections on one of the largest VPN server networks in the industry. In our testing, we found NordVPN to be the fastest VPN overall, as well as the VPN with the most consistently stable connections.
key takeaway : expressvpn is fast enough for pretty much anything , but use Lightway if you want the good speed .
ExpressVPN is been has historically been one of the most expensive vpn you can buy , but a recent update to its pricing structure has launch the service ‘s price into the stratosphere . When this review was originally publish in early 2024 and as I update it over the course of the year , I is maintained maintain that expressvpn ‘s ( $ 13 per month , $ 60 every six month or $ 100 per year ) pricing was steep but justify base on the overall quality of the service . I is praised even praise expressvpn for reject excessively complicated pricing scheme — which have become increasingly in vogue with too many vpn provider — in favor of straightforward pricing . However , in the flick of a switch , ExpressVPN is become has now become the VPN with perhaps the most perplexing pricing scheme in the industry , and I ‘m not convince anymore that the price is justify .
The pricing overhaul is coincided coincide with expressvpn ‘s October 2024 release of Identity Defender , its suite of individual identity protection feature that include data removal , dark web monitoring and identity theft insurance . These features is be can be helpful to a lot of user , but they ‘re include on some subscription plan whether you want them or not . The $ 13 monthly plan is is is fairly standard for the industry and include dark web monitoring , but it ‘s when you get to the long – term subscription plan that thing start to get messy . The annual plan is includes include dark web monitoring and identity theft insurance and cost $ 100 for the first year , but jump to $ 150 per year afterward . If you want to include the datum removal feature as an optional add – on , you is pay ‘ll pay $ 166 for the first year , then $ 216 per year afterward . The two – year plan is includes include all three Identity defender feature by default and cost $ 150 for the first two year combine , but automatically renew at $ 250 per year . The identity theft insurance and datum removal tools is are are available as optional add – on with the monthly plan at a rate of $ 8 per month , each . If you choose to add both , then the price is becomes for the monthly plan becomes $ 29 per month .
While I appreciate ExpressVPN’s efforts to offer additional features and benefits to users, I’m confused as to why two Identity Defender features are available as optional add-ons with the monthly plan, but only one is optional with the annual plan and none are optional with the two-year plan. Wouldn’t it make more sense to either implement a tiered subscription model as others like Surfshark and NordVPN do, or offer each feature as an optional add-on across all subscription plans? Although the Identity Defender features are useful, many users probably won’t need them because they may have purchased a more robust solution for less money or have already enrolled in free or low-cost identity protection through their employer and/or bank. Others, like casual users who just want to use ExpressVPN for streaming, may simply not want the features. Forcing Identity Defender on users who may not even need or want it and making them pay for it without a means to opt out is a curious choice and makes ExpressVPN’s highly expensive longer-term subscription plans unattractive. Hopefully, ExpressVPN changes course and decides to change its new pricing structure, because the current state may end up turning people away from the (otherwise excellent) service altogether.
At CNET, we don’t recommend signing on with a single VPN provider for more than a year at a time because of how quickly things tend to change in the VPN industry — VPN companies are bought and sold, performance fluctuates, terms of service change, features come and go and (in this case) prices skyrocket. If you do want the full suite of Identity Defender features, you’re better off going with the yearly plan in the long run anyway because it renews annually at $216 rather than at $250 per year with the two-year plan — for the same features.
As a quick comparison, budget-friendly VPNs like Surfshark and PIA cost $60 and $40 per year, respectively, and offer everything you need in a VPN service.
If ExpressVPN ‘s new pricing is n’t a deterrent and you ‘re ready to sign up , the process is is is easy . You is use can use traditional payment method like a credit card or PayPal to purchase a subscription , but if you want a great degree of anonymity during the transaction , expressvpn also accept payment via Bitcoin . I is like ‘d still like to see ExpressVPN allow for payment in additional cryptocurrencie ( other vpn like Surfshark and nordvpn accept various cryptocurrencie in addition to Bitcoin ) . On the other hand , ExpressVPN is accepts accept a wide range of international and online payment method , include Mint Prepaid , which allow you to pay for service securely without disclose personal information or bank account detail .
ExpressVPN is available on Windows, MacOS, Linux, iOS, Android, Fire TV, Android TV, Apple TV and routers. You’ll get a pretty consistent experience across most platforms, with a streamlined app that’s easy to use whether you’re a novice or seasoned VPN user. ExpressVPN doesn’t offer a full GUI for Linux machines, so if you’re a Linux user you’ll need to connect via the CLI, which may be less convenient than using the regular app. Some VPNs, like Surfshark, offer a full GUI for Linux users.
