ExpressVPN Plans Compared: Basic vs Advanced vs Pro
ExpressVPN Advanced is my pick for readers in the United States, because it adds the Keys password manager and identity monitoring for a renewal of $119.95 a year after its first two-year term, which renews by itself on ExpressVPN's checkout page. Readers elsewhere get more from Basic, since ExpressVPN keeps every identity feature for US users alone.
ExpressVPN tiers replaced a single plan
ExpressVPN split its one subscription into Basic, Advanced and Pro on September 2, 2025, after 16 years of selling a single plan that varied only by term. Our own comparison data at The VPN Advisor, last checked in October 2026, lists ExpressVPN at £3.99 a month on its 12-month plan, or £47.88 for that first year by the site's own sum.
Basic covers the core VPN and nothing more
Basic leaves out the password manager, Advanced Protection, the eSIM data, identity monitoring and data removal. ExpressVPN connects over OpenVPN, WireGuard or IKEv2. Its apps work on Netflix, BBC iPlayer, Hulu, Disney+, Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV.
ExpressVPN runs 3,000 servers in 113 countries. Besides the standard protocols, it has one of its own design. Independent tests put its latency to a nearby server at 28 ms, and top10vpn's review reports a local download speed of 98 Mbps. We rate the service 4.5 stars overall. ExpressVPN offers no dedicated IP on any plan. It also cannot send your traffic through two servers in a row. Help arrives through live chat, email or a knowledge base. Basic also gets no discount on the Aircove router, where Advanced takes 25 to 50% off and Pro takes 50 to 75%.
ExpressVPN encrypts traffic with AES-256 and has a kill switch that blocks everything if the connection drops. Split tunneling lets chosen apps skip the tunnel. A built-in blocker stops ads and tracking scripts. Its servers run on RAM only and keep no logs. A third-party audit has also checked its security. One drawback for privacy-minded readers is that its apps are closed source. Support stays open around the clock, every day of the week.
Advanced adds identity tools and eSIM data
Advanced's identity monitoring sends fraud alerts and helps restore a stolen identity. ExpressMailGuard gives Basic 10 shared email aliases, Advanced 50 plus one custom domain, and Pro unlimited aliases with 20 custom domains.
Advanced and Pro both carry credit monitoring and theft insurance, though only Pro sends a monthly credit report. Pro includes 11 ID alerts against 5 on Advanced, with a higher ceiling on its identity theft insurance as well. American Bankers Insurance Company of Florida, an Assurant company, underwrites that insurance.
Advanced gives 3GB of eSIM data valid for 3 days, and Pro gives 3GB valid for 5 days. Your phone has to be carrier-unlocked and eSIM-compatible to use it. Pro alone gets the ExpressAI private chatbot, with 500 credits a day across 6 models and 2GB of storage. ExpressVPN for Teams offers multi-license discounts for five or more users.
Renewal prices set what you pay later
A two-year purchase covers 28 months, four of them bonus months. In dollars, ExpressVPN's checkout page shows Basic renewing by itself at $99.95 a year after that first term, with Pro renewing automatically at $199.95 a year. ExpressVPN tells you the renewal amount at least a month before the term ends. Rates can change on 30 days' notice.
Monthly billing brings neither a discount nor bonus months. It loses the eSIM data as well.
Refunds cover first purchases for 30 days
New subscribers who cancel inside 30 days of buying get their money back in full, whatever the reason. A renewed subscription gets a shorter 14-day window from the renewal date. Anything bought with a gift card or another voucher code falls outside the guarantee. Subscriptions bought through the Apple App Store or Google Play are refunded by Apple or Google instead.
ExpressVPN counts the window to the hour, so an order placed at 8am on July 1 stays refundable until 8am on July 31. Upgrading to a longer term or adding licenses on the same account does not restart that clock.
You ask for a refund through ExpressVPN's live chat, which runs around the clock, or by email. Approved refunds usually reach the original payment method within 7 days, though ExpressVPN keeps the right to turn down a second refund for anyone who has already had one. Phone users get a 3-day free trial on iOS and Android.
Advanced for US households, Basic for everyone else
US readers should buy Advanced from the ExpressVPN page, because it has the password manager, identity alerts and theft insurance and renews lower than Pro, though its eSIM data works only on an unlocked, compatible phone. Readers outside the US should choose Basic, because it renews lowest of the three and skips extras built for US users, though it gives up the Aircove router discount. Pro suits a US reader who wants the monthly credit report and more ID alerts, though it renews higher than Basic or Advanced.
