How to Get an ExpressVPN Free Trial in 2024 (Updated in October 2024)

In this guide, I’ll provide step-by-step tutorials for both methods. In addition, I’ll also discuss why ExpressVPN is the best VPN on the market by covering its streaming and torrenting support, security and privacy features, speeds, and more.

How to Get an ExpressVPN Free Trial on Desktop (30-Days Risk-Free Refund)

1. Access the ExpressVPN Website

Go to the ExpressVPN website (www.expressvpn.com) on your browser, and click the green Get ExpressVPN button. Once you do that, you’ll be taken to a page displaying the provider’s plans.

2. Choose a Plan

ExpressVPN has 3 plans to choose from: a 1-month plan, a 6-month plan, and a 12-month plan. I personally recommend getting the longest plan since it provides the best savings, and it also usually comes with extra months of service for free.

3. Provide Email and Payment Details

Enter a valid email and choose your payment details. ExpressVPN accepts tons of payment methods, including credit/debit cards, PayPal, Bitcoin, and other payment options via Paymentwall.

4. Get the Activation Code and Download the ExpressVPN App

On the next page, copy the activation code. Then, click on Download to download the provider’s app for your device. 

5. Install and Activate the ExpressVPN App on Your Device

Install the VPN app, then paste the activation code when you launch it. This will allow you to log into your account. Also, follow any on-screen instructions you see to finish setting up the app.

6. Use ExpressVPN Risk-Free for the Next 30 Days

Use ExpressVPN for any kinds of online activities you want — streaming, torrenting, secure browsing, online gaming, online shopping, and more. The refund policy provides you with more than enough time to test ExpressVPN risk-free to see if it’s right for you. You can cancel your subscription and get a refund any time you want during the 30 days (to do that, just follow the next instructions).

7. Log Into Your Account Dashboard

To get a refund, log into your account dashboard. To do this, access the provider’s site (www.expressvpn.com), click My Account, which is located in the top right corner. Then, type in your login credentials to proceed.

8. Access Your Subscription Settings

First, click My Subscription, which can be found on the menu on the left. After that, click Edit Subscription to proceed to the next step. 

9. Cancel Automatic Renewal

Just click the Turn Off Automatic Renewal button at the bottom of the page. You’ll be asked to confirm this decision 2 times, so continue by clicking the same button every time.

10. Contact Customer Support via Live Chat

Go to ExpressVPN’s main page and click the live chat button. The button is in the lower right corner — just give it 2–3 seconds to pop up. You can also request a refund via email, but live chat is much more convenient and faster. 

11. Ask for a Refund 

Simply ask the live chat rep to cancel your plan and provide a refund. The rep will check your account data, and then let you know when the refund has been issued. It might take anywhere from 7 to 10 business days to get your money back — I received it in around 2 days.

How to Get an ExpressVPN Free Trial on Mobile (7-Day Free Trial)

Android

1. Download ExpressVPN from the Google Play Store

Look up ExpressVPN on the Google Play store. Once you find it, tap on the Install button, and wait for the app to finish downloading and installing. 

2. Open the ExpressVPN App

Find the provider’s app on your device, and run it. When you open it, you’ll see an option to sign in and an option to get a free trial — tap on the green Start Free Trial button.

3. Confirm Your Subscription

You’ll need to pick a plan and confirm your payment details. Don’t worry — ExpressVPN won’t charge you anything upfront. The provider will only charge your payment method once the 7 days are over.

4. Enjoy ExpressVPN Risk-Free for 7 Days

The free trial gives you access to all of the provider’s features. Use ExpressVPN risk-free to securely surf the web, torrent files, play online games, and access streaming content. If you want to continue using ExpressVPN, I recommend canceling the 7-day trial (just follow the instructions below) and getting a plan via the provider’s site — that way, your purchase will be covered by the VPN’s 30-day refund.

5. Access Your Play Store Profile

Open the Play Store and access your profile settings. To do that, tap on your profile icon, which is located in the top right corner. 

