ExpressVPN is a real, long-running VPN founded in 2009, run from the British Virgin Islands and owned by Kape Technologies since 2021. Its privacy policy says it doesn't log your browsing or connection details. The catch is that a no-logs promise is the vendor's word, plus a named KPMG audit, not a guarantee.
A VPN asks you to trust it with all of your internet traffic, so it's right to ask whether ExpressVPN is safe before you pay. I can't test its servers and I won't pretend to. What I can do is read its own privacy policy and the public record on who owns it, so you know exactly which claims are the company's and which come from elsewhere.
Who owns and runs ExpressVPN
According to Wikipedia, ExpressVPN was founded in 2009 by Peter Burchhardt and Dan Pomerantz. Since 2021 it has been a subsidiary of Kape Technologies, with the acquisition reported on September 13, 2021. Express Technologies Ltd. operates the service and is incorporated in the British Virgin Islands.
Wikipedia also reports that Kape was delisted from the London Stock Exchange in 2023 in a transaction by Unikmind Holdings, a company owned by Teddy Sagi. If who owns your VPN matters to you, and for many people it does, that ownership chain is worth reading before you decide.
What ExpressVPN says about logs and privacy
The key claim for any VPN is what it records. ExpressVPN's privacy policy says it doesn't log your online activity while you're connected: no browsing history, traffic destination, data content or DNS queries, and no connection logs such as IP addresses and timestamps. It also says it operates under British Virgin Islands jurisdiction, in accordance with BVI laws.
It does say it collects some things. The policy lists the apps and app versions in use and whether a VPN connection was successfully established on a given day, along with the VPN location used and the country and ISP. It also says certain payment and fraud-prevention partners may obtain user IP addresses, stored separately from VPN activity.
| What I checked | What ExpressVPN's own pages say |
|---|---|
| Who operates it? | Express Technologies Ltd., incorporated in the British Virgin Islands |
| Who owns it? | Kape Technologies, since 2021 |
| Does it log browsing? | The policy says no browsing history, destinations or DNS queries |
| Does it keep connection logs? | The policy says no IP addresses or timestamps |
| Anything it does collect? | App versions and whether a connection succeeded on a given day |
Independent audits of ExpressVPN
Anyone can write a no-logs policy, so outside checks matter more. ExpressVPN's privacy policy names KPMG as having conducted an independent audit of its privacy policy and the privacy protections of its server technology. That's the vendor's statement about an audit, so if it matters to you, read the audit summary on ExpressVPN's own trust pages rather than relying on my summary.
An audit looks at a set point in time. It can't promise what a company will do afterwards, so I treat audits as useful evidence, not as a promise of safety.
The server seizure and the 2021 fine
Two public episodes come up whenever people discuss ExpressVPN. Wikipedia reports that Turkish investigators seized an ExpressVPN server in 2017 and found no logs, which the company said supported its no-logs claim.
Wikipedia also reports that in 2021 the company's chief information officer, Daniel Gericke, paid a 335,000 US dollar fine for past hacking work for the UAE government without a required US export licence. That concerned his earlier work, and it came up around the time Kape bought the company. Wikipedia's page carries a note about promotional tone, so I'd cross-check anything important against the original reports.
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What a VPN like ExpressVPN can and can't do
A VPN hides your traffic from your internet provider or a public Wi-Fi network and swaps your visible IP address for the VPN's. It doesn't make you anonymous, stop you downloading malware or protect an account with a weak password. If you're comparing providers, my side-by-side of two other popular VPNs shows how I look at the same questions.
- Keep your device updated, because a VPN doesn't patch your software.
- Use a password manager with unique passwords, like the one covered in my password manager review.
- Turn on two-factor authentication for your account.
- Remember that you still log into accounts like Google or Facebook, which can identify you.
- Check ExpressVPN's current terms for refunds and device limits, because I couldn't confirm the numbers.
Fake ExpressVPN apps, sites and support
VPN brands attract copycats, and a fake VPN app can read everything you do. Download only from ExpressVPN's official website or the official app stores, and type the address yourself.
- Be wary of cracked, free or modified ExpressVPN files offered on forums or video sites.
- Ignore pop-ups and ads claiming your connection is unsafe and telling you to install a VPN.
- Don't give remote access to your device to anyone claiming to be support.
- Don't share account passwords or one-time codes in chats or calls.
- Use support from inside the official site or app, not numbers from search adverts.
My verdict on ExpressVPN
In short, ExpressVPN is a real, established company, not a scam, and its privacy policy and named KPMG audit give you more to check than most apps offer. The honest caveats are that its no-logs claim is the vendor's word, it has been under Kape's ownership since 2021, and no VPN protects you from everything. Read the privacy policy, download only from official places and decide whether you trust the ownership.
Frequently asked questions
Who owns ExpressVPN?
ExpressVPN has been a subsidiary of Kape Technologies since 2021, according to Wikipedia. Express Technologies Ltd. operates the service.
Where is ExpressVPN based?
Its privacy policy says Express Technologies Ltd. operates under British Virgin Islands jurisdiction, in accordance with BVI laws.
Does ExpressVPN keep logs?
Its privacy policy says it doesn't log browsing history, traffic destinations, data content, DNS queries or connection logs such as IP addresses and timestamps. It does collect app versions and whether a connection succeeded on a given day.
Has ExpressVPN been audited?
Its privacy policy names KPMG as having conducted an independent audit of its privacy policy and the privacy protections of its server technology.
Is ExpressVPN legal to use?
A VPN is legal software in most places, but laws differ by country. Check the rules where you live, and remember that illegal activity stays illegal when you use a VPN.
