![]() ![]() Lightway is a relatively new protocol and its efficient codebase allows for fast connection speeds, so if you’re looking to optimize your speeds, we recommend using Lightway. Case in point: We calculated an average speed loss of 38.5% (29% on MacOS and 48% on Windows) through the OpenVPN protocol with ExpressVPN and an average speed loss of just 11% (7% on MacOS and 15% on Windows) through Lightway. ![]() While OpenVPN can usually deliver a good balance of privacy and speed, it’s generally not quite as fast as some of the newer lightweight protocols like WireGuard or ExpressVPN’s proprietary Lightway protocol. It is therefore unlikely that ExpressVPN’s OpenVPN speeds will improve much in the future, if at all. ExpressVPN told us that engineers are focusing their resources on Lightway over OpenVPN because 99% of ExpressVPN users use Lightway to connect. That’s considerably better than the 48% speed loss we calculated with ExpressVPN’s Windows app using OpenVPN. Surfshark and NordVPN were able to resolve the issue and improve their Windows OpenVPN speeds and drop the speed loss to 28.5% and 18.5%, respectively. NordVPN representatives told us that the issue stems from a recent Windows 11 update and affects all VPN providers that offer OpenVPN or L2TP protocols. Both NordVPN and Surfshark were cutting our speeds by more than 75% when we connected through OpenVPN on Windows. Our experience was similar - if not nearly as dramatic - with Surfshark and NordVPN in recent speed tests, both of which also struggled to deliver speedy connections through OpenVPN on Windows. We lost 48% of our base internet speeds when connecting through the OpenVPN protocol using the ExpressVPN app on Windows 11. ![]() Unusually slow OpenVPN speeds on Windows were primarily to blame for the speed dip with ExpressVPN. While it scored lower on cost and speed (some competitors are cheaper or faster), what we’re left with is a VPN that’s sufficiently fast, easy to use, excellent for streaming, trustworthy and a leader in privacy and security, placing it first on CNET’s list of the best VPNs. Overall, ExpressVPN topped its competitors when evaluated for usability and received strong scores in privacy and transparency. We were happy with how quickly ExpressVPN engineers sprang into action to patch the DNS issue, but we’d like to see the VPN address the streaming and speed issues soon as well. There were a few bumps in the road with speeds and streaming on Apple TV, along with a much higher-stakes issue with DNS leaks in a certain edge case. See here for more detail on how we test and rate VPNs at CNET. We examined ExpressVPN’s privacy policy and looked at the provider’s audit history to assess its transparency efforts, and we tested its streaming capabilities on various platforms, server locations and streaming services. We thoroughly tested ExpressVPN’s features on all platforms and operating systems we had at our disposal. We ran more than 250 individual speed tests on multiple servers through various protocols and operating systems. We ran an extensive battery of tests on ExpressVPN to see how it performs in terms of factors like speeds, privacy, usability, streaming and overall value. But if the steeper price isn’t a deterrent, you’ll experience how ExpressVPN is one of the best and most powerful VPNs on the planet. The catch is that you’ll have to pony up quite a bit more than you would for its more budget-friendly competitors, including Surfshark and PIA. If you’re looking for the best in terms of usability, along with a strong commitment to transparency and privacy - or if you just want to discover a world of streaming content with a VPN that’s a breeze to use across all platforms - then ExpressVPN should be your go-to service, scoring an industry-leading 8.8 in CNET’s evaluation. ![]()
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