ExpressVPN vs The Rest: The Overpriced King vs The Budget Beasts
A deep dive into ExpressVPN.
Most VPN reviews are sponsored trash. Here's the raw truth: ExpressVPN is the Apple of VPNs—smooth, polished, and you're paying a 40% premium for the logo.
I've tested every major VPN for years, and I almost lost a critical client presentation because NordVPN's "Threat Protection" feature blocked my own damn slides. ExpressVPN's Lightway protocol saved my ass that day with a stable connection, but let's not pretend it's perfect.
The Meat: Where These VPNs Actually Differ
1. Speed vs Price: The Raw Trade-Off
ExpressVPN's Lightway protocol is a legit beast—I consistently get 85-90% of my base speed. But at $12.95/month, it's a luxury. Surfshark and PIA deliver 70-80% for half the price. NordVPN is close in speed but their app UI has this annoying "Quick Connect" button that sometimes connects to a server 3,000 miles away instead of the optimal one. I've wasted 30 seconds manually switching more times than I can count.
2. The Privacy Theater
ExpressVPN is based in the British Virgin Islands (good), has a proven no-logs policy (good), but their RAM-only servers are marketing fluff. Every decent VPN uses RAM now. Meanwhile, ProtonVPN's Swiss jurisdiction and open-source apps are technically superior for privacy purists, but their free tier is so slow it's practically useless for anything beyond checking email.
💡 Pro Tip: Don't fall for "unlimited devices" claims. Surfshark allows unlimited connections, but their network gets congested during peak hours. If you actually need 10+ devices, get two separate accounts of a cheaper VPN instead of one "unlimited" plan.
3. The Streaming Unblocking Arms Race
ExpressVPN consistently unblocks Netflix, Disney+, and BBC iPlayer. But so do NordVPN and Surfshark 95% of the time. Where ExpressVPN wins is consistency—I've never had to cycle through 3 servers to find one that works. Mullvad is trash for streaming; they don't even try to bypass geo-blocks.
The Data: No Bullshit Comparison
| VPN | Monthly Price | Speed Retention | Jurisdiction | Streaming Success Rate | My Brutal Take |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ExpressVPN | $12.95 | 85-90% | British Virgin Islands | 99% | The polished king. Overpriced but reliable. |
| NordVPN | $12.99 | 80-85% | Panama | 95% | Almost as good, worse UI. That Quick Connect bug is infuriating. |
| Surfshark | $10.99 | 70-80% | Netherlands | 90% | Budget beast. Unlimited devices but peak-time lag. |
| ProtonVPN | $9.99 | 75-85% | Switzerland | 85% | Privacy king, streaming peasant. Free tier is a joke. |
| Mullvad | €5 (~$5.50) | 70-75% | Sweden | 0% | Privacy extremist. Don't buy if you want Netflix. |
The Verdict
Buy ExpressVPN if: You value reliability over everything else, need consistent streaming access, and don't mind paying a premium for polish. It's the business-class option.
Otherwise, avoid it. Get Surfshark if you're on a budget and have multiple devices. Get ProtonVPN if privacy is your #1 concern. Get NordVPN if you want a balance but prepare to fight their UI. Mullvad is only for privacy extremists who don't stream.
