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Our rating: 4 out of 5.
Reviewed by the VPNStreamer Team · Last updated: October 2026 · How we compare VPNs
ExpressVPN has been one of the biggest names in the VPN space since 2009, and it’s our #4 pick overall on our full best VPN for Australia list, behind NordVPN, Surfshark, and ProtonVPN, but still one of the most trusted names in the industry on pure security credentials. This review covers what it actually offers in 2026, who it’s genuinely the right fit for, and whether the premium price still makes sense for Australian users.
- 3,000+ servers across 113 countries, based in the British Virgin Islands and outside the Five/Nine/Fourteen Eyes intelligence-sharing alliances
- 10, 12 or 14 simultaneous device connections depending on your tier (Basic, Advanced or Express Pro), with unlimited coverage if you install it on a compatible router
- 27 independent security audits and four ISO certifications as of mid-2026, plus a published transparency report showing zero user data disclosed
- Lightway protocol with post-quantum encryption (ML-KEM) added in January 2025
- Basic pricing starts at an effective $4.99/month on the 12-month + 3 months free term (USD)
30-day money-back guarantee
SPECIAL OFFER: Save 66% on the 12-Month Basic Plan
Pros and Cons
Pros
Cons
ExpressVPN Pricing
ExpressVPN now runs three tiers, Basic, Advanced, and Express Pro, rather than one flat plan.
| Plan | Devices | Price per month (12-month + 3 months free term, USD) | What’s included |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic | 10 | $4.99 (first term $74.85, then $99.95/year; $12.99 billed monthly) | Full VPN, Lightway protocol, built-in ad blocker, 24/7 support |
| Advanced | 12 | $5.99 (first term $89.85, then $119.95/year; $13.99 billed monthly) | Everything in Basic + password manager (ExpressVPN Keys) + broader tracker blocking |
| Express Pro | 14 | $8.99 (first term $134.85, then $199.95/year; $19.99 billed monthly) | Everything in Advanced + dedicated IP option + identity monitoring |
Prices verified 17 October 2026 against expressvpn.com/pricing, USD. A 24-month + 4 months free term is also available at checkout, with the same annual renewal prices as the 12-month term.
Get ExpressVPN Basic. Most people only need this tier, and Advanced and Express Pro are worth it specifically if you want the bundled password manager or a dedicated IP.
Every plan comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee, no questions asked (support may ask why, but won’t withhold the refund over it). ExpressVPN accepts credit card and PayPal.
Key Features
Protocol Support
ExpressVPN’s own Lightway protocol is the default, faster and more battery-efficient than older protocols like OpenVPN, and since January 2025 it includes ML-KEM, a NIST-standardized post-quantum encryption method, ahead of most competitors on this front. Lightway is available across Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, iOS, and routers.
DNS Service
Every server runs ExpressVPN’s own DNS, reducing the risk of DNS leaks regardless of your activity.
Platforms Supported
Native apps cover Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, and Android. Devices without native support, like Apple TV, Kindle Fire, and game consoles, can be covered via the MediaStreamer utility or a router-level install.
Ad-Blocking
ExpressVPN has now joined Surfshark’s CleanWeb and NordVPN’s Threat Protection with its own built-in ad blocker, part of the Advanced Protection add-on and toggled on in the app settings. It blocks display ads, pop-ups, and malicious sites across apps and browsers on all plans, with tracker blocking included on the Advanced and Express Pro tiers. First-party video ads, such as YouTube’s, still get through, per ExpressVPN’s own documentation.
Privacy and Security
ExpressVPN backs up its no-logs claim more thoroughly than almost anything else on the market: 27 independent security audits as of mid-2026 (conducted by Cure53, KPMG, and Praetorian across different parts of the service, covering the protocol, apps, browser extensions, and privacy policy claims), plus four ISO certifications (27001 for information security, 9001 for quality management, and 18295-1/18295-2 for customer support standards).
Its published transparency report for the second half of 2025 shows over 1.38 million legal requests received, and zero user data disclosed, since there’s simply nothing logged to hand over.
Servers run on TrustedServer technology, which is RAM-only, so nothing is written to disk and everything is wiped on every reboot. Encryption is AES-256, paired with a 4096-bit RSA key and SHA-512 HMAC authentication, refreshed via Perfect Forward Secrecy on every new session.
Leak Protection
ExpressVPN includes a built-in DNS leak test, though it’s worth double-checking independently at a site like ipleak.net after connecting.
Tor Over VPN
ExpressVPN supports routing through Tor for additional anonymity, a rarer feature among mainstream VPNs, at the cost of noticeably slower speeds due to the extra routing hops.
