If you are looking for a reliable and secure VPN service these days, you can quickly lose track of the jungle of offers. This often makes it difficult for the user to make a decision. In the following, ExpressVPN¹ review, we will take a closer look.
The company ExpressVPN has years of experience in this industry. It focuses on ease of use, excellent support and is characterized by high speeds. The company is located in the Caribbean on the British Virgin Islands. Thus, it is not required to record or keep users’ data. This offers users a guarantee of safe assurance of their anonymity.
Usage
There are three different variants of the subscription. Therefore, one should choose one of them first before starting the registration process. After that, you can register for the VPN with just a few mouse clicks. All you need is a valid email address and a payment method of your choice. Afterwards, you will receive the access data as an e-mail.
With this VPN, P2P, TV and streaming videos can be implemented without any difficulties. Watching videos on Netflix, for example, does not cause any problems either. The automatic blocking of streaming services bypasses this VPN with a variety of different IP addresses.
Prices
Comparing the ExpressVPN with other top-notch VPNs, the prices for using it are relatively the same. However, since this VPN is available in three different subscription variants, money can still be saved by taking out a subscription with a term of one year. The subscription can be cancelled at the end of the term.
For a subscription of one month you pay 12,95 US $. If you subscribe for six months, you only pay 9.99 US $ per month and if you subscribe for one year, the price is 8.32 US $ per month. The amount has to be paid in full at the beginning of the contract period. This means that for a subscription of one month you have to pay directly 12.95 US $. For a subscription of six months you have to pay 59,99 US $ and for one year you have to pay 99,99 US $.
There are several payment methods available for ExpressVPN. For example, this is possible with Paypal, Mastercard, VISA and American Express. But Giropay, an instant bank transfer, IDEAL or even Bitcoin are also available. Bitcoin in particular is ideal for this if the customer wants to remain anonymous. In recent years, this method has therefore been used more and more. Of course, even Bitcoin does not offer absolute protection for the anonymity of the buyer. However, it makes it considerably more difficult to control or monitor money flows.
If you are not satisfied with the service of the VPN, you can get your money back up to 30 days after signing the contract. Moreover, a live chat support is available to the customers 24 hours a day.
Free trial
It is possible to use the VPN for 30 days for free. However, this is not really a trial version. If you want to try the VPN, you have to sign up for a real subscription. But can cancel up to 30 days after signing the contract and get his money back. This also applies to the subscription with a term of one month.
The advantage of this variant is that this “test version” does not make any deductions from the service. Since you sign up for a real subscription, the full scope of ExpressVPN is available to the user and he does not have to settle for just a few test services. These include, for example, non-blocked streaming, anonymous web browsing and you won’t be overwhelmed by annoying ads. Since tracking software has no chance through the VPN, no individual classification into a certain target group of advertising can be made.
The services also include the provision of the software for Windows, OS X and Linux. Furthermore, one gets unlimited data volume and top speed, a large number of different IP addresses and the possibility to access 145 servers in 94 different countries. The 24 hour live support is of course also available to the customer via chat.
Thus, the customer has the opportunity to consider for 30 days whether he wants to continue using this VPN or switch to another one. If one wants to extend the subscription, one can choose one of the three subscription variants. If you want to switch to another VPN, you can easily write to the support and cancel the subscription. The costs for the first 30 days will then be refunded to the customer.
This gives the customer 30 days to decide whether he wants to continue using this VPN or switch to another one. If you want to extend the subscription, you can choose one of the three subscription options. If you want to switch to another VPN, you can easily write to the support and cancel the subscription. The costs for the first 30 days will then be refunded to the customer.
Network
The network is very extensive and comparatively larger than many other VPNs. There are 145 servers in almost 100 different countries available to the customer.
The servers are located, for example, in Switzerland, the USA, Germany, France, Japan, Cyprus, Finland, Serbia, Poland, Canada, Lichtenstein, Spain, Estonia, Moldova, the UK and countless other countries around the world. All countries can be viewed in full on ExpressVPN’s website. In addition, virtual servers are still available to the customer, which are also placed in a distributed manner.
