The best VPN service in 2023

Servers, connections, and apps: ExpressVPN offers over 3,200 servers, which isn't as many as NordVPN (5,670) or Private Internet Access (over 20,000), but they're spread across a vast 160 locations over 94 countries—compared to NordVPN's 80 locations in 60 countries, and Surfshark's 143 locations in 100 countries. That's a pretty fantastic array of options to choose from, so you'll always be able to access content wherever you want it.

Its top-quality apps are a highlight, with ExpressVPN not only supporting Windows, Mac, Android, iOS, and Linux, but also having the best app for routers, downloads for Chromebooks, Amazon Fire TV, and Kindle Fire, and straightforward setup guides for just about everything else. Its Mac apps also run natively on Apple's M1 and M2 chips for maximum performance, too. You can protect any device you want, and even install its browser extension for additional security.

ExpressVPN subscriptions only support eight simultaneous connections, which is lower than most other leading providers offer. Surfshark and IPVanish go the whole hog with unlimited connections. However, eight is likely enough for most users, and our own simultaneous VPN connection survey data showed only 1 in 10 VPN users actually use more than 5 connections at the same time.

Security and privacy: from tight control over its server setup to military-grade AES 256-bit encryption, ExpressVPN is one of the most reliable services out there. In fact, It even created a proprietary and (uniquely among VPN providers) open-source Lightway protocol, to offer users a faster, more secure VPN experience.

ExpressVPN's Network Lock" kill switch held up to our stress tests, meaning you can trust it with your life—it's not going to accidentally leak your data. Couple that with its clear privacy policy, and wealth of regular, detailed third-party privacy and security audits, show that ExpressVPN's comprehensive approach betters most of the competition with a dedication to privacy and quality of construction that few genuinely offer.

Unfortunately, in August 2023, Kape (ExpressVPN's parent company) laid off around 200 staff, with others resigning in the aftermath. Included in that list was the CIO, Daniel Gericke, a former state hacker and marine who maintained a powerful presence in the industry and was partially responsible for a lot of ExpressVPN's recent success. 

Alongside some of those larger industry figures, Express lost a number of engineers, causing some to question the future impact on the quality of the product. As digital privacy advocates and VPN experts, the team and myself will be keeping a close eye on this situation, and have already voiced our concerns to ExpressVPN. I doubt that anything major will be affected within the next three years, as the majority of the core product and its code will likely remain untouched—maintaining that immense level of quality down the line.

In March 2023, Cure53 audited ExpressVPN's Lightway protocol and confirmed its security for the second time in a row. If you're wondering whether you should use Express' proprietary protocol, the answer is "yes." It's a faster, more secure alternative to traditional OpenVPN encryption—a protocol that's over 20 years old.

Usability: where ExpressVPN really shines for us, is its simple user interface. With a one-click connection feature, you're protected instantly. You can even set the app up to auto-connect when your device turns on, and customize your encryption to suit your needs better, be it torrenting, streaming shows from abroad, or gaming online.

Most top apps have at least some minor irritations—an unsorted list here, wasting time with an extra click there—but ExpressVPN developers prefer to work smarter, not harder. This means simplifying tasks and making your VPN experience smoother and more straightforward.

Performance: ExpressVPN lives up to its name, with maximum download speeds coming in at around 750 Mbps in our latest rigorous speed tests. For context, 25 Mbps is enough to stream shows at 4K Ultra HD, so this is more than enough for most people.

It's worth noting that this result is up significantly from our previous test (560 Mbps), and we're confident that it's a speed that will remain consistent. While Surfshark is currently our fastest VPN with speeds averaging over 950 Mbps, ExpressVPN still scores highly and would be more than enough for the most data-intensive tasks.

Streaming: this is yet another area where ExpressVPN excels, as in our latest tests the service unblocked Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney Plus, and BBC iPlayer library in every region we tested. 

Features: ExpressVPN goes above and beyond with cutting-edge VPN encryption protocols, secure DNS, leak protection, a kill switch (called Network Lock), split tunneling, and more—all of which we found to work admirably. It also expanded to hardware with the Aircove router. All of these features together give you a robust service that adapts to meet your needs—without compromising on security or privacy.

There are some unusual but helpful touches, such as a configurable toolbar that launches your favorite apps or websites from the ExpressVPN app (no more fumbling around with your browser or the Windows Start menu). There's almost always something shiny and new to add to the list on every review, including Threat Manager (which prevents apps and sites from communicating with trackers and malicious third parties), and a Parallel Connections feature to speed up VPN connection times.

Customer support: available 24/7, ExpressVPN's live chat is always there if you have a question or an issue and want a human response. I found replies to my queries to be speedy, with knowledgeable agents generally doing an excellent job of answering our questions like what servers are best to use for different streaming services. 

Smart website organization ensures it's easy to find what you need, and the support site is also crammed with clear and detailed articles, covering just about every topic you can think of. The articles include genuinely useful information, in clear and simple terms. For instance, instead of saying "Try another protocol" to get better speeds, it lists all possible protocols in the best-performing order—telling you exactly what you need to know. 

Price: ExpressVPN may seem like it's more expensive than leading competitors like NordVPN and Surfshark, but if you compare it like-for-like with other provider's one-year subscriptions, it's actually a lot more reasonable than the competition would have you think. Unfortunately, if you want the best VPN you have to pay for it. However, with a 30-day money-back guarantee, you can still give it a try and get your money back, risk-free to see how it compares to the competition. Put it to the test, and see for yourself why it's my favorite VPN, and why ExpressVPN tops our list as the best VPN service in 2023.