ExpressVPN

• Price
• Encryption Type
• Speed
• Transparency
• Customer Support
• Referral Program

Price

Express VPN only offers VPN services so that the company can focus all of their resources on providing the highest quality service. It has three billing plans from which their customers may choose, each of them being automatically renewable. In order to change billing plans or cancel service, customers must contact the company directly. Located below are the pricing plans for ExpressVPN

• Monthly Term - $12.95 per month
• 6 Month Term - $9.99 per month ($59.95 billed every six months)
• 12 Month Term - $8.32 per month (99.95 billed annually)

Each subscription comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee, so you can try the service risk-free.

Additionally, ExpressVPN accepts all major credit cards (including Diners Club International), PayPal, Bitcoin, Webmoney, and AllPay.com for payments. The company states that they regularly add payment methods.

Encryption Type

ExpressVPN offers its customers several encryption protocols from which to choose to protect their data. Among these are: OpenVPN (TCP, UDP), L2TP-IPsec, SSTP, and PPTP protocols. Privacy experts recommend using OpenVPN for connections whenever possible, as it is the highest level of security encryption currently available, however, this protocol is not compatible with iOS devices. The protocol which is the most comparable to OpenVPN that works with iOS devices is L2TP-IPSec. It is important to remember that higher levels of encryption can cause more delays with the internet speed, although in most cases, the difference is negligible and one which does not impact the connection enough that the user interface is extremely affected.

 Speed

Worth noting is the discrepancy in the average speed for the servers in the US and those without. The speeds in the United States average 23.67 Mbps for downloads, and 3.54 Mbps for uploads. Outside of the US (including Canada) the average speed of downloads is significantly lower at 11.12 Mbps and 2.75 Mbps for uploads. The average speed of connection in the US is 20.8 Mbps and uploads of 5.2 Mbps for those who are not using a VPN.

Transparency

ExpressVPN is highly transparent in most aspects of their presentation of their materials online. There is a significant gap in the site, however, in that the company's Terms and Conditions Document is difficult to find. However, representatives from ExpressVPN are generally willing to share the document upon request. The company does not have a separate privacy policy, which is unique in the industry. ExpressVPN addresses its privacy policies and practices inside of the Terms and Conditions document. Included in the brief privacy policy is the statement that the company may share non-identifying information in order to analyze server data and improve the VPN's performance. All personal information obtained for billing purposes is stored by the company on a separate server and send customers information about the services. ExpressVPN uses third-party cookies on their site.

Customer Support

ExpressVPN offers its customers several options for contacting the company and receiving customer service. Many companies offer support via social media, but ExpressVPN does not, rather, they respond to customers requesting information or support via social media, asking them to contact them via their approved channels of email, contact form, or live chat. Those needing more expedient assistance are advised to use the online chat function since the response time is nearly immediate. Customers using other methods to contact the company may have a wait time of a few hours.

Referral Program

ExpressVPN offers a unique referral program for existing customers. Current customers with an account in good status are able to refer their friends and family for VPN services. Should they signup and purchase a VPN subscription from ExpressVPN, the referring party receives 30 days of free service. There is no limit to the number of referral bonuses which can be earned, although the company requires that the person being referred maintain their subscription for at least one month and not use the money-back refund.

• Extra Features
• Limits to Simultaneous Connections

Extra Features

As far as additional features, ExpressVPN is more limited than many of its competitors. They only offer a kill switch for Windows connections only. Customers with other operating systems must manually disconnect from the internet if the server goes down.

Limits to Simultaneous Connections

It is also important to report that the company has a limitation to the number of devices which can be simultaneously connected to the VPN without purchasing an additional subscription. Rather than offer their customers the opportunity to connect up to five devices (the norm in the industry), ExpressVPN allows the following devices to have concurrent connections to their service:

• 1 computer (Windows, Mac, Linux, or Chromebook)
• 1 mobile device (smartphone or tablet - Android, iPhone, iPad, iPod, or Kindle Fire)
• 1 wireless router (Sabai, DD-WRT, Asus, or Tomato)
• 1 streaming media console - with DNS (Apple TV, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, or Xbox One)
• Some customers have attempted to bypass this limitation with their DD-WRT-enabled router and reported that they were successful. This involves a higher level of technical savvy and some customers will be frustrated with the process.

In the current culture of multiple devices being online at the same time in the home, this limitation is significant.