Ownership
ExpressVPN has been owned by Kape Technologies since 2021, the same parent company as CyberGhost and Private Internet Access. See our CyberGhost review for how that plays out in practice, or our full ownership breakdown for more on what it means.
Ease of Use
Sign-Up
Sign-up is quick: choose a plan, create your account, and you’re taken straight to device-specific install instructions. The whole process takes a few minutes.
Setup and User Interface
The apps are clean and distraction-free. Smart Location connects you to the fastest nearby server with one click, or you can pick a specific location manually. Settings, including protocol selection, speed test, split tunnelling, and kill switch, are all one tap away via the app menu.
Advanced Features
Kill Switch
ExpressVPN’s Network Lock kill switch blocks all internet traffic if the VPN connection drops, preventing any accidental exposure. Available on Windows, Mac, Linux, and routers; on Android it appears as a network protection setting. iOS doesn’t support a true kill switch, a platform restriction from Apple rather than something ExpressVPN has chosen to omit.
Split Tunnelling
Lets you route some traffic through the VPN and the rest through your normal connection. Useful for keeping local network access (like a printer) working while everything else is encrypted, just remember anything routed outside the VPN won’t get its protection or unblocking benefits.
Browser Extensions
Available for Chrome, Firefox, and Edge, offering WebRTC blocking and HTTPS Everywhere. These require the desktop app to be installed to function, so they’re not a fully standalone option for someone else’s device.
Performance and Servers
ExpressVPN consistently ranks among the faster VPNs in independent, third-party speed testing, with Lightway protocol speeds commonly benchmarked around 489 Mbps in recent tests; solid, though typically a step behind NordVPN’s NordLynx in head-to-head comparisons. We haven’t run our own lab-based speed tests on this specific connection (see our methodology), so treat this as a reflection of current third-party benchmarks rather than an in-house result.
With 3,000+ servers across 113 countries, coverage skews toward the US and Europe, as with most providers, but Asia-Pacific and Australia are reasonably represented too.
Streaming and Torrenting
ExpressVPN reliably unblocks Netflix (across most regional libraries), Hulu, Disney+, BBC iPlayer, Amazon Prime Video, Max, and a long list of others. Torrenting is supported on all servers with no data caps, though note ExpressVPN no longer supports port forwarding, which matters more to serious seeders than casual downloaders (see our Best VPN for Torrents section for the current pick on that front).
SPECIAL OFFER: Save 66% on the 12-Month Basic Plan
Customer Service
24/7 live chat is available, backed by an extensive FAQ and setup-guide library. No phone support, but chat response times are consistently fast regardless of time zone, and support in 16 languages covers most users comfortably.
FAQ
Is ExpressVPN safe from hackers?
Yes. Connections are secured with AES-256 encryption, a 4096-bit RSA key, and Perfect Forward Secrecy, while the Lightway protocol now adds post-quantum protection (ML-KEM) against future decryption attacks. Servers run on RAM-only TrustedServer hardware that wipes itself on every reboot, and the no-logs policy is backed by 27 independent audits plus a published transparency report.
What is the downside of ExpressVPN?
Price is the main one: it costs more than NordVPN or Surfshark at the same term length. The Basic tier has no dedicated IP option (Express Pro only), there’s no multi-hop routing, port forwarding was removed, and the built-in ad blocker can’t catch first-party video ads like YouTube’s.
Is there a better VPN than ExpressVPN?
For most Australians, yes. NordVPN is our #1 overall pick on the best VPN for Australia list, with faster results in most speed tests, more local server infrastructure, and better value at the same price point. Surfshark is the cheaper alternative if budget matters most. ExpressVPN’s edge remains its audit history, certification depth, and simplicity, which is why it still holds our #4 spot.
How much does ExpressVPN cost?
The Basic plan starts at an effective $4.99/month on the 12-month + 3 months free term (first term $74.85 USD, then $99.95/year), or $12.99/month billed monthly. Advanced is $5.99/month effective and Express Pro is $8.99/month effective. A 24-month + 4 months free term is also offered at checkout, and every plan includes a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Is ExpressVPN Right for You?
ExpressVPN costs more than NordVPN or Surfshark at the same term length, and it’s not our #1 overall pick; but it earns its place in our top 5 on trust signals alone: more independent audits and certifications than nearly any competitor, a genuinely transparent track record, a built-in ad blocker on every plan, and an interface simple enough that a first-time VPN user won’t get lost in settings. If audit history and simplicity matter more to you than squeezing out the lowest possible price or the single fastest speed test result, ExpressVPN is a safe, well-earned choice.
Our rating: 4.0 out of 5.
Related reviews: NordVPN review · Surfshark review · CyberGhost review · see the best VPN for Australia roundup
