VPN.Express Review 2024 — Not ExpressVPN, and It Shows

VPN.Express can’t compare to ExpressVPN, but does that make it a bad choice? Few VPNs can compete with ExpressVPN due to its longevity and vast resources. To find out if VPN.Express is more than just a sneaky name, I did a deep dive into all its features.

After my research, I can’t recommend VPN.Express because it’s not impressive in any category. Its biggest problem is its poor device compatibility, as it only offers one full-featured app (for Windows). Besides that, it has a small server network, few security features, and high prices for what it offers. I suggest you check out our list of the best VPNs around instead.

VPN.Express is missing several features that you’ll find in the best streaming VPNs. For one, it has a small server network. This limits the number of locations you can connect to, but it can also contribute to overcrowding. When a server has too many users, this will lower your speeds and likely cause buffering and quality drops in videos.

It doesn’t have any optimized servers for streaming. Many of the best VPNs have locations dedicated to streaming in general or for compatibility with specific platforms. These are tested regularly to confirm they work and any blocked IPs are replaced.

VPN.Express doesn’t make any specific claims about which platforms it can securely access. Streaming services often utilize anti-VPN technologies. Because of this, VPNs aren’t shy about letting you know when they’re confident they work with a service. Since VPN.Express doesn’t directly mention any platforms on its site, I doubt that it works with many of them.

It’s possible to stream top platforms, like Hulu and BBC iPlayer, in HD from anywhere with the right VPN. To find a provider that can facilitate excellent quality with all the most popular services, check out our list of the best VPNs for streaming.

VPN.Express will slow you down, and it doesn’t offer many features to minimize this. All VPNs will lower your rates to some extent because your traffic has to be rerouted. The best way to keep your speeds up is by choosing a server close to your location. Unfortunately, VPN.Express doesn’t offer many worldwide servers, so you might not find any nearby.

It doesn’t support WireGuard, the fastest VPN protocol. Protocols are different methods you can choose for connecting VPNs, and they each offer different strengths and weaknesses. WireGuard is almost always the fastest protocol in our tests, and VPN.Express doesn’t utilize it.

Its small server network could also lead to overcrowding, which reduces your speeds further. VPN.Express makes many bold claims on its site, even going so far as to state it has “the fastest connection speed in the industry”. However, it makes no statements about the percentage of speed you’re likely to lose, which is an actual measurement of a VPN’s quality.

The top providers only lower your speeds by 10-20% on nearby servers and rarely over 50% on distant ones. To get a VPN that’s been proven to offer consistently high rates, view our list of the fastest VPNs proven by years of testing.

There’s no mention of gaming on VPN.Express’ site, so it’s likely unsuitable for the task. The most important thing for smooth online play is your ping rate. This tells you how long it takes your data to travel. You’ll need it below 85ms to enjoy gaming with minimal lag.

VPN.Express doesn’t have gaming-optimized servers. Ping is also greatly affected by your distance from the server. As I’ve mentioned VPN.Express doesn’t offer a large number of servers. In my experience, it’s quite rare that a server over 4,000km away will allow you to game without lag. So, if VPN.Express doesn’t offer servers near you, you’ll be in trouble.

You’ll want a VPN with a large network that has several servers near your location if you’re an avid gamer. I suggest you try one of the best VPNs for gaming in this list to stay safe while you enjoy online games.

VPN.Express has a small network with only 400 servers in 30 countries. Most of its locations are in Europe, with only 1 country offered in South America. There are no servers you can connect to in Africa.

It doesn’t have city-level servers, which make it easier to tell how far servers are from you. Instead, each of its servers will simply connect you to a country, and you’ll have no way of knowing where in the country your IP is.

Just be aware this info isn't available for Apple devices

The VPN claims to own its servers, but it doesn’t say anything about virtual locations. While it’s always great when a provider owns its servers (this cuts out a middleman that could potentially access your data), I like to know when a VPN has virtual servers. These are physically-located somewhere other than the listed location, which can further diminish your speeds.

While its FAQs report that you can order dedicated IPs, they’re not an option on the purchase screen. I assume this means you have to reach out to support to request one. That could be tricky as I had several issues getting responses from VPN.Express. Dedicated IPs are necessary for things like running a website with a VPN connection.

Overall, VPN.Express has a disappointing network that isn’t worth the price. You can easily find a VPN for a similar cost that comes with a vast server network with many more features.