ExpressVPN’s location is in the Caribbean on the British Virgin Islands. This allows the company to guarantee that the users’ data will remain completely anonymous. This is possible due to the legal situation there. The company is not obligated to store the data of the users. Thus, to the payment method with Bitcoin the anonymity can be guaranteed even safer.
Protocols
Different protocols are used. One is the point-to-point tunneling protocol, which has been used for VPNs for many years. This protocol has been used in recent years, especially by Microsoft, and is a complement to the Internet and PPP, the point-to-point protocol. This protocol is still used by VPNs on a Windows client.
The hot protocol for VPNs at the moment is OpenVPN. This open source protocol is considered to be very secure and configurable. It is also compatible with all common operating systems. This includes Windows, OS, Linux, iOS and Android.
The IPSec protocol is also used. This offers good encryption capabilities with a configuration that is very easy to use. One of the most powerful protocols for VPNs is probably SSTP. This protocol was developed by Microsoft and is even able to break through or bypass firewalls.
Speed
The VPN has an automatic selection of the server. This accesses the instantaneous location and therefore always offers the best option. Therefore, high speeds can always be expected everywhere. In general, the VPN showed very high speeds when downloading. Uploading, on the other hand, took a bit longer, but was still in the acceptable range.
It takes more time for the customer to establish a working connection first. However, the company is continuously trying to improve the connection setup. Therefore, it will probably be possible to connect to the network faster soon.
Privacy
The customer’s privacy is guaranteed in many ways. Not only is it possible to surf the net anonymously and stream videos, for example. The money flow is also anonymous due to the Bitcoin payment method, and the company does not record any user data. This is possible because the company is based in the Caribbean. Thus, pursuers on the net have no chance to catch or retrieve the IP address of the customer.
The company also keeps a very low profile itself. This may seem ominous to some users. Ultimately, however, this is quite common for VPN companies and, conversely, also serves the anonymity of the user.
Additional functions
Currently, there are no additional features available. However, the connection with TOR could be important for some users. This network also offers the possibility to anonymize network and connection data. Thus, an analysis of the data traffic is excluded.
In addition, there is a promotion where the VPN can be recommended to friends. After registration, the user receives a personal link that he can send to a friend. If the friend logs in via this individual link, both get the opportunity to use the VPN free of charge for 30 days.
Advantages and disadvantages at a glance
- Very simple operation of the client and high user-friendliness
- The client can reclaim his money up to 30 days after the subscription has been completed
- Absolute anonymity guaranteed
- Easy registration possible
- There is a “refer a friend” promotion from which both sides can benefit
- Uncomplicated download and installation possible
- Use of dedicated servers for different operating systems
- Connection with TOR
- Leak Testing Tools²³
- Payment with Bitcoin possible
- Widespread network
- High speed
- The subscription is available in three different variants
- 24 hours live support
- Comparatively a slightly higher price
- No additional features available at the moment
- No real test version available
- A subscription must be taken out directly
Conclusion and rating
Based on this list, it quickly becomes apparent that the positive aspects outweigh the negative ones. Therefore, a recommendation to buy this VPN can be given. This tunneling service combines everything that the heart of the user of a VPN desires. High speed, absolute anonymity and uncomplicated operation are guaranteed by the company.
The high number of plus points should be able to compensate for the comparatively somewhat higher price, compared to other providers with fewer advantages. In return, there is also the possibility to save money by referring a friend. In addition, the customer can make use of the guarantee. This ensures that you will get your money back for 30 days if you are dissatisfied with the service of the VPN. Nevertheless, it would be desirable if the company provided a proper trial version.
In summary, this VPN combines all sorts of advantages and thus positively distinguishes itself from very many competitors. In return, the price is a bit higher.
Sources and more information
¹ https://www.vpncomparison.org/provider/expressvpn/
² https://www.expressvpn.com/blog/leak-testing-tools/
³ https://www.flaptastic.com/the-purpose-of-unit-tests/