--- title: "ExpressVPN Plans Compared: Basic vs Advanced vs Pro for Travellers" slug: "expressvpn-plans-basic-advanced-pro-comparison" description: "The VPN is the same on all three ExpressVPN tiers. Compare device limits, password manager, dedicated IP and current pricing to pick the right plan." author: "Adam Clarkson" lang: "en" date: "2026-09-19" published_at: "2026-09-19T05:53:57.000-04:00" updated_at: "2026-09-19T05:53:57.000-04:00" feature_image: "https://pub-7aaf5c6cc1c2496e8b9429b2cc0fe010.r2.dev/photos/large/54adb95c-7ef0-4635-b159-2186e91c68b5.jpg" tags: ["Comparison", "ExpressVPN", "#no-city", "#no-country", "#no-subregion", "#no-region", "VPN", "#affiliate-heavy"] canonical_url: "https://adamandlinds.com/blog/expressvpn-plans-basic-advanced-pro-comparison/" --- ExpressVPN sold a single subscription for sixteen years. In 2025 it split the product into three tiers, Basic, Advanced and Pro, and the naming makes it sound like the cheapest one is a cut-down VPN. It isn't. All three run the same servers, the same protocol and the same no-logs policy. What changes is how many devices you can cover at once and which extra tools come bundled alongside the VPN. That distinction matters more than it sounds if you're buying this for a family rather than a single laptop. We've been on the road since May 2022 with three kids, and the device count adds up faster than you'd think once you include phones, iPads, a Fire Stick and whatever laptop is currently doing the school work. ![A mall food court in Chiang Mai. Open network, no password, everyone's laptop out.](https://pub-7aaf5c6cc1c2496e8b9429b2cc0fe010.r2.dev/photos/large/54adb95c-7ef0-4635-b159-2186e91c68b5.jpg) ## What actually differs between the tiers The VPN is identical across all three. Every difference in the table below is either a device limit or a separate product that ExpressVPN bundles in. Feature Basic Advanced Pro Simultaneous devices 10 12 14 Ad and malicious site blocking DNS level Adds tracker and adult site blocking Adds tracker and adult site blocking ExpressVPN Keys password manager Not included Included Included Dedicated IP address Paid add-on Paid add-on Included Identity Defender (US accounts only) Not included Limited monitoring Adds credit reports and data removal Aircove router discount None Up to 50% Up to 75% The parental control filtering in Advanced is the one worth reading twice if you have kids sharing devices. It blocks adult sites at the network level rather than per device, so it applies to whatever is connected rather than whatever you remembered to configure. ## What every plan includes These are the parts that don't change no matter which tier you pick, and they're the reason the service costs more than the budget end of the market: - Servers in 113 countries across 214 app-selectable locations, after an expansion announced in July 2026 - Lightway, ExpressVPN's own protocol, which added post-quantum encryption in January 2026 - TrustedServer, meaning every server runs in RAM and wipes itself on reboot - A no-logs policy that has been audited repeatedly by KPMG and tested for real when Turkish authorities seized a server in 2017 and found nothing on it - Network Lock, the kill switch that cuts your connection entirely if the VPN drops - Split tunnelling, so your banking app can use the local connection while everything else routes through the VPN - British Virgin Islands jurisdiction, outside the Five, Nine and Fourteen Eyes agreements - A 30 day money-back guarantee on every tier Router firmware is also available on all three plans. If you install ExpressVPN on a compatible router the device limit stops mattering, because everything behind that router counts as one connection. For a family in a long-term rental that's usually the smarter setup. ## What it costs right now ExpressVPN is running a discount from 9 September to 23 September 2026. Prices below are the monthly equivalent on each term, and both terms come with bonus months on top: three extra on the annual plan, four extra on the two year plan. Tier 12 months + 3 free 24 months + 4 free Basic $3.99/month $2.99/month Advanced $4.99/month $3.99/month Pro $6.99/month $5.99/month Euro pricing runs slightly lower and is shown at checkout. The thing nobody puts in the marketing is that these are introductory rates. The first term bills at the discounted price and the renewal jumps to the standard rate, so budget for the higher number in year two or diarise the renewal date and decide again then. [Check current ExpressVPN pricing](https://go.expressvpn.com/c/6317027/1462857/16063?subId1=expressvpn-plans-basic-advanced-pro-comparison&subId2=pricing&subId3=plans&ref=adamandlinds.com) ## Which tier we'd pick For most travelling families the answer is Advanced on the two year term. The gap to Basic is a dollar a month and you get the password manager plus the