You can only reliably protect yourself on Windows since VPN.Express has poor support for other devices. Its Windows app will provide you with AES 256-bit encryption, leak protection, a kill switch, and access to the OpenVPN protocol. Unfortunately, it doesn’t offer the kill switch for any other devices

Even its Windows app is missing many advanced security features like split tunneling, private DNS servers, and double VPN. I recommend using a VPN that can at the very least keep you safe on your computer and your mobile device. So, I suggest you try out one of the VPNs in this list that offer excellent protection on phones.

Encryption

VPN.Express utilizes AES 256-bit encryption, which is nearly unbreakable. This is the same level of protection used by many militaries and banks around the world. It’s implemented by all the top VPNs, so it’s likely you wouldn’t experience many data leaks with this provider.

Protocols

It claims to let you connect with OpenVPN, L2TP, and PPTP protocols on its Windows app. The Android app doesn’t give you the option to switch between protocols, and I didn’t receive an answer about which protocol it uses when I reached out to support. On Mac and iOS, you can manually connect to OpenVPN, but there is no app.

OpenVPN is one of the safest protocols around, so I’m glad it’s an option. This is because it’s open-source, so it’s constantly being checked for vulnerabilities by cybersecurity enthusiasts around the world. However, as I stated above, the inclusion of WireGuard would probably make this a much faster VPN.

Kill Switch

This is a necessary security feature every VPN needs, but it’s only available on the Windows app. It’s not an option on Android, and Mac and iOS users don’t even get an app, so they can’t utilize any additional features besides connecting to servers.

The kill switch blocks your internet connection if the VPN suddenly disconnects. This acts as a failsafe, so you can have peace of mind knowing you’ll never go online without protection. There’s an option to turn it off within your Windows app, but I recommend keeping it on at all times.

While its policies are good, they haven’t been proven, and it’s headquartered in the US. I appreciate that VPN.Express’ policies are clear, and it explicitly states what it does and doesn’t collect while you’re connected to its servers.

However, the best VPNs have evidence that they follow their policies from court cases or independent audits. The most privacy-friendly VPNs also make sure they’re under the jurisdiction of countries outside of the 5/9/14 Eyes Alliances. To find one of the most trustworthy options, check out our list of the best no-log VPNs.

Does VPN.Express Keep Logs? No

VPN.Express claims to never log any of your identifiable information. Its policy states that it won’t collect your browsing history or your IP address. However, it stores your email, password, and payment data (although you can pay with cryptocurrency for further privacy).

It also stores some limited technical information to maintain its services. It logs which days you connected to a server, that server’s location, and which country you’ve connected from. There are a few VPNs that store less anonymized information, but this is pretty standard and isn’t something I’d be too worried about.

Was VPN.Express Audited? No

Unfortunately, VPN.Express has never had its policies or its apps independently audited. Many VPNs choose to pay reputable third-parties to examine their privacy documents to make sure they’re being followed. This is one of the only ways you can truly know if a VPN follows through on its claims, or if they’re just a marketing ploy.

Based in the US

VPN.Express keeps its headquarters in the United States, a founding member of the 5 Eyes Alliance. This is an agreement between governments to share their citizen’s online information. The US is also known for having a vast surveillance system. This makes it one of the worst places a VPN can keep its offices.

Does VPN.Express Work in China? No

I could never get a response when I asked VPN.Express support staff if it works in China. However, I suspect that it doesn’t work in that country or on any restricted network. This is because it doesn’t offer obfuscation. This feature makes your VPN traffic look like regular traffic and is necessary for avoiding VPN blocks.

The Chinese government has banned many VPNs, but there have been no publicly-reported cases of them going after the individuals who use them. Still, my team and I urge you to read up on the laws of the country you’re in before you choose to use a VPN. We don’t condone any illegal activities.

The VPN allows torrenting on all its locations, but it may come with slow download speeds. This is because of its small server network. If there are no servers closeby, you’ll likely experience long wait times on P2P networks. I’d also highly recommend you only torrent with its Windows app. The lack of security features on other devices would make it unsafe.

It doesn’t come with added features for torrenting, like port forwarding. This is an option that allows you to increase your seeding and downloading speeds. Some VPNs even come with specialty servers specifically optimized for torrenting. You can find one of the best VPNs for P2P in this list.

While torrenting is legal in most countries, downloading copyrighted files isn’t. The vpnMentor team and I ask that you please only access torrents within the public domain.