vpnandprivacy

iOS app analysis · #2 of 17

ExpressVPN on iPhone: what 2,870 recent reviews actually say

By The VPN and Privacy team Updated 6 Sept 2026 Facts re-checked 6 Sept 2026
78
4.68★418,418 ratings, all time
3.80★mean of the 2,870 recent reviews sampled
20%raise a critical problem
v12.71.0released 2026-08-26 · iOS 15.0+
Billing complaints 8.4% 90-day sentiment improving (+0.11)

How the score is built

Store rating (shrunk) 35%
92
Recent sentiment 25%
89
Complaint rate (inverse) 20%
68
Update cadence 10%
100
Our device test 10%
0

Our device test sits at 0 until we run one; the weight is reserved so scores do not shift when it lands. Method.

Star distribution in the sample

5★
64%
4★
5%
3★
3%
2★
4%
1★
24%

Recent reviewers of any large app skew negative compared with all-time ratings; compare the sample mean with the listing rating above to see the gap.

Monthly mean rating, last 12 months

12345 2025-10: 4.47★ from 115 reviews2025-102025-11: 4.43★ from 115 reviews2025-12: 4.13★ from 106 reviews2026-01: 4.27★ from 96 reviews2026-012026-02: 4.26★ from 91 reviews2026-03: 4.56★ from 95 reviews2026-04: 4.52★ from 87 reviews2026-042026-05: 4.15★ from 96 reviews2026-06: 4.09★ from 103 reviews2026-07: 4.56★ from 234 reviews2026-072026-08: 4.61★ from 464 reviews2026-09: 4.74★ from 57 reviews2026-09

What reviewers complain about

China / censorship
8.9%▼ falling
Billing & auto-renew
7.2%▼ falling
Customer support
5.3%▼ falling
Crashes & bugs
5.1%▼ falling
Slow speeds
3.5%▼ falling
Connection drops
3.4%▼ falling
iOS integration
3.3%▼ falling
Refund problems
2.6%▼ falling
Streaming blocked
2.4%▼ falling
Privacy concerns
1.7%— steady
Interface & usability
1.6%— steady
Ads / misleading
1.1%— steady
Battery drain
1.1%— steady
Kill switch
0.4%— steady

What they praise

Praised: reliability
8.4%
Praised: speed
7.4%
Praised: value
1.7%

Percentages are the share of sampled reviews mentioning the theme; a review can carry several. "Rising" compares the last 90 days with the whole sample.

In their words

Latest release notes (v12.71.0)

- You can now see new layout options on the paywall to get started with ExpressVPN. - We've added notifications to keep you informed about your free days. - General performance and stability improvements.

Frequently asked

Is the ExpressVPN iPhone app any good?

Its App Store score this month is 78/100, ranking #2 of 17 VPN apps we track. The listing rating is 4.68 stars from 418,418 ratings; among the 2,870 most recent reviews we analysed, 20% raised a critical problem, most often china / censorship (8.9%).

What do people complain about most in ExpressVPN reviews?

China / censorship (8.9% of reviews), Billing & auto-renew (7.2% of reviews), Customer support (5.3% of reviews). See the theme breakdown above for the full list and how each has moved over the last 90 days.

Does ExpressVPN have billing or auto-renew problems on iOS?

Yes: 8.4% of sampled reviews mention being charged unexpectedly, auto-renewal, or trouble cancelling — high enough that we flag it. Subscriptions bought through the App Store are cancelled in iOS Settings → Apple ID → Subscriptions, not in the app; Apple's refund process is at reportaproblem.apple.com.

Is this the same as your overall review?

No. This page measures the iOS app as its users experience it. The full ExpressVPN review covers ownership, jurisdiction, audits, pricing after renewal and the service as a whole.