ExpressVPN has launched a steep discount on its Basic plan, cutting the advertised price to £1.99 a month and adding four free months on a two-year subscription. The offer, available until 11.59pm on April 21, 2026, matters because it briefly flips the usual pricing order in the consumer VPN market: a brand long associated with premium rates is now cheaper than comparable entry plans from NordVPN and Proton VPN.
That shift is not just about a sale. It reflects a broader change in how VPN providers compete, with pricing, bundled privacy tools and multi-device coverage increasingly used to win over users who want more control over how their internet traffic is handled.
Why this deal stands out
The headline saving is large: 80% off ExpressVPN Basic, bringing the cost to £1.99 per month, or about 6p a day, with four extra months included on the longest plan. According to the offer details provided, that means a customer paying £55.78 upfront receives 28 months of access and would not need to renew until August 2028.
The significance is competitive as much as financial. ExpressVPN has typically charged more than many rivals, arguing that its speed, app support and privacy features justify the premium. This offer changes that calculation. Based on the prices in the promotional material, NordVPN’s entry plan is £2.29 a month and Proton VPN’s equivalent long-term plan comes in at £2.39. For buyers comparing headline monthly cost alone, ExpressVPN now has the lower advertised price.
What a VPN actually does for users
A virtual private network encrypts internet traffic between a user’s device and the VPN provider’s server. In practical terms, that can make it harder for internet providers, advertisers and others on the network path to observe browsing activity. It can also reduce risks when using public Wi-Fi, where poorly secured connections can expose users to interception attempts.
ExpressVPN says its service uses AES-256 encryption and supports its Lightway protocol, which the company promotes for speed and efficiency. The Basic plan also covers up to 10 devices at once, a relevant detail for households splitting protection across phones, laptops, tablets and streaming hardware. For many buyers, device allowance matters as much as raw speed or server count because VPN subscriptions are often used across an entire home, not just by one person.
What buyers should weigh beyond the discount
Low introductory pricing can make a long contract look more attractive than it would at a monthly rate, but the trade-off is commitment. In this case, the maximum saving requires a two-year term paid upfront. ExpressVPN’s 30-day money-back guarantee softens that risk, but consumers should still look beyond the headline figure and decide whether they are comfortable prepaying for a service they may use unevenly.
It is also important to distinguish a VPN’s core privacy benefits from more expansive marketing claims. A VPN can help shield browsing activity from local network monitoring and can mask a user’s IP address from websites and services. It does not make someone anonymous in every context, and it does not replace careful account security, software updates or strong passwords. Buyers choosing the Basic tier should also be aware that some extras available on higher plans, including the company’s password manager and other add-ons, are not part of this entry package.
A sign of a changing VPN market
ExpressVPN’s pricing move follows a broader overhaul of its subscriptions after years of a simpler structure. The company now offers Basic, Advanced and Pro tiers, a model that mirrors a wider industry trend toward separating core VPN access from bundled extras such as password management, identity tools, travel data features and ad blocking.
That matters because the VPN market has matured. Providers are no longer selling privacy alone; they are selling convenience, bundled security and price certainty over long periods. For consumers, the immediate takeaway is straightforward: this is a rare moment when ExpressVPN is competing aggressively on cost rather than relying on brand strength alone. Whether that makes it the right purchase depends less on the size of the discount than on whether a user actually wants a long-term VPN subscription and will make regular use of it.
