ExpressVPN is currently CNET’s pick for the best VPN overall, delivering the most consistent and streamlined VPN app experience for iPhones. Its minimalist interface is simple to use, whether you’re an advanced VPN user or if you’ve never used one before. ExpressVPN is the easiest VPN app to use on any platform, including iPhone. The app settings are easy to navigate and finding a server location is straightforward. We like how the app always connects in a snap, which isn’t always the case with other VPNs — like Surfshark — which often struggle to connect immediately on the first attempt. In addition to a kill switch, protocol selection and an Advanced Protection tool to block ads, trackers and malicious sites, ExpressVPN’s iOS app includes Keys, a fully functional password manager at no additional cost.

The veteran VPN provider consistently demonstrates a strong commitment to privacy and transparency. It’s also excellent for streaming, effortlessly unblocking all sorts of streaming content, including Netflix, Disney Plus, Hulu and Amazon Prime Video. Although fast enough for almost any online activity, ExpressVPN’s speeds are not quite as fast as some of its competitors, based on our latest speed tests. In 2024, we measured a 24.8% average speed loss with ExpressVPN. This is still fast, considering that many VPNs can slash your internet speeds by 50% or more. We saw substantially better speeds from NordVPN (11% speed loss) and Surfshark (17% speed loss). Still, ExpressVPN’s speeds were largely consistent and aligned with our expectations across protocols and server locations. We registered the fastest speeds through ExpressVPN’s proprietary Lightway protocol, which is engineered for speed and security. Overall, speeds were generally faster to relatively closer server locations like New York City and the UK, and slower to distant locations like Australia and Singapore. Either way, ExpressVPN’s speeds were still fast enough for general browsing as well as for more data-intensive activities like streaming, gaming and videoconferencing — especially if you use Lightway.

ExpressVPN says it collects no logs, a claim bolstered by a 2023 no-logs audit by KPMG. In addition to its transparency efforts, ExpressVPN’s privacy protections are top-notch and forward-thinking. The provider recently upgraded Lightway with post-quantum protection to help guard against future threats from quantum computers, along with encryption enhancements to better protect against threats like eavesdropping and man-in-the-middle attacks. ExpressVPN’s TrustedServer technology elevates the protections of the traditional RAM-only server architecture by reinstalling the entire software stack with every reboot.