ExpressVPN for Mac

With over 3,000 servers in more than 160 server locations, ExpressVPN has one of the widest network coverage. This provides enough capacity to accommodate an abundant amount of traffic without any congestion. ExpressVPN is regularly optimizing its servers to deliver the fastest speeds possible.

It has a Smart Location feature that allows users to connect to a server with a single click. The feature measures speed, latency, and distance to determine the best server to connect to. The chosen server is the one with the fastest speed and lowest latency.

The VPN service holds no punches when it comes to privacy and security. Your online activity is protected by one of the industry’s leading encryption standards, AES. This military-grade encryption ensures that your geolocation is masked, giving you total anonymity and privacy.

Perfect forward secrecy is an additional encryption feature ExpressVPN uses. This highly advanced encryption feature changes your encryption key every time you initiate a VPN connection, giving you absolute security.

ExpressVPN also uses split tunneling that allows certain traffic to pass through the VPN tunnel, while others have a direct connection to the internet. This feature is particularly important for Mac users who might want to use a VPN only for certain tasks; for instance, streaming.

In the event that the VPN connection disconnects without warning, ExpressVPN has a kill switch that prevents your traffic from going through to the internet. With this feature, you don’t have to be concerned about what will happen to your online activity and information.

Mac is available as a notebook and a desktop. And fortunately for Mac users, ExpressVPN supports both models. The VPN service is available as a browser extension to cater to Mac users using Chrome and Firefox. Furthermore, ExpressVPN is compatible with all versions of macOS including macOS Big Sur (11), macOS Catalina (10.15), macOS Mojave (10.14), macOS High Sierra (10.13), and macOS Sierra (10.12).

For users who have more than one Mac device, the program offers simultaneous connections of up to five devices. This is particularly beneficial for users who want to share a subscription with family members and friends.

However, based on some reviews on Reddit, ExpressVPN does not work well with Apple TV.

ExpressVPN has one of the best customer support in the market. It offers 24/7 responsive live chat and email support services to its customers. Therefore, Mac users with connection problems can quickly find solutions from the ExpressVPN support team easily.

Compared to other leading VPN providers, ExpressVPN for Mac comes on top in terms of network coverage, connection speeds, security, and customer support.

With multiple servers in various countries, ExpressVPN’s network coverage is large. The number of servers alone does not tell the whole story. The location of those servers is also a major factor. For example, NordVPN, one of the top competitors, has nearly double the number of servers that ExpressVPN offers. Yet, what gives ExpressVPN an edge is the spread of its servers. It has servers in more countries than NordVPN. This is particularly important as it offers more streaming options to Mac users.

Laws concerning the use of this software vary from country to country. We do not encourage or condone the use of this program if it is in violation of these laws. The regulation about the use of VPN services varies per country; if the Law of your country forbids or limits its usage, don’t download. Any unlawful behavior of this software is not permitted. You are solely responsible for any use of the service.

In a discussion on Reddit regarding the best VPN between NordVPN and ExpressVPN, some users experienced issues with NordVPN on their iOS app.

The high number of servers also plays a big part in ExpressVPN’s overall performance. From our speed tests, we determined that ExpressVPN’s OpenVPN speeds are well above average at 150Mbps as compared to other VPN services such as CyberGhost and IPVanish that clocked 80Mbps.

Most VPN providers claim to offer complete privacy but if you investigate a bit, there is often nothing substantive to back up the claims. Take encryption, for example, most VPN providers simply state that they use AES encryption, but ExpressVPN goes further than that.

ExpressVPN explains that it uses AES-256-GCM for control-channel encryption. It states that it uses an asymmetric encryption scheme for data-channel encryption. ExpressVPN uses HMAC authentication that protects messages to be sent from unauthorized alteration. Apart from the OpenVPN protocol that is used by other VPN providers, ExpressVPN uses Lightway, IKEv2, and L2TP/IPsec as extra security protocols to provide optimum privacy and security.

However, Mac users complain that using the OpenVPN protocol drains their battery. As a result, some recommend using the IKEv2 protocol and uninstalling and installing the apps.

When it comes to logging policies, you will find some VPN providers brandishing ‘NO LOGGING’ on their main pages, but behind the statement, there are no specifics on these policies. ExpressVPN does things differently. There is no zero-log policy boasting on its main page. This VPN provider states that ‘Privacy is a fundamental right. We don’t keep connection or activity logs, and we never share your details with anyone’.

ExpressVPN does not have an application on the macOS app store. So you have to download the app from the provider’s web page. Getting started with ExpressVPN on your Mac device is incredibly simple. Here is the process of installing and using ExpressVPN on your Mac device.

Step 1. First of all, visit the ExpressVPN page.

Step 2. Select ‘Get ExpressVPN’ and follow the procedure to its completion.

Step 3. Go back to ExpressVPN's home page, select ‘My Account’ and ‘Sign in’.

Step 4. Once you get to your online dashboard, select ‘Download for Mac’. Leave this page open as you will need the ExpressVPN activation code later.

Step 5. Go to your Mac device’s download folder, click on ExpressVPN’s installer and finalize the installation process.

Step 6. Your Mac device will ask you for a password, which should be your computer’s password.

Step 7. Now go ahead and open the ExpressVPN application. Click on ‘Sign in’, then copy and paste the ExpressVPN activation code.

Step 8. If asked to install a VPN configuration, click on ‘Allow’. The VPN will ask if you want it to ‘Launch on Startup’; click ‘OK’ if you so wish. In addition, it will also prompt for ‘Anonymous Data Collection’; confirm your selection.

Step 9. Eventually, you’ll be greeted with an ExpressVPN’s home screen with an ON/OFF button. From here, you can select a server location of your choice, then connect to it. You can also disconnect a VPN connection from this page.

Step 10. To pick another server location, select the ‘Smart Location’ button on the ExpressVPN home page. Then double click on a country or server name of your choice. Once you are connected, ExpressVPN's home screen will turn green, and that is it!