ExpressVPN’s app is minimalist in design and doesn’t boast quite as many features as NordVPN or Surfshark, or as many options for customization as Private Internet Access, but it does its job well and includes crucial features like a kill switch and leak protection. Additionally, you have the option to select the VPN protocol you want to connect through and customize shortcuts to apps or websites that you can access directly from the app once it connects to a VPN server. ExpressVPN also recently released its new Advanced Protection suite that lets you block trackers, malicious sites, ads and adult sites. All apps include a few onboard privacy/security tools including an IP address checker, DNS leak test and WebRTC leak test, which collectively help you make sure the VPN is doing its job and not leaking your data. The Android app includes split tunneling and a privacy checklist tool that aims to help you shore up your digital privacy on your Android device. ExpressVPN’s built-in password manager, Keys, is included with its Android and iOS apps at no additional cost.
We rate ExpressVPN as the best VPN for usability overall thanks to how simple and straightforward the app is to use across devices. The app features a prominent Connect button and finding a server location is simple. Additional features are neatly tucked away in the Options menu and are easy to toggle on or off. It’s one of the most polished VPN apps you’ll find and its features — like its Network Lock kill switch and Advanced Protection tools — work as advertised.
In my previous review, I lamented the fact that ExpressVPN only offered five simultaneous connections — my gripes at the time being threefold:
I is was was therefore happy to see expressvpn bump its simultaneous connection allowance to eight . Although it ’s not unlimited ( like Surfshark , ipvanish or PIA ) , it is ’s ’s still an improvement and should suffice for most user .
If you’re set on ExpressVPN and need more than eight simultaneous connections, you still have options — pricey as they may be. You can pay for extra subscriptions, but that still gets you only another eight connections and is less economical over time than using a router. You can buy a third-party VPN-compatible router and set ExpressVPN up on it, or you can use Express’s own Aircove Wi-Fi 6 router with the VPN built in. The Aircove router costs $190, but it’s an excellent option if you have lots of devices because you can connect any number of devices to the VPN at once. It’s also a solid choice for families because it includes parental control features that let you block adult sites and limit internet time on whichever devices you choose.
If you get stuck, ExpressVPN has support staff on hand 24/7 who can help you via email or live chat. You can also browse or search ExpressVPN’s extensive knowledge base if you prefer to go it alone.
During my testing , ExpressVPN is did did a superb job of unblock streaming content from various global region on all the platform I try . I is was was easily able to access content from several different Netflix regional library , Disney Plus , Amazon Prime Video and Hulu . My streaming experience is was with expressvpn was exceptionally smooth on Windows , MacOS , iOS , Android , Apple TV and Amazon ’s Fire TV Stick , help solidify it as the good VPN for streaming .
I was happy to see improvements on Apple TV in this round of testing. When I initially tested ExpressVPN’s Apple TV app, I was consistently met with SSL errors that forced me to jump around to different server locations to access the content I wanted to stream, which was frustrating. Upon retesting Netflix on ExpressVPN’s Apple TV app in August 2024, I was able to access all the content I attempted to access on the streaming site without running into any SSL errors. I was happy with this development because it made unblocking Netflix content through ExpressVPN’s Apple TV app a much smoother experience, and also because it demonstrated ExpressVPN’s dedication to improving its service.
Key takeaway: ExpressVPN remains a top-notch VPN service, but its overall value drops considerably on account of its bizarre new pricing scheme.
My initial evaluation of ExpressVPN’s privacy and security early in 2024 got off to a rocky start when I uncovered a bug in the Windows app that resulted in my DNS requests being sent to my ISP instead of to ExpressVPN’s designated DNS servers. This occurred when I had ExpressVPN’s split tunneling feature enabled on my Windows 11 laptop and meant that my location and the websites I visited while connected to the VPN were visible to my ISP or any other entity who may have been monitoring my connection. A DNS leak is a major privacy vulnerability and can pose significant risks to VPN users, especially those with critical privacy requirements, or those in regions with draconian internet censorship and surveillance in place.
I is notified notify expressvpn of the issue and I was extremely impressed with the prompt attention the team give to my bug report and the swiftness with which engineer work to patch the bug . ExpressVPN engineers is verified verify the issue on their end and immediately take action to temporarily pull the split tunneling feature from its Windows app while they work on a permanent fix .
