Any guide covering the best VPNs would be foolish not to include ExpressVPN, and at Tom's Guide we certainly aren't fools.
In our ExpressVPN review, we found the British Virgin Islands-based serviceis a speedy and secure VPN, but as with most VPNs, there is a choice of subscription plan and each has its own different price. In general, it's worth bearing in mind that the best VPN deals are for the longest subscriptions.
Whatever subscription you opt for, ExpressVPN certainly isn't cheap. It's a premium service offered at a premium price, but it's still good value for money – especially if you know how to bag the best price.
Express VPN price
Unlike other VPN providers, there is only one level of subscription for ExpressVPN, but the price still varies depending on your subscription length.
The best value offer is a 12-month subscription, which will set you back $8.32 per month. However, head through most sites that recommend ExpressVPN – including Tom's Guide – and you'll actually get 3 months extra thrown in for free. This brings the monthly price down to $6.67 per month, over a period of 15 months.
If you'd rather a shorter contract, then the 6-month plan is $9.99 per month, which is better than the month-to-month cost of $12.95.
It's worth bearing in mind that all of the subscriptions come with a 30-day money-back guarantee should you change your mind, so it's perfectly possible to sign up, test it out for a month, and then claim a refund if you're not a fan.
Express VPN price comparison
As I've mentioned, ExpressVPN is definitely on the upper end of the VPN market. $6.67 per month (on a year-long plan) makes it considerably more expensive than another of our favorite VPNs, Surfshark.
You can access Surfshark for almost exactly one-third of the price of ExpressVPN ($2.19). It's not only one of the best cheap VPNs, but also a truly lightning-fast VPN with some excellent security features to boot. On the other hand, it's not quite as user-friendly as ExpressVPN, and we had a couple of doubts about its kill switch feature.
Priced between the two rivals is NordVPN, our current #1 choice of VPN. Starting as low as $3.39 per month, it's certainly a compelling choice. Nord does, however, have a choice of subscription tiers with different features, so make sure to peruse them before buying.
What makes ExpressVPN so good
The keyword here is simplicity. We consider ExpressVPN to be one of the best beginner VPNs and the easiest to use.
Its simple interface helps it stand out from the pack on both desktop and mobile (where NordVPN struggles), while 24/7 support and a one-click connect function make it a fantastic introduction to the world of VPNs.
As for privacy, with servers in 105 different countries and leading encryption and obfuscation, it's amongst the very best on offer.
If you're not that security conscious then you'll be pleased to know that ExpressVPN is also one of our top picks for the best streaming VPN. It can bypass blocks on major streaming services to unlock geo-restricted content with ease.
