For years, ExpressVPN has held a specific reputation in the cybersecurity world: it is the “Apple” of VPNs—polished, reliable, faster than most, but decidedly expensive. It rarely competes on price, preferring to let its Lightway protocol and TrustedServer technology justify the premium.

But for Black Friday 2025, the strategy has shifted.

In a move that aggressively targets budget-conscious competitors like Surfshark and NordVPN, ExpressVPN has launched an “Extra 30% off” campaign that drops its monthly effective cost to levels we almost never see. If you have been waiting to upgrade your digital privacy without breaking the bank, this is the moment.

2-year plans

The centerpiece of this sale is the 2-year subscription, which now includes 4 extra months for free. This stretches your initial billing cycle to a massive 28 months.

ExpressVPN has split its offering into three tiers this year—Basic, Advanced, and Pro. Here is how the numbers crunch on the 2-year deal:

1. The “Basic” plan (best value)

• Deal price: $2.44/month (81% off)
• Billed at: $68.40 for the first 28 months.
• What you get: This is the stripped-back, pure VPN experience. You get the full speed of the Lightway protocol, servers in 105 countries, and 10 simultaneous connections.
• Our take: For most users, this is the gold standard. You are paying under $100 for nearly two and a half years of premium privacy. It lacks the bells and whistles of the higher tiers, but the core VPN engine is identical.

2. The “Advanced” plan (most popular)

• Deal price: $3.14/month (77% off)
• Billed at: $88 for the first 28 months.
• What you get: Upgrades you to 12 simultaneous connections and adds “Advanced Protection” (ad/tracker blocking), a built-in Password Manager, and a 3-day holiday[.]com eSIM.
• The kicker: It includes 50% off an Aircove router. If you are planning to buy a VPN router to secure your entire home (smart TVs, gaming consoles), the hardware discount alone justifies the extra dollar per month.

3. The “Pro” plan (maximum security)

• Deal price: $5.24/month (73% off)
• Billed at: $146.80 for the first 28 months.
• What you get: 14 connections, Identity Defender Pro (ID theft insurance, data removal, credit scanner), and a Dedicated IP.
• Our take: This is a niche offering. Unless you specifically need a Dedicated IP (useful for accessing banking sites that flag changing IPs) or US-based identity theft protection, the Basic or Advanced plans offer better “bang for your buck.”

1-year plan

Not everyone is ready to commit to a 28-month relationship. ExpressVPN knows this and has applied its “Extra 30% off” logic to the 12-month plan as well.

While the 2-year plan offers the deepest discount (73%), the 1-year plan is the flexible middle ground.

• The structure: Typically, Black Friday deals on the 1-year plan bundle 3 extra months free (15 months total).
• The math: While the monthly effective price will hover higher than the $2.44/mo Basic 2-year rate (expect it to land closer to the $3.49 – $6.29 range, depending on the specific tier selected), it lowers your upfront cash outlay.
• Who is this for? Students, those in temporary housing, or anyone who wants to test the service for a year before locking in a longer term. However, purely from a mathematical standpoint, the 2-year Basic plan costs roughly $68.40 upfront, which is often similar to the upfront cost of a 1-year plan, but gives you double the service time.

1-year vs. 2-year

If you look at the total bill, the difference becomes stark.

• 2-year Basic plan: You pay $68.40 once and forget about it for 28 months.
• 1-year plan: You likely pay a similar upfront amount (often around $52.39-$94.39, depending on the tier) but only get 15 months of coverage.

The math heavily favors the 2-year Basic plan. The “sunk cost” is nearly identical, but you gain an entire extra year of service free of charge.

Why this deal matters now

In previous years, ExpressVPN refused to drop below $6.67/month. Seeing a $2.44 price tag is a significant shift in the market. It suggests ExpressVPN is tired of losing price-sensitive customers to cheaper rivals and is finally leveraging its infrastructure to offer a competitive rate.

Key features included in all plans:

• TrustedServer technology: RAM-only servers that wipe all data upon reboot.
• Lightway protocol: A proprietary protocol designed for speed and battery efficiency on mobile.
• 30-day money-back guarantee: This applies to all Black Friday deals, meaning you can test the 2-year plan for 29 days and get a full refund if it doesn’t meet your expectations.

Final recommendation

If you need a VPN for streaming (Netflix, BBC iPlayer), security on public Wi-Fi, or gaming, this Black Friday sale is the best entry point we have seen for ExpressVPN.

Go for the Basic 2-year plan at $2.44/mo. It creates the perfect balance of premium performance and economy pricing. If you need a router or ad-blocking, the Advanced tier is a worthy upgrade, but avoid the Pro tier unless you have very specific Dedicated IP needs.

Disclaimer: Prices and promotions mentioned in this article are accurate at the time of writing and are subject to change based on the retailers’ discretion. Please verify the current offer before making a purchase.