The best Black Friday VPN deal this year? I spent a week testing ExpressVPN – here are 3 of its best features

ExpressVPN may have dropped its Black Friday VPN deal later than some of the other major players but trust us: it was worth the wait.

ExpressVPN's 1-year and 2-year plans are currently heavily discounted, with 2-year Basic subscriptions starting from just $2.44 a month (less than $70 in total). Both plans get extra months of coverage included: 3 months for 1-year plans and 4 months for 2-year plans. It's a seriously sweet offer, especially when you consider that a NordVPN Basic plan comes in at $2.99 per month for 27 months, totaling $80 upfront.

Still, with offers like PrivadoVPN's $1.11 per month deal on the table, you might wonder why it's worth paying more for ExpressVPN. I spent a week using the VPN as part of our latest round of reviews, and have three good reasons why its worth the investment.

Lowest ever price!

ExpressVPN: $2.44/month (was $3.49) + 4 months extra
ExpressVPN's 2025 Black Friday discount is massive, slashing prices to the cheapest they've ever been. A Basic 2-year plan comes in at just under $70 up front and you'll get:

✅ Compatibility with most streaming platforms
✅ Ad and malicious site blocking
✅ AES-256 encryption with 4096-bit RSA keys

Admittedly, ExpressVPN isn't loaded with extras like NordVPN or Surfshark, which is why we recommend picking up a Basic plan. It's the best value for money, with 10 simultaneous connections to share with the family and a 30-day money-back guarantee.

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1. ExpressVPN isn’t afraid of an audit

VPNs will entice you ith alwl sorts of marketing ploys, but at the end of the day, trust is everything. If you can't trust your VPN to handle your sensitive data, you might as well not use one at all.

Like most of our top-rated VPNs, ExpressVPN has previously invited third-party auditors to comb through its logging policy. The most recent audit happened in June 2025, when KPMG confirmed that the VPN doesn't log or store identifiable user data.

However, ExpressVPN takes things a step further than most of the competition. It doesn't just commission the odd audit of its policies every year or so, it opens up its entire product to scrutiny and now has 23 audits under its belt, so far. Everything from its server infrastructure and apps, to its dedicated IPs and password manager has been scrutinized. Even Lightway, ExpressVPN's proprietary protocol, has undergone four separate audits.

2. There are servers in all 50 US states

ExpressVPN boasts an impressive global footprint, with servers spanning 105 countries. While its rival NordVPN technically has a wider reach at 118 countries, ExpressVPN holds a rare advantage, offering servers in all 50 US states.

This is a massive win for stateside users. In fact, US users now have 62 server locations to choose from – a huge expansion from the 24 that were available earlier in the year.

In addition to giving folks in the States nearby server access, this expansive server network has become even more important following the rollout of age verification laws across the country

In states like Arizona and Ohio, users are now required to hand over identifiable data to prove their age and access restricted content. The laws have prompted a deluge of concern from privacy advocates, who question whether we can trust these data handlers with our most sensitive documents.

The good news is that VPNs like ExpressVPN can help. Connecting to a US server (or a server anywhere else, for that matter), encrypts your traffic as it leaves your device and passes through the VPN server. This makes it much harder for that data to be intercepted and used by bad actors, and because ExpressVPN conceals your original IP address and location, too, sites and services can’t build up a comprehensive profile of your activity.

3. ExpressVPN has add-ons you’ll actually use

Admittedly, ExpressVPN isn't as replete with add-ons as NordVPN (which boasts a full cybersecurity suite) or Surfshark (with its Alternative ID and secure search tools). They're great packages, and cram a ton of value into tidy price tags.

ExpressVPN's offering is definitely leaner. A Basic plan comes with access to the "Lite" version of Advanced Protection – ExpressVPN's ad and malicious site blocker – and little else other than the core VPN functionality.

Upgrade to a Pro or Advanced plan, and you'll get the full-fat version of Advanced Protection, which also blocks trackers. You'll also get access to ExpressVPN Keys, a password manager, and a free eSIM – though it's only compatible with iPhones.

So, not exactly a wealth of tools, but they're all effective. For someone taking their first steps with a VPN, or buyers who want something solid and simple, that might not be a bad thing.

Picking up a VPN subscription laden with extras always runs a certain risk – what if you don’t end up using them? ExpressVPN’s features are straightforward. The ad and tracker blocker does its job quietly in the background, and the password manager integrates seamlessly across all of your devices.

Since I tested ExpressVPN Keys as part of our ExpressVPN review process, I've been using it every day to keep my credentials secure and organized. Plus, seeing them auto-fill as I hop from site to site is a nice quality-of-life improvement that helps stave off the holiday season stress.