6. Head to Your Subscriptions List

Next, head to your list of active subscriptions. In your profile settings menu, tap Payments & subscriptions, and then tap Subscriptions.

7. Cancel the Free Trial

Tap Cancel subscription at the bottom. You’ll be asked to provide a reason for doing this, but you can also decline to answer. 

iOS

1. Download ExpressVPN from the App Store 

Search ExpressVPN on the Apple app store. Once you find it, download and install the app — the process shouldn’t take longer than 2 minutes.

2. Launch the ExpressVPN App

Run the VPN app and pick the free trial option. To do that, simply tap on the green Start Free Trial button.

3. Confirm the ExpressVPN Subscription

Pick a plan and confirm your Apple app store payment method. The provider won’t charge you once you do that — it will only bill your payment method after the 7 days are over.

4. Enjoy ExpressVPN for 7 Days

Use ExpressVPN for any type of online activity you want, as the free trial provides access to all of the VPN’s features. If you decide you want to keep using this VPN, it’s better to cancel the 7-day trial (follow the instructions below to do it), and get a subscription via ExpressVPN’s site — if you do this, your purchase will be covered by the provider’s 30-day refund policy.

5. Access the App Store Subscription List

Go to the app store and tap the profile icon in the top right corner. This will take you to your profile settings. Once you’re there, tap Subscriptions. 

6. Cancel Your Free Trial

Find ExpressVPN on your subscriptions list, then tap Cancel Free Trial. You might need to confirm this decision, so make sure to do so.

Why Should You Try ExpressVPN? (7 Reasons)

1. ExpressVPN Provides Industry-Leading Security and Privacy Provides Industry-Leading Security and Privacy

ExpressVPN Security & Privacy Features
Mil itary-Grade Encryption (256-AES)
Kill Switch
DNS Leak Protection
No-Logs Policy	(independently audited)
Advanced Security Features	RAM-only servers, perfect forward secrecy, full leak protection
Extra Security Features	Advanced Protection, obfuscation, ExpressVPN Keys

ExpressVPN provides access to all essential VPN security and privacy features, including: 

• 256-bit AES encryption — Makes all of your traffic 100% unreadable, so that nobody can spy on it. 
• Kill switch — Shuts down all internet access if your VPN connection drops to protect you from traffic leaks that could reveal sensitive data. 
• No-logs policy — Ensures that ExpressVPN doesn’t record your IP address (which reveals your location) and browsing data. The provider’s no-logs policy has passed several independent audits, and it has also been proven true in a server seizure.
• DNS leak protection — ExpressVPN runs its own encrypted DNS servers, which ensures your DNS requests can’t leak outside the VPN tunnel. This way, your ISP can’t see your DNS traffic (which would let it see what sites you’re connecting to). 

In addition, the provider also uses very secure VPN protocols. It uses OpenVPN and IKEv2/IPSec, which both provide strong security and good speeds. Also, it has Lightway, which is its proprietary protocol. Lightway was designed to provide ultra-secure connections and super fast speeds — plus, it’s also open-source, which means anyone can inspect the code for security issues (plus, it has also passed independent security audits). 

Also, ExpressVPN comes with advanced security tools. On top of DNS leak protection, it also has IPv6 and WebRTC leak protection — and in my leak tests, it never exposed my IP and DNS data. What’s more, the provider has RAM-only servers, meaning that every server reset wipes all data. And it also uses perfect forward secrecy, which changes the encryption key for each VPN connection (which prevents hackers from trying to compromise past or future session keys to spy on your traffic). 

And I also really like ExpressVPN’s Advanced Protection feature. It gets rid of annoying ads and also blocks connections to shady websites — I tested it, and it always stopped ads from loading and prevented me from accessing HTTP websites. Also, this tool lets you block access to adult sites, which provides some level of parental controls. 