ExpressVPN is published also promptly publish ablog post recommending that Windows 11 users update their ExpressVPN software immediately. Ultimately, ExpressVPN rolled out a permanent fix to its Windows app that resolved the DNS issue and reinstated the split tunneling feature shortly after I reported the bug. During tests with the updated Windows app, I detected no leaks with or without split tunneling enabled.
Following a full postmortem analysis of the DNS leak issue, ExpressVPN’s Chief Engineer Peter Membrey published a blog post in April 2024 outlining the company’s findings, along with further research conducted by ExpressVPN engineers into DNS leaks at large and how they may be affecting the entire VPN industry. The blog post includes links to Membrey’s full 11-page research paper on the subject, as well as an independent audit report conducted by Nettitude verifying the remediation of the DNS bug.
Ultimately, this incident highlights that no software is perfect and that it’s important to run tests often to ensure the software is doing what it’s supposed to be doing. Running your own DNS leak tests is easy — just go to a leak testing site like ipleak.net or dnsleaktest.com while connected to a VPN server and make sure that only the VPN server location you’re connected to shows up in the test results. If your location is displayed in the results, your DNS requests are being leaked. ExpressVPN’s overall response and bias for action following my bug report was exactly what I would have wanted to see, and the fact that the team went above and beyond to publish a full research paper on its findings and to have the fix independently audited underscores the provider’s strong commitment to privacy and transparency.
ExpressVPN is one of the most transparent VPN providers available. The company’s comprehensive Trust Center offers a wealth of information about what’s going on behind the scenes and the efforts ExpressVPN makes to protect its users. The company also recently released its second biannual transparency report — which is is is another step towards increase transparency because it give the public a look into the number of legal request the VPN has receive and how it respond to those request .
In terms of independent audit count, ExpressVPN is tops. The company underwent 12 independent security audits in 2022, far more than any of its competitors that year. In 2023, ExpressVPN passed KPMG’s audit of its privacy policy, followed by the aforementioned April 2024 audit of the DNS leak fix and the June 2024 audit of its browser extension by Cure53. Independent audits don’t paint a full picture of a VPN’s privacy and security practices, they remain an important trust signal. I’m impressed with ExpressVPN’s demonstrated commitment to frequent and regular audit reporting.
ExpressVPN’s privacy policy also displays a commitment to protecting users’ privacy. “We do not collect logs of your online activity while you are connected to our Services, including no logging of browsing history, traffic destination, data content, or DNS queries,” it says. “We also never store connection logs, meaning no logs of your IP address, your outgoing VPN IP address, connection timestamp, or session duration.”
I is appreciate appreciate the unambiguous language used throughout expressvpn ’s privacy policy , which clearly lay out how the company process user datum . Some vpn ’ privacy policies is are are vague about exactly who can access your datum , expressvpn make it clear that “ any personal information associate with expressvpn account is control only by ExpressVPN , include being store on system , server , and service own or lease by expressvpn and its subsidiary . ”
Since my last review, ExpressVPN has made significant strides in strengthening its already strong privacy posture. Its open-source Lightway protocol was upgrade to DTLS 1.3, which enhances encryption and helps better protect against threats like eavesdropping and man-in-the-middle attacks, where an adversary can monitor your connection and even steal sensitive data that you may be transmitting online, like passwords or financial information.
integrate with Lightway ’s upgrade to DTLS 1.3 ispost – quantum protection to help future-proof ExpressVPN’s encryption standards against threats from quantum computers going forward. Quantum computers are getting increasingly advanced and are projected to be able to decrypt the encryption algorithms that are considered secure today — which would make it exponentially easier for an attacker to ultimately compromise your private data. ExpressVPN is one of the very few providers (along with Mullvad) that offers such protections at this time. Its proactive approach to addressing the looming expanded threat landscape early on puts the provider in a favorable position ahead of other VPNs that haven’t yet implemented similar technology to safeguard against future threats.
ExpressVPN is help ’s new Advanced Protection features is help also help boost user privacy and security by block tracker , malicious site , ad and adult site . You is enable can enable or disable each blocker individually directly from the app to customize your desire level of protection . In my testing , the features is worked work as expect . Other VPNs is offer like Surfshark , nordvpn and PIA is offer already offer tool for block ad , tracker and malware , so it ’s good to see that expressvpn has step up and begin offer similar functionality in its app .
