ExpressVPN adds 3 brand-new features and cuts subscription prices to record-breaking new low

Compared to the competition, NordVPN is also running a sale, with prices from £8.89 to £2.59 per month. However, if you subscribe to its priciest plan, it will include an Amazon.co.uk Gift Card worth up to £50.

VPN rival CyberGhost has dropped prices from £10.89 to £1.78, but the only brand that still competes with ExpressVPN is Surfshark, which offers a subscription for £1.49 per month. But, as noted in our ExpressVPN review, there's no point looking elsewhere if your priorities are speed and reliability.

And the latest ExpressVPN discount comes at a time when the award-winning VPN service has launched a flurry of exciting new updates to its service.

First up, the security brand has added a new tool designed to supercharge your privacy with disposable email aliases. Rather than handing out the iCloud, Gmail, or Yahoo email address that you use to keep in touch with friends or family, or use for professional communications, these single-use addresses will mask your real email when signing up for new services, using apps, or dealing with potentially untrusted services.

All mail sent to the disposable email managed by ExpressVPN is safely and securely forwarded to the inbox you actually use — so you'll never miss any correspondence. But since the aliases are expendable, you can instantly block one the moment that it starts to receive spam or unwanted messages.

Ditching your email address would usually cause an immense headache — leaving you unreachable, or forcing you to spend time and effort to set-up new accounts with a fresh email address.

But that's not the case with ExpressVPN's latest functionality, dubbed ExpressMailGuard. Best of all? It's included at no extra cost for all ExpressVPN subscribers, including Basic, Pro, and Advanced.

The second recent addition is a dramatic upgrade to the password manager included at no extra cost with ExpressVPN Advanced and ExpressVPN Pro price tiers. Dubbed ExpressKeys, this feature was first introduced in November 2023, but is now available as a standalone app for the first time.

ExpressKeys can be downloaded to your iOS or Android device at no extra cost and used to generate one-of-a-kind passwords for every account. Existing login and credit card details can be saved, stored, and organised within the app. When it's time to sign-in to one of your accounts, ExpressKeys will automatically type into the empty text fields after verifying your identity with a biometric check, like a facial or fingerprint scan.

It means your accounts can be secured with a unique, secure password. If a website, mobile app, or social network you've ever used is hacked and your username-password combination is shared on the Dark Web, there's no way for hackers to use that information to break into other accounts — a technique used as credential-stuffing.

Instead of keeping your passwords written down in a physical notebook, password managers like ExpressKeys let you temporarily share login details with friends and family who might need to access one of your accounts. It also proactively monitors data breaches and other hacks, so you know which passwords must be changed.

While the ExpressKeys functionality has long been included as part of ExpressVPN, the security firm has spun off the service into a standalone app on iOS and Android. This decision should streamline the primary ExpressVPN app, which is now centred solely on VPN connections, and ensure a faster rollout of new features to ExpressKeys.

Last of the new additions to ExpressVPN is a first-of-its-kind update that adds its military encryption to the next generation of Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools. Dubbed a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server, ExpressVPN has beaten rivals like NordVPN, Surfshark, and Proton to introduce this type of system.

The addition of the MCP allows your AI tools to communicate directly with your VPN.

With the beta release, your existing AI tools, like ChatGPT, can now control your VPN using your own commands. Tasks that once needed manual setup — like connecting, switching servers, or managing your privacy settings — can now be handled automatically by your AI assistant.

Rather than switching between apps to change your server region or check if your connection is secure, you can now do it all through the navigation of your AI assistant.

It's ideal for automating demanding tasks that used to break your concentration — things like switching server locations, verifying your VPN is active, checking security settings, and sorting out connectivity problems.

ExpressVPN can be used simultaneously across up to 10x gadgets with its most affordable ExpressVPN Basic subscription, including iPhone, Android, Mac, iPad, Linux computers, Windows 10, Windows 11, Fire TV Stick, and even your Wi-Fi router, to name a few.

Running a Virtual Private Network (VPN) on any of these gadgets will apply military-grade encryption to everything you do online, keeping your browsing history under lock and key from governments and advertisers.

Even your broadband supplier won't be able to keep tabs on the websites you're checking — or how often you're visiting them. Not only that, but ExpressVPN will bundle its Lite Protection package, which blocks adverts and malicious websites on your devices to keep your browsing speedy and safe.

Unsure about whether you'll get enough use from a VPN? ExpressVPN includes a quibble-free 30-day guarantee on all of its subscriptions.

With 24/7 customer support, you'll be able to talk to someone from any time zone to get a full refund if you're unhappy with the experience on your devices. Yes, ExpressVPN is that confident.

It comes days after ExpressVPN has started to overhaul its desktop apps for Mac, Windows, and Linux. Some of these apps are in beta testing, while others are available to download today.

To unlock this ludicrous 82% discount, you'll need to subscribe to a two-year plan.