Other than that, ExpressVPN also has a few other useful extra security features. It comes with obfuscation, which hides your VPN traffic — this provides an extra layer of privacy, and it also allows you to freely access the web in restrictive countries like China. And you also get access to ExpressVPN Keys, which is a pretty good password manager that allows you to secure all of your logins.

Read more about ExpressVPN’s security and privacy in my full review

2. ExpressVPN Has the Fastest Speeds on the Market Has the Fastest Speeds on the Market

ExpressVPN is by far the fastest VPN out there. I ran several speed tests on both nearby and distant servers, and I always enjoyed blazing-fast connection speeds — all the websites I accessed loaded instantly, and so did HD and 4K videos. Plus, it only took me around 8 minutes (9 minutes at most on distant servers) to torrent a 10 GB file. I also enjoy similar speeds whenever I use this VPN while traveling abroad.

Plus, the provider also lets you boost VPN speeds via split-tunneling. This is a feature that lets you choose which apps use ExpressVPN, and which apps use your local internet connection. I used split-tunneling to only send P2P traffic through the VPN, and that improved my VPN P2P speeds by about 15%, which is really good.

Read more about ExpressVPN’s speeds in my full review

3. ExpressVPN Is the Best VPN for Streaming Is the Best VPN for Streaming

ExpressVPN Streaming Support
Number of Streaming Service	100+
Works with Netflix
Number of Netflix Libraries	15+
Smart DNS

ExpressVPN definitely provides the best streaming support on the market. It’s compatible with 100+ streaming services, including top sites like Netflix, Disney+, Amazon Prime Video, and BBC iPlayer. So, you get excellent variety. 

In addition, this is also the best Netflix VPN out there — that’s because ExpressVPN works with 15+ Netflix libraries, including popular ones like Netflix US, Netflix Canada, Netflix Japan, and Netflix UK.

Finally, I also love how this provider has a smart DNS service. This is a useful tool that lets you watch streaming content on devices that you can’t install a VPN app on, like gaming consoles or certain smart TV models. The provider’s smart DNS is simple to set up, and it works with streaming sites from the US and the UK.

Read more about ExpressVPN’s streaming support in my full review

4. ExpressVPN Provides Excellent P2P Support Provides Excellent P2P Supports

ExpressVPN Torrenting Support
P2P Servers	(all servers)
Port Forwarding	(via router app)
SOCKS5 Proxy Support
Switch
No-Logs Policy	(independently audited)

ExpressVPN is among the best P2P VPNs in 2024. It supports torrenting traffic on all of its servers, which are located in 100+ countries. This makes it super simple to torrent on nearby servers to ensure you get the fastest download speeds. 

And the provider also comes with port forwarding, which allows you to connect to more peers to get faster P2P speeds — when I enabled this feature, my torrenting speeds increased by about 10%, which is nice. Just keep in mind you can only enable this feature via the provider’s dedicated router app (luckily, the app is simple to install and use).

In addition, you also get excellent security and privacy for torrenting — the provider comes with a kill switch to prevent traffic leaks, and an audited no-logs policy to confirm that the VPN doesn’t log your P2P data. What’s more, it has Advanced Protection, which is a feature that protects you from malicious ads on P2P sites and shady torrent trackers. Also, you can use its ExpressVPN Keys tool to secure your logins for privacy torrent sites.

Read more about ExpressVPN’s P2P support in my full review

5. ExpressVPN Is the Best VPN for Gaming Is the Best VPN for Gaming

ExpressVPN Gaming Support
Ping on Distant Servers	131–135 ms
Lag
Dropped Connections
Anti-DDoS Protection

I think ExpressVPN is an excellent pick for gaming since it has super fast speeds. Whenever I use it to game online, I always maintain stable and smooth ping while connected to distant servers — for example, I used it to play a few matches of Dota 2, and I averaged 131–135 ms ping. In addition, I never experienced any lag or dropped connections. 

