I cannot count how many websites list ExpressVPN as the best VPN available in New Zealand. That made it one of the first VPNs that I wanted to check and see if it is the best VPN for New Zealand. My review is based on my experience using ExpressVPN in New Zealand. Since New Zealand is near the end of the world internet wise, performance on VPNs can be very different than a review done in the states.
Free Trial
ExpressVPN does not offer a free trial. They do offer a 30-day money back guarantee. This means that you cannot try Express VPN without giving your credit card information. It is an easy two-step process to cancel and get a refund.
Pricing
This is the current pricing in February of 2019. ExpressVPN pricing does vary throughout the year, but this is a pretty standard price. Unlike some VPNs like NordVPN and PureVPN, ExpressVPN is not on cash back portals. This limits the discounts that you can stack.
Overall I would say that the pricing is medium to high for a VPN. They do automatically sign you up for automatic payments when you enroll if you use a credit card for payment. I recommend unenrolling from automatic payments the day that you enroll. You typically get a better price or free time upon renewal if you do not auto-renew and instead wait a couple of days to renew.
Accessing VPN
| Mac | Windows | Android | iOS | Android TV | Roku | Browser Plugins |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes |
ExpressVPN has many apps to give access to their VPN. They have browser plugins, Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, FireTV, and more apps. On the app page, they also list connection directions for programs that they do not have a dedicated app.
The apps for ExpressVPN have worked without issues for me. I also think that they are some of the better-designed VPN apps available.
You are only able to use ExpressVPN on three devices. This is one of the lowest numbers of devices for a VPN. If you do not connect your router, it is realistic that you might run into the cap. You cannot just purchase additional users. You need to buy another subscription that gives you access to three more devices.
Server Location
NordVPN has 2000+ servers in over 90 countries. A small percentage of their servers are virtual servers and not located in the country they provide access.
Speed
| 6a | 10a | 12p | 2p | 4p | 6p | 8p | 10p | 12a | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No VPN | 93.8 | 93.4 | 94.0 | 93.5 | 48.5 | 93.6 | 91.1 | 93.9 | 95.8 |
| Express VPN | 57.1 | 58.6 | 17.9 | 34.8 | 38.1 | 43.4 | 71.9 | 51.1 | 12.1 |
The speed test used USA servers. The reason I used USA servers was that they are ones that can be used for USA Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime video. Most other reviews that I have read have listed ExpressVPN as having fast and reliable speeds. I did not notice the very fast speeds that I saw with NordVPN, but the speeds were adequate. There was one slow speed that I recorded, but they were never so slow that impacted streaming or web browsing performance. Using New Zealand servers, I noticed faster speeds that were consistently high.
Netflix Access
| Windows/macOS | Mobile Devices App | FireTV App |
|---|---|---|
| Yes | Yes | Yes |
ExpressVPN delivered as promised for Netflix and was one of the most reliable VPNs that I tested for Netflix access. I have yet to run into an issue on any device accessing Netflix. I was able to access FireTV using the app without an issue, which many VPNs have an issue with
Hulu Access
ExpressVPN works well with Hulu. I have not run into a problem on any device when I tried to access Hulu.
Amazon Prime Streaming
ExpressVPN let me down with Amazon Prime streaming. I was unable to watch Amazon Prime on any device, using any method. I tried over 30 servers during my test, and none of them worked with Amazon Prime. This was a big letdown for me since Amazon Prime is one of my primary streaming sources. Amazon Prime tends to be the most challenging service to stream. I have had the best luck with PureVPN.
FireTV App
ExpressVPN has a FireTV app under the utility category. The app does an excellent job and routinely provided speeds fast enough to be useful. I was able to stream Netflix every time I tried on the app but was not able to use Amazon Prime streaming.
Install on Router
Many VPNs that I tested had periods of having very slow speeds. ExpressVPN had functional speed every time that I used it. I would be comfortable installing ExpressVPN on a router in New Zealand because of the consistent speeds that it provides.
ExpressVPN has an app that works for many routers. They also have a manual setup guide that does a good job walking you through how to setup ExpressVPN on routers that the app does not support. The instructions and supported routers are available here.
How to Cancel ExpressVPN
Not all VPNs make it easy to cancel. Fortunately, ExpressVPN makes it pretty easy to cancel and get a refund if you cancel during the first thirty days. I recommend doing the first part of this, turning off automatic renewals, the day that you sign up for any VPN,
- Go to your ExpressVPN dashboard
- Look at the subscription tab on the left side of the screen and click “manage settings”
- Click “Turn off automatic renewal”
- Go to chat
- Ask them to cancel your subscription and get a refund
- They will tell you they will forward on your request
- You should get an email confirming refund and cancellation within two days
Overall
Overall: B
| Grade | Does what I want without issues | Number of VPNs given ranking |
|---|---|---|
| A | 95%+ of the time | |
| B | 85-95% of the time | 2 |
| C | 75-85% of the time | 1 |
| D | 50-75% of the time | 2 |
| F | less than 50% |
ExpressVPN is one of the better VPNs that I reviewed. ExpressVPN does not get an A ranking because it did not work with Amazon Prime and because the speed was adequate, but not super fast. Saying that ExpressVPN is a good consistent VPN. Looking at the New Zealand speed test, some slower times were recorded, but I never noticed an issue when streaming video. The speed is consistent enough that I would be comfortable using ExpressVPN a router. If you use it on a router, you would probably be able to get by with the three device limit, which is one of the fewest number of devices allowed among VPNs.
If you do not use Amazon Prime, ExpressVPN would be the VPN that I recommend. I did not give it a “Time and Place” rating because it works so well that it is best suited as a general VPN. Our guide to VPNs covers all of the VPNs which we have reviewed in New Zealand.