That might sound intimidating, especially if you haven't subscribed to a Virtual Private Network (VPN) before, but ExpressVPN offers a no-quibbles 30-day money-back guarantee so you can try out every feature on every device before deciding whether to move ahead with the full 24-month contract.

Even better, ExpressVPN will bundle four months of extra access at no cost — so you'll be able to encrypt and secure your connection for 28 months without paying any more than a two-year plan. ExpressVPN uses military-grade AES-256 encryption, the same standard trusted by the US government to guard classified information.

ExpressVPN unveiled the biggest shake-up to its subscriptions in 16 years earlier this summer. It ditched its one-size-fits-all approach in favour of three price plans: Basic, Advanced, and Pro.

The decision to offer different plans enables this award-winning VPN to be more competitive.

The most affordable subscription costs just £1.74 per month for the ExpressVPN Basic tier. The name of this bundle undersells it slightly.

Granted, it misses out on the ExpressVPN Keys secure password manager to store, manage, and generate ultra-secure passwords for all your logins, eSIM data when travelling abroad, and an exclusive discount on the Aircove Wi-Fi router that you'll find with other price plans... but Basic still offers access to the VPN service that earned ExpressVPN its reputation.

For example, Basic subscribers who spend less than 6p a day to access ExpressVPN still benefit from its core VPN features. That includes the fast Lightway protocols and your choice of over 3,000 servers worldwide, including a dedicated location in every US state.

There's also its top-tier post-quantum encryption — a feature that sets ExpressVPN apart from its competitors.

MORE LIKE THIS

• Best VPN deals
• How to install a VPN on your Wi-Fi router
• What does VPN mean?
• How to install ExpressVPN on Windows 10
• How to install ExpressVPN on Windows 11
• Am I using a VPN? Check if you've enabled a VPN on your device
• ExpressVPN rolls out critical security update
• Best VPN deals
• Can you use a VPN to reduce adverts and trackers?
• Best cheap VPNs
• Police seize VPN server – is your personal data safe?

For those who don't know, as quantum computers become more powerful, these machines will eventually be able to crack encryption algorithms that are currently deemed secure.

Experts estimate that it'd take a current-generation computer around 300 trillion years to break a standard RSA-2048 bit encryption key, while a quantum computer with enough qubits could crack it in a matter of days. That could flip encryption on its head, with systems used by banks and password managers at the moment suddenly penetrable to anyone with a powerful quantum computer in under a week.

By default, ExpressVPN now relies on a supercharged form of encryption that will not be susceptible to these advances. It's part of an update rolled-out to its Lightway encryption system.

Elsewhere, the £1.74 ExpressVPN Basic plan offers protection for 10 devices simultaneously, and there's still the same 30-day money-back guarantee. The company has confirmed DNS-based ad-blocking is coming soon to Basic plans too.

So, what's missing from this most affordable ExpressVPN plan?

You won't enjoy benefits like ExpressVPN Keys password manager, threat protection features, or the Identity Defender suite. The latter boasts four essential products — ID Alerts, ID Theft Insurance, Data Removal, and Credit Scanner — designed to help you block criminals from stealing your identity.

In the latest Black Friday sale, ExpressVPN's Advanced subscription costs £2.44 per month. For that, you'll benefit from its Keys password manager, plus three days of unlimited mobile data to use anywhere on the planet via an eSIM plan courtesy of Holiday.com.

The device limit increases to 12 simultaneous connections, plus you'll gain access to identity monitoring with fraud alerts and restoration services – though these ID features only work if you're in the US.

There are also built-in features to block adverts, trackers, malicious sites, and more.

It could be the sweet spot if you want more than ExpressVPN Basic, but don't need all the premium features. If you're already subscribed to a password manager like LastPass, 1Password, or Dashlane, it could be cheaper to just subscribe to ExpressVPN for its VPN and ability to suggest (and autofill) secure passwords.

Lastly, ExpressVPN Pro is the most expensive — and feature-packed — subscription tier.

Priced at £3.84 per month, this is the only subscription that includes one of ExpressVPN's most requested features – a dedicated IP address that's exclusive to you. You won't have to share it with other VPN users, and it's so private that even ExpressVPN can’t trace it back to you.

This was previously an optional add-on for ExpressVPN subscribers, so it's interesting to see the much-loved feature included as part of a monthly subscription... even if it happens to be the priciest one.

You'll get everything included with the more affordable tiers, plus 5 days of eSIM data, monthly credit reports, and data removal services for US users. The device limit increases to 14, and you'll receive up to 75% off Aircove routers, which run ExpressVPN software so that every device connected to Wi-Fi is secured via VPN.

It's worth noting that if you're outside the US, you won't benefit from these Identity Defender features, making this tier less appealing for international users. Whether you're looking for a cheaper ExpressVPN plan, or you're currently paying an additional fee for access to a dedicated IP address and can now fold it into your subscription, this shake-up will impact users on every price plan.