Plus, I also love how all of the provider’s servers have anti-DDoS protection. This way, if someone tried to DDoS your connection to ExpressVPN to disconnect you from the VPN, they wouldn’t be able to do it. 

And ExpressVPN also has other perks that improve your gaming. For one, it’s one of the only VPNs with a native router app, which means you can easily set it up on your router to use it while playing online games on your gaming consoles. Also, ExpressVPN also has cloud gaming support, meaning you can use it to game on platforms like GeForce Now without any issues.

Read more about ExpressVPN’s gaming support in my full review

6. ExpressVPN Provides Access to a Huge Server Network Provides Access to a Huge Server Network

ExpressVPN Server Network
Number of Servers	Unknown
Number of Countries	100+
Dedicated IP Addresses

With ExpressVPN, you get access to servers in 100+ countries, which is very good. The provider has VPN server locations in most continents, such as Europe, the Americas, Asia Pacific, the Middle East, and Africa. This makes it extremely easy to find and connect to nearby servers to get the fastest VPN speeds.

My only complaint is that ExpressVPN is missing dedicated IP addresses. If this is an issue for you, try NordVPN instead, as it provides access to dedicated IPs in 10+ countries for a small cost — plus, this provider also comes with a risk-free 30-day money-back guarantee (just like ExpressVPN).

Read more about ExpressVPN’s server network in my full review

7. ExpressVPN Is Super Easy to Use Is Super Easy to Use

ExpressVPN Ease of Use
Desktop Apps	Windows, macOS, Linux
Mobile Apps	Android, iOS
Smart TV Apps	Android TV, Fire TV, Apple TV
Router Support	(has dedicated router app)

ExpressVPN has apps for tons of devices, including Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, Android TV, Fire TV, and Apple TV. The provider even comes with a dedicated router app that you can easily install and use on your router (most VPNs require a manual router setup, which is more inconvenient). 

On top of that, each ExpressVPN app is extremely intuitive. All apps have a quick-connect feature that automatically connects you to the fastest server, are very simple to navigate, and also come with quick, helpful explanations for all settings and features.

Read more about ExpressVPN’s ease of use in my full review

Don’t Like ExpressVPN After Trying It? Here Are a Few Alternatives

• CyberGhost VPN — This provider has a free 24-hour trial on all platforms, and a free 3-day trial on Android. In addition, it backs all long-term plans with a 45-day money-back guarantee. Plus, it’s also great for streaming, it’s super easy to use, and it’s very secure.
• Private Internet Access — This VPN has a risk-free 30-day money-back guarantee, just like ExpressVPN. In addition, it’s also the best VPN for torrenting, it provides very fast speeds, it has excellent privacy features, and it allows unlimited simultaneous connections. 
• NordVPN — The provider backs all plans with a no-questions-asked 30-day money-back guarantee. Also, it provides access to high-end security tools, it has excellent P2P support, it’s very intuitive, and it has very good gaming support. 

Is It Better to Use a Free VPN Instead?

Not really. I know that a free VPN is more attractive since it seems like it’s less of a hassle than getting a VPN free trial — especially when the free trial is a no-questions-asked money-back guarantee, which basically requires an upfront payment. 

But free VPNs have tons of drawbacks. For example, they often limit how much data you can use each day or month, so you can only use a free service for a few hours of basic web browsing at most. What’s more, free VPNs don’t have streaming or torrenting support, have pretty slow speeds, and come with buggy apps. In addition, some free VPNs lack essential security features, and even log you data and share it with third parties. 

It’s honestly much better to just get a premium VPN with a risk-free money-back guarantee. ExpressVPN’s money-back guarantee covers 30 days of service, which is more than enough time to fully test the VPN to see if it’s right for you. Plus, the refund policy is also no-questions-asked, which means you don’t need to meet any requirements to be eligible for a refund — simply ask for your money back, and you’ll get it back within a few days. Also, keep in mind that ExpressVPN often offers free months of service for free via its longest plan, so it provides great value. 

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