content filtering, both of which are things you'd otherwise pay for separately or go without. Ten devices versus twelve rarely decides it on its own. Basic makes sense if you already run a password manager you like and you don't need site filtering. It's the same VPN, and paying for a second password vault you won't open is money set on fire. Pro is harder to justify unless you specifically need a dedicated IP, which mostly matters for remote work setups that whitelist an IP address or for banking that flags every new location. The identity monitoring in Pro only applies to US accounts, so for anyone outside the US the tier narrows to the dedicated IP and a router discount. ![Vilnius station, January 2026. Station wifi, a pile of luggage and several hours to kill.](https://pub-7aaf5c6cc1c2496e8b9429b2cc0fe010.r2.dev/photos/large/37aef3cf-c064-4e44-ad18-a347fb2ad836.jpg) ## What a VPN will not fix A VPN changes where your traffic appears to come from and stops whoever runs the network from reading it. That covers the actual problems we hit on the road, which are banking apps that lock you out from a foreign IP, streaming libraries that swap out half their catalogue when you cross a border, and open networks in stations and cafes where you have no idea who else is connected. It does not give you internet. If the wifi in your rental is slow or the network is down, a VPN makes it slower rather than better. For getting online at all you want a local data plan or an eSIM, and the two solve different problems. China is its own case with its own rules, and we've written that up separately in our [China travel guide covering the 240 hour visa, eSIMs and internet access](https://www.adamandlinds.com/blog/china-travel-guide-240-hour-visa-esim-vpn-families/?ref=adamandlinds.com) and in our [review of the Holafly China eSIM with its built-in VPN](https://www.adamandlinds.com/blog/holafly-china-esim-review-built-in-vpn-shanghai-family/?ref=adamandlinds.com). ## Where it falls short ExpressVPN is not the cheapest option and the renewal pricing is the main reason people leave. Device limits are also stingier than several competitors that offer unlimited connections, which is only a problem if you can't or won't run it on a router. Support is fast over live chat and slow over email, so use the chat. The identity protection features being US only is worth calling out plainly, because the Advanced and Pro tiers are marketed on those features and a large part of the value evaporates if your account is registered anywhere else. If you're outside the US, compare the tiers on device count, the password manager and the dedicated IP, and ignore the identity monitoring line entirely. ## Common questions ### Is the VPN itself different on the cheaper plan? No. Basic, Advanced and Pro use the same server network, the same Lightway protocol and the same encryption. Only the device limit and the bundled extras change. ### Can I change tier later? Yes. Existing subscribers are offered the choice at renewal and are not moved to a lower tier without agreeing to it. ### Does it work on a Fire Stick or Apple TV? There are native apps for Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS and Android. Devices without a native app, including Apple TV and games consoles, are covered either through the MediaStreamer DNS tool or by installing ExpressVPN on the router. ### Is the two year plan actually cheaper? Over the first term, yes, and by a fair margin once the four bonus months are counted. The comparison gets less flattering at renewal, so treat the two year price as an introductory rate rather than what you'll pay long term. ### How many devices do we actually need? Count phones, tablets, laptops and streaming sticks, then add one. Two adults and three kids with a phone or tablet each already sits close to the Basic limit before you add a laptop, which is where the router install starts looking sensible. [See ExpressVPN plans and current pricing](https://go.expressvpn.com/c/6317027/1462857/16063?subId1=expressvpn-plans-basic-advanced-pro-comparison&subId2=footer&subId3=plans&ref=adamandlinds.com) ## Related reading - [Why I actually use a VPN while traveling](https://www.adamandlinds.com/blog/why-i-use-expressvpn-while-traveling/?ref=adamandlinds.com) - [The complete guide to worldschooling](https://www.adamandlinds.com/blog/the-complete-guide-to-worldschooling-everything-parents-need-to-know/?ref=adamandlinds.com) - [How we track our budget on the road](https://www.adamandlinds.com/blog/travelspend-review-budget-tracking-full-time-travel/?ref=adamandlinds.com) _This post contains affiliate links. If you buy an ExpressVPN subscription through our links we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Pricing shown reflects ExpressVPN's promotion running 9 to 23 September 2026 and will change afterwards. All opinions are our own._