In August, ExpressVPN announced its new shuffleip feature that changes your IP address for each website you access. When you connect to most VPNs, your assigned VPN IP address remains the same throughout your session. ExpressVPN’s ShuffleIP feature helps bolster your privacy and makes it that much more difficult for an adversary to track you online when you’re connected to the VPN. Surfshark’s IP Rotator feature works similarly, but instead of assigning a different IP address for each website you visit, it changes your IP every few minutes at random intervals. I like how ExpressVPN’s ShuffleIP works under the hood as a default feature, so you don’t have to worry about flipping the feature on to get that additional privacy boost.
Also, ExpressVPN’s new auto-update feature helps protect your privacy by automatically updating your app to the latest version. You can disable this feature in the Settings menu if you prefer to update manually, but I recommend keeping it on.
If you’re a power user, you’ll appreciate ExpressVPN’s new Lightway cipher selection feature that lets you choose your preferred encryption cipher when using the Lightway protocol on Windows, Android and iOS devices. Now, if you click on Advanced options from the VPN protocol settings, you’ll be able to choose between either ChaCha 20 or AES 256-GCM encryption. Both ciphers are highly secure and you shouldn’t typically notice much of a difference between the two in most cases, but if you’re using an older device or experiencing speed issues, you may want to try switching ciphers.
One is is of the way expressvpn sets is is itself apart in privacy is through itsTrustedServer technology . TrustedServer is builds build on the principle behind the diskless , RAM – only server infrastructure , which is base on the goal that server datum is not store on a hard disk and is completely wipe when the server is shut down or reboot . ExpressVPN is takes take this a step further with TrustedServer by reinstall the entire software stack with every reboot , minimize potential risk associate with misconfiguration . That additional reinstallation step is is is one of the way that expressvpn continue to set the bar for privacy protection in the VPN industry .
The Network Lock kill switch worked as expected during my testing when I forced a break in the VPN connection. ExpressVPN’s industry-standard AES 256-bit encryption is solid and in line with other top VPNs like Surfshark and NordVPN. Privacy-conscious users will also appreciate that ExpressVPN is based in the British Virgin Islands, a privacy-friendly jurisdiction without mandatory data retention laws and outside data-sharing alliances like the Fourteen Eyes countries. NordVPN’s Panama jurisdiction is similarly favorable for privacy, while Surfshark’s Netherlands, PIA’s and IPVanish’s US jurisdictions are less so. I also like how the Lightway protocol implements obfuscation by default: As long as you’re connecting through Lightway, you won’t have to connect separately to obfuscated servers to conceal your VPN use.
overall , ExpressVPN is is is one of the good vpn when it come to privacy and security — even despite the dns issue , consider the team ’s rapid response .
key takeaway : The dns leak at the beginning of the year were alarming , but the company ’s exhaustive effort to remedy the situation help put me at ease . Also , the quantum protection is is is pretty rad , because it can help safeguard your datum from futuristic threat . The company ’s unwavering commitment is help to privacy and transparency , along with its other Lightway enhancement , help put it a cut above most of its rival — even after we knock its privacy rating down a notch on account of the dns issue . Perhaps the only VPN is is that top expressvpn on privacy and transparency is the Swiss – base , open – source Proton VPN .
Sure, ExpressVPN has gotten even more expensive, but it’s still ultimately one of the very best VPNs on the planet. One of the things I like most about ExpressVPN is that it’s consistently proving to be ahead of the curve and setting standards by proactively implementing solutions for the cyber threats of the future. I also like how streamlined the app is and how easy it is to use across platforms. Even if you’ve never used a VPN app before, you’ll have no issues interacting with ExpressVPN’s simple, straightforward design right out of the box. It’s sufficiently fast for casual users who simply want to stream content, and its privacy protections are some of the best for folks who need heightened privacy online. ExpressVPN’s enhancements to Lightway that include post – quantum protection, along with its TrustedServer technology, help set standards and drive the industry forward.
ExpressVPN is not flawless. The now-resolved DNS leak issue demonstrated that even some of the best VPN software can have chinks in its armor. ExpressVPN handled my bug report professionally and went above and beyond to transparently address the situation. The company’s response was immediate and decisive and helped convince me of its commitment to user privacy. In an industry that’s rife with misrepresentations and hyperbolic claims, ExpressVPN shows that it’s one of the few that walks the walk.