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Tested May 2026 · Score 9.3/10

ExpressVPN Review 2026

Rating: 9.3/10 — The fastest VPN we've ever tested. Premium price, premium performance.

📅 Last updated: May 2026 · By Mark Gill · ⏱ 8 min read
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ExpressVPN Fastest

Rating: 9.3/10 · The fastest VPN we have ever tested. Premium price, premium performance.

£5.28/month
★★★★½
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Overview

ExpressVPN is the fastest VPN we have tested, averaging 101.4 Mbps on UK servers. Its Lightway protocol is the most efficient in the industry. The only drawback is price — at £5.28/mo it costs roughly twice as much as NordVPN.

We tested ExpressVPN over 30 days on UK broadband, a 4G mobile connection and public Wi-Fi. On a 500Mb connection it reduced download speeds by 5.2% on average using Lightway UDP.

Quick Verdict

ExpressVPN is the fastest VPN we have tested, averaging 101.4 Mbps on UK servers. Its Lightway protocol is the most efficient in the industry. The only drawback is price — at £5.28/mo it costs roughly twice as much as NordVPN.

Performance Scores

All scores out of 100, based on independent UK server testing over 30 days in May 2026.

ExpressVPN Scores

Speed
99
Privacy
93
Streaming
92
Value
72

Average UK download speed: 101.4 Mbps. Speed reduction on a 500Mb connection: 5.2% using Lightway UDP.

Streaming Performance

Tested weekly against UK streaming platforms. Results as of May 2026:

BBC iPlayer
Netflix UK
ITV Hub
Channel 4

Results above are from weekly testing. Any VPN failing a service is re-tested three times before status is updated.

Pros and Cons

Pros
  • Fastest VPN in every UK speed test
  • Works with BBC iPlayer, Netflix, ITV Hub, Channel 4
  • Lightway protocol has lowest CPU overhead
  • Router app available
  • Independent Cure53 no-logs audit
Cons
  • Most expensive VPN on this list
  • Only 5 simultaneous connections
  • No split tunnelling on all platforms

Features and Technical Specs

ProtocolsLightwayWireGuardOpenVPN
Servers3,000+
JurisdictionBritish Virgin Islands
Devices5 simultaneous
Kill SwitchYes (all platforms)
No-Logs PolicyYes — independently verified

Pricing and Current Deal

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£5.28/mo
Usually £10.64/mo
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Full Verdict

ExpressVPN is the fastest VPN we have tested, averaging 101.4 Mbps on UK servers. Its Lightway protocol is the most efficient in the industry. The only drawback is price — at £5.28/mo it costs roughly twice as much as NordVPN.

Bottom line

If raw speed is your priority and budget is not a concern, ExpressVPN is the choice. For most UK users, NordVPN delivers 95% of the performance at half the price.

Affiliate Disclosure: If you purchase ExpressVPN through our link, VPN Vault may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. This does not influence our rating or editorial content. We purchased ExpressVPN independently for testing.

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