ExpressVPN is one of the flagmans of the industry. Their feature-rich and user-friendly applications for both desktop and mobiles for a long time have been a de-facto standard. No matter which aspect you evaluate - apps, performance, customer support or security - you'll find all of it really well polished. And if you're looking for the same security and privacy on your mobile device as well as your desktop - you'll find yourself choosing ExpressVPN for their well established mobile apps on both iOS and Android platforms.

ExpressVPN stands out with their app quality, positive attitude to security and privacy, great connection performance as well as fast support. They are among leaders and are improving at an impressive pace.

ExpressVPN general highlights

As ExpressVPN states themselves: ExpressVPN does not as a matter of ordinary practice actively monitor user sessions for inappropriate behavior, nor do we maintain direct logs of customers’ Internet activities. However, ExpressVPN reserves the right to investigate matters we consider to be violations of these Terms. It seems to be a standard logging policy checking what service was accessed by which IP, but not storing any activity details of the user connection sessions. However, those who are seeking complete anonymity might check out other providers out there who might offer better privacy features.

All four major protocols are supported by ExpressVPN - OpenVPN, L2TP/IPsec, SSTP and PPTP. What we repeat in each and every review is that you should use the OpenVPN the protocol - both for speed and security measures. Not to mention that it outperforms the rest of the protocols and is the safest one yet.

ExpressVPN also claims to have a list of web services that are usually blocked by non-friendly governments, but would work with the help of a VPN service provider. Of course, it is difficult to verify that this is really an advanced quality assurance and not just a marketing trick. Nevertheless, one could easily fill a support request ticket in case any of those services do not work even through VPN.

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Feature / Criteria	ExpressVPN	Surfshark	CyberGhost
OpenVPN
IKEv2
Wireguard or similar
Encryption (strongest)	aes-256	AES-256	AES-256
Internet activity logs
Connection logs
Killswitch

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We have not experienced any issues during the standard web browsing experience whilst using ExpressVPN.

When you search for a VPN, fast speed is an extremely important factor. You want your services to work well and without annoying buffering and your browsing experience to be smooth. Moreover, it is known that in general, Internet speed drops when using a VPN, so it's important to try and find a VPN that still offers good speed even when using VPN services. We check the speed when connecting from the US to the UK, as it's half across the globe. It is a big distance, so keep in mind that closer locations may provide better speed and latency.

Internet speed without a VPN shows your general Internet Service Provider download and upload speed. On the other hand, it is known that you lose speed when using a VPN service. So be sure to take into consideration if your speed drops too much.

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Feature / Criteria	ExpressVPN	Surfshark	CyberGhost
Unlimited speed
Server switches	Unlimited	Unlimited	Unlimited
Unlimited data
Speed consistency & reliability	4.7	4.9	3.7

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All major platforms are supported by ExpressVPN, including some of the more exotic, yet very practical ones - Internet routers, Amazon Kindle and PlayStation/Xbox. Furthermore, Express has browser extensions as well - they are available on Firefox and Chrome. It's a great way to stay safe and keep your browsing data safe and secure. Moreover, ExpressVPN is indeed one of the most intuitive apps that we have tested. The rest of the features are also good - ExpressVPN shows outstanding performance results.

Available Linux support is something we give additional karma points to our reviewed VPNs. ExpressVPN takes it to another level by arguably being the only VPN provider to have Linux application ready. Yes, it's still terminal-based, but it works well out of the box and simplifies the setup of VPN on Linux. A new addition is the split-tunnelling feature for Mac.

While most platforms only need a simple installation of the VPN software or app, some devices might need manual configuration, as there are only certain protocols and options available for a certain type of device.

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Feature / Criteria	ExpressVPN	Surfshark	CyberGhost
Windows
Mac
Android
iOS
Linux			Manual configuration
Router		Manual configuration	Manual configuration
Smart DNS		SmartDNS

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All major countries in every continent are covered, with a total server count of 3000. ExpressVPN provides a city-level granularity, which might be useful for some of the more advanced users.

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Feature / Criteria	ExpressVPN	Surfshark	CyberGhost
Countries	94	65	90
Server locations	3000	3200	7000

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Besides contact form and email support, there is a 24/7 live chat support as well. We have tried contacting them with the fictitious issues and consultants were quick to respond as well as professional with their answers. Some technical questions have been handled by additional consultations with team members, but overall, the response quality was really satisfactory.

As for the knowledge base - there are two forms of support. First one - the tutorials - is designed for those who are just about to get started. For the sake of evaluating the tutorial quality, we have picked the more technical one - instructions on how to install the Linux application on Ubuntu/Fedora Linux distributions. It was documented in a step-by-step manner with as much detail as possible. One of the best quality walkthroughs in general that we have managed to bump in while reviewing VPN service providers.

Another well thought form of technical support is the troubleshooting guides. You start by picking an error and are then provided with a step-by-step solution. Nothing too fancy, but in most cases that might be a quicker way of resolving problems than going through the standard tutorials. On the other hand, when there is a "Chat with us" window teasing you to contact the support team directly, that is what one would most often do.

Eventually, you will run into a problem - payment method not working, servers not connecting, pretty much anything can happen. That's where support comes through - many different customer support options mean that there are multiple ways to contact the support and get help from a professional.

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Feature / Criteria	ExpressVPN	Surfshark	CyberGhost
Live chat
Email
Knowledge base
FAQ
24/7 support

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ExpressVPN like most of the other VPN providers offers three subscription packages, all bearing same all-inclusive functionality. Prices differ based on the subscription period length, with discount up to 35% for the yearly subscription package. The good news is that ExpressVPN provides a 30-day no-questions-asked money-back guarantee. It is especially good for those who are willing to assess even the top-notch providers before making the commitment. And if you want to get more months of subscription for free - the referral program is in place, ensuring that you get one month for free for every referred customer.

23 payment options are available - indeed quite a lot of options to choose from. BitCoin payments are available for those who seek anonymity